[jamato8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenLeo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi Jamato, I see that you use the lineout of D10 to the P3+. Does it means that the P3+ sounds better than the D10 in terms of the amp performance?

There is a difference but not much. The D10 is a great amp and dac. With all the options of opamps, you can pretty much change the sound to what you want.

The photo may be misleading as I have the P3+ in the chain to get an idea of its sound and to burn it in. It also gives me the ability to quickly change back and forth between the P3+ and the D10 amp section and frankly the D10 holds up very well. It is a top contender.

Edit: I should state that there can be more difference due to the ability of the P3+ to run at a higher voltage and run many different configurations. The sound of the P3+ is excellent but I find the D10 to be no less appealing. I will be getting some new custom IEM's, which should allow me to discern even more differences between opamps and amps if they exist.

 

[LevA]

Is there anyone on this site who might install the BG caps for a fee?? or where would one take to get it done if one cannot do the soldering themselves? I would be interested in the future to swap to BG if it does make a difference in the sound quality..

btw, reached 100+ hours in burn in and the sound is getting nicer and nicer. I'm curious to reach the 160+ hours to see if I get the same sound change others have reported with soundstage collapsing and becoming flat before it starts to improve again..

Also did a battery rundown test and got about 23hrs before the power light started blinking, with stock op-amps running from my macbook optical out with esw10s and volume set at 10 o'clock position. quite happy with the result, and I expect to get 30+ using the Ipod>amp. Now if only my ipod could last that long....

 

[R3SET]

Is this DAC/AMP also a good choise for listening to my HD600 and IE8 from a PC? It will be used stationary, i have no intents to take the amp outside. Or is it better to use a full-size headphone amp? The D10 will be at the limit of my budget, other options are the Portable V1 USB DAC and Nuforce icon mobile, which are cheaper and fit my budget better.

 

[LevA]

Quote:

Originally Posted by R3SET /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is this DAC/AMP also a good choise for listening to my HD600 and IE8 from a PC? It will be used stationary, i have no intents to take the amp outside. Or is it better to use a full-size headphone amp? The D10 will be at the limit of my budget, other options are the Portable V1 USB DAC and Nuforce icon mobile, which are cheaper and fit my budget better.

A few people mentioned that the d10 drove Hd600 nicely but in your case if portability is not a factor full-size amp might be a better choice. I don't own HD600 though, so no first hand experience.

You might also want to check out Audio gd-compass which I believe costs about the same (I think they had a promo price). It also allows different hdams that you can buy to change the SQ . there's a thread about it on the full-size amp section.

 

[LevA]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have nothing to contradict what you are saying when I am using my HD600 with D10 and "topkit", except that the tinny quality is not there for me. However, I am using the less demanding HD600 (every time I get an HD650 I sell it soon after). The sound is very nice, to a point. Nevertheless, tonight with the HD600 I am finding that desktop amps like Grahm Slee Solo SRG, Single Power Square Wave XL and Woo WA6 all sound better with the HD600 than any of my portable amps (I have been comparing the amps tonight as part of an evaluation of the Solo). Still, many portable amps have nice sound quality with the HD600 but ultimately they lack the power, refinement and performance of the desktop amps. (I should add that battery powered amps like the 3MOVE, Vivid V1, or Amphora do seem to have more power for HD600 than many others, and do very well with the HD600)

here's something that headphoneaddict wrote about Hd600 earlier responding to someone about HD650 ......
Post 2209 page 148 on this thread.

 

[R3SET]

Thanks a lot. But i doubt if i can run my IE8 from such a full-size amp?

 

[HiFlight]

The IE8s are very efficient IEMs, so there is no reason that you can't use any amp you wish to drive them, portable or full-sized.

 

[R3SET]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiFlight /img/forum/go_quote.gif The IE8s are very efficient IEMs, so there is no reason that you can't use any amp you wish to drive them, portable or full-sized.

What i heard, the synergy is very important with the IE8, and i heard the IBasso D10, Vivid Portable V1 and Nuforce Mobile had great synergy with the IE8. But i don't know how it pairs with any full-size headphone amp?

Second point is that (some?) headphone amps can only work with headphones that have a minimum independence like 30 Ohms or so.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by R3SET /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is this DAC/AMP also a good choise for listening to my HD600 and IE8 from a PC? It will be used stationary, i have no intents to take the amp outside. Or is it better to use a full-size headphone amp? The D10 will be at the limit of my budget, other options are the Portable V1 USB DAC and Nuforce icon mobile, which are cheaper and fit my budget better.

The portables sound good up to a certain point, usually at low to normal listening levels. The D10, like other portable amps, does run out of power sooner than I would like. The V1 and 3MOVE seem to have almost enough power to make me happy with HD600.

The HiFiMan EF2 desktop DAC/amp tube hybrid would be a better choice for about $200. You have to email head-direct about it, as it was just introduced at CanJam and I am burning one in here at home for review. I posted my thoughts about the EF2 in the HD800 appreciation thread, and it is an impressive little desktop amp for the price. It would compare best with the head-direct EF1 amp for sound quality, with slightly less power than EF1, but with a nice DAC built-in. It is perfect for the HD600 and IE8, and just slightly bright with the HD800 and Grados when using the cheap chinese 6J1 tubes (NOS tubes on order). It uses the Burr Brown Japan PCM2702 DAC chip like the 3MOVE and XM5, which is pretty decent sounding with nice detail (beats an iPod).

 

[pekingduck]

Anyone using the D10 with the ER4s? Is the synergy between them good? I just ordered the D10 (not yet arrived) and am thinking about getting the ER4s for classical music (mainly orchestral works). Thanks

 

[wuwhere]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pekingduck /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anyone using the D10 with the ER4s? Is the synergy between them good? I just ordered the D10 (not yet arrived) and am thinking about getting the ER4s for classical music (mainly orchestral works). Thanks

I have, my source is an iHP-120 optically feeding the D10 or from my laptop through USB. I'm using the AD8656 opamp with stock buffers. I use lo-gain instead of hi.

 

[GreenLeo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhw /img/forum/go_quote.gif bgs - Black Gate Caps N, NX are different series from partsconnexion website: BLACK GATE - Electrolytics SERIES AC - non-polar, high-current, compact for loudspeaker cross-over applications C - polarized, coupling applications, compact, great value for money FK / K / VK - highest technology polarized, rated up to 350V N - non-polar NH - non-polar, high voltage NX - highest technology non-polar NOTE: Use N/NH/NX series in the most critical coupling and power supply applications

Thanks a lot, RHW!

So what we need is BG NX 220uF, 6.3V and BG NX 470uF, 6.3V for the mod, right?

 

[rhw]

Right

 

[ztsen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree the D10 with a nice ipod, 256K or higher MP3 or lossless files, and a decent LOD can hold it's own with the best of them. Stock I think it sounds very similar to the RSA Predator, but with a better DAC. With the AD743/AD8616 it sounds even better and reminds me more of the RSA P-51 Mustang. I still have the AD743/AD8616 installed in my D10 right now, which works well with my IEM and full size headphones (although I do have a little more background hiss with my IEM). I have thought about swapping the OPA2350 back in for the synergy and black background with my Westone ES3X, but then it is not as good with my HD600 or IE8.

Is that mean the AD743 will create hiss on low impedence iem or headphone?
my um3x can really hear the hiss. the D5k can hear very little. only K702 will not.

 

[HiFlight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ztsen /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is that mean the AD743 will create hiss on low impedence iem or headphone? my um3x can really hear the hiss. the D5k can hear very little. only K702 will not.

The actual impedance of a phone does not have as much to do with the hiss as does the sensitivity of the phones. The IE8 (124 dB/mW)and UM3X (125 dB/mW) are phones with extremely high sensitivity, and can reveal the noise floor of the amp when used with the AD743s (or other very wide bandwidth opamps). IEMs are more prone to hearing hiss in extremely sensitive transducers than are conventional phones due to the close proximity of the driver to the eardrum.

Generally, phones with sensitivities of less than 115-120 dB/mW will not hiss with the AD743s or other very revealing opamps. Much also depends upon the other components of the amp itself.