[TheMiddleSky]

I plugged in my AC to the “high” jack, which is I believe 54 Ohms. Lo and behold, the vocals jumped right back into focus. The higher output impedance made a substantial difference, and now I’m wondering if I might have to start using the SW51+ with my AC and the MJ3 with my Elite.

Exactly the same thing happen when I tried Cayin Tube Amps (with 3-mode impedance out) like HA-3A, HA-6A and HA300 II. The higher the impedance out, the more "pop out" effect happen.

 

[tlcocks]

Exactly the same thing happen when I tried Cayin Tube Amps (with 3-mode impedance out) like HA-3A, HA-6A and HA300 II. The higher the impedance out, the more "pop out" effect happen.

My GSX Mini has an output impedance of < 1 Ohm. I am now fearing mids recess on my forthcoming AC based on the above conversation. Does anyone here have experience with driving the AC with a SS amp with that low an output impedance? Or better yet driving it with my Mini?

 

[ckhirnigs113]

My GSX Mini has an output impedance of < 1 Ohm. I am now fearing mids recess on my forthcoming AC based on the above conversation. Does anyone here have experience with driving the AC with a SS amp with that low an output impedance? Or better yet driving it with my Mini?

I was involved in the above conversation, and have used my AC almost exclusively with the MJ3 until this week. The 4-pin XLR jack of the MJ3 has an output impedance of less than 0.25 ohms, and I think it still sounds excellent with the AC. I do notice slightly recessed mids, specifically vocals, with the MJ3 compared to the 54-ohms output of the SW51+, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. It is only noticeable in direct comparison. For vocal-heavy music, I am slightly preferring the SW51+ at this point, but I could be perfectly content with the MJ3 as well.

 

[tlcocks]

I was involved in the above conversation, and have used my AC almost exclusively with the MJ3 until this week. The 4-pin XLR jack of the MJ3 has an output impedance of less than 0.25 ohms, and I think it still sounds excellent with the AC. I do notice slightly recessed mids, specifically vocals, with the MJ3 compared to the 54-ohms output of the SW51+, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. It is only noticeable in direct comparison. For vocal-heavy music, I am slightly preferring the Sw51+ at this point, but I could be perfectly content with the MJ3 as well.

Thanks. We’ll just see how it goes when the HP arrives. Of course, taking into account that some burn in time will be needed

 

[ckhirnigs113]

Thanks. We’ll just see how it goes when the HP arrives. Of course, taking into account that some burn in time will be needed

Yeah, burn-in seemed to make a rather large difference on the AC, in my experience at least. I'd give them 100+ hours before settling on your pad choice.

 

[realmccoy]

I did some comparison the past few days on the AC with different signal chains:
1) PC - Lampizator big7 (single end) - Violectric v222
2) PC - iFi zen dac (4.4 to xlr) - v222
3) Cayin N8 (usb out) - Lampi big7 (SE)- v222
4) Cayin N8 (4.4 to xlr) - v222
5) iPhone 14 pro max (lightning to usb) - Lampi big7 - v222
6) iPhone (lotoo S2 line out 4.4 to xlr) - v222
7) PC - iFi zen dac (4.4 to 4.4) - iFi zen can

What I noticed is that the Lampi dac only wins very slightly on the sound stage, in fact my favorite sound was number 4 combo which is slightly warmer.
But on the Hifiman HE1000 stealth, the Lampizator had a more noticeable difference/improvement.
So I believe AC doesn’t scale a lot on the DAC as it still sounded great even on iFi zen stack.
But someone in the HIFI world suggest that since I’m living in a building apartment, maybe a power conditioner will help unleash the true power of the Lampizator (I’m still not 100% convinced).
But my next target would be to get a tube amp and do more comparison.

 

[goldwerger]

My GSX Mini has an output impedance of < 1 Ohm. I am now fearing mids recess on my forthcoming AC based on the above conversation. Does anyone here have experience with driving the AC with a SS amp with that low an output impedance? Or better yet driving it with my Mini?

I prefer the Atrium on tube amps, but there are exceptions and it really is so chain specific (and taste specific).

FWIW, the one SS amp I had that I liked with the Atrium was the CFA3. That amp, in specific, is extremely resolving in the upper frequencies and lends a sense of air and openness that matches well with the Atrium's meatier presentation.

 

[AcousticMatt]

FWIW, the one SS amp I had that I liked with the Atrium was the CFA3. That amp, in specific, is extremely resolving in the upper frequencies and lends a sense of air and openness that matches well with the Atrium's meatier presentation.

Howdja like the Caldera outta that amp?

 

[goldwerger]

Howdja like the Caldera outta that amp?

Caldera out of CFA3 was great (actually, most everything out of CFA3 was great; miss this amp a little but had to make space as I shuffled my rack around). Something about the effortlessness of this amp takes out some of harshness of some SS amps .

Personally, I prefer the Caldera out of transformer-coupled amps (Decware/ZMF OTL into Decware Taboo is a combo I love, the Aegis is awesome and spacious, the Auris Nirvana is super fast and tight). It's also ridiculously good out of the AIC10, a hybrid amp (a different path). It's also great out of Feliks Envy and Ampandsound Red October.

 

[raindownthunda]

I prefer the Atrium on tube amps, but there are exceptions and it really is so chain specific (and taste specific).

This x100.

My impressions on synergy:
When listening to the Atrium Closed on the BF2/64 dac > DSHA-3FN amp I was pretty disappointed with the synergy (or lack thereof). Best I can describe is that it sounded too muddy and congested (the VC on the other hand sounded sublime). With changing just the DAC to the Yggy+ GS2, the Atrium Closed suddenly sound jaw droppingly amazing. On the same amp! MUCH more expansive, more "holographic", impressive speed & clarity, huge increase in texture. Suddenly, I was perceiving what seems like a similar level of detail as to what I was previously used to hearing only with the VC. So in my experience even just the DAC can have a huge impact on synergy.

My impressions on amp output impedance:
My OTL tube amp can be run at a spectrum of different output impedances (~8 ohm up to ~70ohm). As such I've done quite a bit of experimenting. My personal conclusions with comparing the Atrium Closed on low ohm vs high ohm is that I feel like different strengths of the headphones are brought out. I don't think there is one end of the spectrum I prefer 100% of the time. I find that with lower output impedance (~8 ohm) the focus is much more on the treble details, imaging, expansiveness of the stage. There is a tight "grip" and with that comes a sense of speed - music unfolds very quickly. I find this highlights the contrast in layering - drastic changes are more immediate and obvious. To my ears they are overall very balanced at ~8ohm... I don't get a sense that anything is too recessed or missing.

As output impedance increases (i.e. 8 -> 16 -> 25 -> 35-> 70) the sound becomes increasingly "fuller", increasing emphasis on the lower mids and bass. Progressively decreasing amount of "grip" -> increasingly relaxed presentation. At the highest impedance, the AC are kick into head-massager mode with thumpier bass with a greater sense of weight and fullness. It’s less tight and more diffuse. The pace feels a bit slower and transients more ethereal. Vocals sound lusher and can feel like they're more intimate. Even at the highest end of the spectrum, I think all of the rich musical information is still there... However, the character of the presentation is tilted in a relatively significant way. This all happens on a spectrum, what I'm describing is the difference between the two extremes.

My personal conclusions:
Amp impedance seems to have a fairly signficant impact on how the Atrium Closed presents itself. Does it show up in a fitted suit ready to shred with high athleticism, energy, and throwing fast punches? Or does it show up in chilled out Rastafarian vibe that's more conducive to giving your ears a rich, soothing, and dreamy deep-tissue massage? Or somewhere in-between? I think what sounds best to you is going to be highly chain dependent (including DAC!), as well as personal preference/mood. I still prefer the AC with my tube amp, but they certainly don't need tubes to sound excellent!

(Disclaimer: My impressions are only based on 2 amps used with 2 different DAC's - YMMV, etc)

 

[tlcocks]

I prefer the Atrium on tube amps, but there are exceptions and it really is so chain specific (and taste specific).

FWIW, the one SS amp I had that I liked with the Atrium was the CFA3. That amp, in specific, is extremely resolving in the upper frequencies and lends a sense of air and openness that matches well with the Atrium's meatier presentation.

Yes. That sounds good. I use balanced studio EQ in between source and amp as well. Can pretty well tweak in that manner in a very hi fi way. So I look forward with great anticipation!

 

[oldmankensey]

AC firing on all cylinders this morning. Listening to a modern jazz album on the Echo, the electric bass is so clear and impactful. I think some measure of burn-in (actual or psychological) is really helping me enjoy these to the fullest.

 

[thingwfeathers]

Received this in the mail today. I gotta say, the narrow grain on this pair has me drooling.

 

[senseitedj]

Exactly the same thing happen when I tried Cayin Tube Amps (with 3-mode impedance out) like HA-3A, HA-6A and HA300 II. The higher the impedance out, the more "pop out" effect happen.

My findings are the same - I find that you will get the best out of the ACs using high-impedance sources.

 

[realmccoy]

Contrary to my previous findings, I now believe that AC does scale with hi end DACs.
My test was 2 days of listening, total of 6 hrs per day of music listening/youtube videos/gaming
Foobar (hi-res files) or itunes

1) entry level dac (ifi zen dac) : PC - DAC - violectric v222 - AC
2) Cayin N8 - v222 - AC
Before ending the 2nd day session, I switched to Lampizator big7, and the sound stage is wider, can hear the depth (distance from me) of each instrument position.
Violins/strings and piano - accurate timbre
Tracks with vocals - vocalist is standing right in front of me.
On some quieter tracks, yes the hifiman he1000 stealth sounded slighly better, but when the track has bass, AC sounded fuller while not sacrificing any frequecies.
I am very impressed by the Atrium closed headphones.