General Headphone Audio

Timber said:
Sorry! Didn't mean to send you down the testing rabbit hole as well. Interesting to see your results though.

One thought from your findings vs. mine, or the original OP on reddit is that you are using much more expensive headphones. That OP was mentioning Edition XS, DT 1990 and DT 880 600's on their Atom and X9 which are all in a similar price range to the HD 660S2 I used. Obviously as mentioned headphones do make a bigger differences and means you can notice the differences more. With the HD 6x0's the biggest way I've improved them was putting them on a tube amp, or the EQ on the iFi Zen Signature set (which you can also do with digital EQ).
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I still can't be bothered with a tube amp, the thought that after a year or 2 (with my kind of heavy usage) that the tubes should be replaced. At least tubes in the output buffer stage and being voltage starved will last at least twice as long on the Warmer :o
 
Raymond Lin said:
It is on Youtube Music and I do have the CD...actually been looking for a slot loading CD player like this that runs from just USB-C but this one doesn't work with anything else. I don't even need a player, just a transport. Then I can sit it on top of the DX5.
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I was looking at those cheap USB DVD drives as a means to then play CD's, or turn into FLAC files. They aren't super expensive and can be put away when not in use. Although that one from JL looks lovely. I do like the look of Fiio's DM13 and would match the R13 R2R in looks.

mrk said:
I still can't be bothered with a tube amp, the thought that after a year or 2 (with my kind of heavy usage) that the tubes should be replaced. At least tubes in the output buffer stage and being voltage starved will last at least twice as long on the Warmer :o
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I haven't heard Warmer of course, which I imagine does something similar, but certainly with the old fashioned high impedance headphones like the 6x0, or DT 880 the extra resistance and distortion plays lovely.

Personally because I don't use the TA-66 all the time the tubes will last ages. But also where you aren't buying matched tubes, or even more exotic tubes the prices for new tubes can be cheap. But I appreciate that isn't always true and where you get into this 'not-entry' level price range for tube amp things get expensive quickly. Mind you when the 6x0/880 sounds this good on a budget OTL I still wonder what it would sound like on something more premium.
 
Timber said:
I was looking at those cheap USB DVD drives as a means to then play CD's, or turn into FLAC files. They aren't super expensive and can be put away when not in use. Although that one from JL looks lovely. I do like the look of Fiio's DM13 and would match the R13 R2R in looks.



I haven't heard Warmer of course, which I imagine does something similar, but certainly with the old fashioned high impedance headphones like the 6x0, or DT 880 the extra resistance and distortion plays lovely.

Personally because I don't use the TA-66 all the time the tubes will last ages. But also where you aren't buying matched tubes, or even more exotic tubes the prices for new tubes can be cheap. But I appreciate that isn't always true and where you get into this 'not-entry' level price range for tube amp things get expensive quickly. Mind you when the 6x0/880 sounds this good on a budget OTL I still wonder what it would sound like on something more premium.
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I have an Apple SuperDrive, but that connects to the Mac, it doesn't work as a transport or a dedicated CD player. It also has a weird power requirement that it need Apple's own USB adaptor from USB-A to USB-C to work. I made a post about this in another thread.

Most of the units on sale now are top loading which doesn't work for me as it will sit under the monitor and there isn't enough space for it to flip open.

p.s. I found my CMF buds !!! (after the Soundpeats turned up).

I actually kinda prefer the CMF more mostly because the tips are deeper and more secure in my ear, might return the Soundpeats..I dunno, I don't need it so it will just be a waste.
 
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Raymond Lin said:
I have an Apple SuperDrive, but that connects to the Mac, it doesn't work as a transport or a dedicated CD player. It also has a weird power requirement that it need Apple's own USB adaptor from USB-A to USB-C to work. I made a post about this in another thread.

Most of the units on sale now are top loading which doesn't work for me as it will sit under the monitor and there isn't enough space for it to flip open.
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Ah OK, I see. I do see a lot of these USB ones are the flip-out laptop-style optical drives, but I appreciate you need something more specific.
 
Timber said:
Ah OK, I see. I do see a lot of these USB ones are the flip-out laptop-style optical drives, but I appreciate you need something more specific.
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That Ruark would have been perfect, despite its design aesthetic not matching everything else. I would have gone for it for the slot loading, single USB-C cable design.
 
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Raymond Lin said:
That Ruark would have been perfect, despite its design aesthetic not matching everything else. I would have gone for it for the slot loading, single USB-C cable design.
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Looks lovely, although it reads as if it needs to be used with their hi-fi systems only, rather than with a PC. I do see a untested/faulty one on ebay at £10.ish currently, but I don't know how difficult they are to repair. Does seem to hold it's value secondhand (I assume being a niche market).
 
Timber said:
Looks lovely, although it reads as if it needs to be used with their hi-fi systems only, rather than with a PC. I do see a untested/faulty one on ebay at £10.ish currently, but I don't know how difficult they are to repair. Does seem to hold it's value secondhand (I assume being a niche market).
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That's the problem, it doesn't talk to anything else.
 
can you even find out whose drive it is, I couldn't see for ruark, and they aren't interchangeable, I purchased several old philips cd players on ebay to replace a drive, plus a spare in my Meridian.
Personally would not want any kind of slot load drive that might scratch CD's, that's an artefact of car drives.

I can see cd market being rejuvinated , like vinyl, as people realise that the streamers tracks even if they are flac are not the best masters - I've not tried qoubuz&deezer but tidal&spotify do not clearly say what versions
are on there platforms/misrepresent them, need a checksum to verify genuine material like those you can use to validate your rips.

e: to wit. the releases of random access memories https://www.discogs.com/master/556257-Daft-Punk-Random-Access-Memories
 
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Late October time, I'm done with Audeze though, the contact I had there seems to have vanished, they said they were sending the Maxwell 2 but that never turned up! Along with some other stuff lol. FiiO seem much more reliable as contacts.

Speaking of which, I am swapping back to the Warmer after some time with the X8 to see if I notice any differences for a week vs what I've been subjecting the X8 to.

This new review of it was really good too for anyone still on the fence about it:

 
I don't have any more plugs (or desk space) at home unfortunately. I could get it and put it at work but then I will need an amp since the XA-02 doesn't have an analogue in. I might as well get the K13.

p.s. dibs on the LCD-5 :p Or let me know if you want to sell it off cheap!
 
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Let's see how much hefty stuff I can hoard for a bit :p

I did go back to the WARMER though and noticeable was that the upper end detail was slightly more prominent with the X8 vs the WARMER through the speakers and headphones (A90 D as the pre and HPA). Whilst the overall musicality is greater on the WARMER as well as soundstage. I think the best way to decsribe it is how one sounds slightly more energetic. The WARMER is more laid back, which makes sense as it's R2R.

I also did not know that Cirrus Logic bought Wolfson back in 2014. I remember Wolfson from back in the day, they had a reputation for high quality sound seems CSL adopted Wolfson architecture in later products.

I just cannot decide yet if I want to keep the X8 as DAC only and retain the A90 D or take out the A90 D and have X8 as DAC, HPA and pre-amp and save a plug socket and desk space in the process... I still think the pre amp on A90 D is nicer than the X8, but convenience and general efficiency means the X8 is the better all rounder.
 
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Side note, the Bokeh Closed is soooo good. I can't put my finger on it. The first impression every time I put it on is "hmmm, it lacks that top end sparkle...." but then when i tried to lift the treble in the PEQ I end up hating it, it somehow made it worse. I just end up as it is and at stock, so good.

To the point I wish I got another pair so I can use it at work since I can't use any open back here.
 
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The wooden Egret from Sendy won't be in stock until mid March lit seems, that explains the delay...
 
mrk said:
The wooden Egret from Sendy won't be in stock until mid March lit seems, that explains the delay...
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Ooooh Wood !

Now I am interested. I find myself touching the side of the cups now with the bokeh. I couldn't do that with open backs, mainly Planar because that greatly affected the sound. But I get to touch wood now with the bokeh!
 
Raymond Lin said:
I find myself touching the side of the cups now
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Going to misquote this when you least expect it!

On a serious note, I will decide if I like them more than the HE1000se, I have read some reviews and I have built a sort of expectation on how they sound, seems they could well be right up my street so if the comfort is even better than the HE1000se I might be compelled to keep them as my fulltime planar and sell the HE1000se and with the funds from that buy something different to keep in the test stable, or maybe even buy the new Laiv Verse DAC/HPA that got released this month for $800, it seems to have some unique features.
 
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