Image credit @zhugunic https://drop.com/talk/67372/gl-2-k
Do I need an amp? What are these acronyms like DAC, DSP, or DSD? What even are all the components that make up an audio chain? Let’s take a beginner’s look at the core, essential building blocks of a digital audio chain, and lay it plain what each piece does. We can cover the major pieces separately, but I’ll still include a few tips to optimize playback here. Please hit the little bookmark button and feel free to check and share this guide whenever you need a reference!
For people who need a visual and audible explanation, or are worried it would take too long to get a working knowledge of the audio chain, here is my YouTube video on this subject that is just 7 minutes long! I like writing though, so let’s get started with an overview, then break it down into what each piece does and how an upgrade would benefit the final sound quality.
Signal Path
Image credit @SpeleoFool https://drop...
New Feature—Product Tagging in Photos (+ Giveaway! - Audio Rigs Edition)
Ahoy, audiophiles! Hot on the heels of the launch event for the mech keys community, we are kicking off the Audiophile Rigs product tagging launch event (with a bonus giveaway for those who participate!).
Check out all the Rigs submissions thus far! Audiophile Rigs
What’s this about a giveaway?
More details can be found at the end! The short version: we will be giving away $100 Drop Rewards credit to one lucky winner (randomly selected) from all participating users who contribute and tag their Audiophile photos using the "Rigs" flair! In order to be eligible for giveaway prizes, your photo must include at least two tagged items (not required to be Drop products—see Tagging Non-Drop Products below). Post must be made in the first two weeks (by 2023-05-10 11:59PM PT) in order to be entered.
What is Product Tagging in Photos?
Product tagging allows you to tag any products in a Photo post—both those found on Drop currently, as well as write-ins that will be manually approved and...
OK... I am going thru forums, reading and watching reviews for DAC/AMP combo for my pc and... seriously i do not know which one to choose. Here is my 'wish list'... maybe you can help...
Main goal is to... like everybody i guess: listen to music / watch movies / gaming. Gaming is priority. I am not audiophile (sorry). But I do appreciate good sound quality.
Wish List:
will not 'break the bank' - preferable under $200...
I would prefer it to have mic input but it is not a 'must' requirement.
I would prefer it to be 'external' device. Not a must though. Need controls on the desk though.
I would prefer it to work 'driverless'. So... hardware-based.
I would like it to have some kind of hardware equalizer.
I would like to be able to connect (computer) speakers and headphones the same time
it does not need to be 5.1/7.1 etc. I prefer good stereo over these systems.
Does anything like this exist?
Closest to all checkmarks is Sennheiser GSX1000... i guess... not the newest technology...
Pairing up a gamer with the right headphone is a bit like playing matchmaker!
In this video, linked at the end, I boil down over 10 years of community advice into 3 Personality types:
• Competitive
• Entertainment
• Immersion
I share a few keywords to look for, as well as some software and settings suggestions. I think everyone has a little bit of each type in them, but which type is dominant for you?
Thanks to the sponsor of this video: DekoniAudio.com
Dekoni is a headphone accessories company, unique for providing frequency response graphs on their website so you know what effect their various pad options will have. Thanks also to Drop for giving me permission to share here. I hope it helps everyone!
The video:
https://youtu.be/42SRsSlIj-c
Hello everyone!
I’ve been here in Drop/Massdrop for a few years, also on Head-Fi since 2008, and I’ve seen a few common questions and gaps in knowledge over the years. So, to try answering them so that I (or you) can simply link a video when a common question comes up, I “rebooted” my YouTube channel with new videos to serve as a guide for new and intermediate personal audio enthusiasts!
Thanks for accepting my amateur production with a “shrug” and a subscribe, I’ll try to upload 1-2 videos a week and add them here as well. Go ahead and leave audio questions you think others would also want answered!
YouTube Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4bc2SQk0h2TrE0K07t2WI5by66ArtDAb
Looking for AMP and DAC combo for music listening and Gaming...
hello everyone! I have a simple yet hard question... Im pretty much new to the Audio game so sorry for my ignorance.. im looking for a AMP and DAC combo for my Sennheiser HD6XX that came in today.. I will using it for gaming and music..... a lot of music listening as well.
so what combo would the more experience audio heads recommend?
I was thinking of getting the MASSDROP CTH + SDAC DAC/AMP since it has both but again.. i dont know much so im not sure if thats even a good thing.
The original bundled cable for DT 177x GO is very stiff and makes it a Desktop Headphones instead of a Portable one.
With this, you can bring DT 177x GO anywhere you want.
First, here is the diagram.
In case if you want to make a balanced cable with 2.5mm TRRS plug, you can refer to the following. Thanks to @DeepSpaceus for suggestion to add balanced.
You can use 4-pin XLR to TRRS adapter to connect to balanced desktop amp.
https://drop.com/buy/drop-4-pin-xlr-to-trrs-adapter
Now with these diagrams you should be able to create your own custom cable/adapter.
Here is what I made.
!!! I find the photos are not properly displayed, please click on each photo to get the whole picture.
Here are what I had to prepare.
1 x TA4F 4-pin Connector
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BravoPro-TA4F-4-pin-Connector-for-Shure-Wireless-Systems-Black/303298557896
1 x 3.5mm Female TRS Connector
https://www.ebay.com...
I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard a conversation about amplifier power go like this: “I hear that B&W speakers need at least 400W,” or, “I heard that Paradigm speakers are very power-hungry.”
The fact is, there IS a way to figure out how much power your speakers will need and how to pair an amplifier with the speakers you already own or are looking to purchase.
To determine the amplifier power, you will need the following items:
Speaker sensitivity specification (typically dB SPL /1W /1m)
Number of speakers you are using
Distance from speaker(s)
How loud do you want your music to sound, for general reference
70-80dB for speech only
80-95dB for light music
95-110dB for heavy music
Rules to Remember
Every time you double power or double the number of speakers, you increase the sound pressure level (SPL) by 3dB.
Every time you double the distance from the speaker, you decrease SPL by 6dB.
A speaker specification of 95 dB SPL/1W/1m means that at 1W of power, the...
Going through some preset
https://sonuscore.com/shop/elysion
What is future? How does your universe sound? What does infinity mean?
Elysion is our big answer to big questions! A huge and incredibly fast scoring tool, perfectionated to fill the space with inspiration. Score the future and experience the infinite sound cosmos - Elysion unfolds just on a fingertip.
Elysion is built on handcrafted processed and synthetic sounds, treated like acoustic instruments
Elysion sets a new level of hybrid composing: incredibly simple and outrageously beautiful
Elysion forms the new massive hybrid twin to THE ORCHESTRA
142 playable instruments // over 230 complex animated themes
#udizisser #Elysion #sonuscore
https://www.facebook.com/UDiAudio
https://www.facebook.com/groups/UDiAudioGroup
https://www.udizisser.com/
http://myaudio.studio
Arturia 3 delays You'll Actually Use - Full Tutorial
Subscribe and get updates when I upload new stuff or stream live: https://www.youtube.com/c/udiaudio
This is a long video.. so jump ahead if you like
1:45 Delay MEMORY-BRIGADE
8:35 Tape 201
17:05 Delay ETERNITY
Buy: https://www.pluginboutique.com/manufacturers/77-Arturia/?a_aid=5c10a674bb2d9
If you enjoy my tutorials and reviews and want to support me you can do so with Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/zisser
https://www.facebook.com/UDiAudio
https://www.facebook.com/groups/UDiAudioGroup
https://www.udizisser.com/
http://myaudio.studio
Want better sound quality and more volume from your iPhone/laptop/MP3 player? You need a DAC.
What is a DAC?
A DAC, or digital-to-analog converter, converts digitally-stored information into the analog sound that we can hear. A USB DAC is like an external sound card that can easily be plugged into your PC, laptop, tablet, phone or other music player.
Why does a signal need to be converted at all?
The original analog sound made by our favorite bands is recreated in a digital format, for storing convenience. While computers can understand these digital signals, we humans (I'm making an assumption here about our readership) cannot, nor can your speakers or headphones. So before we can listen to it, the digital signal needs to be returned to analog. A standard DAC is built into laptops and music players. However: the better the DAC, the higher quality the conversion, and therefore the better sound you’ll hear from your speakers or headphones.
I’ve never used a DAC before, so why...
Product specifications often list the signal-to-noise ratio, sometimes written as "SNR" or "S/N," but what does it mean? While the math behind SNR is technical, the concept is not, and this value can impact a system's overall sound quality.
SNR compares the level of a signal to the level of noise. In other words, it compares the ratio between the relevant (wanted) and the irrelevant (unwanted) information. It is most often expressed as a measurement of decibels (dB). Higher numbers generally mean a better sound quality, since there is more useful information (the signal) than there is unwanted data (the noise).
A decibel is a logarithmic ratio in which every 20 dB represents a factor of 10. For example, going from 80dB to 100dB means increasing by 10 times. This means that an audio component having an SNR of 100 dB will have 10 times less noise than one that has 80 dB. The chart below shows how different dB ratios actually compute.
For illustration, let's say that...
Back when I visited CanJam NYC in 2016, I got to talking to the two founding members of Bluewave, and had an extended conversation and demo of their soon-to-release Bluetooth receiver/DAC/Amp, the GET. They argued that the quality of Bluetooth has reached a point where the internal components used had a bigger impact on the final sound quality than the fact that it was wireless, and their device would have better sound quality than the headphone jack in my smartphone. I thought this was an interesting challenge, and I had to research and rethink my perspective on Bluetooth audio.
You see, Bluetooth is a digital transmission, so it bypasses capacitance and EMI factors of headphone cables. Then, the Bluetooth receiver must then use a DSP (like a computer) to decode and decompress the transmission, a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) and an Amplifier before outputting to the headphone transducer (speaker). When you buy a Bluetooth receiver, you’re also buying a DAC and an amp! With a...
G’day Drop pundits!
I am ‘whitedragem’, an Australian ‘technologist/geek’ who is here to offer some common, and some uncommon knowledge, to help those wanting to build a vast audio library filled with high quality sound files.
CDs? Yes CDs => as they will allow ripping onto just about any audio playback device, usually via a computer and specific software; that allows album art/tags, heck even lyrics, to live with your High Def master files.
Why CDs? Because they can be bought second hand for less than a dollar, and if the average user spent $10-15 dollars a month (equivalent to a music subscription), with the typical cost of $1-2 netting 10-20 tracks, this would equate to having a large collection of lossless music, in a relatively short amount of time.
A collection that can jump ecosystems (say ‘from iTunes’) to any future equipment that a user may consider, whilst also giving file freedoms, like ‘mixing’ into iMovie..
This header is a placeholder. The article will form over...
Hello, to preface, I've at one point owned Massdrop x Fostex TR-X00 Ebony, TH-X00 Mahogany, E-Mu Teak, and Denon AH-D2000. To be honest I actually have no issue with their stock pads in terms of comfort, but the reason why I dive into this pad swap journey is because my AH-D2000 is getting old the and old pads are flaking/dying. Denon AH-D2000 is also discontinued so now I'm out of luck finding OEM pads, so I've been trying different 3rd party pads and when I do I'd try them on the other headphones too.
IN SHORT, STOCK PAD HAS THE BEST SOUND HANDS DOWN.
So if you're too lazy to keep reading, basically just stick to stock pads. But if you're curious about what other possibilities you might have (or other failures), read on. Also keep in mind that I don't own EVERY pads out there so some are just from what I read during my research, so feel free to correct me/update me if you know anything I don't know, thanks...
Looking for a way to split my DAC to Multiple Amps
Pretty simple, I want to take my DAC's output and send them to a switch/passive pre-amp that goes to one of my amps. I wouldn't run more than one DAC at a time, I would just like to be able to switch without plugging in and out. Does anyone have experience doing this?
My two DACS:
PC -> Fiber Optic -> Modi 2U
CD Player -> USB -> Massdrop O2 + SDAC
My Amps:
SMSL SA 98-E -> Speakers
Little Dot MK III
JDS Labs Atom
Depending on what I am listening too, I switch my preference of amps.
So I am basically looking for a 2 input / 3 output switch. I don't want to degrade the audio quality all that much though. Does anyone have experience with any of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Nobsound-Audio-Selector-Bluetooth-Amplifier/dp/B07CGF5RZF/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=passive+preamp&qid=1555863076&s=gateway&sr=8-7
https://www.phonopreamps.com/tc716pp.html
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Stereo-4-IN-2-OUT-RCA-Audio-Signal-Splitter-Switcher-Selector-Passive-Preamp/263311871452...
Hi. Recently purchased the Mitchell & Johnson JP1 headphones off Massdrop, am replacing the pads but have been unable to find ANYTHING around good cable upgrades for them? It might be due to the plugs this cable requires. Would appreciate any experienced feedback? Thanks, Pinthrift
I have now been sent two pair of the Focal Elex and for some reason they don't work well with this portable device. Can someone give me some insite into what may be the problem. When the bass is played it crackles. Massdrop is letting me send them back but I wanted to see if I'm doing anything wrong. Any ideas?
How connect Massdrop x Alex Cavalli Tube Hybrid Amp (CTH)
Does a cable come with this amp that will connect to an iMac?
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