[thua]

okay, with ongoing discussion on already modules am0 and am 5 might be too late to post something about am2.....
 
got am2 last week and just giving my impression:
 
x7 and am1 i was ok with ( had ak jr before, favourite used headphone B&O H6) and found it very neutral, airy, even clinical, analytical. I preferred AK sound as it is more "emotional" but stayed with X7 mainly because of the UI and the fast consumer response.
now changed to am2, first on high gain: no really remarkable change to am1, ok you could hear louder but sound quality did not change a lot.
then switched am2 from high gain to low gain and sound was more in direction to what i knew from AK: warmer, full, more emotional, it is difficult to describe but this is what i am expecting from music, triggering emotions, and x7 with am1 was always a bit too clear, clean, but now I am quite happy with am2.
 
purchased same time K5 docking station to hear music at my working place during the week and sound impression when docked is very much like am2 sound impression.
 
rgds
thua

 

[ddtdave]

okay, with ongoing discussion on already modules am0 and am 5 might be too late to post something about am2.....

got am2 last week and just giving my impression:

x7 and am1 i was ok with ( had ak jr before, favourite used headphone B&O H6) and found it very neutral, airy, even clinical, analytical. I preferred AK sound as it is more "emotional" but stayed with X7 mainly because of the UI and the fast consumer response.
now changed to am2, first on high gain: no really remarkable change to am1, ok you could hear louder but sound quality did not change a lot.
then switched am2 from high gain to low gain and sound was more in direction to what i knew from AK: warmer, full, more emotional, it is difficult to describe but this is what i am expecting from music, triggering emotions, and x7 with am1 was always a bit too clear, clean, but now I am quite happy with am2.

purchased same time K5 docking station to hear music at my working place during the week and sound impression when docked is very much like am2 sound impression.

rgds
thua

Thank you for your feedback mate, I have been thinking about getting the am2 and wasn't too sure.... I do like the clear and clean aspect of am1 TBH it also seems fine to drive my headphones. I may just go ahead next week and order 1 for the flexibility it offers.

 

[warrior1975]

To me there was a huge difference between the am1 and am2. Both are clear, but everything sounded better with the am2.

 

[Unfie]

I've given in. I pulled the trigger on the AM2. I feel so dirty...but hopefully there is actually is a difference for me.

 

[bavinck]

If you don't hear a reasonably significant difference between AM1 and am2 I would think your headphones are not resolving enough. Not saying everyone should like am2 better, but there is clearly a difference that is hard to miss.

 

[warrior1975]

Agreed. Easy to hear for me.

 

[seanwee]

If you don't hear a reasonably significant difference between AM1 and am2 I would think your headphones are not resolving enough. Not saying everyone should like am2 better, but there is clearly a difference that is hard to miss.

Since its also using muses opamp ,it should sound similar to the E12A right?

 

[ClieOS]

  Since its also using muses opamp ,it should sound similar to the E12A right?

 
Between AM2 and E12A? Yes, quite similar. I suspect many won't be able to tell them apart without a lot of critical listening.

 

[astrallite]

If you don't hear a reasonably significant difference between AM1 and am2 I would think your headphones are not resolving enough. Not saying everyone should like am2 better, but there is clearly a difference that is hard to miss.

 
For me it's mostly a volume increase of several db. 
 
I could hit 120/120 on the volume dial on high dynamic range DSD and it still sounded quite low in volume with the AM1 on high gain even.
 
Now I can get the same volume at around 100/120 to 105/120 mark.
 
Still I'm waiting for the AM5. I'd like some more headroom especially on very high dynamic range/low base volume classical DSD music.

 

[ddtdave]

Thanks all appreciate your feedback.
@Asastrallitetrallite it sounds like you have some very hard to run cans there :-O

 

[bavinck]

For me it's mostly a volume increase of several db. 

I could hit 120/120 on the volume dial on high dynamic range DSD and it still sounded quite low in volume with the AM1 on high gain even.

Now I can get the same volume at around 100/120 to 105/120 mark.

Still I'm waiting for the AM5. I'd like some more headroom especially on very high dynamic range/low base volume classical DSD music.

In order to discern sonic differences between AM1 and am2 you need to volume match. Of course a more powerful amp is going to be louder at the same volume level, that goes without saying. However, the AM1 and am2 have very difference sonic profiles that anyone should be able to hear by testing at the same volume on the same song. When I swapped to the AM2 the difference was immediate and pronounced.

 

[PapaThrust]

Originally Posted by bavinck /img/forum/go_quote.gif


In order to discern sonic differences between AM1 and am2 you need to volume match. Of course a more powerful amp is going to be louder at the same volume level, that goes without saying. However, the AM1 and am2 have very difference sonic profiles that anyone should be able to hear by testing at the same volume on the same song. When I swapped to the AM2 the difference was immediate and pronounced.

 
Shouldn't the differences with the Fiio amps just be volume unless they are manufactured to have different signatures?
I don't recall if this is what Fiio is trying to do.
 
 I know expectation bias CAN be a very strong factor.
 
 I wish I could but- I cannot hear any differences between  Am1, Fiio K5, Asgard 2 or Duet 2  when the volumes are matched. And I AM trying.
 
Anyone should hear something significant between the Duet and the others on low impedance RE 600s or HE400i is right? (Duet has higher output impedance) Yet none of us here can.
 
Sometimes I think I’m hearing differences with the Duet then I have my son do the switching where I cannot see what amp I am hearing and I’d be purely guessing which amp it was. Perhaps there are differences because of the impedance mis-match but in the end I cannot constantly identify them.
 
With DT880s everything is even less detailed and I don't ever even think I hear differences with the Duet and the lower impedance amps.
 
I know I’ll probably always favor an amp with more power (everything else virtually equal) because I don’t want to ever run it outside of that design parameter.
 
See - I already have bias.
 
Also -  sometimes when I believe I am hearing differences- the pisser is I am stumped even say which is "better"
 
 Just dying to to go get my 10,000 prize from Mr Clarks amp challenge - so far- he wins.
 
Did you ever think of capitalizing on that?
 

 

[RedJohn456]

   
Shouldn't the differences with the Fiio amps just be volume unless they are manufactured to have different signatures?
I don't recall if this is what Fiio is trying to do.
 
 I know expectation bias CAN be a very strong factor.
 
 I wish I could but- I cannot hear any differences between  Am1, Fiio K5, Asgard 2 or Duet 2  when the volumes are matched. And I AM trying.
 
Anyone should hear something significant between the Duet and the others on low impedance RE 600s or HE400i is right? (Duet has higher output impedance) Yet none of us here can.
 
Sometimes I think I’m hearing differences with the Duet then I have my son do the switching where I cannot see what amp I am hearing and I’d be purely guessing which amp it was. Perhaps there are differences because of the impedance mis-match but in the end I cannot constantly identify them.
 
With DT880s everything is even less detailed and I don't ever even think I hear differences with the Duet and the lower impedance amps.
 
I know I’ll probably always favor an amp with more power (everything else virtually equal) because I don’t want to ever run it outside of that design parameter.
 
See - I already have bias.
 
Also -  sometimes when I believe I am hearing differences- the pisser is I am stumped even say which is "better"
 
 Just dying to to go get my 10,000 prize from Mr Clarks amp challenge - so far- he wins.
 
Did you ever think of capitalizing on that?
 

They are using differ components, all of which affect the sound in different ways. I can hear a clear difference between the Am1 and K5 and I have used the X7 quite a bit to be able to pick out the differences easily. Bias works both ways, expecting to hear no difference vs expecting to hear a difference.

 

[PapaThrust]

Different components doesn't mean amps will sound different, unless intentional, when operating inside of their  (equal flat response) design parameters.
Pushing them beyond that - then that makes sense.
 
RedJohn456- even when you removed your bias ( knowing what  Fiio amp you were listening to ) and volume match - you can identify which one it is?
Are you using 2 X7s and a switcher or having someone randomly switch the amps without you knowing which one?

 

[bavinck]

Blind testing, volume matched the AM1 and am2 are so easy for me to pick out. Does it lack low end grunt and sound brittle on top? If yes, AM1. Does it have authority down low, nice rich mids and a smooth yet detailed top end? If yes, am2. Any genre, repeated testing no prob. Other amps are much harder to tell apart, but I really don't like the AM1 sound and really do like the AM2 so it is easy for me.