Hundreds new DAC models hitting the market does not mean "innovation". m903 and Hilo check all the marks on specs and buzzwords, DSD aside (which is pretty useless anyway). Hell, they are just two years old, DACs don't get obsolete that fast.

Quote: Flagships exist because they can - there are people willing to pay for them and there's a very sweet profit margin for the manufacturer. For companies like AKG and Sennheiser who have a strong product portfolio at all price points and markets they are not at all a question of...

Wow, Audio-gd measurements are pathetic, even for a $200 DAC.

Are you suggesting that TDA1541 is 24 bit/192 KHz capable and it's abilities are only limited by the receiver chip?   Quote:  

There is something extremely fishy about Audial Model S description - 192 KHz input with a TDA1541 NOS output, how is it even possible? Are they doing the downsampling to 16/44.1 between the input and the DAC chip?   Quote:  

The one I one: Lavry DA10 (AD1955-based), the one I don't own: Mark Levinson 360S (PCM1704). Is performance difference huge? Not as huge as the price difference.

I'm looking forward to getting a better soundcard for my work computer, which is an Apple MacBook Pro. I have an E-Mu 0404 USB at home, so I was thinking about bringing that one to work, and getting something new for home use. Musiland Monitor 02 looks interesting, but is it better than E-Mu...

Yes, indeed. Converting to Normal profile solves this.

I've tried playing two APE-encoded albums on my new Cowon D2+, both failed. There's a message saying "Invalid" and that's it. One of the files is encoded using APE 3.99, Extra High profile. The second one - don't know the codec version (metadata doesn't have it), High profile. Anyone...

I'm using this sound card. It's pretty good, but I guess the E-MU 0404 USB beats it in terms of price/performance ratio. If you absolutely need to buy a Firewire card -- well, go for Echo.

Hi guys, I need a little advice. Which Gain setting should I choose when using this amp with Grado 'phones? Available options are -12, 0, and +6 dB. +6 sounds uncomfortable at about 9 o'clock volume setting, so I guess it's out of consideration.

Behringer -- it's Firewire, so it's out of consideration (I've got only USB 2.0) Presonus -- not sold in Russia. Thanks for your proposal, still.

Hi guys. I'm looking into buying headphones + external audio card for use with a computer at work. Will this combo sound good, or do AKGs really-really need an amp? If the latter, what other cans would you recommend? Some constraints/preferences: - Open headphones are OK. - Musical...

I owned the DT880 for a short period of time and sold them because I found them fatiguing. There were two things which I think caused fatigue - first, they were quite heavy and caused excessive pressure on the top of my head. Second - bright highs. Please note that I used the DT880 without a...

Here's the followup to the original story: after spending two weeks with both SR60 and DT880 I decided that what I really need is a combination of both headphones' strong sides - basically, a less harsh, less colored Grado SR60. So I sold both headphones (they went really fast ) and bought a...

Quote: Originally Posted by Banach After reading through this thread I am more confused than I was. I always heard that high impedance cans (not the K 701) benefit much from a headphone amplifier, even more than that, their full abilities could not be experienced without dedicated...

Quote: Originally Posted by fewtch Yet another "xxx is too good, too realistic, I prefer my mid-fi gear because it's more exciting to listen to." Sometimes I despair for this forum... Poor quality of many recordings is just too obvious on highly-revealing gear, that's why mid-fi...

Quote: Originally Posted by warpdriver Without a good source, you aren't doing the Beyer's justice. I owned the SR60 and it was awesome for the price, and I still own my SR225's, but the Beyers are superior to my SR225 for nearly every type of music I listen to, from pop, to acoustical...

Quote: Originally Posted by Jam_Master_J Good comparison but you owe it to yourself to try the 880s on a better amp. My Cambridge 540A doesn't have a great headphone amp circuit. I will, probably. Though I'm afraid of being sucked into the huge spendings associated with this...

Two days ago I bought a slightly used DT 880 without any prior listening (at a really nice price of $120) to complement my Grado SR-60. Below goes a short comparison of these headphones. Equipment: Cambridge Audio 640C and E-MU 1212M -> Cambridge Audio 640A -> Headphones. Music: Thelonious...

I've downloaded both issues of the TONE Audio magazine (http://www.tonepublications.com/tone-audio.htm) for which Head-Fi's own immtbiker writes the headphone column. OMG, this magazine is a quintessence of all things wrong with audio magazines. Giving thumbs up to everything they review? Yes...

Yes, I really enjoy my SR-60. Definitely more fun and involving with my kind of music (jazz, funk, soul, other groovy stuff). And I don't find them harsh, bright, or fatiguing even out of the headphone jack. Do fancier Grado models have these problems with harshness/brightness?

Price range is $350 max. So Sugden and EAR are out.

I understand that it was discussed a million times here , but I did not find a thread which can answer my question comprehensively. So, what are the good amp choices for Grado (currently SR60, planning an upgrade to SR225 soon). I live in Russia so I'm mainly interested in mainstream brands...

Thanks for making things clear. I've actually had the same suspicions about this combo. I'll go for E-MU.