[Reebonz]

I used my Ferrum Erco & Hypsos mainly for Meze Elite. But also tried it with HD800S and Sony IER-Z1R. I believe we have another winner from the Ferrum team.

Some observations:

• The blackness that everyone is raving about is real. There is no noise from all the headphones and IEMs I've tried—an amazing feat considering the high power output.
• Compared to the Chord TT2/Mscaler and iFi Pro iDSD/Pro iCan, it is on another level. Ferrum stack is very fast and has more dynamics, layering, transparency, holographic soundstage, and hits harder.
• DAC circuit is wonderful. Perfect synergy with that amp section wizardry. Neutral with a bit of warmness. In fact, I find it better than TT2+Oor+Hypsos due to its less harshness. This combination has slightly better detail but at the cost of some treble glare on lesser quality recordings. So, there's no need to worry about getting a poor DAC. Trust the guys at Ferrum with tons of digital to analog experience.
• With the Erco, I actually enjoy low-volume listening, not missing out on any detail or bass. Incredible.

 

[Aetherhole]

I used my Ferrum Erco & Hypsos mainly for Meze Elite. But also tried it with HD800S and Sony IER-Z1R. I believe we have another winner from the Ferrum team.

Some observations:

• The blackness that everyone is raving about is real. There is no noise from all the headphones and IEMs I've tried—an amazing feat considering the high power output.
• Compared to the Chord TT2/Mscaler and iFi Pro iDSD/Pro iCan, it is on another level. Ferrum stack is very fast and has more dynamics, layering, transparency, holographic soundstage, and hits harder.
• DAC circuit is wonderful. Perfect synergy with that amp section wizardry. Neutral with a bit of warmness. In fact, I find it better than TT2+Oor+Hypsos due to its less harshness. This combination has slightly better detail but at the cost of some treble glare on lesser quality recordings. So, there's no need to worry about getting a poor DAC. Trust the guys at Ferrum with tons of digital to analog experience.
• With the Erco, I actually enjoy low-volume listening, not missing out on any detail or bass. Incredible.

Great thoughts! It’s interesting you find the ERCO+HYPSOS better than even the TT2, OOR, and HYPSOS. One thing you might want to experiment with is changing the output voltage. I think raising it a little bit could help a little bit with the treble glare you are experiencing. Just a thought!

Also, have you tried the Ferrum Stack as a triple stack? ERCO+OOR+HYPSOS??

 

[Aetherhole]

Just got in the OOR, so going to try the Ferrum Trifecta

 

[Reebonz]

Great thoughts! It’s interesting you find the ERCO+HYPSOS better than even the TT2, OOR, and HYPSOS. One thing you might want to experiment with is changing the output voltage. I think raising it a little bit could help a little bit with the treble glare you are experiencing. Just a thought!

Also, have you tried the Ferrum Stack as a triple stack? ERCO+OOR+HYPSOS??

Definitely a possibility to reduce the glare by changing the voltage, but I did not play with the Hypsos when trying that setup.

Just got in the OOR, so going to try the Ferrum Trifecta

Wow, and now you got the full Ferrum stack. Since I don't have very hard-to-drive headphones, the OOR is not for me, but keen to hear how good is that setup for your Susvara.

 

[Aetherhole]

Definitely a possibility to reduce the glare by changing the voltage, but I did not play with the Hypsos when trying that setup.

Wow, and now you got the full Ferrum stack. Since I don't have very hard-to-drive headphones, the OOR is not for me, but keen to hear how good is that setup for your Susvara.

Honestly, if I didn't have the Susvara, I'd probably have no need for the OOR. The ERCO has gobs of power, but as I am finding out while listening tonight, the difference between the ERCO and the OOR, specifically with the Susvara, is not subtle. That's not to understate the ERCO's capability though. It's a verrrrry good DAC/Amp.

 

[Tom75]

Hi guys,
My dealer recommended the Erco for my Elite. Originally, I wanted to purchase the oor/hypsos combo.
Sorry, I didn't read all threads here, so may be this was discussed somewhere in the other ferrum thread..
Any experiences?
As I read here, Euro + hypsos is also an option?
My headphones are Meze Elite, Sendy Peacock and ZMF VC.
Thanks!

 

[Aetherhole]

Hi guys,
My dealer recommended the Erco for my Elite. Originally, I wanted to purchase the oor/hypsos combo.
Sorry, I didn't read all threads here, so may be this was discussed somewhere in the other ferrum thread..
Any experiences?
As I read here, Euro + hypsos is also an option?
My headphones are Meze Elite, Sendy Peacock and ZMF VC.
Thanks!

I don't have a whole lot of experience with the Meze Elite so I hope others will chime in, but I can say that the Erco has a lot of power. I saw that the Elites are relatively easy to drive at 101dB and 32ohm. That's more than within the capabilities of the Erco, since they output even 6.1W into a 50ohm load. Could they benefit from even more power, like the Oor provide? Probably, as many headphones scale well with more power. That said, if you've already got a DAC you really like, maybe the Oor would be a good option. Are you planning to get the Hypsos if you do go the route of the Erco?

 

[Tom75]

I don't have a whole lot of experience with the Meze Elite so I hope others will chime in, but I can say that the Erco has a lot of power. I saw that the Elites are relatively easy to drive at 101dB and 32ohm. That's more than within the capabilities of the Erco, since they output even 6.1W into a 50ohm load. Could they benefit from even more power, like the Oor provide? Probably, as many headphones scale well with more power. That said, if you've already got a DAC you really like, maybe the Oor would be a good option. Are you planning to get the Hypsos if you do go the route of the Erco?

Probably I'm going the route with Erco and hypsos.
I do not have a DAC (only my 3max) and tried the Phonitor X with DAC, which was a little bit too clinical to my ears.
The Fiio K9pro is too soft.
So, I'd go the way with oor/hypsos, but then need a separate DAC or directly with Erco and maybe Hypsos. Depends on the sound signature of the DAC/Erco and how it matches with the Elite. Its always hard to do that "blind"..

 

[Reebonz]

Probably I'm going the route with Erco and hypsos.
I do not have a DAC (only my 3max) and tried the Phonitor X with DAC, which was a little bit too clinical to my ears.
The Fiio K9pro is too soft.
So, I'd go the way with oor/hypsos, but then need a separate DAC or directly with Erco and maybe Hypsos. Depends on the sound signature of the DAC/Erco and how it matches with the Elite. Its always hard to do that "blind"..

If you don't already have a great DAC, the ERCO + Hypsos should provide you with a better value.

As I've mentioned above, I tried the Elite using TT2 + OOR + Hypsos and found the sound very similar to the ERCO + Hypsos setup, except the first setup provides slightly more detail but is harsher when it comes to playing not so good recordings. ERCO definitely has the same DNA as OOR and is the best I've heard for the Elite.

Whether the Hypsos is worth the extra is quite a personal preference. You can hear the sound comparison with and without Hypsos here at 10 mins 6 seconds: I can hear quite a significant improvement like in the video demo.

I think if you are already happy with your current headphones and don't wish to change your gear anytime soon, the ERCO + Hypsos bundle is perfect.

DAC + OOR + Hypsos is more expensive but also more flexible, and you can swap out each component to suit your headphones and listening preference in the future.

So, it is up to your spending budget and if you are in the mood for experimentation.

 

[Tom75]

Thanks a lot. Very very helpful!!!

 

[Tom75]

Hi guys,
After some conversations with owners of the oor, I'm still struggling and tend to go with the oor + R2R DAC and not the Erco.
As I realized, the Erco is using ESS Sabres and I didn't like them in the 220max (9028pro) and also not very much in the M17 (9038pro). As I mainly use R2R or AK4499EQ sources, the ESS always sounded a little bit too bright. May be the 9028pro are different in the Erco set up?
In this thread I read, that the ESS should sound "warm"...

 

[Reebonz]

Hi guys,
After some conversations with owners of the oor, I'm still struggling and tend to go with the oor + R2R DAC and not the Erco.
As I realized, the Erco is using ESS Sabres and I didn't like them in the 220max (9028pro) and also not very much in the M17 (9038pro). As I mainly use R2R or AK4499EQ sources, the ESS always sounded a little bit too bright. May be the 9028pro are different in the Erco set up?
In this thread I read, that the ESS should sound "warm"...

Don't underestimate how good the DAC is in ERCO. It can easily compete with other more expensive DACs.

In my opinion, the DAC in ERCO is perfect for the Meze Elite. As the Elite is already full-sounding and smooth treble, you don't need any more smoothness to make everything too dull. It's why I also prefer a solid-state amp to a tube amp for the Elite. But again, it's your call.

After a week, I'm still super impressed with the Elite/Erco pairing. With the Erco, it's like it has built-in Dolby Atmos-enabled. Sound becomes crazy holographic and 3D. Truly mind-blowing stuff.

 

[Aetherhole]

I agree, I wouldn't count out the Erco on the count of it having the ESS DAC. Especially for a headphone that leans on the warmer and lusher side a warmer DAC will only round out the top end even more.

There's more to a DAC's sound than the chip it uses.

 

[Tom75]

Thanks.

So there's no harshness, sibilance etc. with the Erco/hypsos and Elite..?

Could also be an option to go for an Erco first and keep an upgrade to an oor in mind..

 

[Tom75]

And one additional question (sorry to bother you again ).
Does Erco/hypsos and oor/hypsos have the same power/impact with regards to bass control/power.
I like a controlled and defined bass, so this is really important to me.