[oriise]

I'm selling strictly due to size. The solo>duet stack is transportable but not pocketable. Most of my listening is on the go (office, commute, front porch, etc) and I just find myself less and less willing to deal with the bulk, so I'm looking to replace it with something pocketable. Most likely a high end dap. If money were no object I would definitely keep it but must sell to fund a dap (solo alread sold). I'll miss how well the F111 scales with it, especially connected balanced.

Makes total sense. Portability is a key issue. Thanks for the quick reply. Your comment triggers one more question if you don't mind. Do you hear a noticeable difference when connected balanced mode? Some folks don't notice a difference in reviews of other gear - I have always been a big believer conceptually (and love my all-tube balanced amp for the home) but never really AB tested the difference versus single-ended.

 

[shotgunshane]

Makes total sense. Portability is a key issue. Thanks for the quick reply. Your comment triggers one more question if you don't mind. Do you hear a noticeable difference when connected balanced mode? Some folks don't notice a difference in reviews of other gear - I have always been a big believer conceptually (and love my all-tube balanced amp for the home) but never really AB tested the difference versus single-ended.

I easily noticed a difference just connecting the solo to duet balanced versus single ended, using single ended iems. That combo connected balanced, really showed me how competitive to TOTL iems the single BA F111 can be. Spaciousness and imaging both improved noticeably.

 

[oriise]

That's great to hear. I am glad I spent the extra bucks to get the B-mod on my AK120. Now I am very seriously considering the Duet - it sounds like the current winner in the portable balanced category. Thanks again for the input.

 

[shigzeo]

  Makes total sense. Portability is a key issue. Thanks for the quick reply. Your comment triggers one more question if you don't mind. Do you hear a noticeable difference when connected balanced mode? Some folks don't notice a difference in reviews of other gear - I have always been a big believer conceptually (and love my all-tube balanced amp for the home) but never really AB tested the difference versus single-ended.

You also need to know that most balanced armature drivers still are not wired for bi-polar usage and can experience unstable operation in balanced mode. Dynamic drivers do not have the same problem. There is no doubt you will hear differences between single ended and balanced outputs when driving balanced armature earphones, but those differences still today, should be less stable than manufacturer spec. You may like them, you may dislike them. For sure, you will hear differences. 
 
Measurably, they should be wilder than the differences heard when dynamic drivers are measured in balanced and single ended playback. Put simply, very few of today's balanced armature drivers are ready to be fed real balanced output.

 

[dnnaudio]

  You also need to know that most balanced armature drivers still are not wired for bi-polar usage and can experience unstable operation in balanced mode. Dynamic drivers do not have the same problem. There is no doubt you will hear differences between single ended and balanced outputs when driving balanced armature earphones, but those differences still today, should be less stable than manufacturer spec. You may like them, you may dislike them. For sure, you will hear differences. 
 
Measurably, they should be wilder than the differences heard when dynamic drivers are measured in balanced and single ended playback. Put simply, very few of today's balanced armature drivers are ready to be fed real balanced output.

Shigzeo, will this issue also arise if the CLAS and Duet are connected balanced, but the IEM cable remains stock single ended. I am thinking of going this route with the Shure 846 w/c I believe is balanced armature type.

 

[zeppu08]

Shigzeo, will this issue also arise if the CLAS and Duet are connected balanced, but the IEM cable remains stock single ended. I am thinking of going this route with the Shure 846 w/c I believe is balanced armature type.

+1 single ended iems/ciems and headphones..

Will it still be a fully balanced set up using the Single Ended headphone out?

 

[shigzeo]

 
Shigzeo, will this issue also arise if the CLAS and Duet are connected balanced, but the IEM cable remains stock single ended. I am thinking of going this route with the Shure 846 w/c I believe is balanced armature type.

The signal into the amp and that the amp processes will be balanced, but the output into a single ended port will be single-ended. Unless your earphones are dynamic, or use non-polar balanced armature drivers, performance up to manufacturer's spec will best be had in single-ended mode. Headphones and dynamic drivers are a completely other matter. They are almost always better and more stable in balanced mode. BA drivers are simply not across the board there yet. As manufacturers change poles and signal pathways to best accommodate balanced signals, that will change.
 
The SE846 is a balanced armature earphone. And, it is awesome. Completely awesome. Best universal I've used across the board. There are some with more lush midranges or more detailed highs or more headroom in the bass, but across the board, I've yet to use an earphone that comes close to its engineering perfection.

 

[shotgunshane]

I preferred having the solo/duet combo connected balanced for all my iems, whether dynamic, single ba or multi ba, even though they were connected single ended. Overall it improved spaciousness, staging and imaging.

 

[kelske]

  does the duet have the ability to convert single ended input to balanced output like PB2 and RSA amps do?

 
 
Hey all, 
 
I couldn't quite find a definitive answer to this question later in the thread, can anyone shed some light on this for me?
 
So, single ended input + balanced output... possible? Or does it have to be single to single / balanced to balanced?
 
Cheers

 

[rudi0504]

Hey all, 

I couldn't quite find a definitive answer to this question later in the thread, can anyone shed some light on this for me?

So, single ended input + balanced output... possible? Or does it have to be single to single / balanced to balanced?

Cheers

So Far i have tested My Duet pair With Class DB

iPhone 5s > lightning to mini USB > Class DB > use balance RSA to RSA > Duet = line In balance

You can use HO In single ended or balance

You can notice The different

SQ improve In better Way if you use Headphone Out / HO In balance too


The Other Way i tested With Venture Craft Go Dap DD1 With op amp Muse 01

iPhone 5s > Lod 30 PIN to USB > mini to mini plug > Duet line In = line In In Singke Ended

You can use HO In Single Ended or Balance

You can motive also the SQ different


FULL BALANCE if you use Balance IN and OUT

In portable i havent found 100 % FULL BALANCE , because The SOURCE must Be BALANCE TOO
In these set Up above My IPhone 5s is not in BALANCE

It is possible at the moment Only at home set Up
From Source / transport > DAC > Speaker =. ALL MUST IN BALANCE

IMO

 

[kelske]

Awesome, thanks for the quick and thorough response! 

 

[Cotnijoe]

 
 
Hey all, 
 
I couldn't quite find a definitive answer to this question later in the thread, can anyone shed some light on this for me?
 
So, single ended input + balanced output... possible? Or does it have to be single to single / balanced to balanced?
 
Cheers

 
When you use the Duet, unless you use balanced source in, you're not getting a balanced sound. The Duet does not have the signal splitter mechanism like the PB2 or the ray samuel amps do.

 

[rudi0504]

Awesome, thanks for the quick and thorough response! 

You are welcome

 

[Herman92929]

To get fully balanced, you need a cable with balanced connector as well.no of fence,but how could people don't know that when comes to this stage you guys should know about that,anyway I ain't mad and I would like to answer any question. Im using fully balanced with solo db and duet in fully balanced mode together with my custom cable which has balanced connector.rudi knows it

 

[kelske]

To get fully balanced, you need a cable with balanced connector as well.no of fence,but how could people don't know that when comes to this stage you guys should know about that

 
Who doesn't know that...?  
 
My question was to do with this situation:
- Where your source only outputs to single ended (e.g. ALO The Key)
- You want to connect your headphones to it through an RSA (even though you won't get the fully balanced sound improvements this way). 
 
So, single ended input to balanced output. My main concern was whether the balanced output would be active if the balanced input wasn't also being used.