[kingpage]

Quote:

@kingpage, I couldn't help noticing your signature and tried a hearing test myself.  My range in both ears is about 20Hz to 17,250Hz.  At 19,000Hz you must be part bat! 

 

It really depends on what headphones or IEMs you have, not to mention the source. Some headphones have rolled-of treble, despite my poor source from my laptop my Aurvana Live extends both ways pretty well and has a slight V-shape response. With my previous IEMs such as PL-30 and M2, I couldn't hear anything after 16000Hz, so you would need a pretty neutral phone without much treble roll-off to know for sure.
 
The loudspeakers have better reproduction of the treble in general, even with my cheap Altec Lancing i120 speakers I could hear sounds similar to my CAL headphones. I was once convinced that my hearing was only around 15-16000Hz becuase of bad earphones and the laptop speaker, but the fact is many of them produce nothing or a contant beep after 14000Hz.
 
And by the way, I needed to turn the volume to around 75% or more to hear the buzzing anyway. We don't have a flat hearing, and you'd be a "high-end" monitor human if you do.

 

[SoulSyde]

OK, so here are my impressions of my Arrow 3G...
 
The GOOD:
-- Size: very small and pairs well with a J3, iTouch, Sony X-Series, iPod Classic or similar device.
-- Battery life: as said before, simply amazing!
-- Construction: very solid and well built.  Great switches, with a firm feel and nice "click" to them
-- Form Factor: Second to NONE!  All of the inputs, outputs and switches are perfectly placed.
-- Weight: surprisingly very light.  This kind of caught me off guard.
-- Sound: The good stuff...
   1.  Bass: Great (setting "2" can be a little bloated on bass-heavy tracks)
   2.  Mids: Realistic and clear
   3.  Highs:  Also realistic without a hint of shrill or sibilance
   4.  Gain: I primarily use setting "1" for just about everything and setting "2" for my HD600s.  I have no need for setting "3" (which is probably designed for 600 Ohm headphones).  This thing has plenty of oomph.
   5.  Impedance: Aside from when I'm wearing my Grados I keep this setting on "0".  It tends to veil the highs too much for my taste.  I only occasionally put it on setting "1" when wearing my SR225i's.
   6.  Crossfeed: The best implementation of Crossfeed that I have heard so far.  Setting "1" is perfect for long listening sessions when you want to minimize fatigue.  Setting "2" is great for hard-panned music.  Both settings do a great job without significantly altering the sound quality.
 
The BAD:
-- The volume pot: there is a slight imbalance in the first 10% of the range, but this is common on almost all non-digital volume controls.  Heck, even my NuForce Icon HDP suffers from this.
-- Impedance: this setting is effectively useless because it veils all frequencies above 4,000Hz so much that it isn't worth using (sans Grados).
-- Hiss: With about 10 different headphones in my collection only 3 of them experienced hiss (and subtle at that, so I am being very nitpicky here).  The three that showed a subtle amount of hiss were the UE SuperFi 4, Denon AH-C710 and Sennheiser MXL-570; three headphones that really shouldn't be amped anyway so it's a moot point.  The others have enough resistance to negate any hiss.  
 
Overall, this amp is a 9 out of 10.  Right now, I can't think of a better portable amp on the market.
 
Here is my current favorite setup:
Cowon J3 32GB  →  FiiO L2  →  Arrow 12HE 3G (Bass: 1, Cross: 1, Gain: 1, Imp: 0)  →  Ultrasone Pro 750
 

 

[Anaxilus]

Nice impressions and absolutely agree w/ pretty much everything!  

 

[hellbent]

ive got a pair of xone xd 53 headphones for electronic music mostly, they have a 36 ohm impedance and a max power input of 3,500mW with 53mm drivers. Theyre amazing headphones but i would like to get a bit more mid range quality along with some extra bass response  and warmth, would the arrow work well for these given the specs?

 

[bhaskarjyotik]

What LOD are you using. Enjoy your Arrow!
 
Quote:

 
Got this today (#2821). This thing serious kicks ass. Right out of the box. I love the bass setting, my DT 770 Premium really need some songs on level 2 Bass. Corda Headsix wasn't able to get this as i wanted and the FiiO E5 was just a joke. I don't regret the money and the long waiting time

 

[Dabylpmis]

It's a QABLES iPod-to-mini cable bought from Jan (http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/)

 

[Mediaogre]

Kingpage, thanks for this perspective. I started with my Shure SE530s at around 16000 Hz, couldn't hear jack (which is pretty much what I expected) and then bumped the frequency down to 14000. Then up to 15000 and couldn't hear anything. However, when I incremented up from 14000 in 100 Hz increments I realized I actually could hear the tone up to around 15500 Hz. And that was with my laptop volume at only 10 of 50. Maybe I'm not as deaf as I thought I was, and maybe the SE530s have rolled off treble as well. Honestly, I never considered that. We're so off-topic, but this is good stuff.
 
This is Mediaogre, and I approve this off-topic subject matter.
 
Quote:

Quote:

@kingpage, I couldn't help noticing your signature and tried a hearing test myself.  My range in both ears is about 20Hz to 17,250Hz.  At 19,000Hz you must be part bat! 

 

It really depends on what headphones or IEMs you have, not to mention the source. Some headphones have rolled-of treble, despite my poor source from my laptop my Aurvana Live extends both ways pretty well and has a slight V-shape response. With my previous IEMs such as PL-30 and M2, I couldn't hear anything after 16000Hz, so you would need a pretty neutral phone without much treble roll-off to know for sure.
 
The loudspeakers have better reproduction of the treble in general, even with my cheap Altec Lancing i120 speakers I could hear sounds similar to my CAL headphones. I was once convinced that my hearing was only around 15-16000Hz becuase of bad earphones and the laptop speaker, but the fact is many of them produce nothing or a contant beep after 14000Hz.
 
And by the way, I needed to turn the volume to around 75% or more to hear the buzzing anyway. We don't have a flat hearing, and you'd be a "high-end" monitor human if you do.

 

[maverickronin]

The 530s barley have anything above 16kHz anyway, so you're fine.

 

[Mediaogre]

^^ That's sort of what I figured. Thanks. Good to know. By the way, I was surprised but the 530s sent me into phase convulsions at 20Hz. I had no idea they'd produce signals that low.

 

[SoulSyde]

@kingpage, my equipment was Audacity > NuForce Icon HDP > Ultrasone Pro 750.  No IEMs were used in this test.  The Pro 750s as well as the HDP are capable of 20Hz-20,000Hz.

 

[proedros]

Great write up , to the point without being too lengthy.
 
I finally managed to find a good synergy with my J3/262 , so the arrow hunger is coming back i think
 
Damn you all

 
Quote:

OK, so here are my impressions of my Arrow 3G...
 
The GOOD:
-- Size: very small and pairs well with a J3, iTouch, Sony X-Series, iPod Classic or similar device.
-- Battery life: as said before, simply amazing!
-- Construction: very solid and well built.  Great switches, with a firm feel and nice "click" to them
-- Form Factor: Second to NONE!  All of the inputs, outputs and switches are perfectly placed.
-- Weight: surprisingly very light.  This kind of caught me off guard.
-- Sound: The good stuff...
   1.  Bass: Great (setting "2" can be a little bloated on bass-heavy tracks)
   2.  Mids: Realistic and clear
   3.  Highs:  Also realistic without a hint of shrill or sibilance
   4.  Gain: I primarily use setting "1" for just about everything and setting "2" for my HD600s.  I have no need for setting "3" (which is probably designed for 600 Ohm headphones).  This thing has plenty of oomph.
   5.  Impedance: Aside from when I'm wearing my Grados I keep this setting on "0".  It tends to veil the highs too much for my taste.  I only occasionally put it on setting "1" when wearing my SR225i's.
   6.  Crossfeed: The best implementation of Crossfeed that I have heard so far.  Setting "1" is perfect for long listening sessions when you want to minimize fatigue.  Setting "2" is great for hard-panned music.  Both settings do a great job without significantly altering the sound quality.
 
The BAD:
-- The volume pot: there is a slight imbalance in the first 10% of the range, but this is common on almost all non-digital volume controls.  Heck, even my NuForce Icon HDP suffers from this.
-- Impedance: this setting is effectively useless because it veils all frequencies above 4,000Hz so much that it isn't worth using (sans Grados).
-- Hiss: With about 10 different headphones in my collection only 3 of them experienced hiss (and subtle at that, so I am being very nitpicky here).  The three that showed a subtle amount of hiss were the UE SuperFi 4, Denon AH-C710 and Sennheiser MXL-570; three headphones that really shouldn't be amped anyway so it's a moot point.  The others have enough resistance to negate any hiss.  
 
Overall, this amp is a 9 out of 10.  Right now, I can't think of a better portable amp on the market.
 
Here is my current favorite setup:
Cowon J3 32GB  →  FiiO L2  →  Arrow 12HE 3G (Bass: 1, Cross: 1, Gain: 1, Imp: 0)  →  Ultrasone Pro 750
 

 

[kingpage]

Quote:

@kingpage, my equipment was Audacity > NuForce Icon HDP > Ultrasone Pro 750.  No IEMs were used in this test.  The Pro 750s as well as the HDP are capable of 20Hz-20,000Hz.

I didn't realise you have got some serious equipment. However, I couldn't find a FR graph for your Pro 750, only found one for HD600. Is that result better using the Pro 750 compared to HD600?
 

 
This is a graph showing normal hearing thresholds for three different age groups from a study published in 2009. The sample size is quit small however.
 
Our hearing range mostly depends on factors such as age, genetics, and the amount of cumulated noise exposure and so on. I'm still younger than 30 (though I have always felt old due to pain in the back and so on). I have been to clubs or pubs only a few times in my life. I never go to concerts. I hate shrills, baby cry or road construction. I tend to cover my ears whenever I hear some unplesant, etc. And my brother who's heaps younger than me can hear past 19000 Hz as well.
 
Our equipment are usually not geared towards conducting these tests. In my opinion, we can all hear up to 20 kHz, if the sound is "loud" enough.
 
I think 17250 Hz is not that bad, really. Most harmonics don't go beyond 16000 hz (don't quote me on this).

 

[Mediaogre]

@ SoulSyde - Excellent, well-thought and well-written feedback.
 
I'll make a simple suggestion with regard to the hiss. Keep in mind that YMMV. I have the G1. However, I also have the J3, so here it is. With the UEs, try leaving the impedance at 0, and set the gain to I or II. Dial down the volume on the J3 down to around 20. I noticed in your (fantastic) photo you have the J3 at 32. Yikes!! I found I start to notice and be bothered a bit by hiss on the J3 a couple bumps past 20. Anyway, trust to drive the volume harder with the Arrow. It drives clean and loud. No distortion. No hiss.
 
I use my SE530s with the above-mentioned settings (gain II in loud environments) and no hiss.

 

[s1rrah]

Quote:

OK, so here are my impressions of my Arrow 3G...
 
The GOOD:
-- Size: very small and pairs well with a J3, iTouch, Sony X-Series, iPod Classic or similar device.
-- Battery life: as said before, simply amazing!
-- Construction: very solid and well built.  Great switches, with a firm feel and nice "click" to them
-- Form Factor: Second to NONE!  All of the inputs, outputs and switches are perfectly placed.
-- Weight: surprisingly very light.  This kind of caught me off guard.
-- Sound: The good stuff...
   1.  Bass: Great (setting "2" can be a little bloated on bass-heavy tracks)
   2.  Mids: Realistic and clear
   3.  Highs:  Also realistic without a hint of shrill or sibilance
   4.  Gain: I primarily use setting "1" for just about everything and setting "2" for my HD600s.  I have no need for setting "3" (which is probably designed for 600 Ohm headphones).  This thing has plenty of oomph.
   5.  Impedance: Aside from when I'm wearing my Grados I keep this setting on "0".  It tends to veil the highs too much for my taste.  I only occasionally put it on setting "1" when wearing my SR225i's.
   6.  Crossfeed: The best implementation of Crossfeed that I have heard so far.  Setting "1" is perfect for long listening sessions when you want to minimize fatigue.  Setting "2" is great for hard-panned music.  Both settings do a great job without significantly altering the sound quality.
 
The BAD:
-- The volume pot: there is a slight imbalance in the first 10% of the range, but this is common on almost all non-digital volume controls.  Heck, even my NuForce Icon HDP suffers from this.
-- Impedance: this setting is effectively useless because it veils all frequencies above 4,000Hz so much that it isn't worth using (sans Grados).
-- Hiss: With about 10 different headphones in my collection only 3 of them experienced hiss (and subtle at that, so I am being very nitpicky here).  The three that showed a subtle amount of hiss were the UE SuperFi 4, Denon AH-C710 and Sennheiser MXL-570; three headphones that really shouldn't be amped anyway so it's a moot point.  The others have enough resistance to negate any hiss.  
 
Overall, this amp is a 9 out of 10.  Right now, I can't think of a better portable amp on the market.
 
Here is my current favorite setup:
Cowon J3 32GB  →  FiiO L2  →  Arrow 12HE 3G (Bass: 1, Cross: 1, Gain: 1, Imp: 0)  →  Ultrasone Pro 750
 

What he said.
 
Minus the "hiss" comments. But that might just have to do with my having a 2G version or perhaps my particular cans/IEMs.
 
Glad you enjoy.
 
I too am considering it at the upper threshold of portables if not the top. I've had mine for quite a while now and am blown away every day. Great bit of design work.
 
Yep.
 
YMMV.
 

 

[gazar]

I have just received mine ( # 2823). After a bit of faffing about  with the settings, I am a very happy chappie. !
 
I am using the Arrow with a 120Gb Classic/ i-Basso LOD into Westone W3. The settings that seem to give the best overall sound seems to be.
 
Bass: 0
Crossfeed 0
Gain 2
Impedance 0.
 
I found that gain setting 1 was plenty but upping to gain 2 and reducing the volume gave a much better overall SQ The bass was a bit strident at setting 1 and just too much on setting 2. I played a few Porcupine tree and no-man tracks and the improvement from my Nu-Force icon mini was very evident.  I will try my SE530 and UE 5EB out at some point.
 
I agree with Soulsyde regarding form and function. I was surprised just how small and light this device actually is. I have a low profile LOD coming from Qusp in the next few days. I dont expect any sonic difference but it will cut down the overall size nicely.