[CaptainzGreg]

Hi @roskodan , thanks for the answer and nuggets of info .
I must disclose that I tried the geshelli labs pro 2 but didn't hear that much of a difference with my topping. I'll try and find an asgard nearby though.
I also have the opportunity to purchase a massdrop cavalli tube hybrid, I heard it pairs well with our beloved AFC, any thoughts on that ?

Edit : typo

 

[roskodan]

Well, I guess you read the thread. The original AFC will always be on the lean side of neutral. As, I mentioned before, EQ works great. As far as amp goes, the biggest difference will actually be in getting an amp with enough power at 16 Ohms. Again, MrSpeakers headphones, in general do not sound like regular headphones in presentation. I personally love their sound, and feel they are more for those that want to play their headphones louder and feel that first row dynamic experience.

 

[tim0chan]

Hi @roskodan , thanks for the answer and nuggets of info .
I must disclose that I tried the geshelli labs pro 2 but didn't hear that much of a difference with my topping. I'll try and find an asgard nearby though.
I also have the opportunity to purchase a maddrop cavalli tube hybrid, I heard it pairs well with our beloved AFC, any thoughts on that ?

Massdrop cth with sdac is a pretty good match for it. Alternatively, getting a monoprice liquid spark and maybe a topping e30 DAC would sound great too I'd you prefer separates

 

[CaptainzGreg]

Alright, thanks for the leads. Actually I can use my NX4 as a dac, for the time being (or sell i for a E30).
I also have the chance to get a ifi micro idsd BL for 400€, and could stretch my budget up there. Anyone tried AFC with this ?

 

[phthora]

Alright, thanks for the leads. Actually I can use my NX4 as a dac, for the time being (or sell i for a E30).
I also have the chance to get a ifi micro idsd BL for 400€, and could stretch my budget up there. Anyone tried AFC with this ?

That is an excellent and very popular pairing, one that I use all the time. The BL has more warmth and slower decay than a THX amp, so it gives some additional body to the sound. Even better, the AFC responds well to the treble boost on the amp and very well to the bass boost. Between those and the tuning filters, there are quite a few options to alter the sound without using EQ. I typically use the bass boost without tuning pads since I like the neutral tuning the best but find I want a little more slam for certain music. Aside from that pairing, the BL is also incredibly versatile and will run everything from sensitive IEMs to fairly power-hungry planars.

 

[CaptainzGreg]

Alright, this pretty much confirms what I read in many places.
Anyone could compare ifi micro BL vs massdrop Cavalli Tube Hybrid (CTH) ?
Otherwise I guess I'll have an nx4 to sell very soon.

 

[ai_enabled]

You have to email them for the pads that you want, everything is custom, from the material to the type of foam. I opted for a "hybrid" pad with solid leather walls and Alcantara for the part that touches my face with memory foam. Lead time is around 17 business days

Please consider posting a quick review of these VesperAudio custom pads!
The pads on my AFC are fine after almost 1 year (no flaking despite using them daily for many hours; previously I had a really bad experience with any artificial leather pad materials (Fostex TH-600 "bio-leather" pads started flaking after just a few dozens of hours of use) but Aeon's proved durable). However, as I wrote here some time ago, I don't like that they're 100% touching my ears if I use any tuning pads/inserts (which are necessary for me), and I got tired massaging them every other day to restore the straight shape of the pad walls (they're compressing a lot when heating up from my ears as I've noticed, and get a tilted shape quickly, further reducing the slim distance between my ears and the tuning pads).
I don't mind ordering a custom alternative, especially if I can get something similar to vegan pads from Audeze ("microsuede/Ultrasuede" + relatively stiff memory foam) which were perfect comfort-wise for many years for me. But considering the relative complexity of Aeon pads, I'm afraid of ordering something without hearing back from happy customers...

 

[tim0chan]

Please consider posting a quick review of these VesperAudio custom pads!
The pads on my AFC are fine after almost 1 year (no flaking despite using them daily for many hours; previously I had a really bad experience with any artificial leather pad materials (Fostex TH-600 "bio-leather" pads started flaking after just a few dozens of hours of use) but Aeon's proved durable). However, as I wrote here some time ago, I don't like that they're 100% touching my ears if I use any tuning pads/inserts (which are necessary for me), and I got tired massaging them every other day to restore the straight shape of the pad walls (they're compressing a lot when heating up from my ears as I've noticed, and get a tilted shape quickly, further reducing the slim distance between my ears and the tuning pads).
I don't mind ordering a custom alternative, especially if I can get something similar to vegan pads from Audeze ("microsuede/Ultrasuede" + relatively stiff memory foam) which were perfect comfort-wise for many years for me. But considering the relative complexity of Aeon pads, I'm afraid of ordering something without hearing back from happy customers...

They have vegan options but bear in mind that every decision you make about the pads will affect the sound slightly. I opted for genuine leather on the walls of the pads and Alcantara for the part of the pad that touches my head. I find that it is slightly stiffer than the stock pads but seems to seal better with better bass impact but also sounds sharper. Personally, I welcome the change but would shift from the 1 notch filter to the 2 notch filters when listening to poorly mastered recordings. Overall I enjoy the headphone much better with these aftermarket pads

 

[gearocdguy]

The RNHP looks like power is falling below 32 ohms, which means its probably a poor pairing. The Lyre 3 or the Cavalli amps on Massdrop or Monoprice are worth considering, they deliver high value. The RNHP would work better with an ETHER.

Burn in is about 100-200 hours. Generally we just say listen and enjoy, and appreciate the changes when they occur. You'll usually hit a day when you put the headphone on and go, "oh, THAT is what burn in sounds like." Pink noise is fine, too.



Someone packed a DUM cable. Did you get this from us? If you want the dual tip email support@mrspeakers.com with the order info, otherwise contact your dealer.



Sorry, the leather can't be welded to the mounting plate.

@mrspeakers. Dan, this post broke my brain (clearly I am not an engineer). I currently own the Aeon 2C, Ether 2 (recently acquired), and the RNHP along with various other headphones and Amps. The Ether 2s do like the RNHP, but not so much the A2Cs. I thought I was going crazy as clearly if the RNHP has enough power for the Ether 2 than it has more than enough for A2C given the A2C is more efficient than at 13 ohms vs. Ether 2's 16 ohms.

I was about to order new cables, power filters or specialty audiophile rocks to place on top of the amp. But, it turns out I really have no idea what I am doing. Obviously power output is not linear relative to impedance which is making me question most of what I think I know about life in general. Is this unique to the RNHP? And is there a short-hand to reading amp specs to know if they will pair well with different headphones.

Thanks

P.S. Both the A2C and the Ether 2 are awesome and everyone should buy both immediately.

 

[descloud]

given the A2C is more efficient than at 13 ohms vs. Ether 2's 16 ohms

Would just like to correct that efficiency is not determined by the impedance. Efficiency is given as the rating in dB SPL per mW.

In actuality, lower impedance means it needs more current feed to reach the same power requirement.

 

[gearocdguy]

Would just like to correct that efficiency is not determined by the impedance. Efficiency is given as the rating in dB SPL per mW.

In actuality, lower impedance means it needs more current feed to reach the same power requirement.

OK - I found and read this:

https://www.shure.com/en-GB/support...xt=One mW is one thousandths,is 122 dB SPL/mW.

I have determined electricity is a dark art performed by evil Disney witches (sorry I have a five-year-old daughter). I am going to sell all of my gear and stay with Bose and AirPods. Where is the fun in buying something you clearly don't need if you have to do math? If I wanted to do math, I would have stayed sober in college and been an E.E. major.

But, regarding the RNHP paired with the A2C vs Ether 2. Is the reason the A2C sounds bad, but Ether 2 good because the A2C requires a more "powerful" amp or because the RNHP is less powerful at lower impedances.

Thanks

 

[roskodan]

OK - I found and read this:

https://www.shure.com/en-GB/support/find-an-answer/understanding-earphone-headphone-specifications#:~:text=One mW is one thousandths,is 122 dB SPL/mW.

I have determined electricity is a dark art performed by evil Disney witches (sorry I have a five-year-old daughter). I am going to sell all of my gear and stay with Bose and AirPods. Where is the fun in buying something you clearly don't need if you have to do math? If I wanted to do math, I would have stayed sober in college and been an E.E. major.

But, regarding the RNHP paired with the A2C vs Ether 2. Is the reason the A2C sounds bad, but Ether 2 good because the A2C requires a more "powerful" amp or because the RNHP is less powerful at lower impedances.

Thanks

The Aeon 2 thread is here https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-new-aeon-2-its-the-end-of-mrspeakers.918309/

There are all kind of reasons why the Aeon can sound bad, but yeah, the RNHP does not have what it takes to play them properly, nor the Ether 2. Basically you didn't hear neither of the two how they are supposed to sound.

http://rupertneve.com/static/media/2016/04/RNHP-Manual-rev-a2.pdf

 

[gearocdguy]

The Aeon 2 thread is here https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-new-aeon-2-its-the-end-of-mrspeakers.918309/

There are all kind of reasons why the Aeon can sound bad, but yeah, the RNHP does not have what it takes to play them properly, nor the Ether 2. Basically you didn't hear neither of the two how they are supposed to sound.

http://rupertneve.com/static/media/2016/04/RNHP-Manual-rev-a2.pdf

Without getting into the subjective qualities of different amps, is there an objective measure of if an amp has enough power to drive a given set of headphones. I apologize as I am sure this has been asked and answered before. But, what I am trying to get to is how to determine if I subjectively like a given amp with a given headphone by first eliminating what objectively will not work.

 

[roskodan]

Yeah, read this thread a few pages back, it has already been explained.

 

[descloud]

But, regarding the RNHP paired with the A2C vs Ether 2. Is the reason the A2C sounds bad, but Ether 2 good because the A2C requires a more "powerful" amp or because the RNHP is less powerful at lower impedances.

I can't say why the A2C sounds bad and why the Ether 2 sounds good with the RNHP. What sounds good and what sounds bad is fairly relative from person to person. I will go over the RNHP specs below.

There are all kind of reasons why the Aeon can sound bad, but yeah, the RNHP does not have what it takes to play them properly, nor the Ether 2. Basically you didn't hear neither of the two how they are supposed to sound.

Looking at the manual sheet for the RNHP provided by roskodan, and doing a little bit of calculation, I would think that the RNHP has enough voltage AND current output to make the A2C reach about 110dB without missing out on dynamic range.

Using this measurement as reference: 16 Ω typical Load: 1.933 VAC RMS @1kHz = 230mW RMS

This would mean that for a 13 ohm load, the RNHP would have roughly around 2.379 VAC RMS @1kHz = 283mW RMS

Doing a reverse calculation of power with the VAC provided, you would have about 118mA current feed to the A2C, which is plenty of headroom given that it requires around 20mA to reach 100dB SPL for the A2C (using this as reference: http://www.digizoid.com/power.php)

Unless I'm missing something in viewing this, I would think the RNHP has enough voltage and current output to drive the A2C. I welcome someone else to correct my assumptions here.