[karma]

My Rio Carbon only has a headphone-out, no line-out. Would this be a poor match with the Tomahawk? Would I not notice much sonic improvements because of this?

My new e500s exhibit an annoying hiss with the Carbon, and I am considering the Tomahawk for its reputation as a "no noise" amp.

 

[mrarroyo]

The amp will amplify what it is being fed, so if the output of your source has hiss any amp will amplify it.

 

[3x331m]

Quote:

Originally Posted by karma /img/forum/go_quote.gif My Rio Carbon only has a headphone-out, no line-out. Would this be a poor match with the Tomahawk? Would I not notice much sonic improvements because of this? My new e500s exhibit an annoying hiss with the Carbon, and I am considering the Tomahawk for its reputation as a "no noise" amp.

If the Carbon gives you hiss with e500, then I think you could be more happy with other DAP's. Any amp won't make it better, just worst.

 

[karma]

Thanks for the feedback.

I'd love to get a new DAP, but there just aren't any out now that meet my wish list right now. The Meizu M6 comes closest, but I don't want to lose space by dropping to 4GB.

Maybe I'll just sink some money into a pair of DT990s instead.

 

[karma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif The amp will amplify what it is being fed, so if the output of your source has hiss any amp will amplify it.

I just did some listening with my Carbon through my M3 amp and the hiss is gone. How can that be explained?

Note that my testing method is to set volume to 0 so that only the hiss is heard. Plugged directly into the Carbon, I can easily hear the hiss. Plugged in through the M3, the hiss is gone.

 

[bcwang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by karma /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just did some listening with my Carbon through my M3 amp and the hiss is gone. How can that be explained? Note that my testing method is to set volume to 0 so that only the hiss is heard. Plugged directly into the Carbon, I can easily hear the hiss. Plugged in through the M3, the hiss is gone.

The hiss with the E500 is because the E500 is super sensitive and most headphone outs will make them hiss. But the amp has is a high impedance load for your Carbon's headphone out so the hiss is eliminated. Then, the amp simply amplifies the signal which is clean at this point. If you plug less sensitive headphones into the Carbon they probably won't hiss. The amp would behave like a very high impedance headphone.

 

[shigzeo]

i found that an amp reduced hiss. it was like throwing a resister in the pipeline. when i had my supermini with the shuffle, i was so happy that my um2's hiss was lessened by at least 70%. i would say that if you set the volume very loud, not loudest, but 90% and then amp to a small to medium degree, you should be rid of hiss!

 

[Pete7]

The degree of improvement using an amp from a headphone out is so minimal that it is a waste of time IMO. A volume attenuator would reduce hiss and would cost significantly less money than buying an amp.

 

[charlie1]

I've found that if you don't have the volume all the way up on some DAPs you will get hiss. If I use the headphone out, turn volume all the way up and only use amp volume.

 

[Dzjudz]

Shure E4 in any mp3 player = white noise. Add the Hornet in the chain and the hiss disappears. mrarroyo is not correct in his statement. If I plug my E4 in my iRiver H340 I hear white noise (you know, the buzzing when no sound is playing). If I add the Hornet though, all white noise is eliminated and I get a crisp clean sound. That's a major reason why I love my amp.

 

[Altoids]

Zune + E4 = No hiss from heaphone out at full volume.

 

[reivaj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Altoids /img/forum/go_quote.gif Zune + E4 = No hiss from heaphone out at full volume.

i hope your ear canals dont implode

 

[Altoids]

Quote:

Originally Posted by reivaj /img/forum/go_quote.gif i hope your ear canals dont implode

Well, I think there's something a little wrong with my Zune or the E4s, because I need to crank it to about 15 for normal listening. It's kind of annoying.