[Chastity]

I just opened my Liquid Spark yesterday and set it up, it’s incredible people slept on this amp! With my HD 800, high gain is almost at the beginning of the volume pot travel! It’s maybe not the absolute last word in detail, but it feels clear, and it has tube-like soundstage depth and smoothness without the hassle of tube buying or interference.

I think people overestimate power needs, and undervalue the tonal quality of amps and upstream gear. The headphone in my collection that requires the most power is the Fostex + Dekoni Blue (a T50RP mod), that may only have about a 60 Ω impedance (the mods make it slightly harder to drive than a regular T50RP mk III) but really people ought to look at the Sensitivity specs to see how much power they need. Speaking generally, a power calculator can give people an idea of how much power they need to reach a particular sound pressure level (volume measured in decibels), like this one:
https://www.hear.audio/2019/06/01/headphone-power-calculator/

The Liquid Spark was a $99 amp, and a deal at that price (I impulse bought it at the $33 sale!). Apparently, Monoprice is restocking it next month, at least that’s the rumor.

Agreed, I got the LS to be a portable amp and a backup should anything happen to my LP. This way I have a backup with a similar house sound signature. The Liquid Spark has been my #1 recommend to others looking at $100 amps for a long time, and I too snapped up one at the Ebay clearance sale.

 

[RockSloth]

Hi, about to order a Sound Blaster X4 for PS5. I'm looking for a hardware volume knob, mix in external audio from a mobile or tablet in the line in and mute.

Can anyone confirm that to mute you first need to press the mic button then press/click the volume knob or does the volume knob press/click always mute and unmute regardless of the mode it's in? Cheers

 

[JdeFalconr]

Hi, about to order a Sound Blaster X4 for PS5. I'm looking for a hardware volume knob, mix in external audio from a mobile or tablet in the line in and mute.

Can anyone confirm that to mute you first need to press the mic button then press/click the volume knob or does the volume knob press/click always mute and unmute regardless of the mode it's in? Cheers

Unfortunately pressing the volume knob only mutes the mic that's connected to the X4, it doesn't mute anything else like a line-in source. Additionally you do have to press the mic button to switch to mic control before you press the volume button to mute. Pressing the volume button will have other functions based on what "mode" you're in; see https://files.creative.com/manualdn/Manuals/TSD/14339/xxm3ctyRRP/Sound Blaster X4 QSL WW RevB.pdf.

For what it's worth I own a X4 and I ended up getting a separate hardware device for mixing and muting purposes but it's a PC device that wouldn't work with a console.

 

[RockSloth]

Unfortunately pressing the volume knob only mutes the mic that's connected to the X4, it doesn't mute anything else like a line-in source. Additionally you do have to press the mic button to switch to mic control before you press the volume button to mute. Pressing the volume button will have other functions based on what "mode" you're in; see https://files.creative.com/manualdn/Manuals/TSD/14339/xxm3ctyRRP/Sound Blaster X4 QSL WW RevB.pdf.

For what it's worth I own a X4 and I ended up getting a separate hardware device for mixing and muting purposes but it's a PC device that wouldn't work with a console.

Thanks for the response. I was only looking for it to mute the mic but have the knob remain in volume mode to quickly unmute and adjust volume mid game.

The options out there are limited. I've got a g6 but it doesn't have a mic mute function and the sidetone has a latency issue (I missed sidetone off my previous requirements).

 

[evanft]

Has anyone here used a USB to Optical converter with the PS5 that actually worked? I've tried three so far and they either have noise or constant drop outs. I'm trying to get audio into the optical port of my Modi 3E, which is a UAC2 device.

Based on some feedback I saw online, I decided to pick up the SMSL PO100 Pro from Amazon. The company who sells them in the US, Aoshida Audio, lists open box ones on the Amazon store page for about $20 less than new, so went with one of those.

I can report that it is the first device I've used that is able to convert the USB audio output from the PS5 to coaxial/optical without issue. No signal dropouts, no added noise, etc. It's easily the most expensive option I tried, but I guess it's true that you get what you pay for.

This also further demonstrates why if you're getting a DAC, you really should try and get one with multiple inputs. The Modi 3E has optical, coaxial, and USB. This has allowed me to use it with my old Xbox 360, my Xbox One X, and now my PS5. If I only had a USB input, I'd have to rely on some kind of converter, which can be iffy.

 

[RockSloth]

Unfortunately pressing the volume knob only mutes the mic that's connected to the X4, it doesn't mute anything else like a line-in source. Additionally you do have to press the mic button to switch to mic control before you press the volume button to mute. Pressing the volume button will have other functions based on what "mode" you're in; see https://files.creative.com/manualdn/Manuals/TSD/14339/xxm3ctyRRP/Sound Blaster X4 QSL WW RevB.pdf.

For what it's worth I own a X4 and I ended up getting a separate hardware device for mixing and muting purposes but it's a PC device that wouldn't work with a console.

Can I ask another question about the X4 as I got a GC7 and have been disappointed with the channel balancing.

Does the balance work to level what's being playing through the USB against the Line in?

And if so, when it's at the end of each mix is only one source audible?

The GC7 will reduce the USB in and only play the line in if maxed in one direction but going the other way both channels are still audible at equal levels.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Hi all,

Just wanted to post here since it's been awhile.

So I sent my Koss KPH40 to be fixed, which I got back, and got a custom headband "strap" from Etsy for it since the raw metal headband didnt sit well on my head. Also got some red Yaxi pads.

While I think the Yaxi pads do affect the sound negatively (for SURE makes the sound boomier), the boost in comfort is worth it at least for KPH40 headband use. I wouldn't use the Yaxi pads if like me, you're a fan of clips (i.e. KSC35 or KSC75 clips). ONLY for headbands like Portapro and KPH40.



I also took a gamble and bought some knockoff Koss drivers with black clips (akin to Drop KSC75X clips but with Portapro lookalike drivers). I only bought them because I wanted the black clips.

I got those in today, and the drivers do sound very close to the original Koss drivers, but the clips are definitely NOT legit Koss, as they lack the ball bearing on the metal. I tried my metal bending mod and ended up making them swing a little freely, so definitely do not buy if you want black clips. It's unfortunate you have to wait for Drop to sell KSC75X again for black clips, and Koss doesn't sell ANY clips separately. You have to buy KSC35 or KSC75s units outright for more clips.



I bought other "clips" from Aliexpress, but they don't seat right with Portapros/35s/KPH40 drivers. They fit well on KSC75 though.