Come on. You’re better than this.

I went into detail explaining my positions on uncompromising gun zealots and the refusal to restrain access to firearms, but you know I didn’t say anything about ‘hating guns’

I own guns and I’m an avid sport/recreational shooter and your arguments are literally what I’m talking about.

Straw Man

A straw man argument attacks a different subject rather than the topic being discussed — often a more extreme version of the counter argument. The purpose of this misdirection is to make one's position look stronger than it actually is.

I’m not deflecting at all.

I’m explaining why I used the term ‘ammosexual’ to describe someone is so unreasonable about the right to bear arms, that they think the leading cause of children’s deaths in America is an acceptable price to pay for the unfettered access to guns…

…on a comment about gun violence in America…

…on a post about the surprising level of heterogeneity in psychopathy of among condemned capital murders.

And I am also pointing out that you’re not nearly outraged over the facts of gun violence as you are outraged over the slang ‘ammosexual’.

I’m specifically talking about people who actively refuse changing a document that has already been changed more than two dozen times and is more than two centuries old.

People who specifically refuse to compromise in the leading cause of death of children in this country.

Is there a different moniker you would prefer?

Mass shootings account for only 1% of gun violence in the US.

So even if 'mental illness' is to blame for that 1% of gun violence in America, ammosexuals are just as apathetic about the other 99% of gun violence while they actively support policies that literally reduce the quality of, and access to healthcare in the US.

I'm only using an iphone. Don't have any experience with these guys and macbooks.

We're all windows, too.

If i'm not happy with the sound for additional money being spent, there's always the Qudelix 5k!

Thanks for the comment!

It wasn't perfect. The volume on mine collected a lot of dirt / debris over time and things got scratchy. The plastic was flimsy and I had to superglue mine to keep everything together.

But back in the day, it rocked and was a huge improvement over on-board laptop audio.

I wonder if I can find drivers and a USB PCMCIA... nevermind.

Oh, you've really stepped in it now.

On my PC, I 3.5mm out of the motherboard into a vintage Pioneer XS-828 receiver which pushed a pair of Alesis MK 1 Monitor One's.

I ran across a used FX-Audio DAC-X6 on marketplace. Retired the pioneer and picked up a used PJ Miaolai M6 'tube' amplifier. I bought a 5-pack of vintage RCA tubes for a whopping $10 on eBay. So went TOSLINK out of the motherboard to the DAC and then line level to the PJ Miaolai and push those same Alesis monitors. Was definitely a step up in sound quality. But what made the difference? Was there a deficency in the 40-year old receiver? Probably. But offloading the sound processing from the noisy PC was a huge improvement in itself. Even the vintage RCA tubes made a difference compared with the stock no-name tubes.

Then, still not really satisfied with how music sounded on my PC, I replaced the PJ miaolai with an Aiyima A07 + Suca Tube-T1 'tube' 'pre-amp'. Alone, I think the A07 is detailed but sterile. The Tube-T1 adds tone controls and really allows the 'depth' and 'breadth' of the music to come through. Adds 'warmth'.

In conclusion, I think the biggest thing you can do for a PC is a DAC. But I believe there's diminishing returns when it comes to cost when it comes to DAC. And keep in mind, that better headphones will 'show' the shortcomings more than 'cheaper' (for lack of a better term) headphones. After the DAC, it's really where you want to go and how much you want to spend. Powered monitors can be great for near field listening. Finding the right combo of speaker and amp is important, too. Like headphones, quality speakers and amps will show the shortcomings in the chain. But here on the internet, we get all caught up in percentages of percentages and specifications that probably don't hold a lot of weight in the real world where rooms are less than perfect.

Mine isn't pretty. Those Monitors are grey and utilitarian. None of the 3 boxes match and I have a redundant volume on the Suca. In fact, if I don't turn down the A07 when I power everything up or down (PC Audio is on a smart switch that turns on when I get home and shuts off at 11), there's a huge thump from the Tube T1.

But I'm happy with how things sound.

For now.

That was what? 24-bit / 96kHz back in 2003! I believe mine was one of the first ones with dual 3.5mm outputs. Later models had 1 output and 1 input and multiple channels. I used mine with an IBM thickpad.

I agree with the assessment. Of all those, the dragonfly black is probably the 'worst' sounding. I didn't much care for the total airhead, either. I really liked the ES-100 and the sound of the BTR5. Just loved the supermacro and kind of grew resentful of apple for doing away with the line level output of the original 30-pin.

As I mentioned in another comment / reply, the apple dongle is kind of the bar for performance and cost. But a favorite? Like all things, it's complicated. The ES-100 sounded great with the 535s. It worked flawlessly, but the battery is just insufficient for long-term use. The BTR5 app isn't anything to brag about, but I really like the sound signature (not so neutral) but I've grown to loathe the battery life and hassle of getting it to work on iOS. The Echo wasn't bad at the time, but couldn't carry around a laptop in your pocket. Strapping on amps like the bithead and the supermacro to your DAP was cumbersome and yet, i'm going back that direction with the ifi Hip Dac 2.

And my age is also a factor. I've lost the ability to really discern the differences between FLAC and MP3 320, especially in 'noisy environments' where I would be listening to portable gear. And after a while, what is the next level of bit rate? Especially on art created and recorded in the tube era or even the 70's? That's not even mentioning really early recordings that I still enjoy.

I do like the dynamics of the original recordings where things were soft and then other things were loud. The crescendos and decrescendos which adds to the adagios and the allegros. The way some singer-song writers used space when they performed. The subtleties of finger picking verses finger tip picks. These days, and all these overly produced, compressed, and remastered recordings just wear me out. It just drones on and on and I feel desensitized, like I need a bigger fix. That's one of the aspects I really like about the balanced verses unbalanced when it comes to outputs on these little guys. Their extra power feels like there's a lot more headroom for turning up those quiet, original recordings.

I think the apple dongle is the threshold to start. I mean, it's really quite good, and exception on a cost vs performance perspective.

So what do we get for money we spend over $9? Bluetooth? An absurd bit rate? Frustrating short battery life?

I've really grown to love the wireless charging. I have the mag safe on my desk and on my nightstand. Car isn't magsafe, but it's still wireless. That frees up the lightning port for fun stuff like amps that don't want to adhere to apple's low power requirements...

or post on reddit!

I'm terrible about throwing audio stuff away. I even keep boxes.

Would you like to see a vintage shure and a new grado green? I think I've even have an AT hanging around, too. It's been a while since i've opened that banker box and those ziplock bags. What about headshells?

After adjusting the volume, I can't tell any difference between the balanced cable and the balanced cable with a 3.5 adapter.

There's a part of my lizard brain that still gets hung up on the 'louder is better' argument and the BTR5 also has dual DACs for the balanced output, which triggers an idea that they create a wider soundstage with more defined channel separation. But like I said, I can't tell any differences and I'm cognitive of my bias and opinion that I really like the sound of the BTR5.

I've not tried any A/B comparison between the shure MMCX / 3.5mm cable and any aftermarket balanced MMCX / 2.5mm cables.

It's amazing to see how far we've come over the years and then realize that we haven't really taken any big steps at all. I can't tell you how many times I've had to take that Supermacro 3 apart to clean up battery goo and here we are, still fighting batteries. Instead of leaking cells, now it's duty-cycles, capacities, and what feels like a planned obsolescence / intentionally disposable devices.

Battery life. Having said that, I really like the way it sounds. But if I leave it sit for a couple of days, I've only got a little under 3 hours of battery life in DAC mode. And since i'm team iOS, I can't charge while using as a DAC. I've updated the firmware and I'm sure that using balanced output isn't helping battery life, either. I've never had 9 hours, as advertised. Mostly, it was 6 or 7-ish. But it's a year old now.

Amps and DACs over the years.  Starting at the top center, clockwise…
Indigo Echo PCMCIA
Headroom Total Airhead
Xin Supermacro 3
Apple Dongle
Dragonfly Black v1.5
Ear Studios ES100 Mk I
Fiio BTR5 ‘21
It's been a journey as needs have changed. I started with a laptop and the Echo Indigo.  Then, I graduated to an iPod where I modified the 30-pin for line level audio out. That fed the headroom Total Airhead and the Supermacro 3, which I used for years.  Three ipods later, as the last battery gave out, I migrated everything into max storage iphones.  The first DAC / AMP was the venerable Apple dongle.  Then, Dragonfly black which wasn’t as good,
but I loved the form factor.  Moved up to the ES100 and used it for a year, then up to the BTR5, which I’ve fought with for a year.    Not pictured are a pair of Shure AONIC TW2
paired up with Shure se215. 
Also not pictured are the various IEMs that I’ve shoved into my skull over the
years.  I started off with a pair of Shure E2, then moving up to Shure e4. Then a pair of custom livewires which I loved, but neglected and they died a horrible death in the washer and dryer.  From there, Shure’s e5 (Green cable and all) and then finally, living
comfortably with the se535 which I’ve enjoyed for a number of years.  I did modify them a bit by swapping out the audio filters in the tubes to provide a bit more depth and range on the bottom end.  I’ve never really been a big fan of silicon, so I rolled my own tips since I started with shures using RC silicone fuel tubing and industrial ear plugs.  Now, I’m
content with Comply’s foam tips.  Wish they would still make them in red’s and blue’s, though. 
Tomorrow, the latest addition arrives, the iFi HipDac 2.  Will be using the se535’s with a balanced cable and an iphone 14 pro max with 1TB of storage which holds my library and an
Apple Camera Kit.