[Zoide]

anyone using a tube amp that offers extremely low noise floor with ES-R10 or similarly low-impedance? SET or OTL, wouldn't matter. i've tried both a Raal PDT-1a on demo and a Schiit Vali 1 and the R10 is simply too sensitive and noise floor (hiss) too distracting.

Naim Uniti HE's barely-audible floor is now impressing me more in comparison.

Why not get a low noise solid state amp and add in the "warmth" via EQ if needed?

 

[Aura]

Why not get a low noise solid state amp and add in the "warmth" via EQ if needed?

that's basically the Naim. however i am a nutjob and can't help but want to hear what a quiet tube could do with this headphone.

 

[justanut]

anyone using a tube amp that offers extremely low noise floor with ES-R10 or similarly low-impedance? SET or OTL, wouldn't matter. i've tried both a Raal PDT-1a on demo and a Schiit Vali 1 and the R10 is simply too sensitive and noise floor (hiss) too distracting.

Naim Uniti HE's barely-audible floor is now impressing me more in comparison.

I've had good results with the Cayin. 300B is beautiful to listen to.

 

[mulveling]

anyone using a tube amp that offers extremely low noise floor with ES-R10 or similarly low-impedance? SET or OTL, wouldn't matter. i've tried both a Raal PDT-1a on demo and a Schiit Vali 1 and the R10 is simply too sensitive and noise floor (hiss) too distracting.

Naim Uniti HE's barely-audible floor is now impressing me more in comparison.

I quite liked it with my old toaster Singlepower SDS with 6BX7 outputs and WE 396A input tube (or various good 6SN7's like TS round plates) - not that recommending "those" amps has ever helped anyone As a lover of vinyl and tubes I'm not really bothered by a "static" hissing noise floor until it gets quite significant. How much noise are you talking about, and is it just white noise / hiss or some awful hum / buzz?

I've stuck with the SS Headroom Max Balanced because it's more trustworthy, has just the right amount of warmth (some but not too much - maybe like your Naim), and the soundstage is quite beautiful this way. I just noticed I have its crossfeed and filter 1 engaged, huh. Anyways, GREAT match with the ES R10.

 

[tholt]

anyone using a tube amp that offers extremely low noise floor with ES-R10 or similarly low-impedance? SET or OTL, wouldn't matter. i've tried both a Raal PDT-1a on demo and a Schiit Vali 1 and the R10 is simply too sensitive and noise floor (hiss) too distracting.

Naim Uniti HE's barely-audible floor is now impressing me more in comparison.

I use my R10s with the Pendant SE. No hiss on either the low or high Z output.

 

[Aura]

As a lover of vinyl and tubes I'm not really bothered by a "static" hissing noise floor until it gets quite significant. How much noise are you talking about, and is it just white noise / hiss or some awful hum / buzz?

i gauge my tolerance for hiss based on whether i detect during music - my speaker rig has floor noise that is just below that point (Pioneer M22 + Lowther Alerion). the R10 is picking up a level of hiss above that point and once it physically distracts me with music running, it's a non-starter. i'm particularly sensitive to this for one reason or another. probably spoiled by my last two solid state amps (GS-X Mini and now the Naim) which are as close to pure black noise floor as i've ever heard.

I use my R10s with the Pendant SE. No hiss on either the low or high Z output.

thank you! that's been one i've thought about a few different times, not just for R10 but also Utopia.

 

[rsbrsvp]

My CFA-3 is way way to powerful for these headphones- and I hear NO hiss at all. Dead silent. no noise.... Sounds fantastic...

 

[VandyMan]

I've used the Woo WA5 and Woo WA6SE with no hiss at all. Both sound excellent. I listen at moderate volumes.

 

[mulveling]

i gauge my tolerance for hiss based on whether i detect during music - my speaker rig has floor noise that is just below that point (Pioneer M22 + Lowther Alerion). the R10 is picking up a level of hiss above that point and once it physically distracts me with music running, it's a non-starter. i'm particularly sensitive to this for one reason or another. probably spoiled by my last two solid state amps (GS-X Mini and now the Naim) which are as close to pure black noise floor as i've ever heard.



thank you! that's been one i've thought about a few different times, not just for R10 but also Utopia.

Oh wow you've got super efficient Lowthers in your speaker rig. That makes it tough to keep noise floor imperceptible, for sure. I have 96dB Tannoys and can get into trouble when combining high gain tube preamps & high gain power amps.

Noise floor is usually a matter of poor gain structure in a system. Too much gain downstream of the volume control (which usually includes gain from an active preamp & power amp) combined with very sensitive speakers equates to an audible hissing noise floor. Same with headphones, but the pre & amp are usually one box and the sensitivities and impedances can vary WILDLY. Good SS can usually be a tick quieter than tubes at the same gain level (better signal-to-noise ratio). But well designed tube gear can be very, very good. It's simply a matter of not amplifying that inherent noise floor too much after the volume control, if you don't need all that amplification (i.e. because you have sensitive speakers and don't listen at 130 dB).

The ES-R10 are very sensitive - this is the 2nd edge of it being so "easy to drive" - but not impossible to work with. The Max I have must be well over 20 dB of gain, and it's quiet. I'd think any decently designed tube amp under 20 dB of gain should be quiet. What you really want to see is honest signal-to-noise specs on these tubes amps, which I don't think is very common.

In my speaker rig, tube preamps with 20+ dB of gain cause audible hiss. Then I had a Rogue RP-9 and ARC Ref 6, both around 14 dB of gain. The ARC was dead quiet, the Rogue was certainly not. Better circuit design, better signal-to-noise ratio on the ARC - from measurements (stereophile) I think it was like 15dB better on the ARC.

 

[sennfan83261]

Just adding to the list of tube amps that can drive the ES-R10. Here's the WA6 (2nd gen) (OTC) with a pair of 13EM7 driver tubes (supposedly higher gain than stock 13DE7's). No audible hiss/noise at low resistance setting.

(don't mind the dust and the earpad covers on my HD580 that I usually leave out)

 

[SHAMuuu]

Just adding to the list of tube amps that can drive the ES-R10. Here's the WA6 (2nd gen) (OTC) with a pair of 13EM7 driver tubes (supposedly higher gain than stock 13DE7's). No audible hiss/noise at low resistance setting.

(don't mind the dust and the earpad covers on my HD580 that I usually leave out)

That wa6 looks beefed up. What tubes on it? And how do those two beauties compare on something like a wa6 upgraded like that?

That seems like a nice one two punch.

 

[Mach3]

Just joined the R10 club wowwzzzzaaaaa No 88. Quick listening, such a phenomenal headphone prices to sound ratio.

 

[justanut]

Just joined the R10 club wowwzzzzaaaaa No 88. Quick listening, such a phenomenal headphone prices to sound ratio.

Nice number! Show us the awesome rings on your zelkova~

 

[paradoxper]

Just joined the R10 club wowwzzzzaaaaa No 88. Quick listening, such a phenomenal headphone prices to sound ratio.

It is a bit ridiculous, right. Seemingly closing out on production is a real shame for the rest and majority whom will miss out.

 

[Mach3]

Nice number! Show us the awesome rings on your zelkova~

Let see what time I wake up tomorrow. I get some proper photo for these well deserved headphone.
It's 2am at the moment. The so call quick listening started at 10pm LOL

It is a bit ridiculous, right. Seemingly closing out on production is a real shame for the rest and majority whom will miss out.

I could have swear I was an all out electrostatic guy. But this headphone making me re-think all the lost opportunity to acquire the OG R10.
Damn you ES Lab making me go back to the rabbit hole... Dig dig I most likely will to get my hands on a precious OG R10.

Should have just listen/following Purk and Protoss all this time. Darn it, just sank MDR-R10 worth into a ATH-L3000 & ATH-L5000. Did I make the wrong decision.
To all the newbies, best headphones ever MDR-R10, Omega, HE90, 007 Mk1 <-- pick one
On a budget I still think the HD800 series are incredible value.