[SomeGuyDude]

what do you think about CMA400i and Clear? The same great synergy as Elear?

I can answer this one. Spent time with that combo. They match beautifully. Full, dynamic, punchy, just plain fun. If I weren't an Audeze person I'd have gone with the Clear.

 

[bgbkt]

I bought at local dealer (Poland)

Anybody know if any US dealer sells it with clear cover?

And stop posting your cool pics... very hard to resist placing order. Just kidding..

 

[karmazynowy]

Sorry @bgbkt, next photo.
If someone have cma600i and want to save some space on desk, then here are good news... rubber base works just fine!

 

[Palpatine79]

CMA600i looks awesome with this stand also

 

[Paulo Abreu]

what do you think about CMA400i and Clear? The same great synergy as Elear?

I don’t know about Elear so can’t compare. But CMA400i makes such a terrific combo with Clear - separation, clarity, dark background, dynamics, so well balanced (neutral?) all across the FR, everything sounds so naturally and effortless. In my lifetime I spent a fairly amount of money on audio, with more or less satisfaction, a few times going backwards, Clear and CM400i is surely one of the most satisfying and rewarding purchases I've made, its really that "wow"

 

[gibby]

Now someone let us know how the Sennheiser HD820 sounds with the CMA400i.

 

[Palpatine79]

I don’t know about Elear so can’t compare. But CMA400i makes such a terrific combo with Clear - separation, clarity, dark background, dynamics, so well balanced (neutral?) all across the FR, everything sounds so naturally and effortless. In my lifetime I've spent a fairly amount of money on audio, with more or less satisfaction, a few times going backwards, Clear and CM400i is surely one of the most satisfying and rewarding purchases I've made, its really that "wow"

Thanks.
I schould try CMA400i with Clear some day!

 

[spookanide]

Anyone mind commenting on the differences they experience swapping between balanced and single ended on this unit?

For those of you who have tried this amp, would you consider sound to be more warm, neutral or bright?

It's more on the neutral side for sure. If you have cans with overly present highs I wouldn't recommend a blind purchase on this. I think it's in the DAC, not the amp itself. I used to have my highs bumped a little on my marantz speaker amp when fed by my TEAC DAC, but now I set them to neutral to make it bearable.

Here have a picture of endgame.

or? IMG

I demo'd the CMA400i with a Mr Speakers Ether Flow and it sounded like absolute perfection to me. Nothing has ever sounded that natural and cohesive. It was like magic and it's hard to describe it as anything else. It's my current endgame cans.

Thanks.
I schould try CMA400i with Clear some day!

In that same demo session mentioned above I tried out the focal elear for a moment. I picked the LCD2 over everything I tried: mr speakers aeon, hifiman edition X, elear, the new final audio flagship and I can't afford the ether flow yet. But, that's up to personal taste. Combined with the elear the cma400i was great, but not the experience I was looking for. I have a very wide range of music I like and the LCD2 2016 rocked it best to me with that ample precise and extended bass and planar detail.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

It depends on what you're using.

With the Clear, there's not gonna be much difference. On the LCD's, it felt like there was a small boost in dynamics and how black the background was. Not something that would make you stand up and notice, but it's there if you A/B a few times. Generally speaking, balanced is a help if your headphones are difficult to drive to begin with, and planars can use the help with extra current.

 

[spookanide]

it felt like there was a small boost in dynamics and how black the background was. Not something that would make you stand up and notice, but it's there if you A/B a few times. Generally speaking, balanced is a help if your headphones are difficult to drive to begin with, and planars can use the help with extra current.

More volume range for sure, but I haven't noticed any dynamics increase. I have to mention this amp drivers planars like no tomorrow even single-ended. With the LCD2 2016 I never took it past 12 on low gain in the single-ended output.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

More volume range for sure, but I haven't noticed any dynamics increase. I have to mention this amp drivers planars like no tomorrow even single-ended. With the LCD2 2016 I never took it past 12 on low gain in the single-ended output.

I'll agree I might be hearing things, I seem to have a knack for that. All I know is it's got the capability and I have the cable, so I might as well make use of it since I've read the LCD-3 will do better with balanced by virtue of being a planar with a higher impedance. I definitely take the volume higher than you, but the 3 is a touch harder to drive and I like it loud.

 

[w0nx]

I'll agree I might be hearing things, I seem to have a knack for that. All I know is it's got the capability and I have the cable, so I might as well make use of it since I've read the LCD-3 will do better with balanced by virtue of being a planar with a higher impedance. I definitely take the volume higher than you, but the 3 is a touch harder to drive and I like it loud.

Where do you sit knob-wise? I love my m1060s, but all this talk is making me want to make the jump to TOTL with this amp.

 

[spookanide]

I'll agree I might be hearing things, I seem to have a knack for that.

We probably all do. I was trying out a high-end USB cable at a store just for the hell of it and A-Bing with my own, and I tried really really hard to hear differences. Just when I thought I heard something it was just in my head anyway.

Where do you sit knob-wise? I love my m1060s, but all this talk is making me want to make the jump to TOTL with this amp.

Rock: LCD2 2016 are comfortable loud at 10, low gain on balanced output. Can't go to 12 without it hurting. (the mids, the highs aren't even capable of killing me on this headphone).

I think you need to worry about power when you get hifiman HE-6 or something of that caliber.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

Where do you sit knob-wise? I love my m1060s, but all this talk is making me want to make the jump to TOTL with this amp.

Low gain, and generally under the halfway mark depending on if the music is mastered at a weird volume. I've got a few albums that are quieter than others but generally that's where I am.

I really do understand that "endgame" is a vapor concept, no one can actually grab it, but I do not know what else I could change to my setup that would give me more than I've got here. I could find other amps and tube roll again if I wanted to putter around with coloration in one way or another, but outside of that or winning the lottery and going nuts I genuinely think I'm set.

Questyle has gear that is significantly more expensive, the "golden reference" system costs around $13,500 or so, and I've heard that beast. I don't disagree that it's a stunning piece of equipment, but the 400i is just so damn good, despite being literally about 5% of the price, that I can't see any reason I would ever consider buying the more upriver equipment.

I think going up from this is a case where you've got specific needs. Maybe your headphones are really hard to drive. Maybe you personally dislike the sound of the amp. For me, though, I'm at the first spot where I don't feel like anything in my rig requires me to "accept" any flaws. I've had a ton of gear that I absolutely loved and still love. I'll never claim this is "the best" out there, but I will absolutely claim that it's the one that ticks all my boxes with nothing missing and nothing overdone.

 

[RatFarm]

Does the CMA600i get you more power and better sound? What’s the difference?