[ca911]

just got my bithead yesterday to pair with my HD650s.. I have been listening to them a great deal the last day or so both from USB port on my macbook pro using the DAC and also just directly from the macbook pro.

My first impression was that these did nothing and i wasted some money.. I wasn't too sure if it was my ears or if the unit wasn't doing enough for me to really notice..

I just now have been playing with for a while listening to just a couple songs and have realized that this thing does make a difference, it for sure adds the added amplification to drive the headphones and increased the volume a good amount (especially when not using the USB DAC and just using straight analog amplification), on the USB I do not get any distortion at all even if i crank everything way up but when i use the pure analog I do get some distortion at the upper end. I like to listen to the music fairly loud so I actually somewhat favor the analog amplification, though the sound through the USB is pretty crisp.

I also compared just using my headphones straight without any amplification and while they sound very nice, the volume isn't nearly as high/ and the sound isnt as rich, with the bithead you can actually believe that you are in sitting there as it is being recorded and you can hear very fine details.

The crossfeed I haven't really been able to test since I can't hear any real difference when i switch it on and off...

I am warming up to this amp, at first I thought it was doing nothing and was a waste but after listening to music from it for a couple hours straight and then switching back to the non-amped sound it is a noticiable difference.

The only thing I wish I could do is increase the volume somehow when i am using the USB DAC to the level that I can get when i just plug the bithead into my headphone jack.. that would make this perfect, is there any way to do this at all?

also, if the red light is flashing at the high ends of the music and it sounds fine should I worry at all about damaging the headphones/bithead?

Thanks so much!

P.S: does anyone have any good recommendation for a well recorded cd that I can go out and buy to really give these a good test (I have been testing these with just FLAC files converted to Lossless from magnatunes.com)

 

[ComfyCan]

Did you find the gain switch in the battery compartment (beneath where batteries go). Make sure it is in high position. 650's like gain. With that in place if you are using USB power, I would be surprised if your clipping indicator (red light) flashes--mine never did unless I used batteries that weren't strong enough.

Crossfeed is subtle, but I find I get less fatigue with it on for long listening sessions.

Don't blow out your ears; you only have 2.

Happy Listening.

 

[Sordel]

You're throwing a very hard load at the Bithead and still expecting it to play very loud. That's dragging it out of its comfort zone and making the improvement less dramatic than you might hear with a more efficient headphone. I don't have any experience with these products, but I'd guess that if you want to hear the Bithead at its best you should get yourself a sensitive, easy to drive pair of cans.

 

[markmaxx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sordel /img/forum/go_quote.gif You're throwing a very hard load at the Bithead and still expecting it to play very loud. That's dragging it out of its comfort zone and making the improvement less dramatic than you might hear with a more efficient headphone. I don't have any experience with these products, but I'd guess that if you want to hear the Bithead at its best you should get yourself a sensitive, easy to drive pair of cans.

I agree get a set of Grado RS-1s or I got my GS1000 and the bass is well

Quote:

Originally Posted by ca911 does anyone have any good recommendation for a well recorded cd that I can go out and buy to really give these a good test (I have been testing these with just FLAC files converted to Lossless from magnatunes.com)

I love the Genius loves company CD. Ray Charles and friends. Well recored and fun. Diana Krell has a CD. out "live in parris" well recored very simple music but pristine sound and live fun for listining to your equiptment but she is good you will start listening to the music.

You can't beat the total bitthead for the price, but as far as portables Ray samuals has the SR-71 it has more Gain (power) but is more money. the bitthead is limited by the 6 or 7 Volts of the batteries or your USB port. Rays amp has 2, 9V batteries more power.

 

[Sordel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ca911 /img/forum/go_quote.gif P.S: does anyone have any good recommendation for a well recorded cd that I can go out and buy to really give these a good test (I have been testing these with just FLAC files converted to Lossless from magnatunes.com)

On the subject of music, when I want to listen to something purely for sonic characteristics I choose music from my existing collection that I really don't know well. If you know the music well then your brain fills in what it expects to hear.

You don't need to listen to well-recorded music to assess your equipment; in fact, a nice fresh recording with a full dynamic range may just flatter the hell out of your new purchase.

 

[ca911]

don't get me wrong these headphones sound awesome, the bithead seems to make the sound a bit richer and produce higher clarity, i think i am pretty happy with the combo, and am getting more and more pleased as i listen to different music varieties

i found the gain switch near the batteries, at first i thought they didn't ship me this years model because for some reason i had expected it to be on the bottom of the unit for.. using usb power it is actually adequately loud i am realizing in the last hour or two, just not as loud as when i use it and it is battery powered.

the clipping indicator does flash on and off every now and then when using it in both settings (more so with the batteries) is this normal?

i will have to go browse the cd store.. i haven't bought a real cd in so long, i only bought from iTunes before I got these headphones and learned the quality isnt so hot..

 

[Asr]

If the red LED flashes, turn down the volume, you're listening too loudly.

 

[Febs]

Or replace the batteries. Clipping is a sign the batteries are low.

 

[ca911]

probably am listening too loud.. just bought the batteries same day I got it in the mail (unless they were old on the shelf or something)

also I have a lot of iTunes music store downloaded mp3s.. they sound about the same with the amp as without, is this just how it goes since they are a low bitrate?

 

[Coltrane]

The cross feed is very subtle, but does work great on some recordings. Early Beatles (where everything is panned hard right or left) shows it the best. For most recordings, however, you will barely notice any difference.

I only get the red light to flash when i turn the device on or off. You must be listening WAY too loud. Turn the computer volume down a bit.

 

[freelyfallin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ca911 /img/forum/go_quote.gif probably am listening too loud.. just bought the batteries same day I got it in the mail (unless they were old on the shelf or something) also I have a lot of iTunes music store downloaded mp3s.. they sound about the same with the amp as without, is this just how it goes since they are a low bitrate?

Are you using your bithead on your computer or out of the iPod's headphone out?

 

[ca911]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freelyfallin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are you using your bithead on your computer or out of the iPod's headphone out?

out of my computer, using the USB DAC the light doesn't light up as much as if i use it without the DAC

 

[ca911]

i also have to add the best way so far I have found to test the cross feed. when using the amp on my mac via USB DAC I turned the cross feed off and went into my sound settings and put the balance of the music playing to only be on one side, I then turned the cross feed on and off and there is a HUGE difference when you test this way. you can hear a little bit of the song in the ear that it is not playing in when you use the cross feed and without it just is dead noise.. so now I know that it works and realize that it makes a difference even though I am not really able to tell when listening without it balanced on one ear

 

[chesebert]

I remember when I had the TAH, I preferred my laptop's, IBM T, headphone out to that of TAH.

 

[Jamey Warren]

Hello ca911. Sounds like you're enjoying your Total BitHead. If you're not getting as much output from your computer it may be possible to get a little more. The clipping light illuminates when the amplifier tries to output more power than it has available. When using USB, there are less volts available than with batteries and so the clipping should actually happen sooner. I suspect that you have a volume control turned down on your computer somewhere. Try turning the volume in iTunes to full maximum and also check your Macintosh sound preferences to make sure the system audio is at full max as well.


Hope this helps,
Jamey