CMOY or CHA47 for Senn 580 & KSC-35/PortaPros

[cashcards]

Hello:

I have pretty much decided to get a JMT built amp: Either the CHA-47 or the CMOY. Now I need help please on which one to get.

First of all, I will primarily be using it my IPOD and MP3's at 128K. I listen mostly to older rock, country, and theatre, although Ican also rock out. I listen fairly loud as well. I want the amp to be portable which is why I have decided on these. I have tried the Airhead4.5 and was unimpressed. It had no pizazz and did nothing for the sound other than to raise the volume. I thought (maybe incorrectly since this is my first time with an amp) that it should do more.

I have the Sennheiser HD 580 headphones. They are my main ones, but I will also be using it when I travel with my Koss KSC-35 and PortaPros. I know the amp will be overkill with these phones, but will it still make the KOSS phones really shine, as I have heard the CHA would probably better for the Koss phones, making the Koss sound really wonderful, but as they are not my main phones I don't want the amp to be matched for those.

I have read that the CHA is a little brighter than the CMOY, which is fine, but I have also read that the smoothness and natural sound and the extra bass of the CMOY is also worth having. Can I have one built that incorporates all these features into small portable mint can?

Also, I am looking for a good quality rock n roll headphone to carry with me when I travel. Will the configuration of this amp be good for this new one as well, whatever it is? Any recommendations? They can't be too big as I want them in my suitcase without being crushed. I have heard about the HD 25, but have been told these are very overpriced, but certainly good.

Thanks in advance.

Lenny...

 

[The Quality Guru]

Perhaps the reason you were unimpressed with the Airhead was because you were using 128 Kb/s Mp3's!!!!!!!!! ANYTHING WILL SOUND BAD WITH 128 k mp3's! How can you find 'pizazz' in an amp that's only giving you the pizazz that lies in your source. My guess is that the lack of 'pizazz' you hear is a lack of pizazz in the source, the Mp3's, rather than the amp.

Please note that all aspects of the music are affected when you use 128 kb/s Mp3's. The frequency spectrum is horribly compressed, all instruments and voices sound artificial and homogenized, and in some cases 'pizazz' is lost from the music!

So do this: Use 256 kb/s Mp3's encoded by LAME. All of the afflictions that I stated above that exist in 128 k files STILL EXIST in 256 and 320 k mp3's, however, they exist at a lesser degree.

If your ipod were to accept MPC files, then you could have very-near CD sound (at '-insane' VBR setting) with sound that does almost completely sound like CD, with virtually no artifacts! Still, CD sounds better, as this is noticeable with higher-end equipment.

But, nervertheless, when you do get decent source material (even 256 k mp3 is not at the level of CD's) such as a CD, you may begin to appreciate the Airhead. However, from what I've heard by most everyone, the CHA-47 is superior to the Airhead. But the CMOY probably would drive your 580's better than the CHA-47, from what I've heard around the boards. For what it's worth, I'm on the waiting list for a CHA-47 to power my W100's. Although the W100's are 48 Ohms to the 580's 300 ohms, so I really don't need the extra power the CMOY has to offer, hence the reason I chose the CHA-47 and its great portability factor.

Well, good luck!

 

[LarryB]

Where do you buy the CMOYs from anyway? Do you have a website?

 

[cashcards]

You purchase them from a member of this forum. His ID is JMT. You can private message him for pricing and availability.

Lenny...

 

[Ecaroh]

You might also wish to commission an amp -- CHA47, CMOY, Hansen -- from Tangent. He has an interesting and informative site about his amps:

http://tangentsoft.net/audio/

 

[cashcards]

Thanks for the advice. Is there a way to get the efficency of the CMOY amp with the bright and midrange of the CHA-47. Does anyone have experience with this?

I have the Senn 580 but also use the Koss KSC-35 and the PortaPro with my IPOD as the main source.

Someone recommended Tangent. How is he? Many here seem to favor JMT for a DIY amp.

Thanks.

Lenny...

 

[JMT]

Tangent is a great guy. There are others that build for people as well. Thomas, erix, eric343 to name a few.