[BabylonDown]

  Is the Asus that much better just as a DAC / headphone amp when comparing to the Audioengine D1?
 
Cheers!

I can't imagine it being so. I am using a Xense and the sound is ok. I think it comes down to the headphones more, but the Audiogene I would think would be slightly higher quality.

 

[palmfish]

I can't imagine it being so. I am using a Xense and the sound is ok. I think it comes down to the headphones more, but the Audiogene I would think would be slightly higher quality.

Imagine? :rolleyes:

 

[Swolern]

I got the Essence One paired with my new HD800. Has anyone compared similar cans with this amp/DAC and a tube amp or other higher-end amp? It sounds amazing as is(except could use a little more pronounced bass in certain songs). I am just wondering if I am missing anything in a higher-end amp.

 

[palmfish]

My Bottlehead Crack does give my HD 800's more "meat on the bones" but at the expense of some of the Essence One's clarity. I think they are both outstanding with the HD 800.

 

[upside]

I got the Essence One paired with my new HD800. Has anyone compared similar cans with this amp/DAC and a tube amp or other higher-end amp? It sounds amazing as is(except could use a little more pronounced bass in certain songs). I am just wondering if I am missing anything in a higher-end amp.

I prefer the T1s with the E1 Muses over the HD 800s. I find they have more punch and roundness in the low end but give up a bit of the HD 800 clarity through the mids. Overall I prefer the HD 800s with the HDVD 800 amp - which makes sense I suppose. 

 

[Swolern]

 
I prefer the T1s with the E1 Muses over the HD 800s. I find they have more punch and roundness in the low end but give up a bit of the HD 800 clarity through the mids. Overall I prefer the HD 800s with the HDVD 800 amp - which makes sense I suppose. 

Hmm. I do feel that the lows are lacking a little bit with certain genres. But oh my the soundstage!!! Instrumental, vocal, and classical are completely amazing, the realism is astonishing. Dubstep & hip hop feels like it needs some more oomph in the low end. T1s might be my next cans. 

 Either that or a higher-end amp, havent decided yet. Not sure if i want to spend that much on the HDVD 800.

 

[palmfish]

I really liked the T1 paired with my Essence One Muses too. Its a very solid combo.

 

[upside]

  Hmm. I do feel that the lows are lacking a little bit with certain genres. But oh my the soundstage!!! Instrumental, vocal, and classical are completely amazing, the realism is astonishing. Dubstep & hip hop feels like it needs some more oomph in the low end. T1s might be my next cans. 

 Either that or a higher-end amp, havent decided yet. Not sure if i want to spend that much on the HDVD 800.

If you are considering the HDVD 800 with your HD 800s, I don't think it will bring the bass output you are looking for. The E1 is already quite a full sounding amp with good bass reach. The Sennheiser pair is even leaner, to my ear,  than the HD 800 with the E1 Muses. The two Senns together though are quite special, albeit very neutral - almost to a fault.

 

[Swolern]

 
If you are considering the HDVD 800 with your HD 800s, I don't think it will bring the bass output you are looking for. The E1 is already quite a full sounding amp with good bass reach. The Sennheiser pair is even leaner, to my ear,  than the HD 800 with the E1 Muses. The two Senns together though are quite special, albeit very neutral - almost to a fault.

Well I definitely don't want to go leaner. But I did find many Lossless tracks to make the HD800 shine. And boy do they!!!! PURE AUDIO BLISS! Extremely happy the E1 + HD800 right now.
 
My E11 is the standard edition. What is the difference in the Muses edition as far as sound? And I have heard there was a mod to turn the standard into a Muses. True?

 

[Dionysus]

 


Was finally able to find an authorized dealer with Muses-01 in inventory and factory authorized by NJR link provided below…
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/NJR/MUSES01/?qs=%2fha2pyFaduhLj53VmnKEqFRFz215J7cixEDbz0teI2s%3d
 
For many of you who have tried to find these and had your trepidations about the places to source them from, I purchased a total of 4 ea. at $65.00 dollars, I was able to negotiate a price with the online CRS the experience was excellent op-amps arrived fast and more importantly these are the real deal Muses-01.
 
They sound fantastic with my HD700, I was previously rolling with theLM49990 and those are good but the level of detail from muses-01 are on another level.
I do have a question from fellow headfiers I placed 2 in the low pass filter sockets and 2 in the headphone buffer would I benefit if I purchased 4 more for the I/V, if I was listening primarily through the headphone?

 

[upside]

  Well I definitely don't want to go leaner. But I did find many Lossless tracks to make the HD800 shine. And boy do they!!!! PURE AUDIO BLISS! Extremely happy the E1 + HD800 right now.
 
My E11 is the standard edition. What is the difference in the Muses edition as far as sound? And I have heard there was a mod to turn the standard into a Muses. True?

I have all three versions of the E1 (Standard, Plus and Muses) and find each quite distinct in sound. I have now permanently upgraded my Standard E1 to the Plus and only listen to the Plus and Muses. The Plus is a definite improvement over the Standard in every way. Soundstage is bigger and has more impact. The bass is warmer but not overblown. The mids and highs are much more natural, cleaner and extended. The E1 Muses is more neutral than the Plus with a lower noise floor and more detail with the most natural sound of all E1 versions.
 
The great thing about the Asus Essence One is that you can move up to the next level by swapping the op-amps yourself. The E1 Muses retail version does also give you the ability to adjust gain with jumpers for IEMs and other low impedance phones. But other than gain settings, the sound is more a function of the op-amps you select. There have been many great op-amp recommendations for the E1 in this thread. 

 

[shyamelge]

 
I have all three versions of the E1 (Standard, Plus and Muses) and find each quite distinct in sound. I have now permanently upgraded my Standard E1 to the Plus and only listen to the Plus and Muses. The Plus is a definite improvement over the Standard in every way. Soundstage is bigger and has more impact. The bass is warmer but not overblown. The mids and highs are much more natural, cleaner and extended. The E1 Muses is more neutral than the Plus with a lower noise floor and more detail with the most natural sound of all E1 versions.

 
Which opamp combo are you using in the Plus version? 
 
My initial purchase with Standard version with stock op amps. Currently I am using 4 pieces of OPA2132PA in I/V and 5 pieces of 49720HA (metal caps) in LPF and HP/RCA outputs and this combo outperforms the sound quality of both Standard and Plus versions. I bought these opamps later on. My guess is that 49720 has played a bigger role in sound improvement. I have never tried the Muses version or op amps so can't comment. 

 

[Dionysus]

Anyone?
 
I could use feedback,  I placed 2 Muses-01 in the low pass filter sockets and 2 in the headphone buffer, would I benefit adding another 4 more muses-01 and adding those in the I/V sockets if I was using my Essence one primarily with phones? Does the I/V make a difference to the SQ?  thanks in advance.

 

[shyamelge]

Most user comments here (and elsewhere) suggest that Muses should be ideally used in I/V and LPF stages. 

 

[Dionysus]

 

Shyamelge, thank you for you quick response, so should I move all 4 of the muses I currently have to the I/V put back the 5532 in LFP and use my LME49990 back in the headphone buffer? Do you think the E1 will sound better this way?