JotunnI bet you will love them! I have Focal/JmLab speakers (Electra 905) which are just awesome even though they are over 20 years old. I originally Joined the drop in Feb then chickened out. I jumped back in at 729. I’m adjusting to apartment living and not being able to crank em up. I hope the Elex will match up well with my massdrop Dark Voice amp And become my preferred way to listen.
JotunnCTH is a hybrid solid state, perfectly fine at 0.5 ohm output. Tyll at innerfidelity mentioned that high ohm output OTLs sound wonky with these headphones In his Focal clear review.
mcburnjow OTL output stages, such as in your Dark Voice, are high impedance and low current (V = I * Z). Matched with a headphone that's low impedance means most of the output power is dissipated by the OTL output stage before even reaching the headphone's cable. This is why people notice that OTL tube amps can't drive low impedance headphones well.
This is a case where understanding some basic technical drivers of the equipment you spend a lot of money on would've really helped.
junkiMy major required 1.5 years of physics, but I'll admit I overlooked this one. I guess I'm lucky I chose two products that compliment one another. That and a lot of reviews on head-fi recommended the pair.
JotunnI replied to you accidentally. Oopsies. The CTH will make an *excellent* pairing with the Elex. I meant to reply to the guy who wanted to pair the Elex with the DarkVoice 336SE.
junkiNo worries I already saw that you had changed the recipient. But it was generally good advice anyway. I'm learning new stuff on here all the time.
JotunnTo go back to answering your question regarding a DAC, the main thread went in another direction... I am still going to recommend waiting to see what MD comes up for a DAC to match/pair with the CTH (MD's new collab product line). In the meantime, I think you may be a bit, quite a bit really, let down listening to your mac feeding the wonderful CTH and listening to your killa nice new Elex's. A relatively inexpensive, multi-purpose interim solution, and sooo much better than the phone-out of a mac or PC, would be something like an iFi Nano iDSD Black DAC/(pre)amp to feed the CTH. It would also serve as a portable DAC/amp for your phone or work pc/mac for IEM's or suitable travel cans. I do not own one, but it was on my possible list for portables. links: https://www.amazon.com/iDSD-Black-Portable-Heaphone-Amplifier/dp/B076K9M2TZ Or the new iFi wireless xDSD just now coming out, don't know the price point or real availability, but the features... damn: https://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/x-xdsd/
rastusI really appreciate your advice being new in this game. So since I am already getting the CTH (out for delivery right now) I could still use the ifi iDSD in conjunction with the CTH? If I'm not mistaken the signal would go from the Mac, to the ifi, to the CTH, to the Elex? Also you mentioned the possibility of MD pairing something with the CTH. Is that just a rumor or is that something we know MD is working on? Thanks again.
rastusI'm actually running the 2016 macbook pro so I'll need a usb-type c adapter, but I don't really like to mess around with adapters so I'd probably just switch out the cable. The iDSD looks like a good choice since it might be a while before an MD DAC collaboration. Do you have any experience with the audioengineD1? It's also well reviewed and similarly priced. I know it's just a DAC as opposed to a DAC/(pre)AMP, but with the CTH do you think the amp part of the set up is sufficiently well covered? (All things being equal I like the look of the D1 more).
JotunnThe Audioengine D1 does not do DSD, for me - having heard the organic liquidity... not ever going back.
I would not take that format option out of the mix, in any DAC I would consider. The D1 also re(down)-samples even 192 to 96,, it's an "old engine". A non-starter... for me.
DSD = Sonic Lubricity.
Audioengine D1
"Input sample rate (USB)
32kHz-96kHz native playback
188.2kHz & 192kHz re-sampled to 96kHz "
The iDSD BL Nano:
"DSD 256/128/64/12.4/11.2/6.2/5.6/3.1/2.8
DXD 384/352.8kHz
PCM 384/352.8/192/176.4/96/88.2/48/44.1kHz "
They know about the looks issue... When MD releases the new DAC,, that is the looker and the iFi becomes a traveler.
junkiFrom a consumer perspective it’s pretty frustrating but a learning experience. Low impedance headphones are marketed as easy to drive from your iPhone or other device. Except when they aren’t ie OTL amp. I have a few head and ear phones lying around. Can’t deny my Koss Pro 4aa’s (255 ohms) sound pretty damned fine on the OTL amp. they give my HD600s a run for their money.
My OTL amp inspired me to explore headphones beyond the headphone-out on my preamp. I expect the Alex’s will inspire an exploration of Amps.
rastusyou're saying that i dont hear a difference between 48khz and 192khz because of a weak piece of hardware? and not due to the limitations of human hearing.
rastusi'm aware of that, but i have heard audio through amps that are capable of 192khz and have purposely compared the 192khz vs 48khz and didn't hear any difference, and honestly i am not surprised as the only thing it can do is raise or lower the high frequency ceiling, just like bit depth only affects the noise floor, and that only really becomes a noticeable problem at around 12bit audio or lower, although i will add i don't listen to music at loud volumes if you did maybe you'd hear noise in 16 bit audio.
alvargAs I am trying to convey,, it is all about the links in the chain, this is just one; I also said it is difficult between the increments in PCM or DSD for that matter. Listening on another rig/setup and then back to yours, well, impossible. With a player stepping between levels, I think is the only valid method. Yes it can certainly be heard. A small step such as specifically 24/92 to 24/196, never spent the time, why, move up... we have the technology, and it is not expensive; not something that exists only in the realm of the feared placebophiles. What player, files, USB, cans?
When I got back into this, I listened to PCM through the levels,, and then heard what I have been waiting for with DSD. I have finally determined that a native 2.8 is better kept there, than upsampled to 5.6, but it may be the PC:)
Should have invested in SACD, but just as well not, because not a fan of injection molded & gilded media, now that I can get studio files.
rastusThanks for the head's up on the xDSD. Didn't realize iFi had this coming out. I've been thinking of getting the iOne to pair with my black label but this seems much more interesting. Hopefully, it isn't priced into the stratosphere.
Edit: The xDSD is only $400. Not that bad for what it does.
mcburnjowQuick update: Elex’s sound great! Got the CTH and rolled an JAN Amperex into it (thanks to Richard at Leeds Radio) and have done a couple of A/B comparisons with my OTL Dark Voice sporting vintage USA Tungsol tubes. The power tube is a 5988 so maybe a little more oomph. Anyway I digress. Both amps are great. The CTH has a little more resolution but the DV has warmer sound with fuller bass. no weird behavior with OTL DV. Could it be the tubes? I’ve played a variety of digital and analogue sources including audiophile direct to disc LPs, SACDs and hi res digital files. I have no complaints!