I have a Schiit Loki on my desktop system and it's so easy for me to get great results with just 4 knobs: 20Hz, 400Hz, 2kHz, 8kHz. My HD600 needs just a little boost on the 20Hz knob and I'm happy. Hifiman Ananda, a little trim of the 8kHz knob and I get the smooth, clear top end that i love. I...

then why is it always reported to have a desirable result? I assume some people love the sound of their new headphones right out of the box, in which case burn-in could conceivably have an undesirable effect, right? But I don't remember anyone ever reporting such a thing. Just a thought. I...

After years of running a long line level cable from my phone (through a Sabre usb DAC) to my Marantz AVR when playing Spotify, I just discovered that the AVR is able to do Spotify itself direct from network and I can use mobile devices to control it. It's really great (and it's not bluetooth...

I have been a dedicated dynamic driver guy since I started this hobby nearly 8 years ago, and never considered planars. I listened to an expensive set one time a few years back (Mr. Speakers I think?) but wasn't really impressed -- too smooth, too big, too heavy. I was on a quest for as much...

That still sound decent. For my 10 year old daughter. She's currently using a set of Noontec Zoro II HD, which I think sound pretty great. But they're on ear and start to hurt after a while. I looked for about 20 minutes and haven't found much yet. I tried sell her on the Senn HD 280 Pro as it...

I have nearly zero experience with planars and so it's time to give them a try. I'm currently reading up on the 3 in the thread title, so any opinions on these would be appreciated. And any others that I should look into. I'm most interested in the smooth planar sound I keep reading about...

[deleted]

Getting tired of all my music and need some recommendations. Here's a list of some favorites lately: Lisa Hannigan Jesca Hoop Julien Baker Bat for Lashes Thao and the Get Down Stay Down Wilco The Acid Los Lobos Fiona Apple Radiohead (sorta) Calexico Margot and the Nuclear So & So's Tom Waits...

My X5ii is acting up and they offered to address it for me (awesome). I just have to cover shipping it there. They said it should be a service that includes tracking for the whole trip, including the China bit. UPS and FedEx are closest to my place, but I can also get to a USPS office without...

I've been a huge 600 fan since starting this hobby about 6 years ago. I love the frequency balance (especially the natural/realistic mids & highs), the clarity, the instrument separation. But I need something closed for use in bed that won't bother my wife or young daughter. Recommendations in...

My goal is to use my FiiO dap as a digital source to feed the coax input of my home system from about 15 feet away. I bought a long male-female 3.5mm trrs cable from Amazon to go between my X5 DO jack and either the FiiO adapter that comes with their daps or the L21 adapter cable (essentially...

My first entry level audiophile portable rig was based around a 1st gen FiiO X3, which has a "hardware eq" (T & B) and I remember folks talking about how much better that was supposed to be vs digital, I assume from a noise/distortion point of view. I'm just about to receive a 2nd gen FiiO X5...

I have an idea that it's maybe a combination of low distortion and high dynamics, but I really have no idea. The reason it's on my mind is because I just got my first desktop amp rig (Schiit Modi3/Magni3) and I wasn’t really expecting much difference compared to my JDS C5 portable amp. But wow...

I've had a FiiO X3 1st Gen since about when they came out and I still use it daily, all day long. It's my primary source and I feed into amps all over my life: full living room system, small systems in kitchen & bedroom, car stereo AND all headphone uses. It's been a reliable workhorse for a...

Are the Aluminums just the Amperiors with the standard HD25 70 ohm drivers? I have a set of blue Amperiors and am intrigued by the reports of those who say the Aluminums are a bit more smooth and balanced. So I wonder if I can effectively make myself a set of blue Aluminums by swapping out my...

. . . I have a kid and live in DC on a professor's salary, so I don't. But say I did, which should I choose: 1. Magni/Modi/Loki stack 2. Hifiman Sundara What I have now: Headphones: HD 600, V Moda XS, Senn Amperior Amp: JDS C5 (portable) Source: FiiO X3 (1st gen) Obviously it's a very modest...

[This ended up being a lot longer than I expected. Sorry. I haven’t posted in a while. ] I've been very happy with my current headphones for a few years now (HD600 and V-Moda XS), but I had a little itch last week and I started doing some reading (even though I really have no spare cash right...

Hello, all. It's been a while. I've been so content with my little rig for so long that I simply haven't felt the itch and fell out of touch. [ FiiO X3 (1st Gen!), line out --> JDS Labs C5 --> Sen HD600 ] But I just noticed that JDS Labs isn't even making a portable amp anymore. So I started...

[Extremely biased fanboy post warning] Clarity, clean power, smooth voice and perfect bass boost. I just don't feel the tug to look for anything else yet after almost 2 years now. At this price point is there anything else that comes close? Post all your C5/C5D rants or raves.

I have two DAC's for use with my Android phone via OTG: the ZuperDac and the HiFimeDIY Sabre Android. I thought that DAC's bypass the phone's DAC and amp circuits, and I assumed that the volume control is part of the amp stage. So I expected volume could only be controlled by an amp downstream...

There is surprisingly little talk comparing these two amps, and no dedicated threads that I found, so with the following wall of words let me be the first. Let’s hope this starts a fun debate.     I've been very happy with the E12 v1 for about a year now and during our time together it has...

For home use I run my X3 line out into an E12 and I love it (with my HD600's). Is it just that I prefer the voicing of the E12 to the X3's internal amp (via headphone jack)? Or is the E12 just an objectively "better" amp in some way than the X3?   I am mostly just curious, but this got me...

since reading about the FiiO X3 and getting one myself i have been introduced to this topic. it seems that some say hardware is better for some reason but i don't know why. the X3 appears to have both kinds. i don't use any EQ in the X3 itself but a few of the systems i plug it into have...

The only ones from Senn direct or Amazon I see are called stock but have the 1/4" plug. But the one that actually comes with the 650 has 3.5mm plug with 1/4" adapter, which is what I want. (This is intended as an upgrade/backup for my HD600 cable btw.)

(If i may be so bold as to call a thread I created "Official".)   Seems there might be enough of us E12 lovers with hard to drive cans who prefer the sub-bass boost to justify this. It would be great to have a production model available so we don't have to seek out one of the few...