[FooFighter]

.

 

[lowlou]

Hey

Do you know/think an SPL Phonitor 2 could pair nicely with a Stealth ?

I've never bought a headphone amp !!! I'd like to get your expertise. I'm looking for a solid state transparent sound.
I'd need the crossfeed matrix of the SPL, this is what oriented my choice toward the SPL.

I won't listen above 85 dB for extended period of time.

Here is what the manual says.

Max. Output power (at +30 dBu @ 1 kHz)
• 2 x 1 W at 600 Ohm impedance
• 2 x 2 W at 300 Ohm impedance
• 2x 3.7 W at 120 Ohm impedance
• 2x 2.9 W at 47 Ohm impedance
• 2x 2.7 W at 32 Ohm impedance

 

[robo24]

For those of you using the Mojo 2, any recommended built in EQ settings?

So far have boosted the sub-bass some and mid-bass less. I recently got the Stealth used and am really enjoying them. Quite different from everything else I own. Heard them at 2 CanJams and both times preferred them over the Expanse and all but a handful of others I didn't already own. Having started reading much of the thread when they first came out the hate from some has been mind boggling.

I'd been surprised that I enjoyed it as much or more on my original Hugo than on the Envy with a much better DAC and I figured given DCA recommends the Mojo 2 with its current doubling that it would be even better. So far so good! Not quite as expansive as the Envy with WE 300b tubes but the overall difference is quite small given the price difference in the 2 chains.

 

[lowlou]

Would there be a way for me to utilize the SPL crossfeed matrix, and still feed high wattage to the Stealth via another HP amp, as it's been recommended at the pages 160-170 on this thread ?
So an amplification chain consisting of a Schiit Ragnarok (24W at 32 ohm impedance) + SPL (just for the crossfeed matrix) ? Would that be "correct", or "wrong" and detrimental ? And how would you position each element in the chain relative to each other ?
I'm thinking of the Ragnarok because some have said the Stealth needs a lot of juice to reveal itself, but well, if someone down-to-earth with real world experience tells me that the SPL Phonitor 2 can totally amplify the Stealth, well I'll be very happy to save a ton of money then.
Thanks !

 

[Daniel Johnston]

Would there be a way for me to utilize the SPL crossfeed matrix, and still feed high wattage to the Stealth via another HP amp, as it's been recommended at the pages 160-170 on this thread ?
So an amplification chain consisting of a Schiit Ragnarok (24W at 32 ohm impedance) + SPL (just for the crossfeed matrix) ? Would that be "correct", or "wrong" and detrimental ? And how would you position each element in the chain relative to each other ?
I'm thinking of the Ragnarok because some have said the Stealth needs a lot of juice to reveal itself, but well, if someone down-to-earth with real workd experience tells me that the SPL Phonitor 2 can totally amplify the Stealth, well I'll be very happy to save a ton of money then.
Thanks !

You'll drive the Stealths without difficulty with the Phonitor. You're getting at least 2W to the Stealths. Ragnarok is a beast for sure. As for using the Phontor as a pre, I can't see why the crossfeed wouldn't work using the Rag as an amp.

You should consider the Rekkr or Gjallahorn too. I use a Rekker with the Freya N as a pre. There is more than enough power to drive the Stealths to perfection. The Gjallahorn will give you all the power you want at a fraction of the cost of the Rag.

 

[lowlou]

Thanks Daniel !!

So you tell me that I can input the signal into the SPL Input, don't apply amplification but use solely the crossfeed matrix, & then send the signal out of the SPL to the Ragnarok/Rekker/Gjallahorn for amplification, to the HPs ? Is that kind of chain something commonly done ?
Regarding the SPL driving the Stealth sufficiently, I just read very different & conflicting takes on that... Someone told me straight that the SPL was not up to the task... Whereas technically, Dan Clark says that 1W at 32 impedance is enough. Many say that the Stealth needs overpowered amps to sound their best. It's just... Weird. I keep reading something and its opposite, to the point where I just get confused.
Thx

 

[Daniel Johnston]

Thanks Daniel !!

So you tell me that I can input the signal into the SPL Input, don't apply amplification but use solely the crossfeed matrix, & then send the signal out of the SPL to the Ragnarok/Rekker/Gjallahorn for amplification, to the HPs ? Is that kind of chain something commonly done ?
Regarding the SPL driving the Stealth sufficiently, I just have very different take on that... Someone told me straight that the SPL was not up to the task... Whereas technically, Dan Clark says that 1W at 32 impedance is enough. Many say that the Stealth needs overpowered amps to sound their best. It's just... Weird. I keep reading something and its opposite, to the point where I just get confused.
Thx

You can use the SPL as a preamp to whatever you want. Whatever crossfeed/DSP the Phonitor does will pass on to the amp.

Using a pre with DSP/EQ/Crossfeed to an external amp is very common. I’m sure in the Phonitor thread, you’ll get suggestions of what amps members use with the Phonitor.

You’re going to waste a ton of money listening to people with unfounded and often psychoacoustic biases about the Stealth and huge power amps. Dan Clark is a very knowledgeable guy who uses science and his ears to design his headphones. If he says 500mw of good, clean power is what the Stealth needs, I’d believe him. That’s why I suggested the Gjallahorn. You get 10-20x the recommended power the manufacturer suggests. That’s ridiculous amounts of headroom and more than enough current to smoke the Stealth. The Rekker/Freya combo I use sounds better than the 11W into 32ohm Heaphone amp I also own. The extra 8W of power does precisely nothing. And, the higher power amp is multiple times more expensive than the Freya/Rekkr combo.

Welcome to the Rabbit Hole!

 

[lowlou]

Thank you so much for your answer. It really helps .
Ok so I think I'll try first the Phonitor on its own, as theorically it should be enough to drive the Stealth. Then at a later stage, maybe, I'll try to add something else to the chain, if I find the sound lacking. This is what made sense to me, initially, and so it's what I'll do .

 

[lowlou]

Hey I'm curious. Has anybody sold the Stealth in favor of the new E3 Closed ? Or does anybody has the two HPs in their listening rig currently ?

 

[SLC1966]

Hey I'm curious. Has anybody sold the Stealth in favor of the new E3 Closed ? Or does anybody has the two HPs in their listening rig currently ?

I had both for awhile. Including Expanse also. The sound signature of E3 is in between Stealth and Expanse. E3 is very good but the Stealth and Expanse are at a whole other level of texture and layering and depth.

They should be based on price and they are. All 3 HPs are excellent though.

 

[BassicScience]

I had both for awhile. Including Expanse also. The sound signature of E3 is in between Stealth and Expanse. E3 is very good but the Stealth and Expanse are at a whole other level of texture and layering and depth.

They should be based on price and they are. All 3 HPs are excellent though.

Interesting, as your take is pretty much the opposite of mine. I've owned the E3 for a few months, and recently did a comparative audition with the Stealth and Expanse. All in all, I've now auditioned the Stealth on 7-8 occasions and the Expanse on a few. IMO, the flagships decidedly do not perform at a higher technical level than the E3, and I actually thought the E3 had the best (deepest) soundstaging of the lot. In terms of tuning, the Stealth was the outlier for me, given its comparatively woeful bass dynamics. The E3 is brighter in the upper midrange than the others, which can be borderline strident on some material, on some chains. That might be a deal-breaker for some listeners.

While I respect your subjective opinion, I wanted to highlight that DCA headphones seem to have a wider-than-average divergence of individual user experiences, and I'd encourage prospective buyers to audition and come to their own conclusions.

 

[lowlou]

Yup I'm listening to the Aeon, E3, Stealth, Expanse, Heddphone two, Composer on thursday .

 

[OneEyedHito]

Interesting, as your take is pretty much the opposite of mine. I've owned the E3 for a few months, and recently did a comparative audition with the Stealth and Expanse. All in all, I've now auditioned the Stealth on 7-8 occasions and the Expanse on a few. IMO, the flagships decidedly do not perform at a higher technical level than the E3, and I actually thought the E3 had the best (deepest) soundstaging of the lot. In terms of tuning, the Stealth was the outlier for me, given its comparatively woeful bass dynamics. The E3 is brighter in the upper midrange than the others, which can be borderline strident on some material, on some chains. That might be a deal-breaker for some listeners.

While I respect your subjective opinion, I wanted to highlight that DCA headphones seem to have a wider-than-average divergence of individual user experiences, and I'd encourage prospective buyers to audition and come to their own conclusions.

I wholeheartedly respect @SLC1966’s guidance. I’ve successfully taken direct buying suggestions from him often (Great Guy), I find the E3 to be as you do though and a much more enjoyable listen to my ears than the Stealth.

I still find the Susvara with a requisite chain of streamer, DAC, and amp to be the pinnacle of over ear to my tastes and hearing but I find the E3 to be the best $2K of cans with mid-fi chain I’ve heard. Listening with our own ears is still necessary in this early age of AI, it hasn’t solved this for me yet.

 

[lowlou]

Thanks for all the feedbacks !

 

[BassicScience]

I wholeheartedly respect @SLC1966’s guidance. I’ve successfully taken direct buying suggestions from him often (Great Guy), I find the E3 to be as you do though and a much more enjoyable listen to my ears than the Stealth.

I still find the Susvara with a requisite chain of streamer, DAC, and amp to be the pinnacle of over ear to my tastes and hearing but I find the E3 to be the best $2K of cans with mid-fi chain I’ve heard. Listening with our own ears is still necessary in this early age of AI, it hasn’t solved this for me yet.

Agreed that the Susvara is still the overall king of planars, although the E3 is my current highest recommendation for someone on a more restrictive budget, or who requires a closed-back. I seem to be appreciating and enjoying the E3 more, the longer I own it. It's just a superb, versatile, musical headphone with few weaknesses.

Many people I respect are speaking glowingly of the Tungsten as a "value" planar, and I'm really looking forward to hearing it next weekend at CanJam. Also, as I mentioned previously, my recent first impression of the Empyrean II was highly positive, although at $3k it may not slot into the "value" category. I didn't have the Susvara with me to compare, but I'm pretty sure the Empy II hasn't surpassed it. In any case, I'll be revisiting the new Meze next week, as well.