[x RELIC x]

I was feeding my LC from the DC-1 balanced out and had the same thing listening to the SE out.  Then I connected the RCA out from the DC-1 to the LC and it went away.  Since I use the RCA out the DC-1 to my Littledot MKIV I just took a wire and wrapped it around one of the RCA outputs of the DC-1 and the input of the LC and I no longer have the hum.  It's now dead silent like the Balanced out.

Yeah, tried balanced, SE, every combination, and the recommended 'fixes'. I'm composing my thoughts on how to break down what I've tested for Cavalli Audio. Thanks.

 

[Peridot]

  I was feeding my LC from the DC-1 balanced out and had the same thing listening to the SE out.  Then I connected the RCA out from the DC-1 to the LC and it went away.  Since I use the RCA out the DC-1 to my Littledot MKIV I just took a wire and wrapped it around one of the RCA outputs of the DC-1 and the input of the LC and I no longer have the hum.  It's now dead silent like the Balanced out.

 
I found that grounding the LC via the RCA connections significantly reduced the SE hum, but did not eliminate it completely with more sensitive 'phones.
 
It doesn't bother me as I'm using balanced output, however the number of reports suggest it is a "feature" of the LC rather than a fault with individual units.

 

[Koolpep]

Hmm, never heard any hum single ended with my headphones so far...
 
Cheers.

 

[musiclvr]

Including iems?

 

[Koolpep]

Including iems?

Yes, including.

No hum. Just today tried the FX850 and 2.5 - nothing I could hear at my volume levels...

 

[mandrake50]

  I was feeding my LC from the DC-1 balanced out and had the same thing listening to the SE out.  Then I connected the RCA out from the DC-1 to the LC and it went away.  Since I use the RCA out the DC-1 to my Littledot MKIV I just took a wire and wrapped it around one of the RCA outputs of the DC-1 and the input of the LC and I no longer have the hum.  It's now dead silent like the Balanced out.

Exactly my experience, as I have written previously. I also have no hum at any time using SE out from any DAC to SE in on the LC.
It is only using Balanced out to balanced in on the LC. I have a suspicion that it is a grounding issue with the balanced inputs on the LC. Maybe a design choice, but it is there. I would think that it is the same for all of the Liquid Carbon amps. The circuit design will not change between units.

 

[Peridot]

Yeah, tried balanced, SE, every combination, and the recommended 'fixes'. I'm composing my thoughts on how to break down what I've tested for Cavalli Audio. Thanks.
 

 
I don't know if you have made any further contact with Cavalli, but I just thought I'd record some checks I've made. 
 
On my DC-1 DAC I found that the device is isolated from electrical ground, but that the outer ring on the RCA connectors and pin 1 on the XLRs is common
 
On the LC the case is connected to electrical ground and pin 1 of the XLRs appears to share this common ground connection. The outer ring of the RCAs however is not directly connected to ground, as there is a 10 ohm impedance between them and XLR pin 1.
 
The hum on each channel only appears when its respective XLR is connected.
 
On the LC inputs, a wire connected between one of the XLRs pin 1 and one of the RCAs outer rings has the same effect as connecting the RCA inputs to the DAC - it kills the hum.
 
I have no idea what all of this means but it suggests that one question to Cavalli might be - why aren't the LC's RCA inputs grounded and it there any potential problem caused by doing so?
 
The bigger question remains as to where the hum originates from and why does grounding the disconnected SE input affect hum on connected balanced input?

 

[d1sturb3d]

   
I don't know if you have made any further contact with Cavalli, but I just thought I'd record some checks I've made. 
 
On my DC-1 DAC I found that the device is isolated from electrical ground, but that the outer ring on the RCA connectors and pin 1 on the XLRs is common
 
On the LC the case is connected to electrical ground and pin 1 of the XLRs appears to share this common ground connection. The outer ring of the RCAs however is not directly connected to ground, as there is a 10 ohm impedance between them and XLR pin 1.
 
The hum on each channel only appears when its respective XLR is connected.
 
On the LC inputs, a wire connected between one of the XLRs pin 1 and one of the RCAs outer rings has the same effect as connecting the RCA inputs to the DAC - it kills the hum.
 
I have no idea what all of this means but it suggests that one question to Cavalli might be - why aren't the LC's RCA inputs grounded and it there any potential problem caused by doing so?
 
The bigger question remains as to where the hum originates from and why does grounding the disconnected SE input affect hum on connected balanced input?

 
when I made my balanced cables for LC and DC-1 I also checked the grounding first, DC-1 XLR pin 1 and case and the RCA outer ring shares common ground..I tapped the case screws and I can also get continuity over them..the same with the LC,,however didn't bother to check the RCA since I have them hooked balanced from the start.
 
Maybe if the RCA Source to RCA LC, you need to have a floating ground on some setups?

 

[conquerator2]

So after having the LCfor about a week...
I think the tonality is great. Great body, nice smooth vocals, meaty lower mids and bass. Warm and toe tapping
However, I don't think it synergizes all that well with the HEK and would instead recommend it for the likes of HD800, T1, probably Ether, etc.
It makes the HEK subbass go way too far, which I think has the soundstage compression effect it has.
I also think that there is a bit to be desired in technicality (detail retrieval, soundstage width, separation, treble extension).
I do suspect some of these are due to the HEK pairing, which I've preferred with more neutral amps.
I do really wanna hear the big Cavalli now though

 

[LepakVT]

Unfortunately, the postman and I haven't been on the same schedule and I haven't been able to sign for my Liquid Carbon yet. I'll pick it up from the post office Monday after work. BUT I did receive my Mojo yesterday and I started doing some comparisons between it and the Bifrost Multibit this afternoon. For the comparison, I listened to a few of my favorite tracks from a FLAC rip of Doolittle by The Pixies, fed into a stock Bottlehead Crack amp and HD650s. I didn't get into the technicalities of volume matching and instant switches, but the results really surprised me. TL;DR: Mojo wins easily. Here are some of my quick impressions:
 
I had the Bimby since Monday, so I had a few days to listen to it while keeping it continuously powered on and I thought it sounded great. That is .. until I compared it head-to-head with the Mojo. The Bimby sounds muddy, veiled, stunted compared to the Mojo. Another member in this thread (or maybe it was another thread?) likened the Bimby to a camera that was "out of focus", while the Mojo was perfectly in focus. I 100% agree with this statement! The soundstage of the Bimby was both narrower than the Mojo, and had a significantly "lower ceiling". The "lower" soundstage made it sound like a section of the music just disappeared when going from the Mojo back to the Bimby. Even after just one afternoon, the Mojo has dethroned the Bimby and it'll be going back to Schiit. 
 
To keep things on topic here, I'll do another set of comparisons early next week after the Liquid Carbon arrives and before the Bimby gets returned.

 

[Audio Addict]

I spent some time this morning listening to 
 

 
through the Liquid Carbon with the HE6 via a SOTA Comet with Wood Grado Sonata cartridge using the RSA F-117 Nighthawk.  The LC did a great job allowing me to really just sit back and enjoy.  This was the first time I have listened through the single ended input.  It makes you appreciate the versatility of the LC given I can run balance end from my CD player and single ended from a phono preamp.  

 

[doctorjazz]

Interesting...I always hear about how difficult the HE-6 is to drive, I'd have guessed the LC isn't the best all to drive it. Glad you enjoyed (I'm one of the others who sometimes run my Linn turntable into a Phono preamp, then headphone amp into cans (usually HEK) )

 

[Audio Addict]

Interesting...I always hear about how difficult the HE-6 is to drive, I'd have guessed the LC isn't the best all to drive it. Glad you enjoyed (I'm one of the others who sometimes run my Linn turntable into a Phono preamp, then headphone amp into cans (usually HEK) )

 
My experience with the LC and HE6 has been very favorable as long as the input to the LC has enough output coming from the source.  If the source had a weak output, the LC has not cut it for me.

 

[jarnopp]

My experience with the LC and HE6 has been very favorable as long as the input to the LC has enough output coming from the source.  If the source had a weak output, the LC has not cut it for me.

+1. HE-6 driven by Mojo at 3v line out --> LC is very enjoyable. Rarely get past 11:00 on 3x setting. The sound is best described as detailed and intimate.

 

[doctorjazz]

Hmm, just have a little experience with HE-6 at a show, so just going on what I've read, but detailed and intimate aren't descriptions I've read often. Usually it's described as a powerhouse. But that could be enjoyable as well.