[rolandpsp]

Can someone give me some impressions regarding HD800 with : Pure II , Duet, SR-71B, maybe compared to each other ?
 
I've been reading that Pure II drives them well however it only has 34mw/300ohm , 17mw/600 ohm while Duet has more than 80mw/600 ohm about 150mw/300ohm in balanced mode, if i recall correctly.
Please post your opinions and experience on this subject.

I am leaning towards the duet but the size of the pure II makes it alot more attractive if it can actually put out the same performance ( which from the data seem very unlikely )

 

[osman59]

Hello Everyone,
 
I read nearly all posts in this thread and I've got very positive impressions about Vorzuge Pure II. I am planning to buy a portable amplifier.
 
Has any one tried Vorzuge Pure II+ with Sony NW ZX2 ?
 
If so what are your impressions ?
 
If I get a Pure II+
 
My combo will be Sony NW ZX2 + Pure II+  + OPPO PM2 (Planar magnetic Headphones)
 
Any comment and information will highly be appreciated.
 
Best regards and thanks in advance

 

[tgrosu]

I just got a Vorzuge Pure ii (no +). I am using it with Ibasso DX80 and Sennheiser HD 600. When compared to the DX80+HD600 alone, I really feel the Vorzuge has added quite a lot to the sound. I guess it must have something to do with the proper amplification of the Sennheisers. The sound has literally bloomed, is more rounded and complete and the bass is amazing. Truly this Vorzuge is an incredible device. To be honest, I didn't expect that much quality in such a tiny package (I really was really shocked by how small the device is).

 

[shigzeo]

Great combo that. 

 

[WCDchee]

I love the pure II, but I would not use if for big headphones. Numbers aside, my subjective impressions are that when driving things like the he560, the bass drops off and almost disappears, everything becomes thin and dynamics start becoming anaemic.

For IEMs though, incredible incredible stuff. I would recommend anyone with the pure 2 to try out the different gain levels too. I've found the medium gain, volume matched to sound notably superior to my ears in terms of weight, slam, and authority.

 

[shigzeo]

I love the pure II, but I would not use if for big headphones. Numbers aside, my subjective impressions are that when driving things like the he560, the bass drops off and almost disappears, everything becomes thin and dynamics start becoming anaemic.

For IEMs though, incredible incredible stuff. I would recommend anyone with the pure 2 to try out the different gain levels too. I've found the medium gain, volume matched to sound notably superior to my ears in terms of weight, slam, and authority.

The bass absoultely doens't drop off, though. This can be tested and is predictable. All amps will hit a current/voltage dead drop when pushed to voltages at which they cannot sustain enough current. If your listening level is too high, it is possible that the Vorzüge will have trouble with the HE560, but at typical normal listening levels it should not.

 

[WCDchee]

The bass absoultely doens't drop off, though. This can be tested and is predictable. All amps will hit a current/voltage dead drop when pushed to voltages at which they cannot sustain enough current. If your listening level is too high, it is possible that the Vorzüge will have trouble with the HE560, but at typical normal listening levels it should not.

Of course, which is why I'm talking about subjective impressions here which me and a few friends have heard...

I don't mean drop off as in roll off. But compared to another desktop amp, with IEMs, I have never found the pure 2 to be lacking in bass impact, body, and weight. With multiple hard to drive headphones however, they sounded significantly thinner with less body and weight on the pure 2 Than with the desktop amp.

Yes I know that measurements show that they measure flat regardless. Similarly measurements show that 99% of amps measure flat regardless. Then of course we have to take into account distortion characteristics. Perhaps the distortion numbers shoot up at high current loads, perhaps it doesn't appear so measureably. But if so many of us hear it, and pretty clearly I will add, there's got to be something there. And trust me its not a placebo because I was expecting and wanting the pure 2 to hold up. So feel free to make of that what you will

Besides, we have no way of correlating distortion characteristics to what we hear. Yes numbers are one thing, but just because there's a THD of 0.005% in Two amps, it doesn't mean that they sound the same because they distort differently giving rise to a different sound. It may be that at those current levels. Distortion goes up resulting in what I hear. It may be that at those numbers, the distortion pattern changes, resulting in what I hear. Whatever it is, I'm sharing what we have heard which ultimately is what's more important in this hobby than hard numbers in my opinion. Especially when we are dealing with measurements that we can only make so much sense of. After all, nobody gets in this hobby to get the best measurable gear. We come to the hobby to hear what we like

 

[Marat Sar]

Quick first impressions.
 
Amp: Pure II+.
DAC: Chord Mojo
phones: JH Audio Layla.
 
1) Medium gain is the way to go with the 12-driver impedance-nightmare that is the Siren Series Laylas. Low gain makes the Laylas sound dark and the soundstage round and congested. The gain settings on the Pure II+ are very, very well implemented for the medium to handle the fluxuating load of the Laylas with such dramatic difference. I'm guessing the Pure II's is somewhat more specialized than the regular gain implementation, which is just a volume switch.
 
(I don't pretend to be an impedance specialist, I just trust my ears. The low gain was a huge disappointment, my old Cayin c5 outperformed the Pure II easily. The medium is night and day. WCDchee thank you for the tip!)
 
2) Tonality. There are literally no tonality troubles. I can't find one thing wrong with bass, treble or mids. This is a good sign since over time, nagging frequency characteristics become aggrevated. Tonality is end game on these. The treble especially stands out, as I've never heard flawless treble before.
 
3) Soundstage - the only shortfall thus far. It's not small, it's about 90% or 85% as large as the Cayin c5 (which is pretty huge), but it's not an end game soundstage. Separation and layering  are awesome, but I could do with more width and depth. Could be more panoramic. Positive thing is, the soundstage is very natural, superbly integrated, and there are no artificially off-center sounds in it. (As was the case with Cayin c5.) It draws less attention to itself, but is not as 3D. It'll be interesting to see what I think of it in a month, how the image settles in my bran.
 
4) Detail-wise, this is my first absolute top of the line amp and I can definitely feel the upgrade in both the amount of details and the texture of sounds. Leaves the Fiio e12A, the Cayin c5, the old Fiio x3, the AK100ii and the AK 100 in the dust. I feel there is absolutely nothing bottlenecking the Mojos details. (Which are insane!)
 
5) Dynamics. The Laylas are the most dynamic, lively sounding balanced armature IEMs I've heard, but they still have that "museum of sounds hanging in the air" quality BAs have. They're not as fast or impactful than the Sennheiser IE 800s. I'd say they are half-way between dynamics and BA-s in this category. The Pure 2 takes the Laylas about three fourths of the way. Hugely dynamic. Very "musical" if you pardon me saying so. Rocks the **** out.
 
5) For me the defining quality of the Pure II+'s sound can be summarized in the word bite. Instruments have tremendous impact across the spectrum, the bass slams and the cymbals cut, but nothing ever gets harsh. I think this is why the amp is so highly regarded by the community. You can turn the volume way up without fatigue. The Pure II is not laid back at all but the perfect tonality makes the way it's engaging sound smooth and pleasurable. I find every beloved audio product has one magical quality no one else has. The Cayin c5 has it's 3D effect, the mojo has it's details, even the Fiio e12a amp has it's tubey sound at a low cost. The Pure 2 has i'ts pure, smooth bite.

 

[ShreyasMax]

Quick first impressions.

Amp: Pure II+.
DAC: Chord Mojo
phones: JH Audio Layla.

1) Medium gain is the way to go with the 12-driver impedance-nightmare that is the Siren Series Laylas. Low gain makes the Laylas sound dark and the soundstage round and congested. The gain settings on the Pure II+ are very, very well implemented for the medium to handle the fluxuating load of the Laylas with such dramatic difference. I'm guessing the Pure II's is somewhat more specialized than the regular gain implementation, which is just a volume switch.

(I don't pretend to be an impedance specialist, I just trust my ears. The low gain was a huge disappointment, my old Cayin c5 outperformed the Pure II easily. The medium is night and day. WCDchee
 thank you for the tip!)

2) Tonality. There are literally no tonality troubles. I can't find one thing wrong with bass, treble or mids. This is a good sign since over time, nagging frequency characteristics become aggrevated. Tonality is end game on these. The treble especially stands out, as I've never heard flawless treble before.

3) Soundstage - the only shortfall thus far. It's not small, it's about 90% or 85% as large as the Cayin c5 (which is pretty huge), but it's not an end game soundstage. Separation and layering  are awesome, but I could do with more width and depth. Could be more panoramic. Positive thing is, the soundstage is very natural, superbly integrated, and there are no artificially off-center sounds in it. (As was the case with Cayin c5.) It draws less attention to itself, but is not as 3D. It'll be interesting to see what I think of it in a month, how the image settles in my bran.

4) Detail-wise, this is my first absolute top of the line amp and I can definitely feel the upgrade in both the amount of details and the texture of sounds. Leaves the Fiio e12A, the Cayin c5, the old Fiio x3, the AK100ii and the AK 100 in the dust. I feel there is absolutely nothing bottlenecking the Mojos details. (Which are insane!)

5) Dynamics. The Laylas are the most dynamic, lively sounding balanced armature IEMs I've heard, but they still have that "museum of sounds hanging in the air" quality BAs have. They're not as fast or impactful than the Sennheiser IE 800s. I'd say they are half-way between dynamics and BA-s in this category. The Pure 2 takes the Laylas about three fourths of the way. Hugely dynamic. Very "musical" if you pardon me saying so. Rocks the **** out.

5) For me the defining quality of the Pure II+'s sound can be summarized in the word bite. Instruments have tremendous impact across the spectrum, the bass slams and the cymbals cut, but nothing ever gets harsh. I think this is why the amp is so highly regarded by the community. You can turn the volume way up without fatigue. The Pure II is not laid back at all but the perfect tonality makes the way it's engaging sound smooth and pleasurable. I find every beloved audio product has one magical quality no one else has. The Cayin c5 has it's 3D effect, the mojo has it's details, even the Fiio e12a amp has it's tubey sound at a low cost. The Pure 2 has i'ts pure, smooth bite.

Thanks for these very good impressions.

If you have easy to drive full size headphones (I use the Fidelio X2 at home), would appreciate if you could describe the differences when using the Mojo stand alone as compared to adding the Pure II+.

During my time recently with the Mojo, driven out of my FiiO X3 classic, I found the sound out of Mojo to be very satisfactory, and a clear upgrade in terms of realism when compared to my iBasso D14, and I'm very interested in knowing what or how the Pure II+ adds to this already high quality sound.

Thanks in advance,
Cheers

 

[Marat Sar]

If you have easy to drive full size headphones (I use the Fidelio X2 at home), would appreciate if you could describe the differences when using the Mojo stand alone as compared to adding the Pure II+.

During my time recently with the Mojo, driven out of my FiiO X3 classic, I found the sound out of Mojo to be very satisfactory, and a clear upgrade in terms of realism when compared to my iBasso D14, and I'm very interested in knowing what or how the Pure II+ adds to this already high quality sound.

Thanks in advance,
Cheers

 
Regretfully, I either gifted or sold away all my other headphones after I got the Layla. I must be the only person in the world who doesn't like any phones straight out of the Mojo, so if you ask me, I would probably say everything is vastly improved by adding the Pure II. But then again, I thought the same about adding a Cayin c5 to the Mojo.
 
Two more things I've noticed today. The Pure 2 is really, really full sounding. I had to turn down the bass on the Layla's adjustable bass tuners. Like way down. From +60% to +20%. The bass slam and mid fullness is tremendous with the Pure II. I'm not really used to it. I imagine the issues with thinness I've had for the past two years with pretty much every headphone would all be solved with the Pure II. (Except the hifiman he-560s, but those are nearly impossible to drive), It's not congested or anything, just full and luxurious. Very, very lush. Even the treble has body. Makes me realize I've never heard treble with body before. I thought treble didn't have body. In comparison, the Cayin c5 sounds wider, yet hollow. And the mojo alone I think is a bit less hollow, but too thin, polite and tamed.
 
Turning down the bass also widened the soundstage, which I now like very much. All and all, I'm really falling for that black little box.
 
If you've ever wanted to pour two liters of peach jam on your music, the Pure II will do that and do it right. It will also make you turn the bass down if you have adjusters in your phones (like filters or bass tuners), because the slam will start hurting your ears.

 

[ShreyasMax]

   
Regretfully, I either gifted or sold away all my other headphones after I got the Layla. I must be the only person in the world who doesn't like any phones straight out of the Mojo, so if you ask me, I would probably say everything is vastly improved by adding the Pure II. But then again, I thought the same about adding a Cayin c5 to the Mojo.
 
Two more things I've noticed today. The Pure 2 is really, really full sounding. I had to turn down the bass on the Layla's adjustable bass tuners. Like way down. From +60% to +20%. The bass slam and mid fullness is tremendous with the Pure II. I'm not really used to it. I imagine the issues with thinness I've had for the past two years with pretty much every headphone would all be solved with the Pure II. (Except the hifiman he-560s, but those are nearly impossible to drive), It's not congested or anything, just full and luxurious. Very, very lush. Even the treble has body. Makes me realize I've never heard treble with body before. I thought treble didn't have body. In comparison, the Cayin c5 sounds wider, yet hollow. And the mojo alone I think is a bit less hollow, but too thin, polite and tamed.
 
Turning down the bass also widened the soundstage, which I now like very much. All and all, I'm really falling for that black little box.
 
If you've ever wanted to pour two liters of peach jam on your music, the Pure II will do that and do it right. It will also make you turn the bass down if you have adjusters in your phones (like filters or bass tuners), because the slam will start hurting your ears.

 
Thanks for those very vivid impressions! Really helpful indeed.
 
If you say the Mojo sounds thin in comparison to the Pure II+ added, I'm sure the sound must be phenomenal, to say the least.
 
And yes, I would definitely like some peach jam on top of my music. Now if only I could find some here in India to try out. Sigh!

 

[puga74]

I'm a person, and have the Pure II+ amping the output of the Mojo...

Awesome for my Layla's

(Haven't used my Duo in a while, will have to see how near / far the SQ of the two amps is!)

 
This is something I am planning to do with my e-q8 and mojo. I am about to order a pure II+. This is an expensive hobby haha!

 

[jlbrach]

mojo and pure II+ is a terrific combo with my LCD-3 and my HD800S

 

[RuFrost]

Can anybody make comparison between pure II+, ALO Rx (current version), Portaphile Micro and CORDA QUICKSTEP.
These 4 seems like the best portable amps available on the market. But what is the difference between even 2 of them?
If somebody make comparison or share their opinion - I would be really greatful!   

 

[PCWar]

You should consider the Cypher Labs Duet there too. I found it technically better than 3 of your mentioned ones. Didn't listen to the Rx though.