[dougms3]

This is about XLR vs. 1/4 SE headphone output.
I thought we were talking about XLR vs. RCA input where the output stays the same.
Those are two very different things.



It's not the same as XLR has higher input/output voltage than RCA.
Louder volume doesn't automatically mean better SQ. It's the same with switching from low gain to high gain, it gets louder but the sound doesn't get better (not on this amp at least )

In that quote, I didn't say louder volume means better SQ. Just pointed out that louder volume means RCA and XLR are not the same, theres a difference both using XLR vs RCA and 1/4" vs XLR when using the balanced connection.

With my Pioneer SE-M5 its very easy to tell the difference because it picks up alot of detail that I can't hear my other headphones. Whether I'm just imagining it or its really there, is going to be a point of argument. But theres no arguing that the volume is louder when you can A-B test with the flip of a toggle switch.

I'll just say that the headphone makes a huge difference, if you're trying to measure the difference in flow rate of two rivers by swimming in it, its gonna be hard to tell.

With my Sony MDR1-AM2 I can tell the bass is punchier and stronger impact with the balanced connection on the SP200. Theres alot of things you can't measure on a frequency response graph like bass impact and punchiness and quite alot of other things.

The reason I brought this up is to explore if theres something there worthwhile looking into to enjoy all the features of the amp.

 

[Telin]

In that quote, I didn't say louder volume means better SQ. Just pointed out that louder volume means RCA and XLR are not the same, theres a difference both using XLR vs RCA and 1/4" vs XLR when using the balanced connection.

With my Pioneer SE-M5 its very easy to tell the difference because it picks up alot of detail that I can't hear my other headphones. Whether I'm just imagining it or its really there, is going to be a point of argument. But theres no arguing that the volume is louder when you can A-B test with the flip of a toggle switch.

I'll just say that the headphone makes a huge difference, if you're trying to measure the difference in flow rate of two rivers by swimming in it, its gonna be hard to tell.

With my Sony MDR1-AM2 I can tell the bass is punchier and stronger impact with the balanced connection on the SP200. Theres alot of things you can't measure on a frequency response graph like bass impact and punchiness and quite alot of other things.

The reason I brought this up is to explore if theres something there worthwhile looking into to enjoy all the features of the amp.

I'm not disputing if you or anyone else can or can not hear a difference.
I'm just trying to get clear what situation we're talking about here. I thought to understand it started out as purely the difference between XLR and RCA input. But now it seems that the XLR and SE output is taken into the mix to. That changes the question if there's a difference between XLR and RCA inputs.

 

[JoeSlovakia]

Hi guys, just want to let you know, that the caps have arrived and will be replacing the base caps on inputs as a base upgrade.
We will have to figure out the placement, as they are quite bigger then the base caps.

 

[Shakmal]

Hi guys, just want to let you know, that the caps have arrived and will be replacing the base caps on inputs as a base upgrade.
We will have to figure out the placement, as they are quite bigger then the base caps.

Please posts your progress here as I am also interested to do the same if the whole process is not very difficult...certified noobs in soldering...

 

[Telin]

The differences are subtle, the impact and punchiness of the bass is noticeable, the other details may be just me.

If you're using the Fostex T50RP, its hard to notice anything with that headphone because its not very sensitive to changes in detail and theres so much bass that its going to hard to tell. I have that headphone also.

May be try it out with something that has higher sensitivity

Just for giggles I ask my uncle to bring his HD700 and Susvara headphones this weekend. I still couldn't hear any difference once we volume matched the SE and XLR. Without telling why or what I let my uncle listen to and he didn't hear a difference either.

I still keep to my conclusion that there is no difference.
If there is it is so small that it's only noticable with direct A/B testing. I highly doubt anyone would spot the difference in a controlled blind test or during regular use when one doesn't A/B all the time.

 

[340519]

I love this amp.

 

[Telin]

I love this amp.

Me 2!

 

[dougms3]

Just for giggles I ask my uncle to bring his HD700 and Susvara headphones this weekend. I still couldn't hear any difference once we volume matched the SE and XLR. Without telling why or what I let my uncle listen to and he didn't hear a difference either.

I still keep to my conclusion that there is no difference.
If there is it is so small that it's only noticable with direct A/B testing. I highly doubt anyone would spot the difference in a controlled blind test or during regular use when one doesn't A/B all the time.

You might be right with the front XLR vs 6.3mm headphone outs.

I think last time I was gauging the difference between them with a higher quality cable on the XLR. I'll check with my Pioneer SE-M5s, it comes with 3 sets of cables two SE and one balanced so it should be a good reference for that test.

As for the rear inputs, there is no mistaking that it sounds a better with the XLR vs RCA, not by a lot but its noticeable.

 

[JoeSlovakia]

Hi guys,
I have figured out that I have ordered the wrong caps for the RCA inputs - 220uF instead of 22uF. I will have to find another type, because the used Nichicon MUSE ES caps are bi-polar. My father told me, that if we will connect it the right way, then it will work. So I want to find 22uF caps, the best would be to have the KZ series, but I can't buy them in Slovakia. My father added WIMA caps on the other side as a simple upgrade.

 

[dougms3]

Just for giggles I ask my uncle to bring his HD700 and Susvara headphones this weekend. I still couldn't hear any difference once we volume matched the SE and XLR. Without telling why or what I let my uncle listen to and he didn't hear a difference either.

I still keep to my conclusion that there is no difference.
If there is it is so small that it's only noticable with direct A/B testing. I highly doubt anyone would spot the difference in a controlled blind test or during regular use when one doesn't A/B all the time.

I think you're right I can't really tell a difference between the xlr vs rca headphone outs when I use the same cable with an adapter. The difference I was hearing before was the cable. I guess the xlr is just there for convenience.

 

[Louis Albert]

I have used the Sennheiser hd 800s with the sp200 and m200 for a month or so and really
enjoyed them. Thanks to a friend I have tried the sp200 with the SMSL SU-9. Never thought
it, but the 800s sound so much better in so many ways. A pair made in love. Fantastic... and
this for a non believer that dac's could make a huge difference. (My friend is now my best
friend.)

 

[flognarde]

I have just purchased a second hand SP200, and while waiting for the parcel to be picked, I had few thoughts about the success of these affordable Chinese devices.
My general impression is that they mainly focus on measurements and don't bother that much about how their amps or DAC's subjectively sound. And this is great news !
I am done with those boutique devices made by so-called audiophiles who build their craps trying to match their tastes. Tastes that are for most audiophiles highly questionnable. Most of them are so obsessed by the sound rendering that Music tend to be out of the equation, of worse, gets in the way of their audiophiles perceptions.
I have never heard an audiophile mentioning Furtwängler ... But can spend hours debating about obscure jazzy craps ...
At these budget prices, I would rather have a "transparent clinical instrument" than a distorted so called "pleasing" sounding set up by a tasteless audiophile.

 

[Arniesb]

I have just purchased a second hand SP200, and while waiting for the parcel to be picked, I had few thoughts about the success of these affordable Chinese devices.
My general impression is that they mainly focus on measurements and don't bother that much about how their amps or DAC's subjectively sound. And this is great news !
I am done with those boutique devices made by so-called audiophiles who build their craps trying to match their tastes. Tastes that are for most audiophiles highly questionnable. Most of them are so obsessed by the sound rendering that Music tend to be out of the equation, of worse, gets in the way of their audiophiles perceptions.
I have never heard an audiophile mentioning Furtwängler ... But can spend hours debating about obscure jazzy craps ...
At these budget prices, I would rather have a "transparent clinical instrument" than a distorted so called "pleasing" sounding set up by a tasteless audiophile.

True! You can just buy cheap copper cables to get more distorion and warmth or just use eq.
The fact that some Headphones need tube amps that cost over 10k to have good mids is just laughable.

 

[flognarde]

Clara Haskil, D.Scarlatti sonata for keyboard in B Minor K.87, poorly mono recorded in 1951 (red book file) played on ROON + SMSL SU-8 + Marantz PM6005 + B&W CDM1 ...

 

[flognarde]

True! You can just buy cheap copper cables to get more distorion and warmth or just use eq.
The fact that some Headphones need tube amps that cost over 10k to have good mids is just laughable.

I put luxury crap out of the equation. The price, the materials and the design betrays so much the way you perceive music it is almost impossible to debate. No need to even mention the law of diminishing return.