[campj]

I searched this thread for Grado and see that a few people have posted questions about how the PanAm couples with Grados, but I haven't seen any definitive answers yet. I also am curious about how the amp does with SR325is. I know it's recommended to use headphones with impedance above 50ohms, but is the sound really that bad out of the 32ohm 325is?
 
Also, how would the sound of this amp be described when listening to Senn HD600? I listen to lots of very complex, fast music and I'm looking for a neutral pair of phones. I'm curious if this would be a good pairing for my interests.
 
Any help will be greatly appreciated!

 

[bsn]

Quote:

I searched this thread for Grado and see that a few people have posted questions about how the PanAm couples with Grados, but I haven't seen any definitive answers yet. I also am curious about how the amp does with SR325is. I know it's recommended to use headphones with impedance above 50ohms, but is the sound really that bad out of the 32ohm 325is?
 
Also, how would the sound of this amp be described when listening to Senn HD600? I listen to lots of very complex, fast music and I'm looking for a neutral pair of phones. I'm curious if this would be a good pairing for my interests.
 
Any help will be greatly appreciated!

 
I have the PS-500 and the SR-125 and they both work just fine with the Pan Am, though to my ears they tend to sound better with a warmer tube like the Raytheon or Tung-Sol. 

 

[Johbremat]

Just joined the club.  The Russian tubes are still on backorder so only using the supplied Seimens.
 
Not entirely familiar with this world, having only used a Sony PHA-1 with the headphones I've got lying around, but DAMN.  If my tunes can sound this good out the box, what is it going to sound like once all my kit's burned in?
 
Using a Sony NW-F807 as the source with RCA LOD, and typing this while listening to Thom Yorke's 'The Eraser' through Sony MDR-SA5000.

 

[R Scott Ireland]

Quote:

Just joined the club.  The Russian tubes are still on backorder so only using the supplied Seimens.
 
Not entirely familiar with this world, having only used a Sony PHA-1 with the headphones I've got lying around, but DAMN.  If my tunes can sound this good out the box, what is it going to sound like once all my kit's burned in?
 
Using a Sony NW-F807 as the source with RCA LOD, and typing this while listening to Thom Yorke's 'The Eraser' through Sony MDR-SA5000.

 
Welcome aboard!
 
The Pan Am is an amazing little amp.  It sounds really good with most tubes. My favorites are Cifte's, Mullards and Voskhods.
 
Enjoy!

 

[campj]

Quote:

 
I have the PS-500 and the SR-125 and they both work just fine with the Pan Am, though to my ears they tend to sound better with a warmer tube like the Raytheon or Tung-Sol. 

Thanks BSN. I love me some 325is!
 
I have a couple more questions that I haven't seen answered or addressed in this thread: does anyone have any experience with HE-500 on the PanAm? Is the amp/DAC appropriate for very fast music (death metal, psytrance, etc)?
 
I'm thinking this may be the one to get.

 

[bsn]

Quote:

Thanks BSN. I love me some 325is!
 
I have a couple more questions that I haven't seen answered or addressed in this thread: does anyone have any experience with HE-500 on the PanAm? Is the amp/DAC appropriate for very fast music (death metal, psytrance, etc)?
 
I'm thinking this may be the one to get.

The Pan Am DAC is not bad by any means, but to my ears the Pan Am amp has great detail and sounds even better being fed from a more upscale DAC. That being said, it would probably be fine for most types of music including metal.   You can always get an upgraded DAC later on if for some reason you are not happy with the on-board DAC.

 

[DizzyD]

Hi Friends
 
My Pam Am comes with the 6X1Π-EB tubes. Are these the same as the Voshkod 6ZH1P-EV ? 
 I would like to try to Voshkods.
 
Thx for replying.

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

Quote:

 
I have the PS-500 and the SR-125 and they both work just fine with the Pan Am, though to my ears they tend to sound better with a warmer tube like the Raytheon or Tung-Sol. 

Thanks BSN. I love me some 325is!
 
I have a couple more questions that I haven't seen answered or addressed in this thread: does anyone have any experience with HE-500 on the PanAm? Is the amp/DAC appropriate for very fast music (death metal, psytrance, etc)?
 
I'm thinking this may be the one to get.

 
I only had a problem with fast music becoming a bit blurry with the LCD-3s, which demand a lot of current. 

 

[FatmanSize48]

Quote:

The Pan Am DAC is not bad by any means, but to my ears the Pan Am amp has great detail and sounds even better being fed from a more upscale DAC. That being said, it would probably be fine for most types of music including metal.   You can always get an upgraded DAC later on if for some reason you are not happy with the on-board DAC.

Agreed. For some reason, I prefer listening to my ODAC feeding the Pan Am; separation "blackness," and dynamic range all seem a bit more defined. Of course, this may be due to a higher gain applied by the ODAC, placebo, or expectation bias. I'm looking to soon conduct a "test-that-shalt-not-be-named" with matched volume to see which DAC is truly better.

 

[R Scott Ireland]

Quote:

Agreed. For some reason, I prefer listening to my ODAC feeding the Pan Am; separation "blackness," and dynamic range all seem a bit more defined. Of course, this may be due to a higher gain applied by the ODAC, placebo, or expectation bias. I'm looking to soon conduct a "test-that-shalt-not-be-named" with matched volume to see which DAC is truly better.

 
My Pan Am sounds fantastic just being driven by the DAC's inside the HiFiMan HM-801 and the iBasso DX100 (using line out from both). In most cases it sounds as good as my Lyr/Bifrost Uber (better in some cases), and even the Liquid Glass.  It is certainly the easiest to match up good sound with particular headphones/tubes.

 

[FatmanSize48]

My Pan Am sounds fantastic just being driven by the DAC's inside the HiFiMan HM-801 and the iBasso DX100 (using line out from both). In most cases it sounds as good as my Lyr/Bifrost Uber (better in some cases), and even the Liquid Glass.  It is certainly the easiest to match up good sound with particular headphones/tubes.

Would you consider the Pan Am mid-fi or hi-fi? From what I know, it really is fairly easy to drive the HD800 "pretty well." How would you say the Pan Am compares to your Liquid Glass?

 

[R Scott Ireland]

Would you consider the Pan Am mid-fi or hi-fi? From what I know, it really is fairly easy to drive the HD800 "pretty well." How would you say the Pan Am compares to your Liquid Glass?

I consider the Pan Am somewhere between mid-fi and hi-fi, but much closer to hi-fi. The LG drives the HD800 with more authority, but not THAT much more. I think the biggest difference is the incredible number of choices you have with tubes for the LG. Much more than with the Pan Am. You can find that magic glass that really brings out the best in a particular headphone (if your wallet can survive). That said, with the Pan Am almost all of the tubes I've tried sound great with various phones, and the 6AK5 tubes are cheap, really cheap, compared to the best 6DJ8 or 6SN7 glass. Certain phones, like the Denon D7000 and the Audio Technica AD2000, sound so good with the Pan Am that I have stopped trying to find better sound/better tubes with the LG. With the ones I've tried so far, the Pan Am wins.

With the LCD-3 and HD800, I do better with the LG (and the Lyr/Bifrost-Uber too), when using the best Amperex, Siemens, Telefunken Noval tubes, and good Octal tubes in the LG.

 

[Twinster]

Quote:

I consider the Pan Am somewhere between mid-fi and hi-fi, but much closer to hi-fi. The LG drives the HD800 with more authority, but not THAT much more. I think the biggest difference is the incredible number of choices you have with tubes for the LG. Much more than with the Pan Am. You can find that magic glass that really brings out the best in a particular headphone (if your wallet can survive). That said, with the Pan Am almost all of the tubes I've tried sound great with various phones, and the 6AK5 tubes are cheap, really cheap, compared to the best 6DJ8 or 6SN7 glass. Certain phones, like the Denon D7000 and the Audio Technica AD2000, sound so good with the Pan Am that I have stopped trying to find better sound/better tubes with the LG. With the ones I've tried so far, the Pan Am wins.

With the LCD-3 and HD800, I do better with the LG (and the Lyr/Bifrost-Uber too), when using the best Amperex, Siemens, Telefunken Noval tubes, and good Octal tubes in the LG.

 
 
Now I have to try my D7000 with my PanAm. What tube are you using for the Denon? if you don't mine me asking. 

 

[R Scott Ireland]

Now I have to try my D7000 with my PanAm. What tube are you using for the Denon? if you don't mine me asking. 

The D7000 sounds great with both the Cifte tubes and the Russian 6J1P-EV tubes.

 

[Twinster]

The D7000 sounds great with both the Cifte tubes and the Russian 6J1P-EV tubes.

Thank you. I was listening to the Cifte tubes with HD580 yesterday and swap them for the Mullard Cv4010 and preferred the later. They have great mid's and so smooth. I still haven't tried all my tube option. Very a fun piece of kit this PanAm