The gain setting only affects the RCA input, not the main headphone outputs. If your not using that input it has no effect on anything.
Sennheiser Q&A: HDV 820 Digital Amplifier
The gain setting only affects the RCA input, not the main headphone outputs. If your not using that input it has no effect on anything.
I will say this and excuse me for not using the correct words but i have found the gain sounds significantly better at the noon position. however it starts to clip and i hear distortion at this setting, however when not clipping it sounds significantly better. i generally use the one below that but feel like the performance does
take a hit. its sort of an issue for me personally as it's annoying to change it. you have to use a screw driver etc.
take a hit. its sort of an issue for me personally as it's annoying to change it. you have to use a screw driver etc.
I´m not sure I understood you correctly, but how are you connecting the HDV 820? If the gain switch affects the sound you must be using the RCA inputs then? The gain switch isn´t supposed to affect anything else than that particular input (https://en-us.sennheiser.com/global-downloads/file/8823/HDV820_Manual_570794_0817_EN.pdf, page 8).
Correct, I was not happy with the Sabre dac and decided instead to use 2qute as my dac. I am connecting the HDv 820 to the 2qute via rca. Assuming we see the gain switch as a clock going 8,10,12,2,4 I have found the 12 o'clock position has by far the best sound but as I said it also distorts on my HD 800S. Thus I have been using the 10 o'clock position.
Can the preamp outputs still be switched to pass-through without volume control so I can use it as a dac for my integrated amp as well?
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You can’t bypass the volume attenuator on the preamp function. Not sure what your integrated is, but the HDVD’s pot was nicely balanced throughout the range when I reviewed it - you can pretty much set the volume on one and use the other for the actual control - whichever one is more convenient for you.
I thank you for your answeer and that's indeed a solution but it's a solution to a problem, or rather omission, in the design.
I have a DAC already but if this amp/dac would have a simple switch on the back like many amp/dacs have it could be used properly, without two volume pots in a row, to feed the input of an integrated amp which is by far the most commonly used type of amps. Now if I would buy this I wouldn't let go of my other dac.
It's great that it has preamp functionality and I seem to understand the previous version didn't but that doesn't mean that the omission of a fixed output isn't a loss.
Not everyone uses active monitors or separate power amps. As I said, a simple switch on the back would have made the functionality perfect for me.
Sound is another matter but I do like the direction in which the impressions and rreviews go for the moment.
i would not recommend the dac on the 820. however it's not terrible, there is just better ones out there. as far
as an amp goes i have been very happy with it thus far. to your point i think it was designed first for headphones with the added benefit of being able to attach speakers.
as an amp goes i have been very happy with it thus far. to your point i think it was designed first for headphones with the added benefit of being able to attach speakers.
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Well, as I try to simplify my whole setup here I'm sure the dac of a 2.3k device would suit me well enough.
Sure there is better stuff out there but just as sure I don't need it.
I'm thinking more along the lines of @vrln in the quote below.
Only had it for a few days now, but sure... In the past I used to have a HDV800, but I sold it in part due to it not having proper preamp XLR outputs (for desktop active monitors). Sound quality wise I didn´t have anything significant to complain about it, great product and in A/B tests at the store I preferred it to everything else they had at the time. So when this model finally added support for XLR preamp outputs it was an easy choice for me.
Haven´t had the chance to run it via balanced outputs yet, but it already sounds good single ended with my HD 600. It only gets better from here. My overall impression is that there´s nothing about it (in design or sound) that bothers me. It just works. Just like Apple stuff. Took me a long time to realize it, but in my experience that´s usually the best way to know something is good in high end audio. I´ve tried a lot of stuff during my Head-Fi.org voyage, but these days I´m no longer interested in the tinkering aspect of the hobby so I´m drawn to solutions like the HDV820 (= everything by same manufacturer*, one box solution).
It´s not cheap, but it´s great if you just want something that you know will work great with all Sennheiser headphones plus looks good/neat on the desktop. No cable mess from separate components, no need to spend money trying to match headphone amplifiers with the optimal DAC. Holds resale value well. Something you can just buy, enjoy and then forget about gear except maybe new headphones(assuming you mainly use Sennheiser headphones)
Going to primarily pair it with the new HD 660 S (still think the HD 600/650 are much better all rounders than the HD 800 lineup). Is there something "better" out there in the separates headphone amp/DAC world? Sure most likely, but in this price range the differences are for me too minimal to fuss about.
* Preferably a large established company with deep R&D/engineering knowledge.
you can get the device for considerably less online. B&H has a used model for less than 1800$ us.
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Yes, good point. I bought mine off eBay, new for $1900, no tax. Couldn't be happier.
220V?
Thank you for the tip though, I wasn't aware they could already be found at better prices.
If you should find one, used or not, in EU/UK at a reasonable price I'd really be grateful if you let me know.
prosoundgear.com has it for 1899 new.
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