I would look for any entry level turntable with a Rega RB300 arm on it. A Rega Planar 3 will knock the Technics out of the park on a sound quality basis (Project I don't know, as I haven't listened directly to it). They can also be found used for about $300-400. Planar 2's, and P3's (albeit more...

Actually, a better question IMO, is whether the cream of crop used CDP's under $2500 are as-good or any-better than the current tech at about the same price point (say like, a Transporter being driven by a computer CD-ROM). I do love the looks and simplicity of a separate CDP, but I kinda...

Quote: Originally Posted by clarke68 I can't remember the brand, but years ago a highly-acclaimed manufacturer released a player with a glass window on the transport...so you could see the disc spinning around as it played. At it's press debut, the CD skipped every time someone took a...

This sounds like a fun test, I think I'll try it too I just got a Total Bithead on loan, tho, and will be running the USB out from itunes (no point in trying to do this test on the analog out from an ipod, which is kinda crappy to begin with...). I've been wanting to re-encode some of my MP3's...

The other nice thing about electrostats is you don't have to budget for a headphone amp, or upgraded headphone cable. I've lived with both lower-end Grado and Stax, and the main things I've noticed are: Pros: Detail, detail, detail... everything seems razor sharp Bass extension seems much...

I'll try and make this meet, I just picked up a Stax SRS-3010 which I can bring (I'm an addict coming out of remission... )

This thread *is* becoming pointless, the OP's question was not about whether Ultrasones sound worse/better than other phones, it was about whether there was such a thing as "safer" headphones, to which I think there's been enough evidence to show no headphones conclusively show that they are...

Awesome, glad to hear it!

Wow, that T2 is beautiful

Like others have said, avoid the Bose. I would get the SE310's, esp. if you're in a hurry. You can always upgrade later to a better headphone if/when you're no longer happy with the Shure's. It'll also give a you chance to familiarize with what you like/don't like in a headphone.

Cardas OEM/DIY page. Knock yourself out

When they're gone with BIN within 2 hours of listing, that's usually a sign that it was a good deal...

As you start spending exponentially more on upgrades, you'll look back at the UM2's and shrug it off. That's why this hobby is a dangerous addiction

I'll 2nd the beyers, as far as closed headphones go, they're the most popular I'd say, and I hear they sound pretty good to boot

Quote: Originally Posted by Czilla9000 Ok here's my calculus, assuming nothing changes on the 9th. If it's a brand new redesign then AppleCare is a must. 15'' 2.4 GHz Macbook Pro: $1999 College Student Discount: ($200) iPod Touch with rebate : ($299) Total Cost: $1500 This...

My experience with stax has been in agreement with what shomie911 says I'm burning-in a new set of SR-202's on the SRM-310 amp, and I'm actually pretty surprised how much of the "stax sound" you get from the SR-001's, for almost a quarter of the price. So you might consider trying the...

Quote: Originally Posted by moogoob Yes, they're called Bowl pads, to separate them from Flats (the old style), Comfies (the SR60 style) and GS1000 pads (The really big ones) Ironic they call the SR60 "comfies", I always found them uncomfortable, but then I've never tried a...

Quote: Have you washed your bowls yet? Wash with soap and water in the sink. You'll have to wash them 3-4 times before water runs clear through the bowls. Squeeze as much water out as you can and let dry overnight. They're comfy after that. great, some poor sap's gonna misread...

The 555 sounds like a good choice (or 595's or 600's, I saw a pair of 600's on craigslist other day for $150), they're def. comfortable. Maybe look into the entry level AKG's, if you find the grado harsh?

I think the HD595's sound like a good choice, esp. if the grados comfort bothers you. I actually upgraded from my SR60's to Stax SR-001's (those are about $200), and those were pretty good for a portable phone I thought (diff sound from the grados tho, some might like it and others might not)...

Quote: Originally Posted by TSi vbr = saves space, but VERY bad =P Why? VBR is a newer, smarter algorithm than CBR, which figures out where extra bits are wasted, and gets rid of them. You save disk space, with no distinguishable difference in SQ. The only place nowadays I can...

Yea, cool idea about the LED, you should take pictures if you do it Also, that sounds like really good price for a DAC, hard to imagine getting more of a DAC for less money.

Definitely know what you mean... I have the same problem with computers. The CPU's keep getting faster by order of magnitudes, yet the computers always seem to get slower and slower... we do so much more with them today than several decades ago, but its often easy to forget that

If you're really concerned about your hearing, and you listen a lot in loud areas, I'd see if IEM's are your cup of tea. On airplanes, subways, etc. I often find myself wanting to turn volume on my ipod up much higher than normal, b/c my brain compensates for all the loud background noise. This...

I 2nd the SR60, its a great bang-for-buck in the sub $200 range. I had the KSC-75's also, they're nice for money ($10-20) but can't touch the SR-60 IMO. The problem is once you hit $200 phones, that's when you really have to start considering a headphone amp... Also, if you're doing mp3's...