[yosment]

I use IPC 160G with Fostex HP P1 and SE535. Have the impression that the amp part of HP1 is the weak link. Would like to get a better amp. Any good suggestions?
 
And are there any players than IPC that match HP P1 better? I will be in Osaka in mid November, would like to find a place to buy them both...
 
Thanks!

 

[Norbert]

I'm surprised by your post because those Shures are easy to drive at 32 Ohms. My Etymotic ER4P's sound great on the lowest gain setting. May I ask what you are experiencing? Also it doesn't matter which ipod you use because the Fostex is simply using it as a transport. All ipods would sound the same. What bitrates are you using? That might be factor.

 

[yosment]

I just compared the effect pf using ipc plus fostex hp p1 vs MacBook Pro. Can clearly feel that the se535 is much better driven with the MBP, more juicy and powerful. This could be either due to IPC or the fostex HP P1. 32omh can be driven easily but driven well is another thing I guess?
 
And I actually can hear the dif between IPC and IPT via FOSTEX HP1...

 

[Norbert]

Well, i'm stumped by your response. You must have very peculiar ears because there is absolutely no difference between ipod sources for the hpp1. None. Some have had issues with iphones which are resolved after a reboot. You do understand that the ipod is simply a digital transport for the Fostex right? It's 1's and 0's my friend, no more no less. The data pulled off your classic is exactly the same as your touch. Listening and enjoying music from various sources is a highly personal experience and psychology comes into play. It seems you prefer the sound signature of the macbook. Ok. So a different amp for the Fostex could change it's signature. Plug it into a variety of portable amps and get what you like.

I'm still wondering if this is a bitrate issue. Are you ripping in ALAC? Is your itunes compressing your music down to a lower bitrate on your classic and touch?

 

[yosment]

I play only wav or aiff files ripped by myself. The source is normally the CDs I have bought or borrowed from library. Before I import to my iPod, I usually use Audio Adition 3 to examin the frequency distribution to see whether all frequencies above 22k is still retained lossless or not. 3 out of 10 times, the CDs also included truncated tracks... 
 
That said, I do not listen to ALAC or 320VBR or alike.
 
And my original questiom was actually what amp will go well with Fostex DAC. 

 

[Norbert]

And I am assuming your itunes is not compressing those files when you sync? I answered your question about which amp to choose (the one that sounds best for you). Others might chime in but we would need more information about what kind of music you like and what sound signature you are looking for. Do you want warm and tubey or analytic and neutral, etc.

 

[yosment]

Quote:

And I am assuming your itunes is not compressing those files when you sync? I answered your question about which amp to choose (the one that sounds best for you). Others might chime in but we would need more information about what kind of music you like and what sound signature you are looking for. Do you want warm and tubey or analytic and neutral, etc.

I Do not think iTunes will compress when syn  and I normally do not use iTunes, really tired of the huge size of the program and slow response. And not to say Steve Jobs crazy philosophy of SYNC. i use sharepod on the other hand. Of course I do double check on the file size after uploading to IPC. It took me around more than one hour to deal with one CD. No, my ears might not be peculiar, but yes, I am peculiar about the lossless tracks...
 
As for sound signature, I prefer warmer sound, black, soundstage, full, feelings, since I lisen to pop, vacals, live concerts most with the portable rig. But analytical is also important, though warm, I prefer the sound still be clear and separation between the voice and the instruments. That why I tried to match se535 CL with the warm fostex. Now need the third piece, I guess to juice the fostex up...

 

[Norbert]

Ok. But we have now departed from my level of expertise. I bought the Fostex so I would not need to buy a portable amp. So I have no experience with other amps. Perhaps others can report on what they are plugging into with the Fostex.

 

[ExpatinJapan]

The Fostex amp supposedly has a high headphone output impedance
And doesnt play well with multidriver IEMs.

Still waiting for a head-fier to test the output impedance.

A simple low impedance amp would be pico slim, e11 or ibasso t3.

 

[Norbert]

Another thread where you can get some good amp information are the Cypher Labs AlgoRythm Solo threads.  The Fostex and the CLAS dacs have a similar sound (see Jude's initial review of the HPP1).  The folks with the CLAS do a bit of "amp rolling" and could report on the different flavors they are experiencing.  I will add that I mostly listen to the Fostex with the S cable on my Etymotic which adds impedance, and that sound is superior (ever so slightly) to the regular ER4P.  

 

[yosment]

Quote:

The Fostex amp supposedly has a high headphone output impedance
And doesnt play well with multidriver IEMs.
Still waiting for a head-fier to test the output impedance.
A simple low impedance amp would be pico slim, e11 or ibasso t3.

I Have a ibasso d12. But quite sharp sound...

 

[ExpatinJapan]

Quote:

I Have a ibasso d12. But quite sharp sound...

interesting. do you have it connected mini to mini with the Fostex.....
.....or with one of these?
 
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%87%E3%82%A3%E3%82%AA%E5%85%89%E3%82%B1%E3%83%BC%E3%83%96%E3%83%AB24mm%EF%BC%88%E5%A4%AA%E3%81%955mm%EF%BC%89-%E8%A7%92%E2%87%94%E8%A7%92-HP-P1-D12%E5%B0%82%E7%94%A8-%E3%83%97%E3%83%AD%E3%83%95%E3%82%A7%E3%83%83%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%8A%E3%83%AB/dp/B006D8K2S8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1350860537&sr=8-2
 
more slimmer but pricer version here
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%87%E3%82%A3%E3%82%AA%E5%85%89%E3%82%B1%E3%83%BC%E3%83%96%E3%83%AB24mm%EF%BC%88%E5%A4%AA%E3%81%952-2mm%EF%BC%89-%E8%A7%92%E2%87%94%E8%A7%92-HP-P1-D12%E5%B0%82%E7%94%A8-%E3%83%97%E3%83%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%82%A2%E3%83%A0/dp/B006D8E6BC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1350860537&sr=8-8
 
 
I wonder what the d12 headphone output impedance is?

 

[yosment]

Quote:

interesting. do you have it connected mini to mini with the Fostex.....
.....or with one of these?
 
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%87%E3%82%A3%E3%82%AA%E5%85%89%E3%82%B1%E3%83%BC%E3%83%96%E3%83%AB24mm%EF%BC%88%E5%A4%AA%E3%81%955mm%EF%BC%89-%E8%A7%92%E2%87%94%E8%A7%92-HP-P1-D12%E5%B0%82%E7%94%A8-%E3%83%97%E3%83%AD%E3%83%95%E3%82%A7%E3%83%83%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%8A%E3%83%AB/dp/B006D8K2S8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1350860537&sr=8-2
 
more slimmer but pricer version here
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%87%E3%82%A3%E3%82%AA%E5%85%89%E3%82%B1%E3%83%BC%E3%83%96%E3%83%AB24mm%EF%BC%88%E5%A4%AA%E3%81%952-2mm%EF%BC%89-%E8%A7%92%E2%87%94%E8%A7%92-HP-P1-D12%E5%B0%82%E7%94%A8-%E3%83%97%E3%83%AC%E3%83%9F%E3%82%A2%E3%83%A0/dp/B006D8E6BC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1350860537&sr=8-8
 
 
I wonder what the d12 headphone output impedance is?

I connect mini to mini. Though there is an option as you mentioned. Have read a post here saying optical to optical is not as stable as mini to mini. Problem is d12 itself is also a combo of DAC and AMP, with a weak amp part, just like HP P1...and the sound signature is very different from HP P1. Very shiny and silvery sound. Not ideal to match HP P1 as a stand alone amp.