[rem7]

I'm not a really good writer, most of the time, I just read what people say in the forum but I've never really been into writing reviews for things, however I felt that the change I experienced when listening to music using this amp is really worth of sharing. So here is a short overview.

Finally the day arrived. I recieved my Hornet today at around 12pm I was so excited that I just ran up the stairs to my room and opened the package. White box with a label that reads "Emmeline By Ray Samuels Audio - The Hornet".

First impressions out of the box are: wow... I knew this thing was small, but not this small, its freakin incredibly small. I included some pictures right next to my ipod. The built construction, is first class, its very solid, you feel safe holding it in your hand.

I remember when I ordered the Amp I had the chance to talk to Ray Samuels and he told me to stay away from the heaphone out because it really sucked. So I have it connected to my ipod through my iPod dock (back when the ipod photo came with dock) So the new Gen5 ipod doesn't really fit in there so I had to remove the white plastic cover to insert my Gen5 ipod. I'm waiting for my TURBOdock II its somewhere across the country in a truck waiting to be deliverd. Im also waiting on a cable I ordered from RnB.

Sound first impressions: The main reason why I got this amp is because I want to get some full size cans at some point. IMHO I feel that the SuperFi5 seem a little bit moddy sometimes, the bass doesn't go that deep and the treble doesn't go as high as I would like it -- its all stuck in the middle. I like my music to sound warm. To be honest I did not expect to be able to listen to a big difference in sound with my SuperFi 5 Pro. I was wrong. The first song I listened to was "School" by "Supertramp" I love the part where the piano kicks in (3:15) everything was 'rendered' so nicely, the bass went down low and the trebles up high leaving the middles where they should be. First thing I noticed was the bass, I was impressed. I guess the super fi can actually go deeper that what I had thought, they just needed a little push. The Hornet was able to separate the sounds in my headphones, by doing that it minimized the muddiness of the super fi and yet it added a warm touch. I think that having an amp with IEMs is defenetly worth it. It has defentely made my listening experience a lot more exciting and fun... (I cant stop listening to it lol)

Anyways, those are my first impressions of The Hornet. I'm gonna keep listening to it, let it burn in as I'm sure the sound is going to change. So while I listen, you can enjoy the pictures...

 

[skyline889]

Nice dock, did you just peel away the plastic or is it custom? I must say that black ipod sure does look nice with that amp and that's coming from a guy who hates ipods. This kind of makes me miss my trusty old SR71, his amps look so much nicer than the PA2V2 I have now, congrats on the purchase.

 

[909]

Nice mini-review, good pics and the Hornet is an awesome amp. Hook the Hornet to a CD player and it only get's better. In my experience the better the source the better the Hornet sounds. Congrats!

 

[rem7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyline889 Nice dock, did you just peel away the plastic or is it custom? I must say that black ipod sure does look nice with that amp and that's coming from a guy who hates ipods. This kind of makes me miss my trusty old SR71, his amps look so much nicer than the PA2V2 I have now, congrats on the purchase.

Yes, I just took the plastic cover away, the dock was from an older ipod and my Gen5 wouldn't fit in there... but I don't feel like givin Apple 40 bucks for a "new universal dock" I love the black it looks awesome.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 909 Nice mini-review, good pics and the Hornet is an awesome amp. Hook the Hornet to a CD player and it only get's better. In my experience the better the source the better the Hornet sounds. Congrats!

Yeah, I wanna hook it up to a CD player next, man, I should be going to bed, long day tomorrow. But I can't stop listening, lol. By the way, I live right next to Culver City

across the Howard Hughes Center

 

[munkong]

welcome to Ray's Fan Club
Nice Review


munkong

 

[wolfB]

After a 24 days odyssey through the nirvana of the German Post Service I finally received my Hornet as well (#9200).

I second your thoughts on the overall appearance of this little gem. Like you, I did not expect such an improvement out of the box of - what I thought - already fine sound of my iPod/UE-10 combo. Even the UE-10 benefits greatly from the Hornet.

iPod and amp are yet connected via a Sendstation Pocket Dock and the provided cable here, but a DIY interconnection of DNM TF cables is in the works.

Thanks for your nice review, rem7.

 

[rem7]

Enjoy wolfB, #9232 over here... I'm curious... does the ser# start at #0000? cos 9,000 units, wow, thats a lot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfB I did not expect such an improvement out of the box of - what I thought - already fine sound of my iPod/UE-10 combo. Even the UE-10 benefits greatly from the Hornet.

I have herd the UE-10 to be one of the most cold analytical headphones, how has the sound changed with the Hornet?

 

[PFKMan23]

No, the first Hornet I believe was 9001.

 

[deathsharp]

Just wait till your Hornet reaches about 200 hours of use. I didn't notice a lot of changes right out of the box, but after 200 hours, the Hornet is really wonderful.

 

[Borat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rem7 By the way, I live right next to Culver City across the Howard Hughes Center

Looks like you just joined this month and already bought The Hornet! Nice.

Unfortunately, you just missed the recent meet that 909 hosted in your area. Word has it that they were just giving Hornets away left and right.

No, not really. But Ray Samuels did donate a Hornet that some lucky guy won in a raffle.

 

[rem7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Borat Looks like you just joined this month and already bought The Hornet! Nice. Unfortunately, you just missed the recent meet that 909 hosted in your area. Word has it that they were just giving Hornets away left and right. No, not really. But Ray Samuels did donate a Hornet that some lucky guy won in a raffle.

yeah, I started hanging around here in December of last year when I was looking for IEMs, so I'm a new member

When I started looking I didn't think I was going to get an amp (curse head-fi! lol). At that time I didn't think I would need an amp for my IEMs. As you can see on the review my views have changed

I really want to go to a meet, try out some full size cans. Still undisided if I want to go for closed (ATH-A900) or open (Senn650). So hopefully there will be one soon here in socal.

 

[Romanee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by deathsharp Just wait till your Hornet reaches about 200 hours of use. I didn't notice a lot of changes right out of the box, but after 200 hours, the Hornet is really wonderful.

The Hornet I burned in didn't quite get there at 200 hours and needed more than 300 hours to really mature -- so patience is the key, especially with a 15,000uf cap.

 

[wolfB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rem7 I have herd the UE-10 to be one of the most cold analytical headphones, how has the sound changed with the Hornet?

Well, I won't consider the UE-10 cold. Coming from sf5pro, I was surprised and glad to find a similiar sound signature in the UE-10 - and nobody really would sf5pro describe as cold. The UE-10s are very neutral and analytical for sure. That enables them to reveal anything thats in the recording no matter if its good or bad, as well as the faults or qualities of the source components in the audio chain. And so the Hornet clearly indicates the limitations of the iPod's headphone output, which is not that difficult, I admit. I was quite happy with the 5G/UE10 soundquality, and loved the minimalism of this combo. But the Hornet takes it to an another level, and I don't think I can go back. Fortunately, I don't have to.

Let's have a sneak on how the iPod/Hornet/UE-10 combo goes with Classical music. I have a couple of Living Stereo CDs ripped lossless to the iPod. Recordings of which I have the original Shaded Dog vinyl LP as well as several high quality vinyl reissues (Victrola, Chesky, Classic Records) for reference. There are some portions of distortion in these old recordings though, caused by saturation or drop outs on the analogue master tapes, but these are nevertheless wellknown state of the art recordings.

Apparently, the Hornet increases the resolution of the whole soundspectrum. I noticed an extended soundstage with much more space between the sources of sound, filled with more air and some kind of life. The UE-10s soundstage is extended somewhat to the outside of the head now, which gives a much better 3D impression of the recording. That also comes along with nicely resolved fine dynamics. The opening crescendo on the 1954 recording of Also Sprach Zarathustra with Fritz Reiner and the Chicago SO with its foundation of low double basses to the climax of tympani, brass, cymbals and organ simply knocked me of the socks. Those double basses are seated to the left rear of the stage with not much room behind them obviously, I am almost tempted to count them. The famos Living Stereo strings couldn't sound sweeter. I can hear the acoustics of the wide, shallow arched not very deep stage of Chicago's Orchetra Hall on this recording, as well as I can distinguish the beautiful reverberations of the rectangular shaped, more narrow, but much deeper stage of Boston Symphony Hall from the dreaded echoes of the Hall on Munch's Daphnis et Chloe or Fiedler's Gaite Parisienne, made by the same engineer/producer team.

All in all, the Hornet goes a lot easier to work. I don't think there was any coldness before, but if so, its certainly elimated now.

 

[digihead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Romanee The Hornet I burned in didn't quite get there at 200 hours and needed more than 300 hours to really mature -- so patience is the key, especially with a 15,000uf cap.

I concur...definitely after 300 hours is when my Hornet really started to come around. Prior to that point I was really a bigger fan of the SR-71. After the 300+ hour mark I really find myself listening to the Hornet more than the SR-71. The Hornet definitely has an addicting sound to it that I just can't seem to put it down. Finding a mini that matches up nicely with the UR10Pro, Hornet and iPod 5g has been a true journey in itself. Planning to do a write up in the next couple of weeks on that one.

 

[rem7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfB ...The opening crescendo on the 1954 recording of Also Sprach Zarathustra with Fritz Reiner and the Chicago SO with its foundation of low double basses to the climax of tympani, brass, cymbals and organ simply knocked me of the socks...

Its funny that you mention Also Sprach Zarathustra, ever since I got the super fi 5 pro I've been lisetning to a lot of classical. About a week ago I got the soundtrack of 2001: A Space Odyssey. I need to listen to it with my hornet now. I have come to the conslusion that Beethoven was a headbanger

I was listening to the Nineth Symphony last night, when the music starts speeding up, I can't help it, but I follow the rythm with my head rockin it back an forth.

Quote:

Originally Posted by digihead Planning to do a write up in the next couple of weeks on that one.

awesome... looking forward to it.