[adrianm]

Well the difference between your preferences and mine is probably that I rarely, if ever, listen to the type of music and recordings you seem to prefer.
I just came back from the second live concert this month with live acoustic unamplified instruments and the human voice in real acoustic venues and THAT is my reference point.

I did NOT find any instrument or voices sounding "too neutral".

A bit different in loudness depending on where I listened from in the halls. But always sounding like real instruments .
As a photographer I am used to changing perspectives.
I want my HIFI systems both via headphones and more often than via headphones via my speaker based system to replicate as closely as possible the real timbre and sound of acoustic intruments in a real venue, not a warmed raised treble or boomy bass lifted or otherwise unnaturally coloured version.
Transparency and neutrality are the goals I strive for and if my memory serves me right again,it normally does, only a few days ago that the designer of Dave and other Chord dacs once again mentioned those same goals as his too.
Each to his own ....
Cheers CC

You're way oversimplifying things. If you think that measurements that say flat tuning = real sound for all genres , than enjoy. Plenty of people don't like the Harman target (or any target really). Everyone has different hearing and it also varies with age for the same person. Even sitting in a different position at a venue sounds different.
The reality is that there are a ton of variables ,not to mention mastering . If you have a neutral chain you can get different headphones better suited to different genres of music. In a chase for realism. No one is looking for unnatural sound, you won't find many flagships that target that.
However if you get a colored chain, you can't "fix the coloration" for different genres with the headphones/speakers and it gets much harder to get that synergy which results in a "real" sound. That's also something Rob was saying.
It's like trying to paint over a blue canvas instead of a white one.

 

[jjb3]

I got my anni today and am very impressed...gave it a brief listen using my hugo 2 and found it a great match .....question for others who have gotten their?...what does the gain button do?...I pressed it while listening assuming it was a hi-gain low gain type of function but while the color changed I didnt hear any raising or lowering of volume...I also couldnt see anything in the manual...otherwise everything is pretty self evident...

I found the gain useful in driving harder to drive speakers. Using the low gain the speakers were clipping the signal but the high gain fixed that.

 

[tesarpa]

Has anyone tried the Anni with the ATC SCM7s and if so with what results? Considering them for my desktop.

I own ATC SCM 11 and drive them with 100 Watts per channel. ATC are most power hungry speakers I met. 10 watts from Anni is likely not enough to fully open the potential of ATC. It can probably make some noise, but it’s not optimal setup.

 

[jjb3]

I own ATC SCM 11 and drive them with 100 Watts per channel. ATC are most power hungry speakers I met. 10 watts from Anni is likely not enough to fully open the potential of ATC. It can probably make some noise, but it’s not optimal setup.

Thanks. So I have read this same sentiment, but it makes me wonder why they are shown in Chord's advertising photos with the Anni.

 

[jlbrach]

I am thrilled with the anni…I finally have found an amp I can transport easily that gives me desktop performance with my Hugo 2..I love this thing

 

[GreenBow]

I'd say piano is kind of trademark with all Chord dacs (including Mojo, while not detailed and clear as Hugo 2 or Qutest I still love both its piano and acoustic guitar interpretation). I guess with your setup records based on those instruments must sound amazing.

Here is one of my favourite albums with acoustic guitars

Good to hear love for Hugo 2 and Qutest. (Agree with you.)

That album you mentioned is great so far. Playing from Youtube.

 

[wirefriend]

I am thrilled with the anni…I finally have found an amp I can transport easily that gives me desktop performance with my Hugo 2..I love this thing

Could you compare Anni's sound to your Formula S or Bakoon 13r?

 

[adrianm]

From the Headfonia LCD-5 review, just published :

"Before the LCD-5 reached 100 hours, the Chord ANNI was actually the amplifier that matched the LCD-5 in the best way. With its full and heavier body presence, the ANNI managed to tame the pre-burn in LCD-5, but once the 5 sounded as it should I actually found the ANNI too sound a bit too thick and restricted with the LCD-5. For me personally the refinement, energy and extension are missing somewhat when compared to the OOR and Headonia combo, at least for this Audeze. If you want your LCD-5 to sound less neutral, fuller, smoother and dare I even say warmer, then the ANNI could be your to go to amp. It’s a very musical combo which is very easy and soft on the ears but I am not getting the same precision, clarity and transparency as with the OOR and Headonia. It’s a bit weird to say but the Chord – in this case – is not the most technically strong."

Sounds to me like exactly what i was saying regarding adding some coloration for more enjoyment.

 

[wirefriend]

From the Headfonia LCD-5 review, just published :

"Before the LCD-5 reached 100 hours, the Chord ANNI was actually the amplifier that matched the LCD-5 in the best way. With its full and heavier body presence, the ANNI managed to tame the pre-burn in LCD-5, but once the 5 sounded as it should I actually found the ANNI too sound a bit too thick and restricted with the LCD-5. For me personally the refinement, energy and extension are missing somewhat when compared to the OOR and Headonia combo, at least for this Audeze. If you want your LCD-5 to sound less neutral, fuller, smoother and dare I even say warmer, then the ANNI could be your to go to amp. It’s a very musical combo which is very easy and soft on the ears but I am not getting the same precision, clarity and transparency as with the OOR and Headonia. It’s a bit weird to say but the Chord – in this case – is not the most technically strong."

Sounds to me like exactly what i was saying regarding adding some coloration for more enjoyment.

If coloration means more clearly distinguishable tones of the instruments then I am all for it.
I don't know why people sometimes perceive coloration as a negative term. To my ears the real instrument on the concert have natural tones / colors so I expect audio gear to reproduce it properly (some gear is bit too black-and-white to my ears).
Unless by the "coloration" we mean artificial sound of instrument - like drums sounding in metallic tone. This of course is not so good coloration.

 

[adrianm]

If coloration means more clearly distinguishable tones of the instruments then I am all for it.

It doesn't

 

[Rebel Chris]

Today at the Dutch Audio Event I visited the Chord room: @#&# room of the show.

Some low efficient Totems sounding really bad with some really bad loud music. Such a missed opportunity.

Well... the Anni stack is cute, to bad I couldn't listen to it properly with headphones and some decent speakers (proper setup with decent music).

Everytime the Chord room is a mess. It deserves better.

 

[rocketron]

I bet that record deck sounded lovely with the vibrations of the speakers????

 

[jlbrach]

Could you compare Anni's sound to your Formula S or Bakoon 13r?

I for one found the headphonia review confusing to say the least…I have not yet received my LCD-5 so I cannot comment on it as of yet but according to several people whose ears I trust the LCD-5 and the headphonis review are worlds apart….as far as the anni goes I have been using it thus far with my stealth and it is a superb combo IMHO…the stealth is far more difficult to drive than I thought it would be and the anni drives it brilliantly with little effort out of the Hugo 2…..I am doubtful it will drive the susvara as well as the 13r but am sure it will drive them reasonably well….in terms of the formula s combo it is my go to with the abyss TC but I am sure the anni will do a fine job with it….as I said, I LOVE the anni for its form factor and ability to travel with me giving me desktop performance while on the road

 

[adrianm]

I for one found the headphonia review confusing to say the least…I have not yet received my LCD-5 so I cannot comment on it as of yet but according to several people whose ears I trust the LCD-5 and the headphonis review are worlds apart….as far as the anni goes I have been using it thus far with my stealth and it is a superb combo IMHO…the stealth is far more difficult to drive than I thought it would be and the anni drives it brilliantly with little effort out of the Hugo 2…..I am doubtful it will drive the susvara as well as the 13r but am sure it will drive them reasonably well….in terms of the formula s combo it is my go to with the abyss TC but I am sure the anni will do a fine job with it….as I said, I LOVE the anni for its form factor and ability to travel with me giving me desktop performance while on the road

Did you get a chance to compare Stealth out of Dave to Stealth of of Anni? or any impressions on Stealth of Dave in general?

 

[jlbrach]

Yes I did, I found the stealth needed more power than the Dave provides and the anni made a very positive diffference…I am presently using the stealth out of a Hugo 2 and anni on my trip and it is an excellent combo…do not get me wrong the stealth can be driven out of the Dave I just think it is better with the anni…think abyss TC or even LCD-4 in terms of straight out of the dave