[Audio-Omega]

It's a good looking amp but I must resist the urge to spend for now ! Is it better than MF x-can v3 ?

 

[Dzjudz]

So, a few months after buying this amp, I finally decided to open it up to remove the USB LED shunt. The reason is that the Cantate USB LED lights up when connected to my laptop, even if the Cantate is turned off (USB LED is powered from the laptop). The only way to turn off the LED is to remove the shunt.

While I had my Cantate opened up, I also decided to finally try lerio's advice and change the gain setting to low by placing the three provided shunts in the appropriate positions.

That was half an hour ago. I've been listening to USB audio that first half hour, I changed to my Arcam just now. My headphones are still the HD650. I can tell you that even on low gain, the Cantate delivers more than enough volume to drive the HD650. I have it on 12 o'clock now. The Cantate volume knob goes from about 7 o'clock to 5 o'clock. More than 2 o'clock on low gain with the HD650 is really too loud for my ears. So no problems in the volume department.

I think the Cantate does improve if the gain is changed from high to low gain. However, my impressions might be clouded by expected results based on the impressions of others, i.e. placebo. I will listen to it a lot more on low gain though, I have decided to keep it on low gain for now.

I hope to get a stand-alone USB DAC soon to compare it with the built in USB DAC of the Cantate.

For now, here are a few more pictures of the Cantate's insides, of me installing the low gain shunts and removing the USB LED shunt. It took a pair of tweezers to place the low gain shunt closest to the housing of the Cantate.

(thumbnails, click for full size)

 

[lerio]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dzjudz /img/forum/go_quote.gif While I had my Cantate opened up, I also decided to finally try lerio's advice and change the gain setting to low by placing the three provided shunts in the appropriate positions. That was half an hour ago. I've been listening to USB audio that first half hour, I changed to my Arcam just now. My headphones are still the HD650. I can tell you that even on low gain, the Cantate delivers more than enough volume to drive the HD650. I have it on 12 o'clock now. The Cantate volume knob goes from about 7 o'clock to 5 o'clock. More than 2 o'clock on low gain with the HD650 is really too loud for my ears. So no problems in the volume department. I think the Cantate does improve if the gain is changed from high to low gain. However, my impressions might be clouded by expected results based on the impressions of others, i.e. placebo. I will listen to it a lot more on low gain though, I have decided to keep it on low gain for now.

Maybe result is more efective for Low Gain headphone like my Grado

 

[udeupa]

Can this item drive IEMs? Would high gain too much for IEM?

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by udeupa /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can this item drive IEMs? Would high gain too much for IEM?

Yes, it can certainly drive IEMs and if you try it on high gain you're going to most likely blow them. Low gain is always the higher quality setting. High gain should be used as a last resort as it results in lesser sound quality. You would only need to use it if you have high impedance headphones, which 98% of IEMs do not. An amp like the Cantate for IEM use is pretty pointless though, imo, even with good IEMs like the UE-11. Having formerly been an IEM guy myself and having the Triple.Fi, I can confidently say now that armature drivers are extremely unnatural sounding.

 

[HardHeadCase]

Thats a very robust build inside!

 

[udeupa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, it can certainly drive IEMs and if you try it on high gain you're going to most likely blow them. Low gain is always the higher quality setting. High gain should be used as a last resort as it results in lesser sound quality. You would only need to use it if you have high impedance headphones, which 98% of IEMs do not. An amp like the Cantate for IEM use is pretty pointless though, imo, even with good IEMs like the UE-11. Having formerly been an IEM guy myself and having the Triple.Fi, I can confidently say now that armature drivers are extremely unnatural sounding.

Yeah, I did not want to switch the gain around since it is not that convenient to do. My main purpose to buy Cantate is to drive my K501, which is really hard to drive with Tomahawk, Predator, and AT-HA20 (what I currently have in hands). So I need a bigger amp for it. but I do have a lot of IEMs as you can see in my signature, and I am wondering if Cantate is going to be too powerful for them. and if I do switch Cantate to low gain, would it be too less to drive K501?

 

[nopietns]

Can anyone tell me if this amp/DAC would be a great step up from a Darkvoice 336i?

 

[Rob T]

So I am interested in this amp, but it seems that there are very few reviews/comments on it after doing a search. Why is that? Not many owners? The last post in this thread was a year ago. Is this still considered a good amp?

More reviews/comments?

Edit: also, if anyone could give an explanation of the crossfeed filter and what it does, and whether it is a good (or bad) thing, it would be appreciated.

 

[Nightmare]

Meier-Audio crossfeed
Opinions differ, but I think it's a very good thing.

 

[Oliver_N]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob T /img/forum/go_quote.gif So I am interested in this amp, but it seems that there are very few reviews/comments on it after doing a search. Why is that? Not many owners? The last post in this thread was a year ago. Is this still considered a good amp? More reviews/comments?

I have just upgraded from the Arietta to the Cantate. At the moment it is still burning in - and it already blows the fantastic sounding Arietta out of the water!

It drives both my K701 and DT880 '05 perfectly well with an exceptional transparent and detailed sound - with a slightly warm sound signature. Especially the DT880 improves a lot with that amp as it takes away the harshness of the cans. Now they sound smooth and well balanced.
The build in DAC does a very good job, but I have to admitt that I prefere to use the amp with my Cambridge DacMagic hooked up.

These are just a few impressions, but I didn't have the chance to listen to it for that long, as it arived last Saturday.

But I will continue to listen to it this evening

 

[Rob T]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightmare /img/forum/go_quote.gif Meier-Audio crossfeed Opinions differ, but I think it's a very good thing.

Thanks for the link. Looks very interesting. It certainly makes sense in theory anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oliver_N /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have just upgraded from the Arietta to the Cantate. At the moment it is still burning in - and it already blows the fantastic sounding Arietta out of the water! It drives both my K701 and DT880 '05 perfectly well with an exceptional transparent and detailed sound - with a slightly warm sound signature. Especially the DT880 improves a lot with that amp as it takes away the harshness of the cans. Now they sound smooth and well balanced. The build in DAC does a very good job, but I have to admitt that I prefere to use the amp with my Cambridge DacMagic hooked up. These are just a few impressions, but I didn't have the chance to listen to it for that long, as it arived last Saturday. But I will continue to listen to it this evening

Thanks. Please post further comments in this thread after you have had the chance to listen some more!

 

[djevoultion]

Hey,

I have a black dragon recabled K701 on its way and am looking for a good amp.

I was planning on driving it from my ibasso D3 portable amp, but I gather the sound quality will improve dramatically with a desktop amp.

I was wondering how is the Cantate + K701 combo?

Is the Cantate better than the Arietta?

 

[djevoultion]

Bump..

 

[GLdgShDjKsHT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by djevoultion /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey, I have a black dragon recabled K701 on its way and am looking for a good amp. I was planning on driving it from my ibasso D3 portable amp, but I gather the sound quality will improve dramatically with a desktop amp. I was wondering how is the Cantate + K701 combo? Is the Cantate better than the Arietta?

yes, it's not a huge difference but it is, i'm looking forward to this amp too

for further reference read the skylab's comparison between the meier line

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/rev...mpared-259065/