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6moons Review: PS Audio GCHA

post #1 of 12
5/8/06 at 11:50am
Thread Starter 
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/psaudio4/gcha.html

Enjoy
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post #2 of 12
5/8/06 at 12:14pm
was quite pulling the trigger on it ..

then a Gilmore Reference knocked my door ..

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post #3 of 12
5/8/06 at 2:42pm
That was a really enjoyable review to read.

Some questions...

Normally people say that the HD-650's soundtage is much larger when driven by balanced amplifiers. Have you heard any balanced systems with the HD-650? And, if so, can you comment on how large the soundstage of the GCHA is relative to a balanced amplifier?

Also, can you make any relative comparisons of the GCHA regarding its dynamics? You say that it is a weakness of GCHA -- should I infer that the HR-2, GS-1, Headroom Desktop all have better dynamics?
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post #4 of 12
5/8/06 at 2:53pm
Ryan,
Do you prefer the PS Audio better than HR-2? Thanks.
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post #5 of 12
5/8/06 at 6:37pm
Thanks for the review! I regard it as a very good description of the amplifier. I agree that it can be a little reserved in dynamics. On the other hand, it never loses control in dynamic passages with hardness or leading edge type sound (too sharp). My own impression it that the laid-back character is most pronounced with Sennheiser (HD650 in my case). For good and bad, it then sounds dark, smooth, laid-back and with slightly reserved dynamics. GCHA sounds more open, direct and dynamic with AKG K701. I think that K701 is a better headphone than HD650 but the synergy between amplifier and headpone is also better with K701, IMO. But the HD650 works very well as a complement and should not be discarded.

I appreciate very much that you make direct comparisons with a number of other highly rated headpone amplifiers. This makes the review much more useful than the too common reviewer mode of only comparing with some five year old component or another one that is three times more / less expensive.

PS Audio's bold statements about revolutionary design seem to strike back on them. I don't know if it is revolutionary in a technical sense, but isn't the design at least unusual?
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post #6 of 12
5/23/06 at 5:29pm
Thank you for very interesting review recstar24!
I have waited for this review impatiently.
I have some questions:
Is there anyone who have experience with HD650 and K701
on GCHA. With HD650+ new Cardas in Grey (btw. fantastic improvement over all earlier
Cardas cables - now my favorite cable - best of all. IMO now with perfect bass control)
everything sound fantastic with acceptable dynamic, but with AKG (with 220hours burn in) total lack of dynamic.
Everything sound almost just mezzo-forte or forte...
Have someone experience something like this also?
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post #7 of 12
5/23/06 at 6:22pm
^^Not sure I understand what you're asking but I have both the 701 and 650/Zu cable and have run them out of the GCHA with an E5 as the source. Is your problem that the 701's sound flat, lifeless and too laid back out of the GCHA or am I misreading the question you've asked?
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post #8 of 12
5/23/06 at 6:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by KenW
^^Not sure I understand what you're asking but I have both the 701 and 650/Zu cable and have run them out of the GCHA with an E5 as the source. Is your problem that the 701's sound flat, lifeless and too laid back out of the GCHA or am I misreading the question you've asked?
It sound flat not tonally but dynamically, very small difference between soft and loud
comparing to Hd650. Actually more on classic music, I think maybe it's K701, while it accentuate everything - that's why it's so detailed - quiet and loud tones are equal rendered (?) and when there suddenly many tones at once it
get's a mass.
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post #9 of 12
5/24/06 at 2:10am
always love seeing review like that!
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post #10 of 12
5/24/06 at 5:46pm
No, I have rather found the K701 to be slightly more dynamic than HD650, but it may mostly be that K701 is faster than HD650.

I have sometimes had a problem to set the correct volume with GCHA because it lacks marks (clock hours etc) on the volume control. Sometimes I have got the setting too low and that can give an impression of lacking dynamics but also less tonal colors. It is not always easy to get the setting right from the beginning on music with big differences between quiet and loud passages. I think I will paint a mark on the volume control to make calibration easier.

My K701 were burned-in enough in this respect at 220 hours, but I burned-in them on really high volume if that could make a difference.
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post #11 of 12
5/24/06 at 5:57pm
Maybe more exact would be to say it has almost no impact
on any frequency except high's, it sound a little as electrostatic headphone,
and I found it tonally not complete neutral, all voices sound more fat (upper bass low mid's) as they have to be.IMO and sorry for offtopic..
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post #12 of 12
5/24/06 at 6:18pm
You mean a fatness with K701 (upper bass - lower midrange emphasis)? It maybe so and I like it and don't complain, although it is a deviation from neutrality. I haven't explored it more deeply (by systematic comparison and A-B listenng) but remember it to be similar with HD650 and have a preliminary impression of a slight bass overemphasis of GCHA.
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