[BucketInABucket]

 
So, the (extra) C&C BH2 will probably not do the job sufficiently?

Probably not, orthos need a lot of power and the C&C BH2 sacrifices exactly that for a long battery life.

 

[nc8000]

A RSA Protector in balanced mode was not in my opinion enough to drive the HE-4 which was why I upgraded to the SR71-B. I'm sure the DX50 wont drive the HE-4, it is barely sufficient for the HE-500. However a DX90 on it's own might drive the HE-4, according to Jamato it's good enough to drive the HE-560

 

[spurxiii]

I thought the DX50 was loud enought for the HE500 on its own

 

[nc8000]

Yes it just handles the HE-500 loud enough but to me don't really deliver the full potential and the HE-4 is more demanding

 

[lin0003]

  I thought the DX50 was loud enought for the HE500 on its own

My phone is loud enough. Most of the time amplification is not about volume. 

 

[SkyBleu]

My phone is loud enough. Most of the time amplification is not about volume. 

+1
Amplification is not to achieve more volume, but more so a way of fine-tuning to achieve the desired sound. Yes, volume is one thing for high impedance headphones, but for most parts, anything can drive your standard headphone/IEM to ear-deafening levels.

That's how I see it, anyways... YMMV.

 

[mowglycdb]

The DX50  isn't well suited for demanding headphones, because if you pass the 1.6V barrier you'll get more than 1% THD+N and then you feel you're listening to noise instead of music.

 

[Sorensiim]

  My phone is loud enough. Most of the time amplification is not about volume. 

The DX50 on it's own has no problems driving my headphones into the realm of permanent hearing damage but the PB2 drives them quite a bit better - much more tightly controlled.

 

[solblack]

  I'm using the DX50/BH2 combi for some time. Headphones like AKG K701, Beyer DT880 (250 ohm), Grado's PS500 & GS1000 are easily driven by this combi.
Now I'm on the fence for a (second hand) pair of Hifiman HE-4's. I read that they need al lot of (amping) power. Anybody out there who tried the HE-4's with the DX50?

That combo push my Alpha Dogs just fine.
The BH2 for the price it cost does a lot!

 

[Kukyo]

A RSA Protector in balanced mode was not in my opinion enough to drive the HE-4 which was why I upgraded to the SR71-B. I'm sure the DX50 wont drive the HE-4, it is barely sufficient for the HE-500. However a DX90 on it's own might drive the HE-4, according to Jamato it's good enough to drive the HE-560

You do realize that the DX90 has less power than the DX50, right? At least in Hi-gain. I didn't find enough differences between an O2 and a DX50 to lift an HE-500. The DX50 doesn't have that much trouble lifting even the HE-6, though i haven't tried the HE-4's. I found that the rest was only coloration coming from the amp, at least to my ears. You still might want to get an amp for the DX50, as it benefits greatly from it.

 

[jamato8]

 
You do realize that the DX90 has less power than the DX50, right? At least in Hi-gain. I didn't find enough differences between an O2 and a DX50 to lift an HE-500. The DX50 doesn't have that much trouble lifting even the HE-6, though i haven't tried the HE-4's. I found that the rest was only coloration coming from the amp, at least to my ears. You still might want to get an amp for the DX50, as it benefits greatly from it.

Where do you get your information? The DX90 certainly has more power, both in the specifications and from hearing it with the same phones and comparing the DX50 and DX90. 

 

[ClieOS]

 
You do realize that the DX90 has less power than the DX50, right? At least in Hi-gain. I didn't find enough differences between an O2 and a DX50 to lift an HE-500. The DX50 doesn't have that much trouble lifting even the HE-6, though i haven't tried the HE-4's. I found that the rest was only coloration coming from the amp, at least to my ears. You still might want to get an amp for the DX50, as it benefits greatly from it.

 
Actually a recent test done on an Audio Precision machine has shown that DX90 has about 1.8 times the power into the same 32ohm load when compared to DX50.

 

[Marco Angel]

Does anybody can recommend an amp who doesn't varies the sound signature of the dx50 too much.
Its for an MDR ex600, I don't know if a better amp could drive them with better dynamics

 

[Kukyo]

  Where do you get your information? The DX90 certainly has more power, both in the specifications and from hearing it with the same phones and comparing the DX50 and DX90. 

 

   
Actually a recent test done on an Audio Precision machine has shown that DX90 has about 1.8 times the power into the same 32ohm load when compared to DX50.

Previous posts talked about the DX90 having 2.8V in High Gain, while the DX50 had 3.1V in High Gain. Then the same was said in the DX90 thread. I know that doesn't mean that it actually has "more" power (since power depends on both voltage and current), but it's the only number posted in either the threads, and the iBasso webpage. The DX90 does have more power in Low and Mid gain though (using the same numbers that iBasso provides on the webpage: 1.2V vs 1.3V in Low; 1.7V vs 2V in Mid; 3.1V vs 2.8V in High Gain).

 

[SkyBleu]

Does anybody can recommend an amp who doesn't varies the sound signature of the dx50 too much.
Its for an MDR ex600, I don't know if a better amp could drive them with better dynamics

Neco Soundlabs Portable V4