[headwhacker]

I can't get enough of them. I've just passed the 200 hour mark with the Senn's, 90% of that with my ODAC/O2 and they sound wonderful! I hear people say the 650's pair very well with certain valve amps but I'll be damned before I feel as though anything's missing right now.

 
A lot of people who like valve/tube amps will say the same for most headphones not just the HD650. I for one don't want extra harmonics or "pleasant distortion" added to the original music.

 

[tralalakuda]

Hi guys,
 
I currently already have a Modi/Magni and planning to offload my Magni so that I can couple my Modi with Asgard 2 with its capability of having RCA pre-amp output for desktop monitoring speaker as one of the feature I like. However I come across this O2/ODAC Limited Edition which says that the RCA jack on the backside of product can also be used as DAC output (presumably the same use as Asgard 2's pre-amp output?). I'm wondering if it's worth to take this O2/ODAC Limited Edition combo better than getting an Asgard 2?
 
I read a lot of positive reviews about O2/ODAC combo however having use Modi/Magni, I'd say that Schiit really make a good product and I believe that their flagship Asgard 2 will not disappoint me, nevertheless I come across a few review saying that Asgard 2 is definitely good but not good enough (depending on how you phrase that, I saw this quite a few times in a few websites and reviews).
 
Just for information I'm currently using HD650 as my cans.
 
Thanks!

 

[anthk]

Got a pair of hd600  to go with the combo today.
I listen mostly to metal music. Even with their ridiculously compressed albums, the songs benefits from the neutrality around the vocal range of the HP and better instrument separation. (Oh, and bass extension balah blah).
I have some nicely recorded orchestra music around and the headphone shines with those tracks.
Shame that the metal tracks arent properly mastered.

 

[Xenophon]

  Got a pair of hd600  to go with the combo today.
I listen mostly to metal music. Even with their ridiculously compressed albums, the songs benefits from the neutrality around the vocal range of the HP and better instrument separation. (Oh, and bass extension balah blah).
I have some nicely recorded orchestra music around and the headphone shines with those tracks.
Shame that the metal tracks arent properly mastered.

Tell you the truth, I wonder why pop/metal etc are in such a dire situation and why it's systematically recorded  so loud and compressed  to the extreme so that dynamic range gets reduced to a fraction of what it could be.  Thank God that nowadays classical music is usually very nicely mastered, at least if you shy away from the compilations.  And of course the really old re-editions, just listened to a '30s recording of the Berliner Philharmoniker....recorded in mono on a 78 rpm record, now available on CD.  Magnificent but not with the HD-800.  Labels such as BIS, Harmonia Mundi....really top quality.  Never heard the HD 600 but it sounds like the 800's little brother, perhaps a bit more benign (not a bad thing).  

 

[anthk]

  Tell you the truth, I wonder why pop/metal etc are in such a dire situation and why it's systematically recorded  so loud and compressed  to the extreme so that dynamic range gets reduced to a fraction of what it could be.  Thank God that nowadays classical music is usually very nicely mastered, at least if you shy away from the compilations.  And of course the really old re-editions, just listened to a '30s recording of the Berliner Philharmoniker....recorded in mono on a 78 rpm record, now available on CD.  Magnificent but not with the HD-800.  Labels such as BIS, Harmonia Mundi....really top quality.  Never heard the HD 600 but it sounds like the 800's little brother, perhaps a bit more benign (not a bad thing).  

It is such a shame.
Might be those punks who put big ass radios on their bikes are to be blamed...(just kidding)

 

 

[Solrighal]

I've got a question. When I bought my O2 I opted for gains of 1x/3x on the advice of a kind forum member. These gains work superbly with every pair of headphones I've tried. In fact, I've never had to use 3x gain, even with my HD 650's or my Q701's.

So why are the "standard" gains always 2.5x/6x? It looks like overkill to me.

If I listen to Rammstein as loud as I can take it (and far louder than I need it) the volume will be around the 4 o'clock position with the HD650's. Using the M -100's I'd be lucky to need to go past 1 o'clock.

So why do they use 2.5x as the low gain standard? I also seem to remember reading years ago that it's better to use more of the volume range (or something, I can't remember).

 

[headwhacker]

To cover as many source voltages out there.

 

[adydula]

Zorrofox your not the only person that has asked this question, even agdr thought it was too much for his use..even with 1x or unity gain.
 
That said the designer has said:
 
The O2 has 2 gain settings to help match it to different sources and headphones The default low gain setting for the O2 is ~2.5X (~8 dB) for use with typical headphones and/or high output home sources. And at the high gain setting it’s ~6.5X (~16 dB) for low output sources or high impedance headphones needing lots of voltage.
 
There are several ways to change the gain in the o2 via resistor swapouts and or removal and voltage divider schemes.
 
I have two O2's one with 1x and 2.5 the other with 2.5 and 6.5...never ever use the 6.5.
 
The ODA that agdr has designed has a default gains selection of 1/2x, 1x, 2x and 3x with the default 1K attenuation resistors. It has a gain switch as well. You can also modify the 4 settings to 6 gain setting with and external switch if desired.
 
It all depends on your cans, what the impedance is etc...low? high? etc
 
Take a read at the designers site about voltage and again....its very informative..
 
Alex

 

[mcandmar]

The 6x gain was intended for low power battery sources, things like the iPod Shuffle than outputs less than 1v rms, i.e. half of a normal consumer level device.  1x is fine for a majority of 32ohm cans with reasonable sensitivity from a redbook level source ~2v.  For higher loads like the 300ohm HD650's ~2.5x gain is the optimum.

 

[Solrighal]

I confess I hadn't ever considered connecting a portable (battery) device to the O2. That males sense I guess. I'm not sure if there's too many people using it in this way though.

 

[hekeli]

Well people even carry "portable" tube amps and $2k phones around so... I'm happy with my phone or laptop, I don't think I'm an that "audiophile" by far even though I appreciate good sound at home..

 

[Solrighal]

Well people even carry "portable" tube amps and $2k phones around so... I'm happy with my phone or laptop, I don't think I'm an that "audiophile" by far even though I appreciate good sound at home..

And some people eat their toe nails.

 

[Whitecitadel]

   
I have started soldering today and am posting pix on DIYAUDIO's site..
 
All the best
Alex

Do you have link to thread? (PM if not allowed on forum?) will be starting mine soon...
 

I confess I hadn't ever considered connecting a portable (battery) device to the O2. That males sense I guess. I'm not sure if there's too many people using it in this way though.

Its not just a portable battery power device, its the o2 running on battery as well, my understanding from the designers site is that 6.5x is there for low voltage inputs when running on battery (EDIT: Running o2 on battery I mean). A red book standard device with 2v output like the odac on a desktop PSU is going to be nowhere near needing that kind of gain is my understanding.
 
Just impulse bought new temperature controlled soldering iron (£30/Maplin in sale, digital version of far east one the designer recommended) as the ones I have are all a bit overkill for delicate PCB work - shame I probably won't have time to assemble before the holiday weekend coming up in the UK.

 

[Xenophon]

  Do you have link to thread? (PM if not allowed on forum?) will be starting mine soon...
 
Its not just a portable battery power device, its the o2 running on battery as well, my understanding from the designers site is that 6.5x is there for low voltage inputs when running on battery (EDIT: Running o2 on battery I mean). A red book standard device with 2v output like the odac on a desktop PSU is going to be nowhere near needing that kind of gain is my understanding.
 
Just impulse bought new temperature controlled soldering iron (£30/Maplin in sale, digital version of far east one the designer recommended) as the ones I have are all a bit overkill for delicate PCB work - shame I probably won't have time to assemble before the holiday weekend coming up in the UK.

Here ya go, i'm following this one too....
 
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/headphone-systems/229934-version-o2-desktop-amp-oda-36.html

 

[Whitecitadel]

Just came back from lunch and building security had my package from Stefan! 

 
Read the o2 ODA thread - interesting. Did you mean to include a link to your separate build thread Xenophone?