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The balanced outputs of the Eastsound are subpar compared to the single-ended outputs. The single-ended outputs use a completely discrete class a output stage. The balanced outputs use opamps and uses phase splitting as opposed to a true +/- signal coming from the dac. These problems with the balanced outputs can be fixed with mods though.
Good info!
I have balanced capability on both my preamp and my amp but always have used the SE outputs throughout.
I have heard some amps don't sound as good unless you connect via balanced, but other amps sound well with SE connections to the preamp. Maybe some amps and preamps use a different circuitry with balanced vs. SE, like the E5 does.
Comments?
__________________ Home headphone system: AMPS: Bada PH12 tube/Mosfet amp, Doge 6210 EL84 tube amp. Amp Review. Headphone: Senny HD600/Cardas, AKG K701. SOURCE: Rega Saturn CDP. IC: CT Silver Reference II, which is identical to the Acoustic zen Silver Reference II IC. POWER: Tice Micro power conditioner, two Cattylink Analog Research Silver Raincoat power cables.
Past recently owned headphone amps: RSA Raptor EM II, ASL MG Head III OTL, G&W T2.6F tube/Mosfet amp, Woo Audio 2, Woo Audio 3, Xian Sheng 708B amp, Lehmann BC linear, Meixing (Ming Da) MC66AE, Headroom Cosmic, Headroom Micro Desktop, Hafler Preamp, RSA Hornet, Stax (with Stax electostatics). Past recently owned headphones: Sony SA5000, Stax (two different), Sennheiser HD650, AKG340, Grado (HP-2 and SR60), Beyerdynamic DT860, Sony (many), Koss (many).
Got my CD-E5 today and I can now join the chorus of Head-Fiers impressed by this thing. I am listening to all my favorite CDs, and hearing many details in them for the first time. Got the Silver Raincoat PC (quite a beast) and it all sounds great thru my setup (CD-E5-->Oritek X-2s-->Grace m902-->Equinox-->HD650). Have it burning in now, hoping to tame a little treble harshness (sounds like some have experienced this with this power cord and that it smooths out over time).
The CD-E5 replaces a stock Denon 5900 and smokes it in every way. Well, on Redbook anyway. In fairness, the 5900 does do DVD-A, SACD, and video pretty well. But it's now relegated to home theater usage.
The Silver Raincoat came in its own box, and when I picked it up it seemed to weigh about 15 pounds. I thought, this must be one helluva cord! Well, it is massive but didn't account for most of the weight: for my extra $55 I got:
* The Silver Raincoat PC in its own zippered case.
* A Pair of Gold Raincoat ICs in their own zippered case
* A Silver fuse in a box on a little pillow (cute)
* A 5-pound slab of polished granite (?) which I assume based on previous posts is for damping or some such. It's now on top of the CD-E5 supporting the Grace.
* The original stock ICs and power cord
* And weirdest of all, seven (!) 250V IEC power cords, each slightly different. For the life of me I can't understand why Snowy included those. Any ideas what I can do with them?
I use the marble slab atop my E5 to collect ionized quark emissions from random cosmic rays that, uncollected, might form wave interference patterns with the laser of the CDP and degrade the sound.
The extra power cords were a mistake, obviously.
Not sure of your treble harshness problem, though the E5 is highly resolving and will reveal problems that other sources mask over. Try cable or component substitution to see if you can isolate it - assuming the CD is clean and free of treble harshness.
I have no harshness in either my headphone or speaker system, and never had it from the start with the E5 and silver raincoat PC.
__________________ Home headphone system: AMPS: Bada PH12 tube/Mosfet amp, Doge 6210 EL84 tube amp. Amp Review. Headphone: Senny HD600/Cardas, AKG K701. SOURCE: Rega Saturn CDP. IC: CT Silver Reference II, which is identical to the Acoustic zen Silver Reference II IC. POWER: Tice Micro power conditioner, two Cattylink Analog Research Silver Raincoat power cables.
Past recently owned headphone amps: RSA Raptor EM II, ASL MG Head III OTL, G&W T2.6F tube/Mosfet amp, Woo Audio 2, Woo Audio 3, Xian Sheng 708B amp, Lehmann BC linear, Meixing (Ming Da) MC66AE, Headroom Cosmic, Headroom Micro Desktop, Hafler Preamp, RSA Hornet, Stax (with Stax electostatics). Past recently owned headphones: Sony SA5000, Stax (two different), Sennheiser HD650, AKG340, Grado (HP-2 and SR60), Beyerdynamic DT860, Sony (many), Koss (many).
hmmm... maybe I can get some from a local tombstone company or something.
__________________ "For a list of all the ways technology has failed to improve the quality of life, please press three."
Moon Audio modded Original CD-2008MK-II / de Almeida Signature Shadow XLR / McAlister Audio Massive Attack / Headphile modded BlackGold recabled AKG K340 OR APureSound V3 recabled Grado RS-1
hmmm... maybe I can get some from a local tombstone company or something.
Well, you can have mine...
Never mind that the two pieces were broken into 6... OR, that they were different thicknesses (1" and .65"). Imagine the force it took to break them...
__________________
Starters: Cambridge 840c -> ApureSound Balanced IC -> Blue Hawaii -> (Stax reterminated) HE60
Office: Sony DVP - NS775V -> OPUS DAC -> Millett Maximus Balanced -> APS v3 Balanced HD600 OR Enigma Oracle Balanced HD650
THE GRANITE IS INDEED RESEARCH MATERIAL OF OUR NEW AUDIO ACCESSORIES AND TOGETHER WITH THE EXTRA IEC POWER CORDS NOW ONLY SERVES AS WEIGHT ADJUSTMENT PARTS. I HAVE TO TELL STANDARD WORDS FROM OUR MANAGEMENT THAT CLIENTS MAY JUST SIMPLY THROW THEM AWAY. ALTHOUGH YOU HAVE ALREADY NOTED THAT THE GRANITE IS OF VERY GOOD QUALITY.
So the mystery is solved. The slab and the seven (useless in the US) power cords were included to...make the package heavier. My wife asked, "uh, when you are shipping things don't you usually want to make the package lighter?" But then of course I told her about the dangers of ionized quark emissions so that showed her.
Although i humourously guessed the ballast component for the granite elsewhere, your wife has a point!
Pabbi- What did the package look like that contained that granite, cause it certainly looks like someone took a hammer to it!
No no no! You guys have got it all wrong. The granite slab is to be placed on top of the E5 this will, inturn, increase the atmospheric preasure inside of the E5 and this helps to resolve three problems. #1) It helps to flatten out wave forms so the specs look good. #2) It helps to preasurize flatten any warped CD discs. #3) It provides a safety shield in case a CD disc comes flying out of the CD craddle and shatters.....Well, there you have it.
Well, the package was quite unharmed, as the granite took most of the impact. However, being quite quark-a-phobic, I am having a righteous slab of ubatuba (leftover from a kitchen remodel) cut and polished this very afternoon as a Vibe dampening surface - pics to follow tomorrow.
BTW, anyone know what the weight rating is of the dampening feet? Not withing the tolerance of laying granite on top, I'd imagine.
__________________
Starters: Cambridge 840c -> ApureSound Balanced IC -> Blue Hawaii -> (Stax reterminated) HE60
Office: Sony DVP - NS775V -> OPUS DAC -> Millett Maximus Balanced -> APS v3 Balanced HD600 OR Enigma Oracle Balanced HD650
OR, that they were different thicknesses (1" and .65"). Imagine the force it took to break them... 
Linear Mode
