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Today's Featured Head-Fi Blog: A Japanese headfier's monologue (Sasaki)
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Sorry if this is a stupid question but what’s the frequency response of the Cantate?
Most amplifier manufacturer’s sites list the frequency response, for example the AT-HA500 lists 5~200kHz and the Stello 100 lists 20~200kHz. I was looking for an amplifier that would be a good match for the Sony MDR-SA5000s with a 5-110kHz frequency response and was considering the Cantate or Opera but the Meier site doesn’t seem or list the frequency response. Am I being stupid or is it just not there?
I'm no expert here but I'm pretty sure that frequency responce isn't something you should be worried about when buying an amp (especially at the level of the cantate)...
I own a Cantate and there is no background hiss at all. When not playing any music I have to turn the volume almost to maximum before I hear anything at all.
I'm no expert here but I'm pretty sure that frequency responce isn't something you should be worried about when buying an amp (especially at the level of the cantate)...
I own a Cantate and there is no background hiss at all. When not playing any music I have to turn the volume almost to maximum before I hear anything at all.
Paul
X 2
Same here, no hiss and not even in the least concerned about the frequency response of the amp. I learned a long time ago that the frequency response of ANY amp wasn't an indicator of sonic quality !
"No Hiss with USB at all, with no music playing I put the knob to max and I ear nothing !!! not the same when I select my “Hi-Fi” (a 3 year old Sony mini hi fi) at 15 O’Clock I start to ear some small noise, at the max I clearly ear noise, but my hi-fi is not real hi-fi compare to Cantate, and I use too long RCA cable, a Profigold of 3 meter, I need that long cable…"
__________________ Grado RS-1, sr60,
Corda Cantate Low Gain Setting, Total Bithead
Before: AKG 240 K Monitor 80's, HD 414 SL, Koss Porta Pro, Sony MDR-V700, Sony Noise Canceling MDR-NC6
So, a few months after buying this amp, I finally decided to open it up to remove the USB LED shunt. The reason is that the Cantate USB LED lights up when connected to my laptop, even if the Cantate is turned off (USB LED is powered from the laptop). The only way to turn off the LED is to remove the shunt.
While I had my Cantate opened up, I also decided to finally try lerio's advice and change the gain setting to low by placing the three provided shunts in the appropriate positions.
That was half an hour ago. I've been listening to USB audio that first half hour, I changed to my Arcam just now. My headphones are still the HD650. I can tell you that even on low gain, the Cantate delivers more than enough volume to drive the HD650. I have it on 12 o'clock now. The Cantate volume knob goes from about 7 o'clock to 5 o'clock. More than 2 o'clock on low gain with the HD650 is really too loud for my ears. So no problems in the volume department.
I think the Cantate does improve if the gain is changed from high to low gain. However, my impressions might be clouded by expected results based on the impressions of others, i.e. placebo. I will listen to it a lot more on low gain though, I have decided to keep it on low gain for now.
I hope to get a stand-alone USB DAC soon to compare it with the built in USB DAC of the Cantate.
For now, here are a few more pictures of the Cantate's insides, of me installing the low gain shunts and removing the USB LED shunt. It took a pair of tweezers to place the low gain shunt closest to the housing of the Cantate.
(thumbnails, click for full size)
__________________ Portable rig: Cowon D2 -> ? Laptop rig: Acer 5024WLMi -> Apogee Mini-DAC USB -> Meier Audio Corda Cantate -> Sennheiser HD650 Home rig: Arcam CD73 -> Apogee Mini-DAC USB -> Meier Audio Corda Cantate -> Sennheiser HD650
While I had my Cantate opened up, I also decided to finally try lerio's advice and change the gain setting to low by placing the three provided shunts in the appropriate positions.
That was half an hour ago. I've been listening to USB audio that first half hour, I changed to my Arcam just now. My headphones are still the HD650. I can tell you that even on low gain, the Cantate delivers more than enough volume to drive the HD650. I have it on 12 o'clock now. The Cantate volume knob goes from about 7 o'clock to 5 o'clock. More than 2 o'clock on low gain with the HD650 is really too loud for my ears. So no problems in the volume department.
I think the Cantate does improve if the gain is changed from high to low gain. However, my impressions might be clouded by expected results based on the impressions of others, i.e. placebo. I will listen to it a lot more on low gain though, I have decided to keep it on low gain for now.
Maybe result is more efective for Low Gain headphone like my Grado
__________________ Grado RS-1, sr60,
Corda Cantate Low Gain Setting, Total Bithead
Before: AKG 240 K Monitor 80's, HD 414 SL, Koss Porta Pro, Sony MDR-V700, Sony Noise Canceling MDR-NC6
Can this item drive IEMs? Would high gain too much for IEM?
Yes, it can certainly drive IEMs and if you try it on high gain you're going to most likely blow them. Low gain is always the higher quality setting. High gain should be used as a last resort as it results in lesser sound quality. You would only need to use it if you have high impedance headphones, which 98% of IEMs do not. An amp like the Cantate for IEM use is pretty pointless though, imo, even with good IEMs like the UE-11. Having formerly been an IEM guy myself and having the Triple.Fi, I can confidently say now that armature drivers are extremely unnatural sounding.
__________________
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Headphones → Denon AH-D5000 (modded)
Amp/DAC → Meier Audio Corda Opera :::
Transport → ESI Juli@ ::: Vista → Foobar 0.9.5 → EAC extracted PCM → ASIO 2.0 → SSRC@96/Ultra → ESI Juli@ → S/PDIF :::
Power → Virtual Dynamics Master LE 2.0 Power Cord(Amp/DAC) ::: Cobalt Cable Ultimate Power Cord(PC) ::: API PowerWedge I
Interconnects → Virtual Dynamics Master LE 2.0 Digital IC ::: Cobalt Cable Ultimate Digital Coax :::::::::::::::::: Cobalt Cable Ultimate Audio Interconnect Pair ::: ALO 6" iPod LOD ::: Qables 15" Silvercab iPod LOD
Portable Source → iPod Classic (6g) 80gig, with Agent18 Hardshell Acrylic Case:::
Accessories → Audio Technica AT-HPS500 Headphone Stand ::: Woo Audio Silver Headphone Stand
Linear Mode
