Can’t comment on the AC, but I fear your amp may not be a great match with ZMF dynamic drivers

I’m not aware of any other hi-fi headphones with them, but have seen them in more industrial headsets as well as some mixers and soundboards.

The HiRose connectors that DCA uses are not proprietary, but it’s true that not many other manufacturers use them. In my experience, DCA build quality and comfort is excellent. Whether or not one likes the sound is another matter, however.

Damn, I wish I lived near Goshen NY right now. I would be offering up a case of whatever libation you fancy to join you for a couple hours. Can't wait to hear your impressions. The HP8 and VO are, so far, my favorite listening experience, and I remain tempted by the Caldera but my CanJam...

I went with the nyczaj padded headband and rods/gimbals pre-assembled. Very nice!

Yes. Mine arrived as a surprise.

A quick look at the Blue Jeans Cable site (a trusted cable seller) suggests the Belden 1694A: "Belden 1694A is also an excellent choice for analog audio; its foil/braid shield, though slightly less effective at excluding low-frequency EMI than 1505F's double braid shield, provides better RFI...

I had the Auteur Classic, Atrium open and Verite open all at the same time. Found myself wanting the VO for classical and jazz, and the AO for rock, folk and blues. The AuCl fell somewhere in the middle; a great all-arounder, but not as good as either of the other two for my preferences...

That Faraday cage idea may actually work, but first, try shielded power cables and interconnects for your whole system (not necessarily expensive); possibly a power filter (I actually have one of these on order in hopes of lowering the noise floor: Pine Tree Audio Iso-Power 15A Power Filter)...

Nice. Saw Frisell not long ago, playing a double-bill - first he played as part of Ambrose Akinmusire's Owl Song trio, then with his own "Double Trio." Great night of music.

Loved this! Was unaware of this release, and have not listened to Oregon in years.

I recommend using only open back headphones at moderate volume. IEMs and closed back headphones aggravate my tinnitus.

I get that, but can the N3 be used "walking around" or would that mess with the tube?

N3 Ultra and TubeMini - curious about use cases. Jack Wu told me at CanJam the Tube Mini is intended to be “transportable,” but NOT “portable,” as in don’t use it while you’re walking around. Is the N3 different?

Troubleshooting: Is your custom D3A amp optimized for high impedance headphones? Some are, and some are meant for low impedance. You might try a USB de-crapifier (and a better USB cable). I use this one: core-power-usbe-perfect . Or you could get a USB to I2S converter -...