[Panoyski]

Thanks, musicman. Your.- and everyone else's - answers are always highly appreciated. Still a long way to go, but I can see myself having a very Merry Christmas!

 

[tunes]

I don't think you'll regret the MHA100 one bit. The HEK is great.. I think it will make for a very musical experience.

Anyone have a chance to compare the Wells Audio Milo Headphone Amplifier with the Vioelectric V281 or Macintosh MHA 100?

 

[musicman59]

I don't own the Milo but own the Enigma with upgrades almost to the level of the Headtrip. I also own the MHA100. I love the looks and performance of the MHA100 but IMO my HEK out of the Wells sounds just amazing.

 

[Dillan]

I owned the Headtrip and the MHA100 - not at the same time. Personally I enjoyed the sound of the MHA100 a lot more. It had a warmer tone to it, a lot more options/features including bass boost and other fun things. Headtrip is no slouch for sure, but MHA100 gets my vote, with no doubt.

 

[onsionsi]

I owned the Headtrip and the MHA100 - not at the same time. Personally I enjoyed the sound of the MHA100 a lot more. It had a warmer tone to it, a lot more options/features including bass boost and other fun things. Headtrip is no slouch for sure, but MHA100 gets my vote, with no doubt.

May i know how do you boost bass in MHA100?

 

[m8o]

I'd start with the manual. Can be downloaded too.

Push-in the inner left nob. If you don't immediately see bass boost, turn the left outer nob to the left until you do. You'll be passing by all the other features you have. I like to use the preamp too. If I am using 60 to 70 and definitely if higher on the volume control, I'll turn the preamp up to +3db to +4.5db.

 

[onsionsi]

I'd start with the manual. Can be downloaded too.

Push-in the inner left nob. If you don't immediately see bass boost, turn the left outer nob to the left until you do. You'll be passing by all the other features you have. I like to use the preamp too. If I am using 60 to 70 and definitely if higher on the volume control, I'll turn the preamp up to +3db to +4.5db.

Thanks, yes I figured out this setting as well as you mentioned.

But when I playing around and increased the bass to upper levels it decreases the clarity of mid range, I don't know if you faced like that before.

 

[m8o]

Thanks, yes I figured out this setting as well as you mentioned.

But when I playing around and increased the bass to upper levels it decreases the clarity of mid range, I don't know if you faced like that before.

It [masking] certainly can depending on headphone and music. It's no fault of the amp.

To set my baseline... I almost exclusively now use my HE-1000 via speaker taps, and use a base boost of +2.5db, on rare occasion +5db, again as baseline using my HE-1000. Only higher if the music is an old rock or other mix (more on that below). On my Ether, add +2.5db to that baseline. On my TH-X00, subtract -2.5db from that baseline. More produces excessive bass bloat and midrange masking.

Except if I want to crank (and I mean that both in the figurative and literal sense) some old Chicago (first few albums), Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, Peter Frampton ( oh how insanely satisfying is "Do You Feel Like I Do"?), etc. ... those musical selections may get +7.5 or +10db. Those old mixes can stand that level of boost at the 40Hz where this amp centers it. New recodsings and mixes, pumping these small drivers flapping right next to your ears, are either over driven or mask the mids, so cannot.

This is my opinion based on countless hours playing with the levels of boost with every permutation of headphone and music genre and music era I have. And seems to be inline with your findings and adresses the why of it.

 

[gordec]

Guys is this the right kind of cable to use if I want to try speaker tabs for HE1000? https://www.ebay.com/i/172733761468?chn=ps

Thanks. I'm completely foreign to the speakers world.

 

[m8o]

@gordec , yes.

 

[gordec]

I'm getting intermittent freezes and the MHA100 losing USB signal requiring me to restart the MHA100 with Windows 10 and Jriver Media Center latest version. I have tried both using ASIO and WASAPI driver in Jriver. Anyone else experienced this?

 

[gordec]

My gosh, HeK out of the speaker tabs is otherworldly. It's like going from a SE connection to a truly balanced connection. I wonder if it's even the same circuit.

 

[m8o]

Yup yup yup! It grabs the HE-1000 by the virtual balls and makes everything, especially the deepest bass, do exactly what the signal demands with the utmost attack and slam.

Which honestly, I don't understand. The drivers have negligible mass; a nanotech film and conductor. I thought it was a heavy cone that had a mind of its own after an impulse that needed the control the high damping factor an amp like this provides. Obviously, I'm missing something.

P.s. I started using an external dac so don't experience what you described anymore. That implies I did see it a few times. But not often, and if demanded to recreate it I could not.

 

[gordec]

Yup yup yup! It grabs the HE-1000 by the virtual balls and makes everything, especially the deepest bass, do exactly what the signal demands with the utmost attack and slam.

Which honestly, I don't understand. The drivers have negligible mass; a nanotech film and conductor. I thought it was a heavy cone that had a mind of its own after an impulse that needed the control the high damping factor an amp like this provides. Obviously, I'm missing something.

P.s. I started using an external dac so don't experience what you described anymore. That implies I did see it a few times. But not often, and if demanded to recreate it I could not.

I made few tweaks to Windows Defender which seems to have helped. I'm pretty happy with the integrated DAC right now. Maybe in the future I'll get something else.

What is everyone using as DAC? I need something that stacks will with the MHA100 and sound better than the integrated DAC. I have limited sourc on my desk. Thanks.

 

[gordec]

For those who are using speaker taps, have you tried the small vs large speaker settings. I'm experiencing with it right now, I feel the sound stage is expanded in the large speaker mode vs small.