[nirajp]

EDIT: Dumb question removed

 

[ezzieyguywuf]

Go ahead, call me crazy, but after k3ct's post I took out the two jumpers that I had in there (neutral setting) and boy did it make a difference. Not night and day immedietley but let me explain.

I have the Earth HDAM in with about 150 maybe 200 hours on it (hard to tell, I can explain if you want...) and I had been listening in the neutral setting because I figured this would be the most un-tampered signal. It was fine, I didn't mind it for most albums or for watching TV. But lemme tell you, L.A.X. by The Game was just unlistanable for me because there was soooo much syballance (is that the right word?) i.e. all his S's were like, scratching my ear drums. Ouch!

I pulled the jumpers, and now the bass on that same album opened up and the syballance is all but gone. I haven't checked other stuff out (I got all three HDAMs but I figured I'd burn them in one at a time). I feel like I got years of experimenting and discovering great jumper-HDAM-album combinations ahead of me.

YAY! Thank you Compass!!!

P.S. I dunno what it is about Bright Setting-Earth HDAM-Woodied Denen D2000s-The Game's L.A.X but this bass is remarkable. It's blowing me away right now. I was listening to the Chronic 2001 beforehand and it wasn't even close (course the Neutral jumpers were in). I'm impressed. Sweet.

 

[keithw]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haloxt /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yep, rollercoaster ride. The solution is to leave your compass on forever.

It's so weird. I'm definitely a believer in burn-in for headphones but for amps I kinda figured it was just more audiophile BS. But man, this amp's sound changed so dramatically in a 24 hour period it's unbelievable. Guess I just gotta keep it going for a few more days and see what happens

 

[Reiniku]

I've been trying to deliberate whether the Compass is the perfect choice for me, between it and 2 portable dac/amps (Pico and D10). I originally wanted to grab a dac/amp strictly for home use but all of the sudden I really like the idea of the portable dac/amps to use with my laptop. However, if it's the case that the Compass is the right choice, I can forgo even using anything for my laptop (I rarely listen to music on it anyway).

I'm hoping to have a mixed set of headphones to listen from, starting with the HD555's, Grado SR80/MS-1, and either DT880's or K701's. The only reason I'm not diving head on into the portable amps is because of the last two (which I'm choosing from). The Compass should be able to drive these with ease, correct? Assuming the 05/250 version of the DT880's, can I properly drive these with the D10 or Pico? Can't really make a decision.

 

[zupa]

Can anyone with all 3 opamps please help me out?

the labels peeled off mine a while ago so I don't know which one is which. I can't listen to them either atm.

1 has "221" on the outside in between solders... can someone identify this one?

also if someone could tell me a way to identify the other 2 that would be great

thanks

 

[haloxt]

Sun has LED lightbulbs on them, Moon has one bar on the top, Earth has two bars on top.

Pictures here: н¨ÍøÒ³ 1

 

[MadMan007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zupa /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can anyone with all 3 opamps please help me out? the labels peeled off mine a while ago so I don't know which one is which. I can't listen to them either atm. 1 has "221" on the outside in between solders... can someone identify this one? also if someone could tell me a way to identify the other 2 that would be great thanks

Yeah he really needs a better way to mark them, those stickers just dry out and peel off from the heat. I let Kingwa know about it. I wrote S, E and M on the bottom of mine in marker.

Here's the Sun on the left and Moon on the Right:

 

[Pricklely Peete]

Just mark an S,M or E on the Grey box caps on either side of the modules.

Works great

Peete.

 

[zupa]

thanks

just the info i was looking for

 

[MadMan007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by K3cT /img/forum/go_quote.gif By the way and in case you have not, take out all those jumpers from your Compass. They are doing more harm than good.

It's worth trying the jumper settings but for me the 'bright' setting (no jumpers) was terrible. I burned in my Compass playing music with all jumper plugged in which I understand burns in all the settings. With an HF-2 there was an extreme loss of midrange detail in guitars and other midrange instruments, fast notes that are distinct and separate in the neutral setting became a blurry indistinct mess with the bright setting. I could tell instantly there was something wrong and listened for a bit, changed back to neutral and it was clear what was wrong.

 

[K3cT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMan007 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's worth trying the jumper settings but for me the 'bright' setting (no jumpers) was terrible. I burned in my Compass playing music with all jumper plugged in which I understand burns in all the settings. With an HF-2 there was an extreme loss of midrange detail in guitars and other midrange instruments, fast notes that are distinct and separate in the neutral setting became a blurry indistinct mess with the bright setting. I could tell instantly there was something wrong and listened for a bit, changed back to neutral and it was clear what was wrong.

Curious. My experience is contrary to yours as I find the jumpers cutting out the upper midrange and treble, making them brittle/glassy.

What op-amp did you have in the Compass by the way?

 

[Currawong]

I've added the following to the FAQ:

My stickers have fallen off, which HDAM is which?
If your stickers fall off, see the picture of the Earth, Sun and Moon above respectively. The Sun is the only one with glowing diodes, and the Earth is the only one with the bracing wire at the very top, between 4 vertical transistors.

 

[MadMan007]

Hm my Sun doesn't have LEDs but it has to be v2 since I got it in June of 2009. The LEDs must be a very recent addition, or is that only for v1?

Quote:

Originally Posted by K3cT /img/forum/go_quote.gif Curious. My experience is contrary to yours as I find the jumpers cutting out the upper midrange and treble, making them brittle/glassy. What op-amp did you have in the Compass by the way?

That is with the Earth HDAM. I don't understand what you mean by cutting out upper midrange and treble but at the same time making them brittle/glassy...those descriptions sound like opposites to me. Anyhow I'm sure it's different for each setup and each person too, I was just relating my experience, perhaps your 'brittle/glassy' is my 'detail'

but I don't want a bunch of separate notes mushed together. I didn't try a lot of songs once I heard the (imo) defect but noticed it most obviously in Led Zep - Immigrant Song: at 0:17-0:22 there's a reverb guitar part in the right channel that sounds like a mess on 'bright' but distinct decaying reverb notes on neutral (this part repeats a few times, also at 0:34-0:40, 1:21-1:26) There's some similar problems with guitar licks in the left channel at 0:43-0:51, 1:30-1:38. *edited to fix channels, I had the phones on backwards lol

It's certainly worth trying the different settings, so whatever works for you, great!

 

[slbowing]

Anyone out there use a Compass with some Pro 750's with say a computer as the source?

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMan007 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hm my Sun doesn't have LEDs but it has to be v2 since I got it in June of 2009. The LEDs must be a very recent addition, or is that only for v1?

Mine is a V2, but an early one. If the glowing diodes have been replaced with non-glowing ones, then I'll have to update my description.