[Jacques Lolive]

Does the Rock works well with the headphones Hifiman HE 400 S ?
Thanks for your reply

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Does the Rock works well with the headphones Hifiman HE 400 S ?
Thanks for your reply

Can't see why it won't - it doesn't deliver power like an OTL and yet works well enough on high impedance cans without any real issues. And the HE400S has high enough sensitivity, not like how the K701 and HE400 have their sensitivity low enough vs the HD600 that that higher power delivery at low impedance won't matter.

 

[Jacques Lolive]

Thank's. I know that but I ask this question because:

1) I am in Brazil currently where I can not try amps or headphones for a comparative listening

2) I want to connect the Hifiman 400S to a DAC / amp iFi Nano iDSD that already has a 3.3V output voltage but an average quality amp. I’m afraid the Meier’s gain would be too great, amplify the background noise and make amplifier level adjustment difficult?

3) I read on the sites that « Most headphones work best when the output impedance (of the headphone) is less than 1/8th of the input impedance (of the head amp) »
Hifiman’s input impedance = 22 ohm, Rock’s output impedance = 4 ohm
22/8 = 2,75 less than Rock’s output impedance. Isn't that a problem ?

Thanks for your reply

PS : sorry for my bad english

 

[ProtegeManiac]

2) I want to connect the Hifiman 400S to a DAC / amp iFi Nano iDSD that already has a 3.3V output voltage but an average quality amp.

The iFi iDSD actually has a heck of a lot of power for its size. Sure, it's not exactly something with a monster power supply surrounded by fat capacitors, but since the HE400S has a fairly high sensitivity with low impedance (ie it won't require a lot of voltage). If you need a DAC anyway try it first before assuming it totally can't drive the HE400S.

https://www.audiobot9000.com/match/hifiman/he-400s/with/ifi-audio/nano-idsd

I’m afraid the Meier’s gain would be too great, amplify the background noise and make amplifier level adjustment difficult?

The iFi website is still being updated so I can't see the specs, but isn't the 3.3v for the headphone output? That might look pathetic next to the peak to peak voltage output of Meier amps (much less Violectric), but that goes a long way with a 22ohm, 96dB sensitivity headphone (just 3dB sensitivity higher than the HE400i is a lot).

And even if 3.3v was for the line output, noise will still depend on how noisy the line signal is, and if the iDSD is pretty low, even 3.3v isn't going to be a problem unless the amp starts adding its own noise (not a problem with Meier amps unless faulty). I don't see a problem with volume adjustment either given the Meier has a -1dB low gain setting.

3) I read on the sites that « Most headphones work best when the output impedance (of the headphone) is less than 1/8th of the input impedance (of the head amp) »
Hifiman’s input impedance = 22 ohm, Rock’s output impedance = 4 ohm
22/8 = 2,75 less than Rock’s output impedance. Isn't that a problem ?

The 8:1 ratio isn't an absolute number, you have a little bit of wiggle room.

The wiggle room gets even bigger with planar headphones since they're not as affected by the loss of damping factor due to output impedance mismatch. In other words, it matters about as much on a 22ohm planar like the HE400S as on a 30ohm Philips X2, which is to say, it's not really a problem.

 

[Jacques Lolive]

Amplifier for Hifiman HE 400 S

Thank you very much for your precise answers. I had a set of Stax SRS 2170 (headphones SR 207 and amp SRM 252S that suited me perfectly.) Unfortunately the headphones no longer work and I decided to look for something else. When I saw the reviews on the Hifiman HE 400S I wanted to buy one to replace my STAX system. I have a little DAC / amp iFi Nano iDSD and I wonder what amplifier could work with the headphones and the DAC. I have read reviews on the Meier Corda Rock and that's why I asked you all this information, which I thank you for.

I hope not to abuse your kindness but I am not a HiFi specialist.

1) I thought the iDSD Nano was insufficient to power the Hifiman but by reading you, I feel that he can. Do you think that this is possible and that the result is satisfactory, I mean musical and not tiring.

2) If not, I have realized that I should add another headphone amp and that the Corda Rock could fit. I also noticed the JDS Labs Objective 2 and the Schiit Magni 2 to stay within a reasonable budget. As music, I listen mainly to jazz and baroque in particular. I'm not looking for exaggerated bass or shrill treble. I do not like aggressive sounds. Could you advise me to choose one of the three amps?

Thank you very much again

 

[ProtegeManiac]

1) I thought the iDSD Nano was insufficient to power the Hifiman but by reading you, I feel that it can.

It very likely can. Not that the Meier Rock won't make a difference, but it might be close enough that it might not be enough for you to justify the expense. You might as well save the cash now, then maybe get the Jazz FF later, especially if you plan on getting a headphone that could use more power anyway.

Do you think that this is possible and that the result is satisfactory, I mean musical and not tiring.

Well that's down to the headphone for the most part. I haven't tried a Meier amp that made headphones bright as they tend to err on slightly warm than, say, how the O2 has a tendency to make any spike above 2000hz worse when cranked up (although in that case it's still down to the headphone having those spikes to begin with).

If anything, not sure how the iFi distorts. It might introduce distortion that makes it sound brighter when cranked up, but unless you can save on shipping getting the Rock with the HE400S (ie, are you getting the HiFiMans from Meier?), might as well try the HE400S with your DAC-HPamp first.

2) If not, I have realized that I should add another headphone amp and that the Corda Rock could fit.

Like I said, if you tried the iDSD Nano now and find it does well enough, you then have time to save up for the Jazz for when you get a different headphone that might need more power. Or even before getting any other headphone as the Jazz at least would have the more advanced volume control and Crossfeed. I mean, not that the Rock is a bad choice for the money, but if you have something you can use that might not be far off its performance, saving up for the Jazz which is great value considering these features (on top of its performance as an amp) is something to consider.

I also noticed the JDS Labs Objective 2 and the Schiit Magni 2 to stay within a reasonable budget. As music, I listen mainly to jazz and baroque in particular. I'm not looking for exaggerated bass or shrill treble. I do not like aggressive sounds. Could you advise me to choose one of the three amps?

I'd go with Meier (or Violectric). Compared to the O2 and Schiits, when cranked up, they don't get as bright. Unless you're using a pre-Fazor LCD-2 or an HD650, the Meier is the safer choice, generally.

 

[Jacques Lolive]

Thank you very much for reply. Now I have the informations to decide.
I will probably first try the HE 400S with my iDSD and I will see later if improvements are needed
Have a good day

 

[Ultrainferno]

See below!

 

[Ultrainferno]

This week we're giving away not one one but TEN amplifiers from Meier Audio. Here's your multiplied shot at winning the excellent Corda ROCK. Now on Headfonia!
https://www.headfonia.com/giveaway-14-meier-audio-corda-rock/

 

[hallom]

I wonder if this Rock works well with my set of headphones: AKG K 702 - Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO 250 oHm, and SPECIALLY Sennheiser HD600 .
any help please

I wonder about it too. I would like to finally have a strong amp, that drives HD 600, K7xx or a Grado properly, not just better than no amp (even though the last two examples are not high impedance headphones, they actually need power to shine).
So anyone who used it before, how powerful the Rock is?

 

[Tony-S]

I wonder about it too. I would like to finally have a strong amp, that drives HD 600, K7xx or a Grado properly, not just better than no amp (even though the last two examples are not high impedance headphones, they actually need power to shine).
So anyone who used it before, how powerful the Rock is?

Hi guys,

using the Corda Rock for 3 years now to power my cans at home....it perfectly manages to drive my K701 Quincy Jones.....more than happy with it and Mr Meier is a great guy....

Cheers
Andreas

P.S. see my profile pic

 

[royneo]

Hi guys, I've been the lucky recipient of Headfonia's recent giveaway and thought that I could perhaps share some of my thoughts about the Corda Rock. However, I wish to caveat that I'm rather new to the audiophile world and I lack the relevant technical knowledge but nonetheless, I would try my best to explain myself albeit in somewhat of an unsophisticated manner. Before the Corda Rock, my primary listening devices include the direct 3.5mm outputs of my Samsung S8 or my HP Envy 13 Laptop with the laptop being the preferred medium due to the availability of HeSuVi’s EQ on the Windows platform. A large part of my listening was done on Audeze’s iSINE 20 and a small part using Etymotic’s ER4SR.


First off, the packaging: The Corda Rock is simply packaged but well-protected. You get the Corda Rock with an instruction sheet and nothing else really. However, I believe the IEC power cord is easily obtainable at your local hardware shop and I would imagine it’s for sale at a rather affordable price too. As I already had the power cord lying around at home, all I had to purchase was the 6.3mm male to 3.5mm female adapter for usage with my IEMs. Again, this is an affordable purchase – costing me US$2 in total.


Moving on to the listening impressions: it’s safe to say that the output coming out of this Amp is vastly better compared to my laptop’s output. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the experience of listening to other Headphone Amps and could only use my laptop as the basis of comparison. When listening to Brand New’s Untitled track using my iSINEs, I have noticed several observations – all of which overlapping with each other to create a surreal experience. The separation of instruments and vocals is incredible. Instruments are played out of the right channel and vocals on the left. This aids in creating a very distinct imaging outside the confines of your head. There are several (deliberate) blocking and artifacts noises during the first half of the song and they has a very strong realism to them, it feels as if there is a physical force acting on your right ear-channel. All in all, it’s an experience to behold and I can’t seem to stop listening to this track over and over again.

Another observation that I noticed was the perceived increase in vividness and micro-detailedness when using the Corda Rock. When listening to Peste Noire’s J’avais reve du Nord track (starting from 3:20 to 6:55), I could hear the literal fingernail strumming of the guitars against a very quiet (pitch black?) background – really nice. Again, the separation of instruments come into play and you could tell the distinct positioning of instruments. Female vocals are rendered very beautifully on this segment and the Cello extends really low and there seems to be a greater presence of the bass region compared to my laptop’s output.

Something else that I noticed is that there seems to be a certain smoothness which helps to taper ever-so-gently Etymotic’s slightly high shrill (IMO). However, I can’t be sure. To my ears there seems to be an improved perception of clarity even with the slight smoothening – perhaps the smoothness only affects the treble region? Forgive me – my ears are not highly trained in recognizing the minor nuances of music.


Overall, I think the Corda Rock is a fantastic product. I’ve never really paid much attention to Amps and sources in general, thinking that the vast majority of improvement comes from the IEMs themselves – how wrong I was! I think it’s a worthwhile investment to get an amp to elevate your listening experience and I believe the Corda Rock is a great way to start. It’s listed as the cheapest Headphone Amp on Innerfidelity’s Wall of Fame so I don’t think you could go wrong in choosing this amp. Again, my listening was done on IEMs which may not be the intended purpose of this Headphone Amp. A headphone user may be perhaps better suited to harvest the full potential of this amp. In addition, my music is mostly in in the 256kbps AAC or 320kbps MP3 format – not the best bitrate. Your experience may vary from what I’ve experienced – hopefully for the better.

 

[mgunin]

Congrats, nice impressions! I guess some basic DAC or sound card (together with Rock) would improve your listening experience ever further.

 

[royneo]

Congrats, nice impressions! I guess some basic DAC or sound card (together with Rock) would improve your listening experience ever further.

Thank you for your compliment. I just had a go connecting my Creative SXFI as an in-between my laptop & Rock, never knew that the SXFI could be used a dac. You're definitely right, it gives the Rock even greater power output and it seems to bring out the Rock's potential. Thanks for your suggestion!