[mfadio]

Science?


Okay, that was snarky.

Well, if you're gonna say stupid stuff, it's always best to open with setting your audience up to be defensive.

Look, here’s a simple experiment. Firstly, we can both agree that it is far easier to ascertain differences in the visible spectrum of light than it is the subtle nuances of audio, right?

Nope. What you want me to agree to is to move our experiment to a simplified system that only relies on power output, instead of speed, recovery, transition, 2 channels, etc. You want it to be simple, but that doesn't make it so. I want to be good looking, but the last time I asked a girl to just agree I was good looking, she demurred.

That all said, if you want the trick one, by all means, get the trick one. This is a hobby. It’s what hobbyists do.

So glad to have your permission.

 

[Nostoi]

Science?


Okay, that was snarky.

Look, here’s a simple experiment. Firstly, we can both agree that it is far easier to ascertain differences in the visible spectrum of light than it is the subtle nuances of audio, right?

So wire a $10,000 solid state amp and a $150 solid state amp to run a filament (Edison) bulb. This type of bulb is very sensitive to power input. Assuming the same amount of clean, consistent power from the two amplifiers, a light meter will show identical brightness and color temp from both amps. It’s just power.

Now if you want to debate that the tolerances will be higher on the hand-made mega-buck amp vs the Amazon special, sure… They may very well be. But again, this is old tech. We pretty much nailed it decades ago. Since probably 1980 (some would argue earlier), it has been possible to produce inexpensive solid state amplifiers that provide clean consistent power.

That all said, if you want the trick one, by all means, get the trick one. This is a hobby. It’s what hobbyists do.

You seem to think that "power" is some homogeneous form of energy that is interchangeable.

But what if I told you that a SS amp wasn't reducible to output, and that many factors shaped the sound - dynamics, speed, etc, variations in amplification technologies, and the actual hardware itself from the attenuator to the chassis.

There's always - always - someone like you on every thread who conflates amplifiers because they're able to reproduce sound at an audible level. On the ZMF thread, there was someone happy to use a $25 amplifier from Aliexpress because he was able to listen to his headphones at a listenable level. Sounds like you're the same. If that's the case, bravo. At least you're saving yourself money.

 

[tesarpa]

I had the pleasure to try Schiit Magni, Benchmark DAC headphone output, SMSL SH-9, iFi Pro iCAN in solid state mode and I'm 100% sure all sound differently driving my Hifiman Ananda (which even isn't power hungry headphone). In my experience, also from speaker setup, the quality of volume control is one of the most important factors to sound quality.

On Chord Anni: I suppose it may have the same trick as Hugo TT2: XLR outputs can drive speakers up to 16 Watt power. I tried that with my AudioNote speakers and there was more power than I need in my modest room.

 

[alxw0w]

Looks like a perfect match to Qutest dac.

 

[mvule]

Not sure I have ever heard two solid state amps that sound the same...

 

[flyte3333]

using the latest dual-feed-forward circuit topology"

From this description quoted I have to assume this is NOT @Rob Watts designed.

Rob can you confirm ?

 

[Malevolent]

Not sure I have ever heard two solid state amps that sound the same...

Yeah, I have.

It was the same amp.

Heh, just trying to introduce some levity into this thread.

No such thing as a dramatic sound difference between solid state amps. It’s just power. You should only hear differences between SS amps if you have hard-to-drive cans/speakers and one amp has sufficient power while another does not. Or if there are build issues with an amp.

SS tech is so well-establish and easy to produce flawlessly these days that it is possible to get great clean consistent power for pennies on the watt. The Anni is slick, and matches nicely with the Qutest, but for the money, I dunno. That said, I think for most audiophiles, myself included, gear is 75% function and 25% jewelry. I’ve been known to buy an expensive cable or two simply because they look and feel great, while simultaneously not believing the stuff about how it will “completely upgrade the sound of my headphone”…

Anyway, regarding the difference you’re hearing… Chord doesn’t use off-the-rack chips, they engineer the sound of each DAC model individually, with custom implemented chips… FPGA, to be precise (Field Programmable Gate Array). This creates a greater range within the Chord DAC house sound, from model line to model line, then you might find with other manufacturers using off-the-rack chips. You probably just like the sound of the DAC implementation in whatever Chord model you have more than the DAC implementation in the TT2. I’m not a fan of the TT2 sound either, much prefer the Mojo.

To be frank, I've heard a multitude of amplifiers over my life time, and I don't think I've ever heard 2 that sound exactly alike. Take, for example, a Benchmark HPA4 and a HeadAmp GS-X mini; they vary in some ways. The GS-X mini has greater body, with a slight but distinct bass slant. On the other hand, the Benchmark is true to form, producing a clean and detailed presentation that eschews coloration.

 

[genefruit]

From this description quoted I have to assume this is NOT @Rob Watts designed.

Rob can you confirm ?

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/watts-up.800264/page-175#post-16522810

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Yeah, I have.

It was the same amp.

Heh, just trying to introduce some levity into this thread.


To be frank, I've heard a multitude of amplifiers over my life time, and I don't think I've ever heard 2 that sound exactly alike. Take, for example, a Benchmark HPA4 and a HeadAmp GS-X mini; they vary in some ways. The GS-X mini has greater body, with a slight but distinct bass slant. On the other hand, the Benchmark is true to form, producing a clean and detailed presentation that eschews coloration.

I don't think human's ear bones can detect the difference in sound of modern SS amp. Human's eardrum should do the job though

 

[iFi audio]

Schiit Magni, Benchmark DAC headphone output, SMSL SH-9, iFi Pro iCAN in solid state mode and I'm 100% sure all sound differently driving my Hifiman Ananda

They should sound noticeably differently. Perhaps not a night and day difference, but meaningful enough to have a favorite product.

 

[Earbones]

Well, if you're gonna say stupid stuff, it's always best to open with setting your audience up to be defensive.



Nope. What you want me to agree to is to move our experiment to a simplified system that only relies on power output, instead of speed, recovery, transition, 2 channels, etc. You want it to be simple, but that doesn't make it so. I want to be good looking, but the last time I asked a girl to just agree I was good looking, she demurred.


So glad to have your permission.

You seem to think that "power" is some homogeneous form of energy that is interchangeable.

But what if I told you that a SS amp wasn't reducible to output, and that many factors shaped the sound - dynamics, speed, etc, variations in amplification technologies, and the actual hardware itself from the attenuator to the chassis.

There's always - always - someone like you on every thread who conflates amplifiers because they're able to reproduce sound at an audible level. On the ZMF thread, there was someone happy to use a $25 amplifier from Aliexpress because he was able to listen to his headphones at a listenable level. Sounds like you're the same. If that's the case, bravo. At least you're saving yourself money.

Lol, okay guys. Enjoy your amplifiers.

 

[Nostoi]

Lol, okay guys. Enjoy your amplifiers.

Thank you. Enjoy your budget setup, too.

 

[mfadio]

Lol, okay guys. Enjoy your amplifiers.

Keep laughing. It'll help to drown out all the good advice you get so you can just focus on how right you are.

 

[Earbones]

Keep laughing. It'll help to drown out all the good advice you get so you can just focus on how right you are.

Bruh. I’m right. You’re wrong. But luckily for you, that’s only in the real world. As it stands, we are debating this in literally the only place in existence where more people will think the magical nonsense you believe in outweighs the established scientific facts that I do. So right here, right now… you’re right. Enjoy it!

 

[Earbones]

Thank you. Enjoy your budget setup, too.

I will certainly try to enjoy the pitiful sounds of my budget Vision Ears VE8, 64 Audio A12T, Sony IER-M9, Vision Ears EVE20 and JH 13V. Or my terrible cans, the Focal Stellia and Clear. Or the bargain-basement Mojo, Sony ZX507, PHA-2A, and Woo W6.

I may not have the priciest stuff (Well, I guess some of it is pretty up there), but everything I have is well-established as sounding great.

BTW, How’s the middlingly-reviewed IE900 treating you? Does it suddenly develop mids when you connect it to that $900 cable?

Lol, I’m just trolling you. Don’t have an aneurysm.