I do use my 1990 Pro rarely now with some EQ, the Dekoni Elite Velours Elite pads and wanted to do the same AKG 240 foam mod - at least give it a try - was to lazy in the last months since I have heared of the “foam-mod”
prefer the 1990s with the (original)analytical pads though
what do you use? balanced or analytical pads?
I am just trying to find the 240 foam, I can only find it at Thomann and they want 20€ shipping for a 2€ piece of foam (probably works out at about 5€ per gram shipping 
)
Anyway, sorry for taking this away from the topic at hand.
I think I am down to the HE-4XX or the K7XX or the SR-60e (the latter being sold by the place I would prefer to buy from).
I can’t remember, the ones that sounded the best when I first tried them lol
so more or less bass?
they come premounted with the “balanced” pads, which are by a good amount with more low end quantity
the analytical pads are often a oftersight by many reviewers/customers - as they think it´s the same pad or they don´t like the first impression with less bass quantity out of the analytical pads
many don´t even talk about the differences - so you never know what they were listening to
you can count the air holes on your spare pads - they are different in count
I really can’t remember, I will take a look at them tonight when I get home. I’m pretty sure I use the analytical pads but I may be wrong.
I just checked and I have the analytical pads on.
A other general question for y’all…
Has anyone tried the Zerda DAC or have any suggestions on something similar (I am only interested in the optical output)?
I am looking for a simple way to connect my DAP to the Modi 3 without swapping USBs around and I would have the optical port free.
What’s the easiest way to ensure clean USB input to a DAC?
I’m getting some distortion, but of popping between songs, some background noise (no prob when music on), etc
And part two. Drivers for DAC. It’s a Topping D50S, just feels like some settings are off but beyond me. Bit rates and buffer sizes etc.
The only thing you can really do for USB is probably placebo and voodoo, but it might help. USB ports on PCs are usually done in pairs and share the same bus. Isolate that bus by making sure nothing else is plugged into the same output paired plug thingy to isolate noise. Also, a good cable helps. I’ve become a fan of these or these Wirewold cables. They are pretty cheap and built like tanks. The Ultraviolet version is pretty great.
I guess if you wanted to get really extreme with it, you could go with a Schiit Wyrd. Or, get a Digi+ Signature and skip USB altogether. Ethernet + SPDIF = Winning.
There isn’t much you can do for driver settings, nothing I would advise anyway. You can go into sound properties for the DAC in your Sound Control Panel, turn off Spatial Sound, disable all sound enhancements, and if it’s listed, set both L and R channels to Full Range Speakers.
Is that the same brand interconnects that you recommend?
For like RCA or XLR interconnects? I wouldn’t not suggest them, but I don’t use them either. (Aren’t double negatives fun?)
I made my own XLR cables for my studio monitors for about $35 a cable. Neutrix connectors and Canare cable is pretty cheap. As for RCA, a long time ago I got some 2M Audioquest Forrest RCAs for cheap, and haven’t had a problem with them, so I haven’t gone looking for anything better.
Yeah, I was referring to rca/xlr.
I like mogami. I have been curious about Kimber Kable.
Hey, if any of the core members here want XLR interconnects made, I can make them for you. Just cover the shipping and parts costs. It literally takes all of 10 minutes to make 1 cable.
RCA I haven’t done but once, and that was a repair, not a build. For RCA, I would actually suggest looking at blue jeans cables. Their RCA cables have the correct resistance and are dirt cheap and made to order.
Ahhh yes. I believe the word Kimber is from the Latin word Kimberos, which loosely translated means “print me more money, bitxches”. Or was that Cardas? I could be wrong.
Either way, I would probably stick to Canare or Mogami.
Those root words are often fascinating. 
For interconnects, I usually use Belden cable and Neutrik connectors. Both are good quality for a reasonable price.
Also, Mogami and Canare seem to be very difficult to source over here.
I have a all in one DAC/amp here I’ll try. If it persists, I assume that means problem is USB cable, USB port or TIDAL/Windows outputting.
Edit: For those with high end systems and critical ears, what’s an album or song that is just clean. Free of pops and cracks and distortion and fuzz. Something I can use to test. Not so much a headphone test track, more a clean track free of artifacts or compression etc. Something a mug like me has no chance of hearing if my system is working well
Rebecca Pidgeon - Spanish Harlem (See if you can hear the musicians pick up or move their instruments.)
Keb’Mo - Move
Beth Hart - Fire on the Floor
Gary Clark Jr. - Bright Lights
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Daft Punk - Get Lucky
Buckethead - Whitewash
Or, go the other way with it, and see if you can hear the hum of Stevie’s Marshall stack and how the pick hits the strings on Stevie Ray Vaughan - Tin Pan Alley
Rebecca Pidgeon seems fine.
STV - Tin Pan Alley. Its just chill listening to it. I pick up a hum in the left cup throughout, faint, but there.
I get some pops changing tracks at the start, like before the song properly kicks off. Is that a normal thing?
I get the feeling a lot of what I’m hearing is just the side effect of a transparent amp and good headphones.
One example as its on right now. Hold On (feat. Sampha) by SBTRKT.
Starts reallly clean, then 17 seconds & 24 seconds in, some faint crackles. Like faint, but I pick it up without really listening for it.
Is that the recording, or my system?
Edit: Interestingly. When gaming. Static interfence noise is high. If I turn preamp to 0 (instead of -10db) in the DAC, no change, and turn amp knob down, it fades. If I unplug USB cable from DAC it disappears. So definately interfence coming through the USB cable and passing through, unaffected by the DAC preamp function. Ground loop issue? Likely worse when GPU is ramping up too.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard a ground loop do anything but hum. No snap crackle pop kind of stuff.
Sounds like something else is messed up. Can you try a different usb port? Maybe one on the front of your PC?