[daleb]

Quote:

Can anyone explain to me why I like the Q701 better than the LCD-2.2? They are both being driven well.

A- you like soundstage.
B- you like treble.

 

[nutthasij]

Quote:

 
The problem is your E6... not the Q701. These cans are notoriously hard to drive. I even had the E17, once, and while others may say it has enough for their Q701s... it certainly did not for me.
 
Ultimately, I ended up with the Matrix M-Stage as my desktop amp and the E12 as my portable amp. Both have sufficient power to drive the Q701.

Can you share your experience with the E12. How's it compare to M-stage. I'm thinking about buying a portable amp to use with my laptop and thinking about getting E12 or may be O2. I want to know what other Q701's owner thought.
 
Thank you.

 

[daleb]

I keep jumping back and forth between these and the DT880s, dangit.

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

Can you share your experience with the E12. How's it compare to M-stage. I'm thinking about buying a portable amp to use with my laptop and thinking about getting E12 or may be O2. I want to know what other Q701's owner thought.
 
Thank you.

 
Hmmm, I was just going to compare my Matrix to my E12 this weekend.
I'll post the results here.
 
And now a dissenting opinion:
My Q701 work fine with my E17, I have no drive problems what so ever.
Hell, I can drive the damn things off an iPod or iPad...............but they really deserve a much better sounding amp than an iPad.

 

[Change is Good]

Quote:

 
Hmmm, I was just going to compare my Matrix to my E12 this weekend.
I'll post the results here.
 
And now a dissenting opinion:
My Q701 work fine with my E17, I have no drive problems what so ever.
Hell, I can drive the damn things off an iPod or iPad...............but they really deserve a much better sounding amp than an iPad.

 
Ironically, I think they both give out a very different sound. I have both the M-Stage and the E12 but it's hard for me to explain. I do remember the E9K sounding more similar to the M-Stage than the E12.

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

 
Ironically, I think they both give out a very different sound. I have both the M-Stage and the E12 but it's hard for me to explain. I do remember the E9K sounding more similar to the M-Stage than the E12.

 
I wish someone could do an M-Stage vs E9k review

They both use the same op-amps, but based on my experiences, this doesn't mean much.
Maybe the M-Stage is like an E9k on steroids. I would really like an E9k on steroids! I loved how the E9 seems to have a touch of warmth, but it's not a warm amp.
It's warmer than the Magni, that's for sure.
 
I'm selling my Magni and getting another E9. I miss it.
 
What I want is an amp for under $150 that's nearly a clone of my Micro Amp for my Q701.

 

[Change is Good]

Quote:

 
I wish someone could do an M-Stage vs E9k review

They both use the same op-amps, but based on my experiences, this doesn't mean much.
Maybe the M-Stage is like an E9k on steroids. I would really like an E9k on steroids! I loved how the E9 seems to have a touch of warmth, but it's not a warm amp.
It's warmer than the Magni, that's for sure.
 
I'm selling my Magni and getting another E9. I miss it.
 
What I want is an amp for under $150 that's nearly a clone of my Micro Amp for my Q701.

 
I'm saving Chris the time and effort. Here is his comparison on the M-Stage thread...
 
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OK, I couldn't stand it anymore, comparison time!
 
I thought I would compare the mighty Matrix M Stage to the FiiO E09K headphone amp.
disclaimer: my Matrix has an LM4562, input coupling caps are deleted, the E09K is bone stock.
DAC was either a FiiO E17 used as a DAC or an iBasso D12 used as a DAC.
Source was an iPod into a Wadia dock which outputs SPDIF to the DAC.
Phones were AKG Q701.
Levels were carefully matched using an SPL meter and pink noise.
 
And the winner?
The Matrix M Stage.
 
The amps were very close, but the Matrix showed a bit more detail, a bit more texture, a little more space, a touch less midrange fog, a bit more transparency, a bit more microdynamics. For example, strumming of an acoustic guitar was a touch more tactile. When I switched to the FiiO I always had the feeling that I had just lost a little clarity. Even though I had carefully level matched (and re-checked it!) the Matrix sounded slightly louder, I can only guess this is due to the slight increase in transparency.
Is the Matrix worth twice as much as the FiiO E09K?
If you are a detail and texture freak, the answer would be yes.
But if you just want a good sounding amp without spending the money for a Matrix, get the E09K.
 
Next comparo:
Comparing the Matrix M to the headphone amp in the iBasso D12.
.

 

[chicolom]

BTW for people with multiple amps, dacs, or headphones who want to easily compare them to each other, check out the new FiiO HS2.
 
This is a very cool little device that you can use to instantly switch and compare equipment.  This should be something extremely useful to head-fiers.  It's only $20 shipped, and even comes with 4 mini-to-mini interconnects. 
I've got one on the way...

 
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=515686658488872&set=a.407021432688729.95967.261372647253609&type=1
https://www.facebook.com/FiiOAUDIO/posts/525890560801815
http://www.head-fi.org/t/659603/introduction-about-hs2-headphone-signal-switcher

 
 

 

[Change is Good]

I just wanted Q701 owners to know that I am selling a brand new pair of Annie pads. Check out my classified if you're interested.
 
Also, I hope you don't mind chicolom... but I included a link to your Annie/Q701 comparison in my ad.

 

[tdockweiler]

Has anyone compared the Fiio E17 (as a DAC only) to the Schiit Modi? Probably not.
I'm liking the Modi a lot (my favorite DAC by far), but just curious how it holds up to the E17. I love the Ipod Classic 3G I have and it has a Wolfson DAC inside it. Hopefully the E17 has a similar sound.
There's some slight warmth, but not too much.
 
I have $200 burning a hole in my pocket. I sold my Magni and will probably buy my old E9 again or get an E17 (just for it's DAC).
 
Despite being flat, the Magni seems to sound too bright and thin for me. The Micro and E9 is about where I like it. I wouldn't call them warm, just not cold sounding.
The Magni + Ipod Touch 2G (LOD) and Q701 makes me hate music. I don't use the Touch as my main source though. The Touch and Magni have like absolutely ZERO warmth or even close to it IMO.
That combo was just painful with the KRK KNS-6400.
 
Funny to think that I sold my E9 to fund my Magni and now i'm buying another E9. Maybe I should have just bought the O2.
 
I didn't like the E10 so hopefully the E17 is a bit better. The E10 seemed like a poor match for my HD-598 and DJ100. It was OK with the Q701.

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

I have $200 burning a hole in my pocket. I sold my Magni and will probably buy my old E9 again or get an E17 (just for it's DAC).

Funny to think that I sold my E9 to fund my Magni and now i'm buying another E9. Maybe I should have just bought the O2.

 
You might want to check out the iFi iCan.  I picked one up a as a second amp ago and the bass and soundstage boosting switches are a lot of fun!
 
I read a review where someone said it sounded identical to the O2.  It's very slightly darker sounding then my M-stage.

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

Has anyone compared the Fiio E17 (as a DAC only) to the Schiit Modi? Probably not.
I'm liking the Modi a lot (my favorite DAC by far), but just curious how it holds up to the E17. I love the Ipod Classic 3G I have and it has a Wolfson DAC inside it. Hopefully the E17 has a similar sound.
There's some slight warmth, but not too much.
 
I have $200 burning a hole in my pocket. I sold my Magni and will probably buy my old E9 again or get an E17 (just for it's DAC).
 
Despite being flat, the Magni seems to sound too bright and thin for me. The Micro and E9 is about where I like it. I wouldn't call them warm, just not cold sounding.
The Magni + Ipod Touch 2G (LOD) and Q701 makes me hate music. I don't use the Touch as my main source though. The Touch and Magni have like absolutely ZERO warmth or even close to it IMO.
That combo was just painful with the KRK KNS-6400.
 
Funny to think that I sold my E9 to fund my Magni and now i'm buying another E9. Maybe I should have just bought the O2.
 
I didn't like the E10 so hopefully the E17 is a bit better. The E10 seemed like a poor match for my HD-598 and DJ100. It was OK with the Q701.

 
You are very welcome!

 

[Chris J]

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You might want to check out the iFi iCan.  I picked one up a as a second amp ago and the bass and soundstage boosting switches are a lot of fun!
 
I read a review where someone said it sounded identical to the O2.  It's very slightly darker sounding then my M-stage.

Oye vay!
I read one review thread where an O2 and Matrix M owner claimed he couldn't take the O2 'cos it was too damned brite fer his Q701s! So he sold the O2 and hung on to the "warmer sounding" Matrix M!
 
Kinda like the DT880/Q701 wars, ain't it.......................

 

[chicolom]

Quote:

Oye vay!
I read one review thread where an O2 and Matrix M owner claimed he couldn't take the O2 'cos it was too damned brite fer his Q701s! So he sold the O2 and hung on to the "warmer sounding" Matrix M!
 
Kinda like the DT880/Q701 wars, ain't it.......................

 
I have no idea what the O2 sounds like, so I don't stand by that statement!
 
Regarding the iCan vs M-stage, I'm not sure  if one amp "sounds" brighter or darker or if it's just that the M-stage is slightly more transparent.  To be fair though, the M-stage is 2.5x times the size of the iCan!  For a lot of tracks I would rather listen to the iCan with its switches ON over the M-stage though.  Also depends on the headphone I'm using.

 

[Chris J]

Quote:

 
I have no idea what the O2 sounds like, so I don't stand by that statement!
 
Regarding the iCan vs M-stage, I'm not sure  if one amp "sounds" brighter or darker or if it's just that the M-stage is slightly more transparent.  To be fair though, the M-stage is 2.5x times the size of the iCan!  For a lot of tracks I would rather listen to the iCan with its switches ON over the M-stage though.  Also depends on the headphone I'm using.

To be honest, I've never heard the O2 either.
 
Lately I've been comparing the Matrix M Stage to my iBasso D12, I'm starting to prefer the M Stage, it seems to sound fuller without giving anything up to the iBasso, but the iBasso has some appeal. More later.................still in the preliminary phase.
I'm using the DAC in the iBasso BTW for this comparison.