[KShaft]

The fact that the amp(thus far) doesnt seem to excell with low impedence phones, is a major turn off however.

 

[Kieran Comito]

I hope that is not the case, because the phone I got this amp for is a low impendence can.

 

[KShaft]

Yes. I hear that.

Perhaps the bias is adjustable to compensate, or maybe there is a low/high impedence switch.
wish my cary had adjustable bias, I just had to send the damn thing back. Its my only amp!!!!!!!!

It would also be nice if the amp could be modded for 300bs or the new tube that sophia makes, princess or what ever. Im sure Joe can do it.

 

[dhwilkin]

Yup, I'd really like to try a tube amp again w/ the W2002, but all reports show above-average performace at best w/ this sort of combination. So sad, though my wallet doesn't mind.

 

[gpalmer]

Hi Jude,

Any further thoughts on the performance with the 4S? Sorry to pester you, but I'm considering a new amp and you really got my curiosity up!

 

[jude]

[size=xx-small] Quote:

Originally posted by gpalmer Hi Jude, Any further thoughts on the performance with the 4S? Sorry to pester you, but I'm considering a new amp and you really got my curiosity up!

[/size]Over the last several days, I've been mostly using the Etymotic ER-4S with the Twin Head, and can say that this amp drives these earphones as wonderfully as it does the HD-600.

Given their unparalleled isolation from outside noise, the Etymotics are unforgiving of noisy equipment, and, agian, the Twin Head Mark II has proven almost as silent-running as any of my top-notch solid states.

Long story short on the ER-4S with the Twin Head: so far, all of the superlatives I've attributed to this amp with the HD-600 also apply to the Etymotic ER-4S.

On a bit of a side note: I've since put more physical distance between the Twin Head's PS1 power supply and the Twin Head itself. Why did I do this? I've found the amp runs a wee bit more quietly, and even sounds better overall, than when they're butted right up to one another. Measured from the top of transformer's largest (middle) transformer tower, I found that my TriField Broadband Meter's magnetic field needle hit full-stop maximum (100+ milligauss). I then placed my more accurate, extremely directional NoRad ELF Magnetic Field Meter's measurement axis directly against that same transformer tower, and it hit that digital meter's maximum reading of 200+ milligauss (so I can't even say what the real reading actually is, only that it's greater than 200 milligauss). The two smaller transformers each peak at about 107 to 120 milligauss. At about seven inches away, the field to the side of the PS1 measures 8.2 milligauss; at about 14 inches away to the side, less than two milligauss. If you haven't figured it out, I'm more careful than most about component placement and cable routing -- it really does make a difference; and, in some cases, a significant difference.

 

[merc]

Quote:

On a bit of a side note: I've since put more physical distance between the Twin Head's PS1 power supply and the Twin Head itself. Why?

Jude: Possibly, Joe decided that since the PS was seperated physically the shielding could be eliminated?

I have a last version MG Head OTL and it is dead silent... much more so than my previous Head.

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally posted by merc Jude: Possibly, Joe decided that since the PS was seperated physically the shielding could be eliminated?

merc,

Which shielding are you referring to?

 

[merc]

Quote:

Which shielding are you referring to?

Jude: I have no idea...? I'm just trying to come up with an idea why your distance finding exists? Hey... I'm trying to help you.

I guess if I had to come up with some shielding, I could point to the two transformer towers which are in the old Head but not the new one?

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally posted by merc Jude: I have no idea...? I'm just trying to come up with an idea why your distance finding exists? Hey... I'm trying to help you.

Oh, okay. The distance helps because magnetic fields generally diminish at the square of the distance. I wasn't wondering. I was merely asking "Why?" and then answering the question myself. Sorry if I confused you. I clarified that part of my post by changing "Why?" to "Why did I do this?" Hope that makes it more clear.

 

[merc]

Quote:

Oh, okay. The distance helps because magnetic fields generally diminish at the square of the distance.

Jude: Okay. Well then, naturally ALL power supplies seperated from the receiving and distributing unit should benefit. Right?

Then again, how much more than silent is silent? Joe might have reached his zenith in the MG Head when he did the last perfected Head OTl?

How much more quiet does it get with the ver MkII? Is it worth returning it within the return period for a Mk2?

 

[jude]

[size=xx-small] Quote:

Originally posted by merc Jude: Okay. Well then, naturally ALL power supplies seperated from the receiving and distributing unit should benefit. Right? Then again, how much more than silent is silent? Joe might have reached his zenith in the MG Head when he did the last perfected Head OTl?

[/size]Yes, it's generally accepted that keeping the power supply -- especially one as beefy as the PS1 -- as far away from the signal path as possible would be best. Creating the power supplies in entirely different chassis was a huge, important step for these latest generation of ASL headphone amps, in my opinion.

As far as how much more quiet, it's noticeable, especially with the Etymotic ER-4S. It has other benefits, like a slightly greater sense of ease and even finer detailing. I'm going to see if I can put even more distance between the amp and power supply, to the point where the measured fields of the amp itself are higher than from the power supply -- I have to move some stuff around to make that happen.

 

[merc]

Jude: How do you like your Senn 250s? I've been thinking about buying them but others said to look at the Sony Eggs? What do you think?

 

[jude]

[size=xx-small] Quote:

Originally posted by merc Jude: How do you like your Senn 250s? I've been thinking about buying them but others said to look at the Sony Eggs? What do you think?

[/size]In my portable rig lately can usually be found the Sennheiser PXC-250 and the Etymotic ER-4S (I'll carry if the PX-100 in place of the PXC-250 if I know I'll be in a generally quiet place). In terms of fidelity, the Etymotic ER-4S is hard to beat, period. It does, however, provide too much isolation in some circumstances (like when you're traveling with someone you might actually want to talk to, or if you just generally like to hear what's going on around you). And that's when I turn to the PXC-250, which provides me with still very good fidelity given its compactness, and provides the best active noise cancellation I've yet heard in a consumer headphone. It attenuates noise from treadmills, cars/buses, trains and airplanes very effectively, but still allows you to interact more with your environment than Etys do.

If you have any other questions about the headphones, please PM me or start a thread in headphones in the interest of keeping this thread more on-topic.

 

[jude]

[size=xx-small] Quote:

Originally posted by merc Jude: How do you like your Senn 250s? I've been thinking about buying them but others said to look at the Sony Eggs? What do you think?

[/size]merc,

I just noticed I didn't say anything about the Sony Eggos -- I don't believe I've ever heard those, so it would be impossible for me, at the moment, to offer any comments in comparison.