By simplest do you mean because it’s less expensive than one that’s relay based?
Cheaper, no power required
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When I had that issue between my Yggy and my Nautilus, I bought a couple of Shure XLR attenuators from Amazon. Probably cheaper than a pre and you can easily return them if you don’t like them.
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Oh I totally forgot those existed. It looks promising. I’ll check it out too, thanks
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Just browsing through other brands, but for reference which setting do you use yours mostly?
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I guess another hacked-together solution would be to adapt your headphones to 4.4mm, attach an IEMatch, then adapt back to XLR, lol. That can’t actually be a good idea, right?
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I have 100% used an iematch for over ears. Its actualy not as bad as you would imagine with most stuff
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I’m out of town so I can’t check, but I think I used the minimum or middle setting. I went through all the options with Justin at Ampsandsound and he recommended the attenuators over a passive preamp because I didn’t need to keep adjusting the volume, I just needed to cut the volume as a one time thing.
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Do I understand correctly that you just put two of those between the DAC and amp (one per cable) and can cut volume by 20db?
Sounds like something I might need very soon as well…
Anybody know if this measures reasonably? No added noise distortion etc to the sound quality?
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Impact should be minimal, better than a passive pre. It’ll just be a voltage divider.
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Here’s a link to the attenuators I used. They worked really well IMO.
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This is assuming your cables runs are sub 1m or so. You will het mesurable roll if your cable length is too long
And you need to keep in mind the input impedance as well, am I right (to make sure it’s not too low)?
Respected members of the forum - who can shed light what can I expect if I upgrade from the spring 3 to the Rockna Wavedream balanced available at head-fi and how will that sinergize with my Enleum and WA33 (arriving today!)?
Main headphones are still Susvara Atrium and VC but I’m working out a deal on the 1266 maybe as well…
Thanks!
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Unable to comment as I am frequently and rightfully disrespected on this forum.
I can however point you to this well stocked article if you haven’t already read through the PT 2 Dac Comparison. Short High End DAC Comparison, PT.2 – Sonvs Apparatvs
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I have and can’t make of it between the Wavedream (that’s in pt1) and spring which is barely mentioned in pt2
I respect all feedback and thoughts 
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Haha. @dB_Cooper is respected plenty. Just don’t tell him, we don’t want him to get a big head.
I haven’t heard the Spring, but Wavedream is technical, very detailed and dynamic. It isn’t warm or “full bodied” like many describe the spring. But it has more tonal density and a fuller body than, say, a Chord Dave (which I have heard). I pair a Wavedream with a Bakoon 13R and I think it’s a good match. But of course it’s the best DAC I’ve paired with the Bakoon, so hard to say if there is good synergy. I think there is.
There’s enough equivocation here to sink a ship, I know. 
. But it’s all I’ve got, lol.
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Well considering I have the Enleum that’s good news. Thanks for the input!
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I’ve not heard either, would trust @M0N descriptions. There’s a lot of piecemeal in the forum about the Spring 3 and from what he’s already said, that it’s what he prefers from the value standpoint.
TBH so much of the higher end sound has to do with synergy, the descriptors do help and I’ve been able to put together a very well synnergized system based on recommendations from M0N. The one thing I have done for myself over the years is really identify what signatures I like, the qualities I enjoy most and I think that’s why I wound up with the system I did. Not necessarily because I was looking for one piece of gear over another.
…and that’s the contribution I’m trying to make here but failing at so far. lol There is little crap gear after a certain level which most of these DACs are at. Even given a DAC that doesn’t suit your preferences, it can to a good degree be steered that way with the right amp and the right transducer and with the right cabling. There’s actually a good bit of wiggle room that allows for tailoring the sound.
The hard part is knowing what you like and what you’re looking for and then having some non negotiable starting point piece of gear that you’re basing all of the other components in the chain around.
The rest is easy when you’ve got the right guidance. 
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Good thoughts!
Also, it gets confused by value vs absolute performance.
At MSRP one DAC might be higher performing than another. But if lower performing DAC A sells used for much less than DAC B the value might actually be with DAC A at used prices.
Clear as mud? 
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