[appar111]

Does anyone here own one of these? Are they worth the $110-120? I'm interested in any opinions on the sound (how different cans sound being driven by the V6) as well as any experiences with battery life, etc.

thanks!
appar111

 

[iamdone]

Quote:

Originally posted by appar111 Does anyone here own one of these? Are they worth the $110-120? I'm interested in any opinions on the sound (how different cans sound being driven by the V6) as well as any experiences with battery life, etc. thanks! appar111

I own the v6 with crossfeed and a 4P-4S converter built in. I am using it with 20gig Ipod and ety ER-4P headphones. When I first got it, I couldn't hear much difference. After running it for about 100 hours, I notice a big difference.

With the ety's, music sounds great but is very analytical. When you add the amp, everything comes alive and is much more enjoyable to listen to. The biggest difference is the overall dynamic range. Without the amp, the music can be very loud but everything is loud and there is not as much range. With the amp, the drums go deep and have much more punch, sounds open up and seem to float around, and you are drawn into the music. I have also tried the Sen. PX200 headphones (which are not close to ety's) and thse improved greatly too.

I have not tried any other amp, so I have nothing to compare too other than without one at all. I also like the fact that it is so small you just velco it on to the Ipod case and can still put in your pocket.

The batteries are supposed to last 120 hours but you should use NiMH chargable batteries to get more voltage throughout the use of the batteries. With these batteries you may get 75 hours after the initial burn-in.

The crossfeed is optional. I have the earlier one with linkwitz but I guess the effect is almost the same as the xinfeed. I leave it on the whole time and have just listen without for a comparison. The sound moves about an inch forward to the front of your head but still sounds like it's coming from inside your head. I think this help older recordings like the Beatles and the Doors, where everything is coming out one speaker or the other. He also has an add-on if you buy it without and change your mind.

Hope this helps. I've read a comparison here between the super mini and the Corda portable but I don't know if it was fair since my super mini did not show full improvement until about 75 hours of use.

 

[AdamZuf]

iamdone!

i beg, compare the two version of your supermini, maybe i shall ask a moderator to edit my review in the "full reviews" section and to add your comments, as the supermini i reviewed was with the linkwitz crossfeed.

 

[iamdone]

Sorry if you misunderstood me. I only have the version with linkwitz crossfeed, not the xinfeed. I was just talking about comparing the sound with the crossfeed on vs off.

My only comment about the review was maybe the supermini was not fully broken in and comparing to something that was may not be fair. I thought about returning my supermini when I first got it because I didn't think it made much difference. Now it sounds great. Maybe a fully broken in supermini still sounds worse than the Corda portable, maybe not?

I asked Xin about the difference between xinfeed and linkwitz. He said his version is completely by-passable, does not need an extra gain boost, and is a little darker sounding.

I thought about having it switched out to the xinfeed, but I'm happy with the current sound and didn't think it was worth the time and trouble. Maybe the reason I'm so happy with the sound is I don't have anything to compare it with yet, which can be a good thing as for as money is concerned.

I was completely happy with the ER-4P without the amp but then I thought for $25 I can try the converter 4P-4S and see what that sounds like. I made a big difference. So from there I got the supermini, which is actually a more subtle difference than the converter. Now I'm considering a Headsave Ultra Meta42 home amp but I listen to most of my music on an Ipod, so would it even be worth it when the supermini seems to work so well.

 

[bobjew]

Got a v6 last week from Xin and have been burning it in since Monday. V6 exhibits a similar sound to the other SuperMinis before total burn-in. Kind of bright, constricted and sibilant. I know when the siblance goes away(in about 1-2 weeks more) the amp is ready for prime time. I have been getting about 30hrs of play time before the batteries die. (x3—700mah Nimh AAA's)

Regards,
Bob

 

[appar111]

wow, that's quite a difference from the quoted 120 hours! But then again, if you're using rechargeables, it would be closer to 70-80 max anyway... does it go through batteries faster during the burn-in process?

also, what kind of interconnect do you use? I'm not sure what kind of short cord (i.e. 6"-12") I should use... are they expensive for good ones?

 

[iamdone]

Quote:

Originally posted by appar111 wow, that's quite a difference from the quoted 120 hours! But then again, if you're using rechargeables, it would be closer to 70-80 max anyway... does it go through batteries faster during the burn-in process? also, what kind of interconnect do you use? I'm not sure what kind of short cord (i.e. 6"-12") I should use... are they expensive for good ones?

Yeah, I now get about 70 hours on the batteries. I've lost track of how many hours I've put on it after the burn-in. I started with alkaline batteries which get more hours but also lose their sound quality about half way through. With the rechargables, it sounds great up into the last minute and just dies.

I just bought the interconnect that Xin makes and recommends ($25 for the right-angle 6"). I haven't tried any other interconnects to see if it makes any difference. This interconnect is nice because of the size but the review between the portable corda and supermini said it sounded better using corda's interconnect.

 

[bobjew]

I have the crossfeed turned on as well as the volume way up (about 3/4) into a pair of Ety4s's—maybe thats contributing to play time. Someone else had a thread about that and they were also getting about 30hrs. Enough for me anyway.

 

[bobjew]

Interconnects do change the sound with SuperMinis. I DIY 'ed an interconnect of Home Grown Audio braided silver wire and Switchcraft connectors (my first) and the sound was really different. Less but more accurate Bass with a pretty midrange, open and detailed highs compared to to Xin's cable. Can be over-bright though if the amp is not broken-in or if the recording itself is bright. The best balanced IC in my opinion for the SuperMinis is the Markertek mini-mini cable. Sounds more like the Xin cable because it is copper-based except with a more open, airier midrange and a nicely detailed upper; very well built and inexpensive as well.

 

[iamdone]

Quote:

Originally posted by bobjew I have the crossfeed turned on as well as the volume way up (about 3/4) into a pair of Ety4s's—maybe thats contributing to play time. Someone else had a thread about that and they were also getting about 30hrs. Enough for me anyway.

Well decided to compare the sound with the crossfeed on vs it off. I have the linkwitz version so I don't know if this will apply to the xinfeed or not. I'm am using ety4p with the 4s converter built-in.

I was surprised at how much better the sound was with the crossfeed turned off. I previously only listened for about 10 min. with it off in the past when I first got it. 1st: the soundstage is now much wider (the ety's are known to be a little narrow), 2nd: the vocals are much sharper, 3rd: the location of the instruments is more precise, 4th: the bass seems a little deeper and the high a little crisper. I really wasn't expecting such a difference. The only problem is some songs seem to create a weird pressure with it off. I could see needing to turn it on if you start getting a headache or tired but I now feel you should leave off until this situation starts to happen.

 

[guzzler]

double post, my apologies!

 

[guzzler]

the crossfeed shouldn't affect the battery life at all, its all passive and has no power relevant connection to the active circuitry ie opamps and buffers etc...

the old Linkwitz might have had an impact due to the increase in gain, but the Xin-Feed shouldn't

g

 

[iamdone]

Quote:

Originally posted by bobjew Interconnects do change the sound with SuperMinis. I DIY 'ed an interconnect of Home Grown Audio braided silver wire and Switchcraft connectors (my first) and the sound was really different. Less but more accurate Bass with a pretty midrange, open and detailed highs compared to to Xin's cable. Can be over-bright though if the amp is not broken-in or if the recording itself is bright. The best balanced IC in my opinion for the SuperMinis is the Markertek mini-mini cable. Sounds more like the Xin cable because it is copper-based except with a more open, airier midrange and a nicely detailed upper; very well built and inexpensive as well.

What's the Markertek model number? I'm wouldn't mind testing one out. I'm looking through the website but not sure on the exact one. What's the TecNec?

 

[bobjew]

iamdone:

Here is a link to the cable:
http://www.markertek.com/MTStore/pro...BaseItem=SC3MM

BTW: I totally think the Superminis are worth every bit of the money. It's a matter of paying for what you do and don't get. You get a great sounding ultra portable audiophile grade headamp for a reasonable price. What you don't get is a lot of bulk. Ever wonder why no one knocks off a SuperMini ? Cause no one can solder those teeny tiny boards of his like he can. Amazing skill and accomplishment when you think about it. I think we sometimes take Xin for granted on these boards. We are lucky he is willing to be here doing what he does.

Regards,
Bob

 

[bobjew]

iamdone:

Here is a link to the cable:
http://www.markertek.com/MTStore/pro...BaseItem=SC3MM

BTW: I totally think the Superminis are worth every bit of the money. It's a matter of paying for what you do and don't get. You get a great sounding ultra portable audiophile grade headamp for a reasonable price. What you don't get is a lot of bulk. Ever wonder why no one knocks off a SuperMini ? Cause no one can solder those teeny tiny boards of his like he can. Amazing skill and accomplishment when you think about it. I think we sometimes take Xin for granted on these boards. We are lucky he is willing to be here doing what he does.

Regards,
Bob