[Unchi]

Thanks Joe.

Does anyone know if a brand new MAD Ear+ HD needs a certain period/ time of burn in, in order to reach it's full potential ? I'm not usually a believer in burn in but I thought I'd ask anyways.

Thanks.

From my experience, it takes a while(hundreds of hours) to settle, but after that it remains consistent. This amp is in its own league, had it for a few years and never looking back.

 

[ToneDeath]

Hey fellas, those of you who are current owners, what DAC are you using with your MAD? I've dipped my toe in the NOS pool and while the timbrel accuracy is excellent, the soundstage is pretty collapsed.

Hey Joe, I've been using the Schitt Gungnir Multibit DAC with my Ear+HD about a year now. Great combination, great company.

TD

 

[ToneDeath]

Hey fellas, those of you who are current owners, what DAC are you using with your MAD? I've dipped my toe in the NOS pool and while the timbrel accuracy is excellent, the soundstage is pretty collapsed.

Hey Joe, I'm using the Schiit Gungnir Multibit with the MAD Ear + HD. It sounds good to my ears, but what do I know, so many variables and everyone hears differentally.

 

[canali]

i just bought the massdrop fostex th x00 ebony cans....still have my mad earplus purist hd
and a chord mojo....a colleague of mine (a bit of a dick who disses chord products)
suggested ditching both and getting the just released
mass drop eddie current zdt jr....https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-eddie-current-zdt-jr

but to me my current amps are quite good in quality.
any imput?

btw: i don't listen to cans nearly as much as i do to live music nowadays: thru my naim muso
or desktop focal alpha 50s with the mojo as a (fab sounding) dac.

 

[parbaked]

Your colleague is likely wrong.
The Massdrop amp is based on a $350 Russian amp by a company called Laconic Audio.
http://laconiclab.ru/laconic_night_blues_mini.html
It has nothing to do with Eddie Current or the ZDT except that Craig bought one for fun and liked it.

There is nothing about the design or components that lead me to believe it will be better than your MAD...

 

[ladavid]

I actually joined the drop - its pretty affordable and will be fun to compare to my MAD amp. Sadly not likely to ship til next summer so will be long wait for comparisons but have read good things about both night blues (great name) and Eddie Current amps. Have same cans as you (Fostex) - with the MAD amp they kicked my 650's good.

 

[canali]

reading on super audio thread this eddie amp is good for high impedence cans....
and the massdrops, in contrast, are pretty easy to drive right?

 

[ladavid]

seems like it - may finally hear what all the fuss is about with the 650's as it does seem they are underpowered with the MAD amp when compared to the Fostex.

 

[parbaked]

Dr P uses HD650 and design the Ear + to drive them well.
If you feel gain is too low make sure you 're using 12ax7 tubes and not 5751 as the 12ax7 have approximately 40% more gain than the 5751 tubes.

 

[ladavid]

the issue with the 650's is less gain and more lack of dynamics and tone when compared to the massdrop fostex

 

[JoeDoe]

Evening fellas! I’m unashamedly resurrecting this thread bc it seems like the best place to garner MAD owners’ input!

I’ve got my third Ear+ inbound this week and it’s about a 12 year old unit. Any of you gents out there knowledgeable about internal modifications or upgrades?

 

[Grimspoon]

Evening fellas! I’m unashamedly resurrecting this thread bc it seems like the best place to garner MAD owners’ input!

I’ve got my third Ear+ inbound this week and it’s about a 12 year oldunit. Any ofyou gents out there knowledgeable about internal modifications or upgrades?

Back then Dr Lloyd Peppard was offering black gate caps and a stepped potentiometer as an upgrade for his Ear+ HD and Ear+ Super units, pretty sure.

I've got a unit that was custom built as an amalgam of the Ear+ HD and the Super (so basically it has magic eye tubes) with the black gate caps. Did not opt for the stepped pot though. It's a fantastic unit.

Little bit worn out in places but still kicking.

 

[whirlwind]

Your colleague is likely wrong.
The Massdrop amp is based on a $350 Russian amp by a company called Laconic Audio.
http://laconiclab.ru/laconic_night_blues_mini.html
It has nothing to do with Eddie Current or the ZDT except that Craig bought one for fun and liked it.

There is nothing about the design or components that lead me to believe it will be better than your MAD...

This.

You would need a real Eddie Current design to top the Mad...the Massdrop amp is just wishful thinking....my two cents.

 

[MacedonianHero]

This.

You would need a real Eddie Current design to top the Mad...the Massdrop amp is just wishful thinking....my two cents.

Not with Grado's (especially the RS-1). Haven't heard any better combo (including several EC amps).

 

[whirlwind]

Not with Grado's (especially the RS-1). Haven't heard any better combo (including several EC amps).

Yeah, I had the RS1 as my main headphone when I owned the Mad, the synergy was killer.