What would you think of a USB DAC/amp, like a DAC1 USB or better, combined with audio player software that could automatically set the volume of the DAC/amp to a specified SPL (rms, peak, etc.)?    Of course, the software would require the user to tell it what headphones were being used, and...

Quote: Thanks Loevhagen --- that's exactly the type of information I'm looking for!

The reason I bought the XP8000 was to not spend the time engineering a power supply . . . oh well . . .   The reason I'm thinking 9V LiPo is because I already have em, and the charger . . .   I don't think over-current protection is necessary in this circuit--or with a willy circuit. ...

I'm considering the following options for driving the LCD-2.1:   Rega DAC --> V200   V800  --> V200   m903   Has anyone been able to compare these three setups?  What would be the strengths and weaknesses of each?

Quote: I'm considering buying the Rega/V200 for the LCD-2.1.  The other major competing options are V800/V200 and the Grace m903.  Have you heard those and been able to make any comparisons?

Hey guys,   Has anyone had problems with the XP8000?  Mine has failed completely.  The first time I reached for it after the warranty period it was dead.  I'm considering building a battery pack out of 2 LiPo 9V and running that into the willy.   Any ideas?  

That's a very generous offer, but I don't think I have a bad unit.  The hiss is not heard through the headphone audio system--rather the WI15 makes an audible hiss while operating that can be heard easily in a quiet room.  It's not loud, but it's there.   My setup is: Apple Lossless iMod...

I now have the original StepDance + XP8000/WI15 setup.  I'm running a 5.5 gen iMod into it, and listening with the original (v1) LCD-2.   It is a very powerful setup.  I listened using the 12V output from the XP8000 first, then with the WI15 when it arrived.   I am wondering if anyone...

I've had the Stepdance for a while now, and have been listening using the SM3, Denon D2000, and Beyer DT800/600.   While they all benefit from the Stepdance over older amps like the Predator or D10, the Denons really shine.  Their bass is more liquid, and I think the Stepdance overcomes the...

Cusp, thanks.  You know, you told me I didn't know what a buffer is on another thread and you were wrong there too.  At least you assumed I was wrong, because I haven't posted here a lot. And daveDerek,obviously ordering an amp implies someone has never heard it--how correct!  Unless they...

The StepDance definitely pairs well with the Denon D2000.  Reggae and Hip-Hop come through with astonishing clarity.  I think I've never heard the highs rendered so cleanly and powerfully before.  And it manages to render many different instruments with varying frequency ranges while maintaining...

I use the iPower 520 mAh batteries found: iPower PRO 9V Battery Rechargeable Lithium Polymer Battery IP9V520 520mAh   For DIY power supplies, these designs are sound (no pun intended). http://www.amb.org/audio/sigma11/ http://www.amb.org/audio/sigma22/   Lorentz, You might try a...

Qusp   According to Jan Meier’s website, the “balanced ground” actually uses a specific signal that is generated in response to the L/R input channels—that is different from either one alone—and outputs that to the ground lead while simultaneously outputting the sum of the GND output with L...

Lorentz,   It sounds like you have a ripple current coming through your power supply. You could try lowering the voltage to just above where the battery takes over and see if that helps.   Do you have any DIY experience? It is possible to build a simple regulator/pi-filter circuit that...

Absolutely incredible!   I remember the first time I used my old SR80s.  I heard things I’d never head before—out of an uninteresting PCDP.  Then, when I got my se530s, again—things I’d never heard before were suddenly there.  Then the Predator, and the D10.   But yesterday and today are...

Thank you for your impressions . . . this is interesting.  I have had the Shure se530 for about two years and heard it with various amps, and found my preference change and then come back to them for specific kinds of music.  I still like them very much for well recorded acoustic music, and they...

I ordered a Stepdance recently and expect to receive it in the mail soon.   I’ll be using it to drive the Shure se530, Denon D2000, Beyer DT800/600, and Earsonics SM3.   For sources I will use the iMod 5.5 80GB, uDac-2, and (just for comparison) the line out of an iBasso D10.   I...

I ordered a Stepdance recently and expect to receive it in the mail soon.   I’ll be using it to drive the Shure se530, Denon D2000, Beyer DT800/600, and Earsonics SM3.   For sources I will use the iMod 5.5 80GB, uDac-2, and (just for comparison) the line out of an iBasso D10.   I...

I have both the Firebox and the 0404 USB, and I have used both as recording interfaces and headphone amplifiers at different points.   The 0404 was okay with SR-80s when I hadn't ever heard anything else.  It was pretty good actually, for what it was.  I also drove the se530 with the 0404...

Right now my DT880 600 Ohm'ers sound best driven by the wonderfully overpowered Presonus Firebox, which is sold as a recording interface. I have hooked it up to my Predator and D10, and I notice a clear difference. I am wondering if they need to be broken in with the 600 Ohm load? My...

I read the data sheets for the following op amps and buffers: AD8397 8656 6643, & BUF643. Now, I know this is not an exhaustive list by any means, however I have seen excellent results reported with the 8397 and 8656 both bypassing the buffer socket and using the 6643. The 6643 has a...

Fair isn't what exactly I'm going for. SQ is king, whichever way you get there. I've read the Predator's amp is preferable to that of the iBasso D10. I'm also certain that my iMod gives me better SQ with the Predator than Foobar into its USB DAC. Lastly, I've read that the optical DAC...

I am wondering if my current setup compares favorably (or not) to an iRiver's optical out going to an iBasso D10. I definitely take my setup on the go, and space is at a high premium, so I use Shure SE530s. Any thoughts on comparing those two setups for use with the SE530s?

I'm thinking about getting a good amp ($300-$500) for extended use during travel. It would primarily be attached to a Win based laptop as source, and drive some kind of IEM. Right now, the Shure se530 looks like the best option for what I want and am willing to spend. I am a musician...

Do you have a friend with a PC who'd let you try it out with their machine? It may simply be an issue with the Mac driver, but unless I misunderstand something, the 0404 should even output a digital signal when not connected to any computer (for example if you wanted to hear a guitar over your...