[soundblast75]

Yes these are the ones I am using currently.
Work fine for me with a slightly longer battery life.

+1,I'm using them too. Sound seems fine, so far

 

[Tanalasta]

Lithium batteries prefer being in a state of partial charge when stored (i.e. not full nor empty). And that is how they should ideally drive.

 

[greenmac]

Arrived and testing now

What are peoples preferred settings ?

Have LGPT and C9 on high output

Solid State
A

What type of music will warrant Tube mode ?

 

[DaYooper]

What type of music will warrant Tube mode ?

It's your ears that determine if you like tube mode.

 

[RTodd]

Arrived and testing now

What are peoples preferred settings ?

Have LGPT and C9 on high output

Solid State
A

What type of music will warrant Tube mode ?

Trying to get up to speed with all that myself.
So far line out, non amped, from Lotoo and L&P seems great.

If you are double amping because the player does not have true line out, than low gain not high gain or turbo. The only way I want to test that theory is with the M8 as it would be double amping, it is the only player I own that does not have a non amped line out.

I think tube mode is not so much the music genre it is more about the driver types and tuning and how you hear that IEM or HP.

 

[fiascogarcia]

Arrived and testing now

What are peoples preferred settings ?

Have LGPT and C9 on high output

Solid State
A

What type of music will warrant Tube mode ?

Maybe just my imagination, but with iems, I seem to get more balanced sound and natural timbre with low gain on C9.

 

[bluestorm1992]

Maybe just my imagination, but with iems, I seem to get more balanced sound and natural timbre with low gain on C9.

Indeed, @Andykong recommended low gain when possible for its lower noise floor. I have always used low gain for IEMs.

 

[bigbeans]

To add what @bluestorm1992 says, I always use high gain for headphones.

 

[piercer]

OK - I would like to know if anybody else has noticed this.

The other day I stated that N6ii A02 balance 4.4 output into the C9 was better than N8 Balanced SS 4.4 output into C9.

This morning I am back to working from home and ready to go for a day of listening to this amazing combo! But noooooooooooo - it sounds pretty bad - very harsh and sibilant even on tube class-a. Hmmmm. I switch back to the N8 and confirm that this is now much nicer and not hurtung my ears at al - pretty amazing in fact.

Curious and disappointing.

So, I try an experiment. Reconnect the N6ii and switch the C9 to High gain (it was at low gain). All of a sudden balance is restored in the world and it again sounds amazing. Switching to low gain and I am back in sibilant harshness.

Can anybody explain this - its like the High gain has a slightly different signature to the Low gain.

Could this be an impedance mismatch???

As always I am using original A&K JHA Laylas.

 

[bluestorm1992]

OK - I would like to know if anybody else has noticed this.

The other day I stated that N6ii A02 balance 4.4 output into the C9 was better than N8 Balanced SS 4.4 output into C9.

This morning I am back to working from home and ready to go for a day of listening to this amazing combo! But noooooooooooo - it sounds pretty bad - very harsh and sibilant even on tube class-a. Hmmmm. I switch back to the N8 and confirm that this is now much nicer and not hurtung my ears at al - pretty amazing in fact.

Curious and disappointing.

So, I try an experiment. Reconnect the N6ii and switch the C9 to High gain (it was at low gain). All of a sudden balance is restored in the world and it again sounds amazing. Switching to low gain and I am back in sibilant harshness.

Can anybody explain this - its like the High gain has a slightly different signature to the Low gain.

Could this be an impedance mismatch???

As always I am using original A&K JHA Laylas.

Just to confirm, you feel harshness when you use: A02 -> 4.4 IC -> C9 low gain. Is your IEM end 4.4 or 3.5?

 

[bluestorm1992]

OK - I would like to know if anybody else has noticed this.

The other day I stated that N6ii A02 balance 4.4 output into the C9 was better than N8 Balanced SS 4.4 output into C9.

This morning I am back to working from home and ready to go for a day of listening to this amazing combo! But noooooooooooo - it sounds pretty bad - very harsh and sibilant even on tube class-a. Hmmmm. I switch back to the N8 and confirm that this is now much nicer and not hurtung my ears at al - pretty amazing in fact.

Curious and disappointing.

So, I try an experiment. Reconnect the N6ii and switch the C9 to High gain (it was at low gain). All of a sudden balance is restored in the world and it again sounds amazing. Switching to low gain and I am back in sibilant harshness.

Can anybody explain this - its like the High gain has a slightly different signature to the Low gain.

Could this be an impedance mismatch???

As always I am using original A&K JHA Laylas.

I just chatted with the fellows in the Chinese C9 user group, and the answer seems to be pretty interesting: your Layla’s is not powered properly in low gain. In this case, the typical outcome is what you have experienced here: thin and harsh sound. Pushing C9 to high gain will solve this.

Meanwhile, you can try to address this from the source. A02 has three gain levels for its LO. Set A02 to high gain and see if this helps. Andy recommends always setting the LO power to high such that you can keep C9 in low gain when possible.

 

[piercer]

Just to confirm, you feel harshness when you use: A02 -> 4.4 IC -> C9 low gain. Is your IEM end 4.4 or 3.5?

I just chatted with the fellows in the Chinese C9 user group, and the answer seems to be pretty interesting: your Layla’s is not powered properly in low gain. In this case, the typical outcome is what you have experienced here: thin and harsh sound. Pushing C9 to high gain will solve this.

Meanwhile, you can try to address this from the source. A02 has three gain levels for its LO. Set A02 to high gain and see if this helps. Andy recommends always setting the LO power to high such that you can keep C9 in low gain when possible.

Thanks - am using 4.4 balanced out for Laylas.
Will try adjusting gain on the A02 - it is set to low!
I'll get back to you.

 

[bluestorm1992]

Thanks - am using 4.4 balanced out for Laylas.
Will try adjusting gain on the A02 - it is set to low!
I'll get back to you.

Great! So most likely it is it: Your source output is too low. I have had my A02 in medium gain most of the time and has so far worked fine for IEMs.

 

[xand]

Looking at the C9 specifications chart, theoretically C9 in low gain should work best - with source line voltage at 6V.

I would suggest trying that as a baseline then adjusting to taste.

Edit: credit to Andy for this. He mentioned this sometime back in this thread which is the only reason I noticed.

 

[gazzington]

My dx300 doesn’t sound as good without the c9 now. Waiting for the c9 to charge after using it loads today. I’ve got a N6ii with all available boards arriving in the next few days.
So far and I know this sounds crazy with what iems I own, I just love it with the ie800s!