Headstage Arrow HE: Reviews, Impressions, Perceptions & Sensations
Feb 26, 2015 at 7:06 AM Post #3,181 of 4,123
  Thank you, it helps. My problem though is that I still don't know what kind of sound I prefer, because I only have the Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro (which I like) and nothing else for comparison, and thus I have little experience with what "warm" and "analytical" means. But from what I've read, of the two, I think "warm" would be the safest choice for people not really knowing what they want, so perhaps I'll see if I can get my hands on a 5TX.

Personally I think you would be investing relatively much in your amp vs headphone, since the 5TX is twice as expensive as the Beyerdynamic.. IMO the headphones are always the most important link (and money should be spent accordingly).
 
Alternatively you could consider a cheaper Fiio model that would work fine in combination with the Beyerdynamic, and save the rest to invest in better headphones when you're ready for an upgrade. To me that would make more sense..
 
Feb 26, 2015 at 7:26 AM Post #3,182 of 4,123
  Personally I think you would be investing relatively much in your amp vs headphone, since the 5TX is twice as expensive as the Beyerdynamic.. IMO the headphones are always the most important link (and money should be spent accordingly).

I wholeheartedly agree, I just forgot to mention that the reason I recently registered here is that I'm looking to purchase some CIEMs, possibly the M-Fidelity (formerly Starkey) SA-43. That would put the amp at around half the price of the monitors.
 
The Beyerdynamics themselves are very forgiving and I've never felt the need for an amp. I briefly tried the Fiio E18 recently, and while there was a difference compared to my normal source (computer sound card), I had to listen for it in order to hear it.
 
Feb 26, 2015 at 7:59 AM Post #3,183 of 4,123
  I wholeheartedly agree, I just forgot to mention that the reason I recently registered here is that I'm looking to purchase some CIEMs, possibly the M-Fidelity (formerly Starkey) SA-43. That would put the amp at around half the price of the monitors.
 
The Beyerdynamics themselves are very forgiving and I've never felt the need for an amp. I briefly tried the Fiio E18 recently, and while there was a difference compared to my normal source (computer sound card), I had to listen for it in order to hear it.

Ooh ok yeah that makes more sense :) Hadn't heard of them but the description is interesting. 
 
Maybe there's a hifi store in town where you could test different amps, and see if you prefer a warm or analytic sound?
 
Feb 28, 2015 at 9:20 PM Post #3,185 of 4,123
Does anyone know what Dac selection is in the arrow 5

no one knows any thing about the arrow 5 the most mysterious amp i've ever seen
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  ....except there is one or two here saying it sounds fantastic !!!! 
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Mar 6, 2015 at 1:42 AM Post #3,188 of 4,123
whats the actual delivery situation? Still ongoing mystery? i'm hesitating between this and a Vorzuge Duo….which is so much more money….but vs so much more waiting…...
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Mar 13, 2015 at 4:24 AM Post #3,192 of 4,123
A friend of mine brought over the 5N. I tried it with my MBAir and HD 800. Wow, very nice brief impression. Unfortunately I only tried it for about 15 minutes.Bottom line is I will be buying one. Put in an order for the 5TX bit after reading your comments below, I am not so sure now.

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If you're trying to make a choice, I would focus on your sound preference. Do you prefer a warm or analytic sound? I have a strong preference for a warm sound so the 5TX is an easy choice. If you prefer a clean, analytic sound go for the 5N, or 5P if your priority is bass. 

Hope this helps.


I think I prefer a less warm sound. Are the parts in the 5TX better than the 5N? As a consumer, you usually want the latest model. Should I not follow that line of thinking here?
 
Mar 13, 2015 at 6:52 AM Post #3,193 of 4,123
A friend of mine brought over the 5N. I tried it with my MBAir and HD 800. Wow, very nice brief impression. Unfortunately I only tried it for about 15 minutes.Bottom line is I will be buying one. Put in an order for the 5TX bit after reading your comments below, I am not so sure now.
I think I prefer a less warm sound. Are the parts in the 5TX better than the 5N? As a consumer, you usually want the latest model. Should I not follow that line of thinking here?

So to start off, Roberts descriptoin of the 5TX claims it is better than the 5N. But he only mentions soundstage, and I'm not sure if it will drastically improve that.. The 5N and 5TX are the same model (5th generation), but with a different board. The 5TX has a tube like board giving it a warmer sound and different buffers I believe.
 
But again, when it comes to sound there is no objective 'better', just preference. Like you can argue that a (pure) silver cable is better than a copper cable, because its materials are more expensive etc., but that doesn't mean everyone will like it more (I really don't like pure silver). So if you know you prefer an analytic sound, then it's better to get the 5P or 5N. Because the slight increase in soundstage or whatever won't trump the warmer sound. 
 
But this is slightly moot at the moment, since Robert took the 5N and 5P off the website.. I emailed him to ask what's up, but he hasn't responded yet. I'm listening to a 5P at the moment, I'll get the 5TX in a month or so. Since it's gonna take another month for the 5TX to arrive, I would just email Robert and say you prefer a 5N (or P), I can't imagine it being a problem.
 
Mar 13, 2015 at 2:36 PM Post #3,195 of 4,123
my understanding is that the 5TX will use the AD8620 opamp for the output stage, which is different(and arguably better) than the one used in the 5N/P.
you can read about the AD8620 opamp here
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/669830/fiio-x3-mod-ad8397-to-ad8620
http://www.leckertonaudio.com/blog/2014/6/5/new-dual-to-single-op-amp-adapter-provides-high-performance-option-for-uha-6smkii
 
Oddly enough the fiio x3 guys say the AD8620 is a more neutral sounding opamp, which goes against the TX supposedly having a more "tube like" warm sound
 
Quote:
  So to start off, Roberts descriptoin of the 5TX claims it is better than the 5N. But he only mentions soundstage, and I'm not sure if it will drastically improve that.. The 5N and 5TX are the same model (5th generation), but with a different board. The 5TX has a tube like board giving it a warmer sound and different buffers I believe.
 
But again, when it comes to sound there is no objective 'better', just preference. Like you can argue that a (pure) silver cable is better than a copper cable, because its materials are more expensive etc., but that doesn't mean everyone will like it more (I really don't like pure silver). So if you know you prefer an analytic sound, then it's better to get the 5P or 5N. Because the slight increase in soundstage or whatever won't trump the warmer sound. 
 
But this is slightly moot at the moment, since Robert took the 5N and 5P off the website.. I emailed him to ask what's up, but he hasn't responded yet. I'm listening to a 5P at the moment, I'll get the 5TX in a month or so. Since it's gonna take another month for the 5TX to arrive, I would just email Robert and say you prefer a 5N (or P), I can't imagine it being a problem.

 

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