it seems you can add the D4 to that list...that ruined my day   http://nikonrumors.com/2012/02/08/first-nikon-d4-shipment-delayed-till-march-15th.aspx/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NikonRumors+%28NikonRumors.com%29&utm_content=FaceBook

Quote: Since the spikes screw in all you need to do is rotate out (extend) the one where there is a bit of gap to close it.  Problem solved.  

Quote: LOL, John, I guess you're not upgrading to the Nikon D4 and the new Sony XQD cards  http://click.e.adorama.com/?qs=614e218312af2dcabd77a18139a461962d3fe0261cda69a2a5aae0a0c19080178ed82e6c6e2ae26e5437dba157bc91d6   I got two on preorder.  Ouch.  

Quote: As the HM-801 does not have SPDIF out, this is not possible.  It does have an analog line-out, which is an excellent source for the JH3A on a desktop, but not for a mobile rig due to bulk.     I continue to enjoy the HM-801 for 24/88 or 24/96 material with the balanced amp...

Quote: I apologize, but as I said I only had a very short time to spend with these.  Normally I wouldn't even post about an experience but this has happened in my home using familiar equipment and recordings.   There is a common misconception held that amplification loudness vs...

    By sheer coincidence and happenstance, I had a brief amount of time to spend with a near-production level prototype of the HE-400s, courtesy of Fang.  Actually, not just the HE-400 but the new EF6 amplifier, which was a unit approved for production.   Let me emphasize a few things...

Quote: The Gold pot with the discrete array relays alone would be a significant price increase in terms of cost, but the Gold is just a better performing product sonically even if you disregard the higher sample rates which is not yet a major concern of mine, despite the fact some...

Quote: No, I haven't.  Both of those products have excellent reputation, but I just went with what I know worked for me before.  Didn't mean to imply the Zodiac line is the only game in town, but it sure is an option to consider.

Quote: There most certainly is a difference, although I've never owned the base Zodiac model and only started with the Plus.  Then upgraded the Gold, added a Voltikus when it became available and was stupid enough to sell the combo in May.  Now I've purchased them again.  I could go on an...

Quote:   I believe the Apache puts out less than 1 WPC from the balanced outputs and that will not make the HE-6 very happy.  It will drive it, but only so-so.  It's comparable how the SR71B drives it.  The LCD2/3 should be fair game, but again best with the Dark Star.  The T1 and the...

Quote: Pretty good combo, yes.  This is the 2nd time I've bought this DAC and it's still a best under $5K and probably under $10K as well.  But it requires a ton of burn-in to fully mature.  The Voltikus is a must have option.  The only thing it would improve on the built in OCX clock...

This may help judging the size.  I actually moved down the Dark Star to pair with my Zodiac Gold+Voltikus combo.  Nothing fancy just straight USB from my MacBook Pro for now.  If you are familiar with the Zodiac DACs you should have a rough idea.   The top shelf of my rack will host a BHSE...

Quote: Nothing has changed with the base design by adding the balanced amp module and augmenting the analog board.  The digital board has a USB-mini socket that enables the HM-801 to be used as a USB DAC from a computer.  Sadly, no SPDIF input is provided.  

Sorry, that's actually a modded A-10.  I do not own a B-52 as of yet.   Quote:  

Quote: Actually the B-52 has a similar chassis design to the A-10 pictured above (minus the extrusions) and they are much bigger and  heavier than the Dark Star.    

My source gear is the Esoteric P-03/D-03/G-0x combo.  So far I only heard one headphone I liked better with a B-52 tube amp than the Dark Star; the Beyerdynamic T70.  The Headphonia review mostly mirrors my own impressions.  

Great impressions and writeup, Steve. I have not owned the Apache AND the HE-500s at the same time but I have no doubt these cans respond well to a lush analog source vinyl provides. If you desire more punch and speed in how it renders sound, a more powerful amp like the Dark Star will help. The...

Unfortunately, anything over 64GB of flash would probably be price prohibitive and difficult to obtain because Apple effectively corners the market.  This thing will be worth checking out just because of the ESS Sabre chip and it's ability to produce digital coax output.  Since a typical 24/192...

Justin,   Sorry if this has been asked before.   How much pre-burn are you doing for the new batch of BHSE on the bench before shipping them out? How much additional burn-in is recommended for the amp?   Thanks.

Quote: The Dark Star was never designed with IEMs and low impedance/highly sensitive headphones like that.  Try these at your own risk.  The Apache is much better suited for these types of pairings.  It doesn't take much effort and you can burn out the drivers in a fraction of a second if...

Quote: I have.  Very impressive pairing, indeed.  Better than any amps I've used them before via speaker taps.  The K1Ks are notoriously hard to drive by most amplifiers but the ample headroom provided by the DS easily pushes them to their limits.  Don't own a pair of these anymore, but...

Quote: No question about it, but Marantz had been around a bit longer so it's no surprise it is a more established brand than HiFiMAN.  I have also had occasional QC problems with some of their stuff, but they've been promptly rectified.  It is an evolving brand, but as long as they...

Quote: I think it's all a matter of perspective.  A speaker amp is just one component--I'm sure a good one--but it's still just one component.  With the portable system you have described you have a (portable) source, balanced amp module and a set of reference ear speakers (BTW, their...

Quote: If I'll get permission to snap internal photos I will.  I don't know if it's meant to be a balanced output or just a really powerful SE amp designed to power the HE-6 in stock configuration.  All HE-xxx headphones I own respond well to fully balanced output and that's part of the...

@iLovPieNCake   Thanks for the pictures and impressions and glad to hear you've got some value out of it.  A few minor corrections to some of what you have mentioned:   By conservative estimate I would think Ray has brought about $100,000 worth of equipment, not $10,000.  I think the...