[rhymesgalore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sl300 It would automatically disable my onboard soundcard? anyway to turn off that feature because i would want to switch between my headphones and speakers without bending over and plugging/replugging in the usb

No need to be

cause when you turn the units off, the onboard sound becomes enabled again. so easy switching is possible...

 

[angler31337]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sl300 i think i will take the soundcard out of the picture and get one of the above mention dac/amp sets/combos

That would be my choice... the DAC's by Meier and HeadRoom are really great value buys these days.

-Angler

 

[Sl300]

So this comes downt ot the Micro Stack, andthe Corda Aria.
I listen to 100% hiphop (yes i know not many members on hifi like this music) and i would like the amp to not drown out the lyrics (the whole reason im using the hd595)

If i purchase the Microstack from headphone would i bet victim to a big hit on customs tax? (I LIVE IN CANADA) I heard there's some sort of a discount from that site also? and can the dac and amp be plugged into the wall, w/out a battery? im not a big fan of buying batteries every few weeks..

Between the Corda Aria, and the Microstack, which one should I get?

 

[angler31337]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sl300 So this comes downt ot the Micro Stack, andthe Corda Aria. I listen to 100% hiphop (yes i know not many members on hifi like this music) and i would like the amp to not drown out the lyrics (the whole reason im using the hd595) If i purchase the Microstack from headphone would i bet victim to a big hit on customs tax? (I LIVE IN CANADA) I heard there's some sort of a discount from that site also? and can the dac and amp be plugged into the wall, w/out a battery? im not a big fan of buying batteries every few weeks.. Between the Corda Aria, and the Microstack, which one should I get?

Hmm. They're both great amps. The Corda Aria isn't portable (i.e. only runs on AC power), and ships from Germany. The Micro Stack is portable but doesn't require batteries; it can be powered either by 9v batteries or by (supplied) AC power bricks. HeadRoom is based in Montana (US). Both amps offer crossfeed, so that doesn't do much to differentiate them.

Keep in mind that both companies have excellent 30 return policies, so there isn't much to be worried about in the way of getting stuck with something you don't like. HeadRoom has historically offered a 10% discount to contributing members of head-fi (i.e. those who donate money to head-fi). Last I heard, HR was phasing this out... but you could always call them to see if they'd still offer it to you.

That's about the best I can do. I can't think of any real flaws with either option; in particular, I can't think of any reasons why either amp would handle hip-hop poorly. There are tons of threads hanging around that attest to the unique sound signature of each amp (but the only real test is to try it yourself).

-Angler