justin_tx_16

Hey guys, I have this great little a Sonic Adventure Reality+ headphone tube amp that has two DuMont 6922 E88CC tubes inside. Trouble is, they sit sideways. Every one-in-a-while a channel will drop out because they lose contact and I have to either rap the side of the amp or open her up and just fully re-seat the tubes. I have read on here of people gluing their tube base to the glass but for me this isn't the problem. The problem seems to be that gravity is simply pulling the tube ends down just to the point that the right channel is no longer fully connected. It's a tiny change, invisible to the naked eye but it's there. Is there any sort of conductive goup people put on the metal contacts of tubes to help with maintaining a connection and maybe prevent corrosion/difficulty removing? Here is a scan of the inside Thanks!

I don't have any numbers for you about this just yet but I'm sure they will be released once the headphone is out on the market. I did want to point out the difference between isolation and cancellation. When discussing these with headphones, it's important not to confuse them. The Klipsch in-ear headphones provide excellent noise isolation but do zero cancellation. The Klipsch Mode M40 will primarily do noise cancelation but since they are a closed ear design, will feature some noise isolation as well. A minor detail but it makes a big difference in getting the answer you want. Sorry I don't have any info on this but like I said, I'm sure it will come soon. Until then, cheers!

The Image One is an on-ear (supra-aural) headphone (as opposed to in-ear or around ear aka circumaural). The Klipsch Mode M40 noise-canceling headphones look to be circumaural which is what you are wanting, only they are also $225 or so more and have several added features.

I wouldn't worry too much. Klipsch has great support. If you think it is taking too long, I suggest you give them a call for help or message them on Twitter. A call would probably be the fastest way to get an update.

Thanks for the reply. Seems like no one uses Energy speakers here. The forum down there is almost completely dead. Perhaps I should have posted this in the Klipsch subwoofer's board. I appreciate the suggestion of the XW-300D, it's ~$100 more after tax though. While I can afford, in theory at least, any Klipsch subwoofer, I feel like I can only justify a sub if it's as cheap as the Energy is, as long as the Energy is actually a good option. Thanks again for your help. Maybe this will get attention from someone who has at least heard the ESW-M6 to share their opinion before November 7. In other news, you have quite the signature/setup!

Doesn't work for me either with Klipsch X10i headphones. Seems a bit peculiar since it does work with the ear buds that came with the iPhone 4S and also works with my Klipsch Image One headphones.

Found a deal online for an Energy ESW-M6 sub at $179. Too good to pass up right? Would pair it with my two Heresys on an HK-430. Right now I don't have a sub with them, they do pretty good on their own, but would like a little more on the bottom. Living in a San Francisco condo, space is limited and so is the patience of neighbors for thumping music. Would love your thoughts. Think this would just be a waste or is there more to this 8" cube? The Energy forums are pretty dead so bending the rules to post here. Thanks Deal: Energy ESW-M6 800W 6in Mini Subwoofer $179.99 (reduced from $599.99) and free shipping, after coupon code: EMCJJKJ72 (expires 11/07) http://itsjust.in/uKZJKH

So sorry to hear. I was in your shoes last month when my friend lost a battle to a rare form of cancer. Not sure if you've heard of Blame Drew's Cancer but it's a pretty emotionally uplifting "f-ck cancer" YouTube video/song. Always bumps up my spirits. Keeping you and yours in my thoughts. Blame Drew's Cancer - http://itsjust.in/em8eyq

Those are great cans! If you don't need noise-cancelation or isolation, going with an open design is really the smart choice. Those are right on par with my reference headphones, the Sennheiser HD600s. I would DEFINITELY recommend an amplifier to get the most out of those. A home receiver will do a great job but cost several hundred dollars for a decent one. The Total BitHead is a cheaper option but obviously doesn't do all the wiz-bang things a full home theater receiver will do for you. Congrats on the purchase.

No I have not tried the TS-100 but it looks like it might help the alleviate the issues I had with insertion.

I'd recommend a look at the Image S5i Rugged In-Ear Headphones http://www.klipsch.com/image-s5i-rugged-in-ear-headset. They are sweat-proofed which is really important for the situations you are describing, plus, in my experience, this design fits better which will probably and likely help with the thin sound you are referring to from your Custom 3s. I work out with S4i and X10i headphones and they are great as far as sound and staying in. But any sweat hitting the remote shorts it out until it dries out. That's where the S5i Rugged excel.

Without hearing them it is hard to know one way or the other. I'd guess the distinct drivers could help with a more dynamic low-end and crisper highs which is something the X10i headphones do not specifically excel in. That being said, it's pretty much a rule that in-ear headphones have great bass response due to the control they have over their sound space. Klipsch headphones specifically are great here since their oval tips do such a fantastic job of isolating the ear canal from air leaks. As soon as I get a set to review, I'll post it. If you'd like to get my review of the Klipsch Image X10i (my favorite in-ear headphones) check it out through the link below. Klipsch Image X10i Review http://itsjust.in/gIwFKt Klipsch Mode Noise Canceling Headphones Preview http://itsjust.in/mZpCTm

Klipsch headphones don't really need an amplifier. They are incredibly sensitive and amplification can sometimes make their bass response a little too much. The Klipsch Mode headphones I'd guess especially don't need amplification since they have their own internal circuits for the noise-cancellation and amplification. When I get my Mode headphones I'll give you a first hand review of the combination. If you are in the market for a headphone amplifier, check out the HeadRoom Total BitHead. I reviewed it just last week. Pretty impressive. Headroom Total BitHead headphone amplifier review http://itsjust.in/vNkFuQ

Second that. Wouldn't worry about missing the slider. I never use mine.

Try the headphones in a newer Apple computer or iDevice to see if it is the headphones or the iPhone at fault. On most Apple computers in the last two years the Klipsch S4i headphones will control play/pause and volume. This goes with any iPhone, iPad and most if not all iPod touches. If it works on any other device then it could be a dirty contact in the iPhone. Does the microphone work with the iPhone? If it does not work with any of the other devices, the problem could be a short in the cable or a disconnection within the remote control (the wires are awfully tiny and delicate inside the remote). Good luck!

I did a review of the Comply tips and for me, I really liked them, even if they are a little annoying to deal with (putting in, replacing as they get dirty). Comply Foam Headphone Tips Review http://itsjust.in/hYnvFi

I imagine that there is no aural difference between the models. The "Reference" line might have different cables inside their clear plastic insulation but as with the copper trimming, is just for looks. Technically they have all the same specs all the way down to the weight.

Thanks for the quick reply. Yes things are going great for me these days. Very happy working my own marketing business from home here in San Francisco. I've come a long way since I started here a freshman in high school! Took your advice, opened it up, removed the tubes, used a microfiber cloth to rub down the connections and reseated them. Plugged it back in and it seems to be doing just fine. Haven't had the discharging and hiss, so far. Here is a scan of the inside It came with two sets of DuMont 6922 E88CC tubes (which are what I am using right now) and one set of GH23n-EB 3707 tubes. I have been digging around trying to find the other tubes I have but apparently I've misplaced them since the move to San Francisco last Christmas. I'll keep searching them out. The sound after the reseating seems dramatically different than before. I'd hate to think it's just in my head (haha) but the right channel crackle I mentioned on particular songs is gone and the low-end is deeper/richer/cleaner. Can cleaning and reseating tubes really make this much of a difference? Thanks again for your helpful suggestion, seems to have solved it. The discharging sound made me worried it was a capacitor on the way out. On your question on how many hours on this thing, a few hundred I'd wager. It sat unused for the majority of three years but is now used daily as I work from home these days. If you or anyone else has a suggestion on a set of tubes I should try in place of the DuMont 6922s I'd love to give it a go. Cheers!

Hey guys. Several years ago (2002) I bought a Sonic Adventure Reality+ headphone tube amp. I posted about it here on the bulletin boards way back when. I just love it. It is more or less a clone of the Stello HP100 Preamplifier/Headphone Amplifier. This amp is paired with a HeadRoom Total BitHead DAC through my iMac and outputs to my Sennheiser HD600 headphones with upgraded cables. Yes, I know, speaker forum for headphones but trust this is relevant to you guys I noticed several weeks ago that my amp started hissing at me. I opened it up, looked for anything obvious, didn't find anything, closed her up and tried again. Hiss. Then, as all cavemen would do, I (lightly) rapped the top of the amp with my hand (ouch) and boom, hiss gone, beautiful music back. All has been well, until today. The left channel is doing this weird thing where a hiss starts to build up, gets loud and louder over a few seconds and then pops. The volume of the music isn't affected and once it pops the hiss is gone for a while. Then it comes back. Meanwhile, I noticed on some tracks that the right channel can get crackly but this is only with certain songs so perhaps that is an issue with the compression of the AAC files from iTunes (256kbps). Could it be that one of the tubs is just loose (hence the jostling fixed it) or does it sound more like a capacitor going bad since it is now a rising hiss followed by a pop? I'd hate to blow out my HD600s so I've turned off my amp for now until I get some advice from you guys. Thanks so much for your help. I can open her back up and shoot photos of the inside. At one point I posted 300dpi scans of the circuit board and a friendly Klipsch member sent me some tubes to try out. I still have them in their boxes and can give them a try. Thanks so much for your thoughts.

If you want to chime in with your thoughts on the differences between the One and the Mode, for my review, that would be great/fun. Review will come out as soon as I can get my hands on a pair.

Look to my blog, It's Just Justin for a review of these headphones as soon as I can get my hands on them.

I have a ton of headphones in general but I find that the Klipsch Image X10i are in my ears most of the time. They are like musical implants for me. If I am editing video or just in a mood for them, the Klipsch Image One headphones are the next on my ears. Followed by Koss Porta Pros and Sennheiser HD600s. I agree. Finally a noise-canceling headphone I feel I can get behind 100%. Yes that is true but I wouldn't fret too much about that. If you are over 18 years old, you probably can't hear much more over 16KHz and 90% of music isn't produced below 40Hz. Sub bass just isn't really a popular thing. Being able to play that low is great and these headphones can play as large and actually larger than most people can hear. Than almost anyone able to read this can hear. In ear headphones are much more easily able to reproduce large swathes of frequencies which is why they produce such great bass response. These headphones should have no trouble playing rich thumping bass while simultaneously reproducing the crisp and clean highs that put Klipsch on the map. This is due to the dual drivers in each channel (Right/Left). Very few full-sized headphones feature such a design. There are dual-driver and even triple-driver in-ear monitors (Klipsch even made one before). But in full-sized, over/on ear headphones, this is rare (with the exception of so-called 5.1 or gaming headphones which never rate very highly when it comes to actual sound fidelity. As soon as I can get my hands on these, I'll post a review here and on my site.

I know I am! I havent been this excited about a headphone since the S4i was released. I wrote about my excitement on my blog

I wrote a long review over at my site click to check out the graphs and all the dirty details, meanwhile, here's a short version. These headphones sound great. Their sound quality and output with even low-powered sources is impressive. From the moment you pick up the box, you know these headphones are made for the discerning Apple product lover. Klipsch's attention to detail is evident from the start with high quality packaging, premium leather-lined memory-foam ear cups and superb remote control and microphone optimized for use with iDevices. You won't find the transparency expected of high-end headphones like the Sennheiser HD600 or Grado 325i, but who expected that at this price? That being said, you won't be disappointed. Punchy bass that isn't overly-boosted that cleanly transitions to midrange and treble. The relative flatness (see full review) from these headphones allows you to listen to them for hours without fatigue. The headphones that you'll see sitting next to these at an Apple Store: Monster Cable Beats by Dre - $300 Monster Cable Beats by Dre Solo - $200 Skullcandy Roc Nation Aviator - $150 V-MODA Crossfade LP - $200 The headphones that you'll see sitting next to these at an Apple Store that are better: N/A Expect great audio quality, comfort fit and best-in-class remote control all for under $150 with the Klipsch Image One headphones, beating out headphones twice as expensive. Physical Sound Comfort: 10/10 Bass: 9/10 Build: 8/10 Mids: 8/10 Remote: 10/10 Treble: 9/10 Mic: 8/10 Soundstage: 8/10 Overall: 9.0 Overall: 8.5 If you want to know more, and in deadly detail, continue reading. Oh and there is a bonus Monster Cable Beats by Dr. Dre rant, no purchase necessary!

I'm back in America. Decided it best to cut my trip short. My friend was arrested in Bahrain for shooting photos of the protests without a permit. He was roughed up, taken from the street into a car and then into a police office. When it was discovered he was America and where he lived (Saudi Arabia) they called the Interior Minister (the Prince) who took him from the prison to one of the Palaces. In order to keep photographers, mainly American photographers, from shooting and reporting of the riots, the government was baiting them with the opportunity to meet with and photograph the King at the palace. There he would give a press conference and then there would be some sort of gala afterwards. Calling it a gala is probably a bit too much but you get the point. The photos he took ended up getting into the New York Times which is awesome, though, sucks for me because between the two of us, until now I was the only one who had shot for the NYT haha. He left Bahrain and went back to Saudi Arabia after he was hit with an expired can of tear gas which he said was worse than a "good" can of tear gas. Last I heard he was back in Bahrain capturing more of the events on camera. Had it not been my dad's birthday, I would have joined him. As a gift to my dad, and because I didn't really want to get arrested or tear gassed, I stayed in Saudi and then left the day after the Day of Rage. As my driver took me from Saudi Arabia into Bahrain, a few things were noticeably different. First, the King Fahd Causeway, which took four hours to get through the week before, took no more than 45 minutes from start to finish, all five check points. The cost to enter Bahrain increased from free to 50 Saudi Riyals if you were visiting and then returning to Saudi Arabia or 20 Saudi Riyals if you were going to Bahrain to catch a flight out of the country. So, while both of these used to be free, now they are charging. This is to prevent people who are poor from being able to get into the country. The people most likely to protest are the poor and if they can't even afford to get into Bahrain, well... you get the gist. The streets were absolutely empty. Maybe five other cars on the freeways we took. Many of the exits into the villages and Manama were completely blocked off with either military vehicles or other barricades. We had to take a few alternate routes before we made it to the airport. Considering it was a 1am flight, there were a lot of people at the airport. It was 5 o'clock traffic. The regular gates were full of people and even our first class lounge (thank you Petroleum Club) was near capacity. I was at this same airport four days earlier at midnight dropping my brother off and the place was nearly a ghost town. Clearly, people were getting out of town. What was most interesting to me though was how the Saudis didn't think much of the entire thing. It was talked up as if it would be a few dozen people and that's it. I think they were all surprised. If you have ever been to Bahrain, you know it's this really fun, friendly country. Amazing shopping, fabulous restaurants, they serve alcohol, are BIG into family stuff with water parks and all that jazz. As a person of comparative privilege (which is probably everyone reading this), you probably would have no idea there was an issue there. Something like half of the people living in Bahrain are ex-Pats. The disparity between classes is so extreme that you almost don't even see it. It's like at night time, you don't notice the black of the sky but instead the white of the moon and stars. Anyways, I'm home safely in San Francisco. My mom left as well, she is in Texas. My dad, however, is still in Saudi chugging along as usual. So, we'll see how this goes. I'll keep you up to date if I hear any more. Thanks for your thoughts! Glad to be home, though for some reason, part of me was eager to stay.