Random stuff/thoughts:
How is it that one of HiFiMan’s least-expensive products (DEVA) looks and feels so much more substantial, and of higher build-quality/finish, than their most expensive (Susvara)? If the eventual successor to Susvara is built more like the DEVA I might actually have to buy one.
I have an interesting new, speciality, amplifier coming in this week. It’s one I’m personally interested in buying, and as a result will be something I do a proper review on (especially with all the extra time at home I have at the moment).
Pictures/details when it arrives.
Unique Melody MEST continues to delight. Looking forward to the world going back to normal so I can get a custom version underway.
Contemplating offering a run of my modular cables, at cost*, so I don’t have to keep storing (or move) all the parts I had on hand when I did put them all in storage ahead of my departure.
And while enduring a random selection of old UK TV crime/mystery shows (which my wife adores, but I saw when they were originally aired in the UK … so not much mystery), I spent an hour or two putting together a little (115 SLoC, including comments and help text) Python script to generate headphone power-requirement tables/data:
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ HEDD Audio - HEDDPhone │
│ (42 Ω @ 87 mW/dB) │
├──────────┬───────────────────────────────────┤
│ │ Required │
│ SPL (dB) ├─────────┬────────────┬────────────┤
│ │ V (rms) │ mA (rms) │ mW │
├──────────┼─────────┼────────────┼────────────┤
│ 80 │ 0.092 │ 2.180 │ 0.200 │
│ 85 │ 0.163 │ 3.876 │ 0.631 │
│ 90 │ 0.290 │ 6.893 │ 1.996 │
│ 95 │ 0.515 │ 12.257 │ 6.310 │
│ 100 │ 0.916 │ 21.796 │ 19.953 │
│ 105 │ 1.628 │ 38.760 │ 63.096 │
│ 110 │ 2.895 │ 68.925 │ 199.527 │
│ 115 │ 5.148 │ 122.568 │ 630.958 │
│ 120 │ 9.155 │ 217.960 │ 1,995.263 │
└──────────┴─────────┴────────────┴────────────┘
With an option for headered/headerless CSV output:
dB/SPL,V,mA,mW
80,0.092,2.180,0.200
85,0.163,3.876,0.631
90,0.290,6.893,1.996
95,0.515,12.257,6.310
100,0.916,21.796,19.953
105,1.628,38.760,63.096
110,2.895,68.925,199.527
115,5.148,122.568,630.958
120,9.155,217.960,1995.263
And a single-line output for a specific SPL value:
ZMF Vérité Closed - (300 Ω @ 99 dB/mW) needs 0.062 V and 0.205 mA (0.013 mW) for 80 dB/SPL.
With various command-line arguments to control the output/range of values:
Usage: headphonepower.py [OPTIONS] IMPEDANCE SENSITIVITY [SPL]
Headphone IMPEDANCE
IMPEDANCE of the headphone in question, specified in ohms.
Headphone SENSITIVITY
SENSITIVITY of the headphone in question, default unit is dB/mW; --unit
option allows specification in dB/V
Output [SPL]
dB/SPL to calculate headphone power requirement for.
If specified, NO table is generated and the simple power calculation is
output; otherwise a table is output with default low/high dB/SPLs.
Options:
-u, --units [v|mW] Sensitivity units: dB/V or dB/mW [default: mW]
-l, --low INTEGER RANGE Low dB/SPL table value [default: 80]
-h, --high INTEGER RANGE High dB/SPL table value [default: 120]
-s, --step [1|3|5|6|10] dB/SPL table steps [default: 5]
-n, --name TEXT Name of the Headphone for table title
-o, --output [table|csv] Output table or CSV [default: table]
--header Include header with CSV [default: False]
--help Show this message and exit.
So if there’s interest there, I’ll package it and post a link to the repository.
Now to decide which color Vérité Closed I’m in the mood for today … 
*They’re still not exactly cheap, due to the parts used … and don’t make sense if not used as a modular system. Pointless for a single amp/headphone combo. The cheapest of which would be a 4-foot (total) 4-pin XLR to Focal 3.5mm TS (fits all but the Utopia, which is higher) at $350.