# General purchase advice: Ask your questions/for advice here! **URL:** \ **Category:** I need advice!\ **Created:** [May 18, 2020, 5:21pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620 "2020-05-18T17:21:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 304
**Author:** ![Jonathan22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@Jonathan22](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Jonathan22)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 2:20am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6149 "2024-05-11T02:20:18Z")
Thanks for the warm welcome šŸ™‚ What I was actually asking about was the LCD 2 Classic, because the closed one doesnā€™t even have fazors and as I heard, weak or nonexistent slam. If it is at a similar price as the Edition XS, would you recommend the Audeze MM 100? Judging by frequency response graph, at least the mids are fixed but what about bass and treble? Or does it sound lethargic, without energy? Another question which I asked at some other parts of the forum is, although the Edition XS is more expensive (and should even be more expensive) than the HD 600, why is it that when I listened to a few dynamic driver headphones, which werenā€™t as expensive as the Edition XS, all of them had a pleasant sound, whereas the Edition XS sounded sterile (although crystal clear) despite all my efforts to EQ? Is my hearing damaged? ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 4:08pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6150 "2024-05-11T16:08:01Z")
Moderate learning journey ahead of you on the subject of tube amps. They are not magic except when they are. Worry more about minor burns to curious fingers than getting zapped. Hybrid amps are a good starter, tube preamp stage and solid state out. Compatible with everything but less tubey. At the other end of the spectrum is the OTL tube amp, or output transformerless design, which is not good with low impedance headphones but can be spectacular with 150-600 ohm headphones. Tube designs with output transformers are in the middle - compatible, tubey, but more costly. Iā€™ll leave it to the more technical among us to give electrical details. The bugaboo of all tube amps is that they tempt you and your wallet to search for the magic tube. You do better to explore the range of Scotch single malts, cognacs, or for that matter maple syrup. ---
**Author:** ![PaisleyUnderground](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/paisleyunderground/32/15919_2.png) [@PaisleyUnderground](https://forum.headphones.com/u/PaisleyUnderground)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2024, 7:41pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6151 "2024-05-11T19:41:25Z")
> [@Jonathan22](#): > > At a local store, there was a speaker tube amp which also had headphone out and it was 2x 25 W, which the owner said, is like 200 W or 300 W when applied to a modern, class D amplifier. Is this true? Iā€™m not an amp expert but as far as I know, 25 W means 25 W, no matter what kind of amp it is. A 25 W tube amp is certainly not the same as a 200 W solid state amp. Can you tell us who makes the amp? > [@Jonathan22](#): > > I heard an anecdote that you should never ever turn on a tube amp if the circuit is not closed. Does that mean connecting the headphone to the amp and THEN turning it on, and also making sure the amp is plugged into the computer before turning it on? I normally plug my headphones in after turning on, after making sure thereā€™s no music playing. I donā€™t want any sudden surges to hit the headphones when the amp is turned on, which may be an urban myth, but I think itā€™s a good practice to follow anyway. Same thing with turning the amp on, I make sure thereā€™s no music playing. > [@Jonathan22](#): > > if I decide to buy that tube amp, again, will it be enough if I have headphones connected or must I also have at least a passive speaker connected to it before turning it on? This might depend on the model youā€™re considering buying but I doubt youā€™d need speakers connected to the amp. I use an LTA Ultralinear+ tube integrated amp (2 x 20 W šŸ˜€) for both speakers and headphones and the amp has a switch to go from one to the other, so it doesnā€™t need both connected at the same time. Iā€™ve also owned an LTA MZ3 and an ampsandsound Nautilus, which both have speaker and headphone outputs, and I used them both purely as headphone amps without speakers connected. ---
**Author:** ![Polygonhell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/977dab/32.png) [@Polygonhell](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Polygonhell)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 3:33am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6152 "2024-05-12T03:33:23Z")
> [@Jonathan22](#): > > I heard an anecdote that you should never ever turn on a tube amp if the circuit is not closed. Depends on the amp, the load is a part of the circuit in a standard transformer coupled tube amp, if without a load, that can cause issues for some amps. Itā€™s not a common thing. Itā€™s more commonly a problem for high powered speaker amps, I have a pair of 135W Class A tube Monoblocks that will blow a fuse if the speakers arenā€™t connected, Woo also donā€™t recommend leaving the WA33 on for any length of time without headphones connected. But I donā€™t know of another headphone amp where itā€™s an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Audiophool](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/audiophool/32/49422_2.png) [@Audiophool](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Audiophool)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 4:09am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6153 "2024-05-12T04:09:40Z")
> [@Polygonhell](#): > > But I donā€™t know of another headphone amp where itā€™s an issue. I believe itā€™s true of Amp&Sound as well. ---
**Author:** ![PaisleyUnderground](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/paisleyunderground/32/15919_2.png) [@PaisleyUnderground](https://forum.headphones.com/u/PaisleyUnderground)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2024, 6:23am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6154 "2024-05-12T06:23:23Z")
> [@Audiophool](#): > > I believe itā€™s true of Amp&Sound as well. Iā€™ve never had that issue with my Nautilus ---
**Author:** ![PasoWinemaker](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pasowinemaker/32/55729_2.png) [@PasoWinemaker](https://forum.headphones.com/u/PasoWinemaker)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2024, 6:30pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6155 "2024-05-18T18:30:38Z")
If youā€™re enjoying some high(er) impedance dynamic headphones, youā€™ll likely be very pleased with your decision to experiment with tube amps - particularly OTL amps. Cheers! šŸ· ---
**Author:** ![Time2Listen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@Time2Listen](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Time2Listen)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2024, 8:50pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6156 "2024-05-28T20:50:23Z")
Thanks Audiophool. Iā€™m really looking for something below the 100 dollar mark. Iā€™ve been on Amazon and looked for Sony over ear wired and there is only one pair of headphones which are the ones I have now - the main reason I donā€™t like them is that the cable is so long it could be used as a skipping rope šŸ˜‚ Iā€™ve tried braiding it and got into complete mess. I donā€™t want noise cancelling because the couple of times I tried it before on a previous pair of headphones I bought it gave me headache and made me violently sick. I really dont want Bluetooth either as Iā€™m worried it will give me more headaches. I donā€™t want to have to charge them - I just want simple wired, over the ears headphones with no bells and whistles - no wireless, noise cancelling, just a reasonable length cable, not a skipping rope. Any recommendations anyone, Iā€™m all ears. By the way I live in the uk, all although I referenced dollars earlier so any uk suppliers, all good. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![SenyorC](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/senyorc/32/13567_2.png) [@SenyorC](https://forum.headphones.com/u/SenyorC)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 6:17am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6157 "2024-05-29T06:17:48Z")
I moved your post here as it will probably get more views. As far as wired and foldable, there is the AKG K361 which are decent, or the K371 which costs a little more. There is also the Audiotechnica M40x, although I would recommend the AKG over these. ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 3:16pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6158 "2024-05-29T15:16:13Z")
Hey, I just acquired an AKG. Itā€™s held in place by my Cadillac LYRIQ. Not sure what the AKG would cost, but the stand is expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Lou\_Ford](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/lou_ford/32/32441_2.png) [@Lou\_Ford](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Lou_Ford)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 3:42pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6159 "2024-05-29T15:42:57Z")
> [@pennstac](#): > > Not sure what the AKG would cost, but the stand is expensive. Well, the stand holds 19 speakers, so thatā€™s like 9.5 sets of headphones! @Time2Listen, the AKG models that @SenyorC recommended come with 2 cables: 1.2m and 3m. Theyā€™re detachable (obviously), so you could also get an aftermarket cable to whatever length is just right for you. ---
**Author:** ![robson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/robson/32/59145_2.png) [@robson](https://forum.headphones.com/u/robson)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 7:35pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6160 "2024-05-29T19:35:02Z")
If you connect your Lyr to your Lyriq, your AKGs will sound even better! šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Rikarudo\_Rintarou](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/rikarudo_rintarou/32/56185_2.png) [@Rikarudo\_Rintarou](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Rikarudo_Rintarou)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2024, 9:07pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6161 "2024-05-29T21:07:05Z")
The type of headphone/amp/DAC I am looking for is: IEM My price range is: Max $300 I like to listen to: Anything really I will be using them for: commuting but mainly home. Whatā€™s up? All my life I have used cheap headphones and at this moment I can afford to spend more and I have decided apart from getting the Hifiman Sundara to buy my first IEM, I want to enter the world of audiophilia and for that I want to accustom my ear to the neutral signature, so I am looking for an IEM that has that signature or that through EQ you can get something quite similar, so I am not so obsessed with it being neutral from the factory. I have these as possible candidates: Letshuoer S12 Pro Simgot Supermix 4 Aful Explorer Dunu DaVinci. I know that each person is different but it is incredible to see how in one review they say that one of them is neutral and in others they say that it is not, that the soundstage is very wide and in others that it is not etc. This makes me not know who to listen to, so I come here to ask which of these is generally more recommended or if there are other options within the budget that are worth knowing. My limit is $300 because more than that I prefer to get some headphones. I look forward to your advice. ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2024, 12:02am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6162 "2024-05-30T00:02:57Z")
I generally like Dunu but donā€™t know the DaVinci. How do you plan to drive them? Consider allocating about $85 or so to a decent quality DAC/amp rather than running them straight out of an iPhone or Android. I think the iFi go is at the sweet price point here. Iā€™ve bought 4 of them so far for self and for gifting. ---
**Author:** ![Delsonta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8dc957/32.png) [@Delsonta](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Delsonta)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2024, 12:44am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6163 "2024-05-30T00:44:23Z")
to list a few outside of the same old chi-fi names - Hi-Unit001-pnk - TAGO STUDIO T3-02 - Ocharaku Flat4-SUI Plus - NUARL NX1 - QoA Adonis - Panther Audio DAWN - Oriolus Finschi HiFi - QDC Hybrid Uranus-S - QDC Superior EX (tuned in collaboration with FitEar) ---
**Author:** ![Rikarudo\_Rintarou](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/rikarudo_rintarou/32/56185_2.png) [@Rikarudo\_Rintarou](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Rikarudo_Rintarou)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2024, 12:55am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6164 "2024-05-30T00:55:08Z")
I I currently have a Tempotec Sonata HD III dongle but after the IEM I want to buy the Fiio KA17 or the Qudelix T71. ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2024, 2:34am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6165 "2024-05-30T02:34:15Z")
Either of those would be fine. I happen to like the iFi house sound, but use Fii0 also. Iā€™m not familiar with the Tempotec. You might want to look at @SenyorC 's recent discussion on dongles. I either use the iFi-Go, which I consider to be the first reasonable step above the $9 Apple dongle, or go to the Luxury & Precision W4, which is truly in a class by itself. If youā€™re willing to have a tiny box like the W4, itā€™s probably the way to go. I no longer use my Audioquest Dragonfly black or cobalt for much of anything. You could search the forum here for notes on the W4, not only from me, but from @Torq Many here like some of the Questile products also. ---
**Author:** ![Delsonta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8dc957/32.png) [@Delsonta](https://forum.headphones.com/u/Delsonta)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2024, 3:41am UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6166 "2024-05-30T03:41:53Z")
I highly suggest to get IEMs first and decide on a DAC later if you already have one. IEMs/headphones define 90~95% of what youā€™re gonna hear anyways. The last 5~10% you can decide later after youā€™ve grasped the sound signature of the IEMs you got and have somewhat of an idea of what is necessary to satisfy your needs. Who knows. You might end up not needing a DAC. Treat this hobby as a journey to finding _your_ perfect sound. Donā€™t try to get everything all in one package. ---
**Author:** ![pennstac](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/pennstac/32/381_2.png) [@pennstac](https://forum.headphones.com/u/pennstac)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2024, 12:07pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6167 "2024-05-30T12:07:28Z")
As may be, but for those of us who have devices without 3.5 mm holes in them to stick those pesky wire plugs in, you must have some sort of dongle or dac or the electricity canā€™t get up inside the IEMs or other headphones. Back in the Paleolithic, when all smartphones had them holes in them, Iā€™d say you were right. ---
**Author:** ![generic](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.headphones.com/generic/32/61169_2.png) [@generic](https://forum.headphones.com/u/generic)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2024, 12:15pm UTC](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620/6168 "2024-05-30T12:15:07Z")
> [@Delsonta](#): > > IEMs/headphones define 90~95% of what youā€™re gonna hear anyways. The last 5~10% you can decide later Even a bundled or cheap DAC gets 95% to 99% of the signal ā€œrightā€ ā€“ the problem is that the 1% to 5% they screw up tends to include the treble. Think of a sawtooth. Broken glass. Ice. A good DAC and amp can transform many IEMs or headphones, and the DAC can make the same set of drivers listenable or unlistenable. > [@pennstac](#): > > but for those of us who have devices without 3.5 mm holes in them > [@pennstac](#): > > you must have some sort of dongle > [@pennstac](#): > > canā€™t get up inside Hey, keep it PG please! [Previous page](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620.md?page=303) [Next page](https://forum.headphones.com/t/general-purchase-advice-ask-your-questions-for-advice-here/6620.md?page=305)