Audio Audiophile and gears

ibose said:
Audiostore.in appears to be stocking E1DA products now. They have the latest PowerDAC v2.1. I wish they could get the 9038D.
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Maybe a few interested people can get together and ping them for a group order and see if they can get some discounts.
I would have been interested in the 9038D, but already have the S and don't have any other headphones which need the 3.5mm unbalanced out.
 
Major source of Audiostore‘s product are Conceptkart who is the actual importer, Conceptkart offers 5% off coupon for first time buyer.

Anyhow Audiostore also put up xDuoo Xd-05 Bal too which he source from Hifinage actual importer.

Also shanling announce UP5 which is BT Dongle upgrade from UP4 can do ‘MQA’ in USB DAC mode, It is same as as their already successful M3X without DAP function…..Fiio got nothing at this point to counter it….Just creating Interest Check thread in other forum.
 
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rdst_1 said:
Maybe a few interested people can get together and ping them for a group order and see if they can get some discounts.
I would have been interested in the 9038D, but already have the S and don't have any other headphones which need the 3.5mm unbalanced out.
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Can you kindly tell me if the E1DA PowerDAC V2.1 be used with HD599?

EDIT: Never mind, it can be used. V2.1 comes included with the 2.5mm to 3.5mm Adapter for use with Unbalanced HPs. The Balanced and Unbalanced options can be selected from their App:

Capture1.jpg


More Details about the E1DA PowerDAC V2.1 are mentioned here if anyone needs: PowerDAC V2.1
 
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So I've started using Linux again recently, and is it just a placebo I effect that music sounds better on it compared to Windows and iOS? I am using the same headphones, USB DAC and audio files; the only thing that's changed is the OS and as a result, music player. Compared to MusicBee on Windows 10, Clementine on Manjaro sounds much "cleaner" and "fuller". So is this just me (placebo) or has anyone else also noticed this? Can't do a/b listening tests since I'm dual booting :/

EDIT: audio equipment is Hifiman HE400i with Tempotec Sonata HD Pro. Using stock cables if it matters (unbalanced)
 
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I got my replacement sundara today, thought of selling it and buying deva for 12k but damn after listening to sundara with earstudio es100, I just dont feel like selling it ever again, can only imaging how good it'll sound with a better amp. Hope it doesn't die on me again ever.
 
rockstah said:
I got my replacement sundara today, thought of selling it and buying deva for 12k but damn after listening to sundara with earstudio es100, I just dont feel like selling it ever again, can only imaging how good it'll sound with a better amp. Hope it doesn't die on me again ever.
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Congrats dude, wish you many years of happy listening to this beauty! How was the RMA experience? Sorry if I missed it in case you've posted it elsewhere. In that case could you share a link for the same? Got HE400i recently (and kinda regret it since Deva is now the same price lol) and want to be prepared in case I need it.
Also do register for extended warranty in case you haven't already.
 
rockstah said:
I got my replacement sundara today, thought of selling it and buying deva for 12k but damn after listening to sundara with earstudio es100, I just dont feel like selling it ever again, can only imaging how good it'll sound with a better amp. Hope it doesn't die on me again ever.
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Is there a big difference between Sundara and Deva? Asking because there definitely is a big difference in price
TheCoolerPlayer said:
Congrats dude, wish you many years of happy listening to this beauty! How was the RMA experience? Sorry if I missed it in case you've posted it elsewhere. In that case could you share a link for the same? Got HE400i recently (and kinda regret it since Deva is now the same price lol) and want to be prepared in case I need it.
Also do register for extended warranty in case you haven't already.
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Are the devas supoosed to be better than even the he400i. If yes, i am really tempted at that 12k price
 
icysmoke said:
Is there a big difference between Sundara and Deva? Asking because there definitely is a big difference in price
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I've checked some reviews and they're definitely great, not sure how big of a difference between both but for the price I'd say it should be good value. You can get 1k discount with icici credit card. He400i is a good option too, during sales it went to as low as 10k.
May be @quaratineinthesejeans @Nitendra Singh can help

TheCoolerPlayer said:
Congrats dude, wish you many years of happy listening to this beauty! How was the RMA experience? Sorry if I missed it in case you've posted it elsewhere. In that case could you share a link for the same? Got HE400i recently (and kinda regret it since Deva is now the same price lol) and want to be prepared in case I need it.
Also do register for extended warranty in case you haven't already.
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Thanks, I contacted their number that I got from headphone zone site. They asked me to send an email and later asked to ship it to their office in Bangalore. They checked and shipped replacement unit in three days.
I think He400i is little better than the Deva, not sure but many reviews confirm the same.
 
icysmoke said:
Are the devas supoosed to be better than even the he400i. If yes, i am really tempted at that 12k price
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Not sure about "better" as reviews seemed to say that the biggest difference between both was that Deva have a slightly warmer and more open sound compared to the more "analytical" sound of the HE400i. Some reviews said the Deva was more comfortable, others said otherwise. I went ahead with HE400i since they were at 12k back then, and can't say I've regretted it. But the Deva is supposed to have better magnets and the wider soundstage, and if this is your first high(ish) end, or open back, headphones, I think you'll love it. Can't go wrong at this price! (apart from QC concerns haha)
SunnyBoi said:
is this applicable for deva? I didnt
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I think just registering for warranty gives an additional 3 or 6 months over the standard one year, which is what I'm referring to here. So if you've registered via email for warranty, there's nothing else to do as far as I know.
 
rockstah said:
Its 3 months extra, you have to register here : https://hifiman.com/warranty
Do we have to register with email too? can you explain how
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I meant that while registering, you have to share email. Otherwise regular warranty is usually availed by just showing proof of purchase. For the extra 3 months, one has to register the SNID as well (printed on the some card in the headphone box) with the email.
 
TheCoolerPlayer said:
I meant that while registering, you have to share email. Otherwise regular warranty is usually availed by just showing proof of purchase. For the extra 3 months, one has to register the SNID as well (printed on the some card in the headphone box) with the email.
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Ya have to register in that website only na with s/n?
 
Compared to the HD599 SE how different is the sound when it comes to comparing it with the Hifiman DEVA? Can someone who has tried both or has both provide some details on this.
 
Black_Hawk said:
Compared to the HD599 SE how different is the sound when it comes to comparing it with the Hifiman DEVA? Can someone who has tried both or has both provide some details on this.
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Exactly same boat as you. I got a used 599se recently, and I absolutely love it. But I can very easily sell it at the price i got it, 4k. The upgrade bug has hit and I have the urge to explore more now. Devas are available at 11k after icici card offer and if they are 30-40% better than the 599se, why not.
The only issue is that there is nothing that I dont like about the 599se. So i dont know what is that “better” that I am looking for. I dont listen to bassy tracks, the lack of bass is fine with me.

Deva (11k), hd560s (18k) and Sundara(27k) are the options. Just that i dont want to be spending 200 percent money for 5% improvements.
 
For all audio gurus, what are your thoughts on valve index's audio setup?

They are basically speakers but very close to your ears. Games having a priority on immersion over quality wrt just music. Called 'Balanced Mode Radiator' BMR speakers.

develop3d.com

Tectonic Audio and Valve team up for VR sound

After Tectonic Audio Lab’s design optimisation and prototyping were successful, Valve Corporation was able to bring its headset to market
develop3d.com develop3d.com

Copied from a r/valveindex post

Valve Deep Dive:

Ear Speakers - Deep Dive - Valve Index® - Upgrade your experience - Valve Corporation

The Valve Index Ear Speakers have been optimized for the specific experiential goals of virtual reality, which caused their design to diverge in interesting ways from that of typical consumer headphones.
www.valvesoftware.com www.valvesoftware.com
Got some interesting prototypes. Even tried some audeze planar magnetics.

Teardown:

immersionmechanics.com

Index ear speaker teardown

“Ever wondered what was inside those neat off-ear speakers on the Valve Index?” Valve’s Index VR headset uses “Balanced Mode Radiator” (BMR) ear speakers with custom drivers…
immersionmechanics.com immersionmechanics.com

Some BMR ear speaker info in this article:

skarredghost.com

Valve Index: A good fit? Part 3 - How to solve problems in the ergonomics of the BMR speakers

Very detailed post about how to improve the ergonomics of the audio of the Valve Index,solving common problems of its speakers(e.g. low volume or asymmetry)
skarredghost.com skarredghost.com
 
icysmoke said:
Just that i dont want to be spending 200 percent money for 5% improvements.
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Welcome to the audio world, where exactly this is what happens as incremental gains are very low.
So, unless you have already auditioned these HPs and now you can't go back to your 599s, I would say just ignore the urge to upgrade right now.
People ignore one important factor when they get enamored by the reviews and sales and that is the sound signature. What if the sound signature of these HPs is completely different from the 599s. Will then, they even feel like an upgrade. First take a look at the sound signature you like (which might be completely opposite of the majority) and then decide whether these upgrades suit you, or whether you are willing to change your listening style (which is also possible).
 
Very well said, I know many people who haven't upgraded their HD650/HD6XX/HD600 to HD800S for same reason.

They didn't like it's tonality, they liked the more detailed sound but not at the cost of their preferred sound signature.
 
Okay, so I don't have the the HD599 SE and neither do I have the DEVA and there is no way I can audition either can. I have a friend who has the DEVA but he is in a different state and thus the possibility for me to try them is non-existent at this point. For me the problem and quibble is that reviews make little sense to me and I need to listen to audio equipment to know if I'm liking it. If I do, it's a keeper.

Thus, I have ordered both the HD 599 SE and the DEVA and I'll see which one I like. Maybe I'll keep both or just gift one to my girlfriend. Also, my listening is largely on speakers so I'm interested to know how Planar HPs sound for my occasional night time only HP listening sessions.

Right, 4 things ordered today:

1. Sennheiser HD599 SE
2. HiFiMan DEVA
3. Marantz PM5005 (This I need to power another stereo setup at home)
4. Sony DVP-SR520P DVD Player (Needed something to play my old Audio CDs)
 
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