SPL Auditor vs B22 for T1

It's been a while.

Hope all's well with you. I've heard both and no question, the 3 Channel B22 is the better sounding amp (with any headphone I've tried on eithe one). But size wise, it is considerabily bigger. Let me know should you decide to move your B22.

The SPL amp is quite good with both the HD800s and T1s, but a bight too bright for my liking.

Hi,

 

I think both amps are great and the B22 is the better amp, but for the T1 I would say they are close. If you are looking to drive multiple impedances then the B22 is best.

 

As far as the treble, the Auditor is not bright in the least. It's neutral and well extended. The B22 on the other hand seems to have slightly rolled treble, at least on the unit I heard. For the B22 it depends on what parts are used and how the amp is set-up. 

You can find some additional impressions on Phonitor/Auditor vs B22 here:
http://www.headfonia.com/spls-phonitor-and-auditor/

I do own the Phonitor for a couple of years now and the thought of it sounding bright has not occurred to me yet (w/ HD800 & T1).

Hi,

 

Nice to see someone echo my impressions. Both the Phonitor and Auditor are not bright in the least. They are both highly detailed and resolving, they might sound brighter from that but who knows. I could be that studio gear is typically bright or clinical, so maybe you are expecting it to be bright and your mind makes it so.

 

Its only as bright as your source. Having said that its the most neutral amp I have heard.

 

To clarify my statements, I found the Auditor a bright for the T1s; especially when compared to the B22 for my tastes. My source (W4S DAC-2 is quite neutral and sounds that way through both my GS-1 w/DACT.

Yes but the Auditor is not bright, the T1 is, lets not confuse the OP :) If you have bright headphones or source then everything will sound bright, Auditor only reflects that brightness but does not add to it.

 

Please re-read my post. I consider the GS-1 fairly neutral and to my ears the Auditor/T1 was a bit brighter than I would like. With the GS-1 it's also a wee bit on the bright side (though less so than with the Auditor), thus my recommendation for the B22. Again, my source is quite neutral right down the line (with either of my amps), so again, my comments are my experiences and they stand. The B22 is the better choice for the OP.  YMMV as they say.

 

What you consider 'bright' might actually be a more accurate reproduction of the original signal. Or it might be your headphones. I have the Auditor myself, and I find it to be very accurate, transparent and neutral.

 

Zombie_x wrote this earlier (my emphasis):

 

"The B22 on the other hand seems to have slightly rolled treble, at least on the unit I heard. For the B22 it depends on what parts are used and how the amp is set-up."

 

I think this is an important point, since the B22 is a customizable, DIY amp. I'd think that the sound reproduction of the Auditor would be more consistent in this regard.

Edited by MagnumOrpheus - 7/4/12 at 10:47am

Hi,

 

That was my point. Not all B22's will sound the same as they customized and can be made in different configurations. So a balanced B22 should sound different than a three channel B22. Parts play a big sound in the audio too. Someone can have it made to sound smooth or even a bright tone.

 

 

I've heard the Auditor and yes I agree that the 3-ch B22 is a darker/more musical amp, no arguments there. But between the Auditor / GS-1, I'd say that the latter is the most neutral SS amp that I've heard yet. Not to say that the Auditor wasn't good with high impedance headphones (though still a bit too bright for what I consider neutral next to some very well distinguished and respected amps), just that I prefer the GS-1 with the T1s and HD800s (and its got the added bonus of sounding great with low impedance headphones). 

Edited by MacedonianHero - 7/4/12 at 6:50pm

I just wanted to say that I agree that the amb b22 and beyerdynamic  T1 are a superb pairing. I have a yulong d100 mkii as a source and i love it. 

 

What seems to be very important for the T1 is, as already stated in another thread, its position on the listener's head. When positioned badly, this make the sound seem to come from very far away and it loses some detail.

I therefore recommend to place the t1 on the users head as follows: 1. make sure to vertically position the earcups in a fashion that the attachment postion of the headstrap are about on the height of the hearing channels. 2. move the ear cups as far back on your head as still comfortable.

 

Like this I get the best sound IMHO.

 

Hope this helps others.