HDVA600 vs Rega Ear

[rpdugan]

I just bought the HD800s headohones. I currentky use a Rega Ear. Does anyone know how the Ear would compare with the HDVA600 with these headohines?

 

[Svatopluk]

You already have the Rega Ear so I would try it with the HD800 for a while, the pairing may work out very well. If not, the HDVA600 is tuned by Sennheiser especially for the HD800, but it's not cheap.
If you go the HDVA600 route, you may want to look for one used.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

I just bought the HD800s headohones. I currentky use a Rega Ear. Does anyone know how the Ear would compare with the HDVA600 with these headohines?

 

Given the relatively high sensitivity of the HD800, if you listen to any recordings that are combatants in the Loudness War, you'll likely need to apply Replay Gain or use a low output voltage source (or both). The Ear has very high gain and the pot has imbalance until you get past 9:00 on the dial. It's otherwise subtle so you won't notice it right away.

 

Also compared to my Meier Cantate.2 and Pangea HP101 (also the Asgard, Headfive, Valhalla, etc), the Ear has a tendency for some treble glare. I used an SPL app to very they were roughly at the same output level with a 1000hz test tone when I did the back to back between the HP101 (which sounds similar to the Cantate.2 save for the Meier's much blacker background and very clean output at high output) and my Ear v2.

 

[rpdugan]

Can you explain more what replay gain is?

I have noticed so far that I can't turn the volume up very far with my Ear v2 and the 800S. The Ear drives them very easily. Also explain the 9 o'clock positioning thing a bit more to me

Much appreciated!

 

[rpdugan]

And to clarify, I am usu g the HD 800S phones, not the HD800...

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Quote:

Can you explain more what replay gain is?

 

Replay Gain is a software DSP that reduces the loudness of the source material. You can achieve the same when reducing the gain during ripping. In any case this has a use now thanks to how many albums are set to a too loud level that they quash dynamic range. They'll sound better on radio but compared to a properly recorded album on a reference system the dynamics - the difference between the loudest and softest sounds - aren't as wide. Modifying the gain does not fix that problem, however some amplifiers have very high gain - like +26dB on the Rega Ear - while analogue potentiometers (ie what that knob is attached to) have an innate imbalance before it gets to roughly 9:00 on the dial (more below). Depending on the quality some have need to go higher and/or have a more severe imbalance below that.

 

Read more here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReplayGain

http://www.head-fi.org/t/528261/channel-imbalance-in-your-volume-pot-some-thoughts

 

 

 

Quote:

Also explain the 9 o'clock positioning thing a bit more to me

 

In movies with dog fights for example where one pilot yells on the radio, "ZEROS/MESSERCHMITTS/MIGs/BOGEYS, SIX O'CLOCK!!! EVASIVE ACTION!!!" where the clockface is used to denote relative position from the center, although in such cases the clock face could be in proper orientation for the Y-axis (12:00 above, 6:00 below), but it can be used for the X-axis as well (12:00 front, 6:00 rear). The volume knob is a dial, circular like a clock. Position of where the pointer is on that knob is like where a hand points on the clock face.

 

For example, this volume knob is on the 3:00 position.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I imagine the use of smartphones over wristwatches will only make this kind of thing more rare.

 

 

Quote:

I have noticed so far that I can't turn the volume up very far with my Ear v2 and the 800S.

 

That's because the Ear has a very high +26dB gain. By contrast the JDS Labs O2 for example has a high gain setting of +6dB, some Meier amplifiers have +13dB. 3dB is already a lot, so it isn't even "double" the loudness of the Meier, only numerically.

 

The thing is that very high gain on the Ear works well with low sensitivity headphones like planars, but mine couldn't play loudness war recordings without audible imbalance with the HD600, although it did help that my Ibasso D-Zero had lower than 2v on its line out.

 

[rpdugan]

So, is your opinion that the Ear probably not a good match for the 800S?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

So, is your opinion that the Ear probably not a good match for the 800S?

 
That's not what I was saying, I was just saying that if you have albums that are fighting the Loudness War, you'd have a problem. If you don't have a lot of them, just use a DAC with a computer and use ReplayGain.

 

[rpdugan]

cool
 
thanks!

 

[rpdugan]

Hey Maniac

I knew what the 9 o'clock position was

Just did not understand its significance...

Sure appreciate the great insight...

I picked up a used hdva600 from a from a seller here. Look forward to comparing. I'll have it Monday....

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Hey Maniac

I knew what the 9 o'clock position was

Just did not understand its significance...

 
One of the links posted discusses it. Here's another one, but I'd rephrase that to "low volume setting channel imbalance." In the case of the Ear the level on the pot will be low but the +26dB gain will still make the actual output loud.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/668697/question-low-volume-channel-imbalance