[caenlenfromOCN]

And here I am, not able to tell a difference on my Anandas, between: JDS Labs Atom (solid state), MG Head DT (vac tube), and iPhone output. Amping is overrated as far as I can tell.

every ear is different. but the fact you can't tell difference between Atom and iphone kind of shocks me. I could tell Atom was miles better than Magni 3 in side by side with Ananda, and that is a much smaller gap to relate to.

 

[bose301s]

And here I am, not able to tell a difference on my Anandas, between: JDS Labs Atom (solid state), MG Head DT (vac tube), and iPhone output. Amping is overrated as far as I can tell.

Very highly overrated, if your amp sounds different, it's broken, about should impart no sound of their own.

 

[caenlenfromOCN]

Very highly overrated, if your amp sounds different, it's broken, about should impart no sound of their own.

i never agreed with this line of thought. if an amp like atom gives me a little extra soundstage, its not coloring the sound, in fact it may be more accurate than the limited soundstage, and that would depend on your position of the audience and where the music artists were located on the stage that the time. you want to limit everything to clinical and linear, and thats just not how real music works. if i like a little extra soundstage and bass thump the atom gives me, then thats great for me. you can keep your iphone m8.

 

[bose301s]

every ear is different. but the fact you can't tell difference between Atom and iphone kind of shocks me. I could tell Atom was miles better than Magni 3 in side by side with Ananda, and that is a much smaller gap to relate to.

what you're "hearing" is confirmation bias

i never agreed with this line of thought. if an amp like atom gives me a little extra soundstage, its not coloring the sound, in fact it may be more accurate than the limited soundstage, and that would depend on your position of the audience and where the music artists were located on the stage that the time. you want to limit everything to clinical and linear, and thats just not how real music works. if i like a little extra soundstage and bass thump the atom gives me, then thats great for me. you can keep your iphone m8.

That should already be in the recording, an amp should be a wire with gain, period.

 

[chych]

every ear is different. but the fact you can't tell difference between Atom and iphone kind of shocks me. I could tell Atom was miles better than Magni 3 in side by side with Ananda, and that is a much smaller gap to relate to.

Well I'll try and do a more careful listening test later today. Yesterday I was primarily testing the JDL Atom vs. my 18 year old MG Head DT (computer source, optical output to an Entech 205.2 DAC). I tried to A/B it as best as I could without special equipment; got the two amps matched in volume (to 74 dB using a 1 kHz test tone with an SPL meter I have - I wonder how many people actually bother to do this, volume levels make a huge difference). Between those two amps, I couldn't tell a difference after listening to various music for an hour, which was a disappointment, I had expected to hear some difference, especially since it was tube vs. solid state. At the end of my test I just randomly plugged the headphones into my iPhone (through its Apple supplied lightning DAC/amp dongle) and I couldn't really tell anything was being lost, but I admittedly did not do a careful listening to it (but then again - if it's not an obvious change, does it matter?)

Now certainly, the Anandas are different than the HD650s they are replacing. I am enjoying the much greater soundstage and upper range clarity.

 

[caenlenfromOCN]

what you're "hearing" is confirmation bias

That should already be in the recording, an amp should be a wire with gain, period.

I mean that is your opinion. Same as when people told me I could not see above 60hz, but in fact I can, games are much more smooth to my eyes at 144hz. So meh

 

[bagwell359]

Very highly overrated, if your amp sounds different, it's broken, about should impart no sound of their own.

Should..... vs reality.... AB testing can easily prove that the Ragnarok, Bryston BHA-1, and Bottlehead Crack all sound different from each other.

BTW ABX testing, and everything sounds the same args have their own space - and its not here.

 

[chych]

Well then, did some more tests using my iPhone dongle's output and JDL Atom. I just cannot find any difference between them. I even did something extreme - play the left earspeaker with the iPhone, and the right one with the JDL (Hifiman supplies two cables for the Ananda). After matching volume and sync'ing the music, everything just sounds... normal, can't find any difference between left and right. I'm on the side that amping is a solved problem, and any difference is inaudible... or maybe my ears are just too poor. Oh well, I have other ways of improving my ears and perception of music that far exceed any $$ audio equipment (the joys of living in a legal state).

 

[bagwell359]

Well I'll try and do a more careful listening test later today. Yesterday I was primarily testing the JDL Atom vs. my 18 year old MG Head DT (computer source, optical output to an Entech 205.2 DAC). I tried to A/B it as best as I could without special equipment; got the two amps matched in volume (to 74 dB using a 1 kHz test tone with an SPL meter I have - I wonder how many people actually bother to do this, volume levels make a huge difference). Between those two amps, I couldn't tell a difference after listening to various music for an hour, which was a disappointment, I had expected to hear some difference, especially since it was tube vs. solid state. At the end of my test I just randomly plugged the headphones into my iPhone (through its Apple supplied lightning DAC/amp dongle) and I couldn't really tell anything was being lost, but I admittedly did not do a careful listening to it (but then again - if it's not an obvious change, does it matter?)

Now certainly, the Anandas are different than the HD650s they are replacing. I am enjoying the much greater soundstage and upper range clarity.

650's are veiled, and the soundstage is smallish. Try A/B of Ananda vs HEX v2, MD XX, HE-500, HE-6 for similar or larger soundstage. Upper range clarity is a matter of taste I suppose. The Ananda should be able to discern amps well assuming the DAC is good and the recordings are too. I mean "Chrome" pretty much sounds brutal on any equipment. Try some Mapleshade releases, or Doug Sax mastered music - that'll make it clear.

 

[Terozzzz]

Damn... This phone (LG V30) just might make me sell my balanced audioGD NFB 28.28 DAC AMP. The MQA from this phone sounds just mind blowing. Also Qobuz sounds nuts.

 

[chych]

How do you like the Audeze LCD 2 compared to the Anandas?

 

[Terozzzz]

How do you like the Audeze LCD 2 compared to the Anandas?

Ananda destroys LCD 2C completely. Im not even listening them anymore.

 

[Baten]

Ananda destroys LCD 2C completely. Im not even listening them anymore.

Hahah now that's some praise

 

[chych]

Lol good to know I made the right choice with the Anandas

 

[bose301s]

Periapt will do cables for these with the 2.5mm TRRS balanced connector.