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HeaDphone Discussions. (Audiophile and Gaming)

I would not consider SE output to be a limitation in any DAC south of R20k, possibly R40k. If a DAC has XLR out it is nice because I can connect to the Phonitor with normal XLR interconnects. If not I just use a custom cable. Probably no. 10 on my top 10 priorities when selecting a DAC.
Would splitting the signal after the DAC not impact the quality?
 
There are other (much more significant) factors that affect sound quality. So yes, right at the tippy top when you have spent your life's savings and you are scrounging for the last 1% of performance ... Maybe. I have heard
mediocre balanced setups and some truly stunning single ended systems (ask @Cyzer @ta24 @PandaAttack1 @Ninja_Theory and other who have heard my set-ups. Several of them I regard as true high end rigs. Not a balanced connector in sight. Balanced and single ended are means to an end, not an end in itself. Both have certain engineering playoffs. As I said before I am convinced of the usefulness of balanced interconnects but on very long cable runs (10-20m+) but not of balanced headphone drives as being a fundamentally better route to best possible sound.
 
Oh and again do not confuse balanced interconnects and "balanced" headphone drive. It may share a common name but it is not the same thing. They are based on two different theories and principles of operation.
 
Re same approach with amps ...

Absolutely. I had a balanced amp for a while (Matrix HPA-3B) and sure it sounded good in balanced mode. But not very different to the way it sounded through normal 1/4" output. That was also very damn good. You like your Deckard, right? All single ended. The Loxjie P20 might be balanced but I cannot see how it will beat the Deckard in any way. I know it is not a fair comparison, but it underlines the stupidity of chasing balanced as a tick box spec.
 
Absolutely. I had a balanced amp for a while (Matrix HPA-3B) and sure it sounded good in balanced mode. But not very different to the way it sounded through normal 1/4" output. That was also very damn good. You like your Deckard, right? All single ended. The Loxjie P20 might be balanced but I cannot see how it will beat the Deckard in any way. I know it is not a fair comparison, but it underlines the stupidity of chasing balanced as a tick box spec.
Thanks Scuba. This clears the matter for me ! (y)
 
That's about R7k landed, right? For that money I have seen Wyred4Sound, T&A, Musical Fidelity, Bel Canto, Wadia, Theta, Proceed, EAD, Rega, Audiolab and many other DACs that will quite probably knock the SMSL out of the park in performance if not specification. Many of those are balanced incidentally.
 
That's about R7k landed, right? For that money I have seen Wyred4Sound, T&A, Musical Fidelity, Bel Canto, Wadia, Theta, Proceed, EAD, Rega, Audiolab and many other DACs that will quite probably knock the SMSL out of the park in performance if not specification. Many of those are balanced incidentally.
Thanks! The SU8 landed is closer to R6k but your above comment would still hold true. The Deckard's DAC is keeping me very happy for now, so I'm in no rush. Edit: Sorry, $350 would be closer to R7k landed. SU8, R6k'ish. Edit 2: Fixed my wonky math.. it's closer to R4500. $350 is closer to R6k.
 
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Thanks! The SU8 landed is closer to R6k but your above comment would still hold true. The Deckard's DAC is keeping me very happy for now, so I'm in no rush. Edit: Sorry, $350 would be closer to R7k landed. SU8, R6k'ish.
Holy shit sticks, does a $250 DAC end up R6,000 landed these days? Madness, I've forgotten how ridiculous it is for these so called luxury imports in SA.
 
58973




 
okay - my ifi iDSD basically got sold and i was going to get myself a DAP but the second hand units for sale of the Fiio M9 that i was after both got sold and in terms of buying a brand new one it seems like Fiio are releasing and launching a new model ie the M11 whcih seems to be way better for not a lot more money so i'm going to wait a while for that one to either arrive here so i can get local stock or will wait till i can get it from Amazon or some online place easily (its only going to be launched end of May 2019)

so for the moment instead of letting that money i got back for the DAC burn a hole in my pocket i ordered the following items

1) second hand Hifiman HE4xx from AVForums
2) Fiio BTR3 Bluetooth receiver (because i can use this with the DAP too but for now it will work with my phone to make all my wired headphones into bluetooth receivers)
3) Fiio K3 DAC/AMP as a cheap temporary solution to use with my PC - for mobile i will get that DAP and for fixed usage i will definitely get something way better in the long run
4) and last but not least on the recommendation of CapeTownWatches over at AVF i ordered a KZ ZSN pro set of in-ear monitors (apparently his $20 secret weapon :sneaky: )

next step is to get that Fiio M11 DAP when its available and when my home theatre stuff sells i want a nice pair of high end headphones and a nice fixed DAC/AMP
 
Yasss!

We expect a 4page review on your initial impressions. :D
Well I don't know about four pages- guess I'll have to use 38pt font :ROFLMAO:

Initial impressions are- these cans have more bass than what I was expecting given all the reviews that say they are bass light - but still less than I would like. Using them on my Z2 tablet last night I also immediately noticed they're not as loud as my HD 598 Cs - So the O2 amp I'm going to build will come in handy after all, as opposed to just be a "want it" item (that is, if I don't screw it up). If and when I get the time I want to play around with some EQ settings on my pc- will probably use the pc in the tv room as it's not nearly as noisy as my gaming pc. I'm not going to attempt to describe what I hear- I'm not good with that at all. I will say that I do like what I hear although I'd possibly enjoy a tad more bass.

While I like the build, it's clear from some parts that it was built to a budget- but it doesn't feel like it'll break from normal use, I'm quite happy with the look and feel though- in fact, I really like the looks. They're also really loose on my head compared to what I'm used to and they don't muffle any sound at all- something I'm not really used to, having only ever used closed back 'phones, but I also like it, because I don't have to struggle getting them to seal (I wear glasses which doesn't always play well with headphones) and the sound doesn't change when I reseat them like closed backs sometimes do. So far, I'm really happy with my purchase though I haven't had a lot of time to spend with the SHP's. They're also really comfy.

I'm curious though if there's an audible difference between the SHP9500 and the 9500S - this is one thing still bugging me as the official specs says the frequency response differs. But then some reviews say they sound the same.

Still on my list is a boompro.
 
There's too many options.

I think at the moment I'm most likely going to risk a try with the Topping DX3 Pro
 
There's too many options.

I think at the moment I'm most likely going to risk a try with the Topping DX3 Pro
Got a decent ASR review..

Conclusions
As usual, Topping shows that it uses proper measurements and engineering talent to design its products. As with their other products, it is next to impossible to find many flaws in anything I measure. Yes, it is not state-of-the-art in all measures and falls just shy. But it makes up for it with its superb headphone stage with very low distortion levels, perfect channel matching, and lots of power coming from such a small package and power supply to feed it.

The switch from ESS to AKM has provided relief from intermodulation distortion that we have been seeing in so many DACs. Yes, there is a slight rise in noise as levels get down, impacting linearity measurements. That is a very worthwhile trade off in my book and I am glad Topping has made the change.

All in all, the DX3Pro does not obsolete every DAC and headphone amplifier out there. But it comes darn close and nails the functionality and performance needed in a moderately low cost unit. Add to that the attractive industrial design and it easily becomes one of my favorite desktop products. As such, I recommend the Topping DX3Pro wholeheartedly.
 
So let me get this straight? He uses Sonarworks...and claims headphone sound demos don't sound like the original? That makes no sense. That's like claiming if you want a stock car you should only buy a factory tuned sports car.

Sigh. For a German he could be doing a better job.
 
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He's like a kid who was beaten at rugby during break and then blames the shape of the ball...
 
The problem I have with Z reviews is thst he talks a lot but he doesn't say much.

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He does yes, but he appeals to his audience. Whether people like him is irrelevant to his bank account. And he knows that. The majority of people who are on here and into this hobby will also say they don't like him, and that's totally fair.

What this dude did though... He took a stab at someone for being more popular than he is. Like a child. Had weak arguments and ultimately let jealousy take over. Some idiot commented that he should be more like Z. Instead of going at him, he publicly tried to shame other reviewers, not just Z.
 
He does yes, but he appeals to his audience. Whether people like him is irrelevant to his bank account. And he knows that. The majority of people who are on here and into this hobby will also say they don't like him, and that's totally fair.

What this dude did though... He took a stab at someone for being more popular than he is. Like a child. Had weak arguments and ultimately let jealousy take over. Some idiot commented that he should be more like Z. Instead of going at him, he publicly tried to shame other reviewers, not just Z.
Admittedly I didn't watch the whole video, I don't care about either one of them either way.

Side note: YouTube/video sound demos are stupid. The sound is tainted by your own equipment so what's the point?

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Admittedly I didn't watch the whole video, I don't care about either one of them either way.

Side note: YouTube/video sound demos are stupid. The sound is tainted by your own equipment so what's the point?

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I still think there are some merit in it. To "test" relativity to other headphones... But then all other inputs must stay the same. I.e. I have heard what X sounds like in real life. I then hear what it sounds like a sound review and then I have base to compare to what I am hearing in others.

If I like what I hear I will go and test them in real life -> Stax L700. That way I am not the dick who goes to sound shops and pretend to buy something, demo the unit and go home an buy it amazon.
 
Tried to ignore Maxim's good deal on the X2 for as long as possible but well the results speak for themselves. Things getting a bit out of hand now. Once the R2R 11 arrives I am done for a while that's for sure, and definitely not keeping all of these! During my research I always sort of figured my tastes would lean towards the 6XX and the X2. Spoiler alert: I wasn't wrong ;) .

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you have a problem my man! lol - nyc pic - will miss those x2 -cud is real
 

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