[qc98]

I hate this place!
 
OK, I loved my XM5.  Bought the kits and tried various configurations - ended up wondering if I was really hearing the differences.  Just knew I loved it.  What was always clear was that the amp was great - being able to set a "sleep" mode was that tremendous extra that fit with my listening opportunities. 
 
However, I'm not sure my wife understood the gear in bed. 
 
Anyway, service was not an issue for me with James.  He responded quickly to the only question I had for him, obviously ready to deal with any problem I had.
 
My problem is that I can't part with the gems recommended here that I have bought before - IBasso, iRiver, Westone, the Shadow ... whatever.
 
Why am I now thinking that I need this amp?  Could it be the great amp with the ability to customize?  The new DAC?  I just ordered the uDac-2 board to upgrade.  Now I can't wait to see how that compares to ....  whatever is here tomorrow, or next week or six months from now.
 
God forgive me, I am caving to the temptation.
 
James, I can't decide whether there is a wonderful or terrible place waiting for you.  I just know I am following.
 
Thanks.

 

[GreatDane]

Quote:

   
God forgive me, I am caving to the temptation.
 
   

So, the only question that remains is--what color?
 

 

[HK_sends]

I've been watching the PD site and they are only offering Black and Blue at the moment.  I don't know what happened to the other colors...
 
Cheers!

-HK sends
 
PS - I have blue
 
Quote:

So, the only question that remains is--what color?
 

 

[qc98]

Black and blue is appropriate - goes with the self-flagellation.

 

[GreatDane]

lol

 

[Daemos]

Can this amp with the doublecat or BUF634s can properly power the LCD-2?

 

[HK_sends]

Quote:

Can this amp with the doublecat or BUF634s can properly power the LCD-2?

I listened to the LCD-2 with the doublecat and copper bus bars (the AD8397 on the doublecat has a built in buffer) and wasn't that impressed.  It seemed a bit underwhelming in sound quality.
However, I swapped the doublecat for two AD8610s (gotten from PD) and the BUF634 buffers and the sound was so much better!
The XM6 might not have "the power" to drive the LCD-2s to full capacity, but the sound was excellent at my listening levels.  So much to the point that it lulled me to sleep.
 
Hope that helps...
 
Cheers!

-HK sends

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

I listened to the LCD-2 with the doublecat and copper bus bars (the AD8397 on the doublecat has a built in buffer) and wasn't that impressed.  It seemed a bit underwhelming in sound quality.
However, I swapped the doublecat for two AD8610s (gotten from PD) and the BUF634 buffers and the sound was so much better!
The XM6 might not have "the power" to drive the LCD-2s to full capacity, but the sound was excellent at my listening levels.  So much to the point that it lulled me to sleep.
 
Hope that helps...
 
Cheers!

-HK sends

Yeah, I always felt the XM5 was better with AD8065 + BUF634 than with the AD8397 doublecat module.  It does a nice job with the LCD-2, so I haven't bothered to try the AD8397 again.  My HDP and DACmini drive the LCD-2 better, with a good bit more power, but the XM5 isn't totally embarrassed.

 

[HK_sends]

     Quote:

Yeah, I always felt the XM5 was better with AD8065 + BUF634 than with the AD8397 doublecat module.  It does a nice job with the LCD-2, so I haven't bothered to try the AD8397 again.  My HDP and DACmini drive the LCD-2 better, with a good bit more power, but the XM5 isn't totally embarrassed.

I was amazed myself at how good it did sound because of the reputed power requirements of the orthos.  But the LCD-2 is supposed to be the easiest to drive, so a PD amp with the right OpAmp/buffer appears to perform surprisingly well.
I'll have to look into the HDP and DACmini...are they portable?  I do a lot of business trips, and that's where my XM6 gets the most use.
Cheers!

-HK sends
 

 

[Daemos]

Based on research looks like I want the BUF634s and the OPA128 opamp...according to the PD website with the BUF634 it can output upto 1w of power per channel

 

[HK_sends]

    Quote:

Based on research looks like I want the BUF634s and the OPA128 opamp...according to the PD website with the BUF634 it can output upto 1w of power per channel

I had the OPA128 in the amp originally but haven't tried it with the LCD-2s...now you have me curious...
 
...must  ...swap ...OpAmps ...again!

 
Cheers!

-HK sends 
 

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

     Quote:
I was amazed myself at how good it did sound because of the reputed power requirements of the orthos.  But the LCD-2 is supposed to be the easiest to drive, so a PD amp with the right OpAmp/buffer appears to perform surprisingly well.
I'll have to look into the HDP and DACmini...are they portable?  I do a lot of business trips, and that's where my XM6 gets the most use.
Cheers!

-HK sends
 

No, not portable, but wall powered and easily transportable.

 

[Daemos]

Quote:

Yeah, I always felt the XM5 was better with AD8065 + BUF634 than with the AD8397 doublecat module.  It does a nice job with the LCD-2, so I haven't bothered to try the AD8397 again.  My HDP and DACmini drive the LCD-2 better, with a good bit more power, but the XM5 isn't totally embarrassed.

Do you have any other suggestions for a portable DAC/Amp that can drive the LCD-2 (which are the headphones I want to get) better as I'd be using them in personal study areas at uni,fueled by my mp3 player, then be able to take it home and use it as a good dac for my computer. Not really wanting to get multiple things as that just complicates the setup, but I will if it's more cost effective.
 
I'd also perfer a built in battery...as it's rechargeable as I haven't found too many 9v rechargeable batteries.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Do you have any other suggestions for a portable DAC/Amp that can drive the LCD-2 (which are the headphones I want to get) better as I'd be using them in personal study areas at uni,fueled by my mp3 player, then be able to take it home and use it as a good dac for my computer. Not really wanting to get multiple things as that just complicates the setup, but I will if it's more cost effective.
 
I'd also perfer a built in battery...as it's rechargeable as I haven't found too many 9v rechargeable batteries.

No, not really.  What surprised me is that my old Meier 3MOVE (9v alkaline) is not better than the XM5 with LCD-2 (similar amp as XM6), although with 300 ohm HD600 the 3MOVE was just a little more powerful when I did my review a while back.  With the LCD-2 headphones it's not just power that's important, and driving the LCD-2 I find the XM5 with AD8065/BUF634 has better balance, refinement and a little better authority/power than the 3MOVE, although both are using a 9v battery.  The Synergy is just better, while the 3MOVE feels slightly aggressive with the LCD-2.  I don't like a lot of my amps with the LCD-2, and it was nice to discover the XM5 gets along with them well.
 
I haven't tried my iBasso D4 lately, because in 9v mode it's a little less powerful than the 3MOVE or XM5 with difficult to drive phones, and in 5v USB mode I prefer my DACport.  Regardless, for use with single ended LCD-2 I prefer the XM5 amp if I must use a portable.  Although with my Macbook I would be feeding the XM5 with my Pico DAC-only, I think I could eliminate the separate DAC with the XM6.
 
I have a balanced cable on the way for the LCD-2 to use on the RSA SR-71b, but in single ended mode the SR-71b is really not much better, if at all.  I think that I actually like the XM5 with LCD-2 more than my single ended SR-71b.  However, with all my balanced phones the SR-71b blows away the single ended mode when using SE adapters on those very same phones.  So, I don't expect the XM5 to keep up with the SR-71b balanced mode.

 

[Armaegis]

Hmm, aside from the Arrow are there any other amps which offer such options?