My FiiO BTR3K has been acting up recently. It's only ~9 months old, but seems like it's ready to die. It will not power on ~80% of the time. I can press and hold the power button for 1 second, 3 second, 10 second, or 30 second intervals as recommended. The lights never turn on. It doesn't...

Thanks for the detailed reply. Right, those issues make a lot of sense. I had just thought, well, the headphone jack died...maybe, while getting sound back in the car, I'll see if I can upgrade anything along the way. Maybe the better idea: don't buy anything that'll make it sound worse.  ...

Does using a USB DAC/AMP in a car change anything I should be looking at? Before my headphone port went flaky, using it via my car's aux-in worked fine except that it was pretty quiet. So, should I be looking for a "strong amp" in my USB DACs because it's going in a car?   Setup details...

    OK, that's great to hear, whew. I'm pretty excited, actually, :) Right, finding the right DAC is the key! :D     Err, that's OK. But, I read even further than you did, :p Go one more post and this guy says he has the exact same setup, but it didn't work: not exactly comforting...

So, what's the state of "normal" apps with USB Audio (not USB host)? Can Spotify, YouTube, Google Maps, etc. output? This Spotify post says that USB DACs never have and never will work with Spotify. Is that true?

I'm debating between the Reference and the RSM Quad. Are the improvements worth the $250, a 63% increase in cost? Like, does the addition of the single mid-range driver improve the sound, relative to the cost?    I listen to a lot of different music: pop, piano, hip-hop, rock, a bit of...

If FiiO is interested, I think including Bluetooth aptX in a portable DAC/AMP would be killer....like maybe in the E17 successor. :D

  I heard about that one, too. It looks pretty sweet.   But, I don't have a portable DAC/AMP for my phone/car anyways, so I thought, why not kill two birds with one stone?

Check this out:   http://www.head-fi.org/t/732171/creative-sound-blaster-e5-headphone-amp-usb-dac-with-otg-toslink-aptx-recording-more   Finally we can use USB and still get binaural surround (via SBX Pro Studio)? Built-in microphone, too!

Hi, Joker (and anyone else who think they could help). I'm stuck in a three-way tie to replace my dead Ety HF5s:   1. 1964EARS V3 2. Alclair Reference 3. Custom Art Music Ones   How I narrowed it down to these three:   Regarding the HF5s, I loved their super-detailed and clear sound, as...

  Hi! I'm not sure if you were replying to me, but I've actually heard customs fitting extremely well. Was that not your experience? About the isolation: haha, perfect. Just what I'm looking for! :D     OK, solid, I'll give them a look. Thank you for the tip! :D     OK, whew, good...

Joker, any thoughts about replacing an Etymotic HF5? They were unfortunately run into the vacuum cleaner, the earbuds torn right off the cabling. :(   I listen to many different kinds of music: rock, pop, folk, piano, vocal, some hip-hop, and a touch of spoken word, so all-arounders seem like...

Quick update: definite upgrade over the Brainwavz M2 pair I had. My music has so many sounds that I had never heard before. I can hear the guitar strings actually vibrate! Isolation is great. It's not silent, but it's pretty quiet: great for commutes. Bass is lighter than the decidedly warn...

Well, I found an even better deal! The Etymotic Hf2 is HALF OFF! It's only $83 at Amazon and it includes the new Awareness app for Android that lets in ambient sounds! http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007TCXI1U/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1356539834&sr=8-9&pi=SL75 Just bought it! So excited! :)

Not a huge price drop, but the Ety HF5's can be had for $90 at JR.   http://www.jr.com/   Add the HF5's. They're $99.99 ($50 off their "usual" $150). Add this $0.01 Flip camcorder cover to reach $100: http://www.jr.com/flip-video/pe/PUF_AWP1B Add the HOLIDAY10 coupon code to get $10...

Maybe this is the wrong place to post this (being the "Appreciation" thread), but the HF5's can be had for $90 (includes shipping!):   http://www.jr.com/   Add the HF5's. They're $99.99 ($50 off their usual $150). Add this $0.01 Flip camcorder cover to reach $100...

Quote: Right; I've seen the S4's seared more than expected on these forums: they're out of the running now.   I think the "new" list is the Brainwavz M2/ViSang R03, the Sunrise SW-Xcape v1 (v2 seems to be worse), or any new contenders I may have missed?

Thanks for the replies! :) They've definitely helped me narrow in.   @yipcanjo   Alas, I could not find a cheap set of the HJE-900s. :( The Brainwavz M2 looks perfect, actually! :) I wish it came with more tips, but I can always buy more. The signature sounds exactly what I'm looking...

I would like very much to pay less than $100 = that's why I need oldish. If it just came out and it's $100, I doubt I'm going to pay under $100 easily. Something within the last 3 years would be nice.   I've never owned anything "high-end," but I appreciate definition: I spent a week...