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M³ vs. beta 22 - Differences in quality of sound?

post #1 of 4
1/11/11 at 6:56am
Thread Starter 

I know that the beta 22 is widely considered to be one of the best headphone amps, and I also know that it is considered to be better than the M³. Nonetheless, I was wondering whether anyone who has heard both could describe the differences in the quality of the sound.

 

I have heard/read that the beta 22 is extremely neutral, with a flat response that shows up your source files, and that some people therefore perceive it as slightly boring or thin, especially when it comes to bass. I also know that the M³ has a variable bass option.

 

While not a basshead, I do listen to a fair amount of hip-hop, and a bit of electronica as well. While I don't want bloated mushy bass, and I don't want it to overwhelm other areas of the spectrum, it is still important to me that the bass have a lot of punch or kick. I have been considering building an M³ or a beta 22, but I want to make sure I am doing the right thing before I engage in such a project.

 

Can anyone tell me how the sound signature of the M³ differs from the beta 22? Does the M³ have a stronger bass response and, if so, is that only true when the variable bass control is used, or is it inherent in the design?

 

Can anyone tell me how the M³ and beta 22 compare to the KICAS/Caliente or Matrix M-Stage amps? These are the "off the shelf" amps that I am considering instead of a M³ or beta 22. I am particularly interested in which of these amps works best with low impedance cans.

 

Many thanks in advance for your help and advice!

 

Regards,

Adam

 

P.S. One more question: for anyone who has built an M³, how long did it take you?

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post #2 of 4
1/12/11 at 6:01am

I'm also very curious to know the answer ; if anyone could make a comparison between these 2, it would be great! :)

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post #3 of 4
1/12/11 at 6:13am

I can say for certainty that a stock M-Stage is considerably warmer than the β22. I would also say that the β22 is not dead on neutral but it has a slight warmth to its sound. A Dynalo (Gilmore Lite) is noticeably colder and leaner (and probably slightly smoother too) than the β22. Of course I'm speaking of these amps in relation to one another. 

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post #4 of 4
1/12/11 at 8:09am

The Beta22 is quite neutral, though I would never describe it as "boring" or "thin".  Do take my impression with a grain of salt - I do really love a great bass line and am sometimes a total basshead when listening to hiphop, but I can't stand bloated, uncontrolled and fake (added) bass to songs.

 

The M^3's sound also depends on the opamps used, but I would say it's a little warmer with most opamps.  You can easily implement a bass-boost in the M^3 - but you can EQ it easily in software if you use a computer as well...

 

I generally don't like to compare DIY amps to commercial amps, they are generally in a different league at similar prices.  I do like the KICAS amps though (had a chance to listen to them at a recent meet) - for commercial amps at their price, they're damn good.

 

I've built a few M^3 amps, takes an evening, but of course it can get a LOT longer depending on casework and power supply options.

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