[iFi audio]

Someone mentioned the Stealths have similar current requirements, but maybe not.

They're similar but not quite alike: DCA Stealth (23Ω and 86dB) is still easier on amps than Susvara (83dB and 60Ω).

 

[buzzlulu]

Trying to understand if this is an amp for everyday headphones - or more specifically geared to high demanding Susvara type headphones? Aside from my multiple Stax cans my primary drivers are the Utopia and to a lesser extent the Sony Z1R. Cans such as the new LCD-5 are on my inbound radar.

My current amps are the GSX-MK2 and GSX-Mini with a Donald North Stellaris inbound. I am starting to get interested in this new Enleum.

 

[Andrewteee]

Trying to understand if this is an amp for everyday headphones - or more specifically geared to high demanding Susvara type headphones? Aside from my multiple Stax cans my primary drivers are the Utopia and to a lesser extent the Sony Z1R. Cans such as the new LCD-5 are on my inbound radar.

My current amps are the GSX-MK2 and GSX-Mini with a Donald North Stellaris inbound. I am starting to get interested in this new Enleum.

I plan to find out. Right now I only have the DCA Stealth, but I plan to try more efficient headphones too. I can throttle the output voltage on my dCS Bartok DAC, so I should be able to adapt the AMP-23r to a variety of headphones and volume. But technically speaking, I don't know the answer. I also plan to try it with speakers (there I have the inverse problem in that my speakers need high current and the 25 watts may not be enough, though I don't listen loud).

I've heard that Enleum (and formerly Bakoon) wanted to make a stellar headphone amp in addition to a speaker amp, which to me implies a more well-rounded headphone amp, not one only for a small subset of headphones.

I've ordered the AMP-23r; I'm supposed to receive one of the next batch. I felt motivated to try this amp and see how it works out. Been curious about their products for a while now.

 

[xirxes]

This amp I believe would do any headphone it’s best possible supply of clean power, however on easier to drive dynamic headphones this amp would be 90+% headroom I think.

On the idea of dialing down your pre-amp, be wary of this as it is my understanding that you want to get nearly 100% from your pre-amp as you will lack dynamics if you are secondarily trying to amplify a damped source. You also don’t want to overdrive your pre-amp or you will experience clipping in final stage amp even at low gain.

Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, in comes electrical engineering to ruin your day. Good luck!

 

[Andrewteee]

This amp I believe would do any headphone it’s best possible supply of clean power, however on easier to drive dynamic headphones this amp would be 90+% headroom I think.

On the idea of dialing down your pre-amp, be wary of this as it is my understanding that you want to get nearly 100% from your pre-amp as you will lack dynamics if you are secondarily trying to amplify a damped source. You also don’t want to overdrive your pre-amp or you will experience clipping in final stage amp even at low gain.

Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, in comes electrical engineering to ruin your day. Good luck!

It's a dCS Bartok and it has adjustable line level outputs. The DAC can be used as a source only or as a "preamp" to directly drive amps. The highest output level, 6V, is intended for the latter option. The standard/default is 2V. The two lowest settings, .6V and .2V, are to be used when driving amps directly with AirPlay ("volume in the sending device can be very high"); I use AirPlay at the 2V level.

When at 0db the Bartok is sending the signal at 100% ("out of the circuit"). I can use the Bartok volume control to reduce this if needed. I've read mixed comments on if that reduces sound quality or not; some believe if it does then the Bartok output level is too low.

I also have a Resolution Audio Cantata 3.0x that I may use with the AMP-23r as a second input. It has a CD drive (very good USB DAC too). 2.5V max output; it also has a built-in volume control.

 

[buzzlulu]

It's a dCS Bartok and it has adjustable line level outputs. The DAC can be used as a source only or as a "preamp" to directly drive amps. The highest output level, 6V, is intended for the latter option. The standard/default is 2V. The two lowest settings, .6V and .2V, are to be used when driving amps directly with AirPlay ("volume in the sending device can be very high"); I use AirPlay at the 2V level.

When at 0db the Bartok is sending the signal at 100% ("out of the circuit"). I can use the Bartok volume control to reduce this if needed. I've read mixed comments on if that reduces sound quality or not; some believe if it does then the Bartok output level is too low.

Rossini owner here and active member of the dCS forum. Universally most on the forum agree that 6V is the proper setting as things sound more alive. Universally - even more if possible - everyone agrees that the volume control DEFINITELY reduces signal quality. Everyone has tried.....and everyone has gone on to use a proper preamp.
Hope that helps however as always....your mileage may vary.

 

[Andrewteee]

Universally most on the forum agree that 6V is the proper setting as things sound more alive.

Even with a preamp? I use an integrated amp. I tried the Bartok direct, bypassing the preamp section, and it sounded clearer but lacked a lot of dynamics at lower volumes. Using the preamp section filled things in nicely.

 

[TheMiddleSky]

This is all relative to the juice you feed it as well i suppose. Chain always matters. I am feeding 23R with TT2 on +5db line level.

may I know why use +5db on TT2?

 

[all2ofme]

Rossini owner here and active member of the dCS forum. Universally most on the forum agree that 6V is the proper setting as things sound more alive. Universally - even more if possible - everyone agrees that the volume control DEFINITELY reduces signal quality. Everyone has tried.....and everyone has gone on to use a proper preamp.
Hope that helps however as always....your mileage may vary.

Agree with most of this (and have even spoken to this post's lovely author at length about it ), but a note of clarification worth adding from my point of view.

To start with I preferred dCS gear via a preamp — provided it was a very, very good preamp (I used the Townshend Allegri Reference and Pass XP-30) — but better clocking reversed that for me.

Bartok and Rossini sans Vivaldi Clock: I preferred having a preamp.
Bartok and Rossini WITH a Vivaldi Clock: bye-bye preamp.

Both configurations sounded fantastic, but I went with Vivaldi Clock without a preamp in the end. The better clocking added the same sort of thing that the preamp did — more weight to what I was hearing. Adding both was too much of a good thing. It sounded a bit leaden.

Now where's my bloody Enleum got to? Hurry up factory

 

[iFi audio]

primary drivers are the Utopia and to a lesser extent the Sony Z1R. Cans such as the new LCD-5 are on my inbound radar.

I reckon this Enleum amp should be fine with your cans upon setting its gain to low.

 

[buzzlulu]

I reckon this Enleum amp should be fine with your cans upon setting its gain to low.

Ok thanks - any speculation on how it will perform when compared to some of my other amps - GSX Mini, GSX MK2, inbound Donald North Stellaris etc. ?

 

[iFi audio]

Ok thanks - any speculation on how it will perform when compared to some of my other amps - GSX Mini, GSX MK2, inbound Donald North Stellaris etc. ?

No clue, sorry!

 

[xirxes]

may I know why use +5db on TT2?

My understanding is that with a gain controlled PRE-amp, you want to maximize the output to just below the point at which your highest comfortable listening gain setting on final powered amp will clip in any direction (highs/ lows/sub bass etc). I have a few tester tracks for this that show clipping very early on, and at +7dB i can get routine clipping on the most aggressive sub-bass tracks, hence i set my TT2 at high gain AMP mode RCA line out to +5dB and i cannot get my enleum to clip on any track of any type at my highest listening level.

As a reference: Cradle to the Grave by Max Richter on Hostiles soundtrack. The sub-bass from 00:45-01:15 will often clip if your Pre-amp gain is too high. I set my gain up until it clips at high volume, then set it down 2-3 dB to be safe

I was told that this setting will ensure that i will not be leaving any of the signal dynamics, micro or macro on the table due to too low a line feed and amplifying what is in effect a truncated signal.

Not sure if its all 100% accurate to audio science but it has always made sense to me.

 

[jlbrach]

I use my dave and blu 2 at 0 into my 13r and my formula s/powerman

 

[paradoxper]

Ok thanks - any speculation on how it will perform when compared to some of my other amps - GSX Mini, GSX MK2, inbound Donald North Stellaris etc. ?

Enleum will sound warmer to most solid state you've heard excelling in ease of listening and stage width. Stellaris will wipe the floor in any category of resolution, space, naturalness. Mk 2 was also more fickle depending on transducer pairing. I'd immediately throw a tube pre into the GS-X, I've done so with my CFA3 and I'm not too certain I can go back.