[ReAlien]

Interesting because I changed to Gain 2 after listening with Gain 1 first. Are you using balanced or single ended headphone cable?

Balanced one only. I noticed this effect with different headphones.

 

[lator]

Balanced one only. I noticed this effect with different headphones.

Thanks. Think I'll do more testing with Gain 1 now that I am also using balanced cable.

 

[lator]

Thanks. Think I'll do more testing with Gain 1 now that I am also using balanced cable.

After few days of testing indeed it seems like Gain 1 offers improved microdynamics and soundstage depth while using balanced headphone out. Especially bass region seems more tuneful with extra clarity. Thanks for the tip!

 

[MacMan31]

I'm using gain 2 on my 789 with my 6XX, 58X and Focal Elex. By upping the gain am I simply adding more power? I'm using my headphones with the balance XLR out.

 

[adeadcrab]

I think it's just gain differences, power is different with 1/4 output vs balanced output.

 

[RestlessZombi]

I'm using gain 2 on my 789 with my 6XX, 58X and Focal Elex. By upping the gain am I simply adding more power? I'm using my headphones with the balance XLR out.

The way I think of Gain is its mostly just a multiplier of power for increasing the voltage sent to the Headphones, more power = more volume, but headphones act differently thus sound differently having been sent the extra power. A lack of power usually reduces the bass response, some headphones don't lack low end thus are not affected by having this lower power while some need it to even be audible. My Verum One's are 8Ohm Headphone and thus shouldn't need a lot of power and this is true for the volume of them, but there is an audible difference between Low and Medium Gain, mostly in the vocals being more pronounced at Medium, which I feel i prefer. I would guess this is due to a bump in low to mid response with the extra gain/power.

The Amp has the following mentioned about the gain on the Massdrop Site: Gain: 0.66x , 2.0x, 6.6x (-4, +6, +16 dB).

 

[ReAlien]

The way I think of Gain is its mostly just a multiplier of power for increasing the voltage sent to the Headphones, more power = more volume, but headphones act differently thus sound differently having been sent the extra power. A lack of power usually reduces the bass response, some headphones don't lack low end thus are not affected by having this lower power while some need it to even be audible. My Verum One's are 8Ohm Headphone and thus shouldn't need a lot of power and this is true for the volume of them, but there is an audible difference between Low and Medium Gain, mostly in the vocals being more pronounced at Medium, which I feel i prefer. I would guess this is due to a bump in low to mid response with the extra gain/power.

The Amp has the following mentioned about the gain on the Massdrop Site: Gain: 0.66x , 2.0x, 6.6x (-4, +6, +16 dB).

I also had been using my THX with Verum 1 for half a year. And I have found that the only sound I like is at Gain 1.

Also, please bear in mind that using Verum with THX you void THX's warranty as it is prohibited to use it with headphones wwith less than 12 Ohm.

 

[FRZFLX]

I also had been using my THX with Verum 1 for half a year. And I have found that the only sound I like is at Gain 1.

Also, please bear in mind that using Verum with THX you void THX's warranty as it is prohibited to use it with headphones wwith less than 12 Ohm.

Do you mean 120 Ohm? Verum is 80 right?

 

[RestlessZombi]

Do you mean 120 Ohm? Verum is 80 right?

The Verum One is an 8 (Eight) Ohm Headphone. Works fine on my THX 789 but, as mentioned, its not advised to use such headphones.

 

[FRZFLX]

The Verum One is an 8 (Eight) Ohm Headphone. Works fine on my THX 789 but, as mentioned, its not advised to use such headphones.

Ok thanks, good to know!

 

[MacMan31]

The way I think of Gain is its mostly just a multiplier of power for increasing the voltage sent to the Headphones, more power = more volume, but headphones act differently thus sound differently having been sent the extra power. A lack of power usually reduces the bass response, some headphones don't lack low end thus are not affected by having this lower power while some need it to even be audible. My Verum One's are 8Ohm Headphone and thus shouldn't need a lot of power and this is true for the volume of them, but there is an audible difference between Low and Medium Gain, mostly in the vocals being more pronounced at Medium, which I feel i prefer. I would guess this is due to a bump in low to mid response with the extra gain/power.

The Amp has the following mentioned about the gain on the Massdrop Site: Gain: 0.66x , 2.0x, 6.6x (-4, +6, +16 dB).

So basically using mid or high gain is not necessarily a bad thing. It just perhaps changes how a headphone would sound. Right?

 

[FourT6and2]

Increasing gain also increase your noise floor. So you want to use the least amount of gain as possible to get the volume you need. No more. If your noise floor is at -120dB and you increase your gain by 20dB (just an example), you also increase your noise floor by the same amount and now it's at -100dB.

 

[RestlessZombi]

So basically using mid or high gain is not necessarily a bad thing. It just perhaps changes how a headphone would sound. Right?

Yeah, that is correct. It depends on the headphones a lot.. I have Verum One's that are 8 Ohm headphones and Sennheiser HD650 that are 300 Ohm headphones, both i can use on all gain levels but the sound output will just be different for each. The 8 ohm will be louder on all gain levels compared to the 300 ohm pair, but by matching the volume levels between the changing gain levels the sound would be different on both pairs too. Where the 8 ohm would be better on low/med and the 300 ohm better on the Med/High gain settings the difference is very much a personal opinion on whats better to you. I have used the 8 Ohm on high gain and it sounds a lot like medium but i have far less control of the volume, nothing to say i couldn't use this, just it wouldn't be a good idea.

 

[MacMan31]

Increasing gain also increase your noise floor. So you want to use the least amount of gain as possible to get the volume you need. No more. If your noise floor is at -120dB and you increase your gain by 20dB (just an example), you also increase your noise floor by the same amount and now it's at -100dB.

Well I've never needed to use anything higher than low gain on any amp I have used. In any case I'm not really sure what "noise floor" is.

 

[FourT6and2]

Well I've never needed to use anything higher than low gain on any amp I have used. In any case I'm not really sure what "noise floor" is.

I'll send you a PM.