[wankski]

Hi Guys,

done some research and it seems i've narrowed my amp choice to these amps...

i guess the ppa v2 and m3 are meant to sound pretty similar, but i will likely use a wallwart first before committing funds and time to an ext power supply.

q is... seems all these options will cost around 220USD in parts, which would you go for to power beyer 990pros? may also get some AKG701s down the track or similar...

looking for something to fill out the mid range and give real drive to the impressive bass of the 990s = not so mych more bass, but impact and detail.

cheers

 

[FallenAngel]

The PPAv2 and M^3 don't really sound all that similar. The diamond buffers on the PPAv2 are very clean and clear sounding while the MOSFETs on the M^3 are a bit warmer.

Power supply quality matters A LOT in amps, it is not something you want to skimp on.

 

[wankski]

oh yeah, like i said, i will build some ext PS in the future, just likely to be DIY's out after the amp build...

thoughts on the two vs miniMAX?

THANKS!

 

[mulveling]

No experience with the Millets, but I absolutely agree with FallenAngel's assessment on the PPA vs. M^3 sound (though I've only heard one M^3, that's what I heard - warm), and also that power supply is crucial when you want to make the leap towards better sound. Either choice should be great - I don't think you can pick a loser there. A maxed PPA (OPA627s, diamond buffers) with dedicated PSU was my first true head-fi blow-me-away experience years back ('04), from a Meridian 588 and feeding a Sennheiser HD650/Zu Mobius. I still remember it vividly.

I've got a little non-maxed PPA that isn't at the sonic level of the maxed PPA, but still sounds quite good, for what it is. An M^3 can output orders of magnitude more power than you'd ever need for headphones, in case that's important to you

 

[FallenAngel]

The Millett MAX is also very good, just like the other two. Do note that the buffers on the Millett MAX are basically the same as the PPAv2.

The tubes are considerably warmer sounding than most opamps though and to my ears, aren't as detailed.

 

[phangtonpower]

Someone on the K701 appreciation thread said that my Minimax didn't have enough power for my K701's, but I think it sounds awesome.

 

[K3cT]

I've always wonder what are the sonic differences between the Millet Max, MiniMAX and MosfetMAX.

 

[FallenAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by phangtonpower /img/forum/go_quote.gif Someone on the K701 appreciation thread said that my Minimax didn't have enough power for my K701's, but I think it sounds awesome.

If they really wrote not "enough power", it's a fairly surefire way to know they don't know what they're talking about.

MiniMAX vs Millett MAX : should be no difference in how they sound, provided that parts used are same and with same tubes.

MAX vs MosfetMAX : Similar to PPAv2 vs M^3 impressions though when I tried, the MosfetMAX was WAY too warm for my tastes. Take it with a grain of salt, I'm usually not a "tube guy".