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Headstage Arrow HE: Reviews, Impressions, Perceptions & Sensations - Page 12

post #166 of 2621
3/18/10 at 4:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jc9394 View Post
The Shadow drives sensitive iem fine but it seems like not enough juicy to drive my jh13 while the arrow does have enough to drive it properly. it is not a fair comparison, as the arrow is much bigger than the shadow.

the arrow is on par or maybe a little better than the mustang.
jc, thanks. I'll only be using the Arrow (once I received it) on ER4S/P which are not sensitive IEMs, relatively.
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post #167 of 2621
3/18/10 at 5:00pm
The 3G can be closer than the Blackberry without interference, and a long LOD cable should work if they are say 6" apart (but I am not guaranteeing that statement ).

Both the Shadow and Arrow have different sound signatures, with the Arrow bring warmer and brighter. The Shadow has a little more mid forwardness, but is really very close. The Arrow does seem to have more bass oomph (without the bass boost on) and better control. Also, I think the soundstage is a little wider with the Arrow.
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post #168 of 2621
3/18/10 at 7:58pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by average_joe View Post
Yes, I get noises from both my Blackberry and iPhone, even when in the vicinity. But I also get the same thing to a lesser extent with the Shadow from my blackberry.
FWIW - I deliberately place my BlueBerry Curve less than a foot away from my Arrow/Zune 80 combo and I don't hear any interference. Could be my ridiculously, chasitity-like shielding on my four inch IC, but who knows. It could be different phone models. Nonetheless, it's an odd user experience inconsistency thing.

-Ogre
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post #169 of 2621
3/18/10 at 9:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by average_joe View Post
Both the Shadow and Arrow have different sound signatures, with the Arrow bring warmer and brighter. The Shadow has a little more mid forwardness, but is really very close. The Arrow does seem to have more bass oomph (without the bass boost on) and better control. Also, I think the soundstage is a little wider with the Arrow.
Thanks. That sounds all good. I was contemplating on getting a Shadow in the future that's why I asked.
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post #170 of 2621
3/19/10 at 12:00am
Quote:
Originally Posted by average_joe View Post
The 3G can be closer than the Blackberry without interference, and a long LOD cable should work if they are say 6" apart (but I am not guaranteeing that statement ).

Both the Shadow and Arrow have different sound signatures, with the Arrow bring warmer and brighter. The Shadow has a little more mid forwardness, but is really very close. The Arrow does seem to have more bass oomph (without the bass boost on) and better control. Also, I think the soundstage is a little wider with the Arrow.
I don't understand how something can be 'warmer and brighter'. Elaborate please.
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post #171 of 2621
3/19/10 at 12:04am
I was a little confused by that particular description as well. "Full and detailed" maybe? It is a full sounding amp with plenty of detail even if on the warm side. The AD8397 op-amp seems to me to be relatively warm sounding; though it sounds different fed by different DACs/sources. Kind of an oxymoron without further explanation.
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post #172 of 2621
3/19/10 at 12:11am
Both interrupted and typing in haste (and now blackberry typing)...

The Shadow is fairly neutral with a little mid focus, but not much. The Arrow on the other hand seems to have more low end weight and at the same time a little more treble amplitude than the Shadow. Does that make more sense?

@ cn11: have you had a chance to compare the Rx and Arrow more?
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post #173 of 2621
3/19/10 at 12:20am
I don't know about the Shadow, but I find the mids on the Arrow just about as good as I've heard from a portable amp.

PS: I have to admit to not liking forward or bright sounding anything.
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post #174 of 2621
3/19/10 at 12:33am
I was referring to sound signature, not sound quality. i.e. the TF10 sounds much better to me with the Shadow than other amps because it fills in the recessed TF10 mids. The Arrow can make lower end IEM that have a lot of bass to start with waaaaayyyy too bassy!

And next week I should have the time to do an in depth comparison of the Arrow and Shadow.
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post #175 of 2621
3/19/10 at 12:47am
oops, stupid blackberry
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post #176 of 2621
3/19/10 at 12:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hellenback View Post
I don't know about the Shadow, but I find the mids on the Arrow just about as good as I've heard from a portable amp.

PS: I have to admit to not liking forward or bright sounding anything.
I'm totally with you on the not liking bright stuff at all. And I hear the Arrow the same way... leaning more toward the warm side, with very very rich mids. It doesn't sound bright to me in the least. If anything, it's rather polite and unassuming, and can strike you as something *almost* ordinary until you spend some time with it and compare it to other gear. The detail is there, but the bass is wonderful and the soundstage.... ohhhhhh man.... The whole sonic picture to me is very open, natural, and totally non-aggressive.
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post #177 of 2621
3/19/10 at 1:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cn11 View Post
I don't understand how something can be 'warmer and brighter'. Elaborate please.
Ok, back to this. Re-read my post, I did not say the arrow was bright, I said in comparison with the shadow, it has more treble amplitude (and used the commonly accepted term "bright" to express this). And at the same time the lower octaves also have more ampliude. In both cases this is being compared to the mid presentation.
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post #178 of 2621
3/19/10 at 1:43am
Quote:
The whole sonic picture to me is very open, natural, and totally non-aggressive.
A very good description of what I hear as well.
There have been a few eyebrows lifted at my use of it with the HD650s but they pair surprisingly well. I do look forward to a very good desktop (as I've said) but this skinny little guy keeps impressing me. Burned some 24-192 Neil Young Blu-Ray tracks and all I can say is......WOW! Sound like this from a portable has me wondering what I'm going to have to spend on a desktop!
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post #179 of 2621
3/19/10 at 3:29am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hellenback View Post
A very good description of what I hear as well.
There have been a few eyebrows lifted at my use of it with the HD650s but they pair surprisingly well. I do look forward to a very good desktop (as I've said) but this skinny little guy keeps impressing me. Burned some 24-192 Neil Young Blu-Ray tracks and all I can say is......WOW! Sound like this from a portable has me wondering what I'm going to have to spend on a desktop!
You keep saying that. It's quite possible, Hellenback, that Robert and his Arrow have induced a paradigm shift. You may have to go out of your way to not spend what you think you have to in order to achieve the SQ you desire. (That's me trying to sound smart like you guys what with all your, "amplitude" and "signature" speak )

I tried something different today, clipped the small, third flange off my triples, set the Arrow's IMP from 0 to I to dial back the highs a bit and crammed the IEMs in deep. I think I may have to get used to the slight discomfort. After hours and hours of time with the Arrow and Shures, I noticed a low low hiss I hadn't noticed before. The IMP I setting got rid of it, and I've still got the highs I want to hear and the bass took on a different characteristic. Dare I say bass forward? Mids are still meaty and ridiculous.

My Shure E3Cs and I are becoming friends again. For a while I couldn't stand how flat and tinny they sounded. The Arrow does more for them than it does for the triple-driver SE530s. I can understand Average_Joe's point about lower end IEMs becoming to bassy. But with the E3Cs, the Arrow gives them just the right amount on BASS II.
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post #180 of 2621
3/19/10 at 5:51am
Quote:
"amplitude" and "signature"
Bet you can't find one post where I used those terms
And right again. I have tried a couple of lower end desktops and I wouldn't buy/use them over the Arrow. What I've been trying to say is that when I do buy a new desktop amp I'm going to have to spend more than anticipated for a significant improvement. A good friend is bringing over his balanced LD VII/Dac1 set-up next week and we'll see if I spring for that ($700 with tax).
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