Thanks Bruce but I think it is having something / anything “in” my ears that I just don’t like. Just feels intrusive somehow. I bought some etymotics yeaars ago which had different pieces to choose from and I just couldn’t use them.
So I think it’s over ear for me, though there seems to be excessive choice available. I suppose the air pods max have the advantage of working more or less automatically with my phone etc, but will have to have a listen to see if they are up to snuff
Yes, same here with holidays. With the DAP I just take portable full-size or one of my old IEMs: Westone/Triple Fi/Senn IE8 etc with whatever adaptor needed. Being cabled doesn’t bug me at all.
Focal Bathys…
Not sure I want a dodgy volume change scale 
but I daresay in need to listen to some
Master & Dynamic MW75.
My 3rd successive purchase of their top-of-the-line model - their sound signature (plus aesthetics) just work for me.
Apparently they have the same innards as Mark Levinson 5909’s which are 2x the price (+ I got these with a Black Friday 40% discount).
Lovely materials - lambs leather cups. Noise cancelling is good enough but isolation is pretty good anyway on my train/tube commute. Compared to others at the price eg B&W, nice thing about these is being able to use in wired passive mode with a DAC, and USB-C cable means they can actually take a hi-res feed straight from the iPhone regardless.
For hat weather/gym, I have B&O E6 with custom sleeves - outstanding, they replaced Shure SE846’s. Wire between earphones means much harder for an idiot like me to lose them and don’t have to take the silicone sleeves off for charging in a box (which would eventually loosen the material).
Lovely. I added a pair of ZMF Auteur Classic to my collection recently. Different characrer to my Verite Closed. Very enjoyable, and beautiful too.
The wood is ambrosia maple.
Bruce
Why do you have them on a bust of Lenin?
It’s supposed to be Brian Cranston
Lovely looking things aren’t they. A work of art, visually and sonically.
They have a lovely ‘vintage’ look.
Bruce.
Grado RS2e into nac-n272, enjoyable sound, changed F cushions to G one, better comfort and airy sound (70$ can). I love the wood and leather materials. Does the nac amp could make-it with higher level from Grado?
Listening with headphones tonight for the first time in, yes, probably half a year… I had almost forgotten how good it sounds, what richness of nuance and what presence!
Focal Utopia with Cardas Clear Beyond Headphone Cable. 4.5m into SN3 Headphone Amp. Took at least 200 hours to begin to open up. Both headphones and cable are new.
Quite expensive headphones, don’t you need a better headphone amp to do them justice than the one you have in the SN3? Like Atom HE 
(Just wondering)
