[EinZweiDrei]

i have a few low impendence headphones lying around and i want to experiment them on the m stage.
like the ad700, m50, hd555, ws55 and sr60i.
do i use the same +10gain for these?
would it be a good idea to use these low impendence phones on them or will it damage them?
will switching opamps have any effect on them?

and also whats the warmest opamp for the m stage. for phones like dt880 and k701/2

 

[Chris J]

  i have a few low impendence headphones lying around and i want to experiment them on the m stage.
like the ad700, m50, hd555, ws55 and sr60i.
do i use the same +10gain for these?
would it be a good idea to use these low impendence phones on them or will it damage them?
will switching opamps have any effect on them?

and also whats the warmest opamp for the m stage. for phones like dt880 and k701/2

 
Low impedance 'phones would tend to work best with a gain of 0 or 10 dB.
Those 'phones should be fine with an M Stage.
No damage should occur.
 
Changing Op Amps won't have too much of an effect.
Op Amp rolling has a fairly subtle effect, I like to think you can put in any good Op Amp and it will still sound like an M Stage.

 

[blueangel2323]

opa627 class A biased is very warm, I think too warm for most people. The M-Stage is already slightly warm to begin with, so I would stick with a neutral op amp.

 

[Chris J]

opa627 class A biased is very warm, I think too warm for most people. The M-Stage is already slightly warm to begin with, so I would stick with a neutral op amp.

 


Fer wot it's wurth:

I agree with your opinion.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of warming up the M Stage with a slightly warm Class A Op Amp either!

 

[EinZweiDrei]

 

  opa627 class A biased is very warm, I think too warm for most people. The M-Stage is already slightly warm to begin with, so I would stick with a neutral op amp.

 


Fer wot it's wurth:

I agree with your opinion.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of warming up the M Stage with a slightly warm Class A Op Amp either!

im looking for something to tame the treble a bit and smooth out the mid range a bit without sacrificing too much detail. because at times, the treble can get unbearable on very bright songs. but im not looking for a laid back sound though.

 

[Chris J]

  im looking for something to tame the treble a bit and smooth out the mid range a bit without sacrificing too much detail. because at times, the treble can get unbearable on very bright songs. but im not looking for a laid back sound though.

 
Either get a second set of headphones or try a tube amp for your Q701s.
Tube amps don't necessarily sound laid back.

 

[EinZweiDrei]

   
Either get a second set of headphones or try a tube amp for your Q701s.
Tube amps don't necessarily sound laid back.

maybe i should just avoid those songs altogether.

 

[Chris J]

maybe i should just avoid those songs altogether.

LOL!
It's true!
There are some albums I just avoid with my Q701s!

Some harsh sounding recordings sound better on my Audio Technica 'phones.

 

[blueangel2323]

Why not EQ? Or try a simple mod like some fabric or thin foam between the drivers and your ears.

 

[Chris J]

Why not EQ? Or try a simple mod like some fabric or thin foam between the drivers and your ears.

Yeah, sometimes I'll EQ a nasty recording.

Problem is, sometimes I'm just using a CD transport or my iPod Dock into a DAC which them drives a headphone amp, so.........sometimes I can't EQ!

 

[project86]

In case anyone is interested, I just got some info from my contact at Matrix: new products coming! Or, maybe it is more accurate to say new updates/overhauls of existing products. These should be out sometime in December.
 
 
NEW mini-i with DSD\DXD\384kHz support, balanced output, more powerful headphone amp, new display, all new configuration options and control mode, along with a new higher quality aluminum case.



NEW M-Stage HPA-1 Sound quality has been improved and is described as smoother and more dynamic. DC protection has been added to ensure the safety of your headphones. A new aluminum case design. 
 
 

NEW M-Stage HPA-1 w/USB Same as above but, with the PCM1793 DAC and XMOS interface.
 
All prices to be announced... but I'm sure Matrix knows not to deviate too far from their formula of offering great bang for the buck. I can't see the new M-Stage going up to $500 or anything like that. If everything is indeed an improvement as claimed, and it all stays vaguely within the same price bracket, then they could have some very successful new gear on their hands. We'll see. I'll post pics and further info when I get it. 
 

 

[Fearless1]

  In case anyone is interested, I just got some info from my contact at Matrix: new products coming! Or, maybe it is more accurate to say new updates/overhauls of existing products. These should be out sometime in December.
 
 
NEW mini-i with DSD\DXD\384kHz support, balanced output, more powerful headphone amp, new display, all new configuration options and control mode, along with a new higher quality aluminum case.



NEW M-Stage HPA-1 Sound quality has been improved and is described as smoother and more dynamic. DC protection has been added to ensure the safety of your headphones. A new aluminum case design. 
 
 

NEW M-Stage HPA-1 w/USB Same as above but, with the PCM1793 DAC and XMOS interface.
 
All prices to be announced... but I'm sure Matrix knows not to deviate too far from their formula of offering great bang for the buck. I can't see the new M-Stage going up to $500 or anything like that. If everything is indeed an improvement as claimed, and it all stays vaguely within the same price bracket, then they could have some very successful new gear on their hands. We'll see. I'll post pics and further info when I get it. 
 

As always, I look forward to your review.

 

[project86]

  As always, I look forward to your review.

 
I'll definitely keep their new gear in mind for my review schedule.
 
I'm being told the Matrix Cube is not getting a refresh but is actually going to be discontinued. I guess the lineup is too crowded to support it - maybe they want potential buyers to focus on the new mini-i instead. Hopefully it isn't that much more than the Cube was. Or maybe they consider the M-Stage with built in DAC to be a suitable replacement. 

 

[LaineR]

Has anybody else had troubles with the power LED on the front of the unit flickering and generally not working? I only got my amp a few days ago (loving it btw), and the LED died pretty much straight away but every now and then comes back to life.
 
Asked to return it through the seller on ebay who is asking if i try removing the power cord and plugging in again to see if that fixes it..... -.-

 

[project86]

Has anybody else had troubles with the power LED on the front of the unit flickering and generally not working? I only got my amp a few days ago (loving it btw), and the LED died pretty much straight away but every now and then comes back to life.

Asked to return it through the seller on ebay who is asking if i try removing the power cord and plugging in again to see if that fixes it..... -.-

I wish my LED had died.... I'm sick of LEDs. But no, I have not heard if that happening.