Recent content by PieterG

Speakers or headphones? My idea is that quality headphones tend to reveal more of the componentry between the source and the output. My two DAC/amps have ESS chipsets but sound different with headphones. I suppose there are more important actors than the DAC when you consider a speaker setup...

The setup you're after is similar to mine. The K9 AKM version is a solid choice and should pair well with resolving open back headphones like the Sennheiser 6xx models. I considered the K15 for my setup. It's described as more neutral and detailed, has a more recent architecture and some...

If you need very portable audio, take a look at the products from Ifi. You can get a DAC/amp that slips into your laptop bag. It replaces your built-in audio chip and acts as an external one. A desktop setup - less portable - will generally give you more high quality options. I'm thinking of...

I immediately thought of big consumer electronics brands as potential buyers. Sony might be a good candidate. They have their own top tier wireless cans and Audeze as a boutique high end brand. Sennheiser would fit, and the brand philosophy and heritage could be preserved. Others that come to...

That's unfortunate. Glad you can enjoy music in good quality nonetheless. I had not heard that about the FT1. What are your thoughts on the FT7 in that regard? And in general? I'd like to get those some time soon.

My DAP is from several years ago: a Fiio M9 paired with F9pro IEMs on a 2.5mm balanced output. It opened my eyes (and ears) to high quality digital music and i still find that it's my best allround setup. It's the benchmark to which i compare all other hifi gear i try. It has one major...

For me it's the Fiio FT7. I'd like to try it out before spending that kind of cash, but we don't have that kind of local dealer network in Belgium. I've been thinking about ordering one, but it feels like a gamble compared to "certainties" like Sennheiser HD650 or planars in its price range...

Actually the resistor ladder architecture is fairly old. It was this type of DAC they put into cd players. The modern versions that have become so popular are much more accurate thanks to their state of the art "digital brain" (an FPGA). I like the sound too. It simply didn't pair very well...

This sounds like a very expensive trap. Your speakers may already be good enough. Based on personal experience, i'd say the biggest sound improvements are most likely in the room, not the speakers. Mine are set up in the living room, which i know has too much open space and hard reflective...

I'd say yes. Speakers depend so heavily on room interaction. Headphones are way more direct. I also agree that they are two distinct listening experiences that each have their own place.

FYI: just tested foobar2000 (v2.25.5) on Win11. When i set the output device to my USB-connected DAC in exclusive mode, its display confirms 24bit/96kHz playback. It's the first time i play local flac files. I've been playing through the Tidal app on this machine for several weeks. No problem...

+1 for sound quality (availability matters too - only a few things so far i have searched but not found)

Parametric EQ is quite detailed and even less obvious than graphic EQ. Fortunately a quick AI search goes a long way. For what it's worth, i don't use EQ with headphones either, only with my speakers. It can be fun to play with the presets but most of them are too much.

What leaps out at me from your pictures is the massive -12dB overall and the +9.7dB in deep bass. Those are not exactly subtle tweaks. I wouldn't be surprised if your excellent HD600 now sound like a JBL bluetooth speaker ;) Nothing wrong with that, but designed to be exciting from low listening...

The Cocktail has a display that shows stream format, right? If it plays Tidal without resampling, a hi-res stream should appear as something like PCM 24bit/96kHz. (That's assuming you picked a 24/96 source of course...)