[jacal01]

Sparky in review

 

[Audio Addict]

Sparky in review

Awesone!!!!

 

[jacal01]

Going against its competition.

 

[jacal01]

My 535SE impressions are posted:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/833728/emac-535se-impressions-thread#post_13251889

 

[Audio Addict]

Thank you!!! Did it make you want to join the campaign?

 

[jacal01]

I'm already there. One of Steve's erstwhile headphones cable customers. I will say that I think his latest amp effort is a 'tour de force' for him.

 

[GU1DO]

Hi ,,
 
i was looking for this amp but not sure about the req. ,,
 
Is the Chord Mojo or Hugo compatible ?

 

NOT FOR EVERYONE

The 535 gives much, but it does ask just a little in return and as such will not be compatible with all sources. Because the inputs go directly to the transformer instead of an active buffer, the source's output must adhere to the following:

• Maximum output should be no higher than 2 volts RMS
• Maximum output impedance should be no higher than 300 ohms
• The outputs must not have any DC offset voltage

Note: Exceeding these limits will not cause physical damage to the 535, but they will degrade audio performance.
 
 

 

[liamstrain]

Short answer. Yes. The 3V line output of the Mojo and Hugo are just fine. 
 
Long answer.
 

 
The input transformers in the 535 are rated to have a maximum input level of +10dBu, which is just under 2.5 volts RMS. This level is derived by the input level that results in 1% THD at 20Hz as distortion in transformers is greatest at the lowest frequencies and drops precipitously as frequency increases.
 
The Chord's 3 volt output is not a problem. We simply chose 2 volts RMS because it is a common output level and was part of the Redbook standard for compact disc. Also, there's really no music out there that we can think of that has full scale output at 20Hz, unless there's something out there that's nothing but a 20Hz sinewave which would get boring really quick. And even if it were, you would only have to deal with a very slight increase in distortion at that extreme bottom end of human perception. 

 

[jacal01]

So by 50 Hz bass, you're down to a more respectable 0.04% THD at the +10 dBu (RMS) input transformer specified maximum.  What instruments are capable of generating 20 Hz sonics, anyway?  Organ?  Cello?  Double bassoon?
 
'Ware a sonorous organ solo. 

 
 
But you're right.  An inapplicable basis DAC spec as stated. 

 

[jacal01]

Sad to send the prototype on soon. It's an incredible amp.

 
Thank you!!!  Did it make you want to join the campaign?

 

[GU1DO]

ok i think i got it ,, but :
 
- what kind of distortion will be heard at worst case scenario ?
 
i am not electrician but with google i found a calc to convert volt to dBu
and it show 3Volt (RMS) = 11.8 dBu which is off the chart you provided
 
- What DAC you recommend ?
 
sorry i am not that expert in these electrical stuff so bare with me ..

 

[liamstrain]

Worst case scenario would be if you played nothing but a 20Hz sinewave at 3 volts, in which case there would be no headroom for any other frequencies. In other words, such a worst case scenario would never exist in actual music.
 
But if you were to play nothing but a 20Hz sinewave at 3 volts, THD might go up to 2% or so and you likely wouldn't perceive anything as distortion, but perhaps you might perceive the 20Hz tone as very slightly enhanced due to the "missing fundamental" phenomenon.
 
Bottom line, you're not even going to hit anything near 1% THD at 20Hz with your 3 volt DAC playing actual music, and in hindsight, we probably shouldn't have even used that spec to specify a 2 volt RMS maximum input level as it is largely meaningless when listening to actual music. We will revisit this and adjust the spec accordingly.
 
I will not recommend any particular DAC - as there are too many factors to consider (chipset, features, price, etc.) - our take on it is, most commercially available DACs do not present any audible distortion or other signal issues with the 535SE, including the Chord products, which will be just fine. Most of the reviews here and elsewhere have mentioned which DAC they used, if that helps guide you. If you have a specific concern about one you are considering, we are happy to look at the numbers and let you know if there are any red flags, but off-hand, I cannot think of many that would even possibly be an issue.

 

[jacal01]

For those who are late to the party:
 
Per my earlier post, my impressions/review is posted here.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/833728/emac-535se-impressions-thread#post_13251889

 

[paradoxper]

Hands Review:
 
EMAC 535SE Amplifier Review

 
 
 
First off, I'd like to thank @liamstrain and The Audio Guild as a whole for giving me the opportunity to test and review their new 535SE headphone amplifier.
 
You can find the original thread on it here, the product page for it here, and a writeup of the overall design of the amp here.
 
Looks, Feel, and General Usage Impressions 
 
I really dig the retro look of this amp, from the front plate design to the wood chassis. It feels solidly built. I'm not sure what else to say about it other than it properly captures a vintage look and feel.
 
Best of all, though, is that knob. That giant, humongous knob. It makes me feel dirty, but I love getting my hands all over the giant, black knob on the front...fondling it, twisting it back and forth, playing with it. In all seriousness, though, I never thought I'd give two ****s about a volume knob, but somehow I did in this case. (This knob lead to real conversations at a recent micro meet about using door wheels from ships on an amplifier. How often does a volume knob get people talking about volume knobs in a good way?)
 
Another feature I liked about this amp was that it offers three inputs and a pre-amp output. While I didn't get a chance to test it as a pre-amp, I did find it handy to flip between inputs with a simple switch on front. Not that this is an uncommon feature, but it's nice to have nonetheless.
 
I'm not one to usually care too much about looks or feel with audio equipment, but having had the amp for a few days, it's clear part of the appeal of owning one comes down to its vintage looks and that massive knob. It's a bit unique and charming in its own way because of all this and the amplifier design at hand, but the actual sound it puts out itself is still the most important aspect.
 
Sound Impressions 
 
Despite what some may think or say, I really did feel this amp sounded its best after it had the chance to play for a few hours and warm up. It seemed to respond well to being left on all the time, actually. Whether or not I was a victim of the dreaded placebo, I judged it post-warm up.
 
The 535SE occupies a sonic category that sits somewhere in between a solid state and tube amp, often avoiding the downfalls of each without always having the best traits of either. I don't mean that as a negative, but rather I am emphasizing that you can almost never avoid trade offs. In fact, sitting somewhere in the middle can sometimes be the right choice, depending on your wants, needs, and tastes.
 
The 535SE has a slightly warm but mostly neutral tone. In that regard, it does more closely match what you'd commonly hear from a decent tube amp. It's not quite as powerful as, say, the Mjolnir 2 or some of the best OPT-coupled tube amps, but it's not lean like the Valhalla 2. It's also not as bright and hard sounding as the Jotunheim. It's a little less thick and colored than the Black Widow v1. The 535SE is fairly middle of the road in this regard and fairly balanced. The HD650 sounded fairly good from the amp, and, thankfully, the amp did not make it sound lean or strained. In fact, with the tonal traits and 1 ohm output impedance, I found about any headphone worked quite well from the amp.
 
One upside of the 535SE compared to most tube amps, or even the Black Widow v1, is that it seemed to have tighter and slightly better defined bass, even if not always as slamming in the low end as the best tube amps under the $2K point. In other words, that sense of tube bloom did not exist, yet the slightly warm, but mostly neutral, tone remained. If you're looking to get the most slam and macro-dynamics from your HD650, and that's all you want, even with a bit of tube bloom, the 535SE may not be exactly what you're looking for.
 
From a resolution, clarity, speed, and similar technical abilities standpoint, I did not find myself wanting with the 535SE. It was certainly good enough to display even subtle differences between the Metrum Pavane and Adagio DACs. You may get better performance from another solid state amp, but likely at the cost of dealing with prickly or glaring treble. I'm not saying the 535SE is a performance monster like, say, the EC Studio, but it holds its own in its bracket.
 
Staging and imaging on the 535SE was not quite as 3D, layered, and airy as a good tube amp, nor was the 535SE expansive sounding, but I would add the 535SE didn't have a sense of stage flatness that is common from solid state amps. Depth was a little lacking, but not like heard on the jotunheim or Mjolnir 2. Compared to the Black Widow v1, I do think the 535SE has an overall better and less forward/condensed stage. This was one area in particular that stuck out in terms of having neither the strengths or weaknesses of most SS or tube amps. It occupied an area somewhere in between. Staging is one area that keeps me coming back to tubes, so I did find myself nitpicking the 535SE in this regard. It didn't get in the way, but I wish it was just a bit better, if I lived in a perfect world.
 
The other aspect I need to nitpick is that the 535SE has a slightly dry or rough timbre in the upper-midrange to lower-treble area. I did not find it egregious by any means, nor did I find it as bothersome as on the Valhalla 2 or, even worse, the MicroZOTL. This is one area where the Black Widow v1 excelled for a solidstate amp. Thankfully, with the overall tone of the 535SE and a lack of a glaring or hard high-end, I didn't find this to bother me too much. I just found it easier to sink into some other tube amps. If you're looking for a perfect blend of liquidity and clarity, you may be better served by a tube amp. Just be careful, because even a good tube amp with the wrong tubes can do worse. If you want great clarity and couldn't care less about bright or hard treble, you have plenty of other solid state options.
 
Overall Thoughts and Value 
 
During my tests, I actually felt quite positive about the 535SE. No, it's not quite perfect for my ears. I think the upper-end timbre could use a bit of refinement, and I wish the stage were a bit airier and more 3D. Despite those two points, I still enjoyed what I heard with about any headphone I threw at it. Even the Utopia, which I very recently learned is a surprisingly picky headphone, sounded quite good from the 535SE (more so than my modded, Mk2 Super 7, believe it or not).
 
I do need to give the 535SE high marks for hitting a good overall tone and having solid technical performance in other areas. I never felt like anything was missing in anything other than the two areas I had to nitpick, and even those areas weren't huge setbacks. From that perspective, that I had fairly little to complain about says to me the 535SE is a pretty good, all-rounder amp. Combine that all with the vintage look and that hunk of a volume knob, and the 535SE left me feeling happy overall.
 
From a value perspective, I do wish it were priced a bit lower. The pre-order price seems reasonable to me, and I wish that were the permanent rate (mostly so I can snatch one at that rate if and when I have money). I think for a solid state amp that sort of bridges that gap between SS and tubes, the 535SE is a good choice. That's a tough niche to fill, one that few SS amps have done so far (thinking BW1, but I might prefer the 535SE overall, maybe). Sure, I prefer some less expensive amps for just myHD650, but a good all-rounder amp, or SS sidekick for a tube amp if you swing that way, has a place as well. However, I keep circling back to the vintage looks and silly things like the joy of turning a knob, which make me not want to worry so much about the final asking price. I think it's a pretty cool amp. It sounds pretty darn good, even with some minor blemishes, and kills it with style that makes you want to keep it around and enjoy it
 
@MisterRogers, @bixby, and @Effusion[color=rgb(174, 195, 218)] [/color]heard it at the micro meet, so I hope they'll chime in with their thoughts. It was certainly awesome to use for DAC comparisons!

 

[kazsud]

Lol @ how the knob got you excited. It is like turning the dial on a big industrial machine.

The last time I heard the HD650 las like 6 years ago so I can't remember if they were linear sounding like the HD600 or not. On the HD800-S the sound stage was huge and 3D sounding. I can give a better description after I've had mine for a few days.