[muths66]

Thanks guys, I have now Xenns Top 25ohm/107dB and Variations 15ohm/118dB and I want to upgrade to monarch MK3 which is 18ohm 99dB (probably the least sensitive). RU7 LO is lower voltage than standard and on mojo 2 I can lower the output too.. so probably it should be OK? Anyvay I dont want to use only first 10 or 15% of volume scale because the chanel imbalance.. do you have some some experiences?

I only can suggest use se and if able use lower gain in music app tobuse with high sensitive iem

 

[rkm7]

Thanks guys, I have now Xenns Top 25ohm/107dB and Variations 15ohm/118dB and I want to upgrade to monarch MK3 which is 18ohm 99dB (probably the least sensitive). RU7 LO is lower voltage than standard and on mojo 2 I can lower the output too.. so probably it should be OK? Anyvay I dont want to use only first 10 or 15% of volume scale because the chanel imbalance.. do you have some some experiences?

I have used Gizaudio Binary Chopin (12ohm/122db) via RU7 4.4mm LO -> PA10 4.4mm. It was fine, no issues. The volume pot is pretty linear.

 

[easylive]

I have used Gizaudio Binary Chopin (12ohm/122db) via RU7 4.4mm LO -> PA10 4.4mm. It was fine, no issues. The volume pot is pretty linear.

Thanks, the Chopin is very sensitive, so thats great... , how much of volume on pa10 can you use with that setup? (RU7 LO, pa10, Chopin)

 

[rkm7]

Thanks, the Chopin is very sensitive, so thats great... , how much of volume on pa10 can you use with that setup? (RU7 LO, pa10, Chopin)

Low gain, more than 20 and less than 40 depending upon music and mood.

 

[easylive]

Low gain, more than 20 and less than 40 depending upon music and mood.

Thats OK, thanks

 

[BS5711]

Thats OK, thanks

Volume control will be fine especially if you use a lower input voltage but do be aware you will get a bit of noise floor hiss with your more sensitive IEM.

My PA10 is silent with IEM like IE600 which need a little more power but there is audible hiss with Campfire Solaris even out of the 3.5mm and more so out of the 4.4mm.

I don’t find it intrusive but it is there in quiet very passages of music or with no music playing. If you are buying the PA10 specifically for IEM, are fussy about hiss and don’t want to use an IEMatch you might be disappointed.

 

[easylive]

Volume control will be fine especially if you use a lower input voltage but do be aware you will get a bit of noise floor hiss with your more sensitive IEM.

My PA10 is silent with IEM like IE600 which need a little more power but there is audible hiss with Campfire Solaris even out of the 3.5mm and more so out of the 4.4mm.

I don’t find it intrusive but it is there in quiet very passages of music or with no music playing. If you are buying the PA10 specifically for IEM, are fussy about hiss and don’t want to use an IEMatch you might be disappointed.

Many thanks for valuable info.. I consider also xd 05 pro (it can also work in class a), the decisions are tough..

 

[RIGATIO]

Volume control will be fine especially if you use a lower input voltage but do be aware you will get a bit of noise floor hiss with your more sensitive IEM.

My PA10 is silent with IEM like IE600 which need a little more power but there is audible hiss with Campfire Solaris even out of the 3.5mm and more so out of the 4.4mm.

I don’t find it intrusive but it is there in quiet very passages of music or with no music playing. If you are buying the PA10 specifically for IEM, are fussy about hiss and don’t want to use an IEMatch you might be disappointed.

The pa10 isnt completely silent with the Twilight (16Ω and 116dB) but the hiss is very very low and audible only when the music is paused.
But when the music starts playing then boy oh boy what a treat

 

[123peter]

Astell & Kern PA10 + Astell & Kern Kann Ultra with three dedicated, isolated balanced outputs HP+PreOut+LineOut.
PA10 connected via balanced output and balanced 5-pole IFI interconnect and Sennheiser HD800s 300 Ohm headphones.
Between songs or in pieces of classical music where there are moments of silence, there is such a black, divine silence
that several times I caught myself thinking that the song was not playing when the DAP screen was blank.

PA10 (6Vrms) with these 300 ohm headphones - I wrote about it earlier when driving LineOut 4V current - it has such power that I never exceeded 1/3 of the scale of the PA10 potentiometer.
At lower currents on LineOut with Kann Ultra - 2.5, 2V and lower, you lose a lot not so much in power but in sound details too - this is my opinion.

Unfortunately, most IEM headphones have noise with PA10 , and with highly sensitive ones it is very loud even at the beginning of the scale.
Either it is not significant or it is annoying. You need to test specific IEM headphones yourself.

Applying resistance load with the IFI - Audio iEMatch+ adapter this is a bad solution.
Despite IFI's assurances, my opinion is that a lot is lost in the sound, and the quality of this adapter (High-Ultra) resistance switch itself is of very poor quality.

 

[easylive]

Astell & Kern PA10 + Astell & Kern Kann Ultra with three dedicated, isolated balanced outputs HP+PreOut+LineOut.
PA10 connected via balanced output and balanced 5-pole IFI interconnect and Sennheiser HD800s 300 Ohm headphones.
Between songs or in pieces of classical music where there are moments of silence, there is such a black, divine silence
that several times I caught myself thinking that the song was not playing when the DAP screen was blank.

PA10 (6Vrms) with these 300 ohm headphones - I wrote about it earlier when driving LineOut 4V current - it has such power that I never exceeded 1/3 of the scale of the PA10 potentiometer.
At lower currents on LineOut with Kann Ultra - 2.5, 2V and lower, you lose a lot not so much in power but in sound details too - this is my opinion.

Unfortunately, most IEM headphones have noise with PA10 , and with highly sensitive ones it is very loud even at the beginning of the scale.
Either it is not significant or it is annoying. You need to test specific IEM headphones yourself.

Applying resistance load with the IFI - Audio iEMatch+ adapter this is a bad solution.
Despite IFI's assurances, my opinion is that a lot is lost in the sound, and the quality of this adapter (High-Ultra) resistance switch itself is of very poor quality.

Many thanks, just one question.., is there also hiss with sensitive iems with no source connected? I mean, the hiss comes from amp alone or from source (more or less)?

 

[BS5711]

Many thanks, just one question.., is there also hiss with sensitive iems with no source connected? I mean, the hiss comes from amp alone or from source (more or less)?

Technically no, there is no noise with no source device connected but that is only because the amplifier isn't activated until a plug in inserted.

The hiss will be present even if only a cable is plugged in with its other end not connected to anything.

The hiss is from the PA10 not the source.

 

[RIGATIO]

Many thanks, just one question.., is there also hiss with sensitive iems with no source connected? I mean, the hiss comes from amp alone or from source (more or less)?

Yes the hiss comes from the amp and with more sensitive iems will be present on a similar level, no matter which current or gain setting you choose.

 

[BS5711]

Yes the hiss comes from the amp and with more sensitive iems will be present on a similar level, no matter which current or gain setting you choose.

Correct, the cross feed does increase the hiss significantly however.

 

[RIGATIO]

Correct, the cross feed does increase the hiss significantly however.

It could be but not with my iems.

 

[BS5711]

It could be but not with my iems.

When I said "significantly" that might have been overstating it a bit in real world terms.

I just tried it again and the cross feed increases the hiss but the difference is mostly only noticeable with very sensitive IEM, my most sensitive being Campfire Solaris 2020.

I think I recall reading something from A and K that the cross feed can cause a bit of hiss noise with sensitive IEM.