I found that I could barely turn the volume pot up past 7:00 on the mini-x a-100 before it became too loud. I just installed the Schitt passive pre-amp, called the Sys. I am now able to lower the strength of the signal after it leaves the DAC, and before it was seen by the emotiva amp. Man, this...

I wanted to connect my iPhone/iPad to an external DAC. Here’s how I went about doing it:   I purchased the pluggable powered data hub and the Apple CCK connector. The pluggable data hub comes with a male USB to male mini USB cable. The male end of the USB cable connects to the Apple CCK female...

Wow! So you opened up the Hifiman speaker adapter and fund there is no resister in it. I thought that is the goal of the product. Thanks for the info.

I might be wrong, but I think the risk when connecting headphones directly to the speaker outputs is not to the amp, but to the headphone. For example, the Hifiman speaker adapter you are using with the cans to connect them to the emotiva has a resistance circuit built into the speaker adapter...

I don't know how you would bypass the internal amp but you could use the HRT iStreamer and bypass the internal DAC. You could also stick with the camera adapter out method but you will need a powered USB hub to give the power to other DAC's.

I would look into 2 products: JRiver and JRemote. JRiver will play just about any format of music. You could use JRemote to either serve as the player for the music downstairs (your server), or as a remote for a laptop upstairs that is working as a server for your music downstairs, and is...

I use JRiver Media Center and install their WDM driver. I can then take advantage of all their DSP possibilities. The driver works with all sources including streaming sources like YouTube or Rhapsody. 

Hi-fi man makes a speaker amp accessory that allows you to connect the headphones directly to any speaker amp by using just regular RCA cables connecting from the box to the speaker. Have you seen this?The box has a built-in attenuator so as to protect your cans from exploding :-)

I am sorry you were disappointed in the sound. I find the synergy between this amp and the HE-6 to be divine. I also own the benchmark HDR and a dynahi which is a very powerful do it yourself head amp originally designed by Kevin Gilmore while he was an engineering graduate student at...

You may want to check prior threads on this. The Emotiva mini 100 X is a small and inexpensive power amp that does extremely well blending with the HE-6.

The iStreamer by HRT. It's about $150 and is specific to iOS.

I use Rhapsody at 320 kps streaming from an Ipod Air into the HRT Istreamer DAC. This apple product specific DAC bypasses the Ipod internal DAC. The signal is then seen by an Emotiva power amp. Through speaker taps I power the hifiman HE-6. It sounds great. 

I have self powered speakers and am in the market for a new DAC. Can use the following set-up to create a balanced system: Computer- USB output to USB input of balanced DAC (like Schiit Gungnir) - BNC balanced out from DAC to BNC input of each amplified speaker? Will this set up provide sonic...

I am in the market for a new DAC and have a set up question. At work I have a set of M-Audio BX5a speakers. The speakers are self powered in that each of them has 2 amplifiers within them (for the 2 drivers). The input into the speakers are BNC 3 pin connectors. Can I use a balanced DAC like the...

Question: How do you save a lot of cash and have great sonic performance from the original Hifiman HE-5 headphones?   Answer: Save the money you would spend on a powerful headphone amp and buy: the Emotiva mini 100 x ($180), the replacement headphone Hifiman cable ($150) which provides a...

Thank you for your response. Do the other Hifiman models (e.g., HE-6) come standard with the balanced cable?

I have the original HE-5 and want to use speaker taps to drive them. I intended to have someone create a connector to the male TRS 1/4 headphone jack and terminate in banana plugs so that I could connect to the amps outs. I was told, " You are taking a 3 contact system and turning it into a 4...

Several folks have pointed out that the HE-5LE and the HE-6 significantly benefit from speaker taps and the use of an amplifier. I have the original HE-5 . Do you think this model would also benefit from speaker taps/power amp to drive them? If so, would you recommend using the Hifiman Speaker...

I have the original Hifiman He-5. I see that the He-5le and the He-6 are thought to significantly benefit from using speaker taps and a speaker amp. Would the same hold true for the original He-5? If so, what amps would be recommended (e.g., emotiva)? Would you recommend using the Hifiman...

Iron_Dreamer you are a great writer. I love to read your posts. A few years ago I purchased a Veda Audio Dynahi amplifier modified by Mr. Gardner from you. That amp continues to bring me such joy. I know it would be a difficult task, given that it has been several years since you heard your old...

I was hoping for someone to chime in on this post as well. My son's birthday is coming up and he put the Fiio E7 on his list. He wants the flexibility of the DAC and amp combo. I was wondering whether there was a clear winner in the total bithead vs. E7 challenge.

The Benchmark HDR and Veda Audio Dynahi both work well with the HE-5. I find with the Dynahi I need to have the volume control at least to the "10 o'clock" position for the headphones to reach their potential.

I received my HE-5 just before Christmas and have burned them in using a Dynahi Veda Audio head amp (purchased from fellow Head-fier Iron Dreamer in 2007) that was later modified by Mr. Gardner. This is a 15 watt per channel solid state amp. As a source I use an Ibiza Rhapsody player streaming...

I have that exact set up, and love it. The 580's really need a head amp to show you what they can do.

Iron Dreamer, you may recall I bought your Veda Audio Dynahi amp about a year ago. My Thule integrated amp died and I remembered that the Dynahi could be used as a pre amp, so I put it in my system (along with a B&K ST140 and a pair of Talon Audio Khorous X speakers). Your head amp is so...