REVIEW: Comparison of 5 High End Digital Music Servers - Aurender N10, CAD CAT server, TotalDac d1-Server, Auralic Aries, Audiophile Vortex Box

[preproman]

  Sure, I agree.  But to get the HE-1000 more current, you ultimately have to use the volume pot.  There's no other way.
 
Tubes are valued for their ability to handle large swings in voltage, especially when it comes to electrostatic amps like the very fine BHSE that's coming your way but all amps, tubes or otherwise, put out both voltage and current.  You can't have one without the other according to Ohm's law (V=IR).  
 
Unlike electrostatic headphones that require high voltages to drive them, planar headphones based on their operating principles require current and this applies equally to the HE-6, Abyss and HEK.  Again, it's a relative thing but the HEK is current hungry.  Here's a good description by Tyll Hertsens of how planars work:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/how-planar-magnetic-headphones-work#lUDeziOTEc6XsPF3.97

Right - that's the only way to get it to the headphones sure..  Also right you can't have one without the other.  However, you can have more of one than the other.  
 
Also when we think of current / power hungry headphones surely the HE-6 is at the top of the heap followed by the Abyss - of recent anyway.  I'm not sure how the HE1K fits in the same category.  Look in the HE1K threads.  There's people driving them with DAPs, O2s, Hugos, and the like.  
 
It's relative but IMO they would fall behind even the HE-5, HE-5LE, HE-4 and even the HE-500.  I'll put them on the same lines as the LCDs according to the specs.

 

[bmichels]

  No problem.  Amps are happy with anything equal or higher than their own impedance because these present easy loads for the amp to drive and the higher the impedance, the easier the load.  Where amps have problems is with speakers below their own impedance.  The Moon 600i puts out 125 clean watts per channel at 8 ohms.  At the 34 ohm impedance of the HE-1000 (which is probably even higher than 34 ohms after you factor the added impedance of the headphone cable), the Moon 600i should put out about 30 watts.  Obviously, more than enough to drive any headphone.

 
Well I understand what you say, but i seems Too good to be true !    May be it is not THAT simple !  

 
Indeed, if this was the case, than why people care about manufacturing headphone amp when they already have some very good speaker amps in their product line, and then why people care about buying those headphone amp instead of using their good speaker amp !

?   Why VIVA make 845 headphone Amp and 845 speaker amps ? 

 

[Yoga]

   
Well I understand what you say, but i seems Too good to be true !    May be it is not THAT simple !  

 
Indeed, if this was the case, than why people care about manufacturing headphone amp when they already have some very good speaker amps in their product line, and then why people care about buying those headphone amp instead of using their good speaker amp !

?   Why VIVA make 845 headphone Amp and 845 speaker amps ? 

Different products for different markets. 
 
The headphone amplifier market is new, and there is a strong and growing demand for products. That's a gold mine for businesses with 'horizontal' technology (speaker amps) already in production. A few tweaks and boom, a new product to sell.

 

[romaz]

 
Right - that's the only way to get it to the headphones sure..  Also right you can't have one without the other.  However, you can have more of one than the other.  
 
Also when we think of current / power hungry headphones surely the HE-6 is at the top of the heap followed by the Abyss - of recent anyway.  I'm not sure how the HE1K fits in the same category.  Look in the HE1K threads.  There's people driving them with DAPs, O2s, Hugos, and the like.  
 
It's relative but IMO they would fall behind even the HE-5, HE-5LE, HE-4 and even the HE-500.  I'll put them on the same lines as the LCDs according to the specs.

No disagreement about the HE-6 and Abyss requiring more current than the HEK.  I think I've said that already.  And I think you're mistaking what I mean about "current hungry."  Yes, you can drive the HEK with a Hugo.  I had one for the summer and it can play it loudly but it can't play it dynamicallly or with authority, at least not to my ears.  Those who think the HEK sounds good off of a Hugo are in for a very pleasant surprise when they hear it driven by something more appropriate.  At the same time, those who have dismissed the HEK before they've heard it on an amp that suits it more ideally have really missed out.
 
Obviously, current (or power) isn't the only measure of an amplifier that is responsible for how well the HEK or any other headphone sounds.  While the Moon Neo 430 has more power output than the GS-X Mk2 you used to have, the GS-X Mk2 has considerable more authority that played to the weakness of the HEK better (at least to my ears).  I thought the Abyss sounded great on the more relaxed Moon because the Abyss already has plenty of presence while the HEK with its relative softness benefited more from the tighter grip of the GS-X Mk2.  So without question, system synergy is more about optimizing strengths and weaknesses than it is about current output or any one spec and I think we can both agree on that.

 

[romaz]

   
Well I understand what you say, but i seems Too good to be true !    May be it is not THAT simple !  

 
Indeed, if this was the case, than why people care about manufacturing headphone amp when they already have some very good speaker amps in their product line, and then why people care about buying those headphone amp instead of using their good speaker amp !

?   Why VIVA make 845 headphone Amp and 845 speaker amps ? 

I was told by my Viva dealer this past summer that the Viva 845 headphone amp is essentially their 845 speaker amp (Solistino) modified to become a headphone amp so with the Viva, they have done what Ross is about to do.
 
But you have to be careful because doing this doesn't guarantee success.  First, most headphones don't require that much power.  Planars are the most notorious for requiring large amounts of current but even the most current-hungry planars aren't going to need all the current that a speaker amp can produce and there are speaker amps that don't start to sound good until you crank the volume pot beyond a certain level.

 

[paul79]

There is nothing at all wrong with using a 2ch speaker amplifier for phones. Nothing at all, but sonically, the sucker better perform well at low volumes and be very quiet. And you better know when enough is enough. Other than, I cannot think of any other reason why not.

 

[Yoga]

The big one is consumer perception, assumption and expectation.
 
Those with headphones will (highly likely) want a headphone amplifier to power them, and not a speaker amplifier. When @preproman first suggested I tried a speaker amp my initial reaction was "I'd prefer a dedicated headphone amplifier", assuming it would do a better job. 
 
As Roy quite rightly stated, you have to know what to look for. Luckily for me, I benefitted from Darryl's previous efforts and experience. Another example is driving cans directly from the DAC. I'd have never considered that, it was only when Roy mentioned it with regards to the TotalDAC that it became an option to consider.

 

[isquirrel]

   
 
Ross, my take on the HE1K is a positive one - at the same time it's not an overly positive one.  I owned the HE1K, Abyss, HE-6, HD800 and the 009s all at the same time - oh and the LCD-3F.  I was using the Pass Labs INT-30A as the amp.  Both the INT-3 and the MOON 600i play in the same league - both really good damn amps.
 
The LCD-3F was my least favorite then came the HE1K / HD800.
 
I really like the Abyss, HE-6 and the 009s.  I like these headphones for their energy.  That's IMO is what the HE1K lacks.  The HE1K is a very good headphone on it's own and on it's own merits.  However, once you compare them side by side with other TOTL headphones (HE-6, Abyss and the 009) I felt they fell short for what I was after.  IMO they are way better that the LCD-3Fs but I would also put them in the same category as the LCDs - that being a forgiving headphone of sorts.  Unlike the Abyss, HE-6 and the 009s (HD800 as well - it's other things about the HD800 that bug me).  They don't provide the energy I was looking for.  They are a nice and relaxed type of headphone - they do have more at the top end compared to the LCDs but not to the others.
 
I like the HE-6, Abyss and 009s for the same reason most people don't like them.  I also don't like the HE1K for the same reason most people love them.  Again, they are a really good headphone. But amps like the MOON 600i and Pass Labs amps won't do anything to fix it's forgiving nature.  Those same amps with the Abyss and HE-6 really brings them to a very high performing level.  
 
I don't think the HE1K loves current.  It's a more sensitive headphone compared to the likes of the HE-6 and Abyss.  The HE-6 and Abyss thrives with more current, just not so with the HE1K.  
HiFi Man had so many complaints about the HE-6 being too hard to drive, they didn't want to make the same mistake with the HE1K.  I never did think the HE-6 was a mistake, but the masses do. My journey with the HE-6 was a educational one indeed.
 
Now I've moved on the Stax, the same energy as the Abyss and the HE-6 - just in a more smooth natural clean way IMO.  
 
It will be interesting to hear your impressions with them side by side to the Abyss.

I have the HE-1000 and sold my Abyss but after  while I missed something and wasn't listening as much, I bought another pair and agree with your comments about their energy, I think that's the aspect of them I am drawn to.

 

[Benny-x]

My urge has been dying off lately and I figured my PC source setup had been taken far enough. I figured why commit more effort into pushing the envelop when what I've already got is probably better than most? But, upon reading what the CAT was able to do, it seems you've reinstilled my desire to make the best PC source I can and not give up on the craziness that bounces around my head. 
 
That was a great read and congrats to Berry for winning Best In Show. He's contributed a lot back to the CA community and I've read a lot of his articles and posts. It's nice to see someone like that doing well in his own right. 

 

[vert]

A lot of people I talk to still believe that a headphone setup doesn't require high end components.
 
It couldn't further from the truth. 
 
I can hear every little change in my system.
 
And once you've take care of power, isolation, and RFI/EMI, the source material and DAC will determine the musical engagement you hear with your system.
 
And you have to spend quite a bit on a DAC to get the musicality that will keep you interested in listening to your system.
 
The biggest problem I have now is with the source material. I personally find that CD rips don't sound as good as my reference CD playback.
 
So I end up listening to 24-bit studio master files, but they're only available for some new releases.

 

[romaz]

  That was a great read and congrats to Berry for winning Best In Show. He's contributed a lot back to the CA community and I've read a lot of his articles and posts. It's nice to see someone like that doing well in his own right. 

The high end audio business is filled with numerous small boutique companies and it's nice to come across a jewel in the rough every so often, like a CAD or a TotalDac.  These standout small companies, I have found, usually have a Thomas Edison-type visionary at the helm.  While there is probably always some element of luck and genius involved, most will probably say that, like Thomas Edison, their genius is a result of 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.  

 

[romaz]

  A lot of people I talk to still believe that a headphone setup doesn't require high end components.
 
It couldn't further from the truth. 
 
I can hear every little change in my system.
 
And once you've take care of power, isolation, and RFI/EMI, the source material and DAC will determine the musical engagement you hear with your system.
 
And you have to spend quite a bit on a DAC to get the musicality that will keep you interested in listening to your system.
 
The biggest problem I have now is with the source material. I personally find that CD rips don't sound as good as my reference CD playback.
 
So I end up listening to 24-bit studio master files, but they're only available for some new releases.

 
I couldn't agree with you more, on every point until the last one.  If you're finding your CD rips don't sound as good as playback from your reference CD player, look into something along the lines of the Aurender N10 (or W20), TotalDac Server or CAD CAT.  You might find that this gap has disappeared and that there is enough 16/44 material out there ready to be rediscovered.  

 

[vert]

   
I couldn't agree with you more, on every point until the last one.  If you're finding your CD rips don't sound as good as playback from your reference CD player, look into something along the lines of the Aurender N10 (or W20), TotalDac Server or CAD CAT.  You might find that this gap has disappeared and that there is enough 16/44 material out there ready to be rediscovered.  

Unfortunately there are so many variables when it comes to CD rips. I know the "bits are bits" argument, but I get vastly different sounding rips using different ripping programs and drives.
 
I will have try the CAT one day, but I'm using an Naim NDX as a server and I doubt it's the weak link.

 

[romaz]

  Unfortunately there are so many variables when it comes to CD rips. I know the "bits are bits" argument, but I get vastly different sounding rips using different ripping programs and drives.
 
I will have try the CAT one day, but I'm using an Naim NDX as a server and I doubt it's the weak link.

I agree, I have my share of ripped files that sound great and others that sound just ok so there seems to be issues with consistency.  A friend and I are currently experimenting with the different options that dBoweramp provides.  Also, while in theory, they should sound the same, we're not convinced there aren't differences between uncompressed FLAC, AIFF, WAV, etc.

 

[vert]

  I agree, I have my share of ripped files that sound great and others that sound just ok so there seems to be issues with consistency.  A friend and I are currently experimenting with the different options that dBoweramp provides.  Also, while in theory, they should sound the same, we're not convinced there aren't differences between uncompressed FLAC, AIFF, WAV, etc.

 
If you really want to experiment, get some of your favorite CDs treated with Essence of Music and then rip them. I won't go into the results as I may be ridiculed, but I think you will surprised.