[Ragnar-BY]

I finally tried the thing I wanted to try since I‘ve got a Riviera.

I never heard any difference between speaker taps adapters, but I always was curious if additional solder joints in these adapters are degrading sound quality. Now I know for sure. Thanks to Lavricables, I had the opportunity to compare A/B a regular headphone cable connected to AIC10 through an adapter (professionally made, good cable, Furutech bananas and Neutrik XLR) with similar cable, but terminated with spades.

I was expecting some improvement, but the magnitude of change really surprised me. It improved everything: more 3d-like soundstage, smoother highs and more impressing lows. And all that without any changes in tonal balance or tube character. A rare thing in high-end audio - pure improvement without any drawbacks. After trying new cable, I can’t imagine going back to adapter. And I can’t say that I didn’t like anything in sound of adapter. Before this experiment I was 100% happy with its sound and it was better than direct connection to front panel output.

P.S. Very high-quality WBT spades (WBT-0681 Ag) were used in my cable. WBT claims that this connection is two times better than their own bananas. I think that the main reason is not the spades quality, but the absence of an adapter and unnecessary solder joints. However, since I have not heard other spades, I can’t be sure.

 

[Alpexis]

I love the song '9 crimes' by Damien Rice. However 2'15" into the song, when they're building up to a climax, my ears start to hurt and listening becomes almost unbearable. I'm using a Susvara, DCS Lina dac+clock and AIC10 (stock tube). Would anyone be willing to listen to that song and share your experiences? I'm trying to figure out if the recording is crap or if I'm really sensitive to certain frequencies. Txs!

 

[Miller]

I love the song '9 crimes' by Damien Rice. However 2'15" into the song, when they're building up to a climax, my ears start to hurt and listening becomes almost unbearable. I'm using a Susvara, DCS Lina dac+clock and AIC10 (stock tube). Would anyone be willing to listen to that song and share your experiences? I'm trying to figure out if the recording is crap or if I'm really sensitive to certain frequencies. Txs!

Just listened to the track on my rig, I‘d say the recording is OK maybe a little bit compressed but certainly no artefacts. Your chain should produce a very pleasing sound, even with the stock tube.

If it is on the digital side it is not so easy to track down, and sometimes small changes can have a big impact good or bad. What is you source, Roon on a Nuc? I have spent hundreds of hours tuning my digital setup and have recently changed my power supply feeding my Nuc, it was such a big change that I was asking myself why I waited so long with that.

But even connections USB/Spdif/AES make a difference so does the Network environment not to mention clocking/reclocking (which I guess you have already explored). If you use upsampling, start completely without it and have a listen if this makes the experience better.


Juste some thoughts…

 

[Alpexis]

Just listened to the track on my rig, I‘d say the recording is OK maybe a little bit compressed but certainly no artefacts. Your chain should produce a very pleasing sound, even with the stock tube.

If it is on the digital side it is not so easy to track down, and sometimes small changes can have a big impact good or bad. What is you source, Roon on a Nuc? I have spent hundreds of hours tuning my digital setup and have recently changed my power supply feeding my Nuc, it was such a big change that I was asking myself why I waited so long with that.

But even connections USB/Spdif/AES make a difference so does the Network environment not to mention clocking/reclocking (which I guess you have already explored). If you use upsampling, start completely without it and have a listen if this makes the experience better.


Juste some thoughts…

Txs so much for the effort!! The Lina dac is my streamer, hooked up with an off-the-shelf cat8.1 ethernet cable and a basic modem-router, using Quobuz through the dcs Mosaic app. Cables: furutech lineflux xlr, geistnote apogee bnc, and for juice furutech power ref 3 cables throughout.

 

[Miller]

Txs so much for the effort!! The Lina dac is my streamer, hooked up with an off-the-shelf cat8.1 ethernet cable and a basic modem-router, using Quobuz through the dcs Mosaic app. Cables: furutech lineflux xlr, geistnote apogee bnc, and for juice furutech power ref 3 cables throughout.

I'd try to sort out the router first, those little buggers can introduce all sorts of noise. Wifi, cheap switching PS, mains noise even from the provider if it is based on copper and not fiber.

I am in the luxurious situation that I do have a true full fiber 1Gibts connection to my carrier. First connection point is a router which feeds wifi as well. After that I do have a enterprise grade switch which does connect all devices directly with 1Gbits copper. The Nut (Roon) sits further way and is shielded with a pink faun Lan isolator. The music setup sits behind a copper to fiber converter and secondly clocked by an external device. My streamer does sit on a 100Mbits link which I found superior using a custom cable. Needless to say all components use a linear power supply. I feed short connections (1m) with Spdif and the longer ones with AES.

If I'd be in you case I'd try to rule out the router first, either streaming locally to the Linea (not quite 100% the same since the formats are slightly different) or feed from a file (which most likely will be superior anyways). But, if this is making a noticeable difference you know where to start.

Secondly, create a playlist of songs which you can fully internalize. During the journey you'll out of a sudden realize parts which you have never heard before, this is always a good indicator that you are moving in the right direction.

Lastly, and for me the most important. Listen for engagement, I recently downgraded from a software version because I found myself detached. I require my setup to pull me into the music prompt me to attention. I can give a lot of HiFi away if the joy of music listening is present.

 

[Articnoise]

I love the song '9 crimes' by Damien Rice. However 2'15" into the song, when they're building up to a climax, my ears start to hurt and listening becomes almost unbearable. I'm using a Susvara, DCS Lina dac+clock and AIC10 (stock tube). Would anyone be willing to listen to that song and share your experiences? I'm trying to figure out if the recording is crap or if I'm really sensitive to certain frequencies. Txs!

I love Damien Rice's music and think that the sound is really good, except in the parts where the sound level reaches a climax and starts to distort a lot. I don't know what it's called in English, but it's an override of the sound in the recording that creates distortion/dissonance in the peaks.

 

[Miller]

I love Damien Rice's music and think that the sound is really good, except in the parts where the sound level reaches a climax and starts to distort a lot. I don't know what it's called in English, but it's an override of the sound in the recording that creates distortion/dissonance in the peaks.

That is the compression I mentioned, it basically limits the headroom.

In the case of this specific recording I in my setup could not hear any negative artifacts around the compression, do you?

 

[Articnoise]

That is the compression I mentioned, it basically limits the headroom.

In the case of this specific recording I in my setup could not hear any negative artifacts around the compression, do you?

Yes I have own this records many years and can clearly hear the distortion in lots of songs.

 

[Alpexis]

Got a G73-R through Hanoitubes. Great tube. And great guy, who gives solid advice on what you should get from his collection.

 

[orrman]

Leaving this here for reference for others, but in case you ever find yourself in need for a second remote or temporary solutions, this $8 one from Amazon will do the trick:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RDV6SG3

 

[Pinkfloyd0]

Hello,

I hope I can derail this thread for a moment...

In the 105 pages I just finished reading there are multiple examples of people who are connecting there headphones to the speaker taps of their Riviera AIC10 and other even more powerful amps.

For some time now I am wondering if I can connect my Sennheiser HD800's to the speaker taps of my New Audio Frontiers stereo 845 SE power amplifier and if possible to my Esoteric A03 power amplifier. Using 4 pin XLR to speaker bananas or spades. The first amplifier is 25w at 8 ohm. The second 50w at 8 ohm. Can I do this without using resistors and without damaging HD800? Offcourse setting volume on pre amplifier at zero and carefully adjusting it.

Doing some research on the net is giving contradictory information. Some say no problem, others guarantee headphones will be smoked!

Anybody with a knowledgeable answer?

 

[bozebuttons]

Hello,

I hope I can derail this thread for a moment...

In the 105 pages I just finished reading there are multiple examples of people who are connecting there headphones to the speaker taps of their Riviera AIC10 and other even more powerful amps.

For some time now I am wondering if I can connect my Sennheiser HD800's to the speaker taps of my New Audio Frontiers stereo 845 SE power amplifier and if possible to my Esoteric A03 power amplifier. Using 4 pin XLR to speaker bananas or spades. The first amplifier is 25w at 8 ohm. The second 50w at 8 ohm. Can I do this without using resistors and without damaging HD800? Offcourse setting volume on pre amplifier at zero and carefully adjusting it.

Doing some research on the net is giving contradictory information. Some say no problem, others guarantee headphones will be smoked!

Anybody with a knowledgeable answer?

I have used my Hd800 using a spade to 4pin xor and even a 4pin xlr too !/4 inch adapter.with pass labs XA25 25 watt rated & Hegel H20 200 watt amp
without resisters no problem .I have used K1000s off Conrad Johnson 12 mono blocks in the past no issues.
Make sure to lower volume to zero when hooking up headphones & removing them
Those who say the HD800 don't have bass haven't heard them with the XA25 I have tried multiple headphone in the configuration R10 Quill O10s GRado Hp1s and others




Not familiar with your se45 amp Gradually raise volume not to overpower the headphone
Try a inexpensive headphone first if you are concerned.

 

[paradoxper]

Hello,

I hope I can derail this thread for a moment...

In the 105 pages I just finished reading there are multiple examples of people who are connecting there headphones to the speaker taps of their Riviera AIC10 and other even more powerful amps.

For some time now I am wondering if I can connect my Sennheiser HD800's to the speaker taps of my New Audio Frontiers stereo 845 SE power amplifier and if possible to my Esoteric A03 power amplifier. Using 4 pin XLR to speaker bananas or spades. The first amplifier is 25w at 8 ohm. The second 50w at 8 ohm. Can I do this without using resistors and without damaging HD800? Offcourse setting volume on pre amplifier at zero and carefully adjusting it.

Doing some research on the net is giving contradictory information. Some say no problem, others guarantee headphones will be smoked!

Anybody with a knowledgeable answer?

You need to be careful when connecting to tube amplification. With solid state, just be mindful of volume and any supporting mechanisms i.e. mute relay, DC protection, etc.

 

[bozebuttons]

You need to be careful when connecting to tube amplification. With solid state, just be mindful of volume and any supporting mechanisms i.e. mute relay, DC protection, etc.

I agree!

 

[Pinkfloyd0]

Thanks Bozebuttons & Paradoxper!

@paradoxper & bozebuttons, I send you a PM asking for some extra info!

Thanks!