I like especially the 3,5mm input... I'll probably go for Mojo as a DAC as well. But my main HP is HD800. I've already read on CanJam London 2016 thread the brief impression that it's not a good pairing - too bright... Can anyone share more impressions about HD800 with Rupert Neve amp?
Cheers!
Sorry but I have no direct experience with the hd800. I can speak for the pairing of the RNHP with my eMu teaks however, and its a very good match up. I've been reunited recently with my other amp, a cavalli liquid fire and I'm now getting the chance to do some direct comparisons. The liquid fire is a fantastic amp with good pedigree, a resolving and engaging, warm open sound - but with my eMu teaks (a derivative of the popular fostex th series) I'm happy to report that the RNHP is coming out on tops. This clear, crisp and precise, yet still musical amp is taking the headphone through its paces just that little more.
Finding very good synergy with this amp and the eMus. Its now a permanent feature in my audio setup.
I just received a demo unit for the HeadFi meet in Denver this weekend ... There we should have the possibility to test it with a wide variety of headphones. Right now it's warming up with my HD650 ...
I just received a demo unit for the HeadFi meet in Denver this weekend ... There we should have the possibility to test it with a wide variety of headphones. Right now it's warming up with my HD650 ...
OK ... here my short blurb about this amp. We had a HeadFi meet in Denver last weekend and a few weeks before I contacted Rupert Neve Design if there is a possibility to get a demo unit of their amp for that meet. Thanks to Josh and Tristan for sending me a brand new unit! I am horrible in describing audio ... I only know if I like it or not ... so please bear with me regarding this awkward attempt to describe what I found ... in short: I liked it enough so that I ordered a unit even before I had to pack the demo one for its way back to RND.
I spent most of my time at that meet listening to a wide variety of headphones with that amp. I was feeding it via a Schiit Modi 2U (4490) from my laptop (foobar with lossless files).
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Different headphones:
Sennheiser HD650: -> please look further down as I used those headphones to compare the RNHP with other amps.
Sennheiser HD800 (Super DuPont Resonator Mod): I have only listened to a stock HD800 some months ago at another meet. But this was definitely better than last time. Not sure if it was due to the amp or the mod but in this constellation it was definitely a highly resolving set. I am quite sensitive to harsh treble but I could listen to this combo without problem. A bright one definitely, but no harshness.
Audio Zenit PMx2: I have read that these headphones have been tuned to be extremely neutral and flat. Combine that with an extremely neutral and flat amp and ... you get a combination that is, well, neutral and flat. Something that may be good for recording and mixing but for me it sounded a bit boring. I was missing any kind of character making it stand out. Maybe perfect in technical terms but not emotional to attract me.
Hifiman HE1000: WOW ... I never heard something as resolving as this. A bit too lean in the low end for my liking but I think that the RNHP is still bringing out the details the HE1000 can reproduce.
Audeze LCD4: From my feeling not as resolving as the HE1000 but I preferred the tonal signature being a bit warmer ... for me this was the dream team of the whole list of headphones I tried. But at that price it will stay a dream for ever.
AKG K553pro: My closed back cans I use at work. Not bad per se, but you could definitely feel that here the headphones were limiting the whole system. Did not really listen to it for a long enough time to give proper feedback.
AKG K7xx: I wanted to listen to this headphone for some time now but they left be being quite disappointed. Even with a resolving amp like the RNHP they sounded a bit muddy. Maybe not the optimum combination.
Beyerdynamic DT770 and DT990: Way ... too ... bright ... I stopped listening to them very fast. At least for me these combinations did not work at all. I guess that these cans really need a warmer amp to tame that overenthusiastic treble region.
Beyerdynamic T1 (1st Gen) and T90: Much better than the DT cans. Still bright but more the 'lots of details' brightness than the 'screaming in your year' kind of brightness. Still not a sound signature I liked so I did not listen to them for a longer time.
Denon AH-D5000: This combination really blew my mind ... so much that, beside the RNHP, I just ordered a used D5k. I heard about a possible muddyness in the bass and sharp treble. I could not hear any of that (and I extra asked if they were modded ... nope, just stock). For me that was a perfect combination for electronic music (we listened to a lot of Daft Punk and created plenty of smiles on peoples faces)
Mr.Speakers Ether C: I was surprised how lean the bass was on these cans. Very resolving though. They seemed to work well with the amp in general. But similar to the PMx2 I was missing the emotional factor.
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General note on headphone compatibility: The RNHP seems to feel much more at home with low impedence cans. I could could run headphones up to 300Ohms (e.g. HD650) nicely ... but when I tried 600Ohm phones (DT990 and some vintage HD430) the volume was limited ... I was just running in the end of the volume control. I have the feeling that the RNHP does not have enough voltage gain to properly supply cans of 600Ohm (no, there is no gain switch to solve that problem)
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Comparison with other amps:
I sadly did not have much time to compare the RNHP with a lot of other amps. I did a quick comparison with my Schiit Vali2 (tube hybrid) and a Schiit Asgard2 (class A solid state) of a friend before I had to return the demo unit to RND. The comparison was done using my own Sennheiser HD650.
Schiit Vali2 (stock tube): Being a hybrid design this amp does not really have a typical tube signature. And in tonality it was surprisingly close to the RNHP, especially in the mid range. You could still hear a slightly stronger treble range on the RNHP that helps the HD650 to regain some sparkle. Also the Neve amp had a more solid and precise low end.
Schiit Asgard2: I was surprised but I actually preferred the cheaper Vali2 to the Asgard. In that trio here the Asgard2 was for me the lowest performer. Especially in the low end I was missing some punch that the Vali2 and especially the RNHP could provide.
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Comments from other people at the meet:
phase0:"I didn't spend a lot of time with it, but I did quite enjoy the Modi 2 + RNHP + Denon AD-D5000. That was one of my favorite things I heard. I listened to a little bit of Daft Punk and the Tron Legacy sound track. It's hard for me to focus on the RNHP since there was a couple things I'd never heard before in the chain. It seemed a strikingly clear and detailed sound. I thought the Denons were typically muddier or boomier on the bass. In that combo I felt like everything was clear. articulate and the bass was well presented in volumes that were just a treat. It was bass heavy but the presentation was so good. It didn't feel over powering to me, just really satisfying. If all I had was that combo I could safely say I would enjoy music. I thought there was great synergy there. Better than more expensive systems I've heard."
arteom:"Did really like the RNHP as well. It sounded really great, effortless presentation without a hint of grain. Also really liked the design of it, felt like a solid unit."
I also heard a comment (cant remember who made it) that the Cavalli Audio Liquid Carbon will have a hard stand against the RNHP (on single ended)
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That is it from my side. Now I am waiting for my RNHP and the Denon D5000 to arrive ... hopefully I can recreate some of the magic at home.
Thank you Philip for the detailed impressions! Yes both the Denons and Fostexes are much better behaved with low impedence solid state amps, the bass tightens and the mids "fill out" subjectively.
In terms of sound, I am extremely happy with the RNHP. But I simply cannot use certain full size with it, let alone IEMs.
There is a major noise floor issue for me, not like normal hiss but a clear chirping sound and a bit of hiss. With my AD1000PRM the chirping can heard clearly when not playing anything or at quiet passage, with my MH334, it is totally impossible to use with the RNHP.
Maybe using a switching power supply is not such a good idea anymore?
At least with my headphones I cant hear any hiss ... but those are not really high sensitivity
Would be interesting if a different power supply would help. RND says you can use battery supplies as well. Those should be extremely clean DC
Maybe contact RND directly ... they were pretty fast in answering emails for me
Edit: I just tried and with the whole chain laptop-modi-rnhp-hd650 connected, powered on and the amp on full volume I cant hear anything. Maybe you got a bad unit (power supply or amp)
In terms of sound, I am extremely happy with the RNHP. But I simply cannot use certain full size with it, let alone IEMs.
There is a major noise floor issue for me, not like normal hiss but a clear chirping sound and a bit of hiss. With my AD1000PRM the chirping can heard clearly when not playing anything or at quiet passage, with my MH334, it is totally impossible to use with the RNHP.
Maybe using a switching power supply is not such a good idea anymore?
In terms of sound, I am extremely happy with the RNHP. But I simply cannot use certain full size with it, let alone IEMs.
There is a major noise floor issue for me, not like normal hiss but a clear chirping sound and a bit of hiss. With my AD1000PRM the chirping can heard clearly when not playing anything or at quiet passage, with my MH334, it is totally impossible to use with the RNHP.
Maybe using a switching power supply is not such a good idea anymore?
In terms of sound, I am extremely happy with the RNHP. But I simply cannot use certain full size with it, let alone IEMs.
There is a major noise floor issue for me, not like normal hiss but a clear chirping sound and a bit of hiss. With my AD1000PRM the chirping can heard clearly when not playing anything or at quiet passage, with my MH334, it is totally impossible to use with the RNHP.
Maybe using a switching power supply is not such a good idea anymore?
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