Which headphones of Drop's currently available?
I have some rewards points to burn but there's no obviously good options on Drop right now for headphones Contenders Ultrasone - maybe? I don't own any Ultrasones, so curious. Looks like garbage travel headphone which could be useful also. Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro. - Maybe? I have the DT 880 Good price point, really uncomfortable headphones but could be interesting to try the upgraded version. E-MU - strong contender but $400 is a bad price point for what it is. Which of the above would you choose and why? Nothing else on Drop is relevant to my interests, because Already own 6xx 820 800 s Ether cx Garbage / Consumer grade Meze 99 - garbage bass canons, hard pass No gaming headphones obviously Sennheiser wireless - no to wireless/bluetooth Hifiman - I have 2 of drop hifimans and they make really bad cheap shit on Drop, hard pass on HE-R7DX Aeon - I own the closed, Drop refuses to address #padgate so no reason to buy open Beyerdynamic 177x - wireless, nope Too similar 8x / 560s...
Mar 28, 2024
Thanks for the input!
This unit has been up on MD before: https://www.massdrop.com/buy/appj-1502a-tube-headphone-amplifier#description It is well built for the $ and take some of the comments with a big grain of salt of course...
I first saw this upgrade here: https://www.aradiogurl.net/hhjournal/2016/06/01/gemtune-pa1502a-appj-headphone-tube-amp-mod/ and the statement: "I let my boyfriend listen to the amp while it was burning it, his eyes told me all I needed to know. Afterwards he described the experience as disturbingly HD, kinda like the first time watching a HD or 48fps movie, almost too lifelike. Goal achieved ^__^ "
Other head-fi thread link :https://www.head-fi.org/threads/any-opinions-reviews-on-gemtune-appj-pa1502a.780178/ another thread: http://www.just-hifi.com/Any-opinions-reviews-on-Gemtune-APPJ-PA1502A_10479164.html
Aradiogurl used Wima's up-sized for bass, part of the difference, you will see on the web folks putting Jupiter copper foil ones in that cost more than the amp... Many will not allow you to put the bottom cover back on and needing some spacers etc., your call. I wanted to put Mundorf SGO's in, but too big at 0.47uF to close back up. Tubes I am listening to now are 30 year old Fenders (Raytheon black plate) I got from an old Fender amp repair guy in LA along with a 12BZ7 CBS-Hytron NOS, also from eBay. Keep the old tubes as back-up / testing.
My can rig (Audiogate on a PC to the side):
Thanks again dude !
But looks like the MCaps are pretty affordable.
Everything opened up as expected, the room got bigger, little details came out and the bottom filled in; well worth it. I may still go back and put in the Mundorf SGO and deal with spacing the cover out at some point. Did this for the speaker amp PA0901A.
I used the Mundorf supreme (budget) and Silmic II because I was not finding the exact Nichicon for the bypass available at the time.
Mundorf supreme eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/0-47-uf-1000VDC-MUNDORF-M-CAP-Supreme-Capacitor-0-47-uf-600-VDC-for-Audio/192319064599?hash=item2cc71c0a17:g:H4QAAOSw2s1Uz5Na
Same fellow SGO version: https://www.ebay.com/itm/0-47-uf-1000-VDC-MUNDORF-M-CAP-Supreme-SGO-Silver-Gold-Oil-CAPACITOR/192319063460?hash=item2cc71c05a4:g:HJ8AAMXQwKdRfEsf
Elna Silmic II Digi-Key: https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/elna-america/RFS-25V102MJ8-5/604-1059-ND/970220
“ Ultimately, the softness will mitigate the mechanical vibrational energy that comes from transformers or rotating systems within the final product.” Elna
http://www.elna.co.jp/en/capacitor/onkyou/silmic.html