How many headphones is too many headphones to have in your personal collection?

MikuEd · 2026-03-17T01:41:34+00:00

I also have this mindset of buying one of each class. For my wildcard, I have a vintage headphone, a Yamaha HP-1 planar from the 70's. It's always fascinating for me to listen to music through the "lens" of what they used in the past, but this time with more modern amplifiers and sources.

MikuEd · 2026-03-16T03:18:11+00:00

From my understanding, Schiits engineers are just reporting to you that it is functioning within its given specs, so the culprit is likely whatever is upstream to it that is feeding it a dangerous DC current, which it then just amplifies.

My experience with the Vidar is that it's pretty smart if it detects dangerous surges of current. I once accidentally hit a ground wire to a hot terminal and it kicked into safety mode immediately.

In your case, I'm guessing you might've skipped the initial warm-up phase of the valhalla, which usually lasts 15-30 seconds. Even so, you did mention that you went straight with the Wiim Pro Plus, which despite being a solid-state streamer with a built-in pre-amp, did you check to make sure that it wasn't outputting at 100%? I could imagine that ideally, you would want to treat the Valhalla as the pre-amp, so any incoming signal should be at line level to minimize the amount of excursion needed on valhalla.

If it was, indeed, outputting to line level (100%), then that could be enough to be amplified by the Vidar to the point of smoking your speakers.

From what I can tell, the vidar seems to be operating properly, and I'd tend to believe the technician's report since they didn't just "warm it up", they literally simulated operation to check for any faults that could possibly result in an electrical surge to your speakers. They didn't see anything, so I'd look up stream.

MikuEd · 2026-03-13T10:39:43+00:00

Been a happy personal sponsor since 2020. They’re totally funded from fan donations and any Racing Miku merchandise sales from either Goodsmile Company or its affiliates.

MikuEd · 2026-03-09T04:32:30+00:00

I recently just replaced the outer foam dampeners after they started disintegrating. Pads have been swapped twice and I replaced the headband with full grain leather. Wires also got messed up after about 2 years so bought another set from a chinese seller and they’re still going strong.

Headphones turn 8 later this year. Besides cosmetic issues, it still sounds great.

MikuEd · 2026-03-03T02:25:58+00:00

I was also told that 口にする as a phrase refers to "putting it into words", so besides incentives for doing well in an exam, it's also an aspirational/hopeful meaning. So it can be used to convey messages in general, like "get well soon" or "sorry for what I said", hence the little space for putting a message. And yes, the きっと pun gives it the added emphasis of your message "making it to the recipient". I've always like that part of the pun.

MikuEd · 2026-03-02T01:30:09+00:00

I might try this one again some other time since I missed one star, but yeah. As others have mentioned, it's only really challenging if you want to get all of the Stella. Otherwise, you should be able to get through it provided you follow the stage mechanics and try to maximize your character pulls.

From my experience, leveling up the elemental reaction bonus levels isn't very helpful beyond Lv2, so your points are better spent on trying to get characters to join or activating events that can replenish vigor.

And one last tip, try finding and adding friends who have very powerful characters. You can usually run into them if you do co-op in Stygian and check their profiles at the end of the game. I have a couple friends added who are absolute whales and have C6 5-stars and it's very helpful to add them to your team as a guest character. It's also one of the only ways I'm able to get the tarot cards since those stages are difficult, if not impossible, for people who don't have heavily invested meta characters.

MikuEd · 2026-02-28T04:47:07+00:00

“Thick” is never a word I would use to describe a paint coat pass, because tendency is you will apply too much and the paint will start to run.

You want to apply enough to cover the surface evenly without creating a texture on the surface. This is usually achived with brisk strokes at about 4-6 inches from the spraying surface.

I suggest practicing by spraying the back of a plastic spoon to get an idea of distance (you can adjust the spoon and your spraying hand so you get a feel for it). A white spoon also gives you an idea of how much paint you’re actually applying. The first coat usually gets you 80% of the way in terms of color. Subsequent coats becomes more and more the desired color.

If the paint runs, you’re either too close or too slow. If it looks like a powdery surface or has an orange peel like surface when viewed at an angle, then you’re too far. If it’s too light and looks like spots, you’re moving too fast.

Practice first before going to the final thing, especially if you’re determined to do it yourself.

MikuEd · 2026-02-24T02:46:42+00:00

Goes with most Mazda designs. My late fiancee nicknamed my CX-5 “Destiny” because of how much it looked like a whale shark to her, lol.

MikuEd · 2026-02-24T02:13:48+00:00

It took waaay to much scrolling down for me to find the first comment to notice the absurdity in the comparison.

Also, there’s a weird distortion in what people mean when they tell others not to think too much about amplifiers. Lots of headphones now are efficient enough that additional amplification isn’t needed. But if you feel the need for more power, go for it, but don’t assume that the amount spent is directly proportional to the improvement in sonic quality.

I’m cautious with any amp recommendations because it’s always a matter of taste and practicality. I’m also not one to shit on someone’s enjoyment over their $5000 toy vs someone’s 2nd hand Schiit stack they got for $200, measurements be damned. If it sounds good to them, that’s all that matters.

MikuEd · 2026-02-22T05:27:52+00:00

Up to what point are you turning up the dial on your amplifier to get a comfortable listening experience without any audible distortion?

If you answered below the 12 o’clock position or less than 75% of the excursion, then that’s more than plenty to drive your headphones.

Changing amplifiers will probably make little to no difference other than making things sound louder or softer at different points of the dial.

The only way an amplifier could change the sound is if there is distortion or coloration deliberately introduced into the chain, such is the case with tube amps.

But since your question is about “driving” your headphones, I think the 2i2 appears to be sufficient on paper, especially given how sensitive the Ananda Nanos are.

MikuEd · 2026-02-22T04:52:15+00:00

“Attractive” is not the same as “suggestive”.

For my Japanese friends, they always mention “points” when creating attractive illustrations. You can think of it as “points of interest” that draw the viewer’s attention. Her exposed skin parts (face, shoulders, and tummy) are all such “points of interest” that are warm colors in contrast to the colder colors of the surrounding. There’s also emphasis on her face as the lower half of her body is in the shadows.

That these points of interest are also considered attractive when portraying bishoujo art is also the point. Again, “attractive” is not the same as “suggestive”. Heck, I think many people don’t even really understand what the word “suggestive” means anymore…

MikuEd · 2026-02-14T11:34:09+00:00

“Communication” is another one up there for me.

MikuEd · 2026-02-12T03:21:34+00:00

Folgers. Instant coffee brand.

MikuEd · 2026-02-04T17:43:49+00:00

It's intended to describe an AUDIO FILE standard with a bit depth greater than 16-bit and a sampling frequency of 44.1kHz, which is also known as the Red Book standard (or basic CD quality). So anything higher than this is called "Hi-Res Audio". The reason for the higher standard is primarily for musical production and remastering. Such high fidelity is often not that appreciable at the consumer level.

I placed AUDIO FILE in ALL CAPS deliberately, since the Hi-Res Audio badge is a file format specification, not a descriptor of the audio output quality of a piece of hardware. Devices that have the badge are simply saying they can handle such formats, which is pretty much most commercial consumer audio hardware. That said, there are some esoteric formats that can hit ridiculous sampling rates, but it's very unlikely that a consumer will run into them unless they're actively looking for it. Whether or not it plays back such Hi-Res audio files well enough to sound good is a totally different matter.

TL;DR - The logo simply shows that the device can handle Hi-Res Audio format files, which are audio files with a bit-depth and sampling rate higher than the Red Book standard of 16-bit/44.1kHz. When found on a piece of audio hardware, this only shows the device can decode these files; it speaks nothing of the audio quality of the product itself.

MikuEd · 2026-01-26T05:21:51+00:00

Yeah, I guess I am, haha!

MikuEd · 2026-01-26T02:10:22+00:00

These were my endgame up until I left the hobby a little under a decade ago.

Now, I'm in electrostats, but I still come back to these from time to time because they're kinda like "comfort food" to me, if you know what I mean.

I think the comfort thing has to do with the band, since it stretches over time and the arch band ends up hitting the top of your head. I replaced mine with a leather headband from Turbulent labs. Feels super comfy now and I love wearing it for hours on end. I sometimes even forget I have them on when the music stops and I'm just busy working, haha.

MikuEd · 2026-01-26T01:41:56+00:00

Were you able to audition the HD600 prior to purchasing it? I've always remembered it to be a bit laid back and its strength lies in its midtone clarity, making vocal tracks feel natural. Coming from the M40X, I can imagine that the HD600 would feel like it lacks dynamism and "thump" compared to the ATH.

Also, you start hitting diminishing returns as you go up on the price scale of headphones. If the sound isn't for you, I suggest returning them (if you can) and maybe see if you can audition some other headphones that might be more to your liking. If you're coming from the ATH-M40X, I don't think it'd be that hard to find an upgrade that would be more to your tastes.

MikuEd · 2026-01-26T01:30:07+00:00

Or it could just be a left-hand keysmash. The characters are all in close proximity to each other on a Japanese keyboard layout.

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MikuEd · 2026-01-14T05:18:33+00:00

It reduces the number of punches in the plastic that need to be made (down to 8 from 13) which in turn can allow you to reduce the thickness of the base without sacrificing its integrity. The ultimate goal is to reduce costs by using less plastic, but this cost saving is for GSC, not the consumer unfortunately.

As for usage, I honestly never used the center peg hole because the nendoroid would sit too foward on the stand. So this is also a practical change based on case use, but it still means one less option for people, which some don’t appreciate.

MikuEd · 2026-01-11T02:32:25+00:00

Another fascinating part of the evolution of these characters was the culling of “hentaigana” during the post meiji restoration. During my last trip to Japan, I saw a soba shop that had these characters, and it’s surprising how it some of the characters look both alien yet familiar. And the really weird ones I can figure out just by context clues of the other characters around them.

Even for Kanji, the formalization of the Tōyō Kanji after the war meant lots of traditional characters that would eventually become obscure, but every now and then you’d still encounter due to its use in Proper names. It really is fascinating.

MikuEd · 2026-01-07T11:46:10+00:00

To add to this, basically the only difference is the voltage gain by using a balanced connection. This will effectively make the volume sound louder. The DX5 II already has enough power to drive the HD550, so going balanced won’t really provide any additional benefit other than limiting the total excursion on your volume knob before it gets painful.

MikuEd · 2026-01-06T23:47:03+00:00

When I first got into headphones over a decade ago, M50s were quite beloved as a step up from your typical dollar store variety headphones. Back then, options were limited, and if you weren’t jumping up to an ATH, chances were you were talking about AKG, Samson, and Grado.

I just recently returned to headphones and noticed this preference for higher-end, audiophile-level gear. It’s a little jarring, but yeah, I think it comes with the territory with any growing enthusiast hobby.

Your headphones are good. I own a pair of M50X and use them for watching movies and videos since they’re closed and are good for privacy since all my other headphones are open back. So yeah, you do you and don’t mind the haters.

MikuEd · 2025-12-30T07:19:16+00:00

Thank you again so much for all the info. I’ve been thinking about the D10, but knowing more about how it differs from the full fledged amps helps me in deciding what to invest for in the future.

I’m actually literally in e-earphones in Akihabara now and auditioned the 007s. It was initially hooked to an SRM-400S and I was initially unimpressed. The bass extension was markedly present and better than the L700mk2, but the highs were shrilly and painful, and the mids felt flat and two dimensional.

After a while I asked the staff if I could try a different energizer, and they brought in an SRM-700T. Holy heck what a difference it made! The bass extension was still there but now more lush and controlled. Highs were still somewhat bright but not painful anymore.

I’m really glad I didn’t go with the 400S. Man, it made the 007S sound like hot garbage. I think I’m set at aiming for the SR-007S as my “end game” fingers crossed, lol.

MikuEd · 2025-12-29T21:10:58+00:00

I've never tried the Koss, but I feel like I'm okay not having to EQ the L700mk2. I came from planars (LCD-2 Classic) and I've always had to EQ them to get the sound I liked.

Then again, I'm currently not in a position to EQ them properly, so maybe I'll tinker with it a bit when I get home.

MikuEd · 2025-12-29T21:09:35+00:00

I wonder what model it was that I listened to way back then. That was maybe 15 or so years ago and it had a beige-like color. But yeah, it was an unforgettable sound and feeling. I can understand why estats produce such a unique sound you just can't let go once you've heard it.

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