How come some headphone cables have mono terminals going into the headphone and some have stereo? Will a stereo cable work with headphones whose stock cable has mono L and R terminals? Thanks.

For example, what is the difference between "Portable Headphone Amps" and "Portable Source Gear"? I see some products that are DAC/amps being posted in the "Source Gear" sub-forum, and some in "Headphone Amps". Which should go where? Also, does "Dedicated Source Components" mean streamers and...

I've never owned a DAP before. I've always just listened to music from my laptop + portable DAC/amp + over-ear headphones. But I'm beginning to question the setup I've been using for the past ten years. I've always been interested in DAPs, but to me they always seemed quite expensive and...

Fiio's new FT3 headphone comes with a modular cable, much like their IEMs do. I've seen this with other IEMs as well, but almost never with full-sized headphones. Why is that? Would you like to see modular cables with full-sized headphones or do you think they work best with IEMs? As someone...

Has anyone who uses an Apple Silicon Mac and the macOS Music app ever experienced this problem? This is how the problem occurs: 1. I will be listening to music in the macOS Music app with a USB DAC/amp like the Schiit Asgard 3 with built-in USB DAC or the Fiio Q7 2. I stop the music. 3. I turn...

I thought balanced was balanced, but I'm seeing reviews of some amps, like the Topping EX5, indicating that they are not "truly balanced" despite having balanced output. What does that mean? Will amps list in their specs whether they're "truly balanced" or not? How could I tell?

What are some good pairs of planar magnetic closed-back headphones? The only one I know is the Audeze LCD-2 Closed. Is it recommended? Are there any other pairs? I like the sound of planar magnetic but like the isolation and quiet of closed-back. I'm wondering how many options there are in this...

My budget in the past tended to be fairly low, but I finally have some flexibility to spend up to around $1000 on a new pair of headphones. My Audioquest NightOwls have served me well over the years but they are starting to fall apart and I've been in the market for a replacement for a while...

So the Audioquest NightOwl have been my go-to headphones for a couple years now. Unfortunately, the suede pads I was using disintegrated and replacements are hard to come by. Audioquest also seem like they'll never be updating their headphones. So I want to know what else is out there in the...

Title pretty much explains it. I have a Burson Fun that emits a noticeable "buzz" even audible at listening volume (though much more audible when I turn the volume up really high). The buzz lessens significantly when I place my hand on top of the amp. Obviously some kind of grounding issue. Is...

I have good open-back headphones right now but the fact is that I'm often in a noisy room (I live in an apartment near the freeway and I live with three other guys). The chances I get for quiet listening are rare. I'm looking for recommendations for closed-back headphones that are balanced...

I'm looking for open-back headphones that have a warmer sound signature. Doesn't need to be extremely so, not looking for bloated/muddy bass, but if there are headphones you consider to be warm/lush/smooth/musical, where the lows and mids are stronger than the highs, that would be great. I don't...

I wish iFi wouldn't use 3.5 TRRS. It's such a weird size for balanced and hard to find. I have a balanced cable with a 2.5 TRRS male plug. I want to be able to use this cable with my iFi Nano BL's balanced output, but it takes 3.5 TRRS. Where can I get an adapter that has a female 2.5 TRRS and...

I haven't been an audiophile for that long, and I'll admit that I'm still fairly new to all of this. While I've tried like 10 different DACs and amps in the past year, I've really only had one pair of headphones for 4 years. I had Sennheiser HD 598 for three years, then when they broke I bought...

I'm interested in getting the Delta-Sigma Bifrost (not the Bimby, in other words). I read on another forum that the Bimby takes almost 2 minutes to find a signal when first turning it on. Does this happen with the Biforst Delta-sigma too? I would be using it on a Mac with Roon, most likely...

Hi everyone. The main setup I use for listening to my lossless digital audio is a Schiit Magni 2/Modi 2 combo that I use with my desktop computer (and Sennheiser HD599 headphones). Recently, however, I got a new MacBook Pro and I'd like to find something more portable to use that doesn't...