How is the Audio-GD C2 amp?

Nice amp, ample power,never exceeded the 10 o'clock mark with a single headphone.

Very detailed performs at peak with the DAC 19 DSP.

I have one, the size of the C2 is a little large but its fine for where I have it set up.  I don't really dislike anything about it, it drives all of my headphones well, and the pre-out from it is just fine for my uses.  I also use it with the DAC-19 DSP though, and the combination of the two is absolutely great.  It was good with anything else I fed through it, but it truly is best as that combination.  One of the reasons for that is that the C2 is meant to go with an Audio-GD DAC, and the two pair quite well.

I can't think of anything that I want a $350 headphone amplifier to do that it can't, or anything that it does poorly.  Maybe I could do better, but I am very pleased with it.

I like the C2 a great deal and believe it to be a bargain. The DAC19/C2 combination via ACSS is fast, resolving and neutral with the very slightest touch of warmth. I've used it with satisfaction with T1s, HD650s and DT880/660s, among others.

The bass appears to go as deep as your headphones will play back, and it doesn't have problems with power/control at that level.  Treble isn't harsh, the entire amp just seems quite neutral.

As for the pre-amp outputs, they are not 100% muted, but its something like 80db of muting.  So if you have your headphones collapsing your skull and your speaker amp on you will get some noise from the speakers.  You will be deaf, but you could measure it.

The volume control is as linear as a normal ALPS pot, if you like your music really quiet or have extremely sensitive headphones and are forced to use the high gain mode you might have imbalance.  If you are using RCA instead of ACSS you can leave it at low gain mode though and avoid or minimize that possible problem.

The default for the C2 is the OPA607 iirc, and you can use just about any other opamp you fancy.

The RCA input works, if you don't want an Audio-GD DAC with ACSS outputs you don't have to get one to go with the C2.

Has anyone heard this specificall with the k70x? Even though I have an M-Stage on the way (I think, another story), I've since read most of the Dac19/C2/ACSS thread and am thinking about trying that combination in the future. Or would I not notice much improvement going from the Dac/19 to the M-Stage using rca's instead?

I use my K701's with my DAC19DSP and C-2 using ACSS.I have been using it for a while now, It does everything it should.

Nice pleasurable combo, no high freq harshness, ample bass and detailed mids.

Thanks! Did you notice a great improvement using the ACSS connection versus rca's with your setup?

Not much noticeable,apart from the RCA's being louder.

I use a set of K702s from my C2 fed by a Reference 1 dac over acss connection. Lovely sound and a big step up from the Fun version A and Sparrow version A. Sound quality not nearly as nice to me using rca connection though.

Regards

Macrog
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by BournePerfect 

Has anyone heard this specificall with the k70x? Even though I have an M-Stage on the way (I think, another story), I've since read most of the Dac19/C2/ACSS thread and am thinking about trying that combination in the future. Or would I not notice much improvement going from the Dac/19 to the M-Stage using rca's instead?

Sorry to dig up an older thread. :)

Thinking of getting the C-2 2nd hand as a headphone amp for my ATH-AD1000 and as a preamp in my current chain of:

AudioGD DI->DAC19DF->Passive Preamp(Alp Blue 10Ohm Pot)->Emotiva UPA2->Usher BE718 speakers.

I read a lot about how good an headphone amp it is, and that I can CAST it with my DAC19DF. But how does it perform as a preamp? Does it perform well with no degrading of sound quality and remaining fairly neutrality without much colouration?

Thanks and Regards.

Will get a c-2.1 next week. Will see how that goes. Will not be able to try ACSS for quite some time since I need to change rcas to acss connections for my DAC19.