[agbassano]

Hi guys,

I just got my SXH1 and, yes, I know it needs many hours to burn in--but does burn in also affect the level of gain?

I mean, with the volume cranked, it's just approaching moderate volume with my Senn HD650's and even worse with my trusty old AKG 240DF. Off course, with my Shure E5's this was not an issue.

Anyone else experience this, and is the gain adjustable?

HELP

Many Thanks!!!

al

 

[gsferrari]

HOLY COW YOU"RE DEAF

J/K

hee hee

I have heard that the gain on the Perreaux 0.5 is lesser than the gain on the 0.3 version but according to reviews here it shouldnt be that bad.

SeanH listend with the volume dial at 2:00 or 3:00 and YES that is pretty close to full volume but it should be seriously loud at those settings...

Why dont you ask rsaavedr - he has the same combo as you.

Maybe its your source -what source are you using??

 

[rsaavedra]

When listening to the HD650's driven by the Perreaux, I can put it at 3:00pm at the volume is still bearable, though way too loud for me, think might be dangerous to listen for too long at those volumes.

Normal listening I put it between 12:00 and 1:30pm depending on how quiet my surroundings are at home, and also depending on the volume level of the CD.

Listening to Grado SR-60's driven by the Perreaux, the volume goes quickly way too lout before the knob reaches 11:00am, but the Grados needless to say are very easy to drive. The Senn's and AKG's are much harder.

Interestingly, when I push the volume too much, I feel as if the mids and highs go up correspondingly, but not so much the bass. Not sure if this is the amp, the Senn's, or just my hearing and relative perception of sound at high volumes.

 

[gsferrari]

I noticed the same thing with the 0.3 revision too...

I think its cool in a way because Bass tends to distort at higher volumes. Mids and Highs sound great with a little more gain.

2:00 was tops for me with the 0.3 and the Senn HD-580...any more than that would make me wince!!

 

[agbassano]

That's very true...I"m just using my Toshiba SD-5700 while my Cal Audio CL-15 is being repaired.

I guess I'll have to pray that it's my source. when using the Heaphone Jack on my trusty 'ol Acoustic Research X-10--there is gain to spare (170wpc/4ohm, 40A peak current).

al

 

[CamelBackCinema]

So loud with CD3000s...

 

[xaipemw]

Quote:

Originally posted by rsaavedr When listening to the HD650's driven by the Perreaux, I can put it at 3:00pm at the volume is still bearable, though way too loud for me, think might be dangerous to listen for too long at those volumes. Normal listening I put it between 12:00 and 1:30pm depending on how quiet my surroundings are at home, and also depending on the volume level of the CD. Listening to Grado SR-60's driven by the Perreaux, the volume goes quickly way too lout before the knob reaches 11:00am, but the Grados needless to say are very easy to drive. The Senn's and AKG's are much harder. Interestingly, when I push the volume too much, I feel as if the mids and highs go up correspondingly, but not so much the bass. Not sure if this is the amp, the Senn's, or just my hearing and relative perception of sound at high volumes.

Jesus.. is my hearing way better than everyone else's around here? Anything above "11AM" is way too loud for me on my Senn HD650's and the Perreaux. I hope that I don't get to the point that listening at 1:30 and not have a feeling that it's too loud.

 

[Jbroad572]

I had a similar problem with my ppa and hd650's. It turned out to be the source. With one it will get extremely loud to the point you can't listen and you hear the cans bottom out

bad experience, then from another source cranked up with the computer volume and amp volume it's just at a moderate volume.

 

[rsaavedra]

Yes I was going to mention source differences. Mine right now is just my receiver decoding the optical out of my playstation.

Also the music, volume depends on what CD's we are listening to.

And of course, you might have very good hearing indeed.

 

[emelius]

Quote:

Originally posted by xaipemw Jesus.. is my hearing way better than everyone else's around here? Anything above "11AM" is way too loud for me on my Senn HD650's and the Perreaux. I hope that I don't get to the point that listening at 1:30 and not have a feeling that it's too loud.

been listenin' at 'bout 8:30....but that's from a cdp...from my pc's onboard sound it goes way up...

 

[rsaavedra]

Quote:

Originally posted by emelius been listenin' at 'bout 8:30....but that's from a cdp...from my pc's onboard sound it goes way up...

Well, to sort out these huge differences, this morning I made a little test. (Tyll and others might laugh at this methodology though).

Placed the tip of my Radio Shack analog SPL meter in one of the HD650 drivers, not really directly touching the inner wall, just having the tip floating inside the velour pad shoulders, more or less at the location our ear opening would start. Setting at slow/C. The other driver being pushed behing my hand holding the meter, so it would mostly measure the volume of one driver, e.g. what each of our ears get in dB terms.

With my setup (PS2->optical digital out->Marantz Receiver decoding->Perreaux->HD650), and the Perreaux's volume at 1:30pm, the volume I measure out of the HD650's playing the first minute of song #1 in Tool's Lateralus is 80-82dB's. Playing song #8 (Ticks & leeches) in that same CD from beginning till the point the singer first says "suck and suck", I measure a maximum of 84-85dB's. Made the meter measure the other driver, basically no change, same volumes are measured on either driver from these songs.

Incidentally, this is about the same volume I measure at the sweet spot when listening to these songs, and rock in general, with my speakers, the volume I like best for listening to rock. In my receiver the volume I listen to (when it's not too late) is 19/50 and I get those measurements. No analog clock dial for my receiver's volume, just numbers, but doing the math, 19/50 is about 11:00am.

Naturally I had chosen the volume in the Perreaux to match more or less the volume I hear from my speaker setup. Only now I verify that the 1:30pm in the Perreaux, and with this current setup, is indeed quite close to what I hear with my speakers.

If I set the Perreaux' volume at 8:30-9:00am, the needle in the volume meter hardly reaches the 70dB mark, way too low. Again, this with my source, and this CD, and these headphones.

 

[emelius]

this was a hurried setup to play 'round with my HP-2...so i was usin' an old Teac, the Perreaux, then the HP-2...but the "sweet spot" was 'round 8:30...

 

[rsaavedra]

Quote:

Originally posted by emelius this was a hurried setup to play 'round with my HP-2...so i was usin' an old Teac, the Perreaux, then the HP-2...but the "sweet spot" was 'round 8:30...

That old Teac (and/or the CD you were listening to) might have a very high output level. Even with my SR60's, Perreaux's volume at 8:30-9:00am is slightly low volume, my receiver as source that is. Haven't measured with the SR60's, but just from perceived volume.

 

[GChow]

I had the same issues with my Perreaux (0.5) when it was fed directly from my M-Audio Sonica. With the soundcard volume at max, I would listen to my AKG 271s at around 12:00 and my Beyer DT770s at around 2:30-3:00. When I put in an old Audio Alchemy DDE DAC between the two, I now listen to the 271s at 8:00 and the 770s at 9:00. Big difference!

 

[rsaavedra]

Quote:

Originally posted by rsaavedr Interestingly, when I push the volume too much, I feel as if the mids and highs go up correspondingly, but not so much the bass. Not sure if this is the amp, the Senn's, or just my hearing and relative perception of sound at high volumes.

Quoted myself above to report on a recent change I noticed in the 650's. Two days ago I kept burning-in the Senn's, but started using Cd's with particularly strong bass (e.g. Prodigy, Outkast, Eminem), and also started using a higher volume in the Perreaux, e.g. 3:30pm, which is higher than listening level for me. Today I perceive the bass goes louder with the volume knob in an even fashion compared to mids and highs. I believe my previous impression was due to insufficient break-in.

Gee I had had the 650's playing continuously for a week, but at 1:30pm or so, and not all bass-heavy music. I now think the 650's do need really extensive and strong break-in, particularly for its bass.