So... I have been talking to the dealer in the EU and there will be some "updates" to both Stealth andf Expanse prices. Due to the recent € and $ rate change, the price of Expanse will be €4900. Soon, also the price of Stealth will go up to the same value. I wonder what the price of Susvara will be in the future.
As planes are usually only a small parts of the trips and as there are usually loads of free times in hotels, shinkansen, family living rom, sleeping rom => I bring usually both.. a good closed headphone and some good IEM (mainly to walk in the street, underground, bus) ...
Closed Headphones are not that bad even in planes, though you have to push a little bit the volume level.
Due to covid restrictions, I didn't have the chance to use the Stealth in an oversea plane (only TGV inside France), but I did this several times these last 5 years with a Z7M2 and an Ultrasone Ed15 Veritas (WM1A) .. those were still better than my Airpod pro, B&O E8 or actual Buds2 pro).
For decades, I have at least once a year a 24 to 30 hours oversea family trip (3 planes and a train from my town in France to the town of my family in South Japan ) and some other trips around 15 hours (2 planes from france to africa, Martinique or French Guyana) .. unless it's for business or we are only 2 in premimum économy, we don't have any chance to charge anything like an amp with any USB planes available (just the smartphone, that's all). For such trip having 12 to 15 hours playing time is a real comfort.
I'm taking a long flight next week which will be my first flight since getting the Stealth. Does the Stealth provide enough isolation to be enjoyable on a plane or should I stick with my noise canceling Sonys?
One unexpected Stealth/Expanse surprise was that a BTR7 can drive them, just. It doesn't fall apart at max volume listening to the Black Keys latest album either, nor sound excessively shouty, which <$1k DAPs often will at high volumes. Not my first choice of gear by far, but I thought I'd see how well it could hold it together.
When I have read this .. I was feeling like a joke .. particularly because I tried the iFi Go blu with the Stealth recently and there was quite often some significant distortion and of course loads of clipping with the Max Richter's Hostiles album (Cradle To The Grave)......
So I just tried it with the BTR7 without any expectations concerning the Stealth, and surprisingly, for sure the BTR7 seems to handle rather well the 23 oHms of the Stealth at a realistic sound level !!! and I can say clearly there are far less distortion or clipping with the Hostiles album than most of my dap/portable amps including the iFi Go blu... strange to write such thing, but that's true and easy to confirm.
I didn't know exactly but I had a look and I think BTR7 has some more power than iFi Go Blu.
iFi don't say anything about the power for low impedance 16 or 23ohms HP, but on their web site it's indicated :
Fiio BTR7 => 320mW（32Ω loaded）
iFi Go blu => 245mW @ 32Ω
Anyway those figures are so far from M17 or Ampersand, that I can't really understand the BTR7 behaviour with the Stealth, it's not perfect, but much better than what I thought without trying it.
I just tried this for testing purpose and I will probably never use such combo with any of those BT dongles iFi Go Blu / BTR7 .. But, clearly only BTR7 is not really clipping nor adding significant distortion on the Max Richter's track with the Stealth.
Basically, I prefer, with the IE900 or IE600, to use the iFi Go Blu as the sound quality is almost same as BTR7, but offering a nice xBass and Xspace options (interesting for very low sound level listening) and surely 2 to 3 times more playing time on a single charge (10 to 15 hours at low volume level).
I didn't know exactly but I had a look and I think BTR7 has some more power than iFi Go Blu.
iFi don't say anything about the power for low impedance 16 or 23ohms HP, but on their web site it's indicated :
Fiio BTR7 => 320mW（32Ω loaded）
iFi Go blu => 245mW @ 32Ω
Ifi claimed values are usually optimistic to say the least. BTR7 in a recent measurement topped out at just over 200mW using high gain, in balanced mode.
OK it was for 32 ohm, but since it is current limited, you won't get any more at lower impedances. That is far from the claimed 320mW!
I just tried this for testing purpose and I will probably never use such combo with any of those BT dongles iFi Go Blu / BTR7 .. But, clearly only BTR7 is not really clipping nor adding significant distortion on the Max Richter's track with the Stealth.
That part is true, BTR7 keeps its composure all the way. Don't know about Go Blue.
one would be crazy to use a $200 DAC/amp with a $4000 headphones!
Need a Mojo2 at the very least (400mW), Hugo2 would be better (700mW).
Ifi claimed values are usually optimistic to say the least. BTR7 in a recent measurement topped out at just over 200mW using high gain, in balanced mode.
I think it depends on the measurements protocol .. I think ASR's 200mw were with 0.1% distortion .. and FIIO 320mw are probably a more usual 1% distortion. Anyway that was not my subject ...
I just noticed the little BTR7 with the DCA Stealth does a more decent job than my WM1A, Kann Alpha, Centrance M8V2, Hiby 6 Pro and iFi Go blu... While my Ampersand, FIIO M17(DC Mode) and even the Less BX2+ are offering better results of course at a more realistic sound pressure level.
Ifi claimed values are usually optimistic to say the least. BTR7 in a recent measurement topped out at just over 200mW using high gain, in balanced mode.
OK it was for 32 ohm, but since it is current limited, you won't get any more at lower impedances. That is far from the claimed 320mW!
That part is true, BTR7 keeps its composure all the way. Don't know about Go Blue.
one would be crazy to use a $200 DAC/amp with a $4000 headphones!
Need a Mojo2 at the very least (400mW), Hugo2 would be better (700mW).
The Go Blu is like the best $200 dac/amp around. It actually drives the Stealths well (and the 1266 TCs too up to a certain volume).
The Go Blu has made me reconsider power needs of headphones. It’s just crazy it works as well as it does with hard to drive headphones. I don’t understand it.
I think it depends on the measurements protocol .. I think ASR's 200mw were with 0.1% distortion .. and FIIO 320mw are probably a more usual 1% distortion. Anyway that was not my subject ...
I just noticed the little BTR7 with the DCA Stealth does a more decent job than my WM1A, Kann Alpha, Centrance M8V2, Hiby 6 Pro and iFi Go blu... While my Ampersand, FIIO M17(DC Mode) and even the Less BX2+ are offering better results of course at a more realistic sound pressure level.
I think the Hiby R6 Pro sounds quite good with the Stealth using the balanced out in high gain mode. It does drain the battery more quickly though. Note that I listen at moderate volumes. What don't you like about it?
I just noticed the little BTR7 with the DCA Stealth does a more decent job than my WM1A, Kann Alpha, Centrance M8V2, Hiby 6 Pro and iFi Go blu... While my Ampersand, FIIO M17(DC Mode) and even the Less BX2+ are offering better results of course at a more realistic sound pressure level.
I don't think it is about the numbers so much as the amplification circuit itself. It's a bit OT, but the new FiiO M11S and the M11 ESS Plus both have the same output power, roughly, but the latter very clearly sounds better, with better clarity, instrument separation etc. I'm not a fan of THX amps (nor particularly low-THD targeted gear) but it seems that FiiO has done a decent job of making them work reasonably well.
@newworld666 I actually didn't think about it but, were you on high gain on the go Blu? And were you on ldac?
Between fiio and other chi-fi brands vs ifi, I have sworn off chi-fi tuning....or maybe the NCFA and thx amplification stage because they always sound thin + lacks lower harmonics and their market reach has also made people think it's the new neutral or proper neutral. Meanwhile the Gryphon on ldac and my main rig with an amp with Sparko Pros are of the same tonality. That's why when comparing the m17 + DC power vs go Blu, the m17 sounds more labored despite being 2w vs 245mw on the go Blu.
I think the Hiby R6 Pro sounds quite good with the Stealth using the balanced out in high gain mode. It does drain the battery more quickly though. Note that I listen at moderate volumes. What don't you like about it?
Yes, it does a decent job with rather low distortion and almost no clipping, but at a too moderate volume level to cover a simple outside TV noise inside the Stealth.
This whole Cradle to Grave as a test track for clipping needs to die because it's really a user case error than the gear where the user has no idea where to set the volume and is treating bg music with 30hz and 60hz like it's 50 cent in da club. I don't get this macho thing that's on the road to hearing loss. The only torture test this thing fulfills are broken gear and ears...which is probably how Passion for Sound got ruined Stealths coz of the owner trying to clip Cradle to Grave.
As a challenge, listen to Cradle to Grave at the volume you are whining there's not enough power then play Mozart's complete wind music's track 3. Both have the relatively same DR and peak. Actually the wind album has lower peaks so you can listen 1.5dB louder. lets see if u can handle being that up close to the wind instruments as much as the bass notes.
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lets see if u can handle being that up close to the wind instruments as much as the bass notes.
