Listening to the Who "Endless Wire" CD, both the first studio recording in 24 years and the live CD enclosed from 2006. This amp just does an excellent job of portraying the live feel to the music.

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I concur with this post. I found that the soundstage widens with increased gain; i.e. 1, 4, 11. The volume knob was adjusted to maintain equal volume levels with each change in gain settings so as to not confuse loudness with the results.

Yes, I find the sound a little brighter on the higher gain. Well on some music that works out very well. Sweet little amp it is.

You guys may be right. I also find the D2 Viper and Boa sound better on high gain.

perhaps since it's due to a headphone's ability to be driven? i noticed the same high-gain effect when used with the pk-1. however, the difference was less noticeable with the UE-10.

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With the higher gain I find that the music is more forward and agressive and hence initially very impressive. However, on extended hearing sessions, I find that I get tired quickly and makes me want to take the iems off. Conversely, with the mid gain, although not as impressive initially as the high gain, it is more mellow and I do not suffer the hearing triedness so quickly.

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I had the same comment from my wife too. I too stopped at 1200 (using the itunes play counter and computing it with excel) using the Sheffield lab burn in CD tracks.

hi folks,

just discovered this group recently.

i'll post pics of my current portable rig one of these days
but wanted to ask a question about burning in the predator.
mine was shipped by ray today (yes!) and i was wondering:

1. does the predator need a load (aka headphones plugged in) or
can the headphone jack can be empty during burn-in?
2. how about gain setting, does it have an impact?
3. usb or analog for the music input? (i'll be using both)
4. is it the dac or the amp that dominates the burn in process?

thanks

1. does the predator need a load (aka headphones plugged in) or
can the headphone jack can be empty during burn-in?

Plug in headphones

2. how about gain setting, does it have an impact?

Low gain at a normal volume will be the same as medium gain at the same volume

3. usb or analog for the music input? (i'll be using both)

Ray says the DAC only needs about 200 hours, the rest of the time you can feed it through the analog input if you want.

4. is it the dac or the amp that dominates the burn in process?

Amp

thanks larry

From point view of software, 2 ways to burn it in. Either with normal songs or with noise (ie. wide frequency spectrum waves). With the latter, it find that the burn in shorter. I use the Shefield lab burn-in CD for my burn in.

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I found this was spot-on for me as well. The first listen on high gain was definitely on the forward side. However, I found myself going back to the mid gain and enjoying that fully.

I read somewhere on HeadFi about someone switching between the input and dac setting for comparison and gave it a try myself. Once I got MediaMonkey ready to play in sync with my iMod (4th Gen), I listened while alternating between the dac and the imod. Connected to the the Predator, the iMod rocks; sounding very detailed and aggressive. This time with the Predator's DAC being used alongside the iMod, I found that the DAC offers a significant expansion in soundstage*. The instruments sounded almost stacked with the iMod when compared to the soundstage I heard with the DAC. I do want to be clear that both the iMod AND the DAC sound wicked; so good that I'm looking for a way to find some $$$$ to send my 5.5gen to Vinnie. I just really enjoy the soundstage of the dac and the detail.


I found that I also have a negative!! Wavoman, I don't know if you've posted pics of your red/black Predator, but I'd love to see the opposite of me!

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/4408585-post514.html

So I know that I'm still very early in my burn-in time. I received my Pred right before Independence Day, but it's only on for a few hours daily, if that. Right now, I'm very very very happy with this investment. They synergize great with my ue11s. This combo makes any of my DAPs sing.

The coolest thing about this hobby is you get to hear music for the first time.......again. Thanks guys.....


[size=xx-small]*this is one of the times I experienced an aural revelation, being able to finally hear and understand other people's sonic description - I get more of these now. To me, having my tin ears being able to REALLY hear AND listen is really exciting[/size]

Mine recently wen't through more noticable changes regarding burn-in. I have somewhere in the neighberhood of 600 hrs on it. Lately it really started getting weaker in the bass, I stopped oficially burning in at 500 hrs. I decided to let it get somemore burn in time and wow...the bass came back and then some. I put another 50 or so last week.. (I am on a vacation so couldn't do more at the moment) and I plan to put a few hundred more on it in the coming weeks. I know it takes alot of hrs...but at 500 it sounded great so I was just going to let the rest happen as I listen...sometimes though I guess I'll have to hurry the process. Great little amp though. I have never felt that any other details in the highs or mids let-up so to speak...just the bass. I'll keep posting my thoughts as I get more hrs...as I stated earlier...I can only listen on average an hr or so a day...so it takes awhile.

Anyone here using the Sleek SA6 with their predator ?

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Ray did mention that burning in the DAC would simultaneously burn in the Amp. Therefore, burning the device through the DAC would be the preferable method.

FWI, I've notice incremental improvements during the last week with my Predator. Like fine wine, it's getting better with age. Good job Ray.