File: 1699421593559684.png (2.36 MB, 1200x1600)

2.36 MB PNG

Soon I will free up about a grand from other headphone sale non sense. In the market for some electrostats because I'm largely done with planars for various reasons. What are my options? I've been seeing quite a few stax 404/lambo pros/l300s. Not sure on amp choices either yet so any input is helpful

>>108055758
QRD for anyone not really in the loop:
>After Bill Gates fired him, Amir opened his own home theatre business where he received expensive Harman speakers in exchange for promoting Harman curve studies and shilling
>at some point he was cut off as Harman no longer needed the promo
>a little bit after this, ASR was suddenly reconfigured to shill high-SINAD gear all from Shenzhen, people have suspected he reached a similar deal with them hence all the pro-TOPPING posts despite their atrocious QC and CS.
>Jump to 2025, Amir reveals that he and his brother have locked down all distro rights on these Korean AsciLab speakers, start promoting them as the next perfect piece of gear
>still barely sell anything because people have worked out Amir's grift by now
>Koreans clearly want out of a bad deal and are just going to indefinitely stall Amir out while selling to other retailers who are moving 5-10x the product.

>>108056384
L300 pads are the raped, even if the sound is good. Probably still your best bet at that price, just be cautious.
Alternative is like an EX-1a, I don't know how brutal tariffs importing from Hong Kong will be though.

File: msedge_wQwfq9UY3p.png (42 KB, 816x272)

42 KB PNG

>>108056399
>not wanting to deal with a slimey jeet is delusion
lol, lmao

>>108056444
asr is basically reddit on steroids, I don't even need to go on that thread to know they are seething about big bad rich ceo's
Meanwhile the same people can have 3 dead topping amps in a year and they won't bring up chink qc

Buying three pairs of AsciLabs rn to flex on the ASR goycattle

recommendations on a cable replacement for sundaras? the stock cable has gone to shit and is now a static mess that made me think my amp was dying. i know they are all the same but is there a good cheap one that yall like?

>>108056588
https://www.amazon.com.au/Tirstrup-XIUSHAOT-Replacement-Hifiman-Headphone/dp/B0CJV342KV
I use these, decent and cheap.

File: lomire.png (142 KB, 1380x703)

142 KB PNG

>>108056399
Yeah looks like the Koreans worked out they didn't need to go through Amir's gatekeeping lol

Amazon jews won't help me on my aeons, but their website says to go through the reseller, maybe drop goyim will do something but i highly doubt it. Pretty hilarious how a 0 damage cable kills itself so soon with no external damage
whatever i was going to sell both pairs anyways

>>108056711
Good luck getting anything done through neo-DROP. After CEE TEE left they turned into a trainwreck.

>>108056720
there is no chance i'm getting anything from them. Dan clarks jew website already gives itself a pass on international sales through resellers, and amazon refuses to act as the middle man on post 90 day orders. Drop will just say amazon is gray market. Probably a good psa to anyone not to buy anything from amazon in general unless you plan to scam customer support like i did when i bought them for a discount. Oddly enough this isn't the first time amazon has sold me shit that the manufacturer refuses to warranty, because they claim amazon is gray market, even though amazon website says the manufacturer has x years warranty
i guess neo drop is just onions keyboard slop anyways

Any good headphone yet?

>>108056754
Apos is pretty much the new Drop fwiw. Haven't heard of people having warranty issues there, they're probably the only place people got refunds/replacements on busted Topping stuff.

>>108056608
thanks, looks good enough for me

>>108056779
>apos is pretty much the new Drop fwiw.
Seems like it, i can't imagine drop is very epic for audio companies anymore now that their entire audience are keyboard niggers.

also for other canucks out there, if i was buying one pair of pads and 1 cable from dan clark i'd be out $313 + tip CAD, which is more money than my audio technica ck2000ti's were. I guess i'm a hd 800 and iem nigger now. Although some how with the insane msrp these iems hold they aren't even made in jp

File: Screenshot_20260204_21135(...).jpg (185 KB, 1080x615)

185 KB JPG

>>108056399
Holy fucking delusional lmao

What wired earphones would you guys recommend for regular music (pop, rap, sometimes something bassy like Freddie Dredd)? My budget is $25-$30. Should I go for JBL or Sony? I know almost nothing about it

File: {A3C6AE86-6629-4A03-88BC-(...).png (86 KB, 746x516)

86 KB PNG

>>108057532
>$30
Koss KSC75

Anything else worth buying is at least double your budget.

File: 1752817537783848.png (310 KB, 552x5370)

310 KB PNG

>>108056367
>currynigger dongle

File: layler.gif (97 KB, 498x498)

97 KB GIF

>>108056384
>stax 404/lambo pros
These are good but may have developed hidden issues due to age. Like membrane starts hissing or squaling after a few minutes of playback. Checking it out in person and demoing for at least 20 minutes is the best practice to do it.
I use SRM-1 MK2 Pro vintage transistor amp, it worked quite well out of the box, you can probably grab one for like 300-400$. After replacing the electrolytic caps as they age the worst and have a set lifetime usually around 2000h (costs like 30$ in parts, requires very basic soldering skills) and adjusting bias with offset it got pretty much as good as it can get.
I tried out more premium stuff (KGSSHV, HiAmp, Blue Hawaii and other Stax amps) and did not hear much of a difference. I might get some tube amp later on for that sweet coloration they give, but it is mostly a whim.
>>108056428
Agreed, the sound of L300 is really good but the fit is terrible. Maybe one can stitch L700mk2 pads on the L300 somehow.
My favourite STAX headphone overall is the SR-L700mk2 which goes for like 800-1000$ used and 1600$ new, I would pick it over any other even including the 009s and x9000, He1000se and Susvaras.

File: 1739144290314192.png (84 KB, 683x388)

84 KB PNG

Is the Baseus Inspire X1 actually good, or is it just the usual marketing bullshit?

Looking to replace my home headphones. These are the 3 frontrunners.
>AKG K371 - Seen this recommended a lot. Some people say it sounds great but I've seen multiple people say it's super bassy and muddies out everything else.
>Fiio FT1 - Similar price point, also recommended a lot. Seems to be generally better regarded than the K371.
>MDR-M1 - Had some v6's back in the day and liked it a lot, and these just seem like a step up in every way. Notably more expensive than the previous two.
Thoughts? I'm leaning towards the M1's since I liked the v6's a lot but I'm not sure if it's worth the ~40% price jump.

>>108059137
AKG shat the bed and Fiio was never a serious company, so Sony wins by default

>>108059137
MDR-M1 > FT1 > K371 imo, M1 pads will be more aids to replace though maybe.

>AsciLab employees call ASR 'Reddit'
>ASR users start smugging and calling the Koreans retarded for confusing the websites
>they don't realise the Koreans were likening ASR users to redditors
This is genuinely the funniest audio drama since John Yang went into insane damage control when every L30 on ASR exploded.

>>108056367
Do people actually recommend the wiim amp or what, I've seen this thing floating around but dont know shit about it

>Location: The Netherlands

>Budget: 80 - €130. Could go up max to €160 if it's really good value for money.

>Preference: Closed back, something that doesn't make your auricle hurt like a motherfucker after a few hours.

>Previous gear: It's been that long since I've had proper headphones that I don't remember

What can I do if the cable of my headphones is kinda sticky? The headphones are new and the cable isn't dirty or anything, it's not the problem where old plastic leaks softener.

File: 1745044059579f.png (170 KB, 415x441)

170 KB PNG

>fully balanced architecture
>RCA in
>RCA and XLR out
>USB
>optical
>coax
>AES or I2s
>3.5mm headphone out
>4.4mm headphone out
>4 pin XLR headphone out
>on/off button with standby mode
>preamp functionality
>multiple gain levels

If your DAC/AMP combo doesn't have these features I'm not buying.

>>108060796
1/4 instead of a 3.5, but the Jot 3 + mesh does all of this besides non-USB connectors (which is because it's a cheap DAC card shoved in an amp). It's all I need.

>>108060858
>1/4 instead of a 3.5

Well yeah same shit essentially but also schiit is garbage and that DAC is dogshit.

>>108060892
By what measurements? If you mean the ASR review, Amir conceded he didn't measure the Mesh DAC and he had a Unity from like 2023 lmao. Nobody in any space I follow has had issues with the Mesh since launch.

>>108060911
Nah bro I don't mean no gayass ASR review by no gayass paki. I don't know why you guys are obsessed with this shit. It just doesn't have enough digital inputs plus USB-C is garbage. No fucking coax or toslink at least really? God damn it man. Hell nah.

>>108060943
Oh sure I'm assuming we're talking about performance and not features when the term dogshit is used for a plug in and play USB card, lol.
Most people buying AIOs are just using them on a computer anyway, not really surprised there isn't a great market for quality ones with a range of digital inputs.

>>108060796
Balanced headphone out is obsolete for wall plug devices.

>>108061031
Incorrect.
>>108060975
Nah features. That card is guaranteed to randomly die too. At least you can swap it though. What a shittyass product for not having fucking toslink or coax at least. If you wanna hook up a random PS2 or a CD player you have to buy a whole new device.

>>108061145
>Incorrect
Balancels can never explain their position in electrical terms because they have none. Why do you need balanced out on an amp that can provide 4W single ended? Do you have a 60ft cord? Pure mental illness.

>>108061189
Do you want me to tell you for real? If I give you the answer will you start understanding and stop being a sperg anon?

File: msedge_Oh51x9OHQu.png (53 KB, 1375x288)

53 KB PNG

this nigga is getting senile if he thinks this is a good explanation of why he is unbiased

File: msedge_jWO5vXurzr.png (64 KB, 1374x281)

64 KB PNG

>>108061306
Remembering when he got salty with Olive in a thread because Harman cut him off despite him dedicating early-ASR to mass shilling them.

Charged up my ESL57s last night and have been listening all day after having used my LS50 Metas for a few weeks now.
It is incredible how much of a difference transient response makes, this 70 year old design is in many ways superior to very well regarded modern speakers.
It was especially obvious when listening to Bobby Hutcherson's album Linger Lane. The marimba sounds cupped and boomy on the KEFs, lots of ear fatigue even just from that one album. Sounds totally transparent on the Quads.
They are ugly as sin though...
I'll report back with listenin impressions once I've corrected their in room response with Dirac and properly mixed in my subwoofers.

>>108061330
Extremely based

>>108061232
As much as you spend your time on 'you dont understand i need it' you probably should explain yourself. I already know it's going to be some bullshit argument assuming a broken se amp, but go ahead.

>>108061360
First of all, no common ground. Second of all, I have different equipment and I'm not gonna be changing cables all the time when I can just use XLR. Third, lil bro, it's just a much better connector than 3.5. More secure and way more pleasant to use. Considering it's essentially fucking free to implement, why would I not want to have it just to have it, especially when I'm spending a good amount of money on an amp? I have headphones and IEMs with different connectors. I use all of these outs.

>>108060796
None of these are features. Keep buying trash I guess, behringer probably makes something for you.

>>108061442
I'd never spend money on your mother don't you worry.

>>108061393
>I use all of these outs
Buy a DX5II and plug them all in, do a science experiment for us.

>>108061501
Buy yourself some swag and some rizz.

>>108061393
>more secure
are you 12? do you think the pins are any different than just sticking a SE in? there's no actual difference here lol

>>108061533
Are you 12 tons? You're just talking shit just to talk shit. Bro trying to sell his idea that I should be like him as hard as he can. Like don't use it if you don't like it dumbass lmao. I will.

>>108061565
>bro
>lil bro
it's bed time Lil' Zoom, pack it in before mommy gets mad with you

>>108061575
Damn lil bro mad as hell over headphone connectors lmaoooooooo

>>108061232
Are you running Tungstens?

>>108061330
I can arrange a demo of of ESL57 locally
At which frequency they are no longer capable of proper sound reppoduction and sub needs to overtake? Either way I am waiting for your impressions, as currenly I run a Neumann studio setup with a sub which is quite good for what it is, but the soundstage is not that great due to direct sound dominance

>>108061780
Yeah

>>108061843
Feel like that's the only answer you'd need to give and people would understand why you want XLRs, lol.

>>108061849
Could also say I'm white.

How do people deal with open-back headphones while also having central air and heating? Isn’t the unit loud? It costs too much to upgrade to a quieter unit. Why do people expect us to pay $10,000+ for clean audio? (All closed back headphones suck and are almost universally despised)

>>108061849
I have an XLR, 4.4 and 6.3mm outputs on my amp
The only one I ever use is 6.3mm on headphones
I tried out my IEMs with an interchangeable termination to 4.4 and then to 6.3mm and didnt hear any difference
Dunno whats the the sperging is all about, I do not see any point in balanced connection with headphones because it sounds the same but apparently some chuds want to be special bois because they use pRoFeSsIoNaL TeRmiNaTiOn or smthing

>>108061891
>an interchangeable termination to 4.4 and then to 6.3mm

fucking retard

>>108060943
>>108060975
Spdif solutions are unique to dac chips, so schiit cuts out the engineering of the legacy digital inputs that schiit will never be cost competitive in. Schiit is about rca inputs from analog legacy sources and a single usb input chipset that they tell you they deliberately don't read whitepapers on to use superior solutions from other suppliers.
Dual USB inputs begs for mixing, and sidetone, which is the domain of the interface.

>>108061908
You never had an IEM where you can switch balanced and SE or what? Get less brown

>>108061921
you are insanely stupid

>>108061929
You do not have a toilet

>>108061811
I've had these ELS57s for a couple years now so I can give you my impressions now. Mine are in excellent condition and unmodified, mid 38000s serials so manufactured around 1976. They're finicky and fragile, so many specimens are in bad shape. I was very lucky to get these from an audiophile who was obsessed with this model and reluctantly had to sell his favourite pair (out of 14 pairs total) because he was leaving the country.
When in the right position and a decent room, they can play down to 40 Hz, but not very loudly. The bass is "tight" in the sense that there is no box resonance and the dipolar radiation (from four bass panels) tends to not excite as many room modes. IMO subs should take care of anything down below 100 Hz anyway just due to physics. Something people forget to mention is the treble rolloff. These roll off pretty sharply above 16kHz. I can barely hear shit above that these days anyway so I don't care, you may though.
The soundstage is artificially deepened by the rear wave like with all dipoles, but these speakers have terrible dispersion characteristics. The mids and highs come out like a laser beam from the panel so positioning can be tricky. Once you get it right then they have very precise imaging, but you cannot move your head much without breaking the illusion.
To be perfectly honest, I would not recommend you buy these speakers. Definitely go listen to them if you have the chance, they are incredible particularly for vocals. But they have so many limitations that have been discussed elsewhere many times: very narrow sweet spot, panel degradation, humidity dependence, ugliness, weird impedance curve, not loud. Did I mention you cannot listen to them very loud?
However the "magic" that people talk about is totally real, there's an effortless and extremely natural quality to vocals and strings.
The successors to the ESL57 are far superior, and they're all better than magnetic planars.

>>108061936
your open skull

>>108061941
What do you think is a fair price for them? I have seen offers ranging from like 1300$ in an unknown condition up to 4000$ freshly serviced.
I am not a loud listener anyways, according to my UMIK-1 speaker readings and TWS app reports I rarely if ever go beyond 80dB SPL. Either way, I will organize ESL57 demo then.
>The successors to the ESL57 are far superior
Can you give me a few models please?
Also I am well aware that estats come with a lot of side issues, but at least with headphones it was worth it, I am never looking back at dynamic and planar drivers again.

>>108061393
>no common ground
Pleading broken equipment right off the bat.
>muh xlr muh 3.5 boogeyman
1/4" is the white man's connector

>>108062357
>1/4"

That's your dick size.

File: NewQuadESL57.png (1.54 MB, 1170x1323)

1.54 MB PNG

>>108062087
I paid about $1800 USD for these. I think lower than that is reasonable of ones in decent working condition with a reputable service history. Refurb costs are listed online so you can check. $4000 refurbished isn't bad when you consider how much it would cost to pay an experienced technician to do it. Also check out picrel for how much they cost brand new from Germany (made with original tools imported from England)
>a few models
>never looking back
Okay well you know that electrostatics are superior and I'll spare you the gospel.
I haven't heard many electrostatics but have heard two of the Quad successors, and I own a refurbished pair of ESL63s. Everything is just better about the segmented panel design. There is a delay circuit that distributes the signal across the panels and approximates a point source that radiates forward and backward like a sphere. It sounds extremely natural and works with every genre and is forgiving to the room. But they suffer from a similar temperamental nature as the old ESL57 design (Mylar diaphragm, dust covers, flimsy frames, arcing). I find sound is superior to other common ESLs like Martin Logan or small electrostatic tweeters on a hybrid system because their dispersion in the room is so bad while having an overly bright and IME fatiguing character.
Quads are fairly common and repairs (DIY or professional) are available for decent prices.
One of my friends is also a Quad fan and was a fan of Acoustat speakers too. But they are huge. Those approximate a line source, but I haven't heard them.

Honestly you will know if the ESL57 is the right speaker for you. I won't be getting rid of mine and will probably refurbish them down the line. For some music they are mesmerizing.

Lately I've been enjoying my old Tannoys a lot more though for what it's worth

File: IMG_1744.jpg (1.47 MB, 1920x2441)

1.47 MB JPG

>>108062399 (Me)
If I had $30k I would purchase the new Quad 2912X or the Sanders Model 10 "ultrastat" speaker system (picrel with amplification and DSP).
My shitty house with my shitty salary is not suited for these however lol

>>108056711
update
drop says they don't warranty headsets anymore, and that's their wording
"Hello,

This is Jeanie from DROP community support. Thank you for contacting us.
I am here to assist you with your inquiry.

We do apologize, when it comes to the Dan Clark headphones the warranty and if any issues would now go-to Dan Clark as our policy for this headset changed around a year ago.

Best regards,

Jeanie"
which is ironic considering dan clarks website says you have to go through the resellers for warranty, and neither amazon nor drop do that now.
I guess drop is just a dead company at this point, aside from 1 headphone thats $100 more than it use to be, and a bunch of slop keyboard shit
>>108059876
holy kek
gooks hate indians as much as us

>>108063130
Yeah wouldn't shock me if Drop lost all their headphone contacts/goodwill post-CEE TEE. It's just Corsair's corpse trying to get sales off people who used it a decade ago.
Sorry you got done dirty like this though, pretty fucking gay.

>>108063390
i imagine the second drop loses the 6xx, which has to happen eventually their audio division is just over, even then the 6xx use to be $120 now it's 200-229.
>>108063390
>Sorry you got done dirty like this though, pretty fucking gay.
Honestly at this point i just assume no one warranties anything, or makes it too hard or annoying if they do. Dan clark charging $120 usd for a cable that fails with no damage is the impressive part, of his piece of shit pads that fold and peel for no reason. I guess he wants people to be put on a subscription service for overpriced parts endlessly

>>108061306
He isn't unbiased, but the measurement data he provides is valuable regardless, unlike the random word salad generated by the vast majority of other reviewers.

>>108064026
Until he fucks up the seal and refuses to concede despite 10 other people, including from his own forum, providing measurements which all match and contradict his.
Or when he starts inducing jitter in a Yggy because he's mad Jason and Jude wouldn't let him schizo out on Head-Fi.

>>108064026
>*listens at 120dB*
jokes aside I know even Tyll went up to 110dB etc to test for peaks but Amir is completely unreasonable with his distortion methodology

>>108064064
The OSHA limit for momentary peaks is 140dB.

File: 71v1ydE7JFL._AC_SL1500_.jpg (210 KB, 1500x1500)

210 KB JPG

Anything else I should buy at this price point instead?

Linsoul Kiwi Ears Altruva for $69

>>108064331
Wonder if they fixed their QC on headphones, they fucked up their Zeos collab bad with the driver crinkle

>>108057524
>>108061306
He has worse social skills/buisness sense than an eroge MC
Trying to boss around a company like they're children who can't into buisness can be received as very disrespectful...
I wonder if the weird unilateral relationship between him and Harman is rooted in similar causes.

>>108064564
It's funnier when you remember he mismanaged audio/video at Microsoft so badly he was personally fired by Bill Gates and they abandoned any sort of pro-audio projects afterwards. You can still find gems like this: https://www.techemails.com/p/microsoft-exec-on-the-ipod
He's still banned on AV forums he used to post on to this day because he crashed out after they laughed at him for how hard everything he used to brag about flopped.

>>108064949
Paywalled but even the intro gives enough context, Amir has been a laughing stock since the 2000s: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/2007-01-20-microsoft-made-the-zune-because-partner-hardware-sucks.html?guccounter=1
Any google combo of Amir, Hydrogen Audio and Arnie Kruger will also bring up the time he failed an ABX test in controlled conditions, manipulated/gamed it to pass the second attempt, and proceeded to get caught and banned from HA.

>>108064975
https://audioinvestigations.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-great-debate-amir-vs-arny.html good write up since it's scattered over like 100 broken threads

File: msedge_a6jFVn5YLa.png (59 KB, 889x308)

59 KB PNG

>based Arny, the ultimate objectivist, even thought the jitter shit Amir pushed was bullshit back then

>>108065003
>What is Best Forum (where Amir is a moderator)
Amir was a moderator of WBF? How? WBF is *the* forum for audiophiles who actually believe in snake oil products working. Man, maybe his bullshit-peddling just simply shifted over the years

Are height channels a meme? I'm kinda tempted to get Wharfedale 12 3Ds on clearance sale. I can't install them on the ceiling but they'd be on the wall at a 45 degree+ angle from my listening position.

>>108056367
is there a simple way to make a frequency response graph with like a phone or mic on my pc something i did the bill p mod to my dt770 but unsure how much of a difference its made other than it being a bit quieter. i know it wont be accurate compared to proper equipment but i should be able to atleast see the difference between the left and right sides if i remove the extra layers of material on one side

Daamn crodies I just got my Maxell cassette player from Japan and lmao cassettes sound like literal dogshit. I haven't listened to one in 25 years. Cassettes are also not equal though. My Japanese ones from the 80s sound better than western releases from much later. Not sure what the deal is. Scared to play my Jap tapes more than once too because they're so super duper rare. Just lost an auction for 5 super duper rare tapes too I'm seething. $160 for cassettes is kinda gay though.

It's fun still. Gonna be farming aura in public.

>>108065457
He used to argue that two amps sounded different even NWAVguy did this when he designed the O2), its only once he was getting Harman/Shenzhen money and had been trolled by ArnyK that he started the puritan shit

>>108066998
2 different amps actually did sound different back then. Standards were way lower.

>>108067463
they still do buddy, the only people who think they don't are ASR spergs
'perfectly transparent' is chinkfi marketing

>>108067481
Only if you buy mental illness gear or you're running way underpowered.

>>108067526
next you'll tell us you can hear the difference between 120dB and 110dB SINAD and that totally makes a difference, but amps don't

>>108067537
No because that wouldn't make any sense.

>>108066771
Yeah cassettes sound like shit. They were only for convenience and have no reason to exist now. American tapes probably sound bad because they were recorded quickly for profit and playing in cars and walkmans while Japanese tapes were done better for their domestic market and tastes. They've never been a high fidelity format thoughever. Your best bet is to digitally transcribe them as well as possible and then sell them.

File: Capture.png (52 KB, 465x210)

52 KB PNG

>>108067877
>American tapes probably sound bad because they were recorded quickly for profit

Lmao I never knew that. The shittiest sounding tape I have is Sum and Substance by The Mission. A UK band, but I just checked the tape and it says it's made in the US. This tape was brand new and unopened since 1994 too. Never played. Best sounding is pic related. It has a full color paper sleeve still in great condition. Literally the kamitape. Sounds pretty great for a tape from 87. I'm literally scared to play it.

File: IMG_0442.jpg (278 KB, 1290x1943)

278 KB JPG

QRD on picrel? Is this closed back endgame?

>>108068192
>nobass
every time

>>108068282
It’s 2026. Wired headphones aren’t going to have a lot of bass.

>>108068192
fall apart chinkshit with aggressive social media marketing

>>108068192
rofll

>>108067944
I think it has to do with how fast the tape was written, obviously faster taping makes more cassettes.
Im guessing btw but it makes sense

>>108068387
>manufacturing was just outsourced to China
Source/QRD? Beyer is still marketing these as German made.

>>108069203
Search Beyer Cosonic acquisition. They buy the parts from China, mark them up >3x, and slap a made in Germany sticker on it.

>>108069639
Every story says that the existing German factory is still in operation. Did it suddenly close? If so, did they also destroy all the existing inventory so it can be replaced?

>>108068192
no aeon rt/e3 is.

Kinda crazy how fast your brain adapts to dogshit audio. I've been spinning tapes on my new Maxwell and I got used to it. I'm enjoying myself. Maybe spending a lot of money on gear is a meme.

>>108064331
Are these good? Was looking for something in that price range, found SHP 9600

>>108069891
>turn factory into warehouse
>pay arabs to assemble headphone kits
Even for years before the buyout they were building drivers where the voice coil lead abraids itself against the PCB, knowing full well this would cause it to stop working in a few years. Beyer is shit and has been for some time.

>>108070461
Wait, China has Arabs?

>>108070618
Germany has Arabs. Try to keep up.

>>108070630
But you said that Beyer moved production to China minus the “sticker” >>108069639. Then you said the Arabs in Germany actually put them together, including “building drivers” >>108070461. So which is it?

File: porque.jpg (22 KB, 500x297)

22 KB JPG

>>108071076

>>108071076
>Chinese make the parts and ship to Germany
>low paid Arabs put the parts together in German 'warehouse'
seemed pretty easy to follow to me

>>108071076
That's how these scams work. You deliver a 99.9% finished product to a 'factory', which is really just an assembly room, where they perform some trivial step. Like vinyl printing or boxing it. Raise the price by at least the legally required amount, and it's 'made in' a country because the required amount of value is created there.
>including “building drivers”
Nobody said that.

>>108056399
Amir had it coming

>>108056367
>Schiit Magni Unity + Mesh
Is schiit actually good again?

>>108071766
Yes, stop falling for people who got mad a decade ago because their 2016 Magni did the magic smoke shit. Those same people were trying to tell you DX5II's were high-value propositions.

>>108071780
Damn I remember when you guys laughed me out of these threads when I asked about Schiit anything

>>108071766
Why bother with schiit when JDS Labs exists

>>108071860
I only got back into audio in November but I was astonished to see how hard Topping was being pushed by ASR fags moonlighting here, especially since those units seem to be falling apart hard now.
>>108071861
AIO wise the Ele 4 is pretty premium due to the app stuff + warranty. Not bad problems to have, but it puts it out of the price range for most asking here. For a cheap stack I'd agree Atom2 > Schiit.

>>108071860
Schiit is still mad dodgy. Topping just lowered the bar for everyone else.

>>108071876
I still can't process AIO vs separate and people who spend 1.5-2x more to have two boxes combined into something that takes up basically the same amount of desk space.

>>108072181
In the case of JDS you're saving a ton going with the stack, so I understand that.

Idk anything about it because it was just released but I suspect it's likely going to be a contender for people who insist on getting a headset https://rog.asus.com/headsets-audio/headsets/3-5mm-headsets/rog-kithara/

>>108072503
People seem to like this one more than the Maxwell 2, Resolve did some trick with the mic and made it sound bearable enough too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmoocLpPWFo
I'd never own a gamer headset again in my life, but it's nice to see something that can tick all the boxes solidly

File: arny.png (29 KB, 1317x458)

29 KB PNG

Been reading a lot of the lore >>108064975, it's funny to see Arny figure out the grift years before ASR even existed. He truly was a legend of the game.
>>108066771
As cool as they are, they suck ass yeah - they're basically just glorified merch now

>>108072503
>>108072526
Looks like it's just an egg-shaped Chifiman slathered in ROG branding and with an extra boom mic cable for 300 bucks, and that's difficult to argue with desu

>>108072918
Yeah its pretty much a Chinkfiman 1:1, I'd expect more of these from other brands based on the motion the Maxwell and now this have - does seem to be a market weirdly in demand.

File: RS120620.jpg (50 KB, 700x566)

50 KB JPG

Gentlemen, do i want closed or open-backed?
and why?
Choice of HD 600 or HD 650 (same price in bongistan £229)
or do i want the Sony MDR-M1 (£189)
Will be using it moistly with my mobile phone (only listen to Rammstein Live in paris) and in the future with my, wait for it, Topping DX5ii because it's the BEST. (I also own 2 Topping B200's, seethe cunts)

p.s. i don't know if it helps but I'm pretty racist.

File: maxresdefault-3734547700.jpg (104 KB, 1280x720)

104 KB JPG

Building a retro corner, and want to have 90s "HiFi" sound suitable for 16 bit game systems, but can also push respectable sound for music at a party. Is it possible in a smaller form factor? Doesn't have to be an actual 90s system, but something modern and affordable that approximates that sound profile.

Picrel is the model I had as a kid

>>108072349
Seems like you always pay about 50% more to combine the boxes, apples to apples.

>>108074415
Not with Magni Unity

>>108074521
They raise the price 66% to add a DAC

>>108074559
It's still cheaper than buying the DAC separately, dumbo

>>108074301
Love these. I always wanted one of those as a kid

>>108074218
>do i want closed or open-backed?
If you don't need noise isolation, always open back.
>and why?
1.less seal variable frequency response - in layman's terms what this means is they won't sound different depending on whether on how you wear them or whether you use glasses
2.less distortion than closed back models - self explanatory
3.more comfortable - no seal so almost feels like you're not wearing anything on your ears.
4.(usually) better frequency response - open backs just sound better since they're easier to tune. DCA is an exception to this rule but pretty much for every other company the closed back models will have worse tuning.
5.(usually) give a more spacious perception of sound - this is due to the sort of natural crosstalk you get with open back models. But this is a subjective thing so don't focus on it too much.
>HD 600 or HD 650
Get HD600, 650 is just a HD600 with worse tuning.
>Will be using it moistly with my mobile phone
If you do not get a decent dongle or something you might be unable to get HD600 to a decent listening volume, though. Keep that in mind.
>i don't know if it helps but I'm pretty racist.
Based but as you use T*pping gear I will still have to call you a retard.

>>108074619
Which DAC are you saying it's apples to apples with? I can't find measurements. I know I can get a 100bB SINAD DAC from Walmart for $10, and it's a lot more expensive than that.

>>108074679
>Which DAC
The Modi 5. The module that's in the Mani Unity

File: GTwMP8xWMAA9nij.jpg (135 KB, 960x1280)

135 KB JPG

requesting advice:
>Location: Canada Ontario
>Budget: aiming for $300
I've been using a pair of Bose quietcomfort from 2018 and they've been simply amazing. Like the name implies, great comfort and noise cancelling. I've worn them to death so a few years ago
I splurged on a pair of Sennheiser HD 280 pro's but they were dogshit, the discomfort makes it impossible to wear for longer than an hour, the wire is not insulated so you hear it even rubbing against clothes or bumping gently against whatever. I fucking hate them and should have returned them. Now I never use them because quality barely makes up for the vice grip as well as closed back cups.

So I know what I want; daily use - open back and wireless headphones, focused on comfort and balanced sound. I'm willing to drop $350 on a a decent pair.

>>108072918
>>108072503
I'd buy the mic cable separately.
Don't need gaymer-branded chifimans but a decent boompro-like mic on a split 3.5 cable with separate wiring instead of shared ground might be useful.

>>108074218
The “hurr durr six hungos by old mate sen” is compliant with the Headphone Movement and you will get tons of updoots and karma. It cannot, however, play back any frequencies that are lower than a base guitar. The “hurr durr six hungo” movement likely doesn’t know that lower notes exist, or that electronic synthesizers can make them. They probably don’t listen to music at all, because after all, how does that get you karma?

>>108075058
use-case? If you want headphones for listening to music you probably want more character than if you're looking for neutral studio cans for mixing. Open back and wireless is a very strange combination because now you're going to compromise on the benefits of being open back by jamming electronics in there

File: 1763064255253106.jpg (6 KB, 225x225)

6 KB JPG

>>108075058
>>108075461
I spent the hour asking ai for help instead, learned that open back and >$300 AND wireless is impossible.
After doing some research I just need a pair that is comfortable, has a mic, open back to save what's left of my hearing. That's it. No audiophile stuff because I'm not getting an amp, this is just plugged into my PC.

>>108075480
>open back
>has a mic
It's either PC38X or the treblerape chinkfiman headset. But you can get any regular headphone with an appropriate connector and attach a Vmoda Boom Pro or a Meze Boom Mic to it instead.

>>108075480
yeah what this guy said >>108075555
the mic requirement isn't great, if you're using them for gaming just buy a $20 usb mic to use rather than forcing that on the headphones.
if you're willing to drop that I'm a big fan of the grado prestige series as good value for money in the open back space. Depending on where you're at I'd see if you can drop into a Long and McQuade to try out some options

>>108075555
>quads
>>108075569

They're less for gaming and more for...calling my wife. but you're right, a mic isn't necessary.
I just want something that matches the comfort of my bose quietcomfort, while not destroying my hearing.

>>108075480
I really do not want to recommend neither asus nor hifiman but you seem to be exactly the target audience for >>108072526

Personally I use modmic (NOT USB) and everyone says it sounds good, but I blew way more than $300 on weird and unusual experimnets and still not settled down. For example currently waiting for usb kinect adapter shipping to test beamforming sdk.

File: image.png (101 KB, 600x599)

101 KB PNG

>>108075607
>>108075555

File: 1743338647797130.png (244 KB, 2180x922)

244 KB PNG

>>108072526
>chinkfiman
>treble rape
Every time

>>108075651
I kneel.

>>108071714
Most of the people in this video are White. What am I missing?
https://youtu.be/eoKK_stPKzM
>>108071746
So they disassembled their driver manufacturing facility? I can understand plastics being imported, but you’re saying the majority of what’s shown here has since been closed down?

>>108076142
AFAIK it depends on the model, some of their older ones (DT770/880/990) are still made in Germany for the most part, but some of their newer ones (DT700/900) are made in China for the most part, with only part of the assembly happening in Germany. In any case, it wouldn't matter if the stuff was actually good, but it isn't.

>>108075042
Putting it in the Magni Unity makes it a different DAC

>>108075651
*if* i got these, could I replace the cushions with something leathery like the bose?

>>108076242
Do you have a source for production moving to China for those specific models? Does that include drivers or just build?

>>108076467
As of the German drivers are any less shit

>>108074301
>affordable
That's way too vague, give us some approximate number.
>90s "HiFi" sound
>something that approximates that sound profile.
>Picrel is the model I had as a kid
There is no such thing as "90s HiFi sound" per se, and who knows what those specific speakers sound like. Your memory of it won't be accurate either, and is probably colored by nostalgia.
I recommend you go to a store where you can listen to speakers, or get something reasonably balanced and play around with equalization.
>can also push respectable sound for music at a party
>Is it possible in a smaller form factor?
If you want loud, bigger is generally better. Those JVC aren't even particularly huge, it's a pretty average size for bookshelf speakers and nearfield monitors.
Seems like you don't need CD/tuner/cassette, so at least you wouldn't need such a huge stack of electronics, or none at all if you get active speakers with built-in amplification.

File: image.png (295 KB, 398x413)

295 KB PNG

>>108076378
There's a million different koss-compatible earpads and adapters, but they significantly affect sound - the drivers are designed to be as close to ears as possible, not float 1-2cm away.

>>108076589
You just opened a door to a whole new world for me, thank you

>>108076481
No, you said they moved production to China “for the most part” and they’re “99.9% finished”. I’m trying to figure out what is and what isn’t Chinese.

File: image.png (1.44 MB, 1200x1200)

1.44 MB PNG

>>108076626
There are factories in china producing entriely original housing assembly mod kits for koss drivers.

>>108076677
What the fuck, this is everything I've ever wanted in headphones. can I find this on aliexpress?

>>108076677
These things also have a variant that takes 50mm drivers. Could be fun to slap some big biodynas into.

>>108076747
I've seen it from multiple sellers on Aliexpress and eBay.

It’s hilarious seeing Koss acolytes drooling over a Grado knockoff when you could’ve just bought the real thing at any point in the past 20 years. And the only reason they like Koss is because their favorite e-celebs told them to.

>>108076807
Sorry faggot, unless you can find me a pair that's comparable in price you can get fucked in the ass

File: IMG_0446.jpg (303 KB, 1290x1478)

303 KB JPG

>>108076927
Koss Porta Pro retail for up to $50. The assembly kit costs $40 plus tax, surprise tariffs, being fucked in the ass by Aliexpress, etc.

Grado SR60 cost no more than $100, no tariffs (obviously) and have been around since before you were born.

>>108076994
Grado SE60 is $160 in Canada, idk what tariffs you're basing it on.

>>108077048
Oh, that’s right, you don’t live in a real country.

File: 38f7b51efaf606dc177b29927(...).jpg (38 KB, 735x934)

38 KB JPG

>>108077054
I don't, but I married an American and will be getting out

>>108076662
That's proprietary information. They're not obliged to disclose it and it's very unlikely they ever will.

>>108077122
So if it’s “proprietary”, how do YOU know about it?

Hifiman HE400se, SHP9600 or Kiwi Ears Altruva...

Which provide the most comfort

>>108077153
It came to me in a dream

File: 1748788843431223.png (461 KB, 602x946)

461 KB PNG

Is there anything in the sub-$1000 price bracket that's essentially an HD600 but with a one-sided cable like pic related? I like mine but I hate the two-side cable meme.

>>108078350
HD490 Pro
Bonus point: you can pick which side to plug the cable in.

File: 1743556258439381.png (1.01 MB, 1862x903)

1.01 MB PNG

>>108056367
i bought a tv and got a soundbar and subwoofer with it. my tv cabinet and room floor plan are like pic related. i placed the subwoofer on the lower center shelf on the tv cabinet. i like the clean look but on higher volume whole cabinet vibrates so im thinking of moving it in one of the corners. which one makes most sense?

>>108078993
I'd try the corners behind you imo

How bad are open backs for outside use? Looking at the Moondrop OldFashioneds but they must be horrible if using them in a bus or subway

It’s hilarious that old hi-fi companies convinced themselves that closed backs or portable headphones were irrelevant. Thanks, now people are forced to buy Chinese garbage and radioactive wireless e-waste if they want some quiet. No wonder Beyer and Sennheiser both sold out. They deserved bankruptcy.

File: 1729661674798327.jpg (119 KB, 1242x1424)

119 KB JPG

>tfw tinnitus at 29

>>108079358
I have very minor tinny and can still hear up to 18.5 on the sine, you'll be fine king. It also never comes up during listening sessions thank god.

>>108056367
>moron OP still desperately trying to attract speakerchads to his headphone thread

>>108079424
speakerdrama = more ASR drama, we're keeping them in sorry

>>108078350
HD550

Do I really cars about flat measuring equipment (headphones, IEMs, DACs. amps, etc) if I'm going to EQ it anyways?

>>108079664
You care about flat measuring source gear (DAC, amp) if you're gonna EQ anyway because otherwise your EQ settings are gonna be all fucked up
Headphones/IEMs, just get the lowest distortion thing that you can comfortably wear if you're gonna EQ

>>108079664
Headphones and IEMs can't be flat. What sounds flat to you is determined by your individual anatomy. If your DAC is noticeably not flat, it has issues EQ can't fix.

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/learn/research/distortion-audibility-listening-tests
new Olive trvke

File: uli-proto.jpg (970 KB, 1270x1528)

970 KB JPG

>>108056367
nth for Uli

>>108079877
Movies peak in 100+dB all the time. Did you seriously need rtings to tell you studio music is finished?

>>108080529
>studio music is finished
nta, but I'd like you to tell me

File: 1756359064574.webm (3.93 MB, 540x960)

3.93 MB WEBM

Would you plug in a pair of Wilson Maxx to a $3,000 receiver?

File: 1743968444037283.png (1.87 MB, 2000x2000)

1.87 MB PNG

>>108056367
You don't need more.

>bring out the old modded TR-X00, HD800S and HE6
headphones fell off for real. can't believe idiots are shilling shit like hedd d1 (hd600 + ear rape) these days

>>108081457
Outside of SBAF nobody does good modding anymore, we have Amir pretending he didn't argue subjectivity for years before his current science grift and then Resolve and his band saying you can eq anything to anything

File: Screenshot_20260207_19593(...).jpg (280 KB, 1080x1289)

280 KB JPG

goycattle

>>108081887
>another victim to ASR's shilling
shame

>>108081887
how are these people real
i guess i'm one to talk, considering i own two pairs of aeons

>>108082387
i own the aeon rt closed and the hd560. i think I’m going to just get the lcd-x and be done with buying for a while.

>>108080611
It's no longer difficult for decent headphones to render any frequency at or below about 94dB. Which means they all play music about the same, barring unmeasurables like soundstage and instrument separation. DACs are in a similar situation. High dynamic range recordings are the only case where graphs and shit matter.

>>108080817
LOL
I'm glad I wasn't the only one curious about his stereos
What a disaster

Hey
My cheap Samson SR850s broke, or rather the cord seems to have a break in it and it's non-detachable.

So, I was looking to get a good set of phones below 200 to replace these that I bought for $25 on sale. I want open backs, but I would like some semblance of bass. I've narrowed it down to the SHP9500s, 9600, Hifiman 400SE (I have never owned planar magnetics before), or just buying another AKG K240 clone. Does anyone have any suggestions?

File: 1751085744067407.gif (100 KB, 500x364)

100 KB GIF

>>108083378
>lcd-x
Hope you have a strong neck and some loctite or other threadlocker somewhere on hand, then. FYI the screws on the top of the rods are meant to be tightened by hand only, unlike the ones on the bottom. Don't be retarded like me and try to use a screwdriver on those if they're ever loose. But other than the fucking screws, I really like mine. After applying some EQ they sound really good. These are more comfortable than LCD2C imo, despite being heavier. Might be because of the leather headband. And make sure to check whether it's the new version if you do end up getting them. New version has 6 fazors instead of 8 and has much better stock tuning.
>>108084515
FT1 Pro, unless they're more expensive than $200 for burgers now, I dunno. In that case JT7 instead.
>SHP9500s, 9600
No subbass unless you EQ.
>Hifiman 400SE
Good 'phones but the FiiO models have better tuning and a slightly lower chance of the drivers dying due to chink QC.

>>108084551
thanks anon

>>108079358
>>108079392
Had tinny since I can remember being alive.

>>108081887
If their headphone amps die and take headphones with them, does it happen with the standalone DACs as well? I got a E70 which was running pretty much fault free for over a year but now I start to worry

>invent headphones so you can hear audio when it's noisy outside
>some dipshit puts holes in the headphones so you can't hear anymore
Who the fuck thought this was a good idea

File: 1765361448642069.jpg (47 KB, 488x628)

47 KB JPG

>>108085333
Open back headphones are meant for home/studio usage, not for walking with them outside. Unless you're this guy.

>>108085466
Thanks to Bluetooth I see normalfags wearing earmuffs in public all the time now.

>>108085466
But what's the point? If you own a home, you should have a stereo system. Every studio has studio monitors as well. There's no point for cheese-grater headphones. It's a total meme that's been propped up by e-celebs.

20 years ago there were lots of options for wired non-holed headphones, now the only "approved" options are with holes in them. Unless you want radiation and Chinese e-waste (aka Bluetooth).

>>108085466
this guy has a little gamer dent going on

>>108085564
>But what's the point? If you own a home, you should have a stereo system.
Stereo(with speakers) is great for music but it's shit for vidya and not ideal for movies. If you have a surround system, say 5.1 or 7.1, then that's another matter entirely but that's a pain to set up.
>Every studio has studio monitors as well
It's good to also check mixes on headphones afterwards since headphones can extend lower in the bass than subwoofers can and it's easier to correct their FR since you don't have to account for the room itself.
>20 years ago there were lots of options for wired non-holed headphones, now the only "approved" options are with holes in them.
There were closed back and open back options 20 years ago as well, there are even more options now. HD600 are over 20 years old, Stax are over 50, both are open back. DCA Aeon RT, E3, Stealth are all closed back and are also excellent headphones, not to mention you also have HD620S, LCD-XC etc. none of which are open back or chinese.

>>108085592
You got to appreciate his hairstyle
Shaved on the sides to minmax the earpad seal
Just the right amount on top to dampen the headband vibrations
>>108085564
I have both speakers and headphones, but generally top tier audio systems are expensive af, plus you need a proper room for that
Headphones can achieve similar acoustic performance but for a fraction of the cost

>>108085564
Open-backs are much nicer to use for voice chatting to me. Using closed-back headphones and speaking feels very unnatural to me since I can't hear my own voice properly, with open-backs there's no problem. Open-backs also have better soundstage and positional audio in my experience, which makes them nice for games from that point of view, better than stereo speakers even (which I use for pretty much everything else).

File: When I think nigger bass (...).png (153 KB, 1583x992)

153 KB PNG

>>108079877
>choice of test signals not elaborated, despite the well-known large impact on audibility of distortion
>headphones not equalized before the recording, only afterwards, meaning parts of the spectrum were played at vastly different SPL, effectively comparing apples and oranges
>one of the headphones (LCD-S20) wasn't seated properly during the recording, and they didn't catch such a basic mistake until after a gazillion listening tests
>replicator headphone (LCD-X) not included in any of the tests
>replicator headphone (LCD-X) not equalized for listening tests, meaning listeners were effectively listening to the dogshit stock FR of the LCD-X
>no information about used electronics and HATS
laughable

File: IMG_9743.jpg (426 KB, 1024x1024)

426 KB JPG

>>108085643
Audezes are $1,000+. Dan Clark is $500+. All others have been thoroughly trashed by the headphone community including 770, etc. In fact, studio headphones are almost universally discouraged for general audio. Even Beyer’s marketing material implies they’re for tracking/monitoring only.

>>108085672
Yet gaming rigs are very loud. How can you play games with WHIRRRRR in the background?

>>108085935
>gaming rigs are very loud
skill issue

>>108085935
HD620S is ~$300. FiiO FT1 is ~$150. There you go. If you don't want chinesium you'll have to spend more than 200 bucks.
>trashed by the headphone community
The "community" is fucking retarded. Unless you mean actual reviewers and not snake oil peddlers like Joshua Shillour.
>studio headphones are almost universally discouraged for general audio
Just EQ them. Beyers are bad for general audio because of treble rape, not neccesarily because they're studio headphones.
>Yet gaming rigs are very loud
Literally a skill issue. Don't buy loud as fuck fans.

>>108085935
>implying poodeze is any better
Poodeze is probably the worst option he mentioned.

File: 17324729666560.png (502 KB, 879x745)

502 KB PNG

>>108085643
Closed headphones and fidelity do not go well together because of the internal reflections and high acoustic impedance...
STAX made a closed-back estat in the early 00s but it was made by order for studio use, Sennheisers also had a few closed-back models for studio use.
Realistically studio use is the only reason to bother with closed backs and push for some sort of fidelity. Gaming and media headphones do not even need to be good to begin with. I do appreciate DCA's efforts put into closed-backs, but so far I did not really like a single one of them.

>>108085564
Closed-back headphones basically have been obsoleted by IEMs, even back then by etymotics. Their isolation is still unbeatable.

>>108086232
>Gaming and media headphones do not even need to be good to begin with
I know normalfags have no taste but I wish more manufacturers actually tried to make non dogshit headphones. You'd think with wired stuff you'd focus on good audio quality but it's only a few brands that actually focus on making something that doesn't sound like shit. Even HyperX, who were once the "not too dogshit" gaymin headset brand decided to completely fuck up their models to save money.

File: 71B5EMO2G7L._AC_UF894,100(...).jpg (57 KB, 646x1000)

57 KB JPG

>>108086376
>gaming manufacturer partners with audiophile company
>its asus and chifiman
the monkey's paw curls

>>108086417
>shittiest QC known to man
>shittiest customer service known to man
Is this the worst possible combination?

File: G8dKuFLXEAAVE6L.jpg (74 KB, 828x821)

74 KB JPG

>buy wharfedale 10.0s and 10.CC
>wenge color
>now I need to wait years for someone to list 10.1s or 10.2s of the same color for a full 5.0

>>108082124
The DAC wont take the headphone with it no. Do expect to see the -5 error message in your future, though.

>>108086718 meant for >>108085100
God mobile sux

>>108086376
Are there any real drawbacks to their newest Cloud Wireless III S updated version?
It graphs nice, has a decent mic and a good battery life.
Dunno what Audezes are doing with the Maxwells, this thing is damn heavy, costs more than twice as much and the battery life is ass. Also not to mention the constant channel balance issue coupled with how fragile their planar membrane is.

File: 1768744522488707.png (669 KB, 736x736)

669 KB PNG

>>108056367
Should I get a sub for my 8030c? Never thought I needed one but keep reading I should get a sub either way.
I listen Nearfield.

Is it still retail dead season and a good time to buy some BT earbuds? I'm in the US and my Jabra Elite 75ts need replacement. Looking to spend under 200, preferably cheaper unless the quality is just so damn good. Features I like are
>noise cancelling togglable, a hear-thru mode is good
>either bud can work as master, do not want left bud to be inoperable if right bud isn't being used (bonus points if both buds have inputs that can work as a pause button, not just one)
>decent battery life
>I don't need an amazing mic but something that people can actually understand my input for phone calls
Thanks in advance.

>>108086902
They changed aluminum they used in their old models for plastic. So build quality isn't that great. Also fucked up driver damping to save on costs but I don't know if there are any issues with distortion or not as a result of that.

The topping hate is astroturfed just because asr likes them, they're just a regular audio company that sometimes has devices explode, like schiit or smsl.

>>108087054
No, it's never a good time to buy Bluetooth. Stop buying Chinese e-waste.

File: exec.jpg (78 KB, 946x945)

78 KB JPG

Topping Chad here, there is not a better amplifier on earth then the B200. 120db SINaD.
The DX5ii is unbelievable good value and performance for $300 (123db SINaD). I have them all and Topping XLR cables. Fight?

>>108087301
>Fight?
post a photo with all of them in the shot

>>108087174
>asgard exploded once in 2016
>some dodgy magni2s the same time period, 10 years ago
>Topping has had multiple products in the last 5 years take out headphones, including a month ago
>L30 was such a disaster John Yang got ordered to stop posting on ASR because he was embarrassing the company
Not the same scope remotely lol

>>108087301
Generational shitpost

>>108087371
>google schiit breaking headphones
>first result from 3 years ago
lol

>>108087232
I'm a technician, I can't wear headphones for appearances but wireless buds are fine. I am crawling, climbing, and in odd positions so often and it's nice to have the ability to listen to music or videos while I do my service work. I'd also like to handle phone calls through them, God allowing.
I hear you, I do care about plastic these days, but it's simply the perfect use case for me.

>>108087386
if its the Unity one Im thinking of it was a thirdie ordering the wrong voltage plug lmfao

>>108087409
its not, and there are plenty of other people complaining about schiit stuff blowing up their gear from the past 5 years upon a quick google search so yeah you were totally wrong

>>108087386
trying to compare a company which upped its QC substantially and honors warranty to a company still frying headphones and saying 'your fault' is crazy work

>>108087428
so now the goalpost is QC? cool

File: IMG_20260207_225117.jpg (3.53 MB, 3456x4608)

3.53 MB JPG

>>108087323
your a nigger for making me do this.
i am in the middle of cutting wood for subwoofers so everything is covered in dust sheets. so this is the best angle i could get since all the furniture is pushed up against the stereo/TV area.

>>108087418
Post 5 examples for the class

>>108087434
meh you're just trying to waste my time. you do it first

>>108087441
I'm not the one making claims here! I just was curious since you've uncovered the Schiitspiracy

>>108087470
oh for sure, not gonna bother then but its out there if you want to waste your time looking. both topping and schiit are big enough there are tons of reports of things going wrong, just how the numbers pan out

>>108087441
you're arguing on a forum to the point where you started googling, trust me your time isn't valuable enough not to post the links you just found
insanely low IQ, brown behaviour

>>108087433
>your a nigger
no, I'm not.. and it's you're*** a nigger.
also, what's the point in buying all those Toppings when you can just have one? wouldn't the meme be abundance of redundant expensive gear? what are you even flexing?

>>108087476
nah not gonna take the bait. you waste your time first, then i may waste my time.

>>108087481
sir you're arguing on Epstein's forum, trust me youre already wasting your time

>>108087496
but the difference is it is an equivalent exchange, since you are wasting your time as well

>>108087481
Very scientific of you to make claims and not post the proof, curious

>>108087432
>schiit correcting their QC vs company that has none whatsoever
there's no goalpost to shift if there isn't one

>>108087505
ok? go to reddit if you heckin love science so much

>>108087433
Headphone amp slop aside, Ive actually never heard of issues with Toppings speaker amps

>>108087540
i have a tp21 that has insane channel imbalance problems, sometimes it'll just mute one speaker for x amount of time. It's such a piece of nigger trash. I also needed to buy a replacement terminal cap for it which is just plastic and probably costs half a dollar. They wanted me to donate $20 usd to their paypal account for 'shipping' the item would of been free. Needless to say i did not donate to their paypal account

File: 09 Der Eremit.jpg (66 KB, 422x666)

66 KB JPG

>>108087479
lol at the "you're", apologies you are quite right.
I have one DX5ii which acts as the DAC and , very importantly, the Pre-Amp for the B200's, i have 2 of the B200's as they are mono blocks fren. You need 2 for a stereo speaker set up (one for each speaker).
Don't mean to sound condescending just explaining if you didn't know since you mentioned why i have many products when in fact i have the absolute bare minimum.
my flex is actually autism as i have to have audio equipment that has a SINAD below the human hearing threshold for noise and distortion in a signal path of -115db. All my Topping equipment is, like i stated earlier -120dB (B200) & 123dB DX5ii.

>>108087573
holy based, actually refreshing to see some sinad cultistry here. sbaf snake oil cultistry is getting stale

File: 01 Der Magier 1.jpg (80 KB, 411x666)

80 KB JPG

>>108087540
They did have problems, famously, with the PA5 Class D amp. I think it was mentioned earlier in this thread or the previous one or it does get mentioned as a reason to hate on Topping.

>>108087573
>i have the absolute bare minimum
since you reconciled that with
>my flex is actually autism
thanks for the explanation

File: 21 Das Universum.jpg (76 KB, 420x666)

76 KB JPG

>>108087658
you are welcome fren and I apologies for calling you a nigger.

>>108068192
i looked into them a lot when they came out and it seemed from reviews that they werent better than dt770

>>108087677
I really don't care lol. it's more of an imperative of mine to get people to make more informed decisions when buying gear..your situation is a clear case of what not to do

>>108087301
Motu m4 as an active crossover + fosi v3(nobody needs more).

>>108087573
>>108087588
I think everyone not on the spectrum knew he was doing a SINAD bit ironically since he owned Topping stuff.
Also confusing SBAF and Head-Fi is wild. Dudes on SBAF just build their own cables instead of falling for the Brise Audio grift.

>>108087592
Oh yeah forgot about the PA5. The L90D was what I was considering for the EHT-7 energizer and I'm the biggest Topping opp

File: 1563830263913.jpg (67 KB, 562x571)

67 KB JPG

>>108087754
sbaf is like head fi just deafer and obsessed with pudgy asian nipple man

>>108087769
Marv with nipples protruding, very disgraceful

>>108087174
Fiios don't explode thoughbeit

File: image.png (1021 KB, 1000x750)

1021 KB PNG

>>108087540
They even made a STAX amplifier (EHA5) but it was instantly torn to shit

>>108087808
summoning the guy who seethes about fiio 24/7

File: ASR Amplifier ratings.png (399 KB, 688x3900)

399 KB PNG

>>108087704
oh in that case get fucked you fucking nigger.
name cleaner equipment you fuck tard. you can't because it doesn't exist.
There is nothing that has a SINAD of 120dB you fucking no nothing dick licking cum guzzler. so suck my balls and continue listening to your inferior static mess.
My case is EXACTLY what you SHOULD do if you want the BEST.

>>108087811
Makes me wonder what they do wrong, and if its more than just a total lack of QC and cheap parts. Even when Holo gave them the greenlight to just copy the Cyan 2 in every way their clone performed worse by every metric.

>>108087864
The issue is trying to sell snake oil when your whole brand was built off opposing snake oil. I don't understand how Topping sells anything over $200.

>>108087856
You could post this on ASR and farm insane karma, that Jiraya dude should take notes from you

>>108087876
Their new AIO is like triple the price of any Schiit mid-range amp + mesh combo, and double the Element 4. Its funny to see them think they'd make any meaningful sales in that bracket knowing they've built their brand on cheap e-waste that measures well (but well past the point of mattering)

>>108087864
https://www.head-case.org/forums/topic/28658-topping-eha-5/
You can read a full review here - it was bad starting from the schematics with no protection which would fry your headphones, down to bad soldering.

>>108087894
At least Topping has the china audience which I assume isn't tapped into the reddit science stuff. I don't know how schiit does it, they blow up headphones, sell tons of snake oil, and yet goyim still buy their stuff religiously.

File: 04 Der Kaiser.jpg (75 KB, 417x666)

75 KB JPG

>>108087730
>fosi v3 - lol see my graph here >>108087856
100dB sinad, very sad anon, pathetic even. you clearly enjoy noise and distortion rather then a pure signal.

>>108087881
Am I wrong? No.

>>108087900
Because on the slim chance it does blow, Schiit won't fuck you on warranty and will replace everything. Most cases I've seen beyond the dogshit build quality they had in 2016-18 seem like user fault in a lot of cases.
I don't think Topping does amazingly in China considering Shenzhen keeps buying out distros rights for most companies there. I'd be keen to see numbers but I'd bet Moondrop does much better for low-cost stuff (now distro'd by Shenzhen) and from what I saw at the Chinese headfi convention last year they whale harder on shit like SAEQ and Masskobo if they aren't going the cheap route.

>>108087929
There are idiots in every country for sure.

>>108087811
reading that head-fi thread about the eha5 saved me a bunch of money, love those guys and their poetry about dacs.
>>108087808
they just die for no reason a month out of their year warranty like k9 pro non sense. Seriously how do you fuck up a $1k all in one so badly? They failed so fast no one even reviewed them
>>108087900
>At least Topping has the china audience which I assume isn't tapped into the reddit science stuff. I don't know how schiit does it, they blow up headphones, sell tons of snake oil, and yet goyim still buy their stuff religiously.
schiit has the modius,magnius stack, the valhalla 2/3(2 is discontinue but always on egay) and some other stuff. I can't see why someone would trust chink qc on OTL tubes but all the asr niggers hate tubes so thats a non issue to them i guess. I like my valhalla 2 it makes me happy.

>>108087929
They also really love portable AIOs like XDuoo, Cayin, Moondrop etc, I suspect Topping's hard appeal to reddit/ASR science fags was grounded in not having the domestic market it hoped.

>>108087951
Ive had no issues with my BTR15 so far but im under no illusions it'll last longer than a year. Same reason I didn't get the WARMER R2R, I just want my shit to last or have warranty so its only really Schiit or JDS for me

File: headphone amp reviewed 2025.png (253 KB, 531x2436)

253 KB PNG

>>108087951
>valhalla 2 it makes me happy.
lol, and you mock the ASR when yo have literally the worst equipment, can you find your valhalla on the list?

>>108088074
I don't care what other people use, nor the critisms of what i own. I mock asr because they are obnoxious and rude to anyone who doesn't follow their sand nigger leader. That said, if you want to own nothing but topping and what comes with that, all the power to you.

>>108088142
this but schiit and sbaf with asian nipple man

man is there just not a more comfortable headphone than the hd 598? subjective i know but after wearing them so long it feels like i'm not wearing any at all

>>108088074
>tube amp not on a THD list
Imagine my shock

>>108088153
>random plastic block in the cup
You got lucky your ears don't hit that, it fucks up every HD500 series headphone's comfort for me.

File: Rei_Ayanami_OP.jpg (38 KB, 360x274)

38 KB JPG

>>108088155
it's 5th from the bottom or absolute worst

>>108088153
I think the odd person who fit in the perfect head dimensions for the r70x would of felt similiar to you about the 598. HD 800 has literally no clamp and with adding extra padding like i did its pretty much perfect, at least for me, i only owned the 599 for a little bit but i remember finding them very comfortable
>>108088053
>Ive had no issues with my BTR15 so far but im under no illusions it'll last longer than a year.
I really wish it was different and the chinks at least tried to have some sort of longevity but i don't think they care what so ever. It seems whenever a model has issues they just abandon it or ignore all the issues entirely.
I got hella bumed out seeing how many problems the k9 pro had, because i kept seeing them come on the used market so cheap. I've never seen jds labs stuff locally but i got all my schiit gear used because it's quite common

>>108088153
Best entry level boy in history, served me well for god knows how long

>>108088194
If you think tube amps should measure well on these charts you're low IQ

>>108088203
what did you end up replacing them with?

File: cringe.jpg (202 KB, 750x600)

202 KB JPG

>>108088142
>if you want to own nothing but topping and what comes with that, all the power to you.

What was top of the list? i.e. the best you can buy and is only $199. you might want to reconsider your attitude towards ASR & objective science fren.

>>108088216
I don't think tube amps should measure well, and since i posted it in mockery of tubes it seems the low IQ falls on you for not realising that.

>>108088242
Anyone thinking this dude is being serious is dumber than the bait, btw

>>108088074
>Schiit Heretic nearly at the top of the charts
They really showed how easy, cheap and stupid it is to build a good measuring device. Just to mock the ASR crowd.
Hilarious.

File: 1766672067299141.jpg (33 KB, 427x600)

33 KB JPG

>>108088242
>What was top of the list?
I don't care about your list, like I said before
>>108088242
>i.e. the best you can buy and is only $199
I'm not buying anything from topping, Zhang. If you want to, be my guest.
> you might want to reconsider your attitude towards ASR & objective science fren.
i'm good. If i wanted to hear ASR nigger talking points i would be there, like you should be right now instead trying to convert people like a reddit athiest

all these reports of amps having poor qc makes me appreciate my element iv even more

>>108088300
The punchline was that ASR still pearlclutched about it

>>108088314
>element iv
do you like the knob on the top?
seen a few good deals on used ele 1/2s and felt like the knob would of annoyed me

>>108088300
That was also one of the ones to blow up headphones so... not so easy I guess.

>>108088416
They made it do this so it fit in with ASR's expectations of how amps should behave.

The reality is all these exploding amps/AIOs are cheap as shit and speaks volumes about why you either go currydonglenigger or spend a bit on your gear.

>>108088447
Cheap block dongles like the Tanchjim Luna AT are actually enough for pretty much everything.
>t. HE-6 owner

>>108088447
>fit in with ASR's expectations of how amps should behave
What you mean not have plainly audible distortion?

>>108088469
No, that amps which explode are fine as long as they measure well

>>108088495
Are they supposed to pull a good review of a product because it has a high defect rate?

>>108088521
Yeah

File: aJt.jpg (54 KB, 466x629)

54 KB JPG

>>108088525
Tesla car's score extremely high on saftey tests and yet they can also explode, same argument for practically anything really.planes crash therefore all planes bad.
do you hear yourself?

>>108088521
Yeah, typically lol.

>>108088550
>Do you recommend this product?
>Yes, it measures well*
>*May blow up and kill your hearing and expensive equipment 50% of the time

File: cigar_thoughts.jpg (83 KB, 1020x1024)

83 KB JPG

>>108088627
>50% of the time
you sure about that?

>>108088627
>50%
holy low iq

>>108088351
the knob is really smooth and satisfying to turn

>>108088659
>>108088664
>We updated the numbers
>It's 75% of the time

Finna boutta cook gimme a moment lads

Straight Fresh >>108088724

File: kim's sis.jpg (541 KB, 3654x2565)

541 KB JPG

>>108088697
lol, although i did look up consumer electronic failure rate and Topping's failure rate is in the normal range. The company has been around for over 40 years.

>>108088561
Can you name an example? Serious question. I heard that happened with cars, but only if they kill a lot of people, and it has to be so many it hasn't happened in my lifetime.

Like, you seriously expect the world to stop because some neet lost $500 of gbp? Throw it in the same pile as your Impervio power supply and IBM Deskstar HDD and move on.

>>108088746
addressed it here >>108088737
I don't disagree it isn't industry norm, I'm more saying when you know $500 is a fuckton to your audience/readership you probably owe the disclaimer to them. Especially with Toppings track record of not honouring warranty.

>>108088766
translation: Yes. The world should stop to clean up my oopsies.

File: JDS_LABS_ATOM_AMP-2_PCB[1].jpg (200 KB, 1054x696)

200 KB JPG

>>108088300
I mean, it is pretty easy. Have you seen the circuitry of a JDS Atom? It's literally a basic dual-rail power supply, an opamp to handle the gain, and a bunch of opamps in parallel as the current buffer.
Modern parts make it stupidly easy to build something halfway competent, even I could pick out objective upgrades for my O2 back when I knew very little about electronics.

>>108088319
Are you confusing ASR with headfi or something?