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I just got mine in and started listening to it and the right channel is noticeably quieter at lower volumes than the left. I’ve got it hooked up to the SMSL M3 DAC/amp right now. I know it isn’t the headphones bc I play the same music through the SMSL and there isn’t an issue, and I’ve tried swapping the cable. I reached to Bravo Audio, but is there something I can do in the meantime?
PigmonkeY
1082
Jul 21, 2018
TwoWheelAllTheThingspull the top off, make sure that the tube is driven all the way home. Take it out, and insert it again, make sure it is all the way down in the socket.
PigmonkeYJust an update, I tried that, and tried multiple sets of headphones and input sources and methods to figure out what the deal was, and no matter what, the left channel was always louder than the right one. At low volumes the right channel would be completely silent while the left one would still be producing audio. It was maddening. Once I noticed it, I couldn't un-notice it. I hate to say it, but I ended up returning it. If it wasn't unbalanced like that, it would have been amazing, especially for the price!
PigmonkeY
1082
Aug 22, 2018
TwoWheelAllTheThingspart of me wonders if that was the tube or not. Guess we'll never know. I don't notice any balance issue in mine since fixing it.
PigmonkeYSee now you’re just making me want to buy another one :-P
PigmonkeY
1082
Aug 22, 2018
TwoWheelAllTheThingsI'm sure you can do better for a similar price. this was an impulse buy for me.
PigmonkeYWell in that case, what do you think of the SMSL T1 for the tube amp? I had to return a DAC that kept crackling so I need something bew, and that fits both the tube and DAC bills.
TwoWheelAllTheThingsNot quite similar price, but close enough?
PigmonkeY
1082
Aug 22, 2018
TwoWheelAllTheThingsIt does have all the requisite ins and outs you could want. We're talking tube hybrids here, so it's not as much of a difference as a "proper" tube amp, but that has a hell of a lot going for it.
PigmonkeY
1082
Aug 22, 2018
TwoWheelAllTheThingsIf it's going to be your only headphone amp and dac, i'd suggest getting full digital instead
PigmonkeYProbably a good idea. I’d try the Aune X1S and the DarkVoice if I could swing both of them, but alas. I just know a tube would help the HD 6XXs I have, and this was a nice entry price
PigmonkeY
1082
Aug 22, 2018
TwoWheelAllTheThingsAt 229, the price is hard to beat. IMO if I was going to buy a dac/amp at this moment, not having one already, i'd buy this: http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFB1138/NFB1138EN_Specs.htm
This is a special edition of the dac/amp I have, with an upgraded dac and a TCXO upgrade installed as well.
one i have - http://www.audio-gd.com/Pro/Headphoneamp/NFN1128/NFB1128EN.htm
They really are best in their class, but you do have to email a guy in china, and then they send you an invoice, you send them money, and then you get an amp pretty soon after.

PLENTY of power to drive pretty much anything up to and including harder to drive planars, killer dac, fixed/variable output options for the dac. Optical or USB input.
more expensive, but a better device overall, i'd say.
PigmonkeYNot bad, not bad at all. I’ll have to look into that, and depending on cost might jump on it. I’m curious if there’s a lid to it though, or is it an open case like all the pictures. Thanks for all the input btw!
PigmonkeY
1082
Aug 22, 2018
TwoWheelAllTheThingsoh of course it's closed. they just show it open to show all the stuff inside. there are jumpers you can move around to change filter settings, but they're set perfectly out of the box on high gain, in my opinion.
Manbear
237
Aug 22, 2018
PigmonkeYLooks like some nice gear! Their direct sales flow seems sketchy as hell, but also like it would be a fun adventure.
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ManbearVery nice gear indeed! Hitting the edge of my price range though, and not sure if I really "need" 32 bit/384k resolution, since I don't have ANY audio that comes even CLOSE to that high quality. Still, it would drive the hell out of any set of headphones I could throw at it, so that's a big plus.
PigmonkeY
1082
Aug 22, 2018
TwoWheelAllTheThingsshe's a skookum choocher. I use mine as the main dac for my whole audio setup here. I come out of the fixed output both to the little bravo and to my speaker amp, using a Y cable and switching on whichever I happen to want. If you have active monitors you can also use the outs on variable and use the NFB as a dac/pre.
NFB has plenty of power to drive pretty much anything you'll ever own within reason (if the NFB can't drive it, you're already way out of that price range anyways).
As far as the dac goes, nope, nobody needs 32/384. it's all marketing.
vollkanzr
3
Aug 22, 2018
PigmonkeYPrice?
PigmonkeY
1082
Aug 22, 2018
vollkanzrOn the NFB?
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