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Any tips for optimizing the meta42 for HD580s? |
1. Use a gain of about 4 or 5 for full-size players, or 5-6 for portables. If you use lower gain values, you risk running out of volume. If you use higher values, that will work, but you won't be able to turn the knob as much before it gets to deafening volumes, so the knob will be touchy.
2. If you're going to use Chu Moy's modified Linkwitz crossfeed (the only one I recommend with the META42 at this time -- start a new thread if you want details) you need a higher gain because this circuit attenuates the volume.
3. Although paralleling output buffers is said to help with all headphones, you won't get as much bang for your buck with high-impedance headphones like those in the Senn 500/600 series.
4. You don't need R8 or R9 with these headphones. Just jumper them.
5. There are no op-amps I would specifically recommend against. (This is not true for Grados, which is why I bring the issue up.)
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I'm not even exactly sure what gain really is. |
When you're talking about an amplifier, you usually mean voltage gain. (There's also current gain.) This simply means magnifying the op-amp's input voltage by a specific amount.
Concrete example: let's say your headphone wants 1.5V to reach blasting volume. You have a portable source that puts out 400 mV. In between the source and the actual amp circuit, you have a potentiometer, which reduces the voltage further, to, say, 50 to 300 mV in the normal listening range. Result? You need a gain value of 5 to reach full blasting volume at the high end of that volume range.