Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict
I am back home tonight from a 4 day spring break trip, and got to listen with my ES3X again. I have to be honest that I am noticing the background hiss to be a little more pronounced than I recall hearing right out of the box, regardless of whether with a nice DAC via line-in or via iMod (or with no source connected).
I wasn't noticing very much hiss at all on my spring break with the IE8 or Phonak Audeo in the hotel room (and none with full size cans), but my Westone ES3X and Livewires 124dB/mw customs do need the Shure volume attenuator with the volume knob rolled only about 2-3 mm to wipe out the background hiss. I'll have to run out to my car to get my Westone 3 later to try again and listen for hiss. I only hear the hiss between songs or when paused and not above the music, but I can see how it can get to you knowing it is there with very sensitive IEM.
I am thinking that I might want to send a spare attenuator to Ken to install internally on the 1/8" jack. Then I can open the bottom of the amp and set it and leave it alone without looking at it or losing it. But the sound quality of my Edition 9, modded Denon and ESW10 with the Amphora is so good that I may consider the amp even just for those alone. In my living room rig where I plan to have the Amphora, IEM are not practical because I need a 6-10 foot cable, and my 4-foot APS V3 extension and 4-foot Cable pro panorama are too heavy for using with iEM.
At the moment the only dynamic amp in the living room rig next to my Woo GES is a head-direct EF1 which has poor channel balance at low volumes with IEM, too high gain for IEM, and at zero volume the music still comes through with IEM - so the Amphora is a big step up from that. I'll admit that if high sensitivity IEM will be the ONLY thing you listen to with the Amphora, that you likely will want to get a volume attenuator or a P-S adapter. But not all IEM demonstrate a bothersome level of hiss with it - It is mostly an issue with my customs, and 95% of the time I use the customs on my laptop rig with a small DAC/amp combo or with my iMod as a portable. However, when traveling with it at my bedside or at a desk, I may want to use it with IEM more. So, it can be an issue in those cases - but I have found no other issues of concern other than this so far. You mileage may vary.
|
Thanks for the comments. I've tried the Amphora with my ER6i's and I don't remember the hiss being there (which I will admit is wierd). Although I only listened with them for a brief momment. My only other headphones are my W3000. I'll do some more listening tonght after work.
I feel that I should mention that I only have maybe 10 hrs on the Amphora but it does sound really good. Warm and detailed like my Isabellina.
Ken, can you comment on the hiss? Maybe Vinnie could chime in too?.