Objective2 Mini-Review and Discussion - Page 5

Quote:

Originally Posted by uelover 

I no longer have my D7. I have sold it away in exchange for an O2

 

The D7 is like a mini-replica of my desktop setup, very nice indeed. I hope that the O2 will work well with my desktop DAC on my custom iem to make the parting of my D7 more bearable. =)

I think you should be pleasantly surprised.  I found that the better the DAC the better the O2 sounds.  The O2 is so transparent and resolving that I can hear the difference between a Hiface transport and a Blue Circle Thingee transport, using my North Star 192MkII DAC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by upstateguy 

I think you should be pleasantly surprised.  I found that the better the DAC the better the O2 sounds.  The O2 is so transparent and resolving that I can hear the difference between a Hiface transport and a Blue Circle Thingee transport, using my North Star 192MkII DAC.

 

That was the reason that convinced me to choose the O2 over the Asgard. The AC adapter for the O2 has just arrived from the UK. Now I am waiting for my O2 from the U.S. still.

Bought the very same AC stepdown transformer from ebay.co.uk as well as the O2 from JDS Labs on the same day. The O2 arrived three days later! Very surprisingly as it traveled across the pacific ocean and I ordered an custom gain setting too 1x/2.5x. The batteries were actually either charged or at least had enough juice in them for a few minimalistic tests. Probably won't be comparing until the adapter arrives and I can be sure the amp is fully powered.

Been 2 weeks and still waiting on the adatper. Royal air mail :(.

Quote:

Originally Posted by uelover 

 

That was the reason that convinced me to choose the O2 over the Asgard. The AC adapter for the O2 has just arrived from the UK. Now I am waiting for my O2 from the U.S. still.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by upstateguy 

I think you should be pleasantly surprised.  I found that the better the DAC the better the O2 sounds.  The O2 is so transparent and resolving that I can hear the difference between a Hiface transport and a Blue Circle Thingee transport, using my North Star 192MkII DAC.

 

I find this statement very true. I purposely have a single 'bad' rca cable that usually will cause amps to emit a slight buzz on the given channel but much less noticeable in tubes amps. Objective2 picked this up nicely. Also quickly tested the difference between PS3 DAC vs Minimax DAC and the different was much easier to discern.

Flac asio -> M-Audio 2496 -> Minimax DAC -> Objective2 -> T1s setup is very interesting at 1x gain. Usually I'd think 1x gain wouldn't be enough to power the T1s on battery but they were fine. The output was very different compared to WA2/Matrix/Jade. Vocals were much more veiled, low end much more percise.

Just got a built up O2 by Mrslim. Wow, what a clean sounding amp. Admittedly I haven't owned a whole lot of headphone amps so far, but it is easily the most transparent, open, spacious one to date. It makes the Arrow 3G sound somewhat thick and congested, and closed in. The uHA-120 fares a little better, sharing something of a similar trait in treble sparkle and slightly bigger soundstage than the Arrow in comparison. My AMB M^3 comes the closest in overall quality (enjoyable, big/powerful sound which can drive my modded T50RP orthos), yet is a different sounding amp. It's warmer and more romantic, while the O2 is much cleaner with more open soundstage. Pretty heady company considering what used M^3's go for! It has to be one of the most stupidly good values in the 'trans-portable' headphone audio world. 

I soldered my O2 myself.

My impressions so far: 

It does not exist. Only 2 things exist; your headphones and your source. Change the source, or change the headphone, only then you'll hear any change in sound.

I tried alternating between my iPod and my Laptop. The iPod supposedly has better DAC performance. With the same headphones, Sennheiser HD 239 (not very balanced, but for the sake of comparison), you can make out the differences (laptop slightly noisier).

I was hoping for a divine revelation after putting in the work, and it ended in a whimper. NO. DIFFERENCE. AT. ALL.

But I guess this is what an amp should do, right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by proton007 

I soldered my O2 myself.

My impressions so far: 

It does not exist. Only 2 things exist; your headphones and your source. Change the source, or change the headphone, only then you'll hear any change in sound.

 

I tried alternating between my iPod and my Laptop. The iPod supposedly has better DAC performance. With the same headphones, Sennheiser HD 239 (not very balanced, but for the sake of comparison), you can make out the differences (laptop slightly noisier).

 

I was hoping for a divine revelation after putting in the work, and it ended in a whimper. NO. DIFFERENCE. AT. ALL.

 

But I guess this is what an amp should do, right?

I would think you should hear some semblance of better frequency extension at both ends. I hear better range compared to straight out of my Sony X1060 player, or likewise straight from itunes on my mac. If I use the Headstage DAC cable and O2 while listening on the mac, sound quality takes a noticeable jump with highs being more extended with quieter dead space between cymbals, etc... bass is more controlled with better low extension, and soundstage size grows in addition to that. But you're right in that it doesn't color or add any character of its own to your music. It's just clean power.

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverickronin 

Shike's Objective2 thread just bit the dust.  I guess it's time for me to take the stage.

In b4 SS.

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverickronin 

Did your opinion on the O2 change somewhere along the line?  You seem to be more positive about it now.

Hi Mav, how have you been?

You know I don't believe in burn in, but after a number of hours of AC use I can't reliably tell it from my GS-1.... 

Part of the problem was learning how to use the gain switch.  Low gain for desktop DACs and high gain for a Clip or Fuze.  (It should be noted that the portables don't compare to the quality you get from a computer.) 

The other part of the initial problem was learning to stay within the power envelope of the O2. 

When I use low gain and a 12:00 volume setting on the O2, and volume balance with the GS-1, if there is a difference between the two amps, it is too close to call.

[T-1 headphones, North Star 192 MKII DAC, foobar, flac from my HD, HiFace and Blue Circle Thingee transports.]

Still, my initial impression remains.  The O2, as it exists today, is not a GS-1.  It doesn't have the power, the features or build quality of a GS-1. 

But for the money, there's no reason why everyone shouldn't include an O2 in their amp collection, as an example of what can be done with $34 worth of parts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverickronin 

I don't really notice any difference in sound at any volume level.  Because of it's topology it really shouldn't change at all with volume setting unless it's driving something under 50 or so ohms really hard and the output stage current limits but you don't have any headphones like that.

My experience was that as I raised the volume levels on both amps, the O2 at full volume, was not able to compete with the GS-1, which could go much louder before getting grainy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by upstateguy 

My experience was that as I raised the volume levels on both amps, the O2 at full volume, was not able to compete with the GS-1, which could go much louder before getting grainy.

It's not like you need it to be able to make you deaf, even if you need more power for high impedance cans, I think the price to pay should not be 7x more, 

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkSleip 

It's not like you need it to be able to make you deaf, even if you need more power for high impedance cans, I think the price to pay should not be 7x more, 

I was just making an observation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by maverickronin 

Shike's Objective2 thread just bit the dust.  I guess it's time for me to take the stage.

Why did Shike's thread get closed?