I have ordered the audiophile UPOCC cable from Charleston Cable Company, should have it by early next week.  It's my second or third cable from CCC, and always great service from Christopher.  He's lightning quick to respond to any queries on e-mail, and I certainly had a few before shelling out...

  Hi Jason - long-time listener, first-time caller. :)  I use the CEntrance HiFi-M8 as my sole headphone setup. I need/want a portable rig, and I can only afford the one, so no Schiit for me so far.  The HiFi-M8 was my choice for what Schiit usually stands for, AFAIK - good performance, good...

I absolutely concur as well.  The detail retrieval was superior in the Hifiman HE-560 I tried for a while but the soundstage and separation are way better with the HD-700.  I am quite impressed with it so far, it's a very fun listen yet fairly neutral as well.  And my ears have yet to be...

Yeah, I have a feeling it's going to be a busy weekend of going back and forth...the Senns have a bit of an advantage of having a Cardas balanced cable from Charleston Cable Co.  I'll surely get one for the 560s if I keep it, but considering I think you'll get pennies from the dollar reselling a...

Just got a pair of 560s yesterday.  Been A/Bing them incessantly with my Sennheiser HD-600.  I fancy myself a junior audiophile, but I don't master much of the lingo.  That being said, I think my impressions would seem to be in line with what is known about these two:   - I find them both to...

I have been using the HiFi-M8 with my HD-600 for about a week now and I can also confirm that they pair really well together.  I bought an Auric balanced cable (their mid-level cable, they're now offering a Cardas cable at the mid-level point) from the Charleston Cable Company and am extremely...

Absolutely in love with my Sennheiser HD-600. My music tastes are all over the place and I find it an excellent all-rounder.

Etymotic ER-4.  Reputation as one of the best, if not the best, IEM for isolation from outside noise.

I use the Stepdance with Etymotic ER-4P and ER-4S and I've personally not encountered that volume problem.

Thanks for the great review.  If I ever buy a source (I'm a little embarrassed about using my Blackberry Bold 9700), I'm thinking of going all out, so I was very curious to read a review of the HM-801...

Battery life is part of the trade-off.  I can only speak for a comparison between the Meier Headsix and the Stepdance, as these have been my only two amps.  The Headsix lasted at least 50 hours and was a fair bit smaller, but I find the difference in SQ is absolutely worth it.

I just received my Stepdance two days ago and have been using it with my ER-4S.  I honestly didn't think an amp could do for soundstage and separation what this amp has done for my Etys.  And I didn't know my Etys had this in them!  I loved my Etys for their accuracy and detail, but the...

I just received my Stepdance and posted a brief post in the Stepdance appreciation thread.  I didn't post a review, but after having used the Headsix for a few years with the ER-4S and now thoroughly enjoying the Stepdance, it is a huge step up and I can't imagine anyone not being extremely...

  Just received my Stepdance.   Wow.   It really is quite the step up from the Headsix.  It sure makes my Etymotic ER-4S sing better than ever, and my source happens to be a Blackberry Bold 9700.  And FYI, I'm not getting any interference from my phone at all.   I may eventually...

I've just ordered a Stepdance from Meier Audio. Was fairly happy with my Headsix driving the ER-4 but wanted an upgrade. The Stepdance is over your budget, though. You could always consider Meier's Corda 3Move amp, very well reviewed. Jan's customer service is excellent as well.

Szadzik - I have owned the Headsix for over a year now and am very happy with it.  I'd bought it to use with my Etymotic ER-4 (S and P), but I recently purchased the MX980 - love them, by the way.  Still burning those in, but they are a bit like the HD600's baby brother.  Sound is fairly neutral...

I'm planning on doing the exact same thing. My Headsix does okay with my new Sennheiser HD-600 but Jan tells me the Stepdance will be worth the step up.

I have the SR-225i. They render distorsion beautifullly and I would heartily recommend them for metal. I don't find it to be a particularly versatile headphone, but for that genre, it's perfect, IMO...

In that price range, if you wanted to stay with earbuds, I'd recommend Yuin PK2. I have a set that I still find very engaging to this day. They were my first entry into audiophile headphones, or semi-audiophile, anyway...

I've never heard of either - I shopped for $200 portable amp last year and decided on the Meier Corda Headsix. Both seem pretty impressive to me on paper, but I've not read any reviews...

I just got a pair of HD600 a week ago and I've been extremely impressed. Never heard the AKG. I've been using my HD600 with the Meier Corda Headsix and been getting good results. However, from what I've read and my little experience from plugging the HD600 directly into sources, you're not going...

I know nothing about the Little Dot MKIII. On the other hand, I've been using the Meier Corda Headsix (same as the XXS, little brother of the 3Move) with my new HD600 for the past week and I've been getting good results. The Headsix has been well reviewed on this board and I'm very happy with it.

You could be surprised. I had apprehensions about Grado discomfort and found them to be fine. I'm presently A/Bing a pair of Grado SR-225i and Sennheiser HD-600s, and to my surprise, I like the Grados best for comfort...so what I would do is order them from a retailer (like Headroom) that has a...

Okay - just spent the entire afternoon A/Bing (so much for work!), and I haven't found a single song that I liked better on the SR-225i. Not one. I may work on this some more, but I'm finding the HD-600 very seductive and I think we may have a winner yet. I occasionally found parts of songs...

Further thoughts: - the Grados have an almost complete lack of soundstage and separation which I find disturbing and which really leaves me wanting more. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not bad by any means and it's a fun headphone to listen to, but it really is a very particular sound and...