[Audiotomb]

My setup is

Cayin N6. Dap
Oppo HA2. Portable amp
Oppo PM3. Or Sennheiser HD 600 headphones

I play the Oppos PM3s on low gain, the HD 600s on high gain


I recently started getting 24/192 files and I am blown away by the additional resolution

My main focus is an extensive 2 channel tube based analog vinyl rig at home so this is more for on the go, coffee shops, park, etc. obviously it won't compete but I would like to enhance the portable experience.

This portable setup sounds lucious with good resolution and tonality (two huge factors).
Especially on a warm passage - voice, acoustic guitar, string quartet, jazz combo
The PM3 is slightly more upfront and revealing, the HD600 has a real musical warmth to it but is harder to drive.

Only one caveat

What I am noticing is that when the musical passage gets louder that there is congestion and some of the body / presence is lost, air and soundstage collapse and it sounds more broken up.

Is this a limitation in the Cayin or Oppo dac / amplification? Do I need a higher powered portable unit?
 
I have a cheap 3.5mm connector between dap and amp and just ordered something better
 
I only have about 40 hours on the Oppo - would this be a break in issue I am hearing?
 

Or am I not being realistic here?

Thanks for your comments
ReplyQuoteMulti  

 

[GRUMPYOLDGUY]

What I am noticing is that when the musical passage gets louder that there is congestion and some of the body / presence is lost, air and soundstage collapse and it sounds more broken up.

Is this a limitation in the Cayin or Oppo dac / amplification? Do I need a higher powered portable unit?

 
I'm not sure what you're trying to describe.
 
But if you're trying to figure out where in the chain the perceived problem is, I would suggest isolating the components and testing them individually. Once you identify the offending part, you can think about it's characteristics and evaluate which performance improvements would a yield a more acceptable sound to you.