[justin w.]

@HeadAmpTeam What about some additional color options (front faceplate) at least as an option for premium version of this amp?
I really like polished red and polished/satin blue GS-X mk2 variants.

Our cfa3 was designed so that there are 2 front panels, one that all the components/circuit boards attach to and then a 2nd panel on top. We may offer colored panels that can be installed, but it would be sometime next year.

 

[jh88]

Is there a performance difference between the balanced xlr and rca inputs?

 

[chesebert]

Those graphic cards and monitors will be completely worthless in a few years! We work very hard to make sure our amps maintain very high resale value even 10 years later.

perfect. Time for me to sell my Gilmore Dynamic Headphone Amplifier V2-SE (circa 2003?) and GS-1 mk2 dynalo+ (circa 2005?) and raise some money for a second CFA3

 

[chesebert]

Is there a performance difference between the balanced xlr and rca inputs?

Not likely. CFA3 splits the phase at the input so everything is balanced immediately after the input stage. You can expect 6dB lower volume as RCA signals are 1/2 the XLR

 

[Chuy24]

Wow. Looks so good!

 

[greyforest]

what is ss/zf means?

 

[oneguy]

what is ss/zf means?

SS is super symmetry
ZF is zero feedback

 

[greyforest]

SS is super symmetry
ZF is zero feedback

so...class a?and class ab?

 

[oneguy]

so...class a?and class ab?

Class A for both is my understanding

 

[purk]

Not likely. CFA3 splits the phase at the input so everything is balanced immediately after the input stage. You can expect 6dB lower volume as RCA signals are 1/2 the XLR

Assuming that there is no sonic difference between the DAC SE and balanced output stage. Most MFRs make sure that the XLR output sounding just a tiny bit better

 

[helljudgement]

Most MFRs make sure that the XLR output sounding just a tiny bit better

How would they go about doing that? Purposely gimping the se out?

 

[OnlySoMany]

Mjolnir3 to bliss? I have made some posts about it in the mjolnir3 thread but to summarize the mjolnir3 greatly exceeded my expectations. Despite being lower watt than its predecessors it still has a lot of low end impact. Bass is solid and volume can get louder than you will ever use. I use mj3 with susvara and abyss ab 1266 phi tc.

Mj3 is way more resolving, defined, higher resolution, and tighter bass than mjolnir2 despite mjolnir2 having more power. Mjolnir2 was an amazing amp for hd800s it added an addictive liquid sound to the hd800s that was very easy to listen to and still felt highly detailed. Then I moved to the susvara. The susvara exposed the mjolnir2 as being very soft and lower resolution than I originally thought with the hd800s. Bliss has some of the tube like characteristics of mjolnir 2 but tightens everything up, adds way more resolution, and is all around better than mjolnir2.

Now for comparing bliss to mj3, to me bliss kte has longer decay on notes where mj3 has more separation inbetween. Bliss is very smooth and undistorted to the point you can turn up the volume much louder than you normally would listen and it isn't bothersome. With mj3 there is more texture and edge to some notes than with bliss. Bliss has slightly more bass than mj3 (~1%) and the bass decays slightly longer by a few miliseconds. To me the bliss has slightly rolled off treble compared to hdva600 and mj3. All the resolution is still in the treble with the bliss but it just feels slightly soft compared to mj3. Mj3 has around 1-2% more treble but doesn't feel fatiguing.

To summarize the bliss is more smooth and has more power while mj3 sounds slightly more detailed with less decay between notes. Bliss is almost slightly tube like for a solid state. If you listen to the bliss all the detail is there but when you listen to mj3 it just feels slightly more defined at times. Bass with mj3 is still present and sounds great even on susvara.

What I'm looking for out of my next amp is something I can feel is true endgame and there is no question about it. I haven't tried speaker amps yet, but I'm hoping the cfa3 can provide all the detail and speed mj3 can while elevating things to the next level and not being fatiguing.

To me yggy og a2 -> mj3 -> susvara/ab 1266 phi tc is the best I've ever heard music sound (I often thought the same about the bliss). The main thing that made me sell the bliss is after A/B testing many songs over many hours with bliss and hdva600 (a weaker amp I bought used) I heard what I perceived as slightly more treble detail. For the bliss to cost so much more I just decided I pefered the treble detail. Maybe this was from me going from hd800s to susvara.. the bliss had longer decay to notes, the quiet separation between fast notes with the hdva600 made me perceive it as having a "quieter" background (between notes) even though the bliss is the quieter and better measuring amp. The mjolnir3 makes the hdva600 sound smooth. Mjolnir3 has more detail is faster than hdva600.

I have a t+a dac 200 on the way. I'm just curious to try what is supposed to be more "endgame" amps. Hopefully the cfa3 doesn't disappoint for its price point. It has a lot of competition.

Endgame to me is the Viva Egoista 845 or the 234 mono Woo Audio headphone amp. Both are around 20k.

 

[justin w.]

How would they go about doing that? Purposely gimping the se out?

depends on the design, but usually the output of the DAC is balanced and then is converted to single ended
There were many older DACs/CD Players that could have had balanced outputs, but didn't, because there was no market for XLR outputs on consumer audiophile gear at the time

 

[Nick22]

Looks nice. Will the CFA3 have as much color options as the GSX had? I guess it would look cooler.

 

[Ciggavelli]

RockLooks nice. Will the CFA3 have as much color options as the GSX had? I guess it would look cooler.

Black is the only color that matters

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