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REVIEW: Head-direct.com HiFiMan EF2 tube Hybrid Amp with USB DAC - Page 87

post #1291 of 1309
7/6/12 at 7:54am

I thought the Lyr was solely designed to drive ortho's XD Maybe if you beg me hard enough I can bring my HD580s to my gf's EF2A and let them mate... Ahh too wrong!

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post #1292 of 1309
7/6/12 at 8:09am
Quote:
[quote name="mrAdrian" url="/t/433150/review-head-direct-com-hifiman
-ef2-tube-hybrid-amp-with-usb-dac/1290#post_8510247"]I thought the Lyr was solely designed to drive ortho's XD Maybe if you beg me hard enough I can bring my HD580s to my gf's EF2A and let them mate... Ahh too wrong!
[/quote]

smily_headphones1.gifsmily_headphones1.gif
Edited by William007 - 7/6/12 at 8:11am
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post #1293 of 1309
7/6/12 at 8:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by William007 View Post

Quote:
smily_headphones1.gifsmily_headphones1.gif
Quote fail
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post #1294 of 1309
7/8/12 at 11:30am
I just finished reading this thread from its beginning. I wanted to say thanks to HeadphoneAddict and all the other posters for great info!! I am a proud EF2a owner and I am really enjoying it . The only mod I have done so far was to add some adhesive rubber feet under the normal feet to give it a more firm grip on my desk.

As far as sensitivity, it is a bit overly-powerful for my Shure SE535 IEMs.. But I can get the volume up past the channel imbalance by reducing the volume on my MacBook a bit.

I am planning on looking into some other tubes to try out (ether the Rays or the Mullards methinks) in the future. I am also hoping to get a decent pair of over the ear headphones to give this thing a serious workout.

I also have a Grant Fidelity TubeDAC-11 on the way, so I am comparing/combining all the options that the 11 has to offer with the EF2.

Thanks again for all the great info'
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post #1295 of 1309
7/8/12 at 12:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrAdrian View Post

I thought the Lyr was solely designed to drive ortho's XD Maybe if you beg me hard enough I can bring my HD580s to my gf's EF2A and let them mate... Ahh too wrong!
Please?
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post #1296 of 1309
7/8/12 at 11:08pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by William007 View Post


Ordered the Asgard today tongue.gif i won't sell my ef2a but i bought the schiit because ( i think) that i can drive Orthodynamic headphones out of it. But what headphone would you buy, the neutral HD600 or the warmer,darker HD650?!

 

HD600 without a question.  I've owned the HD650 twice and sold them both times.

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post #1297 of 1309
7/8/12 at 11:35pm
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Originally Posted by William007 View Post


Please?

 

Got work, not heading to her place for a few days, I'll see. You are in no rush, are you?

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post #1298 of 1309
7/9/12 at 1:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrAdrian View Post

Got work, not heading to her place for a few days, I'll see. You are in no rush, are you?
Nope it's just that i'll be gone tomorrow for a month maybe you could pm me the answer
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post #1299 of 1309
7/9/12 at 1:52am
Code:
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post

HD600 without a question.  I've owned the HD650 twice and sold them both times.
I recived an email from the co founder from Schiit today saying
:'Asgard is wonderful with the HE-400 and HE-500, and does a good job with LCD-2s. Above that, you'd need the Lyr.

Jason Stoddard
Co-Founder'
So you can't drive all ortho's out of the asgard
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post #1300 of 1309
7/10/12 at 1:31pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by William007 View Post


Ordered the Asgard today tongue.gif i won't sell my ef2a but i bought the schiit because ( i think) that i can drive Orthodynamic headphones out of it. But what headphone would you buy, the neutral HD600 or the warmer,darker HD650?!

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by William007 View Post

Code:
I recived an email from the co founder from Schiit today saying
:'Asgard is wonderful with the HE-400 and HE-500, and does a good job with LCD-2s. Above that, you'd need the Lyr.
Jason Stoddard
Co-Founder'
So you can't drive all ortho's out of the asgard

 

I would think that you could drive many recent orthos, except HE-6, with the Asgard.  However, I'm sure it will perform it's best with the more efficient HE-500 and LCD-2, rather than the older HE-5 LE and original HE-5.  Those two older HiFiMan models really needed the punch of the EF5 amp, which does a very good job with it's 2W @ 32ohm, although the HE-6 will only go to moderate levels with the EF5.  So, if you have the older orthos or HE-6 I'd shoot for the Lyr.  I haven't heard the HE-4 and HE-400 yet.

 

The EF2 amp is strong enough for the HE-500 and LCD-2, but it's a little underpowered with the HE-5 LE and HE-5.  Such that I never bothered to try the HE-6 with the EF2 (at least as far as I can remember).  Again, when you asked about the HD600/650, I prefer the HD600 with the EF2.  The EF2 does a very respectable job with the HD600, but even my WA6 feels underwhelming with the HD650, and the EF2 is no exception.  I only liked the HD650 on something as powerful as the Zana Deux.  I also thought the EF2 did a better job with HD800 than with HD650.

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post #1301 of 1309
7/10/12 at 2:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post


I would think that you could drive many recent orthos, except HE-6, with the Asgard.  However, I'm sure it will perform it's best with the more efficient HE-500 and LCD-2, rather than the older HE-5 LE and original HE-5.  Those two older HiFiMan models really needed the punch of the EF5 amp, which does a very good job with it's 2W @ 32ohm, although the HE-6 will only go to moderate levels with the EF5.  So, if you have the older orthos or HE-6 I'd shoot for the Lyr.  I haven't heard the HE-4 and HE-400 yet.

The EF2 amp is strong enough for the HE-500 and LCD-2, but it's a little underpowered with the HE-5 LE and HE-5.  Such that I never bothered to try the HE-6 with the EF2 (at least as far as I can remember).  Again, when you asked about the HD600/650, I prefer the HD600 with the EF2.  The EF2 does a very respectable job with the HD600, but even my WA6 feels underwhelming with the HD650, and the EF2 is no exception.  I only liked the HD650 on something as powerful as the Zana Deux.  I also thought the EF2 did a better job with HD800 than with HD650.
But do you think that the asgard will drive the lcd2 to it's full potential? So you say buy the hd600 for the ef2a? I will be receiving my asgard friday ( i hope smily_headphones1.gif) because i'm in london 'till thursday so i can't pick it up at the post office. Then i'll borrow somebody's lcd2 and try it with the asgard, but i only have 2 days for it cuz i'm leaving on monday to Hungary for 1 month so it won't be able to test it properly
Edited by William007 - 7/10/12 at 2:29pm
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post #1302 of 1309
7/10/12 at 2:55pm

Full potential is such a tricky thing. 

 

From a power standpoint - yes. No problem at all.

 

But many people spend many thousands of dollars on amps, and still don't think they have reached the "full potential."

 

For my own part - I have decided on looking for a "good enough for now, constrained by budget and effort"


Edited by liamstrain - 7/10/12 at 2:59pm
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post #1303 of 1309
7/10/12 at 3:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by liamstrain View Post

Full potential is such a tricky thing. 

From a power standpoint - yes. No problem at all.

But many people spend many thousands of dollars on amps, and still don't think they have reached the "full potential."

For my own part - I have decided on looking for a "good enough for now, constrained by budget and effort"
I'll do that as soon as i get my dream rig sony cdp101-->schiit asgard--> hd600
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post #1304 of 1309
7/10/12 at 9:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by William007 View Post


But do you think that the asgard will drive the lcd2 to it's full potential? So you say buy the hd600 for the ef2a? I will be receiving my asgard friday ( i hope smily_headphones1.gif) because i'm in london 'till thursday so i can't pick it up at the post office. Then i'll borrow somebody's lcd2 and try it with the asgard, but i only have 2 days for it cuz i'm leaving on monday to Hungary for 1 month so it won't be able to test it properly

 

Well, considering that I think the DACmini has enough power for the LCD-2, the Asgard should be "enough" as well.  Having "enough" power (as in all my posts above) doesn't mean "as much as they will benefit from".  i.e. I think any of the orthos benefit from more power, but they can sound pretty good with less power than you'd expect.

 

If you have reasonable expectations of max volume then the lower power amps like WA6, Asgard, DACmini can drive the orthos to very good sound.  If you want night club levels of sound and bass impact, then the 2W@32ohm amps will do a better job.  My Eddie Current ZDT (3W/32ohm) or EF5 (2W/32ohm) amps kick a lot harder with the orthos than my other amps.  These "low power amps" (WA6, DACmini, Asgard) can play to ear splitting levels with phones like HD600, Edition 9, D7000 and RS-1.

 

There are better amps out there than the Lyr, so I can't say it will drive the LCD-2 to their full potential.  I'm not even sure my $2750 Eddie Current ZDT will do that. tongue_smile.gif


Edited by HeadphoneAddict - 7/10/12 at 9:41pm
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post #1305 of 1309
7/11/12 at 1:19am
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Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict View Post

Well, considering that I think the DACmini has enough power for the LCD-2, the Asgard should be "enough" as well.  Having "enough" power (as in all my posts above) doesn't mean "as much as they will benefit from".  i.e. I think any of the orthos benefit from more power, but they can sound pretty good with less power than you'd expect.

If you have reasonable expectations of max volume then the lower power amps like WA6, Asgard, DACmini can drive the orthos to very good sound.  If you want night club levels of sound and bass impact, then the 2W@32ohm amps will do a better job.  My Eddie Current ZDT (3W/32ohm) or EF5 (2W/32ohm) amps kick a lot harder with the orthos than my other amps.  These "low power amps" (WA6, DACmini, Asgard) can play to ear splitting levels with phones like HD600, Edition 9, D7000 and RS-1.

There are better amps out there than the Lyr, so I can't say it will drive the LCD-2 to their full potential.  I'm not even sure my $2750 Eddie Current ZDT will do that. tongue_smile.gif
Okay, thanks i'll be able to test it in a few days! I'm gonna buy my hd600 in Harrods today and then i'll go back to belgium and test it :P
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