High End Audiophile Thread Part 2

Nice ad. I'll stick with my USB DAC for now.

 

I have a very nice SMSL M300 MKII USB DAC, AK4497, balanced out option, DAC filters, all in a nice package. I even have the G6 doing toslink to it when gaming. Internal sound cards are truly uninteresting.

 

What does the oil do? I have never heard of this.

 

It's a sarcasm towards people who went too deep into the hobby and spend way too much money on things that doesn't make any difference in performance.

See: snake oil.

 

OK, lol.. got ya.

 

I'm considering about buying Topping E30 & L30 stack. My laptops is just so bad... and I'd like to get proper sound while working at home. The only thing that is holding me back at the moment is the fact that those would be two separate devices which would be annoying. I'd rather have all in one. Fiio K7 looks rather promising so I'll be waiting to see how that turns out (also if something else comes out).

 

Using separate components open you up to more robust setups, like including EQ and tube buffer preamps.

 

Yeah, well, I'd never use tubes to ruin the audio nor do I need preamp. EQ I'd do before it even reaches DAC so to me two separate devices mean more cables and power adapters.

 

A comment from someone who never used tubes.

 

Lets not fall out over tubes gents.
I'm similarly minded, the perfectionist side of me says I shouldnt use tubes.
Then I built the Bottlehead Mainline headphone amp after reading what it can do and "it IS all that" with the best headphones I could get my mitts on!
So yep, dont dismiss tubes until you have heard the particular setup in question, they can be unholy good.

 

Decided to get some cheap audio upgrades for my Fold (since it doesn't have a 3.5mm audio output port), since I'm feeling cheap, I decided to go the ChiFi route (cheap doesn't exactly equal bad imo). Ordered a pair of KZ ZS 10 Pro - (4x BA + 1x Dynamic) x2. Bought a replacement cable for it (the shiny 'gold' and 'silver' one) as well as a dinky case to house the unit when I'm not using it (it doesn't come with a case)

The metal nozzle is a nice touch, that steel cover does add some weight to it, but does give it that premium look. I've chosen to not use the stock silicon eartips and am using the Comply ones I have as spare.


Edit - Oh yes, I forgot to add that I'd also ordered an iBasso DC02 HiRes audio dongle, gonna use it on my Fold to raise the audio quality of my phone.....will prolly use it on my Tab S5e as well.

 

My iBasso DC02 arrived earlier today, I plugged it into my phone and was pleasantly surprised that it worked right out of the box. Gonna have to spend some time listening and burning in the KZ ZS10 Pro (and perhaps to some degree, the DC02 as well).

 

I as accurate digital to analogue conversion as possible with least amount of distortion. I don't want random variables colouring the sound and instead pick the headphone that I like, not the source. After all, tubes aren't clean. They measure poorly, have higher noise floor, much more distortion and so on.

In any case, I cave in and bought Topping E30. Can't spot any difference compared to AE-5 but that's fine. I already knew that AE-5 measures rather well and for the price it's a great combo. Problem is that I can't use it with my work laptop when at home. Now that's no longer a problem. I can finally get proper sound while working.

Option to send the stereo mix though SPDIF is handy since I do use AE-5's smart volume at times. When I want pure bit-to-bit streaming without any processing I can use the SPDIF out as output device and switch to it straight from the task bar.

Next step is to replace my O2 with Topping L30 to complete the "stack". My O2 is bottleneck anyway.

 

ewww, Sennheiser Gamer cans!!

 

And? The buds, CHiFi, how is it?

 

Hard to tell whether it's due to my iBasso DC02, or the IEM itself as I've been listening to this combo occasionally, but I can say I do like what I'm hearing. The ZS10 Pro has a pretty nice bass that's controlled, the BAs add to mids and high details the surprises me as I'd half expected mids to be muddied by the bass, mids isn't as forward, but it's still pretty damn good.

Overall, I can see myself using this IEM as my default wired IEM when I'm out and about. Now, I'm curious about the CCA CA16 (1x dynamic + 7x BA each side) as I find such hybrid IEM's to be quite intriguing. Besides, way cheaper to play with such multi-BA IEMs compared to branded ones.

Due to safe distancing measures still in place in my neck of the woods, I've not gone out much as of late, so I don't use these new toys as often as I'd have liked. Just bought two under table headphone hangers, I got these because they come with double-sided tapes and two screws for each hanger.

These seem and feel secure enough that I'd have no problem hanging my higher end cans on them. I've been missing my higher end cans as I do not have enough space on my desk area to hang/mount them, so these two hangers have definitely helped.


It's quite secure, I'm so confident that they're secure enough for me to hang some of my higher end cans on them.

The two hangers under my table, a simple yet effective project that took me all of 10 minutes to complete....


Pardon the cable mess, I'll get around to sorting them out later (or, at least, that's what I tell myself).....

Oh yes, also got an acrylic headphone stand for my Creative SXFI Theater, love it for movies as it opens up the soundfield, dialogs are clear but not centered like regular headphones, it's more like the sound from speakers, though not exactly 'speaker-like' as some would describe it. Still, this open sound or 'room feel' is precisely why I like 'em for movies.

 

For some reason I thought they are BT/wireless (got confused with a "module upgrade" for these from Ali)

Chi + IEM + wireless = I was sure you got coronad

 

I been enjoying my SMSL SU-8 ran into my SMSL SH-8 with my Hifiman Sundara for a couple of months now, All connected by Balanced cables. It was far cheaper getting a hold of balanced cables for my Sundara, then it ever was for the Audio Technica R70X that I used to own, before the left driver membrane came apart from the driver encasement. I paid around 40 dollars which is really cheaper then the outrageous price I paid for the R70X balanced cable which wasn't even good quality to being with, Even if they gave me a free replacement. That replacement ended up doing the same thing.

I was using my JBL LSR 305's thru XLR from the SU-8 with a XLR splitter but I ended up just swapping them to a XLR to RCA cable and just plugging it into the RCA out on my SU-8 instead. I also finally got a hold of some studio monitor stands for my 305's and got them off my desk, but I regret not getting stands with triangle base instead of Square, since the stands are top heavy with my 305's on them. So I have to keep the monitors straight and not turn them for near field, other wise they will tip over, it could just be the trashy carpet on my floor that causing them to do that.

 

I just heard of an unusual IEM, Tri Audio Tri I3 which has a Planar + a dynamic + a BA (on each side) IEM, this is new to me so I'd ordered one and should be getting it in a couple of days. Will post pics of it when I get it, from the pics I'd seen, it does look great.