Question about crossfeed

[Spareribs]

I am reading about the crossfeed thing for the Headroom amp products. Should I buy a Headroom amp because of the crossfeed feature? I've never experienced crossfeed so I don't know what it's like. Is it worth the extra dollars to get an amp with crossfeed?

 

[K2Grey]

Crossfeed is a hack to deal with the fact that recordings are mixed for use on speakers. With speakers your right ear hears a bit of the left speaker and your left ear hears a bit of the right speaker. With headphones, your right ear hears only the right speaker and your left ear hears only the left speaker.

Whether this problem is meaningful enough to put a crossfeed circuit in the signal path is a matter of opinion, but it can't really be dealt with using any method other than crossfeed.

For myself, I haven't really heard any crossfeed other than the super, super subtle one in foobar2000. Maybe I'll turn on the one in Rockbox and see how it turns out.

 

[warpdriver]

This is a question that has been talked about a lot in this forum.

For some, Crossfeed is a amazing feature which they can't live without, while others find the extra processing unnecessary, and intrusive.

And you can guess I am a fan. I like having it around, and the effectiveness of the Headroom's version (even compared to other versions like in Meier's amps) steers me toward their products. I switch it off for certain recordings, but for some older recordings with exaggerated stereo effect becomes much more tolerable when listening to headphones. It really does bridge some of the gap between the "blobs in your head" feeling with headphones compared to speaker listening. The effect is still pretty subtle overall, so don't expect it to change the sound stage to Carnagie Hall like on some Home Theater receivers try to do.

My take on it is: Headroom makes solid sounding products, crossfeed or not, they are worth considering. Nothing can beat trying it for yourself in the comfort of your own home with their 30 day guaranty. I'd buy their products based on solid design itself, but the Crossfeed sweetens the deal.

The Crossfeed in the latest Headroom products is noticeably more transparent sounding than the earlier ones. I just got a Total Bithead and the crossfeed has less intrusive effect than my Airhead.

 

[Spareribs]

thanks for the info. In a way I kinda like the distinct seperation of stereo sound with headphones, which makes them unique to speakers. So I'm not sure if crossfeed is really that nessesary.

 

[warpdriver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spareribs thanks for the info. In a way I kinda like the distinct seperation of stereo sound with headphones, which makes them unique to speakers. So I'm not sure if crossfeed is really that nessesary.

There is a point where the extreme separation is completely fake sounding on some older recordings. When all of the sound is coming into one ear, and the other ear is quiet, it's a very annoying effect.

I use Crossfeed about 50% of the time. It's there when I need it. But I won't buy an amp that doesn't have it as an option.

 

[Spareribs]

Sold. I am planning on getting one. I listen to old stereo recordings so I should get one. I'm thinking about the headroom Millet tube amp

 

[TheSloth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spareribs Sold. I am planning on getting one. I listen to old stereo recordings so I should get one. I'm thinking about the headroom Millet tube amp

Here is a pretty good evaluation of the possibilities, strengths and weaknesses of crossfeed implimentation.

http://www.headphone.com/products/fa...oom-crossfeed/

Note the links on the left hand side of the page to the further sections on the subject. Yes it does come from HeadRoom who are selling their amps that have this as a freature, but if you read it you'll find it quite plain about the disadvantages and impossiblities involved in their current implimentation. They do a good job of balancing the ups and downs.

 

[GreatDane]

Spareribs,

I hope you love the Headroom amp, it should be a keeper.

I have a Headroom Micro amp with the new 2006 Desktop module. I am thrilled with the Micro. I'm a crossfeed lover and use it about 90% of the time.

I'm also using the Meier Corda Cross-1 crossfeed in line with a Woo Audio 3 tube amp.

From my experience the Corda Cross-1 is a "cleaner" crossfeed because there is obviously some bass boost -??- with the Headroom crossfeed which sounds very good with my beyer DT-880 and Shure E4 IEM...it gives a warmer sound in addition to the crossfeed effect imo.

For a stand alone crossfeed the Corda Cross-1 is great, I like the bass and treble gain option.It also has 3 levels of crossfeed.

Both of my crossfeed options work great and I'd recommend them to anyone interested in trying crossfeed

 

[Spareribs]

Cool, thanks for the info Great Dane. I plan on getting the amp around November or December because I have to save up for it. The Headroom tube amp costs $649 and for me it's a lot of money so I have to save up and stop eating at sushi bars and start eating beans. I'm glad you like your Micro amp. I may consider that for next year's purchase.

Just out of curiosity, do you use the Headroom Desktop Power supply? It's that optional unit that you add on.

 

[felixkrull6]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spareribs Just out of curiosity, do you use the Headroom Desktop Power Supply? It's that optional unit that you add on.

I use the desktop power supply but I think that's just because I'm anal retentive. There is definitely a technical difference but I'm not sure if I here an actual difference in SQ. That's just me though. The good thing about Headroom is that you can return stuff within 30 days but the DPS is about 60% of the cost of the actual amp so it is a mighty big investment and you definitely won't get a 60% improvement in sound. Even the people who have heard a difference would probably agree with me on that. In the end it will be up to you and your wallet to decide. I personally think that the extra $400could be better spent elsewhere.

BTW, I'm not a huge fan of the crossfeed but I still love both my micro amp and desktop amp. You might want to take my crossfeed opinion into consideration when it comes to my opinion on the DPS.

 

[Spareribs]

Yeah, I was debating whether or not to buy the desktop power supply unit. If the difference in sound quality is basically not noticable, I don't think I will get it, especially at that price. It goes for $399.99

 

[Spareribs]

But I'm also anal rentative too, so due to my anal nature, I always seem to want the best in sonics or the best I can afford so I think that I will also get the DPS too. Since I'm a completion freak.

 

[K2Grey]

Well, note that for the cost of HeadRoom Millet Hybrid + Desktop Power Supply, you can easily get all manner of amps + a Meier Corda-Cross. For example you could go M3 + STEPS power supply + Corda-Cross, or get a PPA with the Linkwitz crossfeed on it etc.

 

[TheSloth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spareribs Yeah, I was debating whether or not to buy the desktop power supply unit. If the difference in sound quality is basically not noticable, I don't think I will get it, especially at that price. It goes for $399.99

There's one on the FS forums for $275. The DPS does fall into the law of diminishing returns curve quite high up. The difference between the 'brick' and DPS is not 'night and day'. It is a valid upgrade, and a necessary one for the higher end modules, but there are other things to think about first for the money.

 

[muckshot]

Personally, I don't find a need for crossfeed with the majority of recordings, but I have a few old records I've converted over to MP3 and the original mixdowns make it virtually unlistenable on headphones. One channel will have a horn or whatever blasting while the other channel has drums, but neither cross over to the other channel. While this mixdown sounds pretty awful on speakers, on headphones it's unbearable. Crossfeed works wonders in situations like this.