The Predator, Portable Headphone Amp/USB DAC Combo

[direcow]

Originally Posted by fatman711

So on low gain, you can turn the knob higher on the headsix than on the predator?

If so, then maybe the tomahawk will work better for me...

that's right, but I do listen to things quite softly, and the predator knob scales rather well even at the low end, so I'm able to turn it quite slowly without shooting the volume up.

[fatman711]

hmm...that's very interesting because I can't do that on my headsix. It is probably the source...

[HeadphoneAddict]

Originally Posted by fatman711

hmm...that's very interesting because I can't do that on my headsix. It is probably the source...

The headsix has very good volume control if you open it up and switch to low gain (remove jumpers). I had to do that to use my IEM at at low to normal volumes. It still drives most of my full-size headphones okay in low gain (except HD600).

My Predator, HR MicroAmp, and Apogee mini-dac have impressively good linear volume tracking through the whole range, and good channel balance at very low volumes. The D1, D2, Headsix, Pico, Travagans and Firestone amps can be a pain to keep a channel balance at low volumes; and most of them may never be able to use the 12-5 o'clock range effectively because the volume climbs too fast (except with HD600).

[direcow]

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict

The headsix has very good volume control if you open it up and switch to low gain (remove jumpers). I had to do that to use my IEM at at low to normal volumes. It still drives most of my full-size headphones okay in low gain (except HD600).

My Predator, HR MicroAmp, and Apogee mini-dac have impressively good linear volume tracking through the whole range, and good channel balance at very low volumes. The D1, D2, Headsix, Pico, Travagans and Firestone amps can be a pain to keep a channel balance at low volumes; and most of them may never be able to use the 12-5 o'clock range effectively because the volume climbs too fast (except with HD600).

I think HPA put it the best, thanks for wording it much better than I could! The headsix has a slight imbalance at the lower volumes compared to the predator, but otherwise once out of that zone you won't get any problem. At a good volume my headsix has no imbalance, but it depends on the volume you listen at.

[jamato8]

Ray checks each and every attenuator to make sure they are tracking correctly. That is one of many things that makes his amps some of the finest quality components you can buy. Mr. Detail. :^)

[Ray Samuels]

Ray Samuels Audio Emmeline The Predator Review By Steven R. Rochlin


This is a review from one of the most respected web site, Enjoy The Music, in the review industry & from one of the greatest reviewer that I admire, Steave Rochlin.
Enjoy...
Ray Samuels

[raffy]

Originally Posted by fatman711

Are you using an ipod with line out? Or are you using the dac? If you're using the dac, is your volume settings in windows at max?


How low is the low gain? Do you have good control of the volume on the amp or does the volume shoot way up with barely turning the knob? That is my problem with my headsix.

thanks

When used with my ipod/LOD and FreqShows, my volume is at 9-12 o clock. When I first used the DAC, I had to turn it up all the way but I used a different USB port and it seemed to fixed the volume issue. Now I'm at around 10-12 o clock when used w/ FreqShow. Hope this helps!

[immtbiker]

Originally Posted by Ray Samuels

This is a review from one of the most respected web site, Enjoy The Music, in the review industry & from one of the greatest reviewer that I admire, Steve Rochlin.
Enjoy...

I'm glad to see that a top level reviewer found out the hard way, that burn-in is important before/after putting a review in print.
Many readers make high dollar buying decisions, soley based upon hard copy or e-zine reviews (I know we shouldn't, but sometimes it is all we have to go on...besides a return policy).

I prefer user opinions. If there are 40 people (consumers) writing about their purchase, with nothing to gain by writing a review, I throw out the usual 10 or so "I hated it, or...it's the best thing on the planet" opinions, and then I take the other 30 or so, non-extreme comments with some tolerance. Sort of like the Bell Curve teachers use in school (throw out the highest and lowest scores, and then evaluate the rest).

[Rant] - I never make fun of anyone's grammar here on Head-Fi (except shouting in CAPS or total disregard for what a member writes for other's to read), because we all come from different countries and diverse back rounds, and heaven knows I can't write in another language at all.
However, when a review is being written in a publication, a little editing or spell checking is in order. How can I take a reviewer's opinion seriously, if s/he does not re-read their own verbage.

Originally Posted by Steven Rochlin

It was not that Ray Samuels was not willing (double negative) to send me the Emmeline The Predator headphone amplifier, it was that the unit sounded impressive at first and then went downhill at around the 80 hour mark (run-on sentence). Upon receiving the unit i gave it a good few (what's a good few??? ohhh, he means a few good) hours of listening and then let is simply let the (I can't even imagine what this means) Emmeline The Predator feed off my XM Radio and drive a pair basic IEMs...

I believe that instead of letting readers see his negative remarks (which leaves a bad impression in a reader's mind), Mr. Rochlin should have re-written the review after an appropriate number of burn-in hours, and dumped the original review.

Ray deserves better than this, and "Enjoy The Music" readers deserve a better written review . [/End of rant]

[penger]

At least it offers a slightly different perspective into how reviewers do what they do? It was an interesting read to say the least.

[jamato8]

Originally Posted by immtbiker

I'm glad to see that a top level reviewer found out the hard way, that burn-in is important before/after putting a review in print.
Many readers make high dollar buying decisions, soley based upon hard copy or e-zine reviews (I know we shouldn't, but sometimes it is all we have to go on...besides a return policy).

I prefer user opinions. If there are 40 people (consumers) writing about their purchase, with nothing to gain by writing a review, I throw out the usual 10 or so "I hated it, or...it's the best thing on the planet" opinions, and then I take the other 30 or so, non-extreme comments with some tolerance. Sort of like the Bell Curve teachers use in school (throw out the highest and lowest scores, and then evaluate the rest).

[Rant] - I never make fun of anyone's grammar here on Head-Fi (except shouting in CAPS or total disregard for what a member writes for other's to read), because we all come from different countries and diverse back rounds, and heaven knows I can't write in another language at all.
However, when a review is being written in a publication, a little editing or spell checking is in order. How can I take a reviewer's opinion seriously, if s/he does not re-read their own verbage.



I believe that instead of letting readers see his negative remarks (which leaves a bad impression in a reader's mind), Mr. Rochlin should have re-written the review after an appropriate number of burn-in hours, and dumped the original review.

Ray deserves better than this, and "Enjoy The Music" readers deserve a better written review . [/End of rant]

Wow, Engleish is being taken so lightly. Spell check so easy, so accommodating, and with all that, on top of all that, to be a professional writer and not, not use it.

Well at least he liked it. Maybe he was so excited, so exuberant that words simply failed him or he was blinded by the joy, the hysterical bliss of the . . . nah . . . well he did really like it.

I am listening to some Essential Leonard Cohen with my Ultrasone Ed. 9 and the Predator and the sound is beautiful. Very organic, open and spacious. So enjoyable, it is.