[Ultrainferno]

In our newest article @Mightygrey checks out the Rupert Neve amp on Headfonia!

https://www.headfonia.com/rupert-neve-fidelice-headphone-amplifier-review/

 

[DarkDEV28]

Sounds great. It's better than my UD503 (using single end) driving HD650. However my unit has a faulty (likely) power adapter. The 2nd morning I got the power light blinking. I used another adapter and the problem is gone. I put all my audio gear plugged into an APC H10 unit. I don't think it's my power quality that caused the problem.

The original adapter is a cincon product you can get from mouser for $11 USD. http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Cincon/TRG10R240-11E03-Level-VI/?qs=P8zB4ONU6fwRotUTMYHPbw==. It is a class VI unit that complies with 2016 US standards. Perhaps it's all because it's new.

However I haven't compare adapters I used to notice any difference in sound. One is not working so I cannot.

I glad I tried to search up alternative, because NEVE Designs wanted to charge $50 for the power supply, so you just save me hole in my wallet - thx you

 

[Quince]

I had the blinking light issue too. I narrowed it down to turning the amp on immediately after switching on the power strip. If I wait a bit it never happens.

 

[Andii]

 

[Jonne Haven]

Does anyone have anything to say about pairing this with an LCD-XC or LCD-X?

Impressions particularly on if the Rupert Neve has enough power to drive a heavily EQd LCD-XC with a -14dB pre-amp setting in PEACE.

Blessings
-J

 

[cayne]

Does anyone have anything to say about pairing this with an LCD-XC or LCD-X?

Impressions particularly on if the Rupert Neve has enough power to drive a heavily EQd LCD-XC with a -14dB pre-amp setting in PEACE.

Blessings
-J

I haven't heard this combo myself, but from what I've read they do pair well. But, of course, it depends on what you're going for, how you've EQed them and if the RNHP sound is what you're after. From the brief time I had the amp, I was impressed by how clean sounding it was, neutral, but with a slight emphasis on the treble.

 

[Andii]

Does anyone have anything to say about pairing this with an LCD-XC or LCD-X?

Impressions particularly on if the Rupert Neve has enough power to drive a heavily EQd LCD-XC with a -14dB pre-amp setting in PEACE.

Blessings
-J

That's exactly what I have been using and I love it. It runs the LCD-X like it was made for it. I have been using that combo and nothing else for over a year and I haven't considered any course of action other than to continue.

What you mean by -14db premp setting, I do not know. Are you boosting something by 14db and then correcting the gain? If so that is absolutely bonkers. Not something I would ever do or have tested. I'm only compensating by -3.5db when I run DSP.

 

[SunRa Fan]

For the last month or so I’ve been using an RNHP with Focal Clear MGs and really been enjoying it. For weeks now I come home from work, settle in and mute the tv while I listen to music. I’m absolutely hearing details in albums I’ve never heard before. Like that woman talking on Dark Side Of The Moon. That was new to me and I grew up listening to Floyd. Is there anyone that has tried Dan Clark Audio Expanses on an RNHP?

 

[SunRa Fan]

Auditioned both the Meze Elite and the DCA Expanse today on the RNHP. The RNHP volume winds up in the 3 O'clock position getting a usable volume from the RNHP. It wasn't shouty or otherwise obviously distorted but I think it's safe to say that a beefier amp is required.

 

[klyrish]

I've had one of these for the last few days and am loving it more and more. I'm curious about the GST25A24 power supply + iFi DC purifier combo. Is anyone still using that setup and, if so, have you run into any issues with the non-stock PSU after an extended amount of time?

 

[brookbri]

I've had one of these for the last few days and am loving it more and more. I'm curious about the GST25A24 power supply + iFi DC purifier combo. Is anyone still using that setup and, if so, have you run into any issues with the non-stock PSU after an extended amount of time?

I’ve been using it for probably about 3 years now.
I leave it on all of the time.
The DC purifier gets warm.
No issues at all.
Always sounds great with my Hifiman Edition X!!!

 

[klyrish]

It would appear to offer too much current. On the back of the RNHP Precision amplifier are the notations: 24VDC 6W 0.25A

Does that matter, though? I thought the only issue was with volts. If you provide too many volts, your device will fry.

But with amps and watts, devices only pull what they need, regardless of how much is supplied.

Or am I wrong?

I have one of these iFi Elite 24V power supplies. I think I might try it out on the RNHP when I've got some more time.

EDIT: nope, I only have a 15V and 5V. I have a cheap 24V linear PSU I'm not going to bother with.

 

[jnorris]

Does that matter, though? I thought the only issue was with volts. If you provide too many volts, your device will fry.

But with amps and watts, devices only pull what they need, regardless of how much is supplied.

Or am I wrong?

I have one of these iFi Elite 24V power supplies. I think I might try it out on the RNHP when I've got some more time.

EDIT: nope, I only have a 15V and 5V. I have a cheap 24V linear PSU I'm not going to bother with.

You are not wrong. The amp will draw what it needs. I'm using mine with a 24v, 2.2A power supply and I can swear that it sounds better than the original supply...but I could be making that up. Try it with the iFi Elite.

 

[klyrish]

I’ve been using it for probably about 3 years now.
I leave it on all of the time.
The DC purifier gets warm.
No issues at all.
Always sounds great with my Hifiman Edition X!!!

I tried to use the iFi DC ipurifier2 with the stock PSU and when I plug the ifi into the amp and then the PSU into the ifi, the orange power light turns on. When I flip the power switch on the amp, it powers on for a second and then off, then on and off, endlessly. The orange power light on the ifi is effectively flashing due to the cycles. I tried a few different plug adapters but they made no difference; same power cycling behavior.

I put the ifi back on my RPi4 and it's working flawlessly again. This is very weird. I can't find anything about this behavior via Google searches either. This isn't giving me much hope for that aftermarket SMPS now. Anyone else encounter this and have a solution?

EDIT: just had a realization that because of the uniquely low power requirements of this amp, the stock PSU may not function properly with the ifi DC ipurifier2. Guess I'll know for sure when that generic 24V adapter arrives in a few weeks.

 

[klyrish]

Still waiting on the cheapo 24V PSU recommended earlier in the thread to arrive from China, but I don't know if it's going to get any use once it finally arrives. Bloom Audio had a flash sale on Monday for 15% off iFi iPower Elite units, so I grabbed one of the 24V models and it arrived a little while ago. I've had the RNHP hooked up and warming up a bit and initial impressions are very favorable.

• Bass is noticeably tighter, deeper-reaching, and punchier.
• There's an incredible depth and sense of three-dimensionality to the soundstage
• Microdetail across the board, but especially in bass notes, is much more apparent
• Vocals sound clearer, hell EVERYTHING sounds clearer and more realistic, with greater weight and texture to instruments and vocals
• There is is much better separation and air around instruments; the soundstage is definitely wider, deeper, and taller than before. The RNHP was no slouch here to begin with even with the stock power supply, easily besting my E.A.R. HP-4 with Sophia tubes, but it's much improved now
• Treble in general, but cymbals in particular are sharper (but not in a bad/painful way) and more detailed. Sometimes (recording dependent), cymbals could be so brickwalled they sounded more like static or white noise (2022 re-recording of Four Year Strong's Enemy of the World, for example, but that is greatly improved. The cymbals are still brickwalled, but there's much more cymbal than static now)
• Distorted guitars have some extra bite/crispness that wasn't there before

Music sounds much more alive now, less like a recording.

I'm listening to select tracks from the 24-bit Definitive Edition remasters of Nine Inch Nails' albums, The Downward Spiral and The Fragile. The intro dueling bass synth lines of "Heresy" have never sounded so tight and detailed, not even on my speaker system. Panning during "Closer" keeps giving me goosebumps and it sounds like things are floating around my head and behind me during the crescendo. During the solo/interlude of "Ruiner," the bass sounds like it is behind and below me, rather than just off to the right. "Somewhat Damaged" sounds incredible; the many layers that buildup as the song progresses remain distinct and even better separated than I've ever heard before. That song gets extremely congested and lesser gear just makes that sound like background noise/static, but I can hear the individual pieces like never before.

Honestly, the change is reminiscent of the HeadAmp Gilmore Lite Mk2 before and after the Golden Reference PSU upgrade came out. The differences are subtle but substantial and definitely noticeable if you pay attention. But this amp is in another league compared to the GLMk2.

It'll be interesting to compare to the other, cheapo upgraded PSU w/iFi DC purifier. I'm betting the difference between that and the iPower Elite is going to be minimal, but maybe not. Tough to say at the moment that it's worth spending $300 to get the Elite, not having directly compared the two options head on yet, but I can say for sure that I am VERY happy with how the amp sounds now being fed by the iFi iPower Elite 24V PSU.