I just got my THX 789 and I am pretty impressed with it so far. I have it connected to my RME Adi-2 Dac and I have a question about volume levels and usage. They are connected using balanced xlr. I initially had my volume all the way down on RME and couldnāt get any volume out of the 789, almost had a freak out moment. Once I turned the RME up, everything worked great. I guess my question is, where should I set my volume on the RME? Feels weird turning it to 0 db because I never approached that when using the RME as an amp and want to make sure that is alright. Any insight is welcomed. Thank you friends!
Welcome to the forums buster! Typically, one would use the pre-amp in the chain as a volume tuner. Set it at whatever % that gives you the best control over how you like your volume increments to go up. You may find 70% for example to have more than enough top end power, but each notch on the dial increases volume by more then you like. Dial back to 60% and try. Its dependent a lot on the setup, in your case the thx789 has a ton of juice and i wouldnāt see a need to have it set to 0db. Hope that helps and i explained it well enough.
And let us know how you like the combo more over time please! I have a thx789 coming eventually myself, the rme adi-2 i was strongly looking at for the dac end.
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Thanks for the reply my friend, that makes total sense. I had a feeling it was just a set to comfortable level on the RME and then use the 789 as wanted. Maybe someone with the combo will come in and put in their 2 cents. I come from a series of combo units so this is a bit foreign to me.
The 789 is very good at first blush, I am going to do some more A B testing between the two units. I donāt think you will be disappointed! I waited since February 2nd so I know the feeling haha. I donāt have enough good things to say about the RME. It is everything I will ever need and want.
Edit: After talking with a few people on reddit who have this combo, they all suggested setting db to 0 on the RME and then it will Auto Ref everything if you have that option selected (should be default). I just wanted to make a follow up in case someone else has the question. I know it is probably already mention in this thread somewhere, but here we are.
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Thatās good to hear. I have heard glowing reviews all around on the rme. And I think that will be, and is for you, one sexy stack.
Anyone willing or with pics of the rme/thx combo stacked up, feel free to post =)
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I havenāt heard everything, but the RME is pretty much the perfect unit besides not having balanced. The single ended is so clean and powerful to the point you have to ask yourself if balanced is even warranted. However, at $340 for one of the cleanest balanced outputs around, I just couldnāt resist buying the 789. The only other thing people really complain about with the RME is that it isnāt super easy to navigate. The manual is insane and helpful, after a few weeks I was comfortable navigating. Also, it is kind of set it and forget it once you have stored settings and EQs. They also do firmware updates to streamline functions. Great company.
At any rate, here is my endgame solid state setup. On to building up my headphone collection again.
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I find the 1990s uncomfortable and a bit grainy, but Iām in the minority on that. I would recommend the Sendy Aiva over them in a heartbeat though for both sound and comfort, and they are the same price. Just my two cents!
Just out of curiosity, what pads were you using on the 1990?
I have heard good things about the Sendys, but for recommendations on first headphones I try not to recommend boutique companies, which is what I would consider Sendy right now. Beyer is proven and reliable. Also, I try not to recommend planars for first headphones either. They can be an acquired taste.
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If you donāt have anything high end, Iād start with the inexpensive HD650 / HD6XX. I still use my HD6XX even though I own much higher end stuff.
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what i used is a highgrade double sided tape which is about half a centimeter thick, itās heavy duty and could probably hold bricks up against my table no problem, i know my tapes. finding brackets would be a difficult task i think as youād need to find something with awfully specific measurements
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heavy duty double-sided tape. This is top stuff. im not sure how im going to be able to remove it from there again, but im pretty sure my table would be ruined in the end if i were to use an iron
oh yeah thats lovely
I tried a lot of pads with the 1990s. 3 types of Dekoni, and brainwavz xl and a few others I canāt remember the name of.
You have a point about beyer being a proven and trusted company. Recommending the 1990s over the aiva because of that fact makes perfect sense. The planar thing makes sense too, but the aivas are fairly easy to drive and feel very solid so they may be an exception. I guess only time will tell. Good points
I agree with marcii, I usually recommend sennheiser for first time buyers for a number of reasons. Especially because the 58x and hd6xx exist. But, if homie is going to drop $500-600 on headphones regardless, Iād be remiss if I didnāt mention the aiva because I personally prefer them over the 1990. Iād be curious to hear others opinions on 1990 vs aiva.
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Fair points. I like Sennheiser, but I feel like if someone is looking for an overall headphone, I would stay away from most Sennheisers until you hear them. The veil and narrow soundstage turn some people off. But at the same time, the 6xx and 58x are hard values to pass up.
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Wow!! Thatās serious tape!!
I used to have my Fostex HPA4BL under my desk and it worked great. I used a under desk pc mount, it was essentially just a metal tray with mounting holes. I used silicone adhesive feet to keep the unit perfectly in place.
Your balls must have scabs from dragging them along the ground. I would be so fucking scared to ghost mount anything let alone my RME. I had my Fostex recessed a bit so the knobs didnāt stick out, my anxiety is shooting to the moon looking at that. To each their own! Looks great either way.
I like your cableā¦it looks familiar;)
Also I have the RME-ADI-2DAC along with the 789, and find it to be a good pairing, but it is out of that chain due to being replaced by the Phonitor XE. It was stated already but I keep my volume at 0db on the RME ADI-2DAC and then adjust volume on the THX-789. Or now the Phonitor XEā¦but Iāll mess with it every couple weeks and find a new sweet spot. Donāt forget to update the RME ADI-2DAC they just put one out a little bit ago with updated color and fixes.
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Gotta love that acid purple :D.
Thanks for that feedback, really appreciate it. I havenāt been able to find much on the subject. Iām going to update now while I remember lol.
Are those the Elegia, how are they?
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I like your mousepad a lot. Where did you get it?
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The Elegia are as close to closed back Clears as you can get 
big fan of them, if only the Stelia came in a similar color scheme lol
Also purple on everything, I even modded the THX788 lcd with a purple filter film which you can kind of see in the picture above.
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Here you go: LIEBIRDExtended XXL Gaming Mouse Pad - Portable Large Desk Pad - Non-Slip Rubber Base (World Map 31.5"x11.8"x2.5mm) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LBFYKU8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_P6ycDb51YA0FW
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