I'm using a procedure that I made up. I'm certain I'm not the first person to think of this, but I'm pretty sure I am the first to post about it online. I'd like to share my technique here in case anyone finds it helpful, or someone blasts holes in my methodology :) The results all match my...

I found these at my parent's house, my dad says they came with an early cassette Walkman. They don't say anything besides just "Sony". Not even a hint about the model. Can anyone help ID them? I've been wanting to get an old pair of MDR-A20/A40/A60 to try, is this maybe one of those? The...

I'm looking for a new phone, and my primary consideration is that it be able to provide power for an ODAC through an OTG cable WITHOUT a hub. If yours does, please tell me what it is! There isn't a list like this anywhere but there really should be, so hopefully this thread will become one. My...

I HATE going out in public wearing isolating IEMs. I get that not everyone agrees with me; in fact, "what possible use could open-earphones ever have?" is a comment I see all the time in the forums here and elsewhere, as if this is something most people haven't even considered. I think it's...

I have my first Stax rig (SRM-727A -> SR-Lambda Pro). I'm using an ODAC with it. I've heard that Stax can be pretty bass-light, but the most impressive thing about my setup is the bass: it goes much lower, with much greater clarity, detail, speed, and control than any other headphone I've...

I'm getting my first apt-x HD capable phone this week, so since I expect to start using the Astell & Kern XB10 more often now, I threw this together. One of my main complaints is that I can never tell where to press for volume +/- when the thing is in a pocket or clipped somewhere I can't look...

How did you know when you reached your endgame? I'm wondering how much happier I would be with another high end pair of headphones--or if this is just upgraditis. My favorite headphones (so far) are the Mr. Speakers Alpha Primes (which I settled on after passing on the HD800 and LCD2). The...

Short version: is there any reason it is or isn't a good idea powering high impedance headphones (50 to 300 ohm) off the speaker posts of a 45wpc amp/tuner made for 8 or 16 ohm loudspeakers? Besides accidentally turning the volume up and blowing the 'phones Long version: I'm currently getting...

I've heard that the HD800 "needs the right amp" to really shine. What does that mean? What qualities should it have, and what does that do to the headphones? I ask because I am using a 45wpc loudspeaker amp, running my full-size, high impedance cans from the speaker posts. It's nothing...

I have a Stax SRM-727a and after reading its user manual and elsewhere online, I can't find a satisfactory answer! The user manual for a slightly different model says "SRM-727II is configured with a balance amplifier using low-noise dual FET, and there is no need for a transformer or an...

Hi- Currently my only DAC is a Geek Out V2+, which has amazing sound, IMO. But for several reasons I'm looking for a second DAC to split time with the GOV2+. It doesn't have to be portable, but it so happens that the Oppo HA2 and the Opus #11 have caught my attention. Can anybody compare the...

6I just scored an AKG Q701 replacement driver on the for sale forums here, but (as I was afraid of), it's volume level doesn't exactly match the other one. It's a small difference , but well enough to give you a headache after an hour. I know my phone has a software L/R balance adjustment, and...

Hey all-- Searching through old threads hasn't led me to a satisfying conclusion, so new thread. I'm looking to buy a kit to assemble an amp, both to save cash and to gain more experience working with electronics. I'm pretty handy working on this kind of thing; I'm just finishing a...

Is there a significant difference in sound quality between the various angled earpads available? So far I've only experienced the Audeze LCD pads, which made an unexpectedly amazing improvement in both the LCD2 and HE400. Saying they "brought the music to life" wouldn't be exaggerating. The...

I'm curious to hear what sets of head- or earphones others reach for, after a long (or intense) critical listening session. What are your favorite change-ups to your most serious gear? For me, after a couple hours of focused listening with my Senn. HD800 the other day, I needed to focus on...

basically what I'd like to achieve with this thread is confirmation that I'm reading and understanding this graph correctly--or if not, I'd like to understand where my mistakes are coming from. Here is a typical spectral decay graph with the model info removed. As I understand it, this...

I'm hoping someone can help shed some light on an interesting phenomenon I've observed. I have a selection of mp3s downloaded from websites (not torrented) that on most DAPs (my android phone[LG G3], Cayin I5, Sony NWZ E436F) sound filled with digital artifacts--pops, buzzes, hums, various high...

I've been looking at loudspeakers recently (and positively drooling over interesting designs like ribbon drivers and magneplanars). It's especially crazy coming from the headphone world, because you can choose speakers in a very different way. In a headphone, having the best highs and mids in...

InTyll's Pono Player review, a good read in itself, he quotes an email reply he got from Pono Player designer Charlie Hansen: "b) The human ear/brain is already known to be exquisitely sensitive to time smear. c) DBT and AB/X are really only sensitive to differences in frequency response"...

I'm about to make a relatively large purchase (new Klipsch x20i, wooho, unless I change my mind at the last minute again), and I recall seeing websites like Ken Rockwell's saying "we get a significant amount of funding when people click "buy now" links, and buy after going through us." So, whose...

I am so livid right now. The Geek Out V2+ has absolutely fantastic sound. However, if the USB cable gets jiggled EVEN SLIGHTLY, it produces a nasty DC transient (I guess that's what it is). This has only been an annoyance until now; after working to do a beautiful recabling for my Klipsch Image3...

There are a zillion "Headphone Buying Guides" online, but I've yet to find a BALANCED headphone guide! I've noticed that some headphones improve dramatically balanced, while others hardly improve at all, so I've been testing out just about every pair I own, and I'll post the results here. I'd...

Recently I found this M-Audio device in my basement, which is very peculiar. It's clearly a USB DAC/headphone amp with some kind of mic functionality as well (the 3.5mm mic jack is.covered in electrical tape in the pics, as I don't plan on using a mic). It was in a box with stuff at least 10...

I'm trying to better understand soundstage. I remember discovering the concept of soundstage a few weeks after making the decision to devote an increased amount of time and money to improving my personal audio gear, and I immediatelybecame obsessed with it. Having started with the M50x (not...

I've bought and subsequently sold several sets of M50x's, as I'd miss it when I didn't have one, then feel unfulfilled by it when I did. Then the other day I came across an M50 at a pawn shop marked down to $30. At that price I was getting it no matter what, but I tried them on and was blown...