Both my Mojo2 and Roon allow me to apply Crossfeed and I use this across my HP's. So much so that I wouldn't enjoy listening anymore without. It just seems much more natural and easier to listen to.
It's a great little thing and I would thoroughly recommend it (as is Roon!).
Having no added Crossfeed, resulting with voices/instruments coming from sides (and behind) is just unnatural and not how I perceive music when listening without HP's to either my system or live. Adding some (Xfeed) solidifies central image/adds cohesion without destroying scale and soundstage. It also, because of this solidity, adds 'warmth' to something that otherwise can sound too spread out/thin.
I believe that is one of the main reasons many audiophiles don't like headphones.
Of course I understand that some prefer the exhagerated spatial properties some headphones provide without additional Crossfeed but it's not for me.
If you listen predominantly to electronica and other heavily processed pop it matters less and can actually enhance it.
For Jazz, rock, metal, instrumental and voice I would warmly recommend to at least give it a try for a while before switching back.
The same for classical unless you prefer to sit in the middle of an orchestra and think that's natural.
All of the above is also headphone dependant but as said, I use it (Xfeed) on all. Roon allows independent Headphone profiles so makes this easy.
One could argue that this somehow destroys the imaging/spatial capabilities of certain headphones. I don't believe it does. In my case, I find the Sundara too spread out/thin without Crossfeed. It also lacks some impact. Using a modicum of Crossfeed corrects the above whilst still staging much better than say, my 58X (which has it over the Sundara in other ways).
It's free to try if you have the option so nothing lost if you don't agree.
I have tried it on several devices and to my ear it is often pretty subtle with most music I listen to. Occasionally on old recordings that were designed to show off stereo imaging it makes a massive difference where one sound/instrument would otherwise be literally be out of only one channel and another out of the other which is obviously hugely unnatural.
I don’t see how cross feed is headphone dependent and I don’t understand how you can have a conversation about cross feed without also talking very specifically about the specific recording style not music genre that it is best with not in the very general way as has been done above.
If a “rock” song for example has a very solid centre vocal with literally what amounts to mono for that part of the music then cross feed will literally do nothing to the vocals.
Of course every one’s mileage varies. I don’t particularly care if my listening gear doesn’t allow cross feed and when it does I generally leave it off but flick it on if a song calls for it.
Yes I agree, a very underrated feature, but it certainly sounds amazing with some older ultra-wide stereo recordings from the late 50s/60s.
I use the X-Space feature on the IFI NEO2 when declicking vinyl digitizations in software, works a treat.
Basically there’s no reason any recording should sound worse with it, it should be on all better quality desktop Headphone amps.
I use it often with Roon especially when listening to recordings left/right dependant, such as older Doors material, or sometimes Beatles. I enjoy the feeling it gives more akin to listening to speakers in a room.
But with most newer music I do not, unless perhaps an intimate Jazz recording.
I've tried crossfeed from several devices/software. Never liked it. I like the exaggerated stereo effect that some recordings have when you play them on headphones.
I prefer my headphones sounding like headphones, cause I can always listen to my speakers and get a different experience. At the end of the day, it's a matter of preferences.
I miss the crossfeed my Headroom amp used to have. I wish they'd done a crossfeed-only unit that would work with any amp. I never found it hurt anything, and a lot of those early stereo mixes that were so far left and right separated benefit a lot from it, IMO. I don't clamor for it as a feature, but I know it's out there.
Seems it should be easy to add to any digital source, but I can't think of how to do it.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
