[Rasuti]

Testing with my Pioneer SE-Monitor 5 (Closed, 40 ohm, 99db sensitivity Dynamic hp) Balanced hp cable output and xlr balanced input to my Aquarius, which I believe is 3.6vrms, Have not listened to music on any headphone today.

In terms of Noise, from Loudest to Silent
High Impedance + BTL ≥ High Impedance + Active G > High Impedance + Normal > High Impedance + Parallel (can only tell it is there with nothing playing and compared to below modes)
Low Impedance 123 + Any of the 4 modes is silent, I cant hear any background hiss/noise
Another thing to note is the noise does not get louder when turning up the volume for me.


The above behavior is the same on my HEKSE (Planar, 35 ohm, 96db sensitivity) however noise is noticeably lower compared to the pioneer.

 

[ken6217]

Unfortunately I can’t. I no longer have it. Not that there was anything wrong with the Silver Fox, but I am super specific on what I like to hear from my equipment, and I went back to my old tried and true Violectric V281 amp.

I had that amp since about 2016. I sold it a year ago. I really missed it. The guy that I sold it to messaged me out of nowhere and said he’s going to an all in one system and asked me if I want to buy it back from him, and so I did.

 

[ken6217]

Now thinking back, and I’m not 100% certain because I did not have these headphones more than a couple of days when I moved on from the amp, I dont recall hearing noise with the ZMF Atrium Closed. I was using the same settings that I mentioned above.

 

[Yifang]

Unfortunately I can’t. I no longer have it. Not that there was anything wrong with the Silver Fox, but I am super specific on what I like to hear from my equipment, and I went back to my old tried and true Violectric V281 amp.

I had that amp since about 2016. I sold it a year ago. I really missed it. The guy that I sold it to messaged me out of nowhere and said he’s going to an all in one system and asked me if I want to buy it back from him, and so I did.

Ah that is unfortunate but hope you are happy with your V281.

Testing with my Pioneer SE-Monitor 5 (Closed, 40 ohm, 99db sensitivity Dynamic hp) Balanced hp cable output and xlr balanced input to my Aquarius, which I believe is 3.6vrms, Have not listened to music on any headphone today.

In terms of Noise, from Loudest to Silent
High Impedance + BTL ≥ High Impedance + Active G > High Impedance + Normal > High Impedance + Parallel (can only tell it is there with nothing playing and compared to below modes)
Low Impedance 123 + Any of the 4 modes is silent, I cant hear any background hiss/noise
Another thing to note is the noise does not get louder when turning up the volume for me.


The above behavior is the same on my HEKSE (Planar, 35 ohm, 96db sensitivity) however noise is noticeably lower compared to the pioneer.

Being able to hear noise even on a headphone with those specs is somewhat concerning I guess...

Now thinking back, and I’m not 100% certain because I did not have these headphones more than a couple of days when I moved on from the amp, I dont recall hearing noise with the ZMF Atrium Closed. I was using the same settings that I mentioned above.

Perhaps you can ask whoever now has the amp to compare too?

 

[Rasuti]

Being able to hear noise even on a headphone with those specs is somewhat concerning I guess...

Yeah, seeing how the elite is 101db sensitivity and 32 ohms, you'll definitely hear it on High Imp + BTL, less so with Parallel. FWIW its really not that noticeable on my hekse where its imperceptible with music, and likely would not notice when having a few hour session. Feel the same for my ADX5000, 420ohm 100db sensitivity.

Honestly the monitor 5 was an outlier, it was really noticeable on that, hopefully the adapter helps for you.

 

[Yifang]

Yeah, seeing how the elite is 101db sensitivity and 32 ohms, you'll definitely hear it on High Imp + BTL, less so with Parallel. FWIW its really not that noticeable on my hekse where its imperceptible with music, and likely would not notice when having a few hour session. Feel the same for my ADX5000, 420ohm 100db sensitivity.

Honestly the monitor 5 was an outlier, it was really noticeable on that, hopefully the adapter helps for you.

I definitely don't notice it during actual listening sessions unless its a quiet passage and I actively search for it. The amp and listening experience is truly enjoyable, though the idea of noise itself is pain

I will continue to enjoy this for now and see what happens, if the idea does end up bothering me too much then perhaps I would also go and give the Bliss a go. Trying new toys is always fun too!

 

[Rasuti]

I definitely don't notice it during actual listening sessions unless its a quiet passage and I actively search for it. The amp and listening experience is truly enjoyable, though the idea of noise itself is pain

I will continue to enjoy this for now and see what happens, if the idea does end up bothering me too much then perhaps I would also go and give the Bliss a go. Trying new toys is always fun too!

Nothing wrong with that! Totally feel you. Ample choice for high quality SS amps nowadays, pun not intended. lol

Silver Fox is my endgame amp, I have no desires for anything else SS wise.

 

[Yifang]

Nothing wrong with that! Totally feel you. Ample choice for high quality SS amps nowadays, pun not intended. lol

Silver Fox is my endgame amp, I have no desires for anything else SS wise.

I've been sitting here just listening for 5 hours straight... I can't get the Elites off my head and everything is just enjoyable and musical, yet somehow more detailed and resolving than my previous amp.

DSDAC or TT2 looking extremely nice with those XLR outputs Parallel mode on XLR inputs are genuinely silent unless directly A/B'd with Low Impedance so that should perfect everything for me.

I honestly don't think I'll ever need an SS upgrade either if I can remove the noise floor to the point where its inaudible and therefore I can convince my OCD.

 

[yellowblue]

Best for me in my setup in terms of detailed plus neutral sound with the Elites is parallel and low impedance 1 (with xlr-out). But I don´t hear noise in any configuration.

 

[Yifang]

Best for me in my setup in terms of detailed plus neutral sound with the Elites is parallel and low impedance 1 (with xlr-out). But I don´t hear noise in any configuration.

Glad you can enjoy it and also not hear any noise! XLR input with Parallel definitely seems to the be most quiet mode (assuming you are using XLR inputs here).

If you scroll back to my earlier post, I have posted why the low impedance settings are not recommended as they have high output impedance which can potentially alter FR (though it shouldn't for Elites), and also reduce dynamics (which does happen to my experience).

However, any of the low impedance modes are definitely dead silent. If the idea of having potentially altered frequency response and/or loss of dynamics is not something that bothers you because you cannot tell a difference then great!

Personally though, I don't like that idea of imperfection being present that I know can/will be there (noise floor, reduced dynamics). As such using XLR input with Parallel is the only way to achieve this hopefully.

 

[ken6217]

If anyone is looking for a basically brand new Empyrean Elite, PM me.

 

[yellowblue]

If you scroll back to my earlier post, I have posted why the low impedance settings are not recommended as they have high output impedance which can potentially alter FR (though it shouldn't for Elites), and also reduce dynamics (which does happen to my experience).

I just can tell what I hear with my ears. Hard to say if dynamics is reduced but in my high revealing chain I hear more details with low impedance 1 - and everything is more refined. Don´t know, but maybe the reason is some kind of impedance match with the Elites.

 

[Yifang]

Hey guys, it's me back at it again with another update I'm sure you're all sick of me on this thread by now but...

I have noticed a slight transformer hum sometimes on the amplifier during initial startup, which then disappears after a while. iFi DC Blocker solves this issue, but the transformer hum doesn't bother me at all so I won't be picking one up.

Now for the most important part.

Thanks to a fellow audiophile down the road, I have been lent the Gustard R26 + U18 for a week. An A26 demo will then be coming in next weekend and R26 returned.
He was also able to demo the Elites and Silver Fox (with his own Arya Stealth too). Let's just say every headphone he owns is going to be listed up for sale soon and will be picking a pair of Elites up, but that's a story for another time. He is mostly a speaker person with plenty of experience in high end DACs and DAC related products.
He rates the Silver Fox as the best amplifier he has ever heard, though I can confirm he hasn't heard the Holo Bliss. I am also unsure about his experiences with other high end headphone amplifiers either.

I have also been able to do more listening using the XLR inputs on the Silver Fox.

First of all, the noise floor on XLR + Parallel mode is essentially negligible and I am extremely pleased with this. It's enough to shut my OCD down knowing that there is a mode I can use that is completely silent. I most definitely must hunt down a Chord TT2 so I can utilize the XLR inputs.

From quietest to loudest, Parallel < Normal < BTL/Active. G (I can't actually say which is louder than the other without being able to directly A/B given the cycling).

Secondly, after switching repeatedly between BTL mode and Parallel mode, I have noticed a difference. Active.G & Normal are somewhat less relevant here to me.

BTL mode seems to have more powerful and authoritative bass, just feeling all round more powerful and dynamic. This is what @project86 stated in his review as well.

Parallel seems to have a little less bass and perceived dynamics, but gives more life to the mids and upper mids. There is much more vocal presence, as well as attack and bite in general on instruments such as snare drums (something I personally really look to for sharp attack). This aspect really shines with Parallel. Please also note that by no means does Parallel feel weak at all, it's just comparative and I am somewhat of a basshead.

Active.G sounds like vocals slightly expand from Parallel. I don't know how to describe this, maybe like reverb, or perhaps the "Overtone" description really is accurate. The effects/differences are very minor however.

Normal doesn't sound like it did anything special really... It's just... Normal?

Going forward, I will most likely be using the BTL mode for those fast dynamic tracks & genres such as EDM, Pop, etc. Despite the supposed noise floor, it's pretty much inaudible and that extra slam can be enjoyable.
Parallel will be used as the main mode, both for peace of mind and for the sound profile. Anything with more natural components are just unreal such as real instruments, vocal focused, etc.
Active.G and Normal don't seem to do much aside from the initial A/B so I'll probably just stay away from those and use Parallel.

I love theory-crafting, so here I am going to take a guess that BTL is delivering so much power and slam to the Elites that the low end is being potentially over-pushed and resulting in this. Parallel on the other hand is giving the Elites the correct amount of power and therefore sounds more natural and as they should.

Note that this has not been volume matched and is completely my subjective opinion.

It is truly wonderful to see how the modes and pairings can really breathe life into the music. The performance and musicality of this amplifier is truly amazing.

I'm still unsure if I will keep this amplifier however as I am also intrigued by the Holo Bliss.

Now to think about if I should start participating in the discussions related to R26, U18, Qutest, Meze Elite...

 

[RobertSM]

Hey guys, it's me back at it again with another update I'm sure you're all sick of me on this thread by now but...

I have noticed a slight transformer hum sometimes on the amplifier, especially during initial startup, which then disappears after a while or returns at random. I will be trying an iFi DC Blocker to see if this can remove the audible aspect of this problem.

Now for the most important part.

Thanks to a fellow audiophile down the road, I have been lent the Gustard R26 + U18 for a week. An A26 demo will then be coming in next weekend and R26 returned.
He was also able to demo the Elites and Silver Fox (with his own Arya Stealth too). Let's just say every headphone he owns is going to be listed up for sale soon and will be picking a pair of Elites up, but that's a story for another time. He is mostly a speaker person with plenty of experience in high end DACs and DAC related products.
He rates the Silver Fox as the best amplifier he has ever heard, though I can confirm he hasn't heard the Holo Bliss. I am also unsure about his experiences with other high end headphone amplifiers either.

I have also been able to do more listening using the XLR inputs on the Silver Fox.

First of all, the noise floor on XLR + Parallel mode is essentially negligible and I am extremely pleased with this. It's enough to shut my OCD down knowing that there is a mode I can use that is completely silent. I most definitely must hunt down a Chord TT2 so I can utilize the XLR inputs.

From quietest to loudest, Parallel < Normal < BTL/Active. G (I can't actually say which is louder than the other without being able to directly A/B given the cycling).

Secondly, after switching repeatedly between BTL mode and Parallel mode, I have noticed a difference. Active.G & Normal are somewhat less relevant here to me.

BTL mode seems to have more powerful and authoritative bass, just feeling all round more powerful and dynamic. This is what @project86 stated in his review as well.

Parallel seems to have a little less bass and perceived dynamics, but gives more life to the mids and upper mids. There is much more vocal presence, as well as attack and bite in general on instruments such as snare drums (something I personally really look to for sharp attack). This aspect really shines with Parallel. Please also note that by no means does Parallel feel weak at all, it's just comparative and I am somewhat of a basshead.

Active.G sounds like vocals slightly expand from Parallel. I don't know how to describe this, maybe like reverb, or perhaps the "Overtone" description really is accurate. The effects/differences are very minor however.

Normal doesn't sound like it did anything special really... It's just... Normal?

Going forward, I will most likely be using the BTL mode for those fast dynamic tracks & genres such as EDM, Pop, etc. Despite the supposed noise floor, it's pretty much inaudible and that extra slam can be enjoyable.
Parallel will be used as the main mode, both for peace of mind and for the sound profile. Anything with more natural components are just unreal such as real instruments, vocal focused, etc.
Active.G and Normal don't seem to do much aside from the initial A/B so I'll probably just stay away from those and use Parallel.

I love theory-crafting, so here I am going to take a guess that BTL is delivering so much power and slam to the Elites that the low end is being potentially over-pushed and resulting in this. Parallel on the other hand is giving the Elites the correct amount of power and therefore sounds more natural and as they should.

Note that this has not been volume matched and is completely my subjective opinion.

It is truly wonderful to see how the modes and pairings can really breathe life into the music. The performance and musicality of this amplifier is truly amazing.

I don't think I will be looking for another headphone amplifier going forward. Time to find a TT2...

Now to think about if I should start participating in the discussions related to R26, U18, Qutest, Meze Elite...

Nice picture and a good report.

The issues of potential noise aren't a dealbreaker for me. I invested a couple of years ago in a quality power conditioner from Shunyata Research with a full loom of Shunyata Venom NR power cables. I've also recently upgraded all my power cables into a full loom of Cardas Clear power. Overall I prefer the Cardas clear power on the amps and the Shunyata on source components. The overall net effect is that my system is noise free, as far as I can hear. Adding a Silver Fox or little Silver Fox in September wouldn't require any new cables, just shifting things around.

 

[Yifang]

Hey guys, it's me back at it again with another update I'm sure you're all sick of me on this thread by now but...

I have noticed a slight transformer hum sometimes on the amplifier, especially during initial startup, which then disappears after a while or returns at random. I will be trying an iFi DC Blocker to see if this can remove the audible aspect of this problem.

Now for the most important part.

Thanks to a fellow audiophile down the road, I have been lent the Gustard R26 + U18 for a week. An A26 demo will then be coming in next weekend and R26 returned.
He was also able to demo the Elites and Silver Fox (with his own Arya Stealth too). Let's just say every headphone he owns is going to be listed up for sale soon and will be picking a pair of Elites up, but that's a story for another time. He is mostly a speaker person with plenty of experience in high end DACs and DAC related products.
He rates the Silver Fox as the best amplifier he has ever heard, though I can confirm he hasn't heard the Holo Bliss. I am also unsure about his experiences with other high end headphone amplifiers either.

I have also been able to do more listening using the XLR inputs on the Silver Fox.

First of all, the noise floor on XLR + Parallel mode is essentially negligible and I am extremely pleased with this. It's enough to shut my OCD down knowing that there is a mode I can use that is completely silent. I most definitely must hunt down a Chord TT2 so I can utilize the XLR inputs.

From quietest to loudest, Parallel < Normal < BTL/Active. G (I can't actually say which is louder than the other without being able to directly A/B given the cycling).

Secondly, after switching repeatedly between BTL mode and Parallel mode, I have noticed a difference. Active.G & Normal are somewhat less relevant here to me.

BTL mode seems to have more powerful and authoritative bass, just feeling all round more powerful and dynamic. This is what @project86 stated in his review as well.

Parallel seems to have a little less bass and perceived dynamics, but gives more life to the mids and upper mids. There is much more vocal presence, as well as attack and bite in general on instruments such as snare drums (something I personally really look to for sharp attack). This aspect really shines with Parallel. Please also note that by no means does Parallel feel weak at all, it's just comparative and I am somewhat of a basshead.

Active.G sounds like vocals slightly expand from Parallel. I don't know how to describe this, maybe like reverb, or perhaps the "Overtone" description really is accurate. The effects/differences are very minor however.

Normal doesn't sound like it did anything special really... It's just... Normal?

Going forward, I will most likely be using the BTL mode for those fast dynamic tracks & genres such as EDM, Pop, etc. Despite the supposed noise floor, it's pretty much inaudible and that extra slam can be enjoyable.
Parallel will be used as the main mode, both for peace of mind and for the sound profile. Anything with more natural components are just unreal such as real instruments, vocal focused, etc.
Active.G and Normal don't seem to do much aside from the initial A/B so I'll probably just stay away from those and use Parallel.

I love theory-crafting, so here I am going to take a guess that BTL is delivering so much power and slam to the Elites that the low end is being potentially over-pushed and resulting in this. Parallel on the other hand is giving the Elites the correct amount of power and therefore sounds more natural and as they should.

Note that this has not been volume matched and is completely my subjective opinion.

It is truly wonderful to see how the modes and pairings can really breathe life into the music. The performance and musicality of this amplifier is truly amazing.

I don't think I will be looking for another headphone amplifier going forward. Time to find a TT2...

Now to think about if I should start participating in the discussions related to R26, U18, Qutest, Meze Elite...

Nice picture and a good report.

The issues of potential noise aren't a dealbreaker for me. I invested a couple of years ago in a quality power conditioner from Shunyata Research with a full loom of Shunyata Venom NR power cables. I've also recently upgraded all my power cables into a full loom of Cardas Clear power. Overall I prefer the Cardas clear power on the amps and the Shunyata on source components. The overall net effect is that my system is noise free, as far as I can hear. Adding a Silver Fox or little Silver Fox in September wouldn't require any new cables, just shifting things around.

Just to update that the DC Blocker from iFi definitely stops the transformer hum but doesn't really do much otherwise. The hum in my case mostly disappears after short while anyway so I don't think I'll be picking up a DC Blocker (they aren't cheap for what it is), but if you have constant hum and noise problems, definitely look into it.