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Anyone got any experiences with an Mhdt Lab Constantine+ DAC? As I've mentioned before I auditioned a STAX combo which is for sale and the owner also selling the DAC as well. Or course it sounded awesome but I have nothing to compare it to. Or should I look elsewhere for a STAX?

Well, it seems the situation has changed quite a lot. Tomorrow I will audition a STAX SRM-1/MK2 SR-404 combo which is for sale locally(the chances of finding one here are almost impossible). The amp seems to be in very good condition (comes from a stax enthusiastic) and the headphone is about a month old. If I buy it I may need to get a new IC cable (silly me) and a different DAC but the price seems to be ok so if I sounds right I won't resist the temptation, wish me luck And I've read quite a lot of useful information here, thank you HC

Thanks, I will definitely keep an eye on that page.

Thanks for the answer, now I just need to find one somehow... T1W would be also great but that is even harder to find (and more expensive). Maybe there is a bigger chance if I look for it in Japan as well, has anyone bought used STAX from Japan?

How does the SRM-T1S compares to the current hybrid STAX amps? As I've figured out this is the best possible price/performance choice for me (and it has balanced inputs) but I am a bit worried about reliability issues. It has been listed with a Lambda Nova Signature, is it a good match for it(at least for a start)? Thanks.

What about the (new) Graham Slee Novo? I've read on this forum that the builder prefers AT headphones for his amps.

Yes I sold it too, and now it is much more expensive

That's reasonable but at the current exchange rate I can get the DACMagic significantly cheaper (locally). The real question for me is whether it is good for a balanced system later on or not. If not, Pico will be my choice (or Stello DA100S with a long, long wait)

One worrying opinion from the other forum: "I was looking on both phones and it looks like the little pin that prevents you from swiveling the cup too far is made of plastic on the ESW10jpn (Whereas on the ESW9 it's a brass pin)" That's a little disappointing...

I have a question: Should I buy a DacMagic now or should I wait for a Pico DAC only? Which is better? I would use it with ATH-ESW10+amp for now. I have bought a good XLR IC already (when I thought I have no chance of getting the ESW10) so by buying a DacMagic there would be room for an update on the 'balanced line', but if it is too 'low-fi' for an electrostatic system it is pointless. The DacMagic is available in my country I don't have to suffer the exchange rates which means I can have it at a cheap price. But does it worth it?

It seems I'm getting one next week as well. What amp should I get for it? I was thinking of Head-Direct EF-1 or Little Dot I+ or maybe iBasso D3 because it has a DAC as well. Maybe I shouldn't have sold the Pico...

Maybe I should wait for a Little Dot electrostatic amp?

Here's an interesting page (English if you scroll down): http://high-amp.de From here, I also found this (this is in German): DIY-AMP - Home Looks interesting, how hard can it be?

Thanks, I see, but I live in the EU which means high shipping costs, so I think I have no better choice than order it from US and send it for a new cable right away. After some time I would get an amp anyway but really good ones at a good price are hard to find, especially considering that not all of them are easily usable on EU voltage.

I am really interested in these, especially with the APureSound modifications. The problem is that I'm afraid that the build quality is not that impressive, and a new cable means there is no warranty on them thereafter. Sorry if it's a noob question but I noticed at the APS site that the stax->koss cable adapter cable is not changed, could it improve the SQ if that would be made from stax cable as well? Yes I know that the stock amp is crappy but if I buy one with the mods I will have no money left. And I also heard that a separate PSU does improve the stock amp's performance, is this true? Or should I get a decent electrostatic amp asap? Thanks in advance.

Yes I know, that's why I've written those two and waiting for your other recommendations Some balanced amplifiers do accept unbalanced input as well, does it hurt the SQ badly?

I am looking to build a new system, dynamic balanced or ('low-end') electrostatic. And I know that a good source is important, so what USB DAC should I choose? I have a Pico at the moment and I realized that I don't need portability so I may get something better. So far I looked at the Stello DA100S or the Cambridge Audio DacMagic but I suspect there are many other options. Thanks in advance.

I found HC when I was looking for disappeared members from youknowhere