Just to share with many HeadFiers. After reading many posts here and doing some A/B I have conclusion of some of the best combos (amps plus headphones) out there for total eargasm : 1. RS1 with Gilmore/Ear+ (less than $1000) 2. HD600 with Blockhead (around $3000) and PreHead (slightly...

I have just browsed the EBAY and found out some Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab CDs are being auctioned at multiple prices above original CD price. To me their prices are overvalued. Other CDs with better sounds like SACDs/HDCDs/XRCDs are sold with far less price tags. Is it because the collectible...

My new Bel Canto DAC2 will arrive soon. I will pair it with my Philips DVD player or my Ikemi (as the transport). Could anybody suggest me any good cable to feed the DAC2 with signal from my sources? My budget is around $175. I am thinking about the cable from Digital Precision (i2) but looking...

While listening to my SACD, this idea comes to my mind. Is it possible to convert SACD to MP3 format? So far I think it is impossible but I am still thinking of it. Any opinion?

So often I get bored with the studio recorded music. Therefore I want to listen to same music but played differently with a lot of improvisations or jam sessions in it. My preference genre is rock. Could you recommend some for me. Thanks DJ

I have upgraded my source to Linn Ikemi for one year now. It improves my listening a lot. However, I am still not satisfied yet. The reason is it cannot even outclass my Sony DNE1 when paired with my EMP. My DNE-1 and EMP is a very good combo plus the CD3K. On the contrary, I don't like the...

Ok, I happen to see the reviews of Bedini's ultra clarifier. It said the product may increase the penetration of CD laser to produce good quality reproduction after the treatment. The technology is to polarize the polymer in the CD layer to have better penetration of the laser, as well as...

I am listening Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharah's Painted from Memory. I like this album a lot. Could anybody give some recommendation on others CD similar to this phenomenal album. Thanks DJ

I hope this is the right thread for my post here since this is about the combination of headphone and its amp. I have 4K budget and I am pondering to choose between these two combos. Emmeline with R10, which I heard it is a heavenly combo, and Blockhead/HD600 with its "sonic bliss". Both have...

Hi there who have been listening to Blockhead. Do you know how many headphones suitable for the Blockhead? I know only HD600 and RS1 with extra balanced cable. Others? Another question is whether it is easy to replace the stock cable of RS1 with the XLR cable?

Please advise me whether a headphone amp needs a stand or insulators to get a better sound? I don't see any vibrating part inside any headphone amp. I am curious because there is an auction going on in Ebay about Melos SHA Gold, which has been upgraded to have BBC cones. Likewise in Audiogon, a...

Hi All, after upgrading my source to Linn Ikemi and connect it with EMP, my first choice is the RS-1 followed by CD3K, depends on the music. I rarely listen to my W1000. Yesterday, my first batch of HDCD format CDS arrived. Couldn't wait and I listened to those CDs so many times with various...

I have just upgraded my source from PCDP to Linn Ikemi. I listened to it through various headphone amps (EMP, X-Can V2) and various headphones (CD3K, RS1, W1000). The results : 1. I found the RS1 is the best and the most enjoyable headphone so far. The improvement is significant. After my...

After looking at some of the member' audio gears (headphone related), I am curious who is the richest member here. I mean who has the most valuables and expensive gear in his inventory and really bought them (from NEW), not on loan from somebody else or buy USED. Whose head is the most expensive...

Can somebody explain me the difference between balanced and unbalanced cables, as well as their differences from the RCA? Also, I want to know the XLR, SPDIF and the coaxial cable. For what purpose they are made? I am upgrading my source and I want to make sure I pick the right source with...

My EarMax Pro just arrived. I need to replace those stock tubes with better tubes. Does anybody have opinion on those upgraded tubes for EMP and where could I buy them. Thanks DJ

I am thinking to buy NAD C540. Could somebody explain this term I quote from its specs : "The output impedance is very low at 300 ohms, making the NAD C540 less sensitive to cables or the ancillary equipment it is partnered with." Does it mean I don't need a hi-end interconnect to go with...

I need your advise about two things : 1) What is the quality of CD played in a SACD/CD player? Does the SACD feature add richness of the CD playback, or has an effect on it? 2) How about the comparison between CD playback in SACD/CD player with a CD player (CD only) with 24 Bit Burr-Brown...

I consider Nirvana's Unplugged MTV CD as one of the best album that fit my taste that is live unplugged (full acoustic), good recording and nice songs. I can feel the music thru my Earmax/HD600 combo. Can anybody recommend similar good CDs for me? Thanks DJ

I am about to buy NAD C540 for my primary CD player. It costs only $220 here. Has anybody ever hear this CDP? This CDP has Burr Brown SIgma Delta and Elna Cerafine Caps which I consider the goodies of this unit. But I am still anxious regarding its sound. Comments please! Cheers DJ

I always feel sentimental everytime I listen to Dave Grusin playing piano on On the Golden Pond recorded by GRP. It sounds so beautiful thru my Creek OBH11/RS-1 combo. I know this combo is not the best. Has anybody listen to this song from the better setup and how it sounds? DJ

Being a non-native English speaker, sometimes it is not easy for me to understand several terms used here in HeadFi forums particulary those used for comparing headphones and amps. Could somebody explain these terms, or is there a general consensus on their definitions : - warm - colored -...

If I am not mistaken, Prehead does have two headphone outputs and 4 pair of inputs. Is it possible to listen to two different CDs thru Prehead? So both me and my wife can play two CDs simultaneously.

Question from a newbie here to my fellow DIYers. Which book do you recommend for starters in DIY projects? Particularly for building headphone amps? I am interested in Morgan Jones book on building tube amps. Is it worth reading? Peace DJ

So far in this forum I can only find headphone amps made in US or Europe (plus one from Hong Kong). Just curious whether there are Japanese manufacturers of headphone amp and how good they are compared to their US/Europearn peers in sound quality. Or perhaps Japanese headphones are made locally...