[jibra]

Did anyone make a direct comparison between EarMax and EarMax Pro with Sennheiser HD-600? I picked up the used EarMax and am waiting for the amp to arrive.

There are many postings about EarMax Pro with HD-600 but not many for regular version of EarMax. I am curious about the difference between old and new versions when they are driving the high impedance cans. I know that Pro is designed to handle low impedance cans like Sony and Grado so please confine the discussion related to their ability to drive high impedance cans.

Thanks,
Jibra

 

[markl]

I owned both the EM and EMP and HD600s. I'm sorry to tell you but I found the EM to be basically useless. They should just do away with the EM altogether IMO. It was designed specifically to drive the HD600 but it is so anemically powered that it would clip even when the volume was not raised that high. I do listen loud, but the fact that it clips at moderate volumes means that even at low volumes, the amp is struggling and not giving you all it might, reducing its dynamic ability and degrading sound quality.

The EMP solved the problem with the HD600, but it's still not a powerhouse amp, but very tubey and lush and certainly enjoyable. Can you swap the EM for the EMP?

Mark

 

[JaZZ]

I'm not as pessimistic as Mark; it's probably all in the listening level. With some healthy tubes in it my EMP had no problem to achieve every listening level I liked to adjust with every headphone I used, even the ones Mark has said to be critical for his demands. So I guess with the HD 600, the least critical headphone for the Earmax, it would do the job quite decently for normal listening practice. At least I hope so. Good luck!

 

[jibra]

Thanks for the opinions. I can't say much until I get the amp. But I know that the amp comes with the stock tubes. Can I assume that the all the talk about tube rolling with EMP will apply EM?

Markl
Which position did you start to hear the distortion? 12 p.m. or even before that?

Jazz
Your profile says that you own Grado. Did you try to use Grado with EM?

Thanks,
Jibra

 

[Digital-Monk]

Not exactly on topic (sorry jibra), but I listened to the Earmax yesterday, and I'd have to say that I was a little disappointed (I didn't try the Pro). I tried it with Grado SR125, ety's er-6 and HD590's. I found the amp distorted will all headphones if it was any higher than 50%. The listening volume varied with the phones, but 50% was just above average listening volume. The tubes had been on for about an hour, so they were well warmed. Perhaps some new tubes would produce different results.

I hope you have success with your HD600 setup.

 

[JaZZ]

jibra...

...no problem with the Grados on my Earmax Pro! That's of no use for you, since you don't have the Pro and low-impedance cans (hello, Digital-Monk!) won't work with the Earmax.

Tuberolling will have the same sonic effect as with the Pro, but be aware that there are different tubes in the two models.

 

[markl]

The standard Earmax uses a different tube set than the EMP. You can't use the EMP tubes in the EM.
Quote:

Not exactly on topic (sorry jibra), but I listened to the Earmax yesterday, and I'd have to say that I was a little disappointed (I didn't try the Pro). I tried it with Grado SR125, ety's er-6 and HD590's. I found the amp distorted will all headphones if it was any higher than 50%. The listening volume varied with the phones, but 50% was just above average listening volume. The tubes had been on for about an hour, so they were well warmed. Perhaps some new tubes would produce different results.

I've been writing this about the EM for ages, and I'm glad someone else noticed it, too. You did use a lot of low-impedence phones though that the EM is not equipped to drive.

Even more controversial has been my opinion that the EMP can't drive anything besides the HD600 satisfactorily at volume levels I like to listen at. I heard exactly what DigitalMonk describes with the Ety ER4S on my EMP. The Ety's clipped on the EMP the same way the HD600s clipped on the EM.

Other members don't necessarily agree with me, but I always caution people asking about the EMP, that I think for some people, it simply will not be a very versatile amp. That is, if you decide to switch from the HD600s to something else, you can't necessarily take the EMP with you. You'll need a different amp, preferably one that is comfortable running low and high impedence cans.

Darn shame too, because the EMP is dynamite with the HD600 with surprising bass performance for such a low-powered amp. It's a conundrum and a mystery to me how it can clip with one can, but give deep, thunderous bass with the HD600. It was however, developed specifically to drive the Senns, so maybe that explains it.

Mark

 

[Rob N]

Quote:

Originally posted by Digital-Monk I found the amp distorted will all headphones if it was any higher than 50%. The listening volume varied with the phones, but 50% was just above average listening volume.

When using my EMP I only have to turn the volume about 15-20% to get a good volume (with a standard 2v output CD player with RS1 phones) any higher than about 30-40% and it's just too loud!

How can you stand 50% on the volume,is there that much difference between the Earmax and EMP versions?

 

[Digital-Monk]

Quote:

Originally posted by Rob N When using my EMP I only have to turn the volume about 15-20% to get a good volume (with a standard 2v output CD player with RS1 phones) any higher than about 30-40% and it's just too loud! How can you stand 50% on the volume,is there that much difference between the Earmax and EMP versions?

It wasn't that loud at 50%. Like I stated earlier it was just above moderate listening level. With the SR-125 I would set it between 35-40% for regular listening. Having said this I'm sure that some distortion and clipping could be heard at even this level, although much less apparent.

I don't feel that I listened to the amp long enough to comment specifically on the quality and tone of the amp. Once I noticed the distortion I couldn't get it out of my head, and I tried other cans to confirm my findings. I was unable to sit back and enjoy the sound of the Earmax, because I was caught up in the imperfections.

I would still love to try the amp with some higher impedence headphones, and I think that it would prove very promising, but since all my headphones are currently below 48 ohms so I don't need an amp to drive high impedence cans. I'm sure that there is a combo that works like gold.

BTW mark:
Interesting that you noticed the same thing. I said something to the tech at the audio store that I was auditioning at and his only response was that "headphone amps aren't to blow your ears out". I would hardly say that I was listening above moderate volume.

 

[taoster]

from what i gather from other posters.. the earmax sounds good with the HD600 but bad with any low-impedence phone.

and that the earmax and earmax pro are very different amps.

ps: the earmax pro has more than enough volume for my needs and works well for both high and low imedence phone.. all the phones i have in any case. IMHO!