[nirslsk]

Hi there,

I'm currently using an Alpen 2/A5 combo with a pair of Sennheisers PXC 450 for two things: HiFi Tidal on my Nexus 6P, and SoundWire also on the 6P to watch TV with. I'm considering getting a Jotunheim with the DAC module for the latter as a permanent fixture in my living room so I don't have to keep charging two extra devices and wait for their batteries to die, but there's two things I'm wondering about:

1. Should I expect a significant improvement in sound quality going from the Alpen 2/A5 to Jotunheim? and
2. If I connect my phone to the Jotunheim using a microUSB to USB type 2 cable, will it drain my phone or does the DAC module get its power the same supply as the amp?

I know the Fulla 2 is another good alternative (and a much cheaper one). It has a second USB port just for power which is great, but I understand it's a step down from what I have in sound quality...

Thanks, Nir

 

[buke9]

Have not heard those headphones so can't say if your going to get a increase SQ. Most sound canceling headphones I've heard are not real good. These could be an exception I don't know. Usually it is better to upgrade headphones first and then the rest of the chain when looking for sound quality upgrade. I'm not sure about the power though as I have not tried running my phone as input to my dac. Well I tried it and it ran for a bit and then quit. This was from my iPhone6s Plus so I don't know about the Nexus. This was from my Yggdrasil.

 

[nirslsk]

Ahh yeah, I didn't consider that it might not work with my phone at all. I just got a response from Schiit about the power draw, indeed the DAC module gets its power from the USB device. Thanks for the advice about headphones, I'll stick with the Alpen/A5 and put that money toward better headphones instead.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Hi there,

I'm currently using an Alpen 2/A5 combo with a pair of Sennheisers PXC 450 for two things: HiFi Tidal on my Nexus 6P, and SoundWire also on the 6P to watch TV with. I'm considering getting a Jotunheim with the DAC module for the latter as a permanent fixture in my living room so I don't have to keep charging two extra devices and wait for their batteries to die, but there's two things I'm wondering about:

1. Should I expect a significant improvement in sound quality going from the Alpen 2/A5 to Jotunheim?

You have a whole host of problems using a noise canceling headphones with the A5, much less the Jotunheim.

First off, ANC headphones already have an amplifier built into the the earcups since they need to introduce the signal from the ANC circuit to play through the same drivers, cancelling out the ambient noise. The amplifiers you use don't see the headphone as their load, only the input stage of these amps. You are at best just providing the headphone's amp circuit with a high voltage "line level" (but actually already amplified) signal.

In some cases using them as wired headphones might bypass the amp in the headphone, but even then, since they're primarily designed to work with a small amp circuit working off a small battery that needs to last at least one long haul flight, that means the drivers are already designed to be very, very, very efficient. In other words, they don't need a lot of power, and the noise cancelling technology further makes playing louder (and thus the need for more power) even less of a necessity.

Basically, even the A5 is far beyond overkill for those headphones in terms of power output, except you're not actually using the A5 to drive it anyway. That's like taking a Tesla Model S and putting a Chevy 427 in it to charge the electric engine's batteries like a generator, but all it does is add weight since that 427's torque and horsepower doesn't boost the output of the electric engine. Except in your case it's worse, because the A5 isn't charging the battery on the headphone.

 

[nirslsk]

The PXC 450 have a bypass switch that completely disables the noise cancellation circuitry and lets you use them as regular headphones without batteries. They actually sound pretty good like that with the A5!

 

[buke9]

[QUOTE="ProtegeManiac, post: 13479423, member: 137442"
Basically, even the A5 is far beyond overkill for those headphones in terms of power output, except you're not actually using the A5 to drive it anyway. That's like taking a Tesla Model S and putting a Chevy 427 in it to charge the electric engine's batteries like a generator, but all it does is add weight since that 427's torque and horsepower doesn't boost the output of the electric engine. Except in your case it's worse, because the A5 isn't charging the battery on the headphone.[/QUOTE] Overkill is underrated. 427 with headers and some Glasspacks would sound good though

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Overkill is underrated. 427 with headers and some Glasspacks would sound good though

Not on teh Tesla when the throttle is wired to the electric motor - that 427 will just be a generator for it

 

[buke9]

With technology we can make the Tesla sound badass.