Awk.Pine
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2006
- Posts
- 147
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- 10
This is more of a curiosity than a serious post, and more for posterity than discussion, but I thought some might be interested anyhow.
My "new" SAE two A7 integrated amp works rather well as an amplifier for my Super.fi 3's. Most of the time, I listen at very low levels; IEMs are at their best when they're making things quieter, in my opinion. Problem with these IEMs is that somewhere between the 13 ohm impedance and 115 dB/mw sensitivity these things have a hard time being quiet. First off, there's the noise problem: low-level electrical noise in an amp becomes obvious. Secondly, there's the level problem: not only do most potentiometers lose tracking at their extremes, but they also make large jumps quickly. So, the answer: a good headphone amp with a 20 dB attenuator: the SAE A7.
With muting on, I can take it up to 9 o'clock without it being loud; 10:30 is about on the pain threshold. Which is to say, I have control over volume now. Neat. The electrical noise is acceptable, which I can't say about most other amps I've tried. And it also has bass, mid, and treble tone controls (great for my bootlegs), which are defeatable.
Either I don't have the ears for it, or I haven't heard differences between amps, so I won't talk about how it sounds. And I haven't tried it with my good CD player yet, just a cheap DVD set. But I will reiterate: it gives me more control over my music and less extraneous noise than other amps I've tried. Quite a find. Keep your eyes on craigslist, folks.
Anyhow, in August it's 70 watts per channel will power a living room television system for my roommates, so this odd couple won't be around much longer. Unless I get addicted to it. Then there's no telling. What I probably need to do is make myself a -20 dB pad.
My "new" SAE two A7 integrated amp works rather well as an amplifier for my Super.fi 3's. Most of the time, I listen at very low levels; IEMs are at their best when they're making things quieter, in my opinion. Problem with these IEMs is that somewhere between the 13 ohm impedance and 115 dB/mw sensitivity these things have a hard time being quiet. First off, there's the noise problem: low-level electrical noise in an amp becomes obvious. Secondly, there's the level problem: not only do most potentiometers lose tracking at their extremes, but they also make large jumps quickly. So, the answer: a good headphone amp with a 20 dB attenuator: the SAE A7.
With muting on, I can take it up to 9 o'clock without it being loud; 10:30 is about on the pain threshold. Which is to say, I have control over volume now. Neat. The electrical noise is acceptable, which I can't say about most other amps I've tried. And it also has bass, mid, and treble tone controls (great for my bootlegs), which are defeatable.
Either I don't have the ears for it, or I haven't heard differences between amps, so I won't talk about how it sounds. And I haven't tried it with my good CD player yet, just a cheap DVD set. But I will reiterate: it gives me more control over my music and less extraneous noise than other amps I've tried. Quite a find. Keep your eyes on craigslist, folks.
Anyhow, in August it's 70 watts per channel will power a living room television system for my roommates, so this odd couple won't be around much longer. Unless I get addicted to it. Then there's no telling. What I probably need to do is make myself a -20 dB pad.
