[macky112]

topping nx1 is a very neutral and extended (tonally) amplifier, and it is enough clean. but it only reaches 2Vrms (low distortion, at 64Ω). http://www.head-fi.org/t/800208/the-rmaa-rightmark-audio-analyzer-source-and-audio-device-measurement-thread-measurements-in-post-3-tutorial-in-post-2/75#post_12994430
so it is very useful to boost low powerful DAPs (which deliver less than 1.5Vrms, like Sansas, Benjie S5, some AGPTek, etc. -0.5Vrms-) to feed hungry phones.


but it also can be used for other purposes.. for example, with the walnut V2. nx1 (2Vrms) doesn't boost the walnut (3.3Vrms at 64Ω, low distortion, in headphones out). but it does boost the line-out of the walnut (0.33Vrms), which have better response than its headphones out. you get less power than walnut's phones out, but also an output impedance of 0.1Ω (instead of walnut's 100Ω) and wider and flatter frequency response. so it can be better paired with low_impedance/high_sensitivity phones, which doesn't need more than 2Vrms power.

check the tonal differences in this graph; note the extra bass roll-off of gr07, due to the 47uF output caps, and the general highs roll-off of walnut's phones out. compare it to the walnut's line-out + nx1 frequency response, which is not altered by adding **** ues (lower impedance than gr07).




(anyway, i prefer to use a sansa or benjie with nx1 rather than using walnut this way..)

Hmm... I'll try my Fiio E11 on Walnut LO and see if I can tell a diffetence

 

[vapman]

  Sry to break the discussion but today i just tried for the first time using the Walnut as an amp and boy i must say it does its job really well! Though the KZ ZST still doesnt sound good with the Walnut.
 
All my earbuds sound better with the Walnut and each has a distinct sound signature which i cant differentiate when i use it straight off my desktop. Makes me wanna buy another unit and switch the opamp to make the ZST sound better

The ZST is a hybrid isnt it? See if you can find some frequency response graphs at higher output impedances. It might be throwing off the tuning on the
 
One trick for BA IEMs I hadn't though of before is to run the output of the Walnut into an audio processor like a Reveel headphone amp (which is not really an amp but does the same thing as Creative's Crystalizer) you will lose the massive output power of the Walnut but in return you get a very very low output impedance which will be suitable to BA IEM users (those of you know who you are) - the Reveel can be had for under $10 and might be a worthy investment for those who do not need the full massive range of power the Walnut has.

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

I had asked the walnut designer about increasing the capacitance of the 47uf decoupling caps and said that it could cause the bass to become loose. I still plan on trying it though.

 

[Sulbh]

This or colorfly c3?

 

[vapman]

I had asked the walnut designer about increasing the capacitance of the 47uf decoupling caps and said that it could cause the bass to become loose. I still plan on trying it though.

A term like loose is subjective, so i will give it a shot too.

 

[hakuzen]

Thanks for the insight info there though i m not familiar with tech info i can distinct the roll of in both areas and just wonder in my case using the C3 as a source which one would be a better choise as an amp paired with C3,
Topping NX1 or Walnut V2?
P.S.
I use sansa clip + as a dap on the go and i got recently Trinity PM4 strangely enough between Fiio X3ii,C3 and Sansa plus the last one pairs the better with PM4 cant see why though...

if you plan to drive the trinity pm4 (hybrid, 2 dynamic drivers + 2 balanced armatures, low impedance high sensitivity), forget to use walnut as an amp (paired with anything).
 
fiio x3ii and sansa clip+ should drive the trinity pm4 by their own quite well. both daps have a low (<1ohm) and constant output impedance across all frequencies, and have enough power. the synergy should be good for both. i think you don't need an amp to pair them with pm4.
 
colorfly c3 has low output impedance at 1KHz (higher than fiio x3ii and sansa+).. but it's not constant along all frequencies. in low frequencies, the output impedance of c3 raises a lot (>16ohms), so you can find a noticeable bass roll-off with the pm4. i guess there will be weird impedance interactions at other frequencies. so the synergy c3-pm4 is not good.
if you insist on using c3 with pm4, you can use a neutral amp with low impedance (<1ohm) between them, like topping nx1, not to boost it but to avoid these nasty impedance interactions. walnut would be useless, because it's far from being flat, its output impedance is 100ohms, and the result would be even worse than using only c3 with pm4.

 

[hakuzen]

Hmm... I'll try my Fiio E11 on Walnut LO and see if I can tell a diffetence

you should notice more highs extension. compare cymbals and high notes.
depending of the phones used, you could notice better sub-bass extension as well, specially if their impedance is low (below 16ohms).

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

The new era of ultimate Walnuts
 
Vol Pot: Alps RK097
Opamp: 2x AD797 (edit, this opamp is actually unstable in walnut, not recommended).
Caps: 2x Elna Silmic II 47uf 16v
-2x Elna Cerafine 100uf 10v
-2x Nippon Chemi-con ASH 10uf 50v
-1x Panasonic X-Pro 1000uf 16v
 
 
The sound; if you thought walnut sounded digital you need to hear this, it is unbelievable, the least digital, most natural sound I've heard from a portable player. This is just the first setup I've tried, will be trying many more to find the ultimate walnut setup.
 
 

 

[Dark Helmet]

I would definitely try it if I knew a good place to source the components.

 

[notamethlab]

The new era of ultimate Walnuts

Vol Pot: Alps RK097
Opamp: 2x AD797
Caps: 2x Elna Silmic II 47uf 16v
-2x Elna Cerafine 100uf 10v
-2x Nippon Chemi-con ASH 10uf 50v
-1x Panasonic X-Pro 1000uf 16v


The sound; if you thought walnut sounded digital you need to hear this, it is unbelievable, the least digital, most natural sound I've heard from a portable player.

Did you order the caps and vol pot from aliexpress?

 

[vapman]

  I would definitely try it if I knew a good place to source the components.

 

Did you order the caps and vol pot from aliexpress?

Mouser, Digikey

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

Now I just need my pcb adapters to arrive so I can solder on a ADA4627-1 to try
 

Did you order the caps and vol pot from aliexpress?

 

I order everything I can from Mouser, like most opamps, vol pot, and elna + nichicon caps, but for obsolete parts no longer made I buy from ebay or ali, like the Chemi-con ASH and Pana X-pro, or some opamps.

 

[Dark Helmet]

  Now I just need my pcb adapters to arrive so I can solder on a ADA4627-1 to try
 
I order everything I can from Mouser, like most opamps, vol pot, and elna + nichicon caps, but for obsolete parts no longer made I buy from ebay or ali, like the Chemi-con ASH and Pana X-pro, or some opamps.

Do you have the exact part numbers for the parts ordered from mouser?  When you look up the Alps pot you listed, there about 10+ pots that show up.

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

Another setup. Yes, I can switch caps at will, you can call me the cap master. Every setup I try sounds awesome in it's own way. Finding the ultimate walnut will be an impossible task. In this setup I experimented with increasing the supply caps from stock 100uf to 220uf. The sound loses some focus, but gains a sort of grander scale, a trade-off, not sure which I prefer, but bass heads would def prefer the bigger caps!
 
Caps:
1x Toshin Kogyo Jovial 1000uf
2x Nichicon Muse FG 220uf
2x Elna Cerafine 10uf
2x Elna Silmic II 47uf
 
The Alps pot is RK0971221Z05
 
 

 

[vapman]

I can't wait to get rid of the crap power supply cap on all my Walnuts. I still need to make my cap order, but it's so hard to pick....