The On-Topic, OFF-TOPIC Thread

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This is my first 4.4mm device, but 4.4mm a great all-around size. In my experience (and others), 2.5mm is way too small and weak – even 3.5mm is fragile and not too reliable with TRRS or TRRRS tips. Should I buy DAPs in the future, I’d focus on 4.4 and use an adapter for legacy 2.5 cables.

If we could start from scratch with all headphone cables, 4.4mm would probably dominate. This won’t happen for a long while or ever, as home audio 6.3 and XLR4 are entrenched, and they bring a sense of durability and authority to a product.

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The 2.5 balanced connection is mighty thin no doubt. The DAP is pretty much stationary when I employ that cable. Definitely not in the activewear category.

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This fascinates me. Coffee brewing at the highest level. The importance of triangle testing demonstrated.

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Hello,

I’m new to this community and (I can’t believe I am going to say this) I just can NOT figure out how the heck to create a new post. I found the “Reply” button and tried to find a general type of thread to respond to so I can ask my question.

Waiting for replies in embarrassment!

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Hey there! We limit who can create new topics until they’ve been here for a while to help control spam/noise. If you need help finding an existing topic to post a question or review, let me know!

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Hi @IMZvonko , here are some threads that might be of interest to you, depending on your question. Just hit reply to post in one of those threads.

General Purchase Advice
IEMs General Discussion

Or if you have a question about a specific model, then you can look for a thread for that model. The easiest way to do that is using the search function. For instance, if I had a question about the 789 amp, then after looking at the search results, I’d see that there’s a thread called “Massdrop x THX AAA 789 Amplifier - Official Thread” where I can post.

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Thanks for the replies and links.

Now that you explain it, it makes perfect sense.

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This is the way! I’m just a dude… trying to live in a purple world :wink:

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So I have been using my qudelix 5k with LSA HP-2 on webex conferences so I never need to take them off my head. But, every once in a while, someone joins with a deeper voice and it’s like the HP-2 does that magic bass thing to someone’s normal voice.

It was so distracting I switched mid-conference to the dunu zen.

Anyone else have their audiophile headphones mess with conferences? :slight_smile:

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Do we have like an accessories for audiophile thread? I just found a pretty neat sling bag for small audiophile stuff. There are a couple of sizes:

Next, I have these “life activ” life proof things for arm bands and bikes and such. You can attach a dx300 to your arm! no pocket necessary:

https://www.lifeproof.com/en-us/lifeactiv-armband-with-quickmount/lpla-qms-armband.html?dwvar_lpla-qms-armband_color=20#start=1

I already own this for when I was doing active stuff with my iPhones. Problem is it kept getting smashed into things as it adds a lot of width on to your arm. So a bit bulky. But for normal daily use (non-active), it might work.

Obviously, I am all about practicality and value in my audiophile listening. Would love other suggestions and products that help make your listening easier/better. And, for me, particularly more mobile.

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Stories about my Office Setup

Tales of hesitancy, woe, triumph, and sex :phone:

Well, I’m not building a battlestation, so I can’t post there. And it’s not about headphones, although I’m using some iFi stuff, and my iPad currently says that it’s using a headphone, so perhaps the On-Topic, OFF Topic area is right.

As some of you that follow my whining know, I currently spend my days in my own office suite, located halfway up a hill in a turn of the millenium strip mall. The sign on the door has my name, and proclaims me a financial advisor. The sign above the windows says Edward Jones. The office has a reception/front area, then my inner sanctum, followed by a “conference” room (home of a mini fridge, and Miss Breville, the coffee brewer grinder) a tiny utility room where the computer stuff is, the shredder cabinets, microwave, and Mr. Keurig. In the back a storeroom and a bathroom.

Most of our offices are 2 people, an admin and an FA (Financial Advisor). 3 weeks ago my admin quit, rather than solve a difficult child care problem. Our byzantine talent acquisition process means that it will be months before I can replace her. So I’ve been thinking about having a small bit of music in the office to prod me into a better mood. There are businesses on either side, and a residence above me, so it won’t be Mahler’s 6th at realistic levels.

I think that eventually I’ll put in some Magnepan .7 speakers, but they have a 6 week wait to get, and I want to see first if I can concentrate with low level music. I know I can’t with headphones.

Today I toted my Rectilinear XI 2-way bookshelf speakers to the office. These are in nice condition, and have been lightly used. I also brought my Sansui AU-919 integrated amp, which I had retired a couple of years ago, some speaker wire and my iFi xDSD. The company had supplied me with an office “cabinet” that I’m sure in the 80s or 90s was a media station, with a TV on top and a VCR underneath, just the thing for “training videos”. All electronics were long gone, but many Edward Jones offices still have the cabinets as they are useful. (I wonder what happened to the typewriters).

I set the Rec XI’s on the floor on either side of the cabinet, and the Sansui inside it, using the media cutouts as intended. The xDSD was set to Bluetooth, and paired to my iPad Pro. I have no wi-fi network in the office, and can’t connect outside equipment to ethernet. But there are Comcast hotspots close, and I get about 3 fan bars when I connect that way. (I use Comcast at home, so get to use there “public” wi-fi).

For 30 seconds it was glorious, then it became half-glorious. Left channel faded to nothing. Turned off power, examined stuff, tried again. Same result. Switched speakers to posts for B speakers, changed RCA connectors to tuner from aux. Same thing. I would get sound for a short while, it would fade and not come back. Even when balance control was all to the left, nothing.

Apparently the old Sansui did not like being retired. Went home, brought in my 1990ish Onkyo integrated amp, also not used. only 70 watts RMS per channel, but nowhere near as clean or well built as the Sansui. That works fine. I found a local repair person - has the appearance and house of a semi-retired EE guy, and he’s charging a reasonable $40 to check the Sansui. He would do a full filter capacitor and signal path recapping for $200-300, and maybe it won’t need that.

I don’t think the Onkyo is clean enough to drive the Maggies I eventually want. My wife thinks the Rectilinear XI’s are both “cute” and sound good, but then she isn’t an audiophile. At all. I think they look as dated as they are. Amazon should be sending me a Zen Streamer DAC next week and some speaker stands. I can stream BT5 from my iphone and then will have an excuse to upgrade my first gen iPad Pro to the new M-chip iPad. eventually.

If/when I decide to pull the trigger on the Maggies, I’ll have to think about placement and how to best hide wiring - maybe in the attractive plastic molding along the walls. And I might think about not using BT also.

So that’s where it stands as of tonight. I’ll probably do some pics again eventually. The idea is NOT to have it look impressive, but to be simply part of the decor.

:phone: I’m lying about the sex, but maybe it will get some attention

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How engineers find a way enjoy music:

I wonder if they listen to soulful music or synthpop in their double-blind tests?

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I don’t think they’re listening much at all …

I mean, why bother … when you can just imagine what you want to be there and have it magically manifest itself?

I’m not even an audio-objectivist, even if I do value measurements.

But when others tell me the differences are “night and day”, and yet I can’t hear any difference at all, even sighted, I will look at the measurements. And if I find no differences there either, then I am inclined to think that, well, there’s not actually a difference.

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For those that are determined to try and engage me on things privately, that should be in the public threads …

No, I do not hate Topping.

I DO have a visceral, negative, response to the name.

Whomever does their visual design and UX desperately needs to stop using 4 fonts on the their front panels, and learn how HMI is best affected. Focus groups are a thing; IF you care.

Then … I’m not particularly interested in paying US prices for Chinese products.

And they’re at entirely the opposite end of the market in which I care about.

Beyond that, they’re perfectly competent, if entirely un-interesting to me, things.

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There’s no excuse for having a gerund as a name. Just go with the bloody noun. Imagine if Schiit were Schiiting? (Then again, in this case the noun doesn’t work, either).

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Some iPhone pics of my office as set up now:

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This is just to see if I like having music in my office Rectilinear XI speakers I had around, and the above-referenced Onkyo integrated that was also laying around. The Sansui is at repair/refurb.

Will comment on the Zen in the appropriate section.

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Why oh why did you have to mention Border Patrol (here and here)? So sad. This company is close enough for me to “drop in”…and they have some pretty tube amps. I have no idea how they sound, nor are any prices shown on their website. Their speakers are $6.6K to $20K.

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That came together nicely.

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Thank you, but those speakers are so 1988 like avocado, harvest gold, or coppertone appliances are 1966.

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