[GoldenSound]

So is it possible to run Class A amp to run its full potential ? Speaker amp too expensive and takes too much space.

I'm not sure what you mean.

A 3w class A amp has no more power than a 3w class AB amp.

Unless one has some other characteristic like higher damping factor or earlier rising distortion there won't be a difference in how well they drive the headphone.

If space is a concern though then that's one of the good things about the AHB2, it's pretty compact compared to most speaker amps and sits nicely on a desk.

 

[NickT23]

I'm not sure what you mean.

A 3w class A amp has no more power than a 3w class AB amp.

Unless one has some other characteristic like higher damping factor or earlier rising distortion there won't be a difference in how well they drive the headphone.

If space is a concern though then that's one of the good things about the AHB2, it's pretty compact compared to most speaker amps and sits nicely on a desk.

Maybe AHB2 is one of the smallest speaker amp in the market. But why speaker amp though ? Have you try SET tube amp with the Susvara ?

 

[GoldenSound]

Maybe AHB2 is one of the smallest speaker amp in the market. But why speaker amp though ? Have you try SET tube amp with the Susvara ?

Yes I have, it was ok but not great.
The best tube amp I've tried Susvara with is the WA33 which has about 10 watts @ 32 ohm so it's pretty beefy. But as mentioned before I personally prefer Susvara on solid state rather than tubes. But prefer 1266 on tubes.

 

[NickT23]

Yes I have, it was ok but not great.
The best tube amp I've tried Susvara with is the WA33 which has about 10 watts @ 32 ohm so it's pretty beefy. But as mentioned before I personally prefer Susvara on solid state rather than tubes. But prefer 1266 on tubes.

Does it means 1266 suits me better if am using SET and Class A solid state ? What about tube rolling to the point where you find the Susvara god like ? Why go for AHB2 compare to other speaker amps ? What do you think for Benchmark HPA-4 + Susvara combo ?

 

[ufospls2]

Does it means 1266 suits me better if am using SET and Class A solid state ? What about tube rolling to the point where you find the Susvara god like ? Why go for AHB2 compare to other speaker amps ? What do you think for Benchmark HPA-4 + Susvara combo ?

Bro, have you read the rest of the thread? He even specifically mentions the HPA4+Susvara combo.

1266 is quite a bit easier to drive than the Susvara, but still not easy. Yes you can drive them from some headphone amps no problem.

As he has said multiple times, the class of operation (a, A+B, D etc...)doesn't matter. Power and gain matter. Sonic preferences is a different matter to ability to drive the Susvara.

 

[GoldenSound]

Does it means 1266 suits me better if am using SET and Class A solid state ?

Again it's nothing to do with whether the amplifier is Class A or not. That doesn't matter.
It's about how powerful the amp is.

Also, personally I would never recommend buying a particular headphone based on the amp/dac you're using. Get the headphone you like most first, THEN find source gear that suits it not the other way around. Otherwise you'll be trying to 'fix' a headphone that doesn't suit your preferences with source gear changes. Instead of trying to make a headphone you DO like sound even better.

Source gear can make a substantial improvement, but the transducers will always have the biggest impact.

What about tube rolling to the point where you find the Susvara god like ?

Tube rolling can make a substantial difference but I've not heard any setup that I liked with susvara as much as several different solid state options.

Why go for AHB2 compare to other speaker amps ?

The AHB2 has several advantages:

- Compact, easy to fit on a desk

- Lowest noise floor of any speaker amp available (afaik this is still the case), to the point that it actually has more dynamic range from normal headphone listening levels than quite a few headphone amps do. This means that you can use any headphones you like straight from it without an impedance adapter. Whereas most speaker amps whilst they may work fine with Susvara connected directly, other headphones will need an impedance adapter otherwise the noise floor will be too high. However this inherently will change frequency response and result in poorer damping factor so it's less ideal.
The fact that I can run ALL my headphones on it, not just Susvara, is great.

- Actually not that expensive compared to other higher end speaker amps. Especially if you buy used (they show up often for $2500 ish)

- Benchmark themselves can't keep up with demand, so it's super easy to resell if you don't like it or want something else.

- Personally I think the AHB2 is a much better sounding speaker amp than a lot of other choices. Particularly in how it handles spatial cues and bass. Seriously the level of control this thing has in the low-end is nuts.
I use it as my main headphone amp for most of my headphones cause it sounds absolutely fantastic and I've not found anything else that was a better 'daily driver' amp for me yet.

What do you think for Benchmark HPA-4 + Susvara combo ?

I don't like the HPA4. I felt it sounded like a slightly better THX 789, which is sort of what it is.
It's not a $3500 headphone amp. It's a $3000 preamp (benchmark LA4) with an opamp based THX headphone amp module added on.
It sounded too sterile, thin and clinical for me.

Also, please do read my previous post, I mentioned most of this already

 

[tunes]

Maybe AHB2 is one of the smallest speaker amp in the market. But why speaker amp though ? Have you try SET tube amp with the Susvara ?

Actually, ENLEUM 23R amp is one of the smallest speaker/ headphone amps out there. It has a high/low impedance output setting that moves the speaker output to the 1/4 “ headphone jack for Susvara. Very impressive.

 

[NickT23]

Anyway, then how would you compare the Class A headphone amp to Speaker amp for Susvara ? What happens 1266 TC with Class A headphone amp to Speaker amp ?

For Susvara, if you have unlimited space, would you go higher for speaker amp and more pricier than your benchmark AHB2 ?

I will take a look for Susvara and HPA-4. Speaking of HPA-4, does this applies to all headphone in terms of sterile, thin and clinical ?

 

[GoldenSound]

Anyway, then how would you compare the Class A headphone amp to Speaker amp for Susvara ?

Again, class A really doesn't indicate anything. It does not change how the amp is going to sound or how well its going to drive the headphone.

You need to give a specific amp. Not a broad amp topology.

Class A itself does not have a sound

What happens 1266 TC with Class A headphone amp to Speaker amp ?

Again ignoring the bit about class A (cause it doesn't matter), the 1266 doesn't scale in the same way that Susvara does with a speaker amp.
It is a harder to drive headphone but you can drive it fine with most decently powerful headphone amps.

For Susvara, if you have unlimited space, would you go higher for speaker amp and more pricier than your benchmark AHB2 ?

Honestly, probably not. I really like the AHB2 and have not found anything that I liked notably more than the AHB2. Though if space and budget was not a limitation I'd probably get another amp to complement it in some way. Maybe an amp-13R or something

I will take a look for Susvara and HPA-4. Speaking of HPA-4, does this applies to all headphone in terms of sterile, thin and clinical ?

I didn't like HPA4 with any headphone I tried on it.
It is quite a sterile sounding amp.

 

[NickT23]

Honestly, probably not. I really like the AHB2 and have not found anything that I liked notably more than the AHB2. Though if space and budget was not a limitation I'd probably get another amp to complement it in some way. Maybe an amp-13R or something

So far you have only tried the AHB2 for your Susvara right compare to other speaker amps or for all the amplifier you tried on the Susvara. I would need to find your HPA4 vs AHB2 for Susvara and with the rest of the headphones.

 

[paradoxper]

Anyway, then how would you compare the Class A headphone amp to Speaker amp for Susvara ? What happens 1266 TC with Class A headphone amp to Speaker amp ?

For Susvara, if you have unlimited space, would you go higher for speaker amp and more pricier than your benchmark AHB2 ?

I will take a look for Susvara and HPA-4. Speaking of HPA-4, does thibs applies to all headphone in terms of sterile, thin and clinical ?

You will more than likely find your Class A headamp slips into AB. You will likely find nominal output therein.
A general character of class A is a little smoother operation especially regarding treble extension.

You'll also be hard pressed to blind and identify consistent A/AB. Despite your delusion of grandeur.

Since you do like generalization, you should likely pursue the speaker amp. Ignoring overall topology and sound characterization, you will be pleased with the less concession by the number speaker amplifier.

 

[GoldenSound]

So far you have only tried the AHB2 for your Susvara right compare to other speaker amps or for all the amplifier you tried on the Susvara. I would need to find your HPA4 vs AHB2 for Susvara and with the rest of the headphones.

No, I've tried a lot of amps both speaker amps and headphones with it. In terms of speaker amps I've tried stuff from Pass, McIntosh, Soulution, Purifi, Arcam, Audionote and others

 

[NickT23]

No, I've tried a lot of amps both speaker amps and headphones with it. In terms of speaker amps I've tried stuff from Pass, McIntosh, Soulution, Purifi, Arcam, Audionote and others

So of all of them you prefer AHB2 with Susvara ? Why so in comparison with the others ?

 

[Tachyon88]

So of all of them you prefer AHB2 with Susvara ? Why so in comparison with the others ?

@NickT23 "Why go for AHB2 compare to other speaker amps ?"

His reply ON THIS VERY PAGE:

The AHB2 has several advantages:

- Compact, easy to fit on a desk

- Lowest noise floor of any speaker amp available (afaik this is still the case), to the point that it actually has more dynamic range from normal headphone listening levels than quite a few headphone amps do. This means that you can use any headphones you like straight from it without an impedance adapter. Whereas most speaker amps whilst they may work fine with Susvara connected directly, other headphones will need an impedance adapter otherwise the noise floor will be too high. However this inherently will change frequency response and result in poorer damping factor so it's less ideal.
The fact that I can run ALL my headphones on it, not just Susvara, is great.

- Actually not that expensive compared to other higher end speaker amps. Especially if you buy used (they show up often for $2500 ish)

- Benchmark themselves can't keep up with demand, so it's super easy to resell if you don't like it or want something else.

- Personally I think the AHB2 is a much better sounding speaker amp than a lot of other choices. Particularly in how it handles spatial cues and bass. Seriously the level of control this thing has in the low-end is nuts.
I use it as my main headphone amp for most of my headphones cause it sounds absolutely fantastic and I've not found anything else that was a better 'daily driver' amp for me yet.



Maybe English is not your first language, I dunno.

 

[NickT23]

@NickT23 "Why go for AHB2 compare to other speaker amps ?"

His reply ON THIS VERY PAGE:

The AHB2 has several advantages:

- Compact, easy to fit on a desk

- Lowest noise floor of any speaker amp available (afaik this is still the case), to the point that it actually has more dynamic range from normal headphone listening levels than quite a few headphone amps do. This means that you can use any headphones you like straight from it without an impedance adapter. Whereas most speaker amps whilst they may work fine with Susvara connected directly, other headphones will need an impedance adapter otherwise the noise floor will be too high. However this inherently will change frequency response and result in poorer damping factor so it's less ideal.
The fact that I can run ALL my headphones on it, not just Susvara, is great.

- Actually not that expensive compared to other higher end speaker amps. Especially if you buy used (they show up often for $2500 ish)

- Benchmark themselves can't keep up with demand, so it's super easy to resell if you don't like it or want something else.

- Personally I think the AHB2 is a much better sounding speaker amp than a lot of other choices. Particularly in how it handles spatial cues and bass. Seriously the level of control this thing has in the low-end is nuts.
I use it as my main headphone amp for most of my headphones cause it sounds absolutely fantastic and I've not found anything else that was a better 'daily driver' amp for me yet.



Maybe English is not your first language, I dunno.

Am referring to sound comparison across different speaker and headphone amps for AHB2 apart from ergonomics at least the ones he tested and demo with the Susvara. Like frequency response, tonality, imaging & staging or other technicalities. Basically only low end is emphasis. Am referring to comparison to specific speaker amps as well.