[carboncopy]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking at the Inpol Ear and, after having read the entire excellent thread of 21 pages here, have some questions would love some advice on:

(1) my current source, the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge, runs a pretty hot at ~9v line out on its XLR. Given max input voltage of 4.4v on the Inpol, would I practically be limited to RCA out?

(2) I'm wondering how does the Inpol compare to other hybrids (e.g. trafomatic head 2? other?)

(3) I was planning to buy the Manely Absolute. The sales person at Upscale Audio was suggesting to me on the Inpol instead, which got me on this track. My main need is for flexibility across a wide variety of dynamic and plannar cans, with both high and low impedance, which the Manley seems uniquely designed for. I'm wondering if the Inpol's low impedance/high power makes it better suited for power hungry planars, and how would a high impedance dynamic can (e.g. my ZMF VC) would fair on it?

Any thoughts or advice on the Manley vs Inpol (reazling that they radically different options)?

thanks for your patient advice...

I had the Pathos for a couple of months, I have now the Trafomatic. As strange as it is, the Trafomatic is quiter. I sold my Pathos because it wasn't completly silent with my Grados. Soundwise the Trafomatic is a bit more forward, energetic (but not sibillant or fatiguing). But it has much less power as the InPol. The volume in the Pathos is exceptional, the Trafomatic is also very well executed, but at the end a blue ALPS. The Pathos is truly balanced from input to output, the Trafomatic is single ended inside.

Soundwise I prefer the Trafomatic with Grado. With planars probably the InPol. Real power-hungry beasts: Inpol.

Hope it helps.

 

[goldwerger]

I had the Pathos for a couple of months, I have now the Trafomatic. As strange as it is, the Trafomatic is quiter. I sold my Pathos because it wasn't completly silent with my Grados. Soundwise the Trafomatic is a bit more forward, energetic (but not sibillant or fatiguing). But it has much less power as the InPol. The volume in the Pathos is exceptional, the Trafomatic is also very well executed, but at the end a blue ALPS. The Pathos is truly balanced from input to output, the Trafomatic is single ended inside.

Soundwise I prefer the Trafomatic with Grado. With planars probably the InPol. Real power-hungry beasts: Inpol.

Hope it helps.

Super helpful, deeply appreciated.

Are the Grados more sensitive than the average dynamic headphone? (surprised it’s not dead silent unless it were with IEMs)

 

[carboncopy]

Super helpful, deeply appreciated.

Are the Grados more sensitive than the average dynamic headphone? (surprised it’s not dead silent unless it were with IEMs)

Yeah. They are ruthless. Almost IEM category. The HEMP (and the new x drivers) are even more sensitve as the "e" series.

 

[goldwerger]

Super helpful, deeply appreciated.

Are the Grados more sensitive than the average dynamic headphone? (surprised it’s not dead silent unless it were with IEMs)

Yeah. They are ruthless. Almost IEM category. The HEMP (and the new x drivers) are even more sensitve as the "e" series.

That’s very helpful to know - thanks!

 

[chaZZZy007]

Hi Dukes!
Welcome to the Pathos family!
We've spoken about rolling the driver tubes a few time throughout this thread. You'll definitely get a whole new level of performance by rolling in better 6922's. The stock tubes are very average.

Go back and re-read the thread from the start to get all our thoughts and suggestions.
Good luck have fun!

 

[goldwerger]

Realizing this is a bit orthogonal to this thread, but I hope one of you may have some insight:

I am debating a choice btwn the Inpol Eear and Auris Nirvana (similarly powerful; though tubes only).

Have you by chance heard them both and can offer any comparison?

Deeply appreciate any inputs. Many thanks...

 

[xtr4]

Realizing this is a bit orthogonal to this thread, but I hope one of you may have some insight:

I am debating a choice btwn the Inpol Eear and Auris Nirvana (similarly powerful; though tubes only).

Have you by chance heard them both and can offer any comparison?

Deeply appreciate any inputs. Many thanks...

Don't debate, get both hahaha

Sorry but I've not heard the Nirvana, so I can't give any opinions nor comparison.
But from what I've read, it's a matter of preference in which camp you're leaning towards; clean SS like quality (InPol) vs Musical Tubey Ooey Gooey Goodness (Nirvana).

Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[goldwerger]

Don't debate, get both hahaha

Sorry but I've not heard the Nirvana, so I can't give any opinions nor comparison.
But from what I've read, it's a matter of preference in which camp you're leaning towards; clean SS like quality (InPol) vs Musical Tubey Ooey Gooey Goodness (Nirvana).

Correct me if I'm wrong.

thanks

it seems like these may pretty close in character (clean SS with some tube character vs. very clean/linear tube amp)

I would get both, but my wife will kill me if she show the size of these 2 side by side...

 

[xtr4]

Another consideration would be real estate, if that's an issue. InPol single unit which is quite compact vs dual unit of the Nirvana

 

[goldwerger]

Another consideration would be real estate, if that's an issue. InPol single unit which is quite compact vs dual unit of the Nirvana

yea. the units themselves are (almost) similar in size, that extra power source does add some...

 

[dcguy73]

Nirvana = single-ended, InPol = balanced

 

[xtr4]

Nirvana = single-ended, InPol = balanced

Ah yes, this too but in my experience, a well designed SE amp is just as good an experience with a balanced one.

Examples; Mogwai SE, Pendant, Studio Six

 

[goldwerger]

Nirvana = single-ended, InPol = balanced

Ah yes, this too but in my experience, a well designed SE amp is just as good an experience with a balanced one.

Examples; Mogwai SE, Pendant, Studio Six

Indeed.

Parallel has in general a big advantage in power (and avoiding clipping) and noise cancellation. A good SE amp can generate significant and, if well designed, can also be very quite (but more susceitble to quality of power fed into it is, which may need to be addressed upstream).

On the flip side, SE tube amp offers even-order harmonics, while push-pull will emphasize odd-order harmonics. Both can sound great, but have somewhat different feel to them. Even-order harmonics tend to sound more pleasing to most people, but not all.

 

[dcguy73]

Also, Inpol has 4.4 VRMS balanced input limit. Couldn't find similar specs for Nirvana on Auris website. Some DACs put out more power than that, as I've learned.

 

[goldwerger]

Also, Inpol has 4.4 VRMS balanced input limit. Couldn't find similar specs for Nirvana on Auris website. Some DACs put out more power than that, as I've learned.

Great point. My Mytek Brooklyn Bridge puts out a whopping 9V (Mytek's DNA is in professioanl audio, where higher line-out voltage are more typical as far as I understand). That got me to connect last week wtih Michal, Mytek's founder and CTO, to confirm I can trim the lineout gain through menu settings safely (by half or more) without meaningful losss of resolution (claimed, naturally TBD). But I've seen this issue noted in this thread, and it's a very good point to check the input voltage max on the Nirvana (which I haven't as of yet)!