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HE-500, LCD2, D5000, DT770, SR80, on a speaker amp (Emotiva mini-X A-100) Project - Page 37

post #541 of 1122
1/13/13 at 9:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bop View Post

From previous posts, it seems that using the emotiva adds hissing to headphones, is there any way to decrease that-impedance adapter or not?  How significant is the hissing?

 

FWIW I'm not getting any kind of hiss out of mine. I've tried HE-400, HE-6, Q701, HD650, and HD600. I'm not sure who got hissing, and how much there was. May be an issue with the power. 

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post #542 of 1122
1/13/13 at 9:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by elwappo99 View Post

 

FWIW I'm not getting any kind of hiss out of mine. I've tried HE-400, HE-6, Q701, HD650, and HD600. I'm not sure who got hissing, and how much there was. May be an issue with the power. 

 

I was one of the few who heard the hissing. I noticed it on my HE-500s and DT770 (250ohm) with or without music playing. Oddly, I can't detect it with my HE-6s.

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post #543 of 1122
1/13/13 at 9:31pm

No hum or hiss with my HE-500, regardless of the volume and/or with the music playing or not.

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post #544 of 1122
1/14/13 at 10:56am

No hissing with the HE-6 here as well

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post #545 of 1122
1/14/13 at 4:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by elwappo99 View Post

 

FWIW I'm not getting any kind of hiss out of mine. I've tried HE-400, HE-6, Q701, HD650, and HD600. I'm not sure who got hissing, and how much there was. May be an issue with the power. 

 

E,

 

Are you using the HE-400s with a SE or balanced connector?

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post #546 of 1122
1/14/13 at 4:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by preproman View Post

 

E,

 

Are you using the HE-400s with a SE or balanced connector?

 

When I had them it was using a balanced, not the SE cable it came with. Wonder if that could be the issue? I'm wondering if it could be due to dirty power coming through. 

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post #547 of 1122
1/14/13 at 7:24pm

No hiss on my unit, I could test my 2nd mini-x too to see, and I'm using a janky adaptor made from female TRS and mogami.

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post #548 of 1122
1/14/13 at 7:42pm

anyone have any extra speaker tap cables and/or hifiman cables with xlr end  they would be willing to sell?

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post #549 of 1122
1/15/13 at 2:39am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mac336 View Post

Hey malveaux, I read in your impressions that you used the NFB-12 as your DAC.  Did you use it as your dac for all impressions? 

 

I ask because months ago I used my lyr and HE500 to compare the nfb-12 dac and bifrost and I found the bifrost to head and shoulders above the NFB12 dac (wider soundstage, better separation, and overall clearer).  wondering if you found this to be the case at all.

 

Also Your impressions have sold me on the emotiva.  Is there anything else I need besides a speaker tap ?    Can you point me in the right direction of a good speaker tap (and whatever else I may need).  I'm not big on super high quality cables or anything, just want something that is somewhat durable and works.  In other words, I don't want to be spending over hundreds on cables. 
 

 

Heya,

 

No, I've used the Schiit Bifrost, NFB 12, Fiio E10, Music Streamer II, and TubeMagic D2 mostly. I found most of them sound great, but so similar that I can't really tell a serious appreciable difference between them, so I was using the NFB12 a lot because it was also working as a preamp (the volume knob allowed me to control the line level out of the DAC out) so that I could flex the amp to see how it behaved when the volume knob was turned up (seeing if a noise floor existed; found none that wasn't just the recording). Now I'm using the TubeMagic D2 exclusively, as I can hear a difference with it, it's warmer, and adds a little smoothness it seems to the the otherwise excellent sound, of course, it may be partially psychological too, but it does sound more like butter. I used a few amps as pre-amps to see how it would affect things and found I just liked having a tube in between the circuit a little more. So I went with it with a DAC to avoid having a 3rd device in the circuit for now.

 

By the way, the NFB12 I think shares the same DAC as the Fiio E10. Go figure right?

 

All you need is a speaker tap cable or adapter. Either way. You can have someone make it for a few bucks. Or you can buy a professional cable. Or you can buy the Hifiman adapter (expensive). No other fancy equipment. You're plugging the Hifiman directly into the amplifier as if it were a set of speakers, since they are. You can spend something like $40 for an adapter, or upwards of $150 maybe for a cable depending on what you're doing. I had mine made by BTG Audio. There are others in this thread that can make them, who have offered to make cable adapters. Maybe just give a shout or post an ad in the cables for sale/trade forum that you're looking for someone to make an adapter for you.

 

Very best,

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post #550 of 1122
1/15/13 at 8:43pm

Hey guys, Last night i tried out the Hifiman Ef-5 on the He-500. and it sounds amazing. It gave it body and fullness with a very energetic engaging sound. I compared it to my JDS labs O2. IMO the O2 is wayy to neurtal. it sounds boring when paired with my HE-500. i was wondering would the Emotiva  Be a good pick over the O2 and Ef-5? The ef-5 tube sound is so syrupy and engaging. The O2 is a good amp but it doesn't seem good for me on the He-500. I've found that i prefer the He-400 over the He500 when using the O2. But when i hook the HE-500 up to the Ef-5 it blows the He-400 away help???

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post #551 of 1122
1/15/13 at 8:58pm

Earlier in the thread malveaux said he felt the emotiva sounded on par or maybe slightly better than the LYR.    Your amp inventory says you already have a lyr, so I would just stick with that unless its not getting use or you just want to change it up. 
 

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post #552 of 1122
1/15/13 at 9:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poetic View Post

Hey guys, Last night i tried out the Hifiman Ef-5 on the He-500. and it sounds amazing. It gave it body and fullness with a very energetic engaging sound. I compared it to my JDS labs O2. IMO the O2 is wayy to neurtal. it sounds boring when paired with my HE-500. i was wondering would the Emotiva  Be a good pick over the O2 and Ef-5? The ef-5 tube sound is so syrupy and engaging. The O2 is a good amp but it doesn't seem good for me on the He-500. I've found that i prefer the He-400 over the He500 when using the O2. But when i hook the HE-500 up to the Ef-5 it blows the He-400 away help???

I'm running the EF5 with my HE-5LE's, which are less efficient than the HE-500's, which I also had at one time. The EF5 is a good amp and doesn't lack for power - I only get to 10-11 o'clock on the volume dial. Plus, you can roll 12AU7 tubes for different flavoring as well as roll opamps as well.

I also run the 5LE's off speaker taps from a variety of different vintage receivers, from 15wpc all the way to 60wpc.

I didn't think there was a big difference between the EF5 and speaker taps personally. If it were me, I wouldn't be in a big rush to buy a new speaker amp just to try and improve on the EF5. You may just want to try your or a friend's receiver or integrated amp with speaker taps and see if there's a big difference vs the EF5.
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post #553 of 1122
1/15/13 at 10:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poetic View Post

Hey guys, Last night i tried out the Hifiman Ef-5 on the He-500. and it sounds amazing. It gave it body and fullness with a very energetic engaging sound. I compared it to my JDS labs O2. IMO the O2 is wayy to neurtal. it sounds boring when paired with my HE-500. i was wondering would the Emotiva  Be a good pick over the O2 and Ef-5? The ef-5 tube sound is so syrupy and engaging. The O2 is a good amp but it doesn't seem good for me on the He-500. I've found that i prefer the He-400 over the He500 when using the O2. But when i hook the HE-500 up to the Ef-5 it blows the He-400 away help???

 

 

This might help: http://www.head-fi.org/t/629352/hifiman-he-500-on-a-speaker-amp-emotiva-mini-x-a-100-project/405#post_8974233


Edited by Zoom25 - 1/15/13 at 10:02pm
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post #554 of 1122
1/15/13 at 10:01pm

Ya i was able to test out the Ef-5 and Lyr today. I really prefer the Ef-5 over the Lyr for my He-500. It sounded more syrupy with a very engaging sound. I thought the instrument seperation was alot better on the ef-5 than the lyr. The lyar has more of an airy soundstage than the Ef-5 on the he-500. But it sounds really boring and doesn't give me the fullness that i want with the Ef-5. I really don't see the brag about the Lyr. im sending it back for my return. As for the He-400's it sounds good with any amp that i've used so far.

 

EDIT: I should also mention that they were the normal stock tubes on both the Lyr and Ef-5. right out the box i was damn amazed at how the ef-5 sound. I had to adjust the voltage at first though it was set wrong and i set it to high gain. I am definately happy with the Ef-5. But if the emotiva can perform better or on par i would like to know, as i would be saving money o.o


Edited by Poetic - 1/15/13 at 10:23pm
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post #555 of 1122
1/15/13 at 10:09pm

The reason i ask about the Emotiva is because the Hifiman Ef-5 is $399.99. If i only have to pay $199.99 for the Emotiva, and get the same engadging sound with good instrument seperation. I would be saving money :D


Edited by Poetic - 1/15/13 at 10:10pm
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Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Headphones (full-size) › HE-500, LCD2, D5000, DT770, SR80, on a speaker amp (Emotiva mini-X A-100) Project