[ostewart]

To be fair, the NFB-28 does have WAY more power, but it's mostly wasted power. I've never needed that much for any headphone or speaker. Still, it's kind of nice knowing you have it.

I'm not expecting it to drive my HE6SE but I do think it'll do a respectable job with the HE500. Mine should be with me on Wednesday

Is the output impedance an issue with your IEMs?

 

[PinkyPowers]

I'm not expecting it to drive my HE6SE but I do think it'll do a respectable job with the HE500. Mine should be with me on Wednesday

Is the output impedance an issue with your IEMs?

I tried my most sensitive IEMs, the Custom Art FIBAE ME. There was no hiss from either the XLR or 4.4mm.



The FI in FIBAE stands for Flat Impedance, so you wouldn't expect a change in sound due to high output impedance. But hiss can be serious issue with these. There was none on Low Gain.

To test out how the high output impedance might affect a non-FIBAE IEM, I tried the Empire Ears Legend X. These aren't super sensitive, but there was a chance they'd be altered. They sounded perfect.



So I went further. Noble Audio Encore is another I'd call super sensitive. Picks up hiss like a mofo. And obviously, it possesses no Flat Impedance tech. Well... not only is there zero hiss, but its signature hasn't been skewed in any way I can detect.

 

[ostewart]

Well mine has arrived and so far so good. I am currently using some Campfire Audio Andromeda's with an OE 2.5mm balanced cable and Effect Audio 2.5mm > 4.4mm adaptor and there is ZERO hiss, that is impressive.

Now with regards to the sound signature changing, there is a tiny (and I mean tiny) loss of bass when compared to a sub 2Ohm output impedance device, but that could also just be a change in sound signature between the devices, the DX7 Pro is coming across as a very clean, clear and precise DAC/Amp.

The DX7 Pro works really well with the Andromeda, and I am really impressed with how clean the DX7 Pro is.

On to full size headphones, using my HE500's with a balanced 4-pin XLR cable the DX7 Pro has no issues driving them in low gain, they sound really controlled and detailed.

I do currently have the new Rupert Neve Fidelice Precision DAC on my work desk and let's just say that it works well with full size, but forget using it with the Andromeda, hiss galore with unusable volume control due to their sensitivity. However when powering the HE500 the DX7 Pro sounds a little more analytical whereas the Fidelice sounds a little more natural and real. Considering the Topping is $599 and the Fidelice is $4995, that's impressive, but the Fidelice does have analogue inputs.

 

[Jwakeford]

ASR has the measurements in !
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...amp-reviewed.9446/#lg=attachment36276&slide=0

 

[Cat Music]

How does this DX7 Pro compare with the Monolith thx aaa 788 in sound quality?

 

[CoryGillmore]

How does this DX7 Pro compare with the Monolith thx aaa 788 in sound quality?

Asking the important questions here. I'm curious as well about this. I was going to pull the trigger on the THX 788 but this DX7 Pro now has my attention.

 

[ostewart]

ASR has the measurements in !
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...amp-reviewed.9446/#lg=attachment36276&slide=0

Whilst I value measurements, some of the comments just show how many people get caught up in the measurement only side of things and completely forget about music reproduction.

Someone saying they got rid of their D50 due to the ESS hump that they can't hear but can see in measurements therefore it must be bad.

Also about the output impedance and also noise from the headphone output, real world testing by myself using the Andromeda and @PinkyPowers using the Noble Encore out of the 4.4mm socket have shown there to be no audible noise, and also no noticeable change in frequency response. These are 2 highly sensitive IEMs.

 

[CoryGillmore]

Whilst I value measurements, some of the comments just show how many people get caught up in the measurement only side of things and completely forget about music reproduction.

Someone saying they got rid of their D50 due to the ESS hump that they can't hear but can see in measurements therefore it must be bad.

Also about the output impedance and also noise from the headphone output, real world testing by myself using the Andromeda and @PinkyPowers using the Noble Encore out of the 4.4mm socket have shown there to be no audible noise, and also no noticeable change in frequency response. These are 2 highly sensitive IEMs.

So true about measurments. There are many in this hobby who will take one look at squiggly lines on paper and make a snap decision about whether or not a peice of gear is worthy based solely on that. Many looked at the Sendy Aiva measurments and declared "wow these have recessed mids", but if you actually listen to them you'd hear that isn't even close to the truth.

Many people also let measurements actually have an affect on how they hear gear. Like a reverse placebo. You see it on paper so your brain forces you to hear it that way. When it comes to me and the gear I buy, the only thing that matters when I'm buying blind is how do people say it sounds. I don't even concern myself with measurments. Because of this I own some controversial headphones that I enjoy very much, Sendy Aiva and Sony MDR-Z7, both of which have controversial measurments.

 

[PinkyPowers]

While I'm happy the DX7 Pro measures well, it really is fairly meaningless. Historically speaking, real world listening heaps mockery upon the measurements posted online.

 

[jsmiller58]

While I'm happy the DX7 Pro measures well, it really is fairly meaningless. Historically speaking, real world listening heaps mockery upon the measurements posted online.

Why aren’t both important? Not trying to start an argument, but it would seem that if you have something that measures well, and you like the way it sounds on your cans, then it may well sound good on other cans. If it measures poorly, then it may sound very differently on other cans. As an overly simplistic example... output impedance... if it is very high, it might sound great on a planar set of headphones, but not on dynamic, or great on one dynamic set but not on another. There is, of course, audibility... some improvements in measurement are purely for pride after a certain point. Sort of like owning a 600hp muscle car in LA... where you gonna let those horses run (and not run the risk of having them impounded?).

If you had said measurement was all there is, and no listening is required I would just as happily argued against that. Both positions are short sighted. But you didn’t, so I won’t

 

[PinkyPowers]

Because if you like what you hear, how could the measurements possibly be important? And if you don't like what you hear, how could the measurements possibly be important?

I can tell you right now, as good as the DX7 Pro sounds, it's not the leap over the NFB-28 the measurements suggest.

 

[PinkyPowers]

There was a time when measurements could steer you clear of bad gear, but modern tech already measures so well that better measurements is not a useful indicator of sound quality. It is ALL about the listening experience.

 

[jsmiller58]

There was a time when measurements could steer you clear of bad gear, but modern tech already measures so well that better measurements is not a useful indicator of sound quality. It is ALL about the listening experience.

Absolutely no disagreement with the core principle that what matters is the listening experience. That is a given!

Where you and I will disagree is that it sounds like you are saying measurement will not matter in predicting if the gear will always fare well across the board. Modern gear like amps and DACs CAN exceed the limits of human hearing, and often do so handily at consumer friendly-ish prices. But I don’t think all modern gear does. Again, to state the simple and obvious example of an amp with high output impedance... you will detect a difference compared to low output impedance amps when listening to low impedance headphones (exception probably being planers) and IEMs.

If faced with equally good sounding gear, offering roughly the same features, and costing roughly the same, you would not go wrong choosing the better engineered (as measured) offering. But, again, I will agree, it has to sound good to you. I just want to make sure it will always sound good as the situation changes and new headphones and IEMs are introduced into the mix someone listens to.

To again agree with your core principle, I would not bother upgrading soundly engineered (any deficiencies are beyond human hearing) gear that sounds good to you. But, if your amps and DACs sound good now, but are poorly engineered, they might not sound as good when you change your headphones. If you are at your end game on headphones and IEMs and like how they sound, well yeah, that’s audio - and wallet - heaven!

 

[PinkyPowers]

Absolutely no disagreement with the core principle that what matters is the listening experience. That is a given!

Where you and I will disagree is that it sounds like you are saying measurement will not matter in predicting if the gear will always fare well across the board. Modern gear like amps and DACs CAN exceed the limits of human hearing, and often do so handily at consumer friendly-ish prices. But I don’t think all modern gear does. Again, to state the simple and obvious example of an amp with high output impedance... you will detect a difference compared to low output impedance amps when listening to low impedance headphones (exception probably being planers) and IEMs.

If faced with equally good sounding gear, offering roughly the same features, and costing roughly the same, you would not go wrong choosing the better engineered (as measured) offering. But, again, I will agree, it has to sound good to you. I just want to make sure it will always sound good as the situation changes and new headphones and IEMs are introduced into the mix someone listens to.

To again agree with your core principle, I would not bother upgrading soundly engineered (any deficiencies are beyond human hearing) gear that sounds good to you. But, if your amps and DACs sound good now, but are poorly engineered, they might not sound as good when you change your headphones. If you are at your end game on headphones and IEMs and like how they sound, well yeah, that’s audio - and wallet - heaven!

Don't worry about me, man. I never expect my view on things to be universally accepted.

Playing around with different Amps for the DX7 Pro. Really love the pairing with the Cayin iHA-6!

 

[PinkyPowers]

Question:

Other than switching to DAC mode, which requires booting into System Settings, is -00.0dB ideal when feeding a secondary Amp?

It sounds really good. No distortion. So I think it's correct. But just looking for a second opinion.