[dj_mocok]

i thought 8620 suppose to be a bit bright, and 555 is not as dark sounding as 580...
i was thinking the combination of the two will result to something bright, not muddy ?

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slick burn in an amp? never heard of that, do i just run it for an extended period of time?

Yes, that's all there is to it. Just run it as though you were going to listen to it, but you can do it unattended. New audio equipment usually needs a period to run to settle in to its steady run state. With a headphone amp, you want to be sure to have an input (music playing into it) and a load (pair of headphones plugged into it) to properly exersize it during its burn in. For the Go-Vibes (I've burned in two), I've found that about 15 hours of use is sufficient.

The AD8620 with 24v of supply voltage will emphasize the bass in the input fairly strongly as well as the treble. If the headphones have not been burned in with that particular acoustic spectral profile, they could sound a little muddy for a little while until they burn in with those particular spectral characteristics. Then they'll clear right up. I've had that happen before with my headphones on equipment with acoustic spectral characteristics that were a little different than what they had burned in with. So, if you're going to burn in the amp, you may as well do it with your headphones attached to it and get them both at the same time.

 

[slick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbulack Yes, that's all there is to it. Just run it as though you were going to listen to it, but you can do it unattended. New audio equipment usually needs a period to run to settle in to its steady run state. With a headphone amp, you want to be sure to have an input (music playing into it) and a load (pair of headphones plugged into it) to properly exersize it during its burn in. For the Go-Vibes (I've burned in two), I've found that about 15 hours of use is sufficient. The AD8620 with 24v of supply voltage will emphasize the bass in the input fairly strongly as well as the treble. If the headphones have not been burned in with that particular acoustic spectral profile, they could sound a little muddy for a little while until they burn in with those particular spectral characteristics. Then they'll clear right up. I've had that happen before with my headphones on equipment with acoustic spectral characteristics that were a little different than what they had burned in with. So, if you're going to burn in the amp, you may as well do it with your headphones attached to it and get them both at the same time.

how does volume come into play during burn in? should i have it high, moderate, low? i was thinking about burning in the amp and cans while i was at work, but i dont want someone to hear the headphones playing and turn it off (my parents would probably do that if the cans are loud enough).

 

[flip360shep]

I've yet to purchase a headsave amp but now I'm curious as to which one I should get.

I have the Senn 555's. Should I get to Home-Vibe, the Go-Vibe, or the Classic?

Norm said that the Classic would probably make it sound the best, but now I don't know. Feedback appreciated guys. Thanks

 

[NeilPeart]

I'm interested in the Headsave Classic myself, as it represents a tremendous value. Even throwing in the OPA627s and 24v Elpac doesn't increase the base price beyond $200! The Classic sounds like the perfect amp to use for my office system and I'm happy to see others have enjoyed Norm's amps before (I've never had the pleasure).

 

[hella]

You guys are killing me. Will someone please post a review of this thing and finally confirm how awesome it is.

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slick how does volume come into play during burn in? should i have it high, moderate, low? i was thinking about burning in the amp and cans while i was at work, but i dont want someone to hear the headphones playing and turn it off (my parents would probably do that if the cans are loud enough).

Volume should be set as though you were listening to it, maybe just a tad higher. If you put a note on your unattended rig asking as a favor to please leave it running because you are breaking in new equipment, do you think your parents would do you that favor and leave it running?

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hella You guys are killing me. Will someone please post a review of this thing and finally confirm how awesome it is.

Perhaps it will help to read the reviews of the Headsave Vibe in this thread:
http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=73734

 

[slick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbulack Volume should be set as though you were listening to it, maybe just a tad higher. If you put a note on your unattended rig asking as a favor to please leave it running because you are breaking in new equipment, do you think your parents would do you that favor and leave it running?

k.
i think i can get by with the note, but my parents will probably end up thinking i'm wierd for leaving the phones running for a while, as they dont understand the concept of "burn in".
its running right now, maybe my 555's will sound better when i get home tonight.

 

[Murdoch]

I've been spending most of today listening to my now-burned-in classic and thought I'd share my impressions. I didn't take notes or anything (I was too busy enjoying the music!) but I do believe that I have enough of a sense of it to share what I heard. I did my listening primarily through my AKG K240S, occcasionally dipping into my SR125.

I would describe my classic (w/dual 627 op amps and 24v elpac) as detailed, clean, clear, forward and intimate. The sound was pleasantly smooth in general. I wouldn't describe it as liquid, but it came pretty close at times. I definitely felt very close to the music, which was primarily rock, roots reggae and dub. Some of what I've been listening to inlcudes:

The Flaming Lips- Yoshi
Dennis Brown- The Promised Land
Rush- Permanent Waves
Niney the Observer- Head Shot
Stereolab- Margerine Eclipse

In the denser of the recordings: Yoshi and Margerine Eclipse, the Classic was able to effortlessly reproduce every nuance in the complex passages on the recording, including the fine details in the intricate synthesizer work on these records (particularly some very subtle modulations of tone). Both cds sounded clear, lush and intricate, instead of the muddy mess I had experienced when listening to them through my OBH-11. Imaging was excellent and soundstage was imo good, although I have limited exprerience in judging soundstage, having owned relatively few headphones.

In the sparser reggae recordings Head Shot and The Promised Land, the Classic performed equally well. The bass was deep, defined and clear, and the amp was dead silent "in between the notes". There has been some debate in the earlier Home Vibe thread about amp hiss. To my ears, through low impedance cans, I heard ZERO hiss when listening at normal listening levels coming through the classic. A high point of my listening to Head Shot (no pun intended I assure you

) was during some of the piano passages, where I found the piano tones to be utterly realistic. I played the piano for many years when I was younger, and I was amazed at how correct the piano sounded on this recording. This was something I had not heard before owning the Classic.

I listened to Rush's Permanent Waves with my SR125, and the classic performed much as it did when I was listening through the AKGs: it was equally smooth and revealing. In particular, I was quite captivated by the vibration and decay of notes during some of the acoustic guitar parts on this record. Again, the classic brought more music to my ears than I had previously known was on the recording.

So, I hope this was useful, despite my general lack of audiophile vocabulary, and other amps to compare to the Classic. In summary, I am very, very pleased with the performance of this amp. IMO its an excellent little amp at a bargain price.

[EDIT: Regarding soundstage, I did some more listening tonight to the newly remastered Police Regatta de Blanc and found the soundstage to be excellent. Really 3-D, spooky and echo-ey. So I have no longer have any doubts about the Classic's ability to create a very nice soundstage.

]

 

[mega]

^^ Good to hear. Ill be getting the same specs as you (dual 627's 24v elpac) so hopefully, ill be impressed with the results wiht my A900's. Should be at my doorstep sometime this week, so ill post my thoughts soon.

 

[furiousgeorge]

well im looking foreward to your observations because theyll be one of the deciding factors in me getting this amp.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murdoch I would describe my classic (w/dual 627 op amps and 24v elpac) as detailed, clean, clear, forward and intimate.

The intimacy of the Vibe (read: Headsave Classic with less beefy power supply) is the first thing that hit me. The lack of buffers really seems to give a feel of the music being closer, and gives the amp a tendency to "disappear" or get out of the way rather than show off various audiophile qualities you tend to get with complex designs. I tend to prefer an amp that steps out of the way, but I think some people definitely prefer their amp to have 'qualities' like warmth, refinement and such.

Not that the Vibe doesn't have qualities of its own, but one doesn't tend to notice them once the music gets going. It's difficult to describe this sort of "lack of qualities" without hearing it first hand. I think some people get a similar perception with the Grado RA-1 (also a very simple design).

 

[sbulack]

For all you folks who have received a Classic and are ready to post your impressions, please go ahead.

 

[dj_mocok]

i havent received mine yet... but i know some members here already got them for at least 2-3 weeks...