Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Headphone Amps › Meier Audio Quickstep (also Stepdance and 2Stepdance) Discussion and Impressions Thread
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Meier Audio Quickstep (also Stepdance and 2Stepdance) Discussion and Impressions Thread - Page 134

post #1996 of 2180
9/12/12 at 1:57am

Dear Cooperpwc,

 

No, the amp-part will be similar to the ROCK. There will just be a DAC section added (S/PDIF, TOSLINK, USB 24/192). The idea is to provide a small, compact, but very nicely sounding amp/DAC that is still very affordable. I do have high hopes.

 

:-)

Jan

Reply

Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #1997 of 2180
9/12/12 at 6:24am
Thread Starter 

Jan, that sounds pretty good.

 

I thought that you were planning to slow the pace a bit and get some balance in your life. It's not so easy, is it?  :-)


Edited by cooperpwc - 9/12/12 at 6:28am
Reply
post #1998 of 2180
9/12/12 at 10:00am

What is this "life" that you speak of? There is only headfi... cool.gif

Reply
post #1999 of 2180
9/14/12 at 9:38am

Dear Headfellows,

 

" I thought that you were planning to slow the pace a bit and get some balance in your life. It's not so easy, is it?"

 

"What is this "life" that you speak of? There is only headfi..."

 

 

Unfortunately both of you are right!

 

:-?

 

Jan

Reply
post #2000 of 2180
9/23/12 at 11:26am
how is this amp compared to the alo rxmk3? Would the quickstep be better for use with iems?
Reply
post #2001 of 2180
9/24/12 at 5:16am

Heads-up!  

 

I just noticed that Jan Meier is currently running a special on the Corda 2Stepdance.  

 

I don't know when it started, nor how long it will last, but if you're interested, go to this link and click "Specials."

 

http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/

 

Mike

Reply
post #2002 of 2180
9/24/12 at 5:34am
Thread Starter 

Yep. The same price is on the Amplifiers page. It is a good deal.

Reply
post #2003 of 2180
9/24/12 at 5:46am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by zachchen1996 View Post

how is this amp compared to the alo rxmk3? Would the quickstep be better for use with iems?

 

I have never heard the MK3. 

 

Since you asked, two things which may be relevant:

- ALO is not publishing the output impedance of the MKIII so we don't know what it is. The Quickstep is <1 ohm which is ideal for low impedance IEMs. (<1 ohm works well with everything.)

- A number of people are sending the MK3 back to have the gain lowered to reduce hiss, some more than once. (Check the thread.) Meier Audio active balanced ground amplifiers are well-known for being hiss-free even with sensitive IEMs.

 

(To be clear, I am in no position to otherwise compare these amps.)


Edited by cooperpwc - 9/24/12 at 7:33am
Reply
post #2004 of 2180
9/24/12 at 6:53am

Dear headfellows,

 

just to set things straight.

 

The STEPDANCE, 2STEPDANCE, and QUICKSTEP have a digital volume control in which sound decreases and increases in discrete steps.

 

On the STEPDANCE the lowest gain setting was a little bit too high for a few customers in which case I simply reduced the overall gain.

 

On the 2STEPDANCE and on the QUICKSTEP the gain is lower by default. They should work fine, even with very fine IEM's.

 

Hiss is no problem with these amps. Due to their concept background noise decreases with decreasing gain factor (unlike most other amps). Thereby it always remains inaudible (at normal listening levels).

 

Cheers

 

Jan

Reply
post #2005 of 2180
9/29/12 at 12:39am
Thread Starter 

Am I the only one who thinks that Meier Audio needs a Facebook page so that we can Like it?

Reply
post #2006 of 2180
9/29/12 at 6:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cooperpwc View Post

Am I the only one who thinks that Meier Audio needs a Facebook page so that we can Like it?

I like it very much even though Meier only has a normal website. But if you made a FAN-page I would like that too...


Edited by rasmushorn - 9/29/12 at 6:07am
Reply
post #2007 of 2180
9/29/12 at 6:22am
Thread Starter 

Hmm.... I am not the type to make a fan page. But if Jan makes a Meier Audio page, I shall Like it.

 

(I already Like Westone and Final Audio. Of my favorites in this hobby, Meier Audio is the one that is missing.)


Edited by cooperpwc - 9/29/12 at 6:29am
Reply
post #2008 of 2180
9/29/12 at 11:07pm

I'd be a fan on facebook.  I have too many amps, so I've been bad about keeping up with Jan's new models.  I still own the 3MOVE, HeadFive and HeadSix though, with no plans to ever part with them.  The 3MOVE and HeadFive still sound a little better with crossfeed turned on than my Headroom Microamp.  Software crossfeeds (Canz3D and TB_Isone Pro) are still too difficult to set up properly, and so I sometimes turn to these amps when I want to listen to some old stereo recordings that have too much separation between channels (Bill Evans, Beatles, etc).

Reply
post #2009 of 2180
9/30/12 at 12:53am

I've discovered when comparing these two chains...

 

WAV -> Foobar -> USB -> DACmini CX with 1-Ohm impedance mod -> SE530

 

WAV -> Foobar -> USB -> DACmini CX with 1-Ohm impedance mod -> Line Out -> 15V-powered Stepdance -> SE530

 

... the Stepdance has absolutely no hiss with the SE530 - it's completely black (with my ears), but in comparison, at normal listening volumes, the DACmini CX with 1-Ohm impedance has a detectable, though not annoying hiss with the SE530.

 

I hadn't noticed it the first few times I used the SE530 with the DACmini CX (1-Ohm), but when going back and forth between the two amps, it became apparent.

 

Also:  The DACmini CX (1-Ohm) strikes me as being just a little brighter and perhaps (I'm not sure) a little more detailed than the 15V Stepdance, when using the SE530.  This difference in brightness (and detail?) can't be heard (my ears) when using LCD-2 rev.1 instead of SE530, as the LCD-2 just isn't as resolving as the SE530.

 

Otherwise, the overall sound of the DACmini CX (1-Ohm) is very similar to the Stepdance, excluding a difference in dynamics heard with less efficient headphones (where the DACmini CX offers a power advantage).  

 

Overall, the Meier Stepdance and the CEntrance DACmini CX (1-Ohm) sound as if they came from the same stable. 

 

Mike

Reply
post #2010 of 2180
9/30/12 at 5:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by zilch0md View Post

I've discovered when comparing these two chains...

 

WAV -> Foobar -> USB -> DACmini CX with 1-Ohm impedance mod -> SE530

 

WAV -> Foobar -> USB -> DACmini CX with 1-Ohm impedance mod -> Line Out -> 15V-powered Stepdance -> SE530

 

... the Stepdance has absolutely no hiss with the SE530 - it's completely black (with my ears), but in comparison, at normal listening volumes, the DACmini CX with 1-Ohm impedance has a detectable, though not annoying hiss with the SE530.

 

I hadn't noticed it the first few times I used the SE530 with the DACmini CX (1-Ohm), but when going back and forth between the two amps, it became apparent.

 

Also:  The DACmini CX (1-Ohm) strikes me as being just a little brighter and perhaps (I'm not sure) a little more detailed than the 15V Stepdance, when using the SE530.  This difference in brightness (and detail?) can't be heard (my ears) when using LCD-2 rev.1 instead of SE530, as the LCD-2 just isn't as resolving as the SE530.

 

Otherwise, the overall sound of the DACmini CX (1-Ohm) is very similar to the Stepdance, excluding a difference in dynamics heard with less efficient headphones (where the DACmini CX offers a power advantage).  

 

Overall, the Meier Stepdance and the CEntrance DACmini CX (1-Ohm) sound as if they came from the same stable. 

 

Mike

 

I'm thinking that in the past I posted that the original DACport and Stepdance sounded like cousins as well.  I may just try to find my old posts now.

 

EDIT - Found something...

 

 

Quote:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaxilus View Post

@HPA

 

Any impressions of the Stepdance v. DACport?  Feel free to chime on w/ the Pico DAC and Slim if you feel like.  

 

I was considering the Stepdance but I keep looking at the measurements and portability turns into transportability in my mind.

 

@AJ  How do you like your Slim v. Arrow?

 

Sorry for the OT.


I'll have to dig out my notes from a few months back, and see if I put anything down specific about that comparison.  I do recall the Stepdance had more power, and I think that the DACport was slightly more laid back sounding.


Edited by HeadphoneAddict - 9/30/12 at 5:38pm
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Portable Headphone Amps

Gear mentioned in this thread:

Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Headphone Amps › Meier Audio Quickstep (also Stepdance and 2Stepdance) Discussion and Impressions Thread