[sacd lover]

I have an AUDIO ALCHEMY HPA1.0 and HEADROOM MOH and I seem to develope ear fatigue much faster when I dont use crossfeed. I really want a GILMORE AMP or a SUGDEN, but I fear I will possibly dislike both without crossfeed. I read posts that many feel the amps without crossfeed are purer and have better tonal balance. Whats everyones opinion,do you adjust to not having crossfeed and enjoy the sound just as much, or do you miss the crossfeed when its not in use?

 

[andrzejpw]

Ugh, tough question. It really depends on the recording. Sometimes, I really don't notice crossfeed. Other times(ex: Miles Davis: Kind of Blues), the lack of crossfeed is so apparent, my head almost feels like its getting pulled towards one end.

Now, the headroom crossfeed, iirc, rolls the highs off a tad. That's what the brightness filter is there for. Note: you can add crossfeed into a DIY amp.

 

[OneMalt]

When I first starting using crossfeed, I felt it was at the sacrifice of some detail. However, my ears are now so accustomed to it that music sounds lifeless without it.

 

[ian]

I have a Cosmic and I _always_ use crossfeed and the filter. With the filter the sonic balance is mostly restored. My main problem is a lot like yours - I can get a whopping headache unless I'm using the crossfeed. Jan Meier's Corda worked fine, but something about Headroom's is more enjoyable to me. Jan's Corda didn't seem to mess with the tonal balance as much as the Headroom's, if thats what you are looking for.

If you really get a lot of fatigue, chances are you're going to want Crossfeed. You can always try it the DIY road and add your own or have someone add it for you.

 

[sacd lover]

INTRESTING! I got a beyer dt770 today, and because the 770 has such strong bass I shut off the crossfeed. This phone has a greater distance to the ear and consequently a more expansive soundstage. I didnt seem bothered by the absence of crossfeed in the two hours I listened. You just cant predict how gear will interact, you have to try it.

 

[Zin_Ramu]

I have a Corda HA-1 and barely ever use the crossfeed. While my listening sessions are never very extended (1-3 hours), I never experience "listening fatigue"

I guess its dependent on your music library. I listen mostly to rock and alternative, and have had no issues.

Zin

 

[TripsRight]

I also have a Corda and I use the crossfeed all the time. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[kelly]

When I was younger (well, ok, a few weeks ago), I thought Meier's processor was transparent. That is to say -- other than what it's supposed to do, you can't really tell it's engaged. Now that I'm older and wiser, I find it to be a half-truth. Meier's crossfeed is overall transparent to the amp because the crossfeed is basically a replication of the same circuitry (including the opamp).

So then... the question is. Could a better amp be made using a high end amp as a buffer for the Meier crossfeed design. And how would that sound? It's an expensive experiment but one I'd be interested in.

HeadRoom's amp does mess with the tonal balance but HeadRoom is so proud of that processing that I'm pretty sure the Max is operating "as designed" with the crossfeed and brightness filters both engaged. With most amps, the crossfeed is more of an afterthought if there is one. Some day I intend to do a more long term evaluation of the Max so I can take time to get used to their processing and see how much it agrees with me.

 

[andrzejpw]

Quote:

Originally posted by sacd lover INTRESTING! I got a beyer dt770 today, and because the 770 has such strong bass I shut off the crossfeed. This phone has a greater distance to the ear and consequently a more expansive soundstage. I didnt seem bothered by the absence of crossfeed in the two hours I listened. You just cant predict how gear will interact, you have to try it.

Remember, it really depends on what you're listening too. I've found that this is particularly true with old jazz recordings.

 

[Hirsch]

I tried a Maxed Out Home and a Max on the Headroom Loaner Program. Both amps were good, but I only used crossfeed for parts of my listening, and wasn't particularly enamored of it. I was using the R10 a lot, and that headphone has its own spatial presentation. Crossfeed seemed to collapse it into the middle. None of my current amps have crossfeed, and I haven't missed it for a minute. YMMV

 

[sacd lover]

I just want to thank everyone for their imput on crossfeed.
Your imput has been very helpful in allowing me to think through a decision on an upcoming purchase.

 

[AssafL]

I agree with adrzejpw. It depends on what you are listening to. Headrooms processor does not influence recordings that are made with 2 microphones in an acoustic environment - see ma recordings e.g. Calamus the splendor of al-andalous.

However, on subpar or average recordings (where you have a flute stuck in your left ear), it does wonders!

 

[tangent]

Quote:

on subpar or average recordings (where you have a flute stuck in your left ear), it does wonders!

Sub-par? On a speaker system, you'd call that "soundstage" and you'd praise the recording engineer for mixing it that way.

Quote:

I guess its dependent on your music library. I listen mostly to rock and alternative, and have had no issues.

This is very true. Most rock and pop is mixed to have very little soundstage, for a couple of reasons. One, rock/pop and portable listening have gone together like peanut butter and chocolate for decades. Engineers probably mix rock/pop that way so that it sounds good on headphones. Two, when you listen to rock/pop on speakers, how often do you sit quietly in the sweet spot between the two speakers? If you're dancing around the room, what use is a wide soundstage? Three, most rock/pop is very "dense" -- many layers of instruments all playing at high levels. "Everything louder than everything else." Again, this tends to defeat a soundstage during recording unless you do strange things with mic'ing and mixing it.

Quote:

When I was younger, I thought Meier's processor was transparent.

I seem to recall that you had good things to say about the modified Linkwitz crossfeed I used in the META42 amp you reviewed, Kelly. Personally, I find that it's a very subtle crossfeed except on very "wide" recordings, which is exactly what I want.

The Headroom crossfeed is much more intrusive, almost like the fakey "3D sound" modes on some HT receivers. It seems to make a real soundstage with headphones, which no other crossfeed I've listened to can manage. Now, I've always believed that soundstage with headphones is a psychological issue -- some people can hear a soundstage and some can't, so others may tell you that they can hear a real soundstage with non-Headroom crossfeeds or even without crossfeed at all. All I'm saying is that the Headroom crossfeed tricks my brain out when others don't. I found it enjoyable when I played with it a bit at the WOH tour stop I went to. The minimalist side of me wonders if it would tend to pall with long-term listening, though.

The Meier and Linkwitz crossfeeds are simpler -- they just blend the lows and leave the highs alone. (The modified Linkwitz, for example, rolls off to 0 by about 1 kHz.) The only thing simpler would be a blend resistor. It's been a while since I listened to my Corda, so I can't recall my impressions of its crossfeed clearly. I do remember that I'm not a big fan of the Meier Enhanced Bass crossfeed as implemented on the Hansen boards. That crossfeed is useful, but it veils the sound significantly.

 

[andrzejpw]

The worst I've seen is mile's davis, Kind of Blue. Well, not in quality, but in being needy of crossfeed.

During a lot of the songs, there are many extreme left/extreme right passages, where one instrument is on one year, the other on the right ear. It makes for a very annoying experience. It almost feels like you are getting pulled to one side. From what I remember of the little's crossfeed that I auditioned, it made the recording much more beareable.

 

[legoman]

crossfeed was my first love and it will be my last