Posted this a little while ago in the portable rigs thread but forgot to post here. The Sony NW-A105 is a great little DAP pairing for Andromeda S. No hiss whatsoever and the Andromeda’s sound perfectly balanced. Using the Solaris Super Litz cable.

The Sony NW-A105 is a great little DAP pairing for Andromeda S.
I love the sound my Mojo puts out, and was super dismayed to discover the hiss when I got my Andromeda Gold. It's a shame that an otherwise stellar little DAC can't pair well with the Andromedia! It's a shame the Cozoy Rei is no longer manufactured - has anyone tried the TAKT as their newer offering with the Andromeda?...
I get quite a bit of hiss from them when I plugged them into my Chord Mojo (not unlike people's experiences in the standard, green Andro thread) – granted, Mojo's hiss is fairly faint and largely (if not completely) inaudible when music is playing.
- Cozoy Rei = ZERO hiss, AMAZING PAIRING
- HA-2SE = very minimal hiss, maybe at 1/5 of the level of the Mojo's hiss
- EarStudio ES100 MK2 = extremely minimal hiss, maybe at 1/10 of the level of the Mojo's hiss (note: my family hates me for my extremely sensitive ears, can literally hear like a hawk, would bet most of you couldn't even hear this).
- MacBook Pro 2018 15" headphone port = ZERO hiss, color me impressed
- Lightning-to-3.5mm dongle = extremely minimal hiss, maybe at 1/10 of the level of the Mojo's hiss
I love the sound my Mojo puts out, and was super dismayed to discover the hiss when I got my Andromeda Gold. It's a shame that an otherwise stellar little DAC can't pair well with the Andromedia! It's a shame the Cozoy Rei is no longer manufactured - has anyone tried the TAKT as their newer offering with the Andromeda?
Someone mentioned to me the Chord Hugo didn't have the hiss of the Mojo, but retained its wonderful analog-like feel. That's a lustworthy combo, but 2.5k seems to steep for a DAC for my wallet.
Oh man, the SP2000 is even more money than the Hugo2! I have a BTR5 that I mostly use for bluetooth, and the Andromeda sounds hollow over AAC bluetooth so I hadn't experimented further. I'll have to give it a shot in USB mode and see if it can satisfy me.Unfortunately Hugo / Hugo 2 still hisses just a little bit better than Mojo. The sources I've tried that doesn't hiss with Andromeda whatsoever is FiiO BTR5 (too "glarey" to me in the upper registers), iPod Touch 6G/7G (can be harsh in the upper mids on some tracks) and A&Ultima SP2000 (sounds like a blend of Hugo 2 and Mojo without their Achilles heel)
Oh man, the SP2000 is even more money than the Hugo2! I have a BTR5 that I mostly use for bluetooth, and the Andromeda sounds hollow over AAC bluetooth so I hadn't experimented further. I'll have to give it a shot in USB mode and see if it can satisfy me.
I just tried both the BTR5 and the ES100 in USB mode. To my ears the ES100 was a little more full. It's not as laid back and detailed as the Mojo, the hiss is dramatically less noticeable and wouldn't bother for long listening sessions. You're totally right that the BTR5 has zero hiss at all - it's kind of amazing such a cheap unit can have such an inky background. The sound isn't as detailed or rich as I'd like though - I'll have to experiment with balanced cables next to see if that sways my preferences.If you're using the BTR5, I recommend the 2.5mm balanced with the Andromeda. IMO, the BT receiver from BTR5 isn't as good as the Radsone ES100 and with the USB mode, you should get a much fuller sound![]()
JVC spiral DotsWhat tips are you using? If foam that could have an effect.
Congrats on the new-to-you Andromedas!Just purchased a pair of used 2017 Andromedas for €530 (at that price, it's a total bargain).
The paint is a bit worn down especially at the edges but as long as it works and sounds incredible, I can accept a few blemishes.
...
Maybe I should try having custom eartips next. Does the sound change a lot using custom tips such as the Ambient Acoustics custom silicone ear tips?
I agree the ADV tips are extremely comfortable and improve the sound. I have them for all my CA IEMs.Congrats on the new-to-you Andromedas!
Any headphone will benefit from a custom tip - the isolation and seal alone are helpful in boosting clarity and bass. I use ADV-customs on several of my IEMs. I like their soft silicone, it's more comfortable than some of the harder ones I've tried.
Probably not relevant as it isn't strictly playing in the same bracket, but comparisons to the Westone UM Pro 50 would be really interesting for me. Would love to know how something people seem to think is so beautifully tuned differs from a similar 5 BA setup?
I'm sorry to Quote old post for you to ask, but I really want to know how does the Andromeda and M11 combination in terms of sound quality and hissing.
thank you and sorry again.