[BS5711]

Running Solaris Mercury off PA10 today using the 3.5mm. The Solaris are quite sensitive but only a touch of hiss that is completely unnoticeable except for quiet between songs.

 

[RIGATIO]

Over two months with the pa10 and the pairing with the sp1k+Softears Twilight is something waaaay beyond ive ever heard not only from a portable.
This is literally a high end stationary rig in a pocket. The smoothess, the boldness and the scale of the sound is something else.

 

[HeavenlyD]

Has anyone got any thoughts on the AK SP3K + AK Odyssey pairing with the PA10?
Still trying to understand if it’s worth taking the leap or not.
Would you expect to hear any issues with the Odyssey and PA10?

 

[123peter]

My current setup Astell & Kern Kann Ultra + PA10 + Sennheiser HD800s (300 Ohm) = there is a complete lack of noise, the silence between songs is perfectly black.
In my A&K/Beyerdynamic TK9ie (16 Ohm) IEMs there is a slight noise between songs.

And I've been researching this topic for several days now.

Which IEM model can provide this for me total silence (Dynamic/Armature/Hybrid IEM )?
Do any of you have an IEM model that does not make noise?
The highest impedance among IEMs is 35-45 Ohms or -- maybe lower efficiency can help here?

 

[BS5711]

My current setup Astell & Kern Kann Ultra + PA10 + Sennheiser HD800s (300 Ohm) = there is a complete lack of noise, the silence between songs is perfectly black.
In my A&K/Beyerdynamic TK9ie (16 Ohm) IEMs there is a slight noise between songs.

And I've been researching this topic for several days now.

Which IEM model can provide this for me total silence (Dynamic/Armature/Hybrid IEM )?
Do any of you have an IEM model that does not make noise?
The highest impedance among IEMs is 35-45 Ohms or -- maybe lower efficiency can help here?

In my experience the efficiency/sensitivity plays the biggest role.

I think the driver type plays into it but is not the deciding factor nor is the impedance but it plays into it also.

My Sennheiser IE600 (1 x DD) and Letshuoer S12 Pro (planar) are dead quiet even from the 4.4mm but despite the specs they always need a higher volume setting on any amplifier than my other IEM.

AuR Audio Neon Pro (10 x BA) has slightest hiss from 4.4mm despite being all BA and only 5 ohms and, on paper, somewhat high sensitivity.

Campfire Solaris (hybrid) has slight hiss from the 3.5mm and more from the 4.4mm and is the most hiss prone IEM I have. It is a DD and BA hybrid but it is much more sensitive than my other IEM even if the numbers don’t make it look a lot more than some.

Ideally you want to try for yourself because it seems specs on paper don’t always match real world behaviour.

That said, if you are buying blind and want hiss free on the PA10 something like an S12 Pro would be a good start. They sound excellent, look good and are very well priced.

Have you tried your IEM on the 3.5mm because that will have less hiss than the 4.4mm.

 

[123peter]

In my experience the efficiency/sensitivity plays the biggest role.

I think the driver type plays into it but is not the deciding factor nor is the impedance but it plays into it also.

My Sennheiser IE600 (1 x DD) and Letshuoer S12 Pro (planar) are dead quiet even from the 4.4mm but despite the specs they always need a higher volume setting on any amplifier than my other IEM.

AuR Audio Neon Pro (10 x BA) has slightest hiss from 4.4mm despite being all BA and only 5 ohms and, on paper, somewhat high sensitivity.

Campfire Solaris (hybrid) has slight hiss from the 3.5mm and more from the 4.4mm and is the most hiss prone IEM I have. It is a DD and BA hybrid but it is much more sensitive than my other IEM even if the numbers don’t make it look a lot more than some.

Ideally you want to try for yourself because it seems specs on paper don’t always match real world behaviour.

That said, if you are buying blind and want hiss free on the PA10 something like an S12 Pro would be a good start. They sound excellent, look good and are very well priced.

Have you tried your IEM on the 3.5mm because that will have less hiss than the 4.4mm.

Yes, I tried it at 3.5mm - you're right, the hiss is smaller.
But in my opinion, the whole magic of the sound of this PA10 amplifier is in the 4.4mm balanced mode. I also use my Sennheiser HD800s in the balanced mode.
Of course, I am also a supporter of listening before buying. With the KANN+PA10 sandwich, it is not a problem to go to the store.
I asked the question because maybe there is a model that does not make noise in the balanced mode.

 

[BS5711]

Yes, I tried it at 3.5mm - you're right, the hiss is smaller.
But in my opinion, the whole magic of the sound of this PA10 amplifier is in the 4.4mm balanced mode. I also use my Sennheiser HD800s in the balanced mode.
Of course, I am also a supporter of listening before buying. With the KANN+PA10 sandwich, it is not a problem to go to the store.
I asked the question because maybe there is a model that does not make noise in the balanced mode.

There would be plenty of less sensitive IEM that don’t pick up noise floor hiss out of the 4.4mm, I named two above that I happen to own, there would be many other options.

 

[HeavenlyD]

Would we know where the AK Odyssey would sit in sensitivity? Im struggling to see if these are a sensitive item or not?

 

[BS5711]

Would we know where the AK Odyssey would sit in sensitivity? Im struggling to see if these are a sensitive item or not?

The specifications say they have a sensitivity of 100db/mw which is only moderate so in that respect it would appear they would be fine.

However, the 2.1 ohm resistance is extremely low so that may have some bearing on it. That said my Neon Pro are only 5 ohms and the low impedance doesn’t see to have any bearing on hiss, they seem to pick up hiss to a degree about as would be expected for their sensitivity.

 

[HeavenlyD]

Thanks that’s great….

 

[TXC2710]

This is my current setup, Hifiman HM 1000 Silver and A&K PA10, and I think it has overcome the weakness of my headphone -Sony MDR CD3000- is the vocal that be a bit behind, now the CD3k's vocal is better and have more body.

 

[MrNailhead]

which case is that on the PA10 @TXC2710 ? Thats a nice shade of green.

I run mine off my Fiio M11 Plus Ltd into my ZMF Eikon and it is quite the lovely combo! I've got the miter case on mine, but just in the plain grey and now i'm wishing I had chosen more of a color, lol.

 

[RIGATIO]

Last weekend i tried to take the sp1k+pa10 sandwich outside with me. I managed to fit it in a pocket of my jacket lol. The sound was even more impressive when i was outside because it made an even stronger impression of the music playing somewhere out, like there was a live performance. I still stand by my first opinion that its the best "portable" ive ever heard and hoping that some day there will be a single device able to perform like this combo- a fully blown high class stationary rig in a pocket.
Btw, i think the pa10 pairs extremely weel with AK daps, especially their flagships. But i think it would also pair very well with something like the Hiby r6 pro II which has a very well implemented highest quality dac. This dap alone lacks power and stronger dynamics but this is where pa10 would enter the game, providing this amazing class A amplification to fulfill the sound with a bit of warmth and strong punch.

 

[Sulbh]

Last weekend i tried to take the sp1k+pa10 sandwich outside with me. I managed to fit it in a pocket of my jacket lol. The sound was even more impressive when i was outside because it made an even stronger impression of the music playing somewhere out, like there was a live performance. I still stand by my first opinion that its the best "portable" ive ever heard and hoping that some day there will be a single device able to perform like this combo- a fully blown high class stationary rig in a pocket.
Btw, i think the pa10 pairs extremely weel with AK daps, especially their flagships. But i think it would also pair very well with something like the Hiby r6 pro II which has a very well implemented highest quality dac. This dap alone lacks power and stronger dynamics but this is where pa10 would enter the game, providing this amazing class A amplification to fulfill the sound with a bit of warmth and strong punch.

Which headphones?

 

[RIGATIO]

Which headphones?

Softears Twilight mainly, Monarch 2, Arya, Sundara sometimes.