Sure, I'm glad you are getting one, particularly given the (IIRC) return policy... can't be disappointed either way. If by "sparkle" they mean extension, clarity, presence of treble detail, then we're fully in sync. That and midrange naturalness are what first struck me. I switched to the...

  I can't go into a full explanation.  The Valhalla is not bright or sparkly (unless that's on the recording) and it does not act as a tone control.  Also, particularly with minor mods and good cables, the HD650 roll off is less than reputed.  But what it does in the treble on my HD650s was...

I'm loving the Meridian Prime, $2000 including an amazing DAC (USB only). Also auditioned the Chord Hugo and it is great with more capabilities, and portable when needed.  Odd volume knob that is good for portable but not my taste for home, a deal breaker given I adjust volume very frequently. I...

  Hear hear.  Great with the HD650, and probably also with other high-impedance phones.    Just remember that it has a signature that does not surprise given that it is triode and single ended. Rich and smooth.  The fact that it is also OTL and zero feedback don't seem to limit anything other...

I'm using the Prime with the wall wart and LCD-X, and love it.  The power supply upgrade for me is superluous because it is so great already, and the manufacturer says the power supply is for the "last little bit" of sound quality (paraphrasing).  I chose it over the Chord Hugo (?) mainly...

Hey, all:    I'm still alive and kickin', but July is still unknown.  I'll do my best to come and see you and your great toys.      

Thanks, KurtW, I appreciate your words and spirit.  I have also a great doctor, Dormady at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View. Surgeries were Stanford because the new Dean of the urology oncology is also someone who does a rare type of reconstruction after removing the bladder etc.  So I've got...

Hi, all:    I'm sorry I missed out!     I was in the throes of a new chemo regimen, "the nasty" one, because the less nasty ones didn't stop the spread.  I was also going through radiation on yet another body part.  That made 4 different radiation treatment sequences.  I'm about to go into...

I'm still kicking and still listening.     The Meridian is still a joy to listen to.  By tweaking the settings on Pure Audio, I'm finding the synergies. Going to upsampling on Pure Audio does after all improve voiced to a scary degree... I seek realism without "enhancement" such a false...

I just purchased this combo, quite by coincidence!  I am glad that Jude hears what I felt to be the great performance of the pair.  I'm feeding it from my iTunes files played by PureAudio software, although it sounds best with upsampling turned off.  Meridian has some proprietary processing and...

  Yes please!   You are in a rare position to compare them.   I have a 4G and wonder about the 4T in comparison.  The different gain settings and headphone impedances can make differences.  

If you have spare filters, try poking holes in them.  I read George Cardas refer to this. But it is a bit unpredictable... will it raise the treble?  Or the midrange?  

I've tried digital EQ with Pure Audio and the HD650.  First, I used the frequency response curve from Tyll, and try to moderate the dips and peaks.  That actually sounded good!  But over time, I found that flat was best.  In part, I had update the cable, so extention was better.  But more...

For my wedding later today (remarrying my last wife, just like my mother and dad did), I've pulled out of the safe my favorite and most expensive watch, a genuine IWC Big Pilot 5002:   

  That definitely should not be.  Unbalanced, this amp is (should be) as good as other unbalanced amps, at the least. 

Just to be pedantic, the hyphen goes here: SR-71B.  

  Well, no.  Check out the descriptions at the Schiit site.    The Lyr is hybrid, using SS devices to achieve very high output power.  Solid State output stages don't use output transformers, so it can't be "less" of one.  ;-)   The Valhalla is many things at once that are desirable to...

Speaking for myself, I haven't heard most of the above products and combinations.     I'm using my MacBook Pro with Pure Music s/w and the Meridian Explorer (underrated IMO... musical, artifact-free, and extended once broken in).  

  At the CAS session last month, I tried the HD650 with the Valhalla and was instantly struck by the lack of grain, liquidity yet with detail, and treble accuracy and subtlety that I didn't hear before in the HD650.     I then compared it to a couple of other amps.  One was the Schiit Lyr...

I'd like to see more people use the Schiit Valhalla with the HD650.     It has a slight signature of Single-Ended Triode (which it is) and Output Transformer-Less (which it is) and zero feedback (which it is).  But the treble and midrange beat my SR-71B in realism and musical timbre by quite a...

Not sure why Cardas gets short shrift around here, but it is best quality I know of in all respects.  Their lowest price?  not sure.  I get short cables which both is cheaper and sounds better.     Cardas Clear Light: best value for HQ:  http://cardas.com/clear_light_headphone_cable.php...

Quote:   Thanks.  Pretty odd!  I'm following the House Rabbit Society as well as Penny and Sheldon... the latter is a Continental Giant and the inspiration for us getting our Flemish Giant.  

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2X-Two-PCS-Fiio-Silicon-Rubber-Bands-MP3-Player-Headphone-Amplifier-Binding-/271184915068   http://www.headfoneshop.com/eshop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=124   Or write FiiO.    I prefer the ones in the original post. And I have a ton of other...

These are the best I've found: no adhesive mess, no need for FiiO or NuForce wide straps:      Quote:

Please post your own experiences and products!        I've used straps from FiiO and others. But there are 3 problems for me.   One is the width makes it difficult to avoid covering my iPhone screen, or in some amps, controls such as on the E17. Another is that they can be too loose...