This is so well said! 
And same here - spend more on audio last year than in the decade before combined!
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Luckily an hobby can take us on the safe side of life.
Iām aware many of us have spent little fortunes in audio gear and it isnāt always a good thing (see wife chapter or).
Working in first aid and social assistance to weak people Iāve seen an increase in use of ansiolitics and similar remedies during last year.
IMO a nice new pair of cans is a better option 
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And the more hobbies, the safer ā¦ 
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to this weeks new members, enjoy !
Welcome to all new members from the last week.
Welcome to all of this weeks new members.
Hello One and All,
IĀ“ve just joined your forum also because visiting the next headphone shop is far away plus I really donĀ“t have a realistic chance of testing equipment I am interested in. As an audiophile neophyte I donĀ“t intend to soley learn from my mistakes, I rather learn from yours / your experience. Should save money and nerves.
After those two videos
Focal Celestee - Live stream
Headphone Tube Amps under $ 1000.-
I actually started reading through a few posts of interest to me.
Many years ago I collected Hip Hop / Rap Vinyl but I couldnĀ“t deal with itĀ“s development around 1995 any longer. Sold all my records, went on a long hiatus but over the last few years I got into music again. I am still in awe of the sound of equipment these days.
Especially considering that my primary, also potentually expensive hobby is cycling, which resticts my ability to get that audio equipment which seems so tempting.
So over the next few years when my legs, lungs and heart will slow me down inevitably I intend to focus more on this āaudio hobbyā.
greetings from austria, christoph
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Thank you for your hospitality.
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Thank you @prfallon69 I guess I should really formally introduce myself. Iāve been a growing audiophile since the late 90ās I suppose. Iāve gone down many rabbit holes and as itās been as informative as itās been walker draining!
However, I suppose that comes with the territory.
Iām a big SACD/CD/CD transport and vinyl listener although I do stream for convenience (mostly to see what Iām going to but on SACD, CD or vinyl!).
I live in the D.C. area so I do have a number of hi-fi ships around but COVID has pretty much forced most to go by appt only so socially distanced I am.
Furthermore, as Iām more of a headphones guy the shops have limited pieces for me to experience.
Right now Iām in the market for a logical DAC upgrade from the S.M.S.L. SU-8 V2 that I use so thatās one thing Iād like to solve by getting everyoneās input/thoughts.
My current gear is as follows:
- Audiolab 6000CDT (new)
- SONY DVP-S9000ES (old)
- S.M.S.L. SU-8 V2 DAC
- Topping A90 HP Amp
- Morrow Audio digital and RCA interconnects
- Snake Oil XLR cables
- Focal Clear Pros
- Hifiman Sundara
- Audeze LCD-2f
The DACs Iām interested in are the Schiit Bifrost 2, Denifrips Ares II but Iām open minded to any and all feedback!
I like what Iāve heard about R2R DACs but Iāve never heard one in person.
I donāt think I like the ESS Sabre DACs but Iām only basing this on my current DAC which I feel has that slight āglareā that everyone talks about.
My apologies for the long post.
Looking forward to the conversations everybody!
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Welcome @DarthWise72 you have a fine list of gear. There are some very knowledgeable people around the forum and they are always willing to help out. After all thereās nothing more we like than discussing music and of course our gear.
I hear what you are saying about the ESS Sabre Dacs. Though they have got better recently IMHO. I have always been a fan but I can see many will find them fatiguing. My own tastes have changed and evolved over the past year or so and I have begun to appreciate other flavours of sound so to speak.
Looking forward to seeing you around.
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Yes, it is also known as the ESS āhumpā. The cause and fix has been determined but it is up to each individual product as to whether they did the fix or not.
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Hello from Canada.
Currently enjoying all kinds of music on my Bifrost2, Asgard3 and Focal Clear proās but that upgrade itch has kicked in. Here to read and learn and hopefully make very educated choices.
I also enjoy my 2 channel setup when I can, but love being able to stay up and enjoy music after the girlfriend and kiddo have gone to bed!
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Hey and welcome @DarthWise72 ! I can relate, I had that SMSL SU8V2 earlier in my journey and thoroughly didnāt like it for that glare quality you mentioned. Like @prfallon69 said itās not necessarily the Sabre chip, but how itās implemented. I now have 3 Sabre based Matrix DACs, one NAD streamer in my 2.1 Channel setup all of them with ESS chips. All have been implemented very well to my ears.
Under 1k, the Bifrost 2 is very popular around here, then you have your AKM Based DACs like the D90 or other similar AKM based DACs and the R2R DAC you mentioned.
Surf the different threads and you will get lots of good info. A few of us also have YouTube channels you can check out too with some info. Again welcome to the great community!
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Hey there, and welcome! Glad you were able to catch that video and we are happy to have you over hear with us.
Hey @chrisnyc75 welcome man! We are stoked to have you here with us.
Welcome @Jeff_21 @thevishnu and all our other new members!! Glad you joined us!
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Hey thanks for the welcome.
Listening and learning from the Lakepeople G111 from the Bifrost 2 to my Focal Clears. Been enjoying the headphone show and the reviews as well. Recently sold my Elex and upgraded to the Clear and have really been enjoying it. Also bought the Focal Radiance from headphones.com, really nice smooth sounding close-back headphone. Itās not like the clear, but still very enjoyable. I am really curious about hearing more reviews on the Celestee and the new Focal Clear. I know there are a few folks have already commented on them.
Alright back to lurking and listening to the music! 
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