[Musikfan]

The Holo Audio DAC puts out 5.8 VRMS from its balanced outputs, I believe. The Pathos Inpol Ear can handle ~4.4 VRMS before clipping. If you use lower volumes on the Pathos, a preamp in-between the Holo and Pathos, or use the RCA outputs from the Holo (which are lower voltage, but can’t find the VRMS output offhand), you should be fine.

I almost went with this combo before discovering the Pathos’ low input voltage allowance.

Thank you @dcguy73! If I can trouble you, how about pairing it with the ps audio directstream or chord Dave, if you happen to know?

 

[dcguy73]

Thank you @dcguy73! If I can trouble you, how about pairing it with the ps audio directstream or chord Dave, if you happen to know?

Wish I could help you, but I’m not experienced with either of those DACs. Have you tried searching this thread? Someone else may have tried those combinations.

 

[Musikfan]

Wish I could help you, but I’m not experienced with either of those DACs. Have you tried searching this thread? Someone else may have tried those combinations.

Yes, I'll do that...thanks for your help and time...enjoy your music!

 

[musicman59]

I am pairing it with the Bricasti M1SE and I am very happy with it and it also gives me the advantage to stream from my Roon server directly to the M1SE internal network card.

 

[Musikfan]

I am pairing it with the Bricasti M1SE and I am very happy with it and it also gives me the advantage to stream from my Roon server directly to the M1SE internal network card.

I'm thinking of maybe pairing the Pathos with the matrix element x.

 

[dcguy73]

I'm thinking of maybe pairing the Pathos with the matrix element x.

Do you already own the Pathos and/or the Matrix Element X? I would recommend taking the Pathos with you to a hifi shop and trying out some different DACs with it prior to purchasing anything. I know there are some good hifi shops in New Jersey/New York.

 

[Musikfan]

Do you already own the Pathos and/or the Matrix Element X? I would recommend taking the Pathos with you to a hifi shop and trying out some different DACs with it prior to purchasing anything. I know there are some good hifi shops in New Jersey/New York.

I do own the Matrix Audio Element X.

 

[DJW50]

Just bought these two matched and tested valves from Watford Valves.

Reflector Russia / 6922/6H23N EB-REFLECTOR​

Too soon to say how different they may be but so far I can't tell any difference from the Siemens I took out this morning, but I guess they are too new.

 

[buson160man]

I know I’m treading on dangerous audiophile territory here, but have any owners of the InPol Ear upgraded its fuse?

I have been a fuse upgrade fan for a long time. I have hifi tuning supreme fuses in my headphone amps . They really do make a noticeable difference on anything I have tried upgrading fuses on. I had tried the synergistic fuses earlier and preferred the hi fi tuning fuses. The noise floor drops and things just sound cleaner and more resolved with fuse upgrading. Similar to upgrading to a better power cord.

 

[musicman59]

How many fuses and what values and size in the Inpol Ear?

 

[dcguy73]

As I'm switching over from a HE1000SE-focused audio setup to a Susvara-based setup, I'm moving components around in my audio rack.

I'm temporarily using the InPol as a preamp, and it does that job better (to my ears) than the iCan Pro I was using previously. It's interesting because the iCan Pro uses a motorized carbon-based potentiometer to regulate volume in the analog domain, while the InPol uses a pair of Burr-Brown PGA3210 chips to control the volume digitally.

Strange to think that a digital volume control "sounds" better than an analog volume control, but the InPol's volume control is much more linear and has more granular steps compared to the iCan's volume control. The InPol probably has a better analog output section than the iCan, as well.

I thought the iCan Pro, especially in solid-state mode, was a very clean-sounding preamp, but I find the InPol to sound cleaner. Even with tubes in the InPol's signal chain, I can hear more nuances and subtleties in the music than I could with the iCan Pro.

Once I get a proper preamp with two XLR outs, I'll be able to switch between the InPol headphone amp and my new amp setup.

 

[carboncopy]

As I'm switching over from a HE1000SE-focused audio setup to a Susvara-based setup, I'm moving components around in my audio rack.

I'm temporarily using the InPol as a preamp, and it does that job better (to my ears) than the iCan Pro I was using previously. It's interesting because the iCan Pro uses a motorized carbon-based potentiometer to regulate volume in the analog domain, while the InPol uses a pair of Burr-Brown PGA3210 chips to control the volume digitally.

Strange to think that a digital volume control "sounds" better than an analog volume control, but the InPol's volume control is much more linear and has more granular steps compared to the iCan's volume control. The InPol probably has a better analog output section than the iCan, as well.

I thought the iCan Pro, especially in solid-state mode, was a very clean-sounding preamp, but I find the InPol to sound cleaner. Even with tubes in the InPol's signal chain, I can hear more nuances and subtleties in the music than I could with the iCan Pro.

Once I get a proper preamp with two XLR outs, I'll be able to switch between the InPol headphone amp and my new amp setup.

The PGA3210 is a digitally controlled analog volume controll.

If my information is correct, Pathos uses the current outputs of the chip, so not even the integrated circuit in the chip is used. (Which is used to provide the voltage output of the PGA3210). It is essentally a digitally controlled precise resister ladder and nothing more (and nothing less!).

I think this is the best solution for a truly balanced amp, because no conventional potmeter can have this channel balance (and in phase balance between the +- polarity of one chanel). Stepped autentators are precise enough, but usually have maax 24 postions (or less).

 

[dcguy73]

The PGA3210 is a digitally controlled analog volume controll.

If my information is correct, Pathos uses the current outputs of the chip, so not even the integrated circuit in the chip is used. (Which is used to provide the voltage output of the PGA3210). It is essentally a digitally controlled precise resister ladder and nothing more (and nothing less!).

I think this is the best solution for a truly balanced amp, because no conventional potmeter can have this channel balance (and in phase balance between the +- polarity of one chanel). Stepped autentators are precise enough, but usually have maax 24 postions (or less).

I stand corrected. Now it makes sense.

 

[sahmen]

Has anyone ever used a pair of these on the InPol EAR? I'm just looking for the Amperex 7308 that enhances bass on the InPol Ear, according to Kevin, but I have quickly learnt that the tag "Amperes 7308" points to a very dizzyingly wide variety of tubes, and I do not think all of them are equally good, and I am no expert in sorting out genuinely great tubes from snake oil, which is why I am asking :

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3940235876...,osub=osub,crd=crd,segname=segname,chnl=mkcid

 

[DJW50]

Has anyone ever used a pair of these on the InPol EAR? I'm just looking for the Amperex 7308 that enhances bass on the InPol Ear, according to Kevin, but I have quickly learnt that the tag "Amperes 7308" points to a very dizzyingly wide variety of tubes, and I do not think all of them are equally good, and I am no expert in sorting out genuinely great tubes from snake oil, which is why I am asking :

https://www.ebay.com/itm/394023587638?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11021.m43.l3160&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=5861ea222439493d9164c94e6b136337&bu=43202486616&ut=RU&osub=-1~1&crd=20220409041532&segname=11021&sojTags=ch=ch,bu=bu,ut=ut,osub=osub,crd=crd,segname=segname,chnl=mkcid

I'm new to valves for the Pathos but I bought a a pair of these Russian Reflector as I listed above with matched triodes recently and for some reason my Utopia's have just suddenly started to sound really wonderful, trouble is the Utopia's are fairly new as is the Silver Dragon cables so I'm not sure if it's the headphone and leads have bedded in or the valves. Maybe just a combination of all factors but the result make me very happy.