Thanks! That said, I may not need them any more. After all the pad orientation talk the last couple of pages, I took a closer look and saw that the left pad (the problematic one) was oriented with seam about 15-20 degrees off of alignment with the socket. After rotating to align, the ear...

Thanks - good to know. Would you by any chance have a link for where I could pick them up before I go searching myself?

No sadness here - you can (and I did) pick up the iDSD Signature Finale from Adorama for $300 at the moment - https://www.adorama.com/ifimidsdf.html?sdtid=16859063&emailprice=t&sterm=R2NT-uSjlxyIUPIwofTcXS6gUkHUpkw9R2KMVo0&utm_source=rflaid62905&utm_medium=affiliate I do think they are a great...

I have the same issue, and it's really annoying. Zach responded earlier about the issue and suggested putting some paracord spacers directly beneath the pads to give you a few extra mm and hopefully eliminate that contact. I got the paracord but haven't tried installing yet. Hopefully that would...

I'd say they fit pretty well. The only issue is that when you close the lid, it doesn't shut all of the way on its own - you do have to press gently, compressing the foam, for it to seal and lock. It might not be the optimal case for Bokeh, but I think it works. I picked up the case a couple of...

I’ve seen some recommend this for lightning with power - DD ddHiFi TC28i Pro Lightning to dual Type-C Power Adapter

@ValSuki When did you order, if you don’t mind sharing? I ordered 12/19 so just curious of progress.

I guess it depends on your comparison sets. The best I have for minimal leakage are the K371 and Razer Opus 2020 - E3 is definitely more than those, but they are nowhere near the E3’s league. It doesn’t help that my wife’s desk is literally back to back with mine. For most it probably won’t be...

Agreed on isolation. But the leakage is pretty bad with the ports compared to some other closed backs. You may not hear her, but she’ll likely hear you, depending on volume. I say this as another guy that shares a home office with my wife on some days.

There are good cheap headphones and bad cheap headphones. Are you saying you can make a bad cheap headphone sing with the “right components”? And are you including EQ features in “components”? Can you share a couple of examples? Thanks!

Going to add a fifth “or” - I could be right and you could be wrong. Anyways, happy listening. Hope your super high end expensive chain treats you well. For some the diminishing returns are worth maxing out all components. That hasn’t been the case for me yet, but it hasn’t been 18 years….

From my experience and what I’ve heard this is more the exception than the rule, with the HD6YY series being the mythically “infinitely scalable” cans.

This would agree with my current opinion - get to endgame with headphones before going very high end with amp, and especially dac.

I haven’t heard a $1000+ DAC yet. Hopefully someday I’ll get the chance to see for myself. I don’t doubt it might make SOME difference, but I think diminishing returns is real, and the influence of headphones > amps > dacs combined with that means spending a large amount on a dac over a better...

Know which voices to ignore here. I’m driving mine with the iFi Signature Finale and it sounds great. $300 on sale now at Adorama for combo amp / dac. Edit - for those wanting portable driving option, the iFi could work. It’s getting more “transportable” size than portable, but if you’re...

This is contrary to almost everything I’ve heard in the hobby (and think myself) - headphones > amps > dacs (ignoring source, pad rolling, etc.) I think most are much better off spending more on better headphones driven by adequate amp / dac. Take this with a grain of salt, as I’m not someone...

The onboard sound from MacBook M1 generation on is largely considered some of the best you can get on a laptop. They indeed are quality electronics. Please share with the group how “they should sound” with your specified “quality electronics” listed.

I think this might be a good option at a great price. I have the older version, the Black Label, and I love it. Drives pretty much everything. https://www.adorama.com/ifimidsdf.html

Not the Pros. If I had to pick just one “thing” for all of my listening needs, it would be AirPod Pro 2s. Sure, you sacrifice some on sound quality, but the host of other features and convenience make up for it.

I really like my iFi Micro idsd Black Label, and the newest version is currently available at a crazy good price. Tons of features and ability to drive from sensitive iems to power hungry full size...

Thanks for the link. Goldensound recently released a video saying the AC was his favorite headphone though, right? I think both parties here are pretty respected, but with different points of view on this issue. Personally, I just ordered my first ZMF, the Bokeh, and I’m excited to check it out.

Didn't the individual contributors abstain from ranking items they hadn't heard for the most part? Also, they didn't include the ZMF Bokeh in their rankings because they'd only heard it in show conditions, from what I remember. Where was the heated ZMF debate?

Has anyone heard both the Bokeh and DCA E3? If so, can you provide any comparison between the 2?

Has anyone heard both the E3 and ZMF Bokeh? If so, can you provide any comparison between the 2?

“…if I have music playing I can generally tell she's said something, but not what she said, which she definitely loves.” I feel this so much. Of late I’ve shared a home office with my wife, and since she seems to expect me to hear her whenever she starts to talk without me having to first...