[HiFiHawaii808]

I think they can do home audition too. Just shoot them an email.

Look forward to your impressions with C9 and your various gears!

Noble Audio provides demo units? Where are they located? I thought the owner lived in Thailand.

 

[bluestorm1992]

Noble Audio provides demo units? Where are they located? I thought the owner lived in Thailand.

Texas. Yes I have seen people receiving audition units in their discussion thread.

 

[lumdicks]

I just punched in an order for a C9 with Andrew. I am joining the family! @lumdicks pairing the C9 with his Hugo 2 was the deciding factor as I will be doing the same thing. I also plan on testing it with the W2 and my iPhone and with my Hiby R6 2020. I was going to do this last week, but I auditioned the Chord Hugo TT2 and M scaler and I almost went that direction instead. I decided to postpone going in that direction until at least next year because I would have also had to purchase a high end tube amp and it wouldn't give me tube sound with my IEMs. Maybe I'll get an m scaler to see what it does with the Hugo 2 + C9. Woo hoo!

Congratulations and please share your view on the H2 and C9 pairing. To me it is kind of end-game at the moment for my desktop setup (despite I am tempting to get the Mcintosh MHA200.....) and I enjoy the pairing so much.

If I had not got the C9 in the first hand, I might also go along the path of Chord TT2. Now I am happy to save a big buck of money and enjoy my music day and night.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Focal Mg en route to me...
Should be a good pairing with C9 and N6ii...

Did you get the Clear or Clear Pro MG? I got to hear them both. That is such a great headphone. They are easy to drive and sound good with everything.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Congratulations and please share your view on the H2 and C9 pairing. To me it is kind of end-game at the moment for my desktop setup (despite I am tempting to get the Mcintosh MHA200.....) and I enjoy the pairing so much.

If I had not got the C9 in the first hand, I might also go along the path of Chord TT2. Now I am happy to save a big buck of money and enjoy my music day and night.

I listened to my EE Odin and Sony IER-Z1R with the Chord Hugo TT2 and that was something special. I want to A/B test the H2+C9 vs TT2.

 

[bluestorm1992]

With the work-from-home thing ending and traveling becoming a possibility again, I think people will see even further usages of C9. Put it in the office or bring it on the trip, and you will have TOTL sound anywhere you want.

 

[lumdicks]

Sleeping is not an option.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Hugo 2 is able to drive all of my IEMs and headphones (please see my signature) but I observe 2 issues. The first is the relative high noise floor that I hear small hiss with more sensitive IEMs such as FiR M5. Besides, while it is loud enough, I find that it lacks a bit control and authority in driving my CANs.

So I use the RCA to 3.5mm cable to connect my H2 to C9 via Preamp In and wow! The whole imaging, resolution, dynamics and micro details reach the next level. The background is completely black without any hiss and noise. H2 is among the best DACs in portable or even desktop world, so pairing with C9 gives me the best of both worlds.

Strangely that H2 does not pair well with C9 via line in. Not sure whether because of the relative high 3v RMS line level of H2 that I used but it sounds a bit muddy and congested. With preamp in the sound is much more transparent, musical and engaging.

Question about your connection between H2 and C9. You are using RCA to 3.5mm. Is there a reason you did not go RCA to 4.4m?

 

[xand]

Question about your connection between H2 and C9. You are using RCA to 3.5mm. Is there a reason you did not go RCA to 4.4m?

RCA is single ended?

 

[lumdicks]

Question about your connection between H2 and C9. You are using RCA to 3.5mm. Is there a reason you did not go RCA to 4.4m?

Hugo 2 does not have balanced analogue out so the RCA to 3.5mm is the only choice.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

RCA is single ended?

I thought that might be the case, but on Amazon there are a ton of cables from RCA to 4.4mm

https://www.amazon.com/4-4mm-Balanc...1&keywords=rca+to+4.4mm&qid=1617548621&sr=8-3

 

[zen87192]

Did you get the Clear or Clear Pro MG? I got to hear them both. That is such a great headphone. They are easy to drive and sound good with everything.

Sorry, my Tablet has a mind of its own and removes words when it feels like it.
I pre ordered the Focal Clear Mg a while ago and have just been notified of it arriving at the dealer.

 

[bluestorm1992]

I thought that might be the case, but on Amazon there are a ton of cables from RCA to 4.4mm

https://www.amazon.com/4-4mm-Balanc...1&keywords=rca+to+4.4mm&qid=1617548621&sr=8-3

Likely to burn C9 with this cable because, as I understand it, there is no way for H2 to produce balanced signals.

Also, I don’t notice any auditable difference between 3.5 in and 4.4 in. Both are excellent. C9’s 3.5-in to 4.4-out conversion is very good especially after burn in.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Likely to burn C9 with this cable because, as I understand it, there is no way for H2 to produce balanced signals.

Also, I don’t notice any auditable difference between 3.5 in and 4.4 in. Both are excellent. C9’s 3.5-in to 4.4-out conversion is very good especially after burn in.

Thanks. I am very happy I asked the question before I bought any cables.

 

[CANiSLAYu]

I thought that might be the case, but on Amazon there are a ton of cables from RCA to 4.4mm

https://www.amazon.com/4-4mm-Balanc...1&keywords=rca+to+4.4mm&qid=1617548621&sr=8-3

Those are to go from 4.4mm output to RCA input. Like connecting your DAP to a single ended amp.

You can go BAL to SE, but never the other way around.