Hi Audio Science Review community 
Robin out of Stockholm here - just thought I'd drop a few lines say hello and tell you about the tiny steps I've taken to "up" my audio experience. Very happy to see a community gathered around audio quality with an over aching science approach as a basis for opinion. I might not understand half of the terminology on here but it sure beats scouring random or hyped blogs, videos and other highly subjective/bought opinions and marketing.
Yesterday I ordered the Drop/Hifiman HE4XX and the E1DA 9038D - whoop! Both felt like they checked my home use hifi-upage requirements. Open-back, wired, comfy and aesthetically pleasing headphones with decent audio. The E1DA 9038D because it actually-, testvise delivers what it says it's supposed to deliver (assuming the tests of the 9038S roughly translates or improves and the ACR community rejoicing is true). Before finding this community I was eyeing iBasso DC01 and similar products which turns out when tested to be underwhelming products - yeay! Informed consumer, hi-five! The dongle style and small portable DACs are attractive to me for the seamless integration, the lack of need for yet another thing to keep charged up and of course the mobility.
Primary listening device is my Pixel 3 loaded with GrapheneOS. I mostly stream music through Spotify since I got my invite back in early 06' - local music library is not really something I've kept up with or given any significant love. Dismantled my tiny but enjoyable vinyl collection a few years back (albums are still around my dads place).
Laptopvise I'm a Linux kind of a guy with an old Thinkpad X230 - rocking Void Linux, currently XFCE and Pulseaudio for the audio server. There does not seem to be any official Linux support for the 9038D, not sure any support will be needed as I've never tried pushing audio through USB-A->USB-C->DAC->Headphones - have no idea how that story will turn out or what drivers for such a device does. Possible at all to use the 9038D with a USB type A adapter? Maybe @IVX have some insight on the topic? If I can't get the DAC to work with the laptop it won't be the end of the world as the laptop mostly gets used for youtube, people speaking and that might just work OK straight from the headphone jack.
I will be lurking on here soaking up the knowledge as best as possible and chip in when I have something of interest. Tips, ideas, pointers are welcome and oh! recommendations for textile covered quality cables, coiled (for extension to the sofa and on body use) are highly appreciated.
All the best,
Robin
Robin out of Stockholm here - just thought I'd drop a few lines say hello and tell you about the tiny steps I've taken to "up" my audio experience. Very happy to see a community gathered around audio quality with an over aching science approach as a basis for opinion. I might not understand half of the terminology on here but it sure beats scouring random or hyped blogs, videos and other highly subjective/bought opinions and marketing.
Yesterday I ordered the Drop/Hifiman HE4XX and the E1DA 9038D - whoop! Both felt like they checked my home use hifi-upage requirements. Open-back, wired, comfy and aesthetically pleasing headphones with decent audio. The E1DA 9038D because it actually-, testvise delivers what it says it's supposed to deliver (assuming the tests of the 9038S roughly translates or improves and the ACR community rejoicing is true). Before finding this community I was eyeing iBasso DC01 and similar products which turns out when tested to be underwhelming products - yeay! Informed consumer, hi-five! The dongle style and small portable DACs are attractive to me for the seamless integration, the lack of need for yet another thing to keep charged up and of course the mobility.
Primary listening device is my Pixel 3 loaded with GrapheneOS. I mostly stream music through Spotify since I got my invite back in early 06' - local music library is not really something I've kept up with or given any significant love. Dismantled my tiny but enjoyable vinyl collection a few years back (albums are still around my dads place).
Laptopvise I'm a Linux kind of a guy with an old Thinkpad X230 - rocking Void Linux, currently XFCE and Pulseaudio for the audio server. There does not seem to be any official Linux support for the 9038D, not sure any support will be needed as I've never tried pushing audio through USB-A->USB-C->DAC->Headphones - have no idea how that story will turn out or what drivers for such a device does. Possible at all to use the 9038D with a USB type A adapter? Maybe @IVX have some insight on the topic? If I can't get the DAC to work with the laptop it won't be the end of the world as the laptop mostly gets used for youtube, people speaking and that might just work OK straight from the headphone jack.
I will be lurking on here soaking up the knowledge as best as possible and chip in when I have something of interest. Tips, ideas, pointers are welcome and oh! recommendations for textile covered quality cables, coiled (for extension to the sofa and on body use) are highly appreciated.
All the best,
Robin
