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So, I've installed Windows 10, running UNi Xonar Drivers. During the last 7 days I've watched many hours of YouTube Videos, used the seeking bar many times, lots of pause and resume actions, including in hour long videos. I've listened to many hours of music on Winamp, played loads of GTA Online...

I use the Xonar Essence STX since 2013.   I only had this screaming noise two times because of lack of attention, when I left the card accidentally half-connected to the PCI slot—I have no computer case, motherboard is laying over a table and the cards are not secured to any structure or...

There is a fact about discussions. The more a thread develops, the greater the chance of the discussions heading away from the original topic. See? We both just turned this into a micro debate about threads going in the "wrong" direction. It's inevitable, unless we are forced to follow.

Depends on what is your "decent level" of volume, and on the headphone. In my opinion, my Xperia PLAY and my Bravia 47" FIFA World Cup Edition can drive my HD 650 to considerably loud volumes, but that is relative to ones taste. What I might find to be loud another person could think it to be...

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=crystal+suncatcher

Let's suppose a given setting of tubes compared to a given combination of OP AMPs are brutally similar in sound, speaking in practical terms. Wouldn't you think some people (especially tube fans) might hear more differences than there actually are in the sound?   I think that's pretty...

I did a research here and I was impressed that you're actually right. It's listed as Progressive House on Discogs. The thing is, tons of Trance radio shows played that track, that's why I got confused. I thought that track was Progressive Trance.   Seems like even after 13 years listening...

I'm pretty sure you're wrong about the BPM. This isn't classical music, man. BPM on EDM can't vary or else it will not be according to the standards of the scene. I can make a BPM analysis and show you the visual representation of that track if you want. I'm 99,9% sure it will be constant.   I...

What do you mean? That it's barely progressive or really progressive?

Here's a mind blowing one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z63EsUWZvi8#t=64 Not so uplifting, more towards progressive, but still. I'm speechless.

That's probably true, indeed. Also, I'm in love with the look of this amp:     If someone gave me one of these I don't know if I would actually turn them on with my HD 650 or put them in a vacuum chamber with directional lights for pure visual orgasm. It's just so beautiful beyond measure.

Good old placebo. It's also not bull. If you hear music knowing it comes from tubes, even thought its sound might be pretty similar to a solid state source, that fact my make you enjoy what you're hearing even more. I have no doubt about that.   Psychology in audio plays a big role, I imagine.

First time I hear about Mad Ear. I just found this picture:     I'm speechless.

LOL, I see. Yes, I'm looking for reasons that an upgrade would be worth it. But like I've read in a review: it doesn't get much better than this, no matter how much you pay. This applying for both STX and the HD 650. The guy is probably right. Beyond this ground might just be a matter of subtle...

An audible noise exists on the Essence STX, even with higher end phones like the HD 650, but check out my recent post on this page. This noise I'm talking about is absolutely humanly impossible to hear under normal conditions. You need to double the HD 650 specified ohm setting on the card and...

If the coloring difference would be minimal, where would the changes be noticed? I mean, an Essence STX is already amazingly precise. Can a tube amp actually output a more true and detailed sound, to the point you can actually hear the difference?

  Thanks for the replies. It seems like the big difference won't be on the quality part, but more to the coloring of the sound. I have almost zero experience with amps and headphones, meaning that my combo is the first respectable thing I ever bought and never heard any other headphones or...

I want to correct this statement. I did more tests and I can actually hear a very, very low and subtle noise on max with the HD 650. But then again, I always listen to music at 300 ohm at 10% volume. That noise is REALLY light years from being heard in these amplification conditions.   Turning...

This statement got me curious and at first I thought you maybe experienced a defective unit, because I use an HD 650 and even at 600 ohm setting getting the volume slider on max produces zero practical noise. But to check your statement I plugged in my Xperia PLAY in-ear headphones and at 300...

That's interesting to hear. Do you think I would get impressed going from an Essence STX to a Schiit tube amp? Do you feel like the "improvements" in coloring and detail are significant?

I have my HD 650 for a few months now. Do you guys still get impressed by the HD 650 even after hundreds of hours of use? Because I do. This headphone is unbelievable.

I'm a veteran here. I joined two days ago. LOL. But seriously, this thread looks to me as a competition to measure and compare e-penis sizes. I hope I'm wrong.

I absolutely love ASMR sessions. I hear them almost everyday. It relaxes and sometimes gives me the tingly tingles. Channels I subscribe to:   https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvge4UTW-x1hiTO3JJMc96Q https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLGlXXmJCPf_RZ-xCirZCwQ (inactive, but lots of excellent...

If I understand correctly, you guys obtain these curves from the Quality Department of Sennheiser, right? Are all HD 800s tested? Or just a selected percentage of units manufactured?