[chicolom]

Quote:

Can someone relate the " dark" of the M-stage to 2 channel amp. Is it like B.A.T amp? a bit colour, syrupy dark....

...I'm not sure what your asking?....

 

[spongeworthy]

I'm about to pull the trigger. Is the OPA627AP opamp upgrade worth it? Is any other opamp worth replacing the stock one on the m-stage?

 

 

[ACDOAN]

Quote:

...I'm not sure what your asking?....

It's okay. Balance Audio Technology  (speaker amp) is one of the world fine sounding amp but they have a bit of colour and their sound signature is considered "dark"  but wihout loosing the detail in HF, not typical HF roll-off to smooth out the harshness.
 
I am going for the Matrix M-stage anyway , probably by next week.
 
Question, E-bay thru Coolfungadget or Amazon thru Gateshop fullfilled by Amazon ? Pros and Cons, please. It seems I will have it faster thru Amazon than thru E-bay ( ship from China) but is Gateshop an authorized dealer ?

 

[headhog]

Quote:

It's okay. Balance Audio Technology  (speaker amp) is one of the world fine sounding amp but they have a bit of colour and their sound signature is considered "dark"  but wihout loosing the detail in HF, not typical HF roll-off to smooth out the harshness.
 
I am going for the Matrix M-stage anyway , probably by next week.
 
Question, E-bay thru Coolfungadget or Amazon thru Gateshop fullfilled by Amazon ? Pros and Cons, please. It seems I will have it faster thru Amazon than thru E-bay ( ship from China) but is Gateshop an authorized dealer ?

I bought mine from Tam Audio i was a bit hesitant since i dont like setting up new user accounts.But it is a bit cheaper to buy from Tam Audio website the service is good i got my m-stage in one week.
 

 

[fishbulb95]

Matrix M-Stage vs Hifiman EF2A: AKG Q701 test subject
 
I received my M-Stage about 3 weeks ago.  I've had some time to play around with it.  Results: This is a beautiful piece of construction, with amazing sound.
 
Currently I have it paired with my AKG Q701, before I was running the Hifiman EF2A.  A quick comparison: the EF2A is a great little device (for those of you that enjoy the tube sound).   Music was stellar coming through the Q701, flat, controlled highs, dynamic, and a fairly large soundstage.  As most people mention the Q701 is a little bass lacking, and for the most part I would agree.  I always felt like I was straining to hear the bass, I would notice on occasion the extension it was capable of.
 
Enter the Matrix M-Stage:
 
The very first thing I noticed with the sound... Bass.  Wait, the Q701 shouldn't have a strong bass.  What I realized wasn't so much a strong punchy bass, but a massive extension of it.  Listening to classical pieces hearing the bow glide across the lowest note a cello produces made my ears... wobble.  I then discovered the real appeal for these headphones. They needed the power the EF2A just couldn't provide. I was finally able enjoy my Rock/Metal music more, male vocalists had an extra bit of weight added.  The bass felt more controlled, thus individual notes were much easier to distinguish.  There was a little extra punch, but not a lot since these are a more neutral headphone.
 
Highs: Just as clear as before, the sound stage seemed more expansive.  I felt the M-stage replicated the higher frequencies much better, cymbal crashes were clear, and sparkly.  They didn't feel artificially pronounced, (I was using the stock tubes in the EF2A which tend to boost the highs to counter that traditional tube warmness)
 
Mids: Compared to the EF2A, I felt the mids were recessed a little more. Granted I now had this vast extension of bass that just opened up and my ears were used to hearing music with the boosted mids and highs. After a few hours of adjusting, I couldn't go back. Vocals sounded more natural within the mix.
 
As some people would experience, the EF2A had a significant channel imbalance till the 9 o'clock position.  This is where I would listen to music at standard volume.  But I could never turn the volume down really low (for relaxed bedtime listening).  Even at very quiet listening volumes the M-stage did a fantastic job at accurately representing the sound. I haven't noticed any channel imbalance yet.
 
Conclusion: The M-Stage was a vast improvement in all aspects of sound with regards to my AKG Q701.  In the price range this is an amazing amp to pair with the AKG.  The EF2A is $100 less, and looks really cool.  I suppose if you like tube rolling I hear it can shine depending on what you put in it.
 
Now I just have to wait one more day for my Beyer Dynamic DT990 / 600 to arrive.  (The fun headphone)

 

[Chris J]

Thanks!
Great review!
Please, please post your M Stage DT990 impressions.
I have a pair of DT880 in 600 ohm, the M has NO problem driving them.
Yes, the DT990s are fun.

 

[EinZweiDrei]

i have a question for M Stage owners.
do you hear a pop when you turn on your M Stage or when you turn it off when wearing your headphones.

 

[headhog]

Quote:

i have a question for M Stage owners.
do you hear a pop when you turn on your M Stage or when you turn it off when wearing your headphones.

Yes i heard it with the vol all the way down.To be on the safe side i unplug my headphones frist but i wouldn't know if leaving them pluged in is safe during power up or power down i'm sure there is some one here that can better answer your question.
 

 

[EinZweiDrei]

i hear a pop when i turn it on but not when i turn it off.
i left them plugged in for quite a while now and there seems to be no problem so far.
but im too scared that problems might develop later.
so i guess ill take the same precaution as leaving the phones unplugged when turning the device on or off.
but what if i already fried something inside my m stage without knowing. since im basically double amping.
is there a way to tell if i damaged my m stage other than it stops working completely?
since the M stage is a Class A amp, does it really draw out 10A? it saids "125v 10A" on the adapter it came with the M stage.

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

i hear a pop when i turn it on but not when i turn it off.
i left them plugged in for quite a while now and there seems to be no problem so far.
but im too scared that problems might develop later.
so i guess ill take the same precaution as leaving the phones unplugged when turning the device on or off.
but what if i already fried something inside my m stage without knowing. since im basically double amping.
is there a way to tell if i damaged my m stage other than it stops working completely?
since the M stage is a Class A amp, does it really draw out 10A? it saids "125v 10A" on the adapter it came with the M stage.

If it sounds OK, It's probably OK.
As a precaution, always unplug your 'phones when turning any headphone amp ON or OFF.
First turn your PC or DAC ON, turn the Matrix volume down, then turn the Matrix ON.
Then plug the 'phones IN and turn the volume UP.
 
The M Stage draws much less than one amp from the wall at 120 Vac.
It might be Class A, but we are also taking about approximately 1/2 Watt or so of Class A power per channel.
 
 

 

[Mr Jihen]

I'm curious as to how the Matrix M Stage stacks up against the Hifiman EF-5. Does anybody have any experience with the two?
Or is it a bit naive to compare the two

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

I'm curious as to how the Matrix M Stage stacks up against the Hifiman EF-5. Does anybody have any experience with the two?
Or is it a bit naive to compare the two

http://www.headfonia.com/matrix-m-stage/2/

 

[Digital-Pride]

Quote:

I'm curious as to how the Matrix M Stage stacks up against the Hifiman EF-5. Does anybody have any experience with the two?
Or is it a bit naive to compare the two

Actually, they're quite comparable.  Here's an excellent article that includes a comparison between the two.  Edit: Looks like Chicolom beat me to it.

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

I'm curious as to how the Matrix M Stage stacks up against the Hifiman EF-5. Does anybody have any experience with the two?
Or is it a bit naive to compare the two

We love comparison questions!
Welcome aboard!

 

 

[Mr Jihen]

Awesome. Thanks guys!