Nobody said HiFi was cheap, spending $200 dollars on HiFi doesn't get you very far these days. The AudioQuest DragonFly RED is one of those rare exceptions, I think it's the best value on the market today. The second best value in HiFi for under $200 is the UpTone Audio USB REGEN. Put these two products together and your grooving your way towards the HiFI summit. RED is significantly better than the previous version, more drive, better resolution, better sound-staging, the difference in SQ between the old and new version is easily discernible. I can't compare the RED to other DAC's other than the DragonFly V1.2 and some older apple products. I don't know how it sounds compared to higher priced offerings on the market and I don't care, I'm good with this. I like the small size and versatility of the RED and I like the price. Red DragonFly is slaying it   

 
I got the 10% percent discount and free shipping November promotion. The Woo Audio WA6-SE needs no introduction, Woo Audio has the products and the path to the summit of head-fi on lock. This amp looks great and it kicks butt, like a Shaolin master from Wudang mountain. I'm throwing my Schiit in the garbage can, just kidding, I'm keeping my Vallhala 2. Too early to critically compare the two amps, the WA6-SE needs more time to bloom. I am very familiar with the sound of the Schiit Valhalla 2 with stock tubes. Straight out of the box and head to head with a well used Valhalla 2, the WA6-SE is a significant step up in overall sound quality. The rectifier in the picture above is not the stock rectifier that came with the amp. The reviews on the stock rectifier the Electron Tube 274B are mostly bad so I got a better rectifier with mostly positive reviews. The Valve Art 274B, it looks almost identical to the stock rectifier. A closer look reveals larger black plates and glass enclosure, the Valve Art 274B has more mass than the stock rectifier. It was a cheaper upgrade for now, I'm going to wait awhile before I roll tubes and upgrade the power cord. I know from experience that "burn-in" time is required with amps. On the Woo Audio web site there's a "Woo Audio Amplifier Comparison Chart" under FAQ. According to team Woo, the WA6-SE is rated four out of five stars in six sound quality categories. The highest score is 30 stars, the WA6-SE is 24.5 stars total. Dynamic response is the WA6-SE's strong point, 4.5 stars out of 5 stars, judged by Woo. Absolutely a step in performance over the Schiit Valhalla 2. The dynamic response of the Valhalla 2 is not even close to the dynamic response of WA6-SE. I still have love for Schiit, I'm going to keep the Valhalla 2. I love the euphonic mid's of the Valhalla 2. The initial sound of the WA6-SE confirms to my ears what other reviews say about the sound characteristics of the WA6-SE, the sound is on the solid state-ish side of tube, the other side being the warmer maple colored side of tube.  
 
http://wooaudio.com/docs/wooaudio_amplifier_comparisons.pdf
 
Source: Sony Play Station 1, DragonFly by AudioQuest 
 
Headpones: Grado Labs GS1000e, HiFiMan HE 400  
 
Interconnects: AudioQuest Golden Gate
 
Power Cord: GadKo hospital grade power cord, UL listed 15 amp 14awg wires, (I think listening sessions after midnight sound best) 
 

1/7/2016
 
Sophia Princess 274B mesh plate rectifier, expanded stereo width, improved instrument separation compared to stock rectifier. I also purchased a pair of Westinghouse fat bottle 6FD7's but I still have them boxed.   

 
Volumes have all already be written about the pro's and con's of the Samsung Galaxy S5 smart phone so I'm going to skip right to my point. I've been mulling over the idea of purchasing a USB noise and power filter to go with my AudioQuest DragonFly for weeks. Instead I renewed my contract with my cell carrier and a new Samsung Galaxy S5 was part of the deal. I didn't waste anytime connecting the S5 to the DragonFly. I notice a significant improvement in SQ vs. the noisy USB port on my PC. I can't go back to PC ports, I will keep the DragonFly tethered to the S5 until I can afford a PC with no cooling fans and a dedicated USB noise/power filter. The downside to this setup is the interface, I can't control the settings of the DragonFly itself, it defaults to the factory setting when I connect them together. That setting is the native 24-bit/96kHz magenta color. Streaming music from Tidal the sampling frequency should be clocked at 44.1Khz green color. I tried an app to correct this but found that it was more trouble than it was worth and my ears don't seem to mind the default settings anyway. The other issue I have is that I can't crank the fly to max output potential, so I'm using my Zen Head amp to feed a boosted signal to my Valhalla 2 amp. I have four components in the signal path, five including the phones. Mixing and matching different components together like this often times degrades the SQ. In this case with this setup the SQ has not been lost, it sounds a little cleaner, a little more detailed, more separation in the sound stage. The only difference before and after this setup is the S5 instead of the USB port on my PC. It's no secret that battery powered audio often has an advantage over outlet powered gear, that advantage being low noise from the power supply.             

 
^ I'm streaming Tidal HiFi (lossless CD quality - FLAC-based 16-Bit/44.1 kHz) via line out dock to my portable headphone amp and cans, in this case the DECWARE Zen Head, Grado GS1000e 
 
I've been using the iPad 2 as a source for years and it still rocks! The price is way down for a new iPad 2 however, the refurbished market price is the way to go for value ratio. I feel the iPad 2 offers a value ratio that other popular USB dac's and players don't offer. The iPad 2 tablet as a source is less hassle for starters, my USB dac could use a jitter reduction device like the Schiit - Wyrd or iFi Audio - iUSB3.0, this is a major hassle and cost. Unless your PC is fanless, streaming music via USB dac or sound-card means added ambient noise in your listening environment. If your using open backed headphones like I am, the ambient noise levels ideally should be silent. I can take my iPad into a quiet room, close the door and get lost in music. You can't get mobile music on the go with rack converters and PC anchored sources. I'm not going to spend more than 100 bucks on some portable player that lacks WiFi access to music streaming services when tablets are offering more value for less money. I've seen USB dacs wired up to tablets and phones and it looks like **** but I understand the reasoning for doing it. I'm not a fan of the proprietary Apple lightning connection on the newer tablets. My 30 pin squeeze lock to mini jack LOD from ALO audio is superior in every way for my purpose. I'm sticking with with the old tried and true iPad 2 for function, value, and reliability.
 
The iPad2 – Cirrus logic CS42L63 measurements according to Ken Rockwell  http://kenrockwell.com/apple/ipad-2-audio.htm  

Review Setup
 
AudioQuest DragonFly v1.2 USB DAC
 
Schiit VALHALLA 2 amp
 
Grado Labs GS1000e headphones
 
Tributaries 2YP-MFF Y cable
 
AudioQuest Golden Gate interconnects
 

 
The DragonFly is a good match with the Valhalla 2, this DAC lives up to the hype surrounding it. I must admit I had my doubts about the DragonFly but don't let the small form factor thumb stick looks fool you go out and get one but keep the receipt. I don't like the DragonFly as a standalone DAC/AMP the sound has a ringing in my ear kind of digititis signature. Match the DragonFly to the "exceptionally accurate, neutral, and resolving, without being strident or etched" kind of amp like the Valhalla 2 and Ride, captain ride, Upon your mystery ship, Be amazed at the friends, You have here on your trip. The synergy is a Lit-Up sound, this combo is euphonic and vivid to my ear in a way the helps trigger an emotional connection. My Decware Zen Head amp paired with the DragonFly sound is not as Lit-Up or Hot, the sound is cooler and the euphoria factor falls but the technicalities of the sound are better and more balanced.  

http://www.raysamuelsaudio.com/
 
It takes a lot of confidence to name your product after the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. If your going to honor the legendary mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft, your design better not blow or your reputation in HiFi will become worthless.
 

 
The Emmeline "The Black Bird" SR-71A Portable Headphone Amp lives up to its name. Here I have it strapped to my iPod Classic 7th (now almost a relic/collectors item) and the HiFiMAN HE-400 magnetic planar headphones. I think the HE-400 sounds better with this amp, yeah the HE-400 has 93db sensitivity, but I'm not going to debate that sensitivity here.       
 

 
I'm using the pricey Mil-Spec (military specifications) silver wire 30 pin line out dock, I'm not going to make the claim that the silver wire is better than copper wire or that interconnects in general are just a HiFi scam. I do believe that balance connections have proven fidelity advantages over single ended designs, shielded has an advantage over un-shielded line, aftermarket headphone cables can alter the sound compared to stock cables, tubes and solid state amps sound different, military spec components measure better than bottom bin mass produced components, some circuit designs sound better to me than others.
 
Recon Mach 3 setup..
iPod Classic 7th Gen, CD quality WAV files only
Mil Spec 30 pin LOD by Ray Samuels
Emmeline "The Black Bird" SR-71A Portable Headphone Amp by Ray Samuels
HiFiMAN HE-400 Headphones with HiFiMAN silver coated copper cables
(2) 9-volt Duracell Copper Top Batteries
Rubber Strap 
 
Clear for take off 

 
Here's everything you need to know http://archimago.blogspot.com/2013/03/measurements-sony-playstation-1-scph.html
 
Here's the Stereophile review on it http://www.stereophile.com/cdplayers/708play/ note that the Stereophile review is on the SCPH-1001 model. Both models 5501 & 1001 share the same AKM DAC see the link above for more details. 
 

 
I got mine modified with RCA output jacks and a couple of quality capacitors wired directly off the DAC chip
 

 
It pairs nicely with my Schiit Valhalla 2 and HiFiMAN HE-300 headphones, I'm using Audioquest Golden Gate interconnects and the stock headphone cable off the HIFIMAN HE-400 the one that's labeled made in Japan. The total cost of what you see here is well under $1000 bucks and Dude let me tell ya it sounds noteworthy. The musical factor is high like 420. The cost of this setup is well within reach for low budget heads and you could splurge on some NOS 6922 super duper tubes and still be under a grand total.

I use the 30pin line out dock on my iPhone 4s as a portable source. As a portable source the iPhone 4s makes an excellent choice for lots of reasons that I'm not going to explain in this review. Here are the highlights that do it for me. I'm going to make the case that the iPhone 4s make a great dedicated lower cost portable source. The best function the 4s has going for it is web connectivity. I want to listen to the 'Ex Machina' Soundtrack By Portishead’s Geoff Barrow And Ben Salisbury right now. I can do that with a smart phone! I want access to the millions of tunes in the Tidal music catalog I can do that to. I can load WAV files onto the 4s granted the iPhone won't do 192khz / 24bit or DSD... well la dee freaking da, I don't care. I can't consistently tell the difference between 16bit and 8bit tracks. Try going to audiocheck.net, select the tab blind audio test and take the '16-bit v/s 8-bit Blind Listening Test' for yourself.
 
Soundexpert.org has the sound quality measurements on 4/4s, I realize that the measurements and numbers are far beyond anything the human ear can quantify, I know my ears can't. 
 
I do think that using the line out dock is the way go. Bypassing the on-board amp circuit and using a dedicated external amp offers superior sound quality but you already know that. 
 
The iPhone 4s will soon be three generations out of style and the price will reflect this. I think this is a steal that offers a very high price to performance ratio.               

Hypertonic Osmosis Acoustic Filters or (HOAF)..the Lulz, but seriously I thinks of the GS1000e like a filter for acoustics. What goes into the Grado transducers gets filtered. The filtered sound is separated into detailed layer cake for the ears. The GS1000e.. it sounds the way cupcakes taste to me and that's delectable. The sonic house recipe of the Grado statement is like coconut cream cake. If your favorite flavor is dark chocolate black forest cake or something, the GS1000e statement might not do it for you. What I mean is that the filtered sound is mid centric. The low notes lack presence, weight, depth, slam and so on. The vocals are more forward sounding than I remember on the GS1000i. I can't compare the two models directly however I did own a thoroughly used GS1000i for over a year before I made the switch to the GS1000e. The two models sound different and look the same. Headphone reviews are completely subjective, my words come up short, you have to hear the GS1000e firsthand to understand. It comes down to style and tune selection with this Grado, it does Bassnectar it does Bill Withers better ♫ Just one look at you ♪ And I know it's gonna be.. Thank you Grado              

HiFiMAN ran this combo deal last year (2014) for $249, HE-300 Headphones and the EF3 amp. What a deal this has been. The EF3 amp is similar to the well known EF2A amp minus the DAC circuitry. The EF3 has a three position gain switch and a black and gold color scheme. A gold colored push button power switch ignites the glow of the tubes and a dim LED surrounds the volume knob in a ring of blue light. It looks good, not chintzy or super cheapy. I use the EF3 a lot, like almost everyday for the last year. I replaced the stock tubes with a matched pair of Radiotechnique (RTC) (EF95/6AK5/5654) valves. Those EF95 tubes take the SQ up a very noticeable notch. This amp adds a touch of tube magic to my tunes, you know the usual adjectives used like liquid or juicy, some tunes sound better wet others dry, e.g. the tune Godzilla by Fu Manchu sounds better on tubes to my ears. Anyway this amp has a great bang to buck ratio, too bad this combo deal is no longer available.                                   

I own two portables amps the Ray Samuels Emmeline "The Black Bird" SR-71A and the Decware Zen Head. I really like the SR-71A, all the reviews on it do it justice. As good as the SR-71A is (like undeniably good sounding) the Decware Zen Head is better. The Zen Head is very very easy on my ears and this is why I love it so. I like the SQ so much that I can overlook the things that I don't like about the ZH. The thing I don't like about ZH most is the battery cover. No biggie but the cover to the battery compartment is a plastic slide lock design that takes a little getting used to, the cover feels delicate, forcing it might snap the plastic lock tabs off, the deal is this amp uses up 9V batteries relatively quickly, switching batteries is something I do often with this amp. They say the "experts" suggest that headphone aficionados should limit headphone use to about an hour a day, to protect your stereocilia from damage. The Zen Head and comfortable headphones like the HiFiMan HE-300 can easily extend my listening time to hours at a time. Hours at a time puts a drain on the battery life...is it the amp sucking up the juice or my listening habits...it's my listening habits. The Zen Head is as the name implies, Zen listening. Other than the battery cover and 9V drain time (because I'm addicted to it) this amp is genius! I'm taking the Zen Head to my grave that's how much I love it. 
 
Equipment Used:
 
Ray Samuels Emmeline "The Black Bird" SR-71A
 
Decware Zen Head
 
HiFiMan HE-300
 
iPhone 4s
 
Tidal Music streaming
 
ALO Audio 30pin dock cable

The electronic wizards and warriors at Schiit Audio can do battle in the bloody realm of HiFi audio worthy of this amp's mythical name. The technical schiit is on the website, the Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) type music reviews are not my thing. I'll keep this Schiit review short and brief. What does it for me, the sensation I get when the tunes produce that euphoria that sends "Qi" down your spine. I'm very sensitive to ear fatigue, so I prefer tube over solid state and open back over closed cans. Neutrality and accuracy is overrated, what matters to me is how my emotions connect to the tunes. The Valhalla 2 sounds great with my Grado GS1000e and HiFiMan HE-300 headphones, is the impedance match off for this setup? I don't know but sounds good to me. I got that "Qi" flow off Phil Mucci "Diabolik Films" and Silver Strain "La Main Gauche" .. weird how that works, I'm not into "witch house" at all

The price to performance ratio of the HiFiMan HE-400 is truly exceptional. The clamping force of new head band is tight and requires break-in. I prefer the the plush pads over stock pads for comfort. Once HE-400 is broke in, like a pair of old boots...they become comfortable but not super comfy..due to the weight of these cans being on the heavier side. 
 
Equipment used for this review
 
HiFiMan HE-400
 
HiFiman HE-300
 
Grado GS1000e
 
Bose ae2
 
Decware Zen Head amp
 
Emmeline "The Black Bird" SR-71A amp
 
Schiit Valhalla 2 amp 
 
Modifies Play Station1 CD player
 
iPod classic 160gb
 
iPhone 4s
 
ALO Audio 30pin line out dock cable
 
AudioQuest cables
 
All tunes sourced at CD quality bitrate 1,411 kbps, iTunes, Tidal music player, CD's, WAV files