[fradoca]

Anyone try the HE9 with the HD800S ?

yes i have both in my mastering studio but i get much much better results with this amp :

http://www.qeslabs.com/hpba2tc.html

 

[smodtactical]

Interesting never seen this amp before.

 

[xevman]

Anyone paired their master 9 with a Benchmark dac1? Just looking for some impressions. I'm looking for a truly endgame balanced solid state amp so, i'm moving away from DAC amp combos due to changing technology. Will eventually buy a nicer dac from audiogd later down the line.

 

[fradoca]

Anyone paired their master 9 with a Benchmark dac1? Just looking for some impressions. I'm looking for a truly endgame balanced solid state amp so, i'm moving away from DAC amp combos due to changing technology. Will eventually buy a nicer dac from audiogd later down the line.

in my studio i have paired my HE-9 with a Benchmark Dac1 that has been heavily modified.The Dac1 is feed through the aes-ebu input by a modified singxer su-1
All in all is a very good combo.Recommended

 

[xevman]

Mines the stock DAC1 non USB. Hopefully will be a good pairing. Sounds like it would be. If I like it enough I'll grab that audio interface. I don't want to hijack the thread but what mods have you done?

 

[fradoca]

Mines the stock DAC1 non USB. Hopefully will be a good pairing. Sounds like it would be. If I like it enough I'll grab that audio interface. I don't want to hijack the thread but what mods have you done?

i too have the DAC1 non USB.The mods have been - filter removed on the power outlet - changed all the capacitors - total bypass of the headphone amp, of the volume control and of the digital input selector.Changed both stock fuses with two hifi tuning supreme.
All the mods have been done in a recording studio listening before and after every single change on the DAC1.

The Mains in my studio for all the regards audio equipment are stabilized and filtered

 

[Yippedidou]

Hi all. I read this whole thread and it got me very curious about the M9. I was able to buy a lightly used unit to try it. To be honest, I was sceptical, not on the HP side - a couple friends have Audio gd HP units and love them - but rather on the Preamp function. I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. I'm used to Audio Research and AR is recognized for their good preamps as you know. This big guy (Man is the M9 ever big!) is very close to my LS25mk2, very, very surprisingly. Maybe less width for the soundstage but no digital glare (as with the Phonitor X that I had last year and got rid of because the pre was horrific). It has a very nice, warm tone. In fact, I find the M9 a little on the polite side as a pre and hp amp. Not that I dont like that, I pretty much like it but if I had a comment on the not "wow" side, its lacking attack a little bit. May be my source... (Aurender NH100 & Bryston BDA3). The rest, I love.

I have a question for those of you who were able to compare the preamp side of both units. Is there a big quality difference between the M9 and the HE9 in preamp mode? And if so, is it worth the investment? Asking because if so, I may go to the H9 right away. Thanks.

 

[ToddRaymond]

@Yippedidou, do you happen to know whether or not your Master 9 is a “pre-2017” unit or not?

 

[Yippedidou]

@Yippedidou, do you happen to know whether or not your Master 9 is a “pre-2017” unit or not?

Its a 2017 unit with 3db of gain

 

[Jackula]

I have a question for those of you who were able to compare the preamp side of both units. Is there a big quality difference between the M9 and the HE9 in preamp mode? And if so, is it worth the investment? Asking because if so, I may go to the H9 right away. Thanks.

I've never listened to the Master 9, but own a HE9 that performs both HP and Pre-amp duties. From what I read the HE9 is a good measure improvement over the M9, mainly in the bass department, but I've never listened to one.

I was also skeptical about the HE9 as pre-amp, but it replaced my PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium Pre (which got a class A award from Stereophile / best amp at any price), it wasn't even close.

I would imagine the closest you'll get to HE9 from a M9 is by adding a PS Audio regenerator. I went the HE9 route because it's cheaper and more effective than a PS Audio PowerPlant and the balanced regenerator allows the balanced sections of your amp to run in dual mono. I already run passive conditioning for my other components and I don't really want a PowerPlant as I hear they often develop a hum after a few years outside of warranty periods.

 

[Yippedidou]

I've never listened to the Master 9, but own a HE9 that performs both HP and Pre-amp duties. From what I read the HE9 is a good measure improvement over the M9, mainly in the bass department, but I've never listened to one.

I was also skeptical about the HE9 as pre-amp, but it replaced my PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium Pre (which got a class A award from Stereophile / best amp at any price), it wasn't even close.

I would imagine the closest you'll get to HE9 from a M9 is by adding a PS Audio regenerator. I went the HE9 route because it's cheaper and more effective than a PS Audio PowerPlant and the balanced regenerator allows the balanced sections of your amp to run in dual mono. I already run passive conditioning for my other components and I don't really want a PowerPlant as I hear they often develop a hum after a few years outside of warranty periods.

Thank you for your comment Jackula... Our experience is similar. The Prima Luna is a v good preamp, pretty much on the same level as my ARC LS25mk2. I'm sure the HE9 power regenerator bring more control than the M9. I dont have conditionner as I run dedicated lines direct from the electrical box. I'm now looking for a HE9 and if I cannot find a used, will probably go for a brand new one.

 

[Yippedidou]

So I pulled the trigger and bought a brand new HE9. Kingwa answered all my questions promptly and that gave me a real good feeling about doing business with them. To be honest, if the HE9 betters what I hear from the M9, it might just be a game ender for me... I really hope for that, I'm getting tired of trying stuff, buying, selling, etc. We'll see!

 

[Jackula]

So I pulled the trigger and bought a brand new HE9. Kingwa answered all my questions promptly and that gave me a real good feeling about doing business with them. To be honest, if the HE9 betters what I hear from the M9, it might just be a game ender for me... I really hope for that, I'm getting tired of trying stuff, buying, selling, etc. We'll see!

Congrats on your purchase! Would really love a comparison between the two, there's not many of.

Give your HE9 a good time to settle and burn-in in your new environment, mine opened up a lot after about 2-4 weeks. Kingwa recommends 100 hours of burn-in and it definitely helps.

This amp is certainly my end-game as far as my headphone and pre-amp needs go, I've listened to all the major TOTL head amps and the HE-9 is as good as it gets for me. I like HE-9 so much now I'm considering their R7HE DAC to replace my Lampi, I have a feeling it might perform close to a MSB Analog DAC + PowerBase, or may even outperform it since it will be voiced specifically for my HE-9.

 

[Yippedidou]

I will also keep the M9 for a while... Probably 2-3 months so I'll be able to compare HE9 and M9. I'll report comparison but I'm quite sure HE9 will be better. I know for a fact that better power management has always an impact on the bass first... And on a blacker background. In fact, when I installed my dedicated power lines, that was the 2 things I noticed: blacker background and better bass definition. For me, bass is the start of it all... If I have good bass, I can start listening to the rest. I'll report, no worries. I also would like to thank fradoca whose comments and review got me going on the HE9. Cheers!

 

[Rossliew]

I found the M9 to be too smooth sounding and lacks excitement despite its power rating. Hope to hear your impressions of the H9.