Creek OBH21SE vs Heed Canamp!

[OvidiuDanut]

Hi, i currently have the creek OBH 21SE and i'm thinking about canamp, but i'm not sure if its worth the effort. So i would very much appreciate if people who heard them both could tell me about the differences between them. As cans i have a HD580 and i just bought a K501. 10x

 

[Zorander]

From what I've heard of the CanAmp (at a meet), it will be comparatively warmer and syrupy to the Creek's relatively colder presentation. Power-wise the CanAmp is superior though this is not an issue with the HD580 (which is easily driven by the Creek). I believe the K501 will benefit more from the CanAmp's added power and 'thicker' bass.

Cheers!

 

[jpelg]

Hmmm...I would have assumed the exact opposite. I know my Creek OBH-11 has a rather high output impedance (220ohms), and therefore provides a bit of rolloff at the top & slightly thicker lows. Good for lower-end Grados, especially the 325i, and/or for setups with less-than-stellar sources. What is the output impedance of the OBH-21SE?

Conversely, my limited experience with the Heed Canamp (twice, at meets) left me with an impression of "thinness", that is bass-light. Far from "warm" or "syrupy". I've read that there may be variations in Heed units, depending on when they were made, which may account for my experiences. I can't say for sure about that though.

 

[Zorander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpelg /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmmm...I would have assumed the exact opposite. I know my Creek OBH-11 has a rather high output impedance (220ohms), and therefore provides a bit of rolloff at the top & slightly thicker lows. Good for lower-end Grados, especially the 325i, and/or for setups with less-than-stellar sources. What is the output impedance of the OBH-21SE?

I had the number with me but I can't somehow find it now. IIRC it is a relatively low impedance values (like 10-20 Ohm). That, and the fact that the OBH-21/SE is a different design to the older OBH-11, should make both amps different in sound. I love my OBH-21 and it is a good match even for the HD-650. I believe the OBH-21SE should be even better!

Cheers!

 

[OvidiuDanut]

I dont know the output impedance, but from what you guys are saying i think i'm going to settle down a bit and keep the Creek (just bought it for about 1 month). The fact is that i read the general praise of canamp overhere in head-fi, and the bashing trend of the Creek OBH21/SE...and i thoght i was wrong i bought the Creek. Now i think i was wrong beliving i was wrong buying the creek

)

 

[Cankin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpelg /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmmm...I would have assumed the exact opposite. I know my Creek OBH-11 has a rather high output impedance (220ohms), and therefore provides a bit of rolloff at the top & slightly thicker lows. Good for lower-end Grados, especially the 325i, and/or for setups with less-than-stellar sources. What is the output impedance of the OBH-21SE? Conversely, my limited experience with the Heed Canamp (twice, at meets) left me with an impression of "thinness", that is bass-light. Far from "warm" or "syrupy". I've read that there may be variations in Heed units, depending on when they were made, which may account for my experiences. I can't say for sure about that though.

GS-1 has output impedance of less than 1 ohms so it should be really cold, but I have heard people described it as a bit warm and laid back....??

 

[Zorander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OvidiuDanut /img/forum/go_quote.gif I dont know the output impedance, but from what you guys are saying i think i'm going to settle down a bit and keep the Creek (just bought it for about 1 month). The fact is that i read the general praise of canamp overhere in head-fi, and the bashing trend of the Creek OBH21/SE...and i thoght i was wrong i bought the Creek. Now i think i was wrong beliving i was wrong buying the creek )

Keep the Creek indeed. I've had mine for more than 3 years now and am still happy with it. For comparisons, I've gone through several amps within the same price class (Headfive & Gilmore Lite) and the Creek remains in my possession.

 

[jpelg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cankin /img/forum/go_quote.gif GS-1 has output impedance of less than 1 ohms so it should be really cold, but I have heard people described it as a bit warm and laid back....??

An amp's output impedance interaction with a given headphone is only one possible determining factor in the resultant sound.

By having a low (near zero) output impedance, you are simply eliminating that aspect, leaving rest of the amp's circuitry to impact on the sound (or not).

I would never classify any of the Gilmore designs as "warm". Perhaps in relation to other models (from the V1 thru the Dynahi) it might be considered as such though.

 

[jpelg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by OvidiuDanut /img/forum/go_quote.gif Now i think i was wrong beliving i was wrong buying the creek )

I agree that you should keep the Creek, at least for now.

They are unjustly dismissed, and even maligned amps around here these days, simply because they are not brand new. I think Creek makes good products that, like everything else, can be matched with other components with great effectiveness. Don't succumb to the FOTM syndrome & listen to your own ears.

 

[bifcake]

I completely agree. I've had my Creek OBH-11 for years and I'm quite happy with it. I don't think you can beat it for the money. These forums tend to be very fashion of the day centered and once something isn't new, it's maligned. I've been on these forums long enough to remember Creek being considered a terrific value and being highly recommended. It's too easy to get embroiled in technical specs and academic discussions about how opamp A competes with opamp B in a particular iteration. All of that is theoretical. The only thing that really matters is whether or not you like what you hear.