Quote:
Originally Posted by Navyblue /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Larry,
Thanks for the advice.
ER-4P is quite sensitive, it hisses with my Sony DAP, yet it isn't easy to drive it properly. But the problem can be solved easily.
I wasn't aware there was another great thread by you, else I probably won't be asking here.
So is the gain in the Viper switchable? Does "high gain" Viper means it is stuck at high gain?
I have heard the Viper once, I assume that it was stock. I find it have a very warm and liquid midrange. It seems that you find the stock Viper quite neutral. I also find the SA6 warm, and you find it quite neutral too. So I guess your definition of warm is a couple of notched up from mine. So when you say something is warm sounding, it's probably what I'm looking for.
|
There is a "high gain Viper that was ordered as an OEM project and a few accidentally shipped to people with pre-orders of the Viper - this had lo/hi gain switch, but both settings multiplied the gain more than a typical viper (good for people with a very quiet or low output source). Very few people have these, and I don't know who is selling the high gain model for sure.
As for warm vs thin or cold - I think warm and liquid midrange also depends on the headphones being used, not just the amp (remember synergy). With my Proline 2500 or AKG K240M 600 ohm, I find the Predator, D2 viper w/rolled opamps, 2MOVE and Headsix are more neutral than warm - but with other headphones the amps are warm. Then you pair a Pico or stock D2 with those same headphones above and it sounds a little thin (the RS-1 are kinda in between, straddling the fence). But use a Yamaha HP-1 ortho, Denon D2000, HD600 or Edition 9 with the Pico or stock D2 or Micro Amp and you get warm again. And being "warm" doesn't always mean "forward" sounding too, because I find the D2000 and RS-1 with the right amp to be warm but not too forward, while the HD600 and Edition 9 and others are warm and often more forward sounding with those same amps.
When I used the SA6 in my IEM/Amp synergy impressions thread, I did find them warm with Predator, Headsix, Headstage, TTVJ or D2 with certain opamps - but with the Pico or D2 with THS4032 or LMH6622 in the main amp the SA6 were closer to neutral.
Going back to the D2000 "warm but not forward", another example (although unrelated) of warm but not forward sounding is my Stax SR-Lambda or Lambda Signature (with 3 out of 4 amps), while the Stax SR-5NB are both warm and forward regardless of the amp. But if use a Sennheiser HEV70 amp it will make the Lambdas sound forward because it is more midrange oriented - that freq response suits the Senn HE60 better, while the Stax SRM-1 amp makes the HE60 sound thin and more distant (Woo GES or SRD-7 pro fixes that) it makes the Lambdas sound just right. So, again it is all about synergy or lack thereof.
Anyway, I think I tend to focus on the 250-1000Hz range lower mids when discussing warm vs thin - I can't recall a headphone that is full in that frequency range that also lacks mid-bass bass yet (although the K240M 600 ohm are close). I suppose some people would call it thin if the bass was lacking but the mids were still full, but I just call that bass-lite or lacking impact (depending on what is missing).