So...I just bought an iCAN about a day before I learned about this new edition. It should be arriving tomorrow, so I can certainly return it. But before I consider that, I'd really appreciate it if someone could answer my questions about the practical differences between the two.
Are the differences in SQ negligible for headphones that aren't too hard to drive? I.e., is the SE mainly designed for use with hard to drive headphones that are rated for high power, with minor hardware upgrades thrown in for good measure? My headphones are low impedance and claimed to have a maximum input capability of 1500 mW, so is the 4000 mW really not designed for them, potentially damaging? Or is the power output variable based on the design of the headphones, and power they draw. I.e., will the iCAN SE only deliver as much power as it's asked to? Can the power output be modulated using the gain switch, for example it may have 4000 mW output at max gain, but at min gain it might only be 1000 mW.
If the iCAN SE is indeed suitable based on my description above, the following information and questions are relevant. I mainly chose the iCAN because I want a good hardware bass boost and 3D staging for movies and video games (eqing isn't an option), so would these features be much more powerful on the iCAN SE? I have the JVC HA-SZ2000s and am really looking to get the most hardware bass boost iCAN (no pun intended
). Or, in the event that my headphones will be supplied with more than enough power from either amp, will the practical differences in bass boost and 3D effect be negligible? This is my first real piece of hardware, so I'm sure I'll be blown away by either device, and thus I am not too critical here about what I expect would be very small differences in sound quality. On the other hand, if the extra power from the SE and different design will provide a truly noticeable difference in SQ, that is worth noting.
In summary, I would really prefer to wait for the SE and return my standard iCAN if my headphones can handle the extra power, and will receive a much larger bass boost and significantly better SQ and 3D effect. Please advise!
Thank you