This small desktop amp fulfills the need for an unobtrusive device to be used at work. It is small enough to fit on my workstation and the simple design is not distracting to myself or anyone around me. I used it initially to drive my ATH-M50Ws but have recently upgraded to Audeze EL-8Cs. There is no issue in driving either headphone, but they do make the Audeze EL-8Cs sing. It does come with mini-to-mini interconnects and speaker wiring, but I replaced them with Audioquest evergreen interconnects mini-to-mini and mini-to-rca to connect an iPod Classic and my MacBook Pro simultaneously. Now I can hear any incoming computer message over my music, which consists of Jazz, Acoustic, Rock, Pop, Metal, and Alternative. If it had one more source input, like a additional mini, or usb, I could move the computer to the usb and attach my phone.
The only issue I have is the popping when the power to the amp is turned off/on. I only have to do this on occasion when my monitor falls asleep since the MacBook does not seem to trigger it to awake.
In an attempt to describe the sound, all I can say is that the N22 did not distort the signal from the inputed source. No noticeable distortion, no hiss, and no humm . I listened to recordings directly from my iPod Classic, iPhone 6, and MacBook Pro and compared at similar volume levels through the N22 using my Audeze EL-8Cs.
The following list of songs were used during the comparison:
Lazeez - Acoustic Alchemy - Against the Grain
Don't Give Up - Peter Gabriel - So
The Claw - Clint Black - Sounds of Wood & Steel
Nothing Too Good (For a Friend) - Doyle Dykes - Sound of Wood & Steel
Don't Know Why - Norah Jones - Come Away with Me
Pachelbel's Canon in D Major (Piano)
Cowboy - Kid Rock - Devil Without a Cause
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (Disc 2)
Roads Untraveled - Linking Park - Living Things
Gold Dust Woman - Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
The sound was full and the soundstage was wonderful, but I probably need to contribute that to the EL-8Cs.
The only issue I have is the popping when the power to the amp is turned off/on. I only have to do this on occasion when my monitor falls asleep since the MacBook does not seem to trigger it to awake.
In an attempt to describe the sound, all I can say is that the N22 did not distort the signal from the inputed source. No noticeable distortion, no hiss, and no humm . I listened to recordings directly from my iPod Classic, iPhone 6, and MacBook Pro and compared at similar volume levels through the N22 using my Audeze EL-8Cs.
The following list of songs were used during the comparison:
Lazeez - Acoustic Alchemy - Against the Grain
Don't Give Up - Peter Gabriel - So
The Claw - Clint Black - Sounds of Wood & Steel
Nothing Too Good (For a Friend) - Doyle Dykes - Sound of Wood & Steel
Don't Know Why - Norah Jones - Come Away with Me
Pachelbel's Canon in D Major (Piano)
Cowboy - Kid Rock - Devil Without a Cause
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (Disc 2)
Roads Untraveled - Linking Park - Living Things
Gold Dust Woman - Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
The sound was full and the soundstage was wonderful, but I probably need to contribute that to the EL-8Cs.
