Hifiman Serenade - Himalaya Pro R2R DAC headamp all-in-one
Jan 7, 2024 at 6:50 PM Post #166 of 413
Ugh, yeah I may as well.

Just looking now and can drop it off at post office just boxed back up.

Do I get another one? Or do I sit at the PC yet again looking and trying to decide?

It’s a shame Geshelli is nigh on impossible to get in UK. By the time you add import duties the value in them has gone. And of course returns night on impossible just in case.
Well, if theres a replacement option on amazon chose that, if not choose refund, stick the refund label they give you onto the serenade box and ship it back. Youll get a refund soon-ish.
 
Jan 23, 2024 at 5:17 PM Post #168 of 413
For Serenade owners here, does your line out/pre out play when headphone out is selected? cant seem to have it play the headphones only if speakers are connected via rca.
Yes if you have RCA out connected and headphones plugged in, you will get sound out of both even if you select RCA out.

Select headphone out and you will not get sound out of the RCA.
 
Jan 23, 2024 at 5:28 PM Post #169 of 413
Yes if you have RCA out connected and headphones plugged in, you will get sound out of both even if you select RCA out.

Select headphone out and you will not get sound out of the RCA.
Wonder why that is. I want it connected to my pc and output both headphone and speaker, but speaker playing when wearing headphone defeats the purpose of wearing headphones. Unplugging rca out the back every time is a bit annoying.
 
Jan 23, 2024 at 5:33 PM Post #170 of 413
Thats the first thing that irked me when I got it being used to completely independent outputs from my last dac/amp.

It wasn’t a huge deal breaker for me as my RCA out to speakers were just desktop active speakers so I just turned them off.

But I’ve since returned mine anyway.
 
Jan 24, 2024 at 1:04 AM Post #171 of 413
Select headphone out and you will not get sound out of the RCA.
I can't check it again right now, but on my device, in this case, the sound goes through both headphones and speakers.
You have to turn off the speakers to listen to the headphones.
 
Jan 24, 2024 at 10:01 AM Post #172 of 413
I can't check it again right now, but on my device, in this case, the sound goes through both headphones and speakers.
You have to turn off the speakers to listen to the headphones.
Well I can’t test it ever now, but I was sure if I used headphones and set the serenade to headphone out it was only outputting sound to the headphones.

Could be wrong, but sure that’s how it worked and only if I set it to pre-out it outputted so to both.

Then again I don’t why it would do it different ways.

As you said, I did find it annoying they didn’t go to the expense (surely not very much) to isolate each output or whatever you would call it.
 
Jan 31, 2024 at 8:26 AM Post #173 of 413
I just received the Serenade direct from Hifiman.

It does not have Bluetooth even though it is an option on the input menu.

Does anyone know if it is the oriiginal version or is the non-bluetooth the latest version they are producing? I would have liked to have the bluetooth version.

It sounds really good on XLR with HE1000SE. Very wide soundstage.

With ZMF Verite on single ended output it sounds like crap. Very poor quality. Very dull and closed in sounding.

I also got a lot of electrical noise when plugged into a power bar that my computer was plugged into while other headphone amps were dead quiet. So filtering of power supply questionable? Or ethernet connection picking up noise?
 
Jan 31, 2024 at 8:40 AM Post #174 of 413
Does anyone know if it is the oriiginal version or is the non-bluetooth the latest version they are producing? I would have liked to have the bluetooth version.
As far as I know, there is a version without Bluetooth.
It is black, costs a little less and otherwise does not differ from the "maximum model".

There is also a Junior version, it has a red case and it is noticeably simpler in terms of parameters.
 
Jan 31, 2024 at 8:43 AM Post #175 of 413
I just received the Serenade direct from Hifiman.

It does not have Bluetooth even though it is an option on the input menu.

Does anyone know if it is the oriiginal version or is the non-bluetooth the latest version they are producing? I would have liked to have the bluetooth version.

It sounds really good on XLR with HE1000SE. Very wide soundstage.

With ZMF Verite on single ended output it sounds like crap. Very poor quality. Very dull and closed in sounding.

I also got a lot of electrical noise when plugged into a power bar that my computer was plugged into while other headphone amps were dead quiet. So filtering of power supply questionable? Or ethernet connection picking up noise?
Mine Had Bluetooth and the noise through the SE.

Balanced it’s great but the SE is shocking hence why I sent mine back.
 
Jan 31, 2024 at 9:09 AM Post #176 of 413
Hifiman listing shows photos with both a bluetooth antenna connection on the back and then another photo without it in the same listing for $999.

I was wondering what is the latest hardware version? Either they had bluetooth originally and it had issues so they deleted it or they did not have bluetooth originally and they have now added it in the latest hardware version. I doubt they are making two parallel models at the same time...just getting rid of version 1 of the product ???
 
Jan 31, 2024 at 10:13 PM Post #177 of 413
Hifiman customer service has reported back that the new version does not have bluetooth but I should not have that option on the input menu so likely I have an old or wrong firmware.

Just waiting for them to reply back with a firmware download or some other info.
 
Feb 1, 2024 at 12:25 AM Post #178 of 413
I am finishing a review. This one sounds nothing short of amazing.
IMG_20231224_152222-wm-66450_watermarked.jpg
 
Feb 1, 2024 at 6:19 AM Post #180 of 413
I am finishing a review. This one sounds nothing short of amazing.
Really curious whether the Serenade would fit into my musical zone of preference (Naim Headphone Edition. Hiby RS6/RS8 / Cayin C9, Cayn N8ii)
 

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