[zsevgymko]

How does the Reference compare to an entry level SS home amp like the Headfive/Arietta ?

 

[clc220]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nc8000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It powers my K340 just fine with the volume dial at between 1 and 3 o'clock. No external power supply but in runs >200 hours on a set of 4 alkaline AAA's.

o_O it's got enough juice to power the k340's... WOW, go Dr Xin !

 

[Goh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zsevgymko /img/forum/go_quote.gif How does the Reference compare to an entry level SS home amp like the Headfive/Arietta ?

I would be interested in an answer to this too. I recently purchased an Original Master amp that has gotten many good reviews on Head-Fi, but didn't think the step-up in sound quality was worth the $150-200 price.

I wonder how that home amp would compare to the Reference. The Reference is even more expensive, but I'm still drawn to it.

Jamato8, how would you compare the Xin Reference to your home amps?

Furthermore, on an absolute scale (i.e. in direct comparison to improvements made by headphone and source upgrades) how would you rate the improvement in sound with the Reference compared to a budget CMOY amp or just "wire with gain?"

My last noticeable improvements were when I upgraded from unamped to a CMOY amp (with the Sennheiser HD280 Pro), and when I upgraded from the 280 Pro to the AKG K601.

 

[jamato8]

The Woo 6 with a metal base GZ34, as this is the best I have heard the 6, is a little more spacious and transparent but not what I would call better. The presentation is just different. The 6 being in a more open hall with the Reference I have as a little less open hall. The bass impact is good on both with the Reference delivering a solid WHAM when called for and sometimes I think I am listening to the Woo 6 with beautiful good not mush tube sound and I look down and realize I am listening to the Reference. The Reference is both SS and tube like, open, dynamic and transparent. I would think something like the B52 would be better but it also depends upon the music. The Reference with 1/4 jacks (I don't have this version) would be a dream come true and it will be available this way as the HD650's sound great through the Reference but I feel the adapter from 1/8 to 1/4 is a compromise in sound quality.

 

[nc8000]

I have been trying it with both th K340 and the L3000 against my EarMax AE. I am not very good at using all the descriptive terms for the sound but what I can say is that the Refernce is much closer in sq to the EarMax than I like given the 10 times price difference. If I had never had the EarMax I think I could have lived happily with the Reference as my only amp. Btw. my version is with both 1/8" and 1/4" input and output and kt88 has made me a very nice 1/4" male to 1/8" male to use between my source and amp so the amp is solely conected using 1/4" plugs. Much more stable than with 1/8".

 

[jamato8]

Great, so you have the 1/4! :^)

I would love to get a hold of one. The way my Reference is sounding I may not need what is called a "home" unit. I enjoy the Woo 6 very much and it provides excellent sound with the GZ34 metal base but the Reference does an excellent job and I don't feel I am missing anything but I do when I use one of my other portable amps, now that I have listened to the Reference for a few hundred hours.

 

[Skylab]

So it doesn;t look like you can order a Reference yet, right?

 

[jamato8]

No, there are a number of betas. I have heard 5 and they all sound good but the one I listen to the most is based on the micro but there are changes and it has what the Micro has but more. I still like the Micro but the Reference, to me, is like a home amp Micro. The bass can give you chills.

 

[mypasswordis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nc8000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It powers my K340 just fine with the volume dial at between 1 and 3 o'clock. No external power supply but in runs >200 hours on a set of 4 alkaline AAA's.

If you don't mind my asking, how close is this to maximum volume? How is the headroom?

 

[slwiser]

FYI, this afternoon at work I turn off my Reference and it ran about 45 seconds before the sound went dead. About 35 - 40 before distortion. This shows a deep reservoir of energy is available for the signal.

When I had my ATH-W5000s I needed a 10 am position on my AT-HA5000s to listen. With my Ultrasone Edition 9s I needed about 12 noon position on my AT-HA5000s. With my Xin Reference and my UE9s I go between 10 AM and 2 pm depending on how the album for good volume for me.

 

[Goh]

Do you still have headroom if you lower the volume on Foobar by 10db? Is maximum volume the 5 o'clock position?

 

[slwiser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do you still have headroom if you lower the volume on Foobar by 10db? Is maximum volume the 5 o'clock position?

Max is 5 pm or 5 o'clock position.

Answer to first question I can't answer. I do not use Foobar in on my computer and really don't understand what you are asking. Is this something about the CD setting for ripping?

 

[nc8000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mypasswordis /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you don't mind my asking, how close is this to maximum volume? How is the headroom?

As stated the dial goes to 5 o'clock and that is loud enough for me to not be able to listen to for more than 10 seconds before turning it down. I do gather from Dr. Xin that you will be able to order the amp build at different gain settings you just will not be able to change the gain yourself. With my L3000 I only got to between 10 and 12 o'clock for sufficient volume.

All these observations are with 320 KB aac files on the iMod leveled to 89 dB using aacgain

 

[Goh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif Max is 5 pm or 5 o'clock position. Answer to first question I can't answer. I do not use Foobar in on my computer and really don't understand what you are asking. Is this something about the CD setting for ripping?

I ask this because DVDs on my computer tend to have 10db less volume than my music files. When I used the Original Master amp, I couldn't quite get enough volume for movie-watching. Thus I'm seeking an amp with enough power to remedy that.

 

[jamato8]

It really isn't power but gain that you need. You could have a 100 watt headphone amp but if the gain were not enough you would not be able to increase the volume to a point where you might want it. It is the gain stage that you needed increased since you are getting less than normal output voltage, from what I understand. With my Monica II dac I get around 1.5 volts out which is less than the normal 2 volts so I need more on an amp to operate around 10 or 12 oclock on the volume pot but I prefer as little volume pot in the signal path as possible so I just use most amps around 3 oclock. This has nothing to do with headroom although some feel they get better dynamics with higher gain settings.