Blog - Page 13 of 13 - Vincent van der Toorn

January 18, 2017

Gaming PC build

Finally it's here! I've been waiting for the 1070 for a month now, and it has been the delaying factor for this build from the start. It feels unreal to finally be able to say I've finished the build. Before the GPU got delivered I had been playing on either my MacBook Pro (2012 retina version with a 650m) or on this build but with a GTX 650 I could lend from my sister in law. I need to stress test this build to see how my temps are holding up, but so far there is no need to overclock just yet. Monitor wise I'd like to hookup a 1080p 144Hz/1440p 60Hz/4k monitor eventually, for now I'm enjoying a slightly overkill situation on my 1080p 60hz monitor.

Protip:

If you buy cheaper fans and buy a cheaper SSD you can probably buy a GTX1080 instead of a GTX1070. Captain hindsight, eh?

PCpartpicker list

Published by Vincent in Setup

January 18, 2017

Schiit Vali2 compared to Macbook Pro

The internals in the MacBook Pro are really good for a laptop. No wonder so many audio professionals use them on the go. Still for headphones that require more power to sound good the Mac just doesn't cut it. In my experience the HD600 shows the biggest difference, so I tried it with two different setups: directly from the Mac and with the Modi2u hooked to the Vali2. I decided not to hook the Vali2 directly to the Mac without the DAC since then you'd be double amping and the sound would be dependent on the weakest amp, therefore not really showing the potential of the Vali2.

HD600 - MacBook Pro internals: Look I’ll be honest. I expected the sound of the HD600 to sound bad, veiled and congested, lacking in the low end since the amp in the MacBook is nowhere powerful enough. If you've ever seen the data from innerfidelity, you can see the spike in the low end, almost 550 ohms at 100Hz! There's just no way the 2VRMS output jack of the Mac can deliver enough current. Still the HD600 is such a great headphone, it still sounds awesome unamped directly from the minijack. It's just less detailed/precise compared to with the Schiit stack. After a while you start to notice little faults though, little details sounding too harsh, more complex parts of music start to blur.

HD600 - Modi2u & Vali2: With this setup the HD600 truly starts to shine. Details come alive. The quality of the bass is better, more defined. The quality of the midrange and highs is improved as well, although less significant. Soundstage is good. Separation is improved as well, although it still gets a bit blurry when the music becomes to complex, just way less to a point that it becomes nitpicking in my opinion.

When I use low impedance and high efficient headphones I switch to low gain on the Vali2. The difference becomes less apparent, since the output jack of the MacBook is more than capable of driving the lower impedance/higher efficiency headphones. For example my SR60e are 32 Ohm/99.8 dB SPL/mW. It comes to a point that I would advise you really don't need a separate DAC/amp for these kind of headphones.

Published by Vincent in headphones

January 18, 2017

My Headphone Journey

In September 2015 I started my headphone Hi-Fi journey. It started out with the acquisition of the Grado SR60e, my first Hi-Fi headphone.

I'll describe my impressions in sequence of acquisition of the headphone.

Grado SR60e (Sept '15):

The 60e where my entrance to good headphones. For one, they are really affordable, they have lush mids and loads of energetic treble that makes this headphone extremely well suited for the music styles I prefer: rock, alternative. The treble can be a bit overbearing at times though. After a while I did notice the drawbacks of these cans; they are lacking in the bass department, therefore not a good fit for electronic music styles, such as Daft Punk. Comfort wise they weren't the greatest either. I have tried the S-cush, L-cush and G-cush pads(bowl pads). On the SR60e I like the L-cush the most, since I find the bass to be be muddy and overbearing with the bowl pads. The comfort is great with bowl pads though. The cable is not removable and that sucked as well. This eventually led to me looking into other headphones with a different sound signature. I wanted at least one neutral can and one that excels in the bass department.

After a decent amount of research I found a decent deal on a used pair of X2's since there was a whole 'glued pads' debacle at the moment I was looking into them.

Philips Fidelio X2 (Dec '15):

I bought the Fidelio X2 to supplement the Grado and to shine in the electronic music department. The overall sound signature on the Fidelio X2’S is full and well balanced with a small hump in the bass region. Although the X2’s are a full sounding headphone it still offers great clarity and details and there’s no sign of muddiness in the presentation.

The bass is probably the first thing I noticed when listening to the X2’s. It’s the first thing that sprung to mind and impactful for an open headphone. The bass excels in the lower notes and rarely does it get boomy and leaks into the midrange. The bass has very good layering and feels well controlled and integrated with the rest of the sound. I really enjoy this headphone for movies, gaming and music that needs well developed bass.

After a while I was intrigued by the existence of DAC's and amps, which led to the following acquisition:

Sennheiser HD600 (Jan '16):

This headphone is being called the king of neutrality and one of the best price/quality combinations in the current headphone offering. This is a classic for a good reason, the HD600 creates a very convincing natural sound. For good reason it is my reference headphone, and at the same time a perfect allrounder for multiple hour long listening sessions. Comfortable, just the right clamp force and a decent cable, although a bit on the long side. I bought a better looking replacement which fits better for my desktop home listening sessions on ebay in the meantime. The lows are definitely less compared to the X2, but so well defined and in good quality I don't feel like I am missing out much.

Schiit Modi2u & Vali2 (end of Jan '16) in combination:

The Vali2 is more than sufficient to drive the HD600, and I like how you can use tubes to finetune the sound. The differences are not mind blowing but subtle, so don't expect too much. The HD600 needs sufficient amping, especially for the low end. The impedance can reach almost 500 ohms in the lower frequencies, according to the measurements by Innerfidelity. There is discussion on how much this influences sound it endless. According to audiobot, peak SPL is 127 dB with a damping factor of 52.9 and 255.8.

Modded Grado SR60e with GS1000 style wooden cups Magnum V6 drivers (13 May 2016):

For my impressions on this setup you can read the extensive story here. But I'll give my more recent impression here as well (I bought the drivers and cups in April/May '16): The Symphones drivers are described as slightly u-shaped. They are fairly neutral with a slight emphasis on the high and low end. They make the Woody as good as a an allrounder to me as the HD600, with the benefit of being fairly sensitive/efficient and thus not needing an amp to sound good.

Note: Sadly you will not able to purchase these drivers anymore since Rhydon from symphones.com has released the Magnum V7 drivers. Since I have no personal experience with these drivers I cannot express anything about them.

Sennheiser HD800 (Oct '16)

You can read my detailed impressions here

In short, the HD800 is one, if not the best headphone I have ever heard. The presentation is wide and spacious, compared to the intimate presentation of the HD600. The HD800 presents details in the music in a effortless listening experience, while with the HD600 you need to focus to pick up the finer details.

If it is worth the purchase, that's up to you. I believe it was, but I might have reached a point in life I need to say goodbye to one of the above mentioned.

In conclusion

Which headphone do I prefer most?

This question is very difficult to answer, it really depends on the type of music I would be listening too at the time. For more bassy EDM, the Fidelio X2 is king. For classic, the HD800. For allround performance the HD600 or the Magnum GS1000. It really depends on what I want at the time.

Published by Vincent in Uncategorized

January 18, 2017

HHKB Pro 2 keyboard review

A keyboard is one of the interactions with a PC downplayed by most PC users, while at the same time it is one of the most used parts of a PC. I write a lot on a keyboard during the day at work, and certainly used to do a lot of it at univeristy. I believe this interaction should be a pleasant one, or at the least shouldn't distract from the work I am doing.

On 15 Jun 2014 I discovered mechanical keyboards, and bought my first: TEX Beetle. While that keyboard was a good start, I wish I had done a bit more research. The layout was really bad, with a 1u wide right shift. I could not get used to it, since I type blind. I chose to look into other options with the same small footprint. In the meantime I bought a Apple Extended II keyboard and USB modded it, but that's food for another blogpost. What happened next is what happens more often than I would like to admit: I went ham and bought the most premium keyboard I could find: The PFU HHKB Professional 2.

First impressions

"The keyboard feels, sounds and looks premium. It is really good, even though I had relatively high expectations. My colleague asked me why I would pay 55 euros for a keyboard. He did not realize that that's just the import taxes from Japan..." - My first quote about this board

Layout

The Fn-layer does take some getting used to, same with the location of the delete button, but I am so happy with the right shift! My Tex Beetle I had been using before had this super little right shift, which was difficult to use without looking for me.

still this keyboard does have a couple interesting layout quirks which you have to get used to as well: where you would expect the caps lock to be contol is found, and backspace is right above enter.

Pros

Ergonomic well thought out layout
Small and portable form factor
Topre switches
High quality PBT keycaps
The layout is perfect for OSX, as well as for UNIX environments
Fairly easy to mod

Cons

If you get used to this layout you don't want anything else
Typing on other boards feels inferior
Price

First mod, HASU bluetooth controller

After posting a picture of the HHKB Pro2 on Reddit, user /u/Kalam1ty recommended to check out the alternate (bluetooth) controller for the HHKB made by Hasu. Hasu is a forum member on the Geekhack keyboard enthusiasts forum. His creation offers full programabilty of the keyboard with multiple key layers, as well as bluetooth connectivity. Keep in mind you will need a lithium ion battery as well as this board to enable the bluetooth connectivity, since the board needs power.

For my studies I have played with PCB, Arduino and such, so this seemed as a really intriguing project.

Installation was fairly easy, and it works straightforward as well. For bluetooth there is an on/off switch, so if you turn it off and it is connected to your PC via USB it will automaticly use the USB connection.

Programmable layers

One of the best features of the alternative controller by Hasu is the ability to program layers into the keyboard. This works by flashing custom firmware onto the controller, which works with the TMK keyboard firmware. The biggest benefit? Any key can be anything you like, so you can customize it to the work you are doing for a certain task.

Why bluetooth/wireless?

Have you ever been frustrated with typing on a tablet or smartphone while on the go? I mean that time you really needed to send a long email on the go? A bluetooth enabled keyboard is a really good fit. I enjoy the connectivity to my iPad for when I'm on the go but need to do some typing, although I use this mod mostly at work. It is a real joy when you can grab your laptop/tablet and keyboard out of your bag and turn the board on and start typing right away, without having to dive into your bag to look where you left that usb cable again. The board can be used wireless for approximately 12 hours, since the board itself is quite power hungry. When it is out of energy, I can recharge it with and use it with a normal usb cable at the same time.

Second mod, silencing mod

Some people might tell you that a mechanical keyboard is a dream to type on. I agree, but there is one slight drawback: noise. Especially when you work in an open office as I do or in group projects at university as I did, noise can be a nuisance for others.

I discovered the HHKB has a silent variant called the Type-s which uses a slightly modified version of the topre switch, which is more silent relatively.

So how does it work?

Topre switches uses a different working principle compared to Cherry MX switches. For MX switches you can use O-rings to silence the stem of the keycap hitting the board when bottoming out on the keystroke. Topre switches on the other hand make noise when the keycap returns to the normal state after pressing, right at the end of the upstroke. The stem of the topre mechanism needs to be dampened in that motion, which can achieved by applying dental bands or anything else rubber and round.

First you need to remove all keycaps and open up the three screws at the backside of the board. Then you need to remove all screws of the backside of the PCB. Then you need to apply the rubber band to the stem of the topre switch and mount it back to the board.

After one year I reversed the mod, and here's why:

The result is a much quieter upstroke of the keys by damping the loudest element of the board. This is not without consequences though, you lose a bit of key travel. I performed this mod on the 4th Feb 2016, but since January 2017 I removed the mod by getting rid of the rubber bands. The tradeoff of a more silent board is not worth it if you lose that much key travel.

Is this board worth it?

In my opinion yes it is. Sure it is expensive, but it feels premium to type on and is a pleasure to type on for longer durations. With the bluetooth addon I can use it with my iPad Pro as well as my MacBook, which makes it very flexible.

Published by Vincent in mechanical keyboards, review

January 17, 2017

Grado GS1000 replica

It seems ages ago, but on 15 September 2015 I received the Grado SR-60e. I bought it on a whim as my first open backed headphone, since I had read they are better compared to the closed backs I was used to. The most recent closed back headphone was at the time the Marshall Monitor.

Additionally after doing some research on them I noticed Grados are very easy to mod and since I liked to tinker with my hands once in a while I was intrigued. After a while I discovered the 'Post your Grado mods' thread on head fi, and into the rabbit hole I went.

What you see here is the current state of events.

List of adjustments/mods:

A set of L cush (official) and G cush earpads from ebay.
A pair of wooden cups in Mahogany, GS1000 style, made by Bruce Mackenzie from Wabi Sabi Headphones. His instagram
V6 drivers by Symphones
Leather headband by Turbulent Labs
3.5mm to dual mono 2.5mm jack removable 1.5m cable from ebay.
Drivers soldered to 2.5mm female jacks

How did I like this headphone with the L cush earpads?

The V6 drivers deliver an un Grado clean and slightly v-shaped sound signature that is musical and fun to listen to.

Lows:
Compared to the stock Grado drivers the bass has much better quality and quantity. Especially if I compare them to my HD600's, the bass is killer on this set. I would position the Magnums between my HD600 and X2 in terms of bass.

Mids:
Vocals are cristal clear and in balance with the lows and highs. Even though the others are a bit more pronounced, the mids are not recessed at all. Compared to the stock Grado drivers there was a better balance and a significant increase in detail. I would position the Magnums between the X2 and the HD600 for the mids, albeit it being very close to the HD600, almost on par with it actually.

Highs:
If you think Grado, you think strong treble. With the Magnums, this is not the case. Very detailed, on par with my HD600. Soundstage: The soundstage can be described as sitting in the front row, with the musicians playing right in front of you, to the left and right. As a result it feels very intimate and enjoyable.

How did I like this headphone using the G cush (bowl) earpads?

To be honest I was underwhelmed by them. To much bass and treble making the mids feel veiled and recessed. I prefer the L cush pads by miles.

Cost (including shipping):

Symphones drivers: $120
Cups: $100 (made by Fleasbaby from headfi)
Leather strap: $45
Grado SR60e: $65 (used)
Cable: $30
Connectors: $5

Total: $365,-

While a real Grado GS1000 costs: $1299,-

Conclusion:

I can recommend going into modding grados if you like to fool around with tinkering and such. For me it was an enjoyable and educational experience.

My next step will be getting a DIY measurement rig, since I'd like to mod based on measurements as well as my own hearing. For now just modding based on my ears was good enough, but I'd like to step it up a notch.

Published by Vincent in headphones

January 12, 2017

Office setup

Januari 2017 Office setup

MacBook Pro 2016, without the touchbar
PFU Happy Hacking KeyBoard Pro2, also known as the HHKB Pro2
Logitech MX Master
Shure SE425 with an aftermarket cable from ebay with mic and inline remote

I work at an office with a flex setup, which means there's a lot of considerations you need to keep in mind for your work setup. Firstly you need to find the right laptop, then there is the peripherals and last but not least: headphones for music and calling.

Macbook Pro 2016, non touchbar

As a OSX user for a decade, I wanted a laptop that would run on Apples' OS. My employer listens to my input regarding laptop options, but price wise there were some limitations. I had been working on a personal MacBook Pro Retina from late 2012 up until now, which was suboptimal since I'd like to keep work and private life separated.

Although, I am not going to lie, the Macbook Pro lineup was quite dissapointing. I even considered making the switch back to Windows, considering the work I do at a Microsoft Partner.

In the end it came down to the following choices:

MacBook Pro 2016, non touchbar
MacBook Pro 2015, 256GB SSD option selected

The above mentioned models both have the same price. The difference is on two fronts: the 2015 model has a slightly better CPU, 2.7 GHz i5 vs 2.0 GHz i5, but the 2016 model has a more recent Skylake CPU which is more energy efficient and has a better performing iGPU relatively. In the end I chose the 2016 model.

PFU Happy Hacking KeyBoard Pro 2, with bluetooth mod

I write a lot for work, mainly blogs for on the company website. During college I had an episode where I had sympthoms of repetitive strain injury, which led me to research for ways to prevent it. As a result I discovered /r/mechanicalkeyboards and the rest is history: The HHKB Pro 2 is one of the most popular keyboards for on the go in that subreddit.

Published by Vincent in headphones, Setup

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