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if you really like the headfive, go for it! Why bother finding a local substitute? Plus, sometimes the wait can be very enjoyable. Even more fun then after you get it. Roasty seems to have had a good experience - when his headfive did not arrive he got another one sent to him..

Walk around Sim Lim Tower...I bought mine there. Dirt cheap also

Is there a set for Little dot II+?

thanks guys. I'll go check the shops out.

Hi guys, going to migrate my CD collection and I need to get a good cd carrier for up to 200cds. Any ideas where to get a good one that isn't too bulky? Something like this http://www.amazon.com/Case-Logic-Nylon-208...t/dp/B00005ATMF, but preferably with a hard outer shell so that my cds will be safe. Thanks in advance!

The last time I used to encode into MP3 format, Lame was quite popular. It's a VBR format so it isn't fixed, but generally you can choose the quality. http://lame.sourceforge.net/about.html To add to scanfield's comments, it also depends on the quality of your source. If you tap from a true line-out to a good amp. Scaling upwards will give you a noticeable improvement. If you just tap from headphone out, you might still get an improvement, but maybe not so obvious. I use ALAC.

If my guess is correct, stussyking is referring to the new vpost restrictions. My take is that vpost is just being cautious due to the rise in lithium batteries from Dell/Sony exploding. I don't think it's a specific US customs thing. I just shipped my ipod to the USA with no problems. Best bet is to find a retailer that can ship to you directly, w/o vpost. should be ok.

I just bought this 2nd hand for $350. http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?...%28Version+2%29 There a short excerpt there (in .pdf) comparing this player to the NAD521BEE and the Marantz 5001 you're considering. My impression of the 540cV2 is that it's fantastic for symphonies and other pieces with alot of detail. However, with vocals not so good. You might find it's just right with your tube amp though. Just from a casual read there, it looks like the NAD521BEE might suit jazz and vocals, with a 'rounded, fluid sound'. One selling at echoloft, http://www.echoloft.com/cgi-bin/buysell/Ya...&num=1158243289, but looks quite well used, plus the seller lives in Bukit Gombak, so I didn't bother. A Marantz cd6000ose for $350. http://www.echoloft.com/cgi-bin/buysell/Ya...&num=1158258621. good idea too. all well within your budget.

in my opinion, cds will definitely not become obsolete, at least not in my lifetime. It's very well established, much better than the casette tape ever was, plus an album doesn't need that much storage space anyway, so moving to DVD makes no sense. Attempts to move to a smaller interface like the MD didn't exactly work either. The trend nowadays is not to change formats from CD to something else, but to bypass this altogether through online sales of music, which, as we know, is still well below par in terms of music quality. sacds and dvd audio are already here, but limited only to the audiophile market. I say just go for a cd player. I just bought one.

Just spent 1/2 hour finding for this post. Very useful imho. Mods do you think this (or one with a new subject with nakedtoe's/mackie's instructions) could be stickied in the FAQs section?

any update as to what is happening to the extra money we paid for the boards? Are the buffers stil being made? just wondering.

http://www.fixup.net/talk/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1966 I'm so depressed. Sold my supermini III for the supermini IV. Now you can get free upgrade from III to IV. Throw money away like that...心痛 oops..

They do. I spoke to the boss he told me they could do it with 2 really thick belden cables (cannot remember the number) and connect the mini part by enlarging the hole by drilling i think..sounds cool...if you don't want that they can do it with whatever cable you want also so long as it's bought from them. How do you want the sound of your setup to change i.e. it's too warm, highs too bright, etc etc? A brief description might be useful in soliciting more responses.

using a sony D321 PCDP line out now...not bad..but I still miss my ipod.. amps are such subjective things. Put it this way. As you mentioned, for DT880, I like your amp, but for HD600, I like the twinkle...They are very different, the twinkle is detailed and faster, while Huangyong's own design (that he forgot incidentally...) is slower and more lush sounding. Sadly, I didn't listen to his amp enough to have a real impression...i'm too obsessed with the twinkle. hahah

happy birthday. study hard!

what is your setup? what type of sound do you like?

what is drum music? just drums? like the chinese drums type? For rock and jazz, I agree that grados are a good start for your budget. Go and have a listen....

i have the ipod! but sadly, i just sent it back 2 days ago for a repair. For some reason it picks up some background hiss when the volume of the amp is at max...then after that i'm going overseas...maybe in December..

if the volume doesn't change when you turn the knob...regardless of what source you are using, I think that you have a faulty amp, or at least a faulty volume pot...

thanks for the encouragement..but don't need to say until like that la...how to compare with those pros? I'm just doing soldering and wiring..no design..

"Bling Bling" hahah. For the non-purist, looks matter too you know! For example, even if the new igrados sound like heaven. you will never see me out with it...it's just too ugly... Go to university and if you study in the library with ugly interconnects, people will point at you and laugh...

in my opinion, the most cost effective place to go is LHS at simlimtower, the shop which ahdui referred to. It's on the second floor. Is your HD600 the stock cable? That could be the main bottleneck for your setup, because most people say that it's a terrible cable (I've never heard it because I bought my HD600 2nd hand with an aftermarket cable). The most cost effective option there is to get a HD650 cable. Not sure where you can get that. Maybe you can just call or email sennheiser in Singapore and tell them your HD650 cable got chewed by your dog or something...

what is THD? Xin has taken some measurements using RightMark Audio Analyzer test. Is it the same? Links are here: http://www.fixup.net/talk/topic.asp?TOPIC_...759&whichpage=1

oh yes it should be in the portable. sorry for the mistake...mods please move it..i'm using it with at home though..with my hd600.. Yes one ad8397 in the 3&4 channel socket, lmh6643 in the buffer socket, and the 'solid tube wide voltage' opamp in the L&R socket. Xin erased the opamp number on this one... How does it sound? A bit hard to describe because it changes according to the opamp. It came stock with 2xad8397 with the buffer socket bypassed. I didn't quite like this. By and large, one feature common to most opamps is the slightly warmer characteristic of this amp. It's warm but detailed, and very musical. Bass can be strong or not, just change the jumper setting. Those who are thinking of the supermacro IV, I would suggest getting a supermicro or supermini as an interesting alternative. Xin did not price them lower because they sound worse. In fact, Goto2003, a prominent figure in Xin's forum and someone who helps Xin with prototyping, has mentioned that from the start of the IV series, the supermini and supermicro sounds better than the supermacro. Xin is still prototyping the supermacro to 'catch up' (http://www.fixup.net/talk/topic.asp? TOPIC_ID=1910&whichpage=3). The supermicro is weaker because you cannot play with settings, and change opamps. The supermini because it only takes dual opamps, and settings are changed via jumpers, not external switches, so the 'pimped out' version of the supermacro (at $99usd extra) cannot be used on the supermini.

sounds like a good idea actually! I guess all you need is a multimeter to do a continuity test. no 'beep' and you're set..