x can v8 appreciation thread

[john53]

hi,
I bought this amp 4 mounths ago,and i must say i realy like the way it sounds.My headphones are hd 600's(with 650 cable).Sometimes when i listen to the music,a big smile comes to my face.And i think that if a rig brings a smile to your face then that's a damn good thing!
The x can v8 gives a nice,open,3d like sound that is balanced,refined and non-fatiquing.It has very clear and natural highs(sometimes it gives me the impression that i am looking through a crystal clear transparent glass)and they are not harsh(sibilance),and open up the mids nicely(for example,vocals were a bit recessed before but now the x can gave them some air,some life).Mids,are also sweet,they have a nice smooth sound and they sound very nice to my ears.And the mid bass-bass is also clear,tight(i tried the xpsu v8 and it tightens the bass a little more and gives better seperation,better dynamics and better prat).
My opinion is that a headphone amp should have a nice balanced sound that is not very aggresive.An aggresive,too forward amp may be impressive at a first listen,but if you like listening for many hours you may get fatigued too quickly.
Sometimes i listen to the music for 5-6 hours and i almost never get fatigue with this amp.Also i am very sensitive to sibilance(maybe because i am still 27 years old

)but the x can v8 manages to give an airy,clear sound that is not harsh.
Please feel free to post your impressions here,it would be nice to hear other peoples opinions.


*all the above is my personal opinion,so always try to demo the audio components before you buy anything.Different people have different tastes*

 

[Kees]

I have expressed my opinion of the X-CAN v8 many times before, but I will gladly repeat: I think it is the most underrated amp here. And especially at the price it goes for it is the bargain of the century.
Smooth, powerfull and musical, and as a bonus you can roll tubes to tune it to your specific preferences.

 

[john53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kees /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have expressed my opinion of the X-CAN v8 many times before, but I will gladly repeat: I think it is the most underrated amp here. And especially at the price it goes for it is the bargain of the century. Smooth, powerfull and musical, and as a bonus you can roll tubes to tune it to your specific preferences.

I agree with you,it's an underrated amp,and it's not very expensive.Maybe most people like more forward,more impressive sound(the wow factor).

I think that good audio equipment must not exagerate some part of the frequency spectrum,to make it impressive at the first listen,especially with headphones.Headphones are different from the speakers,you may get fatigued too quickly.

 

[Quinto]

I have a V8, little pinkie PSU and RU-6H23-EB tubes and I find it to be a excellent amp for my GS1k. Great detail, tight bass, bringing the mids more forward and light, but not harsh highs..

My Senn HD600 didn't do to well though, it sounded very muffled, so I sold it. The little pinkie is IMO a very good addition to the amp, it makes it more silent.

I read a lot of criticism about this amp, especially aimed at high imp. phones, witch I have to agree on, the DAC part of the criticism I have to disagree, for a USB DAC I find it very good, but maybe I'm bias cause my USB DAC of my Grace M902 sucks rock

 

[john53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quinto /img/forum/go_quote.gif My Senn HD600 didn't do to well though, it sounded very muffled, so I sold it.

I find it a little strange,maybe it's all about preferences.I really enjoy my hd 600's when driven by the x can v8.Before i buy this amp i was driving them with a sony str db 840 A.V. reciever.There i have to say that they sounded muffled(and little harsh).

what is your source?

 

[Quinto]

My source is a Marantz SA-11S1.. I think it's a matter of preference, different physiology even (you might hear different then me).. Maybe hearing the Senn and Grado besides eachother plays its part I donno..

I do think the truth lighs in the ears of the beholder, if the combo is good for you that's great, enjoy the music

 

[Quinto]

It might even be the different genre of music, I listen to classical and Jazz mainly

 

[john53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quinto /img/forum/go_quote.gif I do think the truth lighs in the ears of the beholder, if the combo is good for you that's great, enjoy the music

yeah,that's what matters in this hobby,to enjoy the music

 

[john53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quinto /img/forum/go_quote.gif It might even be the different genre of music, I listen to classical and Jazz mainly

I like pop-rock and rock,pop-rock ballads of the 70's-80's,pop & electro pop and instrumental electro of the 70's 80's mostly.

But i have a few cd's with jazz and classical.for example Diana krall(sacd),and a nice cd with instrumental jamesbond classics by london philarmonic orchestra and both of them sounds realy good.And i have some audiophile cd's(from some greek hi-fi magazines)with classical music and they also sound very good.

If the recording is good it sounds good even if it's pop music or anything else.For example when i listen to "fragile-sting & the police" i almost cry,it sounds perfect through the hd 600.

 

[Quinto]

My reference is Glenn Gould, if the '81 Goldberg doesn't sound good on whatever, it has to go

When I first bought my Senn's about 7 years ago, it sounded swell to me on my Denon integrated amp. My guess is it sounded veiled to me on the X-can cause, although a great can, it's no match for the GS1000 and I'm spoiled rotten now, more as ever anyway

While typing this, I'm listening to Ushida's Schubert op.142 Impromptu 1 on my AKG K501 & X-Can and it sound divine.... Maybe I find it to be muffled in 6 years time besides my Grado PS2000i

The AKG is a great match 4 the V8 as well IMO..

 

[john53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quinto /img/forum/go_quote.gif My guess is it sounded veiled to me on the X-can cause, although a great can, it's no match for the GS1000 and I'm spoiled rotten now, more as ever anyway

I will have the oportunity to audition the gs1000 at the end of may,with my x can v8.Many people on headfi say that gs 1000 are a little bass heavy and suffer from sibilance,even when properly amped and even after long burn in period.

But i have to listen to them first to have an opinion on this.I thing that maybe these two headphones are different;one has a "polite" sound signature(hd600) and maybe gs1000 is the opposite?

 

[Quinto]

Quote:

Originally Posted by john53 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I will have the oportunity to audition the gs1000 at the end of may,with my x can v8.Many people on headfi say that gs 1000 are a little bass heavy and suffer from sibilance,even when properly amped and even after long burn in period. But i have to listen to them first to have an opinion on this.I thing that maybe these two headphones are different;one has a "polite" sound signature(hd600) and maybe gs1000 is the opposite?

The GS1k has a very long burn-in period before sibilance is gone and the bass tightens up.. and they are extremely picky on amp's..

Then again, the V8 is great for the GS1k, but the GS1k's really need much burnin time ,like 500 hours, and some other tubes can get rid of the possible left over sibilance..

I am pretty sensitive for sibilance, I couldn't get used to the -otherwise great- SR325i for example. I don't experience any sibilance on the GS1k-V8 anymore and nobody who listened to this setup mentioned it..

But then again, you should hear for yourself..

The HD600 experience I had with the V8 went far beyond 'polite' it sounded muffled like I had water behind my eardrum, but they are indeed eachothers opposite in may way's..

The extreme detail and forwardness made the Grado's a love at first sight experience for me, the sibilance were the pimples that I knew\hoped would probabely disappear and luckely it did, otherwise I had to ditch her sooner or later

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quinto /img/forum/go_quote.gif The HD600 experience I had with the V8 went far beyond 'polite' it sounded muffled like I had water behind my eardrum, but they are indeed eachothers opposite in may way's...

Precisely... my experience with the Senns with the v8 - somewhat muffled and underpowered - and... I tried two different v8s, which both sounded the same with Senns, but were GREAT with Grados, Denons and ATHs. With standard output sources, I had to set the POT to 3-4 O'clock to attain loud volumes (not unbearable).

MF "blew it" with the v8 in matching Senns (at least the US version) - many other amps are way better with them. But... few amps are better with Denons and Grados.

Though... I would note... the experience of folks in the EU is reportedly quite different - they seem to get much better performance with Senns, than folks in the US (likely some difference between the EU and US versions, or the EU mains power).

 

[john53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kees /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have expressed my opinion of the X-CAN v8 many times before, but I will gladly repeat: I think it is the most underrated amp here. And especially at the price it goes for it is the bargain of the century. Smooth, powerfull and musical, and as a bonus you can roll tubes to tune it to your specific preferences.

kees,
what's your opinion on the v8/hd 600-650 combo?do you thing they sounded muffled?

 

[john53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quinto /img/forum/go_quote.gif The HD600 experience I had with the V8 went far beyond 'polite' it sounded muffled like I had water behind my eardrum

What about the volume?Did you have to turn the volume dial above 12 o clock?If i reach 12 o clock with mine it's too loud for me.