GPH

I voted for Head-Case and Steve Hoffman's forum as they're both very informative and fun. Head-fi is OK, but there's too much visual pollution about cheap IEMs and too much people posting false information about headphones they've never heard.

I posted an interest check on the other site for a Montreal mini-meet, but I thought it might be a good idea to ask people on the Dark Side too. No details on the "when" and the "where" for the moment, just a quick look to see who would be interested. I'm not even sure if there are Montrealers here.

UK is great. In fact, I don't remember Bill Bruford playing on a bad album. All the Yes and KC albums he plays on are awesome. For the Phil Collins haters, you should take a look at the Genesis Live in Concert 1976 video, Bruford was their drummer for this tour and he plays a couple of incredible duets with Collins.

Also, if you want to hear Phil Collins doing crazy stuff on drums, check out the first two Brand X albums, Unorthodox Behaviour and Moroccan Roll. It's nothing like Genesis or Collins solo, it's groovy jazz fusion from the 70s.

I totally agree with you. He's a pretty good singer, but he's a badass rock drummer. His work on the first two Brand X albums and on early Genesis albums is out of this world. For those of you who only think of him as a guy who sings cheesy pop hits, I urge you to get the album Morrocan Roll from Brand X, it's fusion jazz at its best.

While I'm pretty sure he doesn't read Head-case, I wish him a happy anniversary! Now, let's get serious Phil, it's time to call Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett and do a real Genesis reunion before you turn 60 and go completely deaf.

Bumping an old thread. Kinda off-topic, but I just spotted an occasion to get a used MiniDac w/ USB for 680$. I wasn't planning to get this DAC, but it's pretty tempting because it's a local deal. Is it worth it if I plan to use it only for the DAC section, feeding a M^3 ?

Oops, I meant M^3.

I just bought a used Rockhopper Mini^3 on Head-Fi from a Canadian fellow. It will probably be here by the end of next week. Can't wait to hear how it juices the HD600. Now, the weakest link in the chain is between laptop and amp. I need to find a good USB DAC that will feed a clean signal into the M^3.

Hi guys! I've done some extensive researching in the past few days to find an amp that would be a good match for Senn HD600 and I've pretty much settled my choice on the M^3. The problem is, there seems to be an incredible number of configurations and upgrades possible and I'm no DIY guru so it's hard to know exactly what I want and what's the best I can get for the price I want to pay. I want to spend about 500$-600$ and my source for the moment is a modest M-Audio Transit USB (next upgrade after the amp ). What's your suggestions for the parts? Also, I need to find a builder, so I'll take your recommendations on that.

Here's my impressions as promised. I received my cable on friday and I've done some extensive Etymotic listening since then. Comfort/Ergonomics: This was one of my main reasons for getting the APS cable and it doesn't disappoint. With the new cable, it's incredibly low profile and it stays very well behind the ears. I used to wear the original cable this way too, but it was sticking out too much and I had to replace it behind my ears once in a while. Also, the new cable is stiffer than stock cable and it works as a memory cable which is a good addition. The downside to this is that it's less flexible and it's pretty hard to make it fit in the small Etymotic pouch, but it's not a big deal for me. Sound: The first thing I noticed with the new cable is the wider soundstage. Compared to stock cable, it's quite weird to say, but it seems to take more space horizontally and less space vertically. The music is closer to your ears than the inside of your head. Also, it seems like you're closer to the band, though not Grado-style. More like first row of a concert hall. Another thing I noticed is that the treble lost some of the sparkle that the Etys are known for. It is definitely smoother than stock cable and I think it's a little bit less detailed, but there is still more detail than any other IEM I've tried. Paired with my Mini^3 amp, the Etys sound more laid back and a little bit more "fun" to listen to. The best feature of this cable, IMO, is the presentation of mids and bass. I always found that Etys mids were quite cold, but I loved the very fast attack and the ton of micro details. Now, with the APS cable, the details are still there, but it brings a lot of warmth and the vocals are really "in your face". It sounds very natural and it feels like the singer is singing for you. The bass is bigger than with stock cable and a little bit bigger than ER4P. The tightness is pretty much the same, but it sounds more fat and has better impact. It's still not a basshead phone, but it's a satisfying experience coming from ER4S bass. Finally, I noticed that the Etys with the new cable sound awesome with classical. I'm listening to the last movement of Mahler's third symphony and it sounds more lush than with the original cable and everything seems to blend together instead of hearing individual parts. Price/Value: I agree that 200$ is big bucks for an IEM cable and I was very skeptical that the changes in presentation would be worth it, but I'm very surprised by the differences it brings to the sound. Also, the cable is beautiful and it looks like Alex did put a lot of time do build it. My advice would be to buy it only if you've had enough time with the ER4S to know that it's the right universal IEM for you and you want to enhance the experience. Here's some eye candy:

Snow? Meh, business as usual here in Quebec from December to March.

I've asked for a length of 124 cm, which is a little more than 4 feet, and it's the S version cable. Also, I've asked Alex to use a Neutrik straight 1/8 connector instead of his standard Switchcraft one, because the Neutrik one is a little bit smaller. I'll post my impressions in this thread when I'll get the cable.

The cable was made this way so you can wear your Etys over-the-ear like Shure, Westone, etc. and it eliminates most of microphonics. Thanks for your impressions BTW. I ordered this cable too a couple of weeks ago and Alex said I should receive it this week. I never thought I could spend that much money on an IEM cable, but I love my Etys to death and I've always thought their weakest link was the cable design, so I think it'll be worth it. Did you notice any difference with bass presentation?