Contrastique

Quick update: purchased a Matrix Audio Mini-i pro 3 via Ebay for 400€. Good bang for the buck I suppose and option to upgrade the dac in de future.

How do you like it? Seems like a proper way to go. Would be what I need actually..

Hi guys! Thanks for the replies and kind welcome backs 🙂 Good point @jpelg . I think the Maggies need a bit more juice so a more powerful amp would be a future thing. But it's now mostly a matter of changing the source due to compatibilty issues. The Macbook is seriously outdated and I would prefer not to use a laptop anymore. A mac-mini would mean that I'd have to go the route of a USB-dac again. A streamer with a proper dac would also be an option but I don't know where to look. Or at least a streamer with a dac on par with the Duet and with the ability to bypass the internal one and add a more proper one down the line. I am very much in love with these Maggies though. I heard the 1.7 at a friend's place..that just blew me away. Never heard electrostats in speaker shape before.

Hi all, have been out of the game for a while but slowly lurking again. I still use a Macbook pro (late 2008) as a source to play local files on a separate drive and stream Tidal. But it’s really too old to function properly. Looking for a headless mac mini running Roon server. I still have the macbook attached to an older Apogee Duet, the FW version, and slowly looking to upgrade to, preferably a proper USB dac. Saw a Stello DAC DA200 II for around €500,00 though not sure if that would be a significant step up. I use a Solen / Ensemble B-50 amp with tube front and SE end. Might upgrade to more powerful tube amp in the future. And have this all hooked up to a pair of little Maggies, which I acquired recently and is the cause of the audio fire lightning up again 😍 Anyway, a usb-dac for a mac mini; what would you recommend? What’s interesting these days? I’ve been away for so long! Budget around 1000-1500 second hand. Would that get me more than let’s say a new Duet? Edit: If I were to stray away from the USB-dac route, which would be better quality wise I suppose, which streamer, roon-ready, with a built-in dac on par with the Duet would you recommend? Or a streamer with the option to bypass the dac later on.

Not a book but a manual on collodion photography this time: I've been working with collodion photography for a couple of years (photography on glass plates dating from 1851) now but it's always interesting learning more as there's so much more to it. This guy and his wife are insanely knowledgeable and their stuff is fantastic to read. I'm also reading "Point counter Point" by Aldous Huxley but that's currently on hold.

Ah that shucks! Better give it some rest to not stress it even more but it must feel horrible after all this time you've been working towards this event. Had an infection in my knee which kept me from doing sports the last couple of weeks. Went spinning for the first time today, hope it'll work out. It sucks to be held back by physical injuries. Good luck!

Another question. I'm now running my source (Apogee Duet) SE. Would it make a substantial difference to make it balanced too?

Awesome event and cause! I didn't see this before but..done! Have a good ride!

I'm about to eat a bunny..not our bunny, just a bunny. Along with some veggies and other stuff (not sure what exactly, I'm behind the computer not the stove). The head is being boiled for different purposes; a classic win-win

Darn, I thought you were joking but it's really there... I might go and stir the pot...oh well, no bother...last time was with Germania and nothing can beat that Sounds like everything I'm doing atm, thanx I already thought this was shit-expensive (first time I felt reserved telling my boyfriend the cost of these haha). I will probably sell this combo in the future anyway in my quest for the perfect hp. Just wanted to see how I much could make them change to make them stay with me for a while longer and to hear for myself what a better cable would do. Mission succeeded.

Very kind Mr. Nate Only, I don't really have much to contribute I guess. I know shit about things, not like you all. And I'm pretty busy but I do miss it. Now that the bunny has been raised (read: we learned to properly stuff away the cables) I felt confident again getting out my headphones and listening to them. Along with that came the urge to change some things Who knows what might follow. The other place is great for buying / selling, this is a great place to get decent advice!

Double post

Received my balanced Cardas cable today. I wasn't much of a believer but it does sound totally different. I'll ab them against my brothers SE HD600s hopefully soon as memory is a finicky thing but they are definitely much more enjoyable now, not as boring as before with for example rock music like Korn or Pleymo. Thank you all for your help!

Sorry to hear about your cat...losing a pet is really horrible They are so much more than just a pet, certainly after 14 years. I hope he's not in much pain and will have a peaceful last couple of months.

I'm pretty much a cable-sceptic (also because I never ab-ed cables) but seeing that so many comment in favour of an aftermarket cable for the Sennheiser I took the plunge and ordered a balanced Cardas cable. Th advantage of selling an ED9 and "downscaling" to an HD600 is there's a little money left That and seeing that the resale-value of the cable is pretty decent the loss would be kept to a minimum if I ever decide to sell it. Looking forward to the cable and here's to hoping it will make a significant difference so the urge of upgrading to something else resides a little

Just received the HD600! Now all I have to do is forget this Ultrasone sound Is anyone considering parting with their balanced 3 pin Cardas or Equinox cable? If not, I'm gonna look over at the other place or just order it fresh. Looking forward coming home from work and hooking this up to the M3! Now listening out of the Larocco just because I wanted to hear it but doesn't do them justice as I knew it wouldn't.

Who still uses that frequently? At work we do (but we have a separate superdrive) but at home..I hardly ever used mine in the MBP. I actually replaced the optical drive in it about a week ago for the normal HDD and where the HDD was at I put an SSD. Good bang for the buck Love the glare-reduction in the new screens though! That was what I was (among other things) waiting for. With Photoshop the glare really sucks. So, I have until December to save up some cash

Ow yeayyy!!

Macbook pro pff...it's time they release a new iMac....

Happy Birthday!!

Just ordered the HD600..no store in the neighbourhood had them in stock otherwise I would've went and picked them up today. I should have them tomorrow..

Thanks Peter, that definitely is a good point. I checked Headrooms site today for their Cardas cables but didn't come across these. Thanks for the headsup; for $99 not much can go wrong

Ow duhhhh, right... I looked up the specs provided back then by ASR which I forgot (and took a closer look at the outputs): "they're TRS combo jacks, so they allow either XLR or 1/4" headphone plugs." And that's my amp for sure If it wouldn't be too much trouble reterminating that would be great, Nate! Please let me know what you want for this in return. Thank you all!

Yes, comfort wise the HD600s are really really lovely. Much nicer than the ED9s (which I just sold so happy!). When buying the HD600 I would even have some money left to throw at a record player. Anyway, not the point now The balanced outputs are 1/4" TRS. Hi Nate, thanx! I just looked and can even get the cable in the Netherlands so thanks for the heads up. It's a bit more expensive here but okay, nowhere near the aftermarket cables. I'd still like to try them balanced just because it's possible and I want to decide whether it makes a difference or not for myself. I suppose there are companies making adapter cables that can be used with the 650-cable? Or better off buying a dedicated balanced cable? I've never actually bought cables besides yours which is still in use btw. so not sure where to take it as there are so many options out there. Looking forward! Hope to be able to get an HD600 tomorrow. Never thought I would go for Sennheiser after all this time haha!

Hi everyone, That surely has been awhile (again)! I wanted to say hi and ask a question since I'm browsing the boards a little again (probably not for long). I hope you're all doing fine! I still see quite a bit of familiar names around here, the only person I've missed so far is Vicky. As some of you have seen over at the other side I'm currently in the process of selling my ED9s, yes the time has finally come! Seeing that I started out with the 750s and (finally) noticing a lot of bad things happening) I felt at the time the ED9s were a great step up. It actually had something that could go for a midrange. Add more speed detail etc to the mix and I thought it was a done deal. Now a couple of years down the road midrange is still lacking and presentation remains awkward albeit not as bad as the 750s. The thing that pushed me over the edge is the uncomfortable headband, which presses the top of my head so much that listening for more than two hours in a row is downright painful. It's been awhile since I have followed the boards and lots of new things have surfaced. Reading through the other place is not much of a help, but hey, who am I talking to Anyway, I am quite intrigued by the LCD-3 but besides the fact it is a shitload of money I'm not sure my amp will drive them properly. Anyone any thoughts on that? So...having lived with my wasted brothers' HD600 for awhile I decided to get a recabled HD600 to begin with. I see a lot of recabling options. Is there one that stands out? I have the possibility of driving it balanced but don't have the feeling it will make much of a difference. Anyway, hope not to be a bore with all you far-more-knowledgable-people but it's nice to say hi to you anyway