O2 AMP + ODAC - Page 53

If you look at schematics, often you see the circuit diagram drawn in between a upper or top voltage bar or 'rail.

On the bottom of the chart you ususally see the ground level or rail....

To make schematic diagrams easier to understand if the distance to the upper voltage reference, source or rail sometimes you will see abbreviated shorter voltage and gnd connections, like with ops amps etc..

When bread-boarding the V+ is usually strung out of the top on the board and the V- or gnd reference is laid out along the bottom....so you have an upper rail and a lower ground rail...like railroad tracks....

Alex

Power supply voltage outputs (which the op amps and so on receive) are commonly called rails. e.g. the +7V rail

How is the O2 with the Senn HD 600 ?

I ask because I'm currently powering my 600's with a Fiio E9, to which many write is the bare minimum of an amp one should use to power 600's. However, after reading the power specs, the O2 and E9 both have similar output into these 300 ohm cans.

Is the O2 not especially good with higher impedance cans like the 600's? Thanks.

How is the O2 with the Senn HD 600 ?

I ask because I'm currently powering my 600's with a Fiio E9, to which many write is the bare minimum of an amp one should use to power 600's. However, after reading the power specs, the O2 and E9 both have similar output into these 300 ohm cans.

Is the O2 not especially good with higher impedance cans like the 600's? Thanks.

There are two issues:  (1) outputting enough power to make the headphones sound sufficiently loud and (2) sound quality.

The amount of power delivered determines the volume.  Both the O2 and E9 can drive the HD 600 way louder than what a normal person would listen to.  That said, if you're trying to listen to some classical recording with wide dynamic range (thus low average volume), at a very high volume, you need more power output than most portable sources and integrated amps can provide.  E9 was the cheapest desktop form-factor headphone amp with enough power to blow peoples' socks off for the HD 600 for a while (until the recent Schiit Magni).  Anyway, if you're not maxing out the E9, you wouldn't be maxing out the O2.

Different people have different opinions on sound quality, but if you look at what's going on electrically and acoustically, the differences between amplifiers really aren't that great.  (read: that was a big understatement)  Furthermore, HD 600 has high impedance, which makes it relatively easy to drive accurately, so differences between amplifiers are lower for this kind of easier load.

A lot of people tend to confuse power specs with sound quality or performance, even though in reality, they're not using but a small fraction of the power levels their big honking amps are capable of.  Or surely one needs a desktop amp for desktop headphones, right?  (actually no)

The E9 is not especially good with some lower-impedance cans—actually, more like some IEMs.  O2 and E9 both may not be powerful enough for the quietest, least sensitive headphones, if you want to listen at a loud volume.  Other than that, not much to say.

There are two issues:  (1) outputting enough power to make the headphones sound sufficiently loud and (2) sound quality.

The amount of power delivered determines the volume.  Both the O2 and E9 can drive the HD 600 way louder than what a normal person would listen to.  That said, if you're trying to listen to some classical recording with wide dynamic range (thus low average volume), at a very high volume, you need more power output than most portable sources and integrated amps can provide.  E9 was the cheapest desktop form-factor headphone amp with enough power to blow peoples' socks off for the HD 600 for a while (until the recent Schiit Magni).  Anyway, if you're not maxing out the E9, you wouldn't be maxing out the O2.

Different people have different opinions on sound quality, but if you look at what's going on electrically and acoustically, the differences between amplifiers really aren't that great.  (read: that was a big understatement)  Furthermore, HD 600 has high impedance, which makes it relatively easy to drive accurately, so differences between amplifiers are lower for this kind of easier load.

A lot of people tend to confuse power specs with sound quality or performance, even though in reality, they're not using but a small fraction of the power levels their big honking amps are capable of.  Or surely one needs a desktop amp for desktop headphones, right?  (actually no)

The E9 is not especially good with some lower-impedance cans—actually, more like some IEMs.  O2 and E9 both may not be powerful enough for the quietest, least sensitive headphones, if you want to listen at a loud volume.  Other than that, not much to say.