Not hard to believe. When I did the NOS firmware update to my Bifrost 2 I never went back, much preferring NOS mode. To me sounded less like a "DAC".

Especially ones as good as the Noirs in their price range (and above). Thanks to a friend I was fortunate to be able to audition a number of nice, well-repected headphones in price up to $1,000 (both open & closed-back)and it was great to hear how well the Noirs held their own in comparison...

I have a pair of Noirs and, yes, they sound quite different from the Sivga offerings and would be a VERY nice alternative to your other 'phones. BTW, I bought a pair of Sivga Orioles when I bought my Noirs so I could compare the 2, knowing I could only keep one pair at the time. I kept the Noirs.

Exactly the type I referenced above & have been happily using for a while now. And, no, they don't seem to alter the sound too much, if at all (to my ears). Well said.

I think once you introduce a material such as velvet or velour you're automatically going to change their sound profile as well as lessen their sound isolation. That said, I've been using Wicked Cushions' Hybrid ATH M50X earpads (velour/leather mix) for a while now with very good results. They...

Thanks for the info! With my HD6XXs I find in mid gain I have to have the volume pot at around 2-3:00 for comfortable listening levels and around 10:00 in hi gain and was wondering if people found a "sweet" spot or area for the pot if there is such a thing. And, again, if anyone has noticed a...

Hi folks! Have any owners of the PMax noticed a sonic difference between the 3 gain settings like there is with the 2 Piety gain settings (low gain-warmer, more tube-like & high gain-more SS-like - a little more upfront & dynamic)? I've had the PMax now for about a month now and am yet to...

WOW! That seems like a quick turnaround! I'm sure Christian wouldn't have minded you keeping them around a little longer (maybe not until your birthday). And, yes, both Piety & PMax are great to have in the stable.

Yep! Thanks.

Why? And please check your link.

I had the opportunity to break-in & give an extended listen to a new pair of 109s recently thanks to a friend. IMO, midrange is to "die for" but a completely different animal compared to the 99s (but there definitely seems to be a "family resemblance"). I love my 99s, especially for the $, but...

I like the Noirs so much I'm actually thinking about collecting the whole set (Classics, Neos, what have you)! Maybe the next Black Friday sale (Classics were $209 & Neos were $129).

BTW, here are my Noirs with the Wicked pads. Like I said, as long as they fit into the slots all the way around, I'm happy.

Unfortunately I think the 30mm depth is probably the main contributing factor to their changing the sound so much. As I said in my recent previous post, I bought the Brainwavz Ovals in both sheepskin & PU leather and although they were (to me) much more comfortable than the stock pads (I'm...

That's good to know & will keep it in mind if I decide to try a pair. Thanks again.

Thank you! One of my issues is that my ears are up against the back of the ear cups using the Meze standard pads (23mm) which becomes annoying. At 22mm I feel the Dekonis would be worse in this regard. At 30mm the Brainwavz Sheepskin Ovals totally alleviated this and were VERY comfortable...

To follow-up, I have NO idea why another forum member recommended these pads unless he was confusing the 99s with another headphone. The TH900/610 are WAY too big (wide) and seem made for a large round headphone cup. Back they go & the search for a more comfortable pad that DOESN'T change...

I just found out that Amazon carries the Yaxi Comfort TH900/610 pads which were recommended by another forum member (see above). And they're returnable! Ordered the leather version & will post my findings if anyone is interested.

Being a VERY happy Piety owner, the No 4 is on my radar and I'd be very interested in hearing how you think it compares with the Piety. My only headphones (for the time being) are the 99 Noirs which I love and if the Pietus makes them an even better pair of headphones then I'm basically...

Since my ears are up against the drivers also & feel the pads a little warm, I'm always looking for any recommendations for ear pads for the 99s that may be more comfortable than the standard pads. In case anyone is interested, I did get the following recommendations from another forum member...

Thank you! Yes, I've heard that in a good affordable open-back these are hard to beat given my stated preferences. Out of curiosity, would you recommend one over the other? Thanks! I wonder how the LCD-2 Classics might be different from the ones you had and how they would do with small...

Although extremely more comfortable (to me) than the Meze standard pads, I found the Brainwavz Sheepskin Ovals (not angled) robbed the 99s of their midrange warmth and just about everything else I love about the 99s. But that's me and you might actually like what they bring to the table sonicly...

Are you talking about the Piety or Pietus here. Yes, I am thoroughly enjoying my Piety but would be curious if the Pietus would be enough of a step up to warrant replacing it (the Piety). Plus I wouldn't mind giving CEE TEE the business. Regarding ZMF headphones, there's no denying how...

Sorry, I should have mentioned I'd like to stay under $700 for each if possible and would prefer to do one upgrade/change at a time. And, yes, I saw the Pietus Maximus & that's what got me thinking about making a change/addition. How is it?

Hey folks! After starting a thread asking for recommendations for my first headphone/amp combination and the many enthusiastic responses & recommendations, I landed on the Piety/Meze 99 Noir combo & couldn’t be happier with either as my first foray into this whole headphone thing given my sonic...