[chaosallied]

i asked the question because i'm undecided myself if i'll go balanced with 400mW power or go with lyr with approx 1W power for my HD650/600... =)

 

[RiceEatin2010GT]

to be honest i dont have any expierence with that amp. 

 

[project86]

I don't have any experience with the Lyr either. Some people love it, others are lukewarm about it.
 
Honestly I don't think the power difference is an issue when talking about something like an HD650. An HE6 would be a different story, but the Sennheisers are not that power hungry. Once you pass a certain threshold they are fine, and the Quattro amp is well above that point even in single ended mode. The concern then becomes quality rather than quantity. 

 

[chaosallied]

Quote:

I don't have any experience with the Lyr either. Some people love it, others are lukewarm about it.
 
Honestly I don't think the power difference is an issue when talking about something like an HD650. An HE6 would be a different story, but the Sennheisers are not that power hungry. Once you pass a certain threshold they are fine, and the Quattro amp is well above that point even in single ended mode. The concern then becomes quality rather than quantity. 

 
so let's say single ended 200mW amp vs balanced 300mW amp, which one should i pick for HD650? m-stage vs quattro for example?
its a case of diminishing returns i would say =)

 
 

 

[RiceEatin2010GT]

If you plan on going fully balanced down the road with a proper balanced dac the quattro all the way.  Even still if you want to leave yourself some options the quattro is a good idea as long as your not on a tight budget.  If the difference in spending 250$ vs $400 is something you dont feel comfortable with your not really missing out on all that much up front as far as sound goes unbalanced quattro vs matrix. 
 
Quote:

 
so let's say single ended 200mW amp vs balanced 300mW amp, which one should i pick for HD650? m-stage vs quattro for example?
its a case of diminishing returns i would say =)

 
 

 

 

[chaosallied]

thanks for the replies guys, i really need to contemplate whether i want to spend (for a powerful amp) or spend more (balanced all the way)...
i think contentment in this hobby is overrated haha

 

[Vargtass]

What I can tell you guys so far about the Quattro is that it's powers are ... extreme. 
 
Really, where the m-stage would just "stop" giving me volume at two o clock, this thing is YELLING at 11 o clock. 
Yes, I do run balanced, but then again, I run the LCD2's. Not the most power-hungry compared to HE-6, but still tricky to drive, and the Quattro just HAMMERS power into them. 
 
The sound is "more" of the m-stage. Probably noting extreme, but it's a great and pretty neutral sound - and I really like it. 
 
I paid 600 usd for xlr-cables, adapter and the Quattro, and I'm LOVING it. 
 
I'll try to get an in-depth-review going, but my time at the moment is very limited due to my uni-studies. 

 

[project86]

Quote:

What I can tell you guys so far about the Quattro is that it's powers are ... extreme. 
 
Really, where the m-stage would just "stop" giving me volume at two o clock, this thing is YELLING at 11 o clock. 
Yes, I do run balanced, but then again, I run the LCD2's. Not the most power-hungry compared to HE-6, but still tricky to drive, and the Quattro just HAMMERS power into them. 
 
The sound is "more" of the m-stage. Probably noting extreme, but it's a great and pretty neutral sound - and I really like it. 
 
I paid 600 usd for xlr-cables, adapter and the Quattro, and I'm LOVING it. 
 
I'll try to get an in-depth-review going, but my time at the moment is very limited due to my uni-studies. 

Good way to sum it up I think. 
 

 

[Sorensiim]

I've been looking at the Quattro Amp for some time, will be pairing it (balanced) with my Yulong D100. I'm looking for an ever so slightly warmer sound, yet still detailed and fast, to go with my Ultrasone Pro 900 (will be re-cabled) and possibly K701 down the road. Any suggestions? Should I just go for the Quattro, "settle" for the M-Stage or should I get something completely different?

 

[project86]

Quote:

I've been looking at the Quattro Amp for some time, will be pairing it (balanced) with my Yulong D100. I'm looking for an ever so slightly warmer sound, yet still detailed and fast, to go with my Ultrasone Pro 900 (will be re-cabled) and possibly K701 down the road. Any suggestions? Should I just go for the Quattro, "settle" for the M-Stage or should I get something completely different?

If you are going to do a balanced recable of the Pro 900, then I'd definitely go with the Quattro amp for a full balanced system approach.

 

[Sorensiim]

Quote:

If you are going to do a balanced recable of the Pro 900, then I'd definitely go with the Quattro amp for a full balanced system approach.

Thanks for your reply
 
Well, I'll be recabling my Pro 900 if I get a balanced amp... I know you've heard the built-in amp of the Yulong D100 (your review pushed me over the edge on that purchase ) - how would you describe the sound from the Matrix Quattro compared to the D100?
 
And even though I thought I'd never get tubes, now I find myself looking at the Little Dot mk VI...
 

 

[project86]

Quote:

Thanks for your reply
 
Well, I'll be recabling my Pro 900 if I get a balanced amp... I know you've heard the built-in amp of the Yulong D100 (your review pushed me over the edge on that purchase ) - how would you describe the sound from the Matrix Quattro compared to the D100?
 
And even though I thought I'd never get tubes, now I find myself looking at the Little Dot mk VI...
 

I assume we are talking about the D100 alone compared to D100 plus Quattro amp? If so, the Quattro amp is a fairly noticeable jump in quality for many headphones. I say many because using sensitive IEMs doesn't seem to be the strong point of the Quattro, so I'd probably stick with the D100 alone on that one (it does a great job for those). But with my Edition 8 (closest thing I have to the Pro 900) the Quattro amp gives a pretty nice increase in overall resolution, a bit more bass weight, and a small improvement in soundstage/imaging. It isn't a night and day difference but is noticeable when I spend time going back and forth between them. 
 
I've always wanted to try one of the higher end Little Dot models. The company seems to have somewhat fallen out of favor around here, not for any specific problems but maybe lack of big new releases or something. But the MK VI and MK VIII SE sure look good....
 

 

[Sorensiim]

Quote:

I assume we are talking about the D100 alone compared to D100 plus Quattro amp? If so, the Quattro amp is a fairly noticeable jump in quality for many headphones. I say many because using sensitive IEMs doesn't seem to be the strong point of the Quattro, so I'd probably stick with the D100 alone on that one (it does a great job for those). But with my Edition 8 (closest thing I have to the Pro 900) the Quattro amp gives a pretty nice increase in overall resolution, a bit more bass weight, and a small improvement in soundstage/imaging. It isn't a night and day difference but is noticeable when I spend time going back and forth between them. 
 
I've always wanted to try one of the higher end Little Dot models. The company seems to have somewhat fallen out of favor around here, not for any specific problems but maybe lack of big new releases or something. But the MK VI and MK VIII SE sure look good....
 

Thank you very, very much, that single reply helps me a LOT. I'll keep saving my pennies and keep my eyes peeled for a nice price on a Mk VI+. If the upgrade to the Quattro amp is only a modest difference, I'll skip that and go straight for the Mk VI+. It might not make a huge difference on my Pro 900, but it should keep me happy as I add the K701 or maybe some orthos...
 

 

[bala]

I am looking to enter the world of balanced audio with the Quattro amp and a DAC magic pouring into a HD600. Is the Quattro amp - DAC Magic pairing a good match? I've heard that the DAC magic is very neutral, wondering whether pairing it with the Quattro would make the setup a "cold" combination if not dry. I listen mostly to pop,rock, jazz and vocals and like them slightly warm. Would be glad to have some inputs.

 

[chaosallied]

my balanced setup just arrived from TamAudio yesterday... that is the Matrix Mini-i, Quattro amp, high quality XLR and balanced HD650 cable... very nice guy and good seller...
out-of-the box, it seems like my HD650 is on steriods! the soundstage has widened significantly, the bass is tighter, i hear a lot more detail, the dynamics has improved... burn-in in progress