[Aradea]

Havi B3 is really a special earphones. I don't know how much impedience it is. When I use OTL tube amplifier to drive it, I need to turn to higher volume than driving HD600!!!
However, On tube amplifier, Havi have larger and more holographic soundstage.

What OTL tube amp did you use?

I have the BH crack but never tried it for my Havi because I thought there would be impedance issue

 

[Midgetguy]

   
Havi B3 is really a special earphones. I don't know how much impedience it is. When I use OTL tube amplifier to drive it, I need to turn to higher volume than driving HD600!!!
However, On tube amplifier, Havi have larger and more holographic soundstage.

The specs quote the B3 at 45 ohms of impedance (on Amazon, which makes much more sense than the 32 ohms quoted on Penon Audio). I can believe that. It's seems to take about as much to drive as the P1 which is rated at 50 ohms.

 

[yangian]

What OTL tube amp did you use?

I have the BH crack but never tried it for my Havi because I thought there would be impedance issue

A taobao Diys. It similar to crack: two 5670 as driver tubes and one 6080 as power tube. Give it a try.

 

[yangian]

The specs quote the B3 at 45 ohms of impedance (on Amazon, which makes much more sense than the 32 ohms quoted on Penon Audio). I can believe that. It's seems to take about as much to drive as the P1 which is rated at 50 ohms.

598 is 60 ohms. But b3 seems harder to drive than 598.

 

[Midgetguy]

598 is 60 ohms. But b3 seems harder to drive than 598.

You'd have to ask someone more well-versed with frequency and impedance curves cuz it probably has to do with that. I completely understand what your thinking and I'm in the same boat too cuz I've plugged my HD558 (rated at 50 ohms) into the same source before and I need to have the B3 a couple clicks higher than that. How much power needed to get the B3 to preferred listening volumes compared to how much you'd think is needed based on the impedance spec has always been a mystery to me with the B3.

 

[Ruben123]

Havi B3 is really a special earphones. I don't know how much impedience it is. When I use OTL tube amplifier to drive it, I need to turn to higher volume than driving HD600!!!
However, On tube amplifier, Havi have larger and more holographic soundstage.

Guess your amp is pretty weak then, I drive them with ease out of my sansa clip plus.

 

[peter123]

Guess your amp is pretty weak then, I drive them with ease out of my sansa clip plus.

Have you tried them with a more powerful amp than the Clip+?

I've also got a Clip+ and find it to be rather mediocre when it comes to sq so it might also just be that he prefers the sound from the tube amp than from other sources, the B3's really like tubes imo.

It's also quite obvious that the amp is not weak if it drives the HD600 well.....

 

[yangian]

Guess your amp is pretty weak then, I drive them with ease out of my sansa clip plus.

 
It's an OTL tube amplifier. It's very powerful! I think it's a problem of impedance matching. Yes, my NX1 can also drive B3 well. But amazingly B3 can sound very well on an OTL!

 

[yangian]

Have you tried them with a more powerful amp than the Clip+?

I've also got a Clip+ and find it to be rather mediocre when it comes to sq so it might also just be that he prefers the sound from the tube amp than from other sources, the B3's really like tubes imo.

It's also quite obvious that the amp is not weak if it drives the HD600 well..... 

 
Did you try it with tube amplifiers before, Peter? I think it sounds better on my Explorer+OTL than on Modi+desktop SS amp.

 

[peter123]

Did you try it with tube amplifiers before, Peter? I think it sounds better on my Explorer+OTL than on Modi+desktop SS amp.

Yes, but not a OTL. I've got a LD I+ hybrid and I've also got a tube dac (Advance Acoustic MDA503) and I love them both with the B3.

 

[yangian]

Yes, but not a OTL. I've got a LD I+ hybrid and I've also got a tube dac (Advance Acoustic MDA503) and I love them both with the B3.

 
Ok. I want to confirm that it sounds great also on OTL.

 

[peter123]

Ok. I want to confirm that it sounds great also on OTL.

I understand, Fwiw I know that Baycode likes them a lot with his Dark Voice OTL amp.

 

[yangian]

I understand, Fwiw I know that @Baycode likes them a lot with his Dark Voice OTL amp.

 
Oh, yeah. my OTLs is similar to DV336. I think mine is better than 336 since it uses two driver tubes to drive two channels separately.

 

[RedJohn456]

I have created the ultimate B3 stack, FiiO X7 => VE RunABOUT 2.0 => B3 Pro 1     It is my second favourite iem behind something else I will be talking about after. Gentleman I don't want to get any hype going but I believe I may have found the spiritual successor the Pro 1.
 
This iem I have had as a sample for quite some time but it sounded bad with almost every tip i had EXCEPT one. Which I tried last week, it was the havi foam tips. It transformed it into my most used, favourite, daily driver what have you. That iem + B3 Pro 1 = death of iem upgraditis.  I am in nirvana

 

[Midgetguy]

  I have created the ultimate B3 stack, FiiO X7 => VE RunABOUT 2.0 => B3 Pro 1     It is my second favourite iem behind something else I will be talking about after. Gentleman I don't want to get any hype going but I believe I may have found the spiritual successor the Pro 1.
 
This iem I have had as a sample for quite some time but it sounded bad with almost every tip i had EXCEPT one. Which I tried last week, it was the havi foam tips. It transformed it into my most used, favourite, daily driver what have you. That iem + B3 Pro 1 = death of iem upgraditis.  I am in nirvana

So it sounds like you solved upgraditis.....what about sidegraditis and curiosity?