"Mad Dog" by MrSpeakers, modified Fostex T50RP review - Page 139

Quote:

Originally Posted by dudebrah 

 

Bumping this. I have the Dog Pads, running the E7/E9 combo and just not sure it's doing the job -- distorting at the high end, little power on the low end. Wondering how much different O2+ODAC would be. Thanks!

 

Sigh, just found pages 131+ with lots of recommendations. Has anyone tried MD w/DPs on the E7/E9 combo? I'd be interested in your thoughts.

I have the e17/e9k combo and MD w/ DP. Slightly less power on my e9k than your e9 for what it's worth.

I find it drives the MD adequately. I listen on low gain usually at around 9-10 o'clock depending on the recording, pushing to 11, maybe 12 for the toe tapping songs. At 11 and 12 the bass really opens up and is present. But it's just too loud for my taste for listening to more than one song at a time. At 9 or 10 the bass is there but just doesn't have the slam of 11-12. 

I run through Foobar with WASAPI enabled and I'm NOT using the e17 as a preamp, so the sonic signature is more that of the e9k. It sounds transparent to me but with the slightly dark FiiO house sound. For what it's worth, I haven't heard any distortion, regardless of loudness level and the amp is dead silent.

Your e7 doesn't have the line out bypass that the e17 has but you can still get a pre amp setup going (e7 > 3.5mm cable > e9 line in). Try it. It might help you with the power issues at the low end as you can use gain and eq settings on the e7 to help, plus the e7's amp of course. 

Well, I'd say that the he400 is the primary competitor given they are priced the same. The maddogs compete against it as well even though they are substantially less expensive. And also the little brother hd600 as well. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Good_Job 

Thanks for the comments people
I use a Gilmore Lite + Dedicated power supply and a LittleDot II
I think I will get the Mad Dogs then

Oh yeah, you definitely have power for these then :) The orthodynamic headphones really show their best colors with a good amp behind them! 

I've been running my MD's with a mint, recapped Sansui G-7000 for the past couple of days, and it really made these cans come to life! Everything about the MD's are simply better with the output from the G-7000, and that's with all of the tone controls bypassed, no "loudness" or anything.

Thanks to one of my friends at work, he's got me listening to a lot of dubstep lately, something I never thought I'd listen to. I have to say, with the Sansui powering the MD's, these things just simply slam out the music loud and clear, and with no hint of fatigue anywhere for miles. Very fast, loads of detail and dynamics, and sound stage to kill for, very similar to any of the open cans I've owned in the past (HD600/650/K701).

As for bass extension, the MD's have it in spades... With the right amp and power backing them up. My brothers and I have always joked for years about the bass you feel more than hear, calling it "head compression bass". Again, with the right amp and power pushing them, the MD's reproduce that "head compression bass" easily, well below 20Hz.

I love the Mad Dogs. They are better than any other headphone I have owned or barrowed. and on top of that, I have to say that the headphone output of this Sansui G-7000 is something remarkable, possibly bettering the Cary Audio SLi-80 I had on loan for a while. Then again, that's somewhat hard to justify since I never heard the SLi-80 with the MD's.

This is my main rig now which is along side my bed. And sorry for the washed out, grainy cellphone pic. It doesn't do too well in low light situations...

Quote:

Originally Posted by reddragon 


Isn't that double amping?

Is what double amping? Docking the e17 isn't double amping unless you run the lo bypass switch turned to lo-bypass.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chops 

I've been running my MD's with a mint, recapped Sansui G-7000 for the past couple of days ...

 

Very nice !  In fact, many people would be hard pressed to find a headphone amplifier that would bypass the capabilities of a vintage receiver for driving a pair of headphones to their desired levels.  The only thing one gives up is some portability - but, if we need portability, we'll just pack some ear buds and a Sandisk device for our music on the road.  When I read through threads on mega-buck headphone amplifiers, I often wonder at which price point does one need to get in a headphone amp where the capabilities will suppress those of a $350 vintage receiver.  This is the kind of power that needs to be supplied to a pair of modified Fostex headphones, to do them proper justice.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by nam3less 

Is what double amping? Docking the e17 isn't double amping unless you run the lo bypass switch turned to lo-bypass.

you said e7 does not have the lo bypass option, so if you are connecting e7 to e9, isnt it double amping?

Quote:

Originally Posted by reddragon 

 

 

you said e7 does not have the lo bypass option, so if you are connecting e7 to e9, isnt it double amping?

If you dock, no. If you connect to line in, yes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wje 

 

Very nice !  In fact, many people would be hard pressed to find a headphone amplifier that would bypass the capabilities of a vintage receiver for driving a pair of headphones to their desired levels.  The only thing one gives up is some portability - but, if we need portability, we'll just pack some ear buds and a Sandisk device for our music on the road.  When I read through threads on mega-buck headphone amplifiers, I often wonder at which price point does one need to get in a headphone amp where the capabilities will suppress those of a $350 vintage receiver.  This is the kind of power that needs to be supplied to a pair of modified Fostex headphones, to do them proper justice.  

so you are saying, if we have space and want to save money, we should just get a vintage receiver? and at which price point do you think a headphone amp can match a $350 vintage receiver?

To add to wje, I run the MD off a vintage Sherwood amp circa 1982 and they perform beautifully.

Not to mention my HE-6, Stax SR-5, MDR-F1 et al.

You simply cant beat the bang for the buck. A top notch vintage Sansui,Pioneer,Marantz or similar will blow away quite a few headphone amps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by reddragon 

 

 

so you are saying, if we have space and want to save money, we should just get a vintage receiver? and at which price point do you think a headphone amp can match a $350 vintage receiver?

I think that part of the beauty in using a vintage amp for headphones is that they can be had for much less. Certainly way below the $350 mark and still compete with much more expensive dedicated hp amps. WJE is more knowledgeable about desirable models though and you might want to pm him on that one if you're serious about the possibility.