To be clear, I've never listened to an HD 600. Reviews I've read suggest that HD 600 has more output very low, sub 40 Hz, and HD 650 has more output at 60 - 100 Hz. Depending on the music, HD 650 could easily be putting out more total bass.

I have the HD 6XX and the DT 880 250 ohm. They sound pretty different to each other. HD 6XX - excellent mids, voices and instruments sound really lifelike. The bass rolls off compared to many headphones, but the midbass is somewhat elevated, say around 50 - 100 Hz. Just enough to slightly...

If 'in ear' means IEM (earpiece actually goes partly into ear canal), might you be OK with an ear bud design? (think the standard Apple buds that come with every phone). There are quite a few bluetooth ear buds out there that have a hook over the ear or within the outer ear. Some are one piece...

That's correct...

Plantronics claims 6, which is exaggerated, but I definitely get 4+.

I have no idea if these are available in the EU or not, but I've recommended several times the Plantronics Backbeat Fit. Around $60 at Costco here. I have destroyed a variety of headphones from sweat, but these have been reliable for at least 2 years now. They are a behind-the-neck style with...

I have the DT880. Agree that they're sturdy & comfortable. Bass is excellent for me - no 100 Hz bump, and really good extension. But bass lovers (you know who you are) generally find them lightweight. I like the mids as well, good transition from the bass, vocals (male especially) are rendered...

Sorry you got ignored first time around, but those are what I would have recommended. I have a pair that have been going strong for almost 3 years now, first running headphones I've ever had that didn't crap out in < 1 year. I'm pretty sure I've recommended these in the past, but it's a big site...

Earbuds have the lowest blockage of outside sounds, so why wouldn't any old cheap pair of earbuds work?

Yeah, you could use a dual RCA plugs to 3.5mm plug Y cable to plug into the microphone input on a phone or laptop or AVR, etc and play back through that device's internal amplifier

Both the Monoprice & Parts Express 12" subs have high level inputs

Starting with the amp, Parts Express has a bunch of inexpensive ones that would be suitable. Here are 2 examples. The first one is stereo amp only, lots of power, all positive reviews. The second one is a little less power, but has a subwoofer output if you ever want that, and Bluetooth. Brand...

There are 2 ways you could do this. 1) as you describe, an amp & a pair of passive speakers. connect amp to laptop from headphone jack, connect speakers to amp with speaker wire. there are so, so many choices for amps & speakers, but you can easily get pretty good sound for your $700. where do...

Then I think the answers to your 2 original questions are: 1) Modi MB is not significantly cleaner than Modi 2 using USB input 2) A clean up device wouldn't seem to be of any help in your setup since you don't perceive a difference between USB and SPDIF input from your soundcard

He has the Multibit, so he has SPDIF. Cheapest solution by far.

See Post 8. If coupled noise is randomly creating errors in decoding USB, who's to say how those errors are perceived? There's certainly a point where enough errors raises the overall noise floor, and that could be perceived as congestion or compression.

Sorry, I use decrapifier as a generic term for any device whose function is to reduce USB noise

I'm talking about the DAC's USB input decoding the USB signal to PCM or DSD or whatever; this is before it arrives at the D-A circuit itself. Decrapifiers can work if their USB implementation is better than the USB input of the DAC you're using. They have better discrimination. They then output...

You realize in any data transmission scheme you encode the data first, yes? USB is NRZI, the receiver is looking for change or no change. In other words, don't think about USB data as a series of high and low voltages for each bit, think of it as transitions from high to low or low to high that...

Yes, Gen 5. Honestly just listening to music, I'm not noticing a difference, nothing like the very noticeable difference when I compare headphones, and amps are somewhere in between. The cheap DAC is a Big Blue Amplifier from Brookstone, they have them on and off for < $25 shipped, and they have...

An alternative answer: Yes, separating the power supply from the USB can remove one source of noise. But laptops, etc, can have other noise coupled to the USB from proximity to chips, oscillators, WiFi/Bluetooth antennas, etc. There's a pretty big variance in how DACs deal with this noise, and...

That's cool. You can always try direct to Mjolnir after you get one. If sound is as good, you have the option to sell the Freya. If Freya sounds better, then she's a keeper.

A Mjolnir makes the Freya redundant since it is also a preamp. Connect Gungnir balanced outs to Mjolnir balanced in; connect turntable SE out to Mjolnir SE in. Headphone plugs into Mjolnir balanced or SE headphone outputs. HS8s plug into Mjolnir balanced or SE preamp outputs. Input is chosen by...

There aren't that many large headphone companies that would employ engineers. There are a ton of small headphone companies where the founder is the designer. Even in the large companies, much of the new product development is centered around wireless and noise cancellation, and to be honest, an...

Resistance of common gauges: 18AWG - 6.4 milliohms/ft 16AWG - 4 milliohms/ft 14AWG - 2.5 milliohms/ft Wow, you say, that's a pretty big spread. Yeah, but - for a 5 foot long cable, even 18AWG is only 32 milliohms, or 0.4% of your speaker's impedance, well below any ability for cable resistance...