[longbowbbs]

I have used several DAC's with my 430HAD. Sometimes I use just the 430HAD DAC with my Studio 6 tube headphone amp. The 430HAD's DAC uses the ESS9018 chip which has certainly been surpassed in specs of the last few years. Yet, the implementation of the chip within the 430HAD is excellent. You get most of the 280D streaming DAC performance (a $3900 DAC!) alongside a superb solid state headphone amplifier. You would likely need to pair the 430 with a significant DAC to get an improvement over the built in DAC. Years later I am still very pleased with the performance of the 430HAD as a stand alone DAC/Amp. The nice thing is you can use the 430HAD as a DAC/Amp, a DAC only, a headphone amp only or even as a two channel preamplifier. Roon ready too. Good luck with your search. Don't be surprised if you end up where you started and that is perfectly OK.

 

[Senndo]

I have used several DAC's with my 430HAD. Sometimes I use just the 430HAD DAC with my Studio 6 tube headphone amp. The 430HAD's DAC uses the ESS9018 chip which has certainly been surpassed in specs of the last few years. Yet, the implementation of the chip within the 430HAD is excellent. You get most of the 280D streaming DAC performance (a $3900 DAC!) alongside a superb solid state headphone amplifier. You would likely need to pair the 430 with a significant DAC to get an improvement over the built in DAC. Years later I am still very pleased with the performance of the 430HAD as a stand alone DAC/Amp. The nice thing is you can use the 430HAD as a DAC/Amp, a DAC only, a headphone amp only or even as a two channel preamplifier. Roon ready too. Good luck with your search. Don't be surprised if you end up where you started and that is perfectly OK.

I went on this journey. Ended up spending 10k on a better DAC. Wish I hadn’t. Stick with it, and if you don’t like the sound for some reason, maybe try another amp entirely. I’m not sure you can do too much better that the internal DAC for that particular amp.

 

[Roybenz]

I’m happy with the sound still after 5 years of using it. But the upgrade-ghost is real. I did try the auralic Altair g1 (about $3000 where I live) and did an a-b for 2 days against the dac in the 430had. Using iMac-roon-usb to moon and wireless with the auralic streamer and balanced xlr into the moon. Tried both roon and the lightning app with the auralic.

I couldnt tell them apart, and i really wanted it to be an upgrade. Impossible to pick them apart in blind test. I did expect the streamer and the better dac (ESS ES9028Q2M SABRE32) that’s in the auralic to be noticeably better, thinking streamer and better dac would outperform the usb driven dac in my 430had. But it didnt to my ears and I’m confused.

 

[longbowbbs]

The 9018 chip is still a good chip. The implementation of everything around a DAC chip is just as important. Every time a new DAC chip comes out people think they blow away previous offerings. Not the case.

 

[Diehard9er]

430had just dropped to $4200 from sim audios website, while it seems everything else went up in price (230had jumped to $2k)

Anyone think a new amp is on the way?

Well it’s June now and haven’t heard anything about a replacement. I’m really interested in this amp and I’m a huge Simaudio fan but never auditioned this amp. My new DAC is the 280D. Hope there would be good synergy there. I’m going to try to read thru a chunk of these thread. I see some posts in other threads that it’s a bit dark sounding. A bit warm. I don’t know. Will do some research. I have Simaudio M400 mono amps driving my Dynaudio Heritage speakers. They are not dark. Neutral with a touch of warmth but not dark. Perfect.

I only have two cans now. Senn HD800 and LCD-3. I want a third but not sure what a good choice would be to round out the other two. Perhaps Focal.

Is anyone using the 280D with the 430?

 

[longbowbbs]

The DAC portion of the 430HAD is basically the 280D. If you buy the 430HA and add the 280D to the mix it should sound great.

 

[Armaegis]

Well it’s June now and haven’t heard anything about a replacement. I’m really interested in this amp and I’m a huge Simaudio fan but never auditioned this amp. My new DAC is the 280D. Hope there would be good synergy there. I’m going to try to read thru a chunk of these thread. I see some posts in other threads that it’s a bit dark sounding. A bit warm. I don’t know. Will do some research. I have Simaudio M400 mono amps driving my Dynaudio Heritage speakers. They are not dark. Neutral with a touch of warmth but not dark. Perfect.

I only have two cans now. Senn HD800 and LCD-3. I want a third but not sure what a good choice would be to round out the other two. Perhaps Focal.

Is anyone using the 280D with the 430?

My recollection from years ago was that it did lean a bit warm, but not a huge amount.

As for a third, perhaps a ZMF offering? or an ETA Mini.

 

[Diehard9er]

Thanks for the feedback guys. As much as I love Sim and own their gear after a lot of research I’m going to try the v590 Pro. I don’t need the DAC and could go v550 but maybe some weekend I just want to try something different it will be there. I do expect my 280D will be in use most of the time.

Besides the positive reviews it’s a sexy beast to me. Maybe Sim will come out with a V2 someday and I can revisit.

Thanks again for your input.

 

[longbowbbs]

It is 8 years old now. We'll see what they have in store.

 

[6PANDEMONIUM6]

Does anyone know how much power the 430 delivers into 25 ohms?

 

[oniel459]

Does anyone know how much power the 430 delivers into 25 ohms?

Roughly 16 watts from balanced, 4 watts single ended. From my research only though.

Although simaudio only shows the rating for 50, 300 and 600 ohm, I found from Tyll’s testing the voltage stays consistent even down to 16 ohm.

 

[6PANDEMONIUM6]

Roughly 16 watts from balanced, 4 watts single ended. From my research only though.

Although simaudio only shows the rating for 50, 300 and 600 ohm, I found from Tyll’s testing the voltage stays consistent even down to 16 ohm.

Thanks, I'm considering the 430HA for the DCA Stealths which are about 23 ohms. 16W should be plenty.

 

[oniel459]

Thanks, I'm considering the 430HA for the DCA Stealths which are about 23 ohms. 16W should be plenty.

Let us know if you do, I’ve been considering a stealth myself

 

[6PANDEMONIUM6]

So I spoke to a representative from Simaudio and apparently the output power of the 430HA becomes load independent at low impedances. Meaning that 50ohm rating is the maximum output power of the amplifier and it neither increases nor decreases as the impedance drops. It doesn't matter if the headphone is 16 ohms or 32 ohms or 50 ohms the output power will always be 8W. Don't get me wrong, 8W is still a lot of power but because of their design decisions the amp reaches its full potential at 50 ohms and stays the same all the way down.

 

[oniel459]

So I spoke to a representative from Simaudio and apparently the output power of the 430HA becomes load independent at low impedances. Meaning that 50ohm rating is the maximum output power of the amplifier and it neither increases nor decreases as the impedance drops. It doesn't matter if the headphone is 16 ohms or 32 ohms or 50 ohms the output power will always be 8W. Don't get me wrong, 8W is still a lot of power but because of their design decisions the amp reaches its full potential at 50 ohms and stays the same all the way down.

That is very odd… Because this is a screenshot from Tyll from InnerFidelity testing the single ended output, and voltage doesn’t drop off to maintain a certain output.

That’s rather confusing to me then, sorry for the misinformation.