[SoundArtillery]

Alternatively, is your friend using a Empire Ears Zeus?  Those CIEMs have hiss even on the Chord Mojo.  I tested a universal version and find hiss at that price level to be a design flaw.

 

[hifimckinney]

   
A friend has this amp and said it was too noisy to use with sensitive CIEMs. Do you notice this?

I am sorry if anyone says anything like this for RNHP, there is some problem somewhere; not in the amplifier for sure.

 

[Ra97oR]

 

   
A friend has this amp and said it was too noisy to use with sensitive CIEMs. Do you notice this?

I am sorry if anyone says anything like this for RNHP, there is some problem somewhere; not in the amplifier for sure.

I have that problem with my RNHP. It hums with my extremely sensitive MH334 but also on my UERR.

 

[DomieMic65]

Guys I would like to see some more coments about how this apm pairs with HD600 and with Audezes too (LCD2F and 3F mainly)
Thnx!!

 

[DomieMic65]

Is it supposed to be for headphones only up to 150Ohm impedance??

 

[Andrew Rieger]

The Rupert Neve site says up to 600ohm. 

 

[Andrew Rieger]

I don't think its a problem really

 
I have that problem with my RNHP. It hums with my extremely sensitive MH334 but also on my UERR.

I honestly don't think its a problem with the amp necessarily. I thought that CIEM's required special low power amps to drive them without any noise or amps that have two or three gain settings. I did wonder why Neve left out gain on this amp. Any thoughts?

 

[L8MDL]

Just picked up this amp this week Here's my initial review. Source is a Pono Player.
 
Using the Pono in standard mode, the amp works well with my Senn 600's. Ample volume level for my listening is 6-7 on a 1-10 scale (I though Rupert might put an "11" on it just for fun). Also works well with my HiFiMan 400S. Same level.
 
Using the Pono BALANCED with XLR cables from SurfCables going into the amp, the volume is INADEQUATE in my opinion. I can turn it up to to top and still want more. VERY DISAPPOINTED.
 
So, I'll stick with single ended AUX out on the Pono and use the 600's.
 
As for the sound, it is SPECTACULAR, especially with the 600's. By far the most detailed listening I have ever experienced. I am finding that I understand lyrics that I have never been able to before using this system. The 400S's also sound nice, but not as good. I'll keep them for balanced listening from the Pono directly - they provide the volume I like (the 600's do not, even balanced directly out of the Pono).
 
Summary: The Senn 600's sound great single ended using the AUX connection on the Pono. 

 

[Andrew Rieger]

  Using the Pono BALANCED with XLR cables from SurfCables going into the amp, the volume is INADEQUATE in my opinion. I can turn it up to to top and still want more. VERY DISAPPOINTED.
 

 
Hmm, thats pretty odd. My buddy has an RNHP and runs it with a Parasound Vdac 2 with XLR out and he has not complained about volume problems with the XLR inputs. When I tried it out, I had volume around 6 or 7 and that was with an HD650, plenty loud. 
 
I would contact Neve about this but I suspect its an issue with the Pono Player. Not sure what it could be though. 

 

[NewEinstein]

The balanced inputs of the RNHP expect a studio standard signal level. I guess that a mobile player like the Pono can't deliver that standard.

I use mine fed single ended and then it delivers enough volume for my HD 650 without problem. I tried the amp with two different 600 Ohm cans though and that seems too high. For me 300 Ohm seems to be the limit for this amp.

 

[DomieMic65]

 
The Rupert Neve site says up to 600ohm. 

OK thanks just seen it! My bad

 

[herehear]

The RNHP arrived on 10/27 and I immediately connected it to my Exasound E20 via JPS Superconductor 3 XLR cables for warm up and burn in. After several hours of playing into the HE 560's I sat down to listen. The session began about 7pm and ended after 2am. I must agree with L8MDL as to the "by far the most detailed listening I have ever experienced" comment. Drive me crazy, keep me up all night, make me laugh at details never heard before, all I can say is WOW!!! This will be my final headphone amp purchase for sure. And at $499 it seems to be a true bargain.
So at 2am in the morning I begin to ponder what a more adequate power supply may do for this experience and I email RN for information. Tristan's response informed me that they had actually started the design with a linear supply, but moved to the switching supply when they found the ones currently used which are about 15dB better noise wise than others. He found a very subtle difference with a linear power supply and suggested if I wanted to try one, the amp is 24V DC and needs about .5A available current. I am more than satisfied with the wall wart it comes with.
In my setup the noise floor is nonexistent. It sounds to me to be studio accurate. I easily hear nuances DEEP in the background with no focused concentration on my part. Just relax, the music is ALL THERE in VERY obvious scanning electron micro probe detail. Incredible.

 

[dpump]

The RNHP arrived on 10/27 and I immediately connected it to my Exasound E20 via JPS Superconductor 3 XLR cables for warm up and burn in. After several hours of playing into the HE 560's I sat down to listen. The session began about 7pm and ended after 2am. I must agree with L8MDL as to the "by far the most detailed listening I have ever experienced" comment. Drive me crazy, keep me up all night, make me laugh at details never heard before, all I can say is WOW!!! This will be my final headphone amp purchase for sure. And at $499 it seems to be a true bargain.
So at 2am in the morning I begin to ponder what a more adequate power supply may do for this experience and I email RN for information. Tristan's response informed me that they had actually started the design with a linear supply, but moved to the switching supply when they found the ones currently used which are about 15dB better noise wise than others. He found a very subtle difference with a linear power supply and suggested if I wanted to try one, the amp is 24V DC and needs about .5A available current. I am more than satisfied with the wall wart it comes with.
In my setup the noise floor is nonexistent. It sounds to me to be studio accurate. I easily hear nuances DEEP in the background with no focused concentration on my part. Just relax, the music is ALL THERE in VERY obvious scanning electron micro probe detail. Incredible.

​I have to agree with this review 100%. I've been meaning to type a review since I've had my RNHP for a couple of months, but I couldn't have said it any better than this review. Just incredible detail that comes from a totally black background with the ability to hear individual instruments easily. The only phone that I have used that didn't sound good is the HD800 with Norne Draug V2 cable. Kind of cold and clinical sounding which can be the characteristic sound of this phone with some solid state amps. Maybe you're hearing the true sound of the HD800 with this amp or maybe it's the 300-ohm impedance? I've used 4 Grados, EMU Teak, K7XXX, NightHawk w/Norne SolvX cable, Dharma D1000 w/Norne Draug V1, Sony MDR-CD2000 and Z7, and all have done well. I haven't tried any planars but the RNHP, on paper, doesn't have enough power to do a first rate job with planars. I personally like to have at least 1-watt output for planars, but I will hopefully have a chance to try the Fostex TH500RP soon. I don't have any 600-ohm phones to try.
 
I did try a Firestone Audio Supplier with my RNHP. It is a linear power supply that sells for around $100 and outputs 24-volts. If anything, I thought the stock power supply sounded better, so I went back to it. It's possible a better quality linear power supply would outperform the stock supply, but you would probably have to spend $200 or $300 + to find one of adequate quality.

 

[Andrew Rieger]

I have spoken to the people at Neve and this is what they said:
 
"Thanks for getting in touch.  The RNHP performs equally well with the included supply as it does with a linear supply (an off the shelf switching supply could be 15-20dB worse noise-wise).  Any linear supply with proper voltage and enough current would suffice, but the only good reason to do so would be to have a ground connection when only using the unbalanced inputs, which itself isn’t necessary the majority of the time (Usually the RNHP operates with a floating ground) .  Grounding can also be achieved by connecting to a balanced and grounded device on the XLR input even if that input isn’t being used at the time."
 
It sounds like there isn't really any audible benefit from using a linear supply with the RNHP so I'm going to be sticking with the included supply for now. 

 

[tristanrhodes]

  Just picked up this amp this week Here's my initial review. Source is a Pono Player.
 
Using the Pono in standard mode, the amp works well with my Senn 600's. Ample volume level for my listening is 6-7 on a 1-10 scale (I though Rupert might put an "11" on it just for fun). Also works well with my HiFiMan 400S. Same level.
 
Using the Pono BALANCED with XLR cables from SurfCables going into the amp, the volume is INADEQUATE in my opinion. I can turn it up to to top and still want more. VERY DISAPPOINTED.
 
So, I'll stick with single ended AUX out on the Pono and use the 600's.
 
As for the sound, it is SPECTACULAR, especially with the 600's. By far the most detailed listening I have ever experienced. I am finding that I understand lyrics that I have never been able to before using this system. The 400S's also sound nice, but not as good. I'll keep them for balanced listening from the Pono directly - they provide the volume I like (the 600's do not, even balanced directly out of the Pono).
 
Summary: The Senn 600's sound great single ended using the AUX connection on the Pono. 

Hi,
 
Have you tried using the B or C inputs?  The A input is designed for professional level studio equipment and the actual PONO output is going to be more in line with the B or C inputs as far as input levels go.  There is going to be about a 20dB level difference from going from A to C.  B (RCA) is probably going to be the sweetspot for noise / level.  In less the cable run is longer than 10 ft, you shouldn't have any issues running the PONO with two unbalanced lines.