burson new soloist headphone amp - Page 33

Cross-posting from the Beyerdynamic T1 thread...

 

Burson Soloist arrived today!

 

In short, I much prefer the Soloist with the T1 than with the LCD-2.  And yet, I prefer the DACmini CX with 1-Ohm output impedance mod -> LCD-2 vs. T1.

 

Comparing these two amps with these two headphones really exemplifies the importance of carefully matching headphones to amps.

 

The DACmini CX with 1-Ohm output impedance mod is brighter than its factory-default DACmini CX siblings, that ship with a 10-Ohm output impedance.  That brighter, more neutral flavor of the DACmini CX works very well to make the LCD-2 rev.1 sparkle.  DACmini CX + LCD-2 is a great match, especially with the 1-Ohm output impedance mod.

 

Ever since getting the T1 a couple of weeks ago, I've been listening to it almost exclusively on that same DACmini CX, which lacks the warmth of the default DACmini CX. 

 

Now that I've heard the T1 with the Soloist, I'm a lot happier with the way it performs.  Where the LCD-2 is almost too euphonic, too full, too warm with the Soloist, the T1 is just right!  And with the Soloist putting out 2.67x the power of the DACmini CX, the improvement in dynamics is obvious - both with the T1 and the LCD-2.  The T1 really wants more power than I had imagined.  I'm running it on Medium Gain, with the Soloist stepped attenuator at about 11 o'clock.

 

More later, except to say, I like my T1 more than ever before, now that I've found a good amp for it!

 

The Soloist is awesome, even though it pops as I turn the stepped attenuator - just like everyone else's.  

 

Mike

Edited by zilch0md - 12/19/12 at 6:14am

 

 

I also have this combination and it is really amazing to listen to. I thought the sound of the soloist would clash with the bright sound of the T1s, but they end up really sounding sweet together. It's a very open and fast sound, yet it still has that hint of warmth and musicality. It is probably my favorite pairing with the soloist thus far. 

 

Thanks for that, elwappo99,

 

It's really disconcerting for me, as I had expected the Soloist to do wonders for my beloved LCD-2, but the Beyerdynamic T1 is stealing the show.  

 

DACmini CX (1-Ohm)  -->  LCD-2 rev.1   

A bit lacking in dynamics, detail, and sound stage, but just about perfect, otherwise

 

DACmini CX (1-Ohm)  -->  T1

Too bright for my tastes AND a bit lacking in bass energy and dynamics througout, but great otherwise

 

Burson Soloist --> LCD-2  rev.1

A big improvement in dynamics, but darker and warmer than I prefer   

 

Burson Soloist --> T1

I feel like a traitor saying this (being such an Audeze fan boy), but what's not to like, here, except a slight lack of bass energy, which is, however, much improved with the Soloist vs. the DACmini CX (1--Ohm).   The T1 likes the Soloist's extra power, the warmth, the darkness, AND the organic musicality (I hate that word, but we all know what it means).  And the Soloist does nothing to hurt the resolution of the T1.  All the detail is there and it's completely non-fatiguing, even with the greatly improved dynamics across the spectrum - including the highs.

 

Mike

Edited by zilch0md - 12/19/12 at 11:37pm

 

 

I should preface this with that I've never owner nor heard the DACmini. I have so far found the soloist to be powerful, and close to neutral, if not a tad bright overall. It the DACmini considered bright at all? I found the LCD2 to be a dark headphone overall, so it could be the soloist is showing you what it really sounds like. 

 

I really agree with the "organic" feeling. It's there, but certainly very refined. The only area I would really improve on is the bass. I wish the bass sounded a little more orthodynamic overall. Just a little more transparency with the same impact. These headphones have really grown on me over time. 

I am very glad to see all of these positive reviews of the Soloist and the T1s. My Soloist should arrive today. It should be a nice upgrade over my Matrix m-stage which does a pretty good job of powering the T1s IMO.

 

I have to emphasize the context from which I've come:  

 

Notice that, in the post that you quoted, I had indicated that I've been listening to the T1 on the DACmini CX with 1-Ohm output impedance mod.  I have NOT been using the factory default version of the DACmini CX, which has a 10-Ohm output impedance.  The 1-Ohm output impedance version is known to be much more neutral, less warm, and brighter (some would say, even colder) than the 10-Ohm output impedance version of the DACmini CX.   That's why the 1-Ohm output impedance version works so well with the LCD-2's shelved highs.

 

So...  I've been somewhat disappointed with how bright the T1 sounded when using the the DACmini CX with 1-Ohm output impedance.

 

Switching now to the Soloist (received two days ago), the T1 no longer sounds annoyingly bright - instead, it sounds just right - in more ways than frequency response, for sure.  

 

So... yes, I agree with you - the LCD-2 is dark, the default DACmini CX is not bright, but the DACmini CX with 1-Ohm impedance mod is bright - perfect for use with LCD-2, where the Soloist is probably not so much dark or warm, per se, as it is just more so than my version of the DACmini CX.

 

I really love how the T1 sounds with the Soloist.  As you say, the only thing missing is just a wee bit of bass energy, but thanks to the improved dynamics, the T1 bass is far better with the Soloist than with my DACmini CX, for sure.

 

In short, I think we are completely in agreement.

 

 

Mike

 

I think you're in for a surprise, when you connect your T1 to the Soloist.  

 

I'm still very much in the honeymoon phase, but for now, this is the best I've ever heard - and the combo is great with many genres instead of being a one-trick pony.

 

 

Ah! Makes sense. Not familiar at all with that DACmini. The only thing that I really thought helped with the LCD-2 was giving them a good balanced amp and a lot of current, but I never had any 'bright' balanced amps. Makes me think that's why so many people are loving it with the Mjolnir and new Bryston amp. 

 

I definitely agree about the T1. I do enjoy the fact that good recordings sound amazing, and poor recordings actually sound somewhat decent. Unlike the HE-6, which just make poor recordings awful to listen to. Have you done any mods/damping to the T1?

No, my T1 is factory fresh.  

 

 

Any recommendations?

 

I did some of the mods from Zombie-X's guide with the felt damping. 

 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/612796/guide-how-to-properly-dampen-your-beyerdynamic-t1

 

I did the mod according to his video, which includes a little less than the pictures, but didn't enjoy the overall sound. I thought the bit of sparkle was taken away from these. I ended up using about half the felt he did in the video, and think there is still that hint of sparkle up top. 

Understood, but I think I'll leave mine as is, for now.  

 

Thanks!

 

Mike

I read somewhere that the 160D makes a better match with the LCD-2, while the soloist loves the LCD-3. 

Never expected it to sound great with the T1's. 

At barely 150mW into 50 ohms, the 160D is far from ideal for either the LCD-2 or -3.

 

The 160D is good but the V200 is a wonderful pairing with the LCD-2 at it price. I agree that the Soloist loves the LCD-3, but driving it balanced from Mjolnir is of a higher value. The Soloist is an all-rounder, in my opinion.

Hi guys. I currently have the the LCD2 and I'm seriously considering the T1 and soloist. However, I'm hearing that people are also loving the mjolnir with the lcd 2. What would be the better value? Mjolnir and balanced cables for the lcd 2 or having the lcd2 and t1 with the soloist?

Also, will the t1 sound good on the mjolnir if it is recabled as balanced?

I hope im not derailing the thread.