I just bought a blu-ray player, and was unhappy to discover that it can't output the digital information from an SACD into the external DAC I want to buy.  I may have found a solution: an HDMI switcher from Monoprice that will accept HDMI input, and send output via either HDMI or toslink or...

I'm suddenly thinking seriously about buying an external DAC, and I stumbled upon this forum.  What a surprise: folks here seem to value reasoning and evidence and understand the placebo effect!  :-)  A lot of the posts I've read elsewhere raise red flags for me by claiming that one competent...

I've recently been reassigned to a work group that's much more crowded and loud, and I'm looking for new headphones as self-defense.  I've hit on AKG K272, which I have found under $200.   Can I do better for under $200?  I've been away from this forum for a while, and I'm reading about all...

My DT990s just arrived, and I'm hearing a buzzing in the deepest bass, on the right side. This is the 2005 Edition DT 990, purchased from B&H. I'm wondering if I should try to return these as defective. Overall, and out of the box, I really like the sound of the new DT990. So I have these...

When I pulled out my recently repaired Beyerdynamic DT990s last night, I discovered that they no longer work! Well, the right channel still works, but the left is dead. Strange, but everything was working when I put them down last. But I've been busy and have been listening to my DT880s for the...

I'm finally thinking of fixing my old Beyerdynamic DT 990. These are the 1989 vintage, 600 Ohm cans. I always liked these, but haven't been using them for the past three years because of a short in the wire to the right ear. I'm wondering whether I should go for a stock Beyer cable, or whether I...

I'm thinking about a new pair of AKG 501s. Is it true that there are several variants? Folks have reported that some (later?) 501s have better bass. Folks also report that the later ones seem to have "brown rings" under the pads. I was thinking of buying a pair that were described as having...

I've read a few praises of the Rockhopper M^3, and I've read nice things about the HeadRoom Micro / Desktop Module. I'm thinking of getting the AKG 501 for work, and I'm looking for an amp that I can plop on my desk. So it doesn't really have to be portable. Mainly, it's got to have the oomph to...

My old Beyerdynamic DT 990s are in need of repair. These are the 600 Ohm, non-"Pro" variety, from 1989. Beyerdynamic seems willing to do the repairs for a fair price: perhaps $60, plus shipping. This would include replacement of the ear pads and the center foam, as well as a new cable. The...

I'm torn between Sennheiser HD 555 and AKG 501. Looks like I won't have an opportunity to listen to either before I buy. I've been told that the 555 will have the advantage on lower mids and bass, and that the AKG -- amped, of course -- may have a bigger soundstage, with a touch more...

I'm looking for 'phones to plug into the Dell laptop I have at work, and I'm thinking of two that are just under $100: Grado SR 80 and Sennheiser HD 280. I really don't want to spend much more, and I probably won't have the benefit of an amp. Are these good choices? I listen most to classical...

I'm slowly realizing a few things about my audio quest. One of them is that I really like Audio Research amps, and they have a reputation for being more laid-back or tubey, in contrast to Krell, for example. One friend described it to me like this: She said the Audio Research amp I was thinking...

Do you have Beyerdynamic DT 880? What amp do you use? Are you happy with your amplification? I've been asking lots of questions about different amps, but I just realized that it would be helpful to find out what amps people are actually using with these phones. So far, my short list...

I'm thinking about the Gilmore V2 and the Rudistor RP4, to power DT 880s. I'm wondering if the Gilmore would tend toward a Krell-like sound, and the Rudistor toward an Audio Research, or even Conrad-Johnson sound. Anyone care to weigh in on this? A friend described the difference between...

I know this is blasphemy of a sort, but I'm asking myself if I really need a headphone amp. My NAD receiver has a headphone jack, and it seems to drive my DT 880 just fine. I'm guessing that the headphone jack is a feed off the power amp section of the NAD, which is 75 wpc + 6 dB dynamic...

I'm looking for an amp that will bring out the best in my new DT 880 cans. My current amplification is the headphone jack of my NAD 7175PE receiver. The Gilmore V1 is reputed to work well with the DT 880, but I'm told that the V2 and Lite don't mate as well with these 'phones. So I'm looking for...

HeadRoom just notified me that my Beyerdynamic DT 880s are on the way! Since I've enjoyed my old DT 990s so much, I'm really looking forward to the new 880s. My DT 990s were powered by the headphone jack on my NAD 7175PE receiver, which always sounded great and had plenty of drive. (This was...

My trusty Beyerdynamic DT 990's have developed a short in the right channel, and the foam surrounds are losing integrity. So I'm looking for a replacement. My best bets appear to be the new DT 990 or the DT 880, but I'm concerned with comments I've read about the treble balance. Last weekend...