Head-Direct EF-1
Jul 4, 2009 at 5:46 PM Post #332 of 348
Yes the EF2 is very sexy at price and features!
 
Jul 4, 2009 at 6:01 PM Post #333 of 348
Quote:

Originally Posted by boomy3555 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Have we all been asleep at the wheel???. It looks like Fang has made our EF-1 obsolete!!!! Apparently the USB dac/amp combo EF2 snuck in while we were "Tube Rolling" the EF-1. and 100USD cheaper....2 tubes....... Ouch!!


I posted some early impressions in my big USB DAC AMP review thread the other day, and I'm working on my EF2 review right now.

At CanJam the EF2 sounded like the EF1. The main difference was with the 8 ohm RE5 orthodynamic headphones where the EF1 had more power or current delivery (very low impedance, might have been 4 ohm). The EF2 sounds good out of the box and needs about 200-300 hours of burn-in, and improves even more with some NOS Raytheon tubes. I burned-it in with my HD800 and it went from a little bright to more well balanced with punchier bass over that time. I can use phones like UF-30 that tend to get bright with the wrong amp, and they are not bright at all with the EF2 now.

Not only is it good with my 32 ohm HF-2 and 300 ohm HD600/HD800, but unlike the EF1 it works very well with low impedance IEM, with no hiss and good low volume channel balance in the pot (which clicks as you turn it but is not stepped). The DAC is the respectable Burr Brown Japan PCM2702E like in the 3MOVE, and it sounds very nice with my Macbook Pro. The Pico DAC-only is a little improvement in micro-detail and soundstage, but the built-in DAC isn't bad at all.
 
Jul 4, 2009 at 6:23 PM Post #335 of 348
Quote:

Originally Posted by boomy3555 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I did read your review after I did a search.. Very nice indead.

(1) Hope to hear it on the 25th.?
(2) Are these tubes different from the 12AU7's ?
(3) Is the Dac better than the HiFiman 801


(1) Yes.
(2) Yes - the stock tubes are 6J1 (and I am using NOS Raytheon 6AK5 as an equivalent per Skylab which work fine).
(3) No - it is as good as the DAC in the 3MOVE, but still very nice.
 
Jul 5, 2009 at 1:50 AM Post #338 of 348
Quote:

Originally Posted by plonter /img/forum/go_quote.gif
can't wait for your review headphoneaddict...the EF2 sure sounds like a nice amp. i got the EF1 and very happy with it.


I mentioned above that it has good synergy with the Nuforce UF-30 headphones, but it also does well with a wide variety of phones (Grado, Denon, Sennheiser, various IEM). I want to add that the EF2 with the Raytheon 6AK5 tubes is a PERFECT match for my UE11Pro custom IEM. The EF2 has never struck me as a forward sounding amp, but with the UE11Pro it somehow seems to fill in the mids beautifully, while keeping the bass and treble under good control at the same time.

I am putting my review together now, but have to leave with my kids for fireworks and come back and work on it come more later.
 
Jul 6, 2009 at 7:11 PM Post #340 of 348
Quote:

Originally Posted by Sway /img/forum/go_quote.gif
EF2? Grrrr... I just got my EF1 about a month ago (Which I absolutely love by the way). Definitely looking forward to your review headphoneaddict.


I'm not gonna say the EF2 is better than EF1, as they sound similar and the EF1 has a little more current output available for low impedance phones. but yeah, for $100-200 less and to include a halfway decent DAC is impressive. The Pico DAC-only is a noticeable upgrade to the built-in DAC in terms of micro-detail and soundstage width and depth, and the EF1 with a nice DAC would be a great option since you have the amp already.
 
Jul 6, 2009 at 10:53 PM Post #341 of 348
Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I'm not gonna say the EF2 is better than EF1, as they sound similar and the EF1 has a little more current output available for low impedance phones. but yeah, for $100-200 less and to include a halfway decent DAC is impressive. The Pico DAC-only is a noticeable upgrade to the built-in DAC in terms of micro-detail and soundstage width and depth, and the EF1 with a nice DAC would be a great option since you have the amp already.


Thanks for the info HeadphoneAddict. Would you consider the Pico DAC-only the best addition to my EF1 at that price range? I have a very simple rig right now: Laptop > EF1 > D5000. And to my virgin ears, it’s wonderful. I don't have any personal experience with a DAC. Will $350 for a Pico DAC significantly improve my sound quality? I appreciate the feedback.
beerchug.gif
 
Jul 7, 2009 at 12:55 AM Post #342 of 348
Quote:

Originally Posted by Sway /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Thanks for the info HeadphoneAddict. Would you consider the Pico DAC-only the best addition to my EF1 at that price range? I have a very simple rig right now: Laptop > EF1 > D5000. And to my virgin ears, it’s wonderful. I don't have any personal experience with a DAC. Will $350 for a Pico DAC significantly improve my sound quality? I appreciate the feedback.
beerchug.gif



Yes. If you have an RCA clear top tube in your EF1 you could get a little more mellow and tubey sound from a Mullard short plate or long plate tube, but the improvement is not as great as adding a good DAC to your rig. The RCA clear top is still very nice for most music and phones, and the EF1/Mullards are a solution for bright phones or phones with a recessed midrange (like a re-cabled RS-1 with bowls, or modded re-cabled D2000 or a Proline 2500).
 
Feb 8, 2010 at 2:32 AM Post #343 of 348
Has anyone tried any other Opamps lately? I threw a LME46980 in my EF-5. It was impressive at first, very silent, lower noise floor then the stock opamp, and the ad743jn's. Pretty flat mid and bass, the high's where pretty crazy though. Extreme detail, but it was to much, and was a bit fatiguing after awhile. I can't recommend it. It should be the same or similar to the LM4562. Im thinking of trying a pair of AD797's, and AD626, and perhaps an LT1364. Has anyone heard these?

What about the almighty OPA627? I want to try this one, but it's very expensive at 35$ each, and you need 2.
 
Feb 8, 2010 at 6:16 AM Post #344 of 348
I tried the OPA627 in my EF1 and it sounded a little unnatural. Highs were a little too crisp and bass wasn't as extended as the stock op amp. I ended up putting the 627 in my go-vibe where it is a big improvement over 8620 i had in it before.
 
Feb 8, 2010 at 6:47 AM Post #345 of 348
so what did you end up with as your final choice of opamp?

So far i've tried:

OP275
LME49860
AD743JN
OP2227

The AD743JN's easily sound the best so far, surprisingly the 2227 was not bad either. Good bass and mids, high's where weak.

maybe I will forgo the OPA627's and try the AD797 instead, they are pretty cheap.
 
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