Hardtrancing
Head-Fier
So if I where to only use a balanced DAC with the balanced inputs of the H20, the opamps won't come into play at all?
Gustard H20 headphone amp
- Thread starter mtoc
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So if I where to only use a balanced DAC with the balanced inputs of the H20, the opamps won't come into play at all?
Hardtrancing
Head-Fier
That is what I thought. Which is why mandrake50s comment confused me.
But thanks for clearing it up.
mandrake50
Headphoneus Supremus
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EDIT, I will stand corrected.
Maybe I am. I got a bit confused here. I was talking about the H10, though the opamps in the H20 appear to be used in a similar manner (for single ended to balanced conversion). I have not really done the analysis that I did with the H10. But on that amp they are bypassed for balanced operation.
I put a couple of hundred hours on the amp at fist, but I have only another 20 or so of real listening. This hobby has taken a back seat to other things over the last several months.
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I’ll be getting one of these amps tomorrow. Anyone care to comment on its sound signature? I’ve read through this thread but I still don’t have a grasp of this amps tonality. Does it have a warm sound, is it detailed, etc... I also picked up the Sonic Imagery Labs 994Enh-Ticha op-amps to pair with it thanks in advance!
What's your current amp and dac? To me its sound better then Shiit's Jotunheim which i have currently right now. It's blacker and have wider stage emphasis then Jotunheim.
Since you have the most expensive opamps coming your way, break in your amp with stock first. When your Sonic opamps arrived. Let's us know the different.
Current opamps on my H20 is Burson V6 Vivid. To me it sounds better then Sparkos which i have tested, perhaps got to do with my dac? which is Denafrips Ares. All balance setup.
I decided on this amp from Gustard is because i owned a H10 before and it sounded very pleasant. And H20 is truly a power monster. 12W @ 32ohm. You can't go wrong if your headphones are power hungry.
I had the Pro iCan until a couple of weeks ago. It has good power, it’s detailed, and the xbass+ works very well. But it lacked some musicality. Looking at the specs the H20 has about the same power. From the reviews I’ve read the H20 seems to be detailed, has good bass weight and using it with the Sonic Imagery Labs 994Enh-Ticha op-amps will add the musicality I’m seeking.
I’m currently using the Cavalli Liquid Carbon 2.0, HeadAmp Gilmore Lite Mk2, and I also have a Burson Fun. All of them are very good. In the fun I currently have the V6 Classics, but I plan on putting the SparkoS SS3601’s back in it. I have a Hugo 2 and Burson Swing as my DACs. In the Swing I have dual V6 classics in the I/V stage and V6 vivids in the LP stage and it’s very musical and engaging. The Hugo 2 is more detailed and transparent but that’s the Chord signature sound. It reveals all and keeps things unaltered for the most part. So it’s a nice change of pace switching between the two.
I plan on keeping everything stock until I can get grasp of its sound, then switch over to the 994Ticha’s. If all goes well, I plan on keeping this amp and selling one or two of the others. The Cavalli stays puts though
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Zennheiser
Head-Fier
I second the above. It's a terrific amp bone stock. One can salt to taste if one cares to, but it punches WAY above its ask...
Now we're talking! How's the bass and attack with the stock op-amps in your opinion?
Doing some listening with the H20 with the stock op-amps in the amp at the moment. I'm using the Hugo 2 as the DAC. In stock form it's not bad. I like the power of this amp. It has very good drive. I don't feel like my headphones are underpowered or under performing with this amp. The H20 with stock op-amps is clean and detailed and the bass has nice punch. This amp seems fast with nice attack and pace. The bass thumps and gets out of the way, nice. There also doesn't seem to be any bass bloom at all. For my liking, the stock op-amps need a little bit more bass presence. The vocals are forward with the stock op-amps and the treble doesn't have that sparkle that I like. Other than that this amp is a nice find and seems to be very underrated. I'm looking forward to hearing them with the Sonic Imagery Labs 994Enh-Ticha op-amps in it to see if there are any improvements to the sound.
You'll be missing out on balance playback with Hugo 2 though.
BassDigger
500+ Head-Fier
Hey y'all! Bin keeping an interested, but distant, watch on this thread.
It's nice to see another adopter of niche Chinese hifi, and I look forward to reading your further impressions, especially if you can make some comparisons to some established and respected kit (like Cavelli)!
I just thought that I'd chime in with a bit of a 'reality check', if I may.
How many hours have you run your new H20? It may be a debated subject, but many people noted that the H10 needed 40+ hours running before the sound signature would start to become established. I can't imagine that the H20 will burn-in any quicker. I believe that what you are detailing are your initial impressions, yes? You mention the bass presence and treble extension; these are something that people often find lacking in new gear, but it then improves over time (I have certainly experienced this myself [with other gear]). So, hopefully, this will improve for you, too.
Also, what are you discussing here: your new amp, or the op-amps fitted inside of it? Remember that the op-amps are just a small part of the picture; an interesting part, but just a part: there are many things that can impact the sonic signature, even the amp's interaction with your source (I.e. if there's an impedance mis-match, or if both components share a sonic trait), never mind balanced/unbalanced this or that; headphone cable, interconnect cable, mains cables.....; headphone type, headphone model........the list goes on!
My suggestion would be to wait, and see if you can notice any changes (in the standard amp's sound) over time, before you start deciding what improvements that you'd like to make, and how you could make them.
Happy listening!!
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Don't worry, I happen to know his unit was pre-owned (not mine - can't touch this), thus should not need further burn-in.
Like @Alcophone said my unit is not new. I bought it off another head-fier here. I’m not sure of how many hours he had on the unit but it sounds good in the state it’s in.Hey y'all! Bin keeping an interested, but distant, watch on this thread.
It's nice to see another adopter of niche Chinese hifi, and I look forward to reading your further impressions, especially if you can make some comparisons to some established and respected kit (like Cavelli)!
I just thought that I'd chime in with a bit of a 'reality check', if I may.
How many hours have you run your new H20? It may be a debated subject, but many people noted that the H10 needed 40+ hours running before the sound signature would start to become established. I can't imagine that the H20 will burn-in any quicker. I believe that what you are detailing are your initial impressions, yes? You mention the bass presence and treble extension; these are something that people often find lacking in new gear, but it then improves over time (I have certainly experienced this myself [with other gear]). So, hopefully, this will improve for you, too.
Also, what are you discussing here: your new amp, or the op-amps fitted inside of it? Remember that the op-amps are just a small part of the picture; an interesting part, but just a part: there are many things that can impact the sonic signature, even the amp's interaction with your source (I.e. if there's an impedance mis-match, or if both components share a sonic trait), never mind balanced/unbalanced this or that; headphone cable, interconnect cable, mains cables.....; headphone type, headphone model........the list goes on!
My suggestion would be to wait, and see if you can notice any changes (in the standard amp's sound) over time, before you start deciding what improvements that you'd like to make, and how you could make them.
Happy listening!!
I believe burn-in makes a difference and as I put more hours on the H20 I hope to hear it sounding better. I don’t expect it to deviate to far from what I’m hearing now. This amp sound neutral to my ears with the stock op-amps. There not one band of the frequency that stands out more than the other with the stock op-amps. With that said I want a little more bottom end and I want the notes to have more weight to them. What I’m hearing from the stock components is not that so far.
I’m with you on system synergy. Matching up gear is huge. But right now I’m just listening to get a grasp on what this amps does best and how changing op-amps will alter it. After all changing op-amps is part of the fun.
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I know, but I’ll be upgrading to a Hugo TT2 soon to do just that. If the TT2 is as good as I think it’s going to be it might replace the H20 altogether
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