[Salt Peanuts]

PATB,

IIRC, some players sound dramatically different between its balanced and unbalanced outputs, while on other players difference may not be noticeable. Of course I'm just speculating here since I haven't heard too many players with both balanced and unbalanced ouputs, including G08.

 

[HugoFreire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sacd lover SACD lover>have you got a balanced MPX3? No not yet... but I am thinking about it.

Please, keep us informed if you get a MPX3-XLR

I wonder how a balanced MPX3 would compare to a single-ended Supra...

 

[PATB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salt Peanuts PATB, IIRC, some players sound dramatically different between its balanced and unbalanced outputs, while on other players difference may not be noticeable. Of course I'm just speculating here since I haven't heard too many players with both balanced and unbalanced ouputs, including G08.

You may be right. The analog outputs of the G08 is rumored to be optimized for the matching G02/G57 balanced pre/amp.

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salt Peanuts PATB, IIRC, some players sound dramatically different between its balanced and unbalanced outputs, while on other players difference may not be noticeable. Of course I'm just speculating here since I haven't heard too many players with both balanced and unbalanced ouputs, including G08.

Yes, they certainly can since the balanced output requires a bit more complexity than the unbalanced.

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dip16amp The balanced bridge design is for an unbalanced input signal which is different from these balanced amps with balanced inputs. Amps like the Blockhead, Headamp Gilmore Reference, and this one which is basicly two amps (one for the positive signals and one for the negative signals) require the negative signals from the source to swing the negative side of the amps and headphones.

I haven't seen anywhere that the SDS isn't a balanced bridge design, do you know something I don't?

 

[dip16amp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpalmer I haven't seen anywhere that the SDS isn't a balanced bridge design, do you know something I don't?

The balanced bridge design can not be used as two separate unbalanced amps. The fully balanced amps have both balanced inputs and outputs and can be two separate unbalanced amps.

 

[tom hankins]

I always thought that bridged balance was just made to create balanced from single ended. The SDS-XLR is fully balanced.

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dip16amp The balanced bridge design can not be used as two separate unbalanced amps. The fully balanced amps have both balanced inputs and outputs and can be two separate unbalanced amps.

'K, that makes sense...

 

[Hirsch]

Update on Grado's. gpalmer sent some Grado's along, which I tried in the SDS-XLR, and was particularly unimpressed. Sound seemed bloated with indistinct bass. At which point, a dim bulb went off somewhere in my brain and noted that he had enclosed bowl pads along with the flat pads on the headphones. So, I put bowl pads on the balanced RS-1 <shudder>.

OK. The bloating went away, and left some of the clearest sound I've heard out of Grado's. Bass is tight,but, more importantly, there was none of the midrange suckout that I normally hear using bowl pads on the RS-1 with single-ended amps. Further, the highs were actually strong and clean, rather than shrill and peaked. I've finally heard what the RS-1 with bowl pads is supposed to sound like, I think, and it's great. All the tonality of a single-ended amp with flat pads, but much, much more detail. With this amp, I prefer the bowl pads to flat pads by a large margin. Same effect with PS-1. I think the sun rose in the west this morning.

 

[Mikey01]

An MPX3-XLR would be cool to see and hear. Go for it. That is a seriously nice amp Hirsch.

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hirsch Update on Grado's. gpalmer sent some Grado's along, which I tried in the SDS-XLR, and was particularly unimpressed.

I hesitate to ask this Hirsch, but had you tried tube rolling? (Knowing you I would imagine there were lot's of tubes through it

).

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hirsch OK. The bloating went away, and left some of the clearest sound I've heard out of Grado's. Bass is tight,but, more importantly, there was none of the midrange suckout that I normally hear using bowl pads on the RS-1 with single-ended amps. Further, the highs were actually strong and clean, rather than shrill and peaked. I've finally heard what the RS-1 with bowl pads is supposed to sound like, I think, and it's great. All the tonality of a single-ended amp with flat pads, but much, much more detail. With this amp, I prefer the bowl pads to flat pads by a large margin. Same effect with PS-1. I think the sun rose in the west this morning.

Today also. We had the meet today and I agree with Hirsch in his assessment of the RS-1's, it was the best performance I have heard from them in the years I have owned them and NOT by a narrow margin. Actually, I was rather stunned by what I heard, I didn't think the RS-1 could hit those heights. This was the first time I really thought the RS-1 really qualified as a high-end headphone. Gorgeous is about the only way I could describe it, from the top end to the bass. (Actually the low bass was rather unusual, and I'm not sure very accurate, but I didn't get to hear it on songs I knew well enough to comment on). Anyway, those two were a great pairing. I couldn't get the seal right on the Qualias so I didn't hear what they are capable of with it. It was an intriguing glimpse though... The Senns were also excellent but I think the PS-1s need another tube set to shine (or in this case to make me willing to listen to them. I thought they had some serious defects in their sound that I could not listen to). It's not surprising given how much more bass they have than the other headphones compared, but I guess I'm a bit shocked since they were the headphones I really wanted to hear starting off.