cfranchi
500+ Head-Fier
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- Jan 9, 2016
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I’m more and more tempting to take the road of speaker amp for my HE6se. After trying HE1000 v2 with FCN10 I can definitely say that powerful amp can wake up a headphone. HE1000 has still a sort of laid back sound compared to HE6se (which has more realistic timbre and engagement factor) but after using HE1000 on high gain at around 12+ oclock I’m keen to think that HE6se has room of improvement even if driven from FCN10.
So back to speaker amp and soundnews.net (I tend to trust the review and taste of Sandu) : here is what Sandu wrote about KECES S300 speaker amp and Susvara:
« Hifiman Susvara is such a weird headphone that from five powerful desktop headphone amplifiers at my disposal, only one was able to drive them decent enough. Benchmark HPA4 was shutting itself down when a powerful bass note would appear, even that 16-Watt Flux Lab Acoustics FCN-10 was shutting itself off in some crowded high dynamic range tracks. Sparkos Labs Aries didn’t stand chance with them, being maxed out on SMSL SH-9 was unsatisfactory on some particular music and same can be said about the rest of them. »
Quite frustating… because Sandu made a glowing review of FCN10 and also because I’m particulary impressed by FCN10 driving my HE6se. So more on KECES S300:
« I tried first with S125 power amp and there was a sizable improvement compared to all headphone amplifiers I’ve tried before it. Finally, there was a nicer punch, a better driver control and a deeper and more visceral bass performance.
……….
By far, the best pairing was with Keces S300. I never heard them as alive and as @ss kicking, the little big amp was doing some sweet love with them. Everything was improved compared to all those headphone amplifiers and to S125 and EX-M7 power amplifiers. Headroom left on tap was huge, dynamics were explosive, I was jumping from my chair when some Infected Mushroom started playing. S300 passed this test with flying colors and I can’t say the same about the other two amps sitting on the test bench. »
So KECES S300 is a 3000$ class A/AB amplifier, also you would need a preamp (which can be costly) to use them with your DAC. But here is latest Sandu review about SMSL SA400 speaker amp (600$, class D, volume control included so no preamp needed):
« I tried the Susvara out of many integrated and power amplifiers by now and so far, the best pairing was with my own Keces S300 that was always explosive as far as dynamics go, while adding more meat to the bone, boosting midrange presence and tightly controlling their bass down to the lowest notes.
When I’ve moved them to the SMSL SA400, I didn’t know what to expect anymore, but after just a few seconds SA400 felt considerably more powerful to the S300. I couldn’t believe it, but it was pounding even harder, the bass output was out of this world. I don’t think I ever experienced a deeper bass out of any other headphone + amplifier combo. »
I also asked him about FCN10 vs SA400, his answer:
« Hi mate,
I have several top class headphone amplifiers, some of them specifically designed to work outstanding with planar magnetic headphones.
However, when Hifiman Susvara jumps on my head, I'm connecting them only to integrated or power amplifiers...the difference is big, immediate and it's very clear. If you have a chance of trying one, please do...it will blow your mind. »
Well, you know all the story, all of these seems quite nice but I have to test SA400 by myself to be convinced
I’m really waiting for Sandu review about Volot (I asked him to compare Volot to SA400).
https://soundnews.net/amplifiers/smsl-sa400-review-power-overwhelming/
So back to speaker amp and soundnews.net (I tend to trust the review and taste of Sandu) : here is what Sandu wrote about KECES S300 speaker amp and Susvara:
« Hifiman Susvara is such a weird headphone that from five powerful desktop headphone amplifiers at my disposal, only one was able to drive them decent enough. Benchmark HPA4 was shutting itself down when a powerful bass note would appear, even that 16-Watt Flux Lab Acoustics FCN-10 was shutting itself off in some crowded high dynamic range tracks. Sparkos Labs Aries didn’t stand chance with them, being maxed out on SMSL SH-9 was unsatisfactory on some particular music and same can be said about the rest of them. »
Quite frustating… because Sandu made a glowing review of FCN10 and also because I’m particulary impressed by FCN10 driving my HE6se. So more on KECES S300:
« I tried first with S125 power amp and there was a sizable improvement compared to all headphone amplifiers I’ve tried before it. Finally, there was a nicer punch, a better driver control and a deeper and more visceral bass performance.
……….
By far, the best pairing was with Keces S300. I never heard them as alive and as @ss kicking, the little big amp was doing some sweet love with them. Everything was improved compared to all those headphone amplifiers and to S125 and EX-M7 power amplifiers. Headroom left on tap was huge, dynamics were explosive, I was jumping from my chair when some Infected Mushroom started playing. S300 passed this test with flying colors and I can’t say the same about the other two amps sitting on the test bench. »
So KECES S300 is a 3000$ class A/AB amplifier, also you would need a preamp (which can be costly) to use them with your DAC. But here is latest Sandu review about SMSL SA400 speaker amp (600$, class D, volume control included so no preamp needed):
« I tried the Susvara out of many integrated and power amplifiers by now and so far, the best pairing was with my own Keces S300 that was always explosive as far as dynamics go, while adding more meat to the bone, boosting midrange presence and tightly controlling their bass down to the lowest notes.
When I’ve moved them to the SMSL SA400, I didn’t know what to expect anymore, but after just a few seconds SA400 felt considerably more powerful to the S300. I couldn’t believe it, but it was pounding even harder, the bass output was out of this world. I don’t think I ever experienced a deeper bass out of any other headphone + amplifier combo. »
I also asked him about FCN10 vs SA400, his answer:
« Hi mate,
I have several top class headphone amplifiers, some of them specifically designed to work outstanding with planar magnetic headphones.
However, when Hifiman Susvara jumps on my head, I'm connecting them only to integrated or power amplifiers...the difference is big, immediate and it's very clear. If you have a chance of trying one, please do...it will blow your mind. »
Well, you know all the story, all of these seems quite nice but I have to test SA400 by myself to be convinced
I’m really waiting for Sandu review about Volot (I asked him to compare Volot to SA400).
https://soundnews.net/amplifiers/smsl-sa400-review-power-overwhelming/
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