[hemtmaker]

  CASTLE HIFI FOR CHORD GEAR...
Shop 7/19 Victoria Ave, Corner Carrington Rd and Victoria Ave
Castle Hill 2154

P.O. Box 1735 Castle Hill  1765 

 02 9899 9079
 (02) 9899 9534
 castlehill@sydneyhifi.com.au

OPENING HOURS

Mon-Fri 9am - 5.30pm
Sat 9am - 5pm
Sun - Closed (Family Day)


AND HERE IS THE DEALER FOR IFI PRODUCTS..YES MELBOURNE BUT YOU SHOULD CONTACT THIS FORUM MEMBER FOR SYDNEY CONTACTS: SYNRG

1. Maxmedia Pty Ltd
   Level 1 8-14 Howard Street North Melbourne VIC 3051 Australia
   +61- 3- 93295208
   info@maxmedia.com.au
   Cameron Keating
   www.maxmedia.com.au​

Thanks for the details. Yeah, I am trying to buy an iDSD micro from Maxmedia. Cameron has been very helpful

 

[porky1234]

Hi all,
I have got a interesting question on using PHA-3 with Apple's CCK.
 
If i connect my iPhone 6 to the PHA-3 using the standard lightning cable. When using the apple music player app, the volume control on the iPhone 6 is disabled as the PHA-3 is detected as a DAC. This is how I expect it to work.
 
Now if I connect the iPhone 6 to the PHA-3 using apple's CCK + usb cable to the micro usb slot on the PHA-3. In the music player the volume control is active. Why is this so? if the iPhone is acting as a digital source and treat the pha-3 as a dac, shouldn't volume control be inactive? The volume control is also active when using Onkyo's HF player.
 
I have tested my previous ip5s (is) with CCK to PHA-2 and the volume control is inactive/disable (i no longer have the ip5s on is). Can someone with PHA-2 and uses CCK test this?
 
I have also tested the iPhone 6 with apple's CCK with iDSD nano and the volume control on iPhone 6 is disabled for both the default apple music player and Onkyo HF player.
 
If I connect my macbook pro to the pha-3, volume control is also disable.
 
My concern is that is the CCK passing a "unmolested" source signal to the PHA-3 given that I can adjust the volume... 
 
Anyhow... I am enjoying the PHA-3 with both my existing red se535 using sony's balanced cable for the Z5 and the Z7...

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

Is it the stock player or a 3rd party player (like the Onkyo app) that's doing this for you?  I honestly wouldn't see a point in using the CCK and the stock player, as you won't get any hi-res benefits.  iTunes downsamples....

 

[porky1234]

  Is it the stock player or a 3rd party player (like the Onkyo app) that's doing this for you?  I honestly wouldn't see a point in using the CCK and the stock player, as you won't get any hi-res benefits.  iTunes downsamples....

Both the stock player and Onkyo HF app with CCK will have volume control on the iPhone active in both apps. With iDSD nano.. the volume control is inactive.

 

[Xelor]

I´m waiting the PHA-3 that will be delivered to me in few days. Anyway, telling the differences between two high quality portable dac will be hard: the chip inside PHA-3 is one of the best available now and the pcb around should be well engineered by Sony: from my experience, you can probably find more differences between this kind of device from their amp section and driving capabilities.

Some months ago I compared a Resonessance Labs Invicta desktop Dac/headphone amp to a Naim Dac. I needed an HD800 and many hours listening just to find the Invicta was a little more resolving and a little less musical then the Naim DAC. But both were exceptional to the point you can choose one of the two and be happy for a long long time.

I'm sure that if the Sony amp section is good, will be very difficult to hear big differences between it and the AK Dacs/players for example.

With the Sony we should be already at a point where all the differences with comparable products are just subtle, speaking about the digital to analog conversion section. And globally I will not be surprised if the Sony will result, by a small margin, as a more balanced and musically better product, easier to listen to (not that easier always means better in all the parameters, obviously, but globally a more comfortable listening experience).

 

[purk]

Thanks, i have also spotted the power difference. What i meant to ask was whether there is any other benefit of going balanced other than having more power? People often talk about synergy between systems and i wonder if power alone is a good enough metric in determining how good a system sounds.

Well balanced amplification usually affect soundstage depth & width as well as bass depth more than anything else.  Going from SE to balance on the PHA3 is very noticeable especially in soundstage department.  Bass is also little bit deeper.  Higher power rating usually bring better sense of dynamics more than anything else.  That's my 2 cents.  The best of both world is to get a beefier amp with balanced drive option. 

 

[zilch0md]

Thanks Mike.

May I ask a related issue here? 

Aside from greater volume frequently = greater perceived sound up to the listeners comfort levels, are there any other differences in SQ from different levels of power applied to sound...so in standard hi fi terms why does a high Watt power amp (300W and above say) sound better than a mid (200W) or low <200W; (and yes all these scales are arbitrary) wattage amp. I guess then does the same apply to mW here and their influence on SQ?

Consequently if this chain of experience holds true the SQ on the iDSD should sound better than the Sony, if there are no other faults present.

Thanks for your views in advance Mike.

Typically, an increase in power (Watts) can improve dynamics, bass control and sometimes bass extension IF AND ONLY IF the headphone (or speakers) were not efficient enough for the lesser amp. In other words, if the lesser amp was already powerful enough to maximize these traits in a sufficiently efficient headphone, increasing the power will not improve the traits. It's when you've been under-powering a headphone that it can "scale" with an increase in power.

So, looking only at the huge difference in power between the iDSD and the PHA-3, ignoring all other features and specifications, we can easily conclude that there's a huge difference in the number of headphones that can be driven with sufficient authority to maximize their performance in terms of bass control and dynamics. If the amp is weak enough relative to the inefficiency of the headphone, even the mids can get muddy or woolly sounding.

Thanks, i have also spotted the power difference. What i meant to ask was whether there is any other benefit of going balanced other than having more power? People often talk about synergy between systems and i wonder if power alone is a good enough metric in determining how good a system sounds.

Balanced output can eliminate cross-channel impedance fluctuations that can occur on single-ended cables that share a common ground - which can allow the two drivers to influence each other subtly, but this influence varies with the headphone design, where an almost purely resistive planar magnetic might be less vulnerable than a dynamic headphone for example.

That's the theory, anyway, but in my admittedly limited experience, I can't say I have ever heard the impact of cross-channel impedance fluctuations on single-ended cables. I' don't even know for what I should listen, except perhaps for a loss transparency. I do know, however, that there are many expensive headphone amps which provide plenty of power for inefficient headphones at an unbalanced TRS jack, where neither the designers nor the owners of these amps find themselves wishing it had balanced output. A lot of trusted, experienced reviewers are perfectly content with plugging their flagship headphones into TRS jacks.

Mike

 

[TheNoose]

Thanks Mike a simple and clear explanation here, nice.
 
I recently listened to the A&K 240 (actually the entire current range of A&K's to do a quick comparison...) and the PHA3 using balanced and unbalanced.
 
Balanced had greater dynamic range and simply sounded better in each case.
 
Likely this is another distinction in hardware being 'market-tested' for sales potential to differentiate product.
 
An interesting analysis of the culture of sound, and its reproduction is introduced here: http://rccs.usfca.edu/bookinfo.asp?ReviewID=305&BookID=258
 
The Audible Past: Cultural Origins of Sound Reproduction
Author: Jonathan Sterne
Publisher: Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2003
Review Published: February 2005
 
Our evolving culture has not only driven our technology but also our expectations of performance, sound character and hardware and software design and build. Maybe I'm stating the obvious though...

 

[HiFiGuy528]

I connected the PHA-3 to my Sony HAP-Z1es music server via analog and noticed the PHA-3 clips and the sound is completed distorted.  Anyone else here has this issue?  I thought it was my cable so I tried the same connections on ADL X1 and iFi Micro iDSD.  Those work fine.  No distortion.  
 
Update: I tried my Meridian Direct DAC with the same cable and the sound is fine.  RCA output on Direct DAC and Sony Z1es server is the same 2.0Vrms.  hum....
 
Update: tried a different audio cable from Z1es to PHA-3 again.  Same distorted sound.  I know it's not the Z1es or the cable because when I switched to ADL X1 and iFi iDSD it sounds great.

 

[hemtmaker]

  Well balanced amplification usually affect soundstage depth & width as well as bass depth more than anything else.  Going from SE to balance on the PHA3 is very noticeable especially in soundstage department.  Bass is also little bit deeper.  Higher power rating usually bring better sense of dynamics more than anything else.  That's my 2 cents.  The best of both world is to get a beefier amp with balanced drive option. 

 
 

Typically, an increase in power (Watts) can improve dynamics, bass control and sometimes bass extension IF AND ONLY IF the headphone (or speakers) were not efficient enough for the lesser amp. In other words, if the lesser amp was already powerful enough to maximize these traits in a sufficiently efficient headphone, increasing the power will not improve the traits. It's when you've been under-powering a headphone that it can "scale" with an increase in power.

So, looking only at the huge difference in power between the iDSD and the PHA-3, ignoring all other features and specifications, we can easily conclude that there's a huge difference in the number of headphones that can be driven with sufficient authority to maximize their performance in terms of bass control and dynamics. If the amp is weak enough relative to the inefficiency of the headphone, even the mids can get muddy or woolly sounding.
Balanced output can eliminate cross-channel impedance fluctuations that can occur on single-ended cables that share a common ground - which can allow the two drivers to influence each other subtly, but this influence varies with the headphone design, where an almost purely resistive planar magnetic might be less vulnerable than a dynamic headphone for example.

That's the theory, anyway, but in my admittedly limited experience, I can't say I have ever heard the impact of cross-channel impedance fluctuations on single-ended cables. I' don't even know for what I should listen, except perhaps for a loss transparency. I do know, however, that there are many expensive headphone amps which provide plenty of power for inefficient headphones at an unbalanced TRS jack, where neither the designers nor the owners of these amps find themselves wishing it had balanced output. A lot of trusted, experienced reviewers are perfectly content with plugging their flagship headphones into TRS jacks.

Mike

 
Thank you all for the explanations on SE vs Balanced. I have decided to save up more and get a decent desktop DAC/AMP later. For now, I have just ordered a Schiit Fulla for my Sony MDR-Z7. It has 300mW per channel on 32 Ohms and it's only $79......

 

[sidrpm]

Just heard the pha3 using the balanced (Sony) cable to a friend's Z7. Totally blown away.
 
The lights (hires & dsd) on the pha3 baffle me.
 
1. Tried optical out via AK120 and did not get the hires lights to come on while playing any 24bit track (24/96 or 24/192)
 
2. Using the pha3 via my laptop and via the Sony hires player software, I was able to get both lights on the pha3 i.e. dsd and hires. Dsd+hires both came on when playing dsd and hires came on when playing any 24bit track.
 
Am I doing anything wrong? Anyone else found the lights on pha3 quirky?
 
Thanks in advance guys.

 

[purk]

Y

Just heard the pha3 using the balanced (Sony) cable to a friend's Z7. Totally blown away.

The lights (hires & dsd) on the pha3 baffle me.

1. Tried optical out via AK120 and did not get the hires lights to come on while playing any 24bit track (24/96 or 24/192)

2. Using the pha3 via my laptop and via the Sony hires player software, I was able to get both lights on the pha3 i.e. dsd and hires. Dsd+hires both came on when playing dsd and hires came on when playing any 24bit track.

Am I doing anything wrong? Anyone else found the lights on pha3 quirky?

Thanks in advance guys.

Your connection issues are likely due to the quality of ur optical cable. A cheaper one usually won't transmitt digital signal above 24/48 properly. I use a good quality optical cable with my ak100 & pha3 and don't have any problems.

 

[sidrpm]

Y
Your connection issues are likely due to the quality of ur optical cable. A cheaper one usually won't transmitt digital signal above 24/48 properly. I use a good quality optical cable with my ak100 & pha3 and don't have any problems.

 
Thank you. We are just ordering sys concept optical cables. Which do you use?

 

[Juandv9307]

I live in colombia and at the sony store over here the pha 3 is 165 usd and the mdr-z7 is right now at 443 usd at todays change rate :|, has anyone used the ph3 with the hd650? 

 

[georgelai57]

  I live in colombia and at the sony store over here the pha 3 is 165 usd and the mdr-z7 is right now at 443 usd at todays change rate :|, has anyone used the ph3 with the hd650? 

That's cheap. Maybe I should buy online there and ship it back here to Asia.