[L8MDL]

  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.

I'm using the AUX from the Pono with a 3.5mm cord to the #3 input on the Neve. The sound is supreme, black background, not a single noise, ever. User Herehear is using the Exasound E20 with the XLR inputs on the Neve. The E20 has an output of 4.0 watts. The Pono is rated at around 1.9 watts (per the Stereophile "balanced" review), so no doubt it won't power the Neve, at least to my listening level preferences. Very happy with the aux, running at around 6-7 for most of my listening. Haven't had the need to max it out yet with my Sennheiser HD600's.
 
I picked up a McIntosh MA-6300 today to pair with my JBL 4411's, so I'll get to use the Pono balanced with the XLR cables. Just couldn't stand letting a good cable go to waste.

 

[L8MDL]

As it turns out, the Pono doesn't have the guts to power the McIntosh MA-6300 using the XLR inputs. I can turn the unit up 100% and not get any clipping! Sounds great using the RCA or 3.5mm Aux outputs, but balanced is out of the question. C'est La Vie!

 

[DomieMic65]

Has anyone heard the RNPH in comparison to Lake People Amps?
G109A or else?

 

[sheldaze]

  Questions for users:
 
Do you think this amp is bass-light?
Can it drive HD800/HD800S to decent loudness?

Bass-light is a very personal interpretation. Some amplifiers tend use a bit of distortion to add perceived bass. The RNHP is clear and tight. Perhaps you will hear it as bass light. However I am enjoying it with HD800S. I have plenty of volume at 9 o'clock.
 

Any thoughts to share on how it matches with hd650?

The more amplifiers I listen to, the more I realize the only way to tell (for myself) what a headphone will sound like is to plug it into my own equipment. While I like the clarify of the RNHP though my HD650, I do find it to be a little bass light, relative to other amplifiers I use. And I do not find the clarity to be an advantage relative to my Moon NEO 230HAD. I am not suggesting the Moon is competitive, at three times the cost. But it still provides more bass without any loss of clarity. The Grace Design m9xx, at the same cost as the RNHP, also provides (to my ears) a more standard level of bass through the HD650.
 
My perception of bass quantity through the RNHP is my only complaint - this is an excellent amplifier.
 

  ​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.

All I can offer is relative experiences. I am using Norne Draug V2 with an HD800S. I was shocked I liked how it sounded via the RNHP. By comparison, my Cavalli Liquid Carbon v2 was not as clear nor did the Carbon offer any more bass volume, which tends to be the issue most people associate with the "clinical" nature of the HD800. Perhaps it is HD800S versus HD800 (that I recently sold), which you used in your listening tests. I find the RNHP is true to the nature of the headphone, including the HD800S, without sounding clinical to my ears. The chain I used below:
 
Yggdrasil > XLR > RNHP > Draug V2 > HD800S

 

[sheldaze]

One more thought...
 
My opinion of this amplifier is very dependent on the source music. As it was mentioned earlier, some tracks surprise me in how well they are recorded, such as some Daft Punk. I just switched to Aja by Steely Dan, expecting something sweet and found it to be somewhat more analytic than expected. My previous thoughts stand though, as I used the same song while switching amplifiers, and was only comparing how a headphone sounds RNHP versus other amplifiers.

 

[Andrew Rieger]

First Week Impressions:
 
My Setup: Tascam CD200 Transport --> Monster Coax Cable --> Schiit Modi Multibit --> Custom Belden RCA cable --> Rupert Neve RNHP ---> Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro
 
This is amp is super clean, very clear and revealing, detail is really impressive. With the Modi Multibit and the Beyer's, the setup is like a music microscope ... you will hear everything, most of the time that is awesome but rougher recordings are going to be pretty ugly, nothing is smoothed over. All in all, I really like this amp, a major improvement over my now departed Uber Schiit Stack, my Teac UD301 and a small but noticeable improvement over my Nuforce HA200. This is the best amp I've owned and its a keeper for sure.
 
My only wish is that it had a bit more power. Before I sold my ATH R70x's (470ohm) I tried them on this amp and even at 80-90% volume, I wouldn't describe the volume as overly loud. Neve says this amp is good with headphones up to 600ohm but I think this is a bit of a stretch. I would say this amp is really an impressive performer with sub 300ohm headphones but if you are looking for power, I would say look elsewhere. 
 
Still, this amp blows me away. I can't recommend it highly enough as long as your headphones don't need a ton of power. 

 

[Pacifica]

  My Setup: Tascam CD200 Transport --> Monster Coax Cable --> Schiit Modi Multibit --> Custom Belden RCA cable --> Rupert Neve RNHP ---> Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro

 
Also running a Modi Multibit and RNHP, wonderful combination!

 

[Andrew Rieger]

   
Also running a Modi Multibit and RNHP, wonderful combination!

IMO, I doubt a better setup for $750 exists. Stacked on top of each other, the setup is also pretty compact. This will be my main rig for quite some time. I would need to spend way more to get a noticeable bump in quality. 

 

[chry5alis]

Anyone else using the RNHP with eMu teaks? Its a fantastic combination )

 

[NewEinstein]

Anyone else using the RNHP with eMu teaks? Its a fantastic combination )

I am using it with the very similar Denon D5000 ... I love that combination.

 

[Andrew Rieger]

Anyone else try some 400+ohm headphones with this amp? I'm curious if my desire for a little more headroom is just my imagination. Could my DAC have anything to do with the volume? I bought the RNHP and Schiit Modi Multi at the same time and I've never tried either with a different DAC or Amp. 

 

[Pacifica]

  Anyone else try some 400+ohm headphones with this amp? I'm curious if my desire for a little more headroom is just my imagination. Could my DAC have anything to do with the volume? I bought the RNHP and Schiit Modi Multi at the same time and I've never tried either with a different DAC or Amp. 

 
I've been using HD800's which are 300 ohms. I reach a comfortable listening volume at 50% on the RNHP.

 

[Andrew Rieger]

   
I've been using HD800's which are 300 ohms. I reach a comfortable listening volume at 50% on the RNHP.

OK good to know. My 250 ohm DT1990's are comfortable around 60% volume but I think my volume preferences are a little higher than most. My brother was listening to my setup one time at my levels and he was like "Geez dude, how are your ears not ringing at this volume?" 

 

[NewEinstein]

Anyone else try some 400+ohm headphones with this amp? I'm curious if my desire for a little more headroom is just my imagination. Could my DAC have anything to do with the volume? I bought the RNHP and Schiit Modi Multi at the same time and I've never tried either with a different DAC or Amp. 

I would need to check ... But I guess the RNHP expects pro-level signal voltages on its input while most of our DACs only deliver lower consumer level signal voltages (there is a difference). Combine that with a non-switchable voltage gain and you get problems at voltage-hungry high impedance headphones.

I had problems running 600ohm cans when feeding from my Modi2U ... 300ohm cans were fine so far.

 

[chry5alis]

I really like this amp.  I think I read somewhere somebody describe it as "not harsh".  I actually think it is harsh.  But it cuts with such precision, such speed, that like a million scalpels stabbing at a song it reveals so much more than a conventional amp would.  As mentioned before it excels with studio recordings, and I increasingly find it relies heavily on a decent source to present a comfortable yet exceptional, listening experience.
 
I now like my edges.  To borrow a geological term, my music sounds metamorphic through the RNHP.  Still musical, but layered with contrasts.  Sharp, defined, musical contrast.  And so so fast.
 
Listening to Radiohead with grados GS1000e.