No, I want to, it just seems like the best headphone for me to consider right now
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I was talking to Goldensound about those new ISOUSB211 chips from Texas Instruments after I had really good results with mine and he said he ran a bunch of measurements on them and said they’re as good or better than literally all of the past USB isolator options and by a pretty considerable amount and the only ones that came close were fully battery power decoupling isolators that were massive and had to be charged separately.
Just as an inline isolator it’s really really good, but injecting some clean battery power can have some wild results depending on what’s on the receiving end. In combination with dongle DACs, it’s hilarious how capable it can make them. Some run of the mill dongles straight outperform sub $1000 desktop stacks and combo units with those isolators.
Also, there’s these: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256808956694621.html basically the same as the Altor.
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Hoping it fixes some noise I’m having somewhere in my system, I built my PC specifically for low noise and high quality power so I really wonder how much of a true problem solver it will end up being, I don’t doubt it’ll improve sq, I just wonder if it will actually solve my hum issue lol. I really should look into proper power filtering as well or just a regenerator, I’m just hoping something like this will be an easy/cheat fix lol. I know some part of my interface pulls power from USB so I expect it to be reasonably impactful
Tried an idefender I found laying around and it didn’t solve the problem, but that’s not anywhere near the performance of a true isolator. It just makes me wonder if it truly really is a loop, or just dirty power. It’s probably a combination of both, I dont have a good way to test some of the ways I’m getting noise
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I chased what I thought (assumed) was a USB issue for weeks in the system on my desk (I use it for direct computer audio), including using isolators, nothing helped.
Turned out to be a component placement issue, at some point I’d moved something else on my desk, and the DAC or maybe a cable was picking up power noise.
Probably not the same thing, but it’s funny how we get fixated on a particular cause.
If it’s 60Hz hum I wouldn’t jump to power supply issue, anything on the output of a PSU is more likely to be 120Hz, because the rectifier doubles the frequency.
60Hz is either Ground Noise, or RF, an isolator will most likely help with neither of those.
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It’s tough, I’ll play around with moving things around more when I get home, I’m reluctant to move too much but I just have to see what I can do. The biggest issue I have right now is noise in a mic preamp into an ADC and it only really is noticable on some of my lower output mics, I need to experiment more with physical placement and cable routing, I’ve tried to really optimize power in terms of what they’re plugged into and routing but I could likely do better so I’ll mess around more tonight. I do hear a very slight hum in my hp amp, something that’s kinda volume independant so that’s what also makes me wonder if it’s grounding but it’s not really as big an issue as it is with the preamp
I know that I shouldn’t be hopeful with this device solving my problem, I already am convinced it won’t, but I’ve like to believe still lol. But I do want to improve the sound of my current setup in the meantime and this gives me a cheap thing to play with a bit and potentially get a bump from
I’ll be getting a new mic soon which could’ve been new dac/HP/power filter money but I’d like to just get that settled fully first before I mess with my listening chain again
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In searching for new XLR analogue interconnects, I came across these Robson Acoustics Argenti Ultras on special as they were ex-demo.
A few years ago, I auditioned a Robson Acoustics amp and headphone cable; the latter of which I had forgotten about. My enduring memory about that headphone cable was that it was an across the board upgrade for my then primary headphone, HE1000se, sporting a half decent aftermarket OCC copper cable.
The cable was designed for Susvara. Rob of Robson Acoustics claimed that, although he has vastly more expensive lines of cables, it was his Argenti Ultra spec, but with a slightly higher gauge wire, that paired perfectly with Susvara.
Without copying and pasting the spec here, there’s nothing new about UP-OCC copper but where Rob claims to separate himself from the pack is “deep” cryo treatment, and his reasonably elaborate layers of dielectric and electrical shielding. I’m sure his standard 200 hr burn-in helps, too.
When I saw the interconnects at a reasonable price on eBay I reached out about getting a headphone cable after failing to acquire an Eletech Inferno a few days earlier. He informed me that the headphone cable I auditioned was almost the same spec as the XLRs and so we struck a deal. I previously didn’t buy a headphone cable off Rob as I couldn’t fathom spending near £500 on one, but I have since broken that mental barrier, for good or ill…
He couldn’t offer the same burn-in service on the headphone cable as he doesn’t have a cable cooker with the right adapters, and so I have begun a 100 hr burn-in. Though I will reserve judgement until the 200 mark. The cable isn’t that great ergonomically, but I’m looking forward to hearing it non-the-less.
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My SU-6 arrived! Not sure what kind of warm up I should observe before attempting to appreciate the upgrade, but it is now on and shall stay so.
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Well said, very well said. Congratulations on the new cable, much enjoyment to you. These monetary barriers are a real thing for me too. I very much like how eloquently you stated and clarified a very difficult to comprehend concept and genuinely difficult situation people face so often. 
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Still waiting for this comparison 
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Pontus II landed the other day. Gave it a good 48 hrs to warm up before sitting down with it. Unfortunately my Ares II 12th sold at the same time that I bought the Pontus so I wasn’t able to compare their performance or difference in signature (what I was more interested in). I ended up plugging in the CMA Twelve Master as a more neutral reference.
I was surprised that, even with the colouration of the THR-1, the Pontus II (stock tuning) didn’t come across too warm to my ear. I did though find that, although the sonic images were better separated than the Questyle, the images weren’t as well defined on the Pontus - tuning or SNR difference? Could be both, or possible DAC/amp synergy.
Still, the Pontus sounds good. A little upset that I can’t upgrade the firmware as I thought …though, this gave me an excuse to purchase a Cyan 2. Should be here this week 
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I’m back for some more Oppoty & Driams with my second Z300.
I realised that, on my IEM journey over the past year, Z300 may be my favourite set; or at least one of. I went right up to the £3k mark with IEMs but £25 is all I need to enjoy music from IEMs.
I clocked that the Z300 has been seen less and less new of late. I became worried that I wouldn’t be able to get another Z300 if I ever lost my first set. Even worse was the only model I could now find is in the god awful gold colourway. Still, pennies for the sonic quality the Z300 delivers. Good excuse to buy an inexpensive balanced cable for it too so I can run it on more of my sources.
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There is just something they do with bass that is really satisfying and they might not be that detailed, but they’re so inoffensive that you can just listen to them all day and crank them plenty loud without any fatigue. I got mine in the very first drop and I still pull them out constantly because they’re such a good contrast to most of my other sets.
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I love listening to everything on Z300 but tend to run them off a neutral source and listen to stuff like David Gilmore. Great set.
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Because it’s hard to have too many DAPs, I picked this up 1/3 off on AliExpress. WT’s review was quite positive but I was particularly interested when he stated that it can drive many full size headphones well, as, in my opinion, many DAPs can’t even drive Timeless well, let alone full size headphones.
I’m happy to report that a few tracks in, it is driving Timeless well. I don’t intend to drive anything more challenging than my old favourite planar IEM. This is powerful enough, pretty neutrally tuned, has decent battery life (allegedly) and has much of the functionality that I have come to appreciate of Hiby DAPs. I think this one is a keeper.
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A few more deliveries. This weighty piece is more handsome in person - pictures don’t do it justice. Plugged in and warming up.
And then another piece of entertainment I’m looking forward to getting stuck into. Unfortunately my multi-day stag do (bachelor party) begins in a matter of hours and so it’ll be at least a week until I get to play with the these new toys…
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This came today courtesy of B&H (was on sale), haven’t set it up yet but I’m looking forward to it! I still need to get a monitor, I have an older 20 in one but that won’t be my long term one. Audio related since it’s my desktop source, and for much more than music! it should be very fast (for me anyway), and has plenty of I/O options. Replaces 27in iMac (mid-2017). Which Apple just dropped support for. 
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@Go-Kart Is this your stag do? If so, congratulations!
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It is! Thanks, dude. I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m going to be put on stage to play a gig that I am not prepared for at some point over the next few days, amongst other things… That’s the kind of fun/torture my friends will hope to subject me to 
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A preemptive congrats!
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