[skhan007]

OK Gents, I've finally gotten around to trying my WA22 as a pre into the Flux Mentor. Since I'm short on cables, I went RCA from my DAC to the WA22 and balanced from there to the Mentor. I can't say after one album listen, I hear much difference. Perhaps a tad more heft in the low end? I have to give more listening time. It certainly looks cool, however!

Question: Does it really matter if I'm using both single ended and balanced cables, as described above? Not sure if using all balanced interconnects would make any difference.

 

[psy472]

OK Gents, I've finally gotten around to trying my WA22 as a pre into the Flux Mentor. Since I'm short on cables, I went RCA from my DAC to the WA22 and balanced from there to the Mentor. I can't say after one album listen, I hear much difference. Perhaps a tad more heft in the low end? I have to give more listening time. It certainly looks cool, however!

Question: Does it really matter if I'm using both single ended and balanced cables, as described above? Not sure if using all balanced interconnects would make any difference.

It doesn’t really. Just need to up the volume a bit. At this level of sound, you are going for the last 5% of sound performance. It’s not a major difference.

 

[sygnus21]

It has the black quiet background, very detailed in all frequencies particularly lower frequencies, large sound stage, and unlike the single Mentor the dual has more body to the bass and mid. You can get close to it by preamping the single Mentor with a tube amp.

Got you, but are you running the Susvara with dual Mentors?

 

[psy472]

Got you, but are you running the Susvara with dual Mentors?

Yes, I am.

 

[LTd head]

OK Gents, I've finally gotten around to trying my WA22 as a pre into the Flux Mentor. Since I'm short on cables, I went RCA from my DAC to the WA22 and balanced from there to the Mentor. I can't say after one album listen, I hear much difference. Perhaps a tad more heft in the low end? I have to give more listening time. It certainly looks cool, however!

Question: Does it really matter if I'm using both single ended and balanced cables, as described above? Not sure if using all balanced interconnects would make any difference.

Many thank you for your impressions!!! Very interesting! But I still wonder, how it would work the opposite way, i.e. DAC > Mentor > WA22?!
Mentor should be as preamplifier. Pure black background and all its abilities... It should work great as preamplifier... Some custom cables should work (HP Out XLR-4pin on MENTOR > XLR x 2 IN to WA22).
But is it a good thing to use HP Out XLR-4pin for an amplifier XLR inputs (i.e. WA22) ?

P.S.
1) I received mine on Friday (May 24). So far so good, but I am still not in the hype... However, burning-in...

2) Blue board, indeeed!

3) It was a great service and communication, just a plesure!

I whish the very best for Kharkiv city (I know the situation) and I will always suport the Ukrain in this terror age. Love you brothers!

 

[Simon Patten]

Since you guys are talking about such things, can I ask: Aside from the practical aspects of multiple inputs, controls, etc., what is the sonic benefit of using a pre-amp? Assuming the DAC, amplifier and cables are doing the best they can, won't putting something inbetween just degrade the sound? (I'm not at that level and interested to learn.)

 

[psy472]

Since you guys are talking about such things, can I ask: Aside from the practical aspects of multiple inputs, controls, etc., what is the sonic benefit of using a pre-amp? Assuming the DAC, amplifier and cables are doing the best they can, won't putting something inbetween just degrade the sound? (I'm not at that level and interested to learn.)

To get a sound we can’t get with EQ. Most common reason is to get the Bass and Mid fullness without sacrificing resolution. If you tried EQing to get the bass and mid, the sound will distort slightly and making it sound more blurry or just off.

 

[Simon Patten]

To get a sound we can’t get with EQ. Most common reason is to get the Bass and Mid fullness without sacrificing resolution. If you tried EQing to get the bass and mid, the sound will distort slightly and making it sound more blurry or just off.

Ah, thanks, so a kind of synergy balance? Wow, trying to find the perfect combination must be an almost endless task, I admire your dedication.

 

[Smoothstereo]

Ah, thanks, so a kind of synergy balance? Wow, trying to find the perfect combination must be an almost endless task, I admire your dedication.

Finding that perfect synergy is part of the fun in this hobby, at least for me.

 

[psy472]

Ah, thanks, so a kind of synergy balance? Wow, trying to find the perfect combination must be an almost endless task, I admire your dedication.

All part of the journey. Discovering a new sound with each switch of DAC or amp/preamp. Making your old headphone sound like a different headphone is very fun.

 

[nighthink]

Mentor should be as preamplifier. Pure black background and all its abilities... It should work great as preamplifier... Some custom cables should work (HP Out XLR-4pin on MENTOR > XLR x 2 IN to WA22).

This.. I had similar thoughts ever since I confirmed with Flux Labs I can use Mentor as preamp to my power amplifier with 6.3mm jack -> RCA. Using XLR output would be the same in this case as the sound from both is the same and Mentor isn't balanced.

Today I finally received some quality interconnect cable for this purpose from Ricable (they even created it for me with 6.3mm jack instead of 3.5mm and it looks absolutely great) and I could finally put it under some initial test.

And the result? I don't know.. they must be very close with my Usher P307-A as I'm unable to clearly say which I like more. The P307-A is no slouch, however, even if it is an old guy now. But it is as neutral as one can be and that is a compliment for Mentor I'd say, that it can keep up with P307A. Well maybe at the end P307A is a bit better, but it requires more listening to confirm.

One thing I don't like though is that with Mentor I have a slightly stronger hum from my speakers. It's no drama but it is audible. And I don't understand why, as I assumed Mentor would be dead silent as it is with my HE1000SE. Even the interconnect cable is now quite good. Everything is connected into Puritan PSM156 power conditioner, which helped with the overall hum from my speakers and P307A is now almost completely silent. But not the Mentor.. strange, strange.

I know maybe that ground loop thing (which I refuse to chase).. but why is it not there with Usher P307A but only with Mentor, and why is it not audible in headphones? probably it will be due to something between Mentor and power amplifier.

 

[betula]

This.. I had similar thoughts ever since I confirmed with Flux Labs I can use Mentor as preamp to my power amplifier with 6.3mm jack -> RCA. Using XLR output would be the same in this case as the sound from both is the same and Mentor isn't balanced.

Today I finally received some quality interconnect cable for this purpose from Ricable (they even created it for me with 6.3mm jack instead of 3.5mm and it looks absolutely great) and I could finally put it under some initial test.



And the result? I don't know.. they must be very close with my Usher P307-A as I'm unable to clearly say which I like more. The P307-A is no slouch, however, even if it is an old guy now. But it is as neutral as one can be and that is a compliment for Mentor I'd say, that it can keep up with P307A. Well maybe at the end P307A is a bit better, but it requires more listening to confirm.

One thing I don't like though is that with Mentor I have a slightly stronger hum from my speakers. It's no drama but it is audible. And I don't understand why, as I assumed Mentor would be dead silent as it is with my HE1000SE. Even the interconnect cable is now quite good. Everything is connected into Puritan PSM156 power conditioner, which helped with the overall hum from my speakers and P307A is now almost completely silent. But not the Mentor.. strange, strange.

I know maybe that ground loop thing (which I refuse to chase).. but why is it not there with Usher P307A but only with Mentor, and why is it not audible in headphones? probably it will be due to something between Mentor and power amplifier.

Also.. recently I read alcohol is causing shrinking of frequency interval you can hear and while testing, I had obviously quite some amount of whisky.. I started with P307A and once I finally switched to Mentor, maybe this had more impact on the sound as the Mentor itself.. who knows. Next time I will start with Mentor.

This definitely needs more testing.. and more whisky.

Mentor should be dead silent. I am pretty sure, there is some ground loop or something else going on there.

 

[jkteddy77]

All part of the journey. Discovering a new sound with each switch of DAC or amp/preamp. Making your old headphone sound like a different headphone is very fun.

It's wild how much can change with pairing.
Schiit Mjolnir is totally shining when paired with a Pontus compared to Bifrost 2 or Ares. It is now kicking the Mentor in holographic punchy presentation. I can now see how the Mentor doesn't sway others in some aspects.
Affirming too that the HE-1000 Stealth has scaled only better and better, like I got a headphone upgrade in the process.

For those interested, I present my Audiophile Diary of my gear impressions and pairings.
https://jkteddy77.notion.site/Headphone-Amplifier-DAC-885694f5b5e145c69f70b1c7e7b77cac?pvs=4
Properties I attribute to some might seem contradictory, tagged their sound mostly by feeling, but hope others can get a good idea

 

[nighthink]

Mentor should be dead silent. I am pretty sure, there is some ground loop or something else going on there.

Or maybe I'd somehow need to add more resistance between Mentor and R1.5 as the latter is quite a strong power amp.

 

[psy472]

Or maybe I'd somehow need to add more resistance between Mentor and R1.5 as the latter is quite a strong power amp.

I believe the Mentor wasn’t built for speakers. Don’t they require a certain level of amperage to run?