Audio-gd Master-5/6/8 balanced head amp/ preamp - Page 13

Quote:

Originally Posted by colour97 

i still have a little time to choose either master 5 or 6.

 

i don't have he6, but 7 watts is  very attractive.

 

now i am using es10 and dt880 250 ohm, do you think it is too loud if i take master 6. 

 

please give some comments.

 

 

I chose the 6 and I would do so again. It works very well with my D 2000's/ 7000's which are quite sensitive. Also with digital volume control I don't think there will be any problem with channel imbalance at low volume levels. As I understand it they are the same amp except that the 6 switches to AB when the extra power is required.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by colour97 

i still have a little time to choose either master 5 or 6.

 

i don't have he6, but 7 watts is  very attractive.

 

now i am using es10 and dt880 250 ohm, do you think it is too loud if i take master 6. 

 

please give some comments.

 

 

Why is 7 Watts attractive?

For those headphones you will have more than enough power with the 1,7 Watts that the Master-5 delivers, I expect.

Are you going to use it as a pre-amp also?

If so, then beware that the gain might be too much for your power amp when you want to listen at low levels. That's my only issue with the Master-6.

If you don't plan getting a HiFiMan HE-6 (or similarly heavy to drive headphone), then I would advise you to get the Master-5 instead.

There isn't 3-4 times more power for the Master6 over the Phoenix as implied. I would describe the difference as significant only, not monumental. I was actually scared to plug the D7000's in based on the specs, but they didn't explode afterall. I've powered the HE6 and D7000 balanced on the Master6 just fine. If there is any chance that you might get a headphone that's hard to power in the future, get the 6. I know I'll be hearing more orthos in the future, so I'm covered.

I agree with the point Lars made about the 6 as a preamp in a speaker rig though. Low level listening is a little challenging. Even when listening pretty loud, I've never gone past 12/70.

Master 5 sounds subtly better on easy to drive headphones.

Regards

Macrog

Quote:

Originally Posted by colour97 

i still have a little time to choose either master 5 or 6.

 

i don't have he6, but 7 watts is  very attractive.

 

now i am using es10 and dt880 250 ohm, do you think it is too loud if i take master 6. 

 

please give some comments.

 

 

The hypnotic beauty of glowing tubes notwithstanding, the charms of wallet-depleting, Russian-themed, chatter-inducing, flavor-driven, gourmet tube-rolling notwithstanding, and in spite of the frowning of many of the subjectivist Head-Fi gurus, with whom I even happen to agree in most matters of principle, when I put a set of headphones on my head, I want my headphone amp to give me the largest, airiest, most three-dimensional soundstaging money can buy (when the spatial information is in the material, of course), plus all the bass extension and tonal correctness my phones will let me experience, with sound emerging from a gargantuan, pitch black background – all discernible flavor coming from the phones themselves. I accept no excuses for noise, flabby bass, or shallow/narrow soundstaging. That’s my ideology in a nutshell.

Ever since Tim started this thread, I have been unable to find anything else on the landscape that promises that kind of sonic experience more convincingly than the Master-5/6, with such a seductive set of convenience features on top of it. It dominated my imagination completely. I’m now about to find out if Audio-gd’s claims do, in fact, describe the best amp’ing I’ve been able to find. A Master-5 is coming my way.

Thank you, Tim, for the thread and the thoughtful advice in PM’s. Will keep you posted.

master 5 is out of stock , only 6 is available at this moment.

so after 1 week, i will receive 6. 

tomorrow i should receive my master 6.  now at ems sorting centre.

feel like boxing day in Feb. 

please give your impression of the master-6 later on.  This is one in my short list to get amp.

Quote:

Originally Posted by colour97 

tomorrow i should receive my master 6.  now at ems sorting centre.

 

feel like boxing day in Feb. 

I wish we had boxing day in the states, I could go for a master6 

Looking forward to your impressions

​

let's  post some open box photo. 

Very nice! Now tell us how it sounds 

Well my Master 5 finally arrived about a week ago. I ordered it just before the Chinese NY so I had a big wait. Anyway it is paired up with my almost new Ref 7.1 (1704UK) & they were both custom ordered, re-wired with OCC Nucleotide Copper.

I have a Modded/re-cabled D7000 and also modded/re-cabled HD650 to use with it atm and I must say, this is the most amazing set-up I have had thus far. It is a very detailed, neutral, holographic experience. Super black background, deep tight bass and extended, precise treble.

It doesn't have the smoothness I get from my little dot mk6+ however, nothing feels lacking and I'm never wanting for more. It is also VERY powerful with me never going over 8-12 with the D7000 and 14-16 with the HD650's. It is also HUGE - especially with the DAC.

I have some ed 8's coming soon which should be interesting - especially since the system as a whole should have a lot of burn-in to go before it has completely opened up.  

I can't recommend them both highly enough - & that goes for the Littledot mk6+ also which is not far behind the Master-5 albeit a slightly different experience.