on top of the by @Jaethan and Ian aka @Torq mentioned RME ADI DAC´s balanced control,
you could have a look at the SPL Phonitor X(Pre-amp and hf-amp) / Xe´s(hf-amp) “balance” control. It is very sophisticated. Here you can finetune on top of a software/plugin or if you use a phono stage without any digital chain…
SPL calls it “Laterality” control and it would be analog, which I´d always prefer, to have.
depending on the differences with your left/right hearing capabilties - the Laterality control, could be not strong enough. Please, someone correct me if I am wrong, but it is about 6db or even just 3db adjustable. I was not able to find it.
Edit:
out of the SPL manual:
“Laterality Laterality refers to the deviation of sound perception to either side of the ears. With the Laterality control (10) you can compensate perceived volume differences between channels that may be due to a hearing impairment. This control differs from conventional balance controls. If one channel is attenuated, the other one is increased at the same time. This means that, e.g. when hard left, the level of the left channel increases by 2.25 dB while the right channel is attenuated by 2.25 dB. This control has a narrower range than conventional balance controls. Its resolution is very fine, which means it can be peciseley adjusted. Set the MODE switch to LATERALITY to control the laterality (see above).”
I know everyone’s situation is different. I have hearing imbalance also (along with other ‘interesting’ things).
For me I find that my brain has learned to adjust for this. When I listen to a mono signal (left and right at equal volume) I perceive it as coming from directly in front of me as would be ‘normal’.
I once tried fiddling with the balance but it wound up making things worse. My brain was basically doing a “WTF is going on with this?”. All the cross-channel cues (distance, timing, phase, etc.) are saying one thing while the volume is saying another thing.
Maybe you have already tried different options and found what works best for you. Just thought I’d toss this into the hat in case it might help.
The SPL Phonitor xe is beautiful and might just be the answer. It does, however look like I might need a degree from MIT to operate it. Thanks so much for all the help
it is quite straightforward - if you´d should decide for it:
The only thing to take care of is pausing the music, before pluggin or unplugging headphones.
Though this should be a habit with all sorts of amps. Especially single ended headphone plugs can shorten
Thank you everyone for the great responses. Here is my second question regarding the same issue. Is it possible to run two of the same amp/dac’s (one for the left and one for the right) and control the volume that way and be able to achieve the same desired outcome at a much lower price
It is possible but you would need to factor in a few things.
Depending on how you feed the DAC, it might be complicated. Feeding two DACs via USB is a bit of a pain, but feeding them with optical is easier as you can split it and feed them both the same signal.
It would be easier to use 1 DAC and 2 amps, just take the left channel to one amp and the right channel to the other. I am not sure if you may encounter ground issues this way, if so, you could go with a balanced DAC to two balanced amps.
Finally, you would also need to solve the cable to the headphones. If they have a connector on each cup (or are wired for balanced) then it is just a case of making the correct cable(s). If they only have an SE connector on one cup, then you would need to open the headphones and rewire them so you can send an individual signal to each cup.
A possible solution that I have not completely vetted: get a separate DAC and amp; run intended full volume channel (e.g. left channel) directly to the amp via one cable (e.g., RCA single ended); run intended reduced volume channel (right channel) through the Schiit SYS then to the amp; use the SYS to control the right channel volume.
I have a question regarding choosing a dac/amp. I’m set on buying the Focal Clear’s and, while they’re easy to drive, I want a nice dac/amp to fully utilize the headphone’s potential (also to future-proof in case I get another headphone). I’m thinking about Topping L30/E30 stack but I’d like more of a portable option. Any suggestions? (If portable options are mediocre compared to normal stacks, then suggest whether I should get the Topping or some other one that might be better). Budget: Under $300. Thank you.
I own the Clear but wouldn’t choose the Topping stack for it – the headphones are neutral-to-bright and IMO do best with a warmer setup. I’d honestly buy the Clear first and get to know them before spending a dime on any amp/DAC that I didn’t already own. The Clear performs remarkably well on a simple PC, tablet, or phone.
After getting to know the Clear I’d personally consider a (non-portable) tube hybrid amp such as the Schiit Vali, Loxjie P20, or (out of budget) Schiit Lyr 3. Many solid state amps will deliver a slightly different ‘flavor’ versus other solid state amps but not necessary an improvement.
Also, where do you expect to go in the future? The recommendation may be different if you plan to stay with dynamic drivers, use high impedance headphones like those from Sennheiser or Beyerdynamic, or move to planar headphones.
Honestly, I don’t know what I’ll get in the future and, considering how expensive the Clears are, I won’t be getting any new ones unless I for some reason return the Clears. But, I’ll most likely delve into the planar magnetic headphone world, such as Hifiman or Audeze products. Although I wouldn’t count out Beyerdynamic products as well. Basically, I don’t really know and won’t know for a while due to budget constraints. Anyway, I’ll consider the suggestions you’ve given me, so thanks for that. If a portable option is still possible, do Fiio products such as BTR5, K5Pro, Q3 and so on do any good with the Clears?
Let’s forget other headphones that I may buy. When I have some more disposable income, I’ll worry about that other headphone alongside the amp/dac needed for that. I really want a portable dac/amp, or at least as compact of a stack as the Topping L30/E30 stack as I may need to move them a fair bit from time to time. Tube amps like the Schiit Vali just seem a bit fragile. I do own the BTR5 so if BTR5 will do fine with the Clear, I’ll stop looking.
I have the Drop Elex HP’s which are in the same family as the Clears. I power them from Win 10 PC>Audirvana >Topping D70 balanced>Drop THX AAA789 amp. I find the combination quite good. Everyone has a “sound” they prefer and the Elex’s sound incredible to my ears through this stack. Played via the Hiby R5 even balanced on high gain the Elex just don’t sing. I would never listen to them via phone. They lose the magic IMO. Just received my E30 last night and highly recommend it.
The Clear is NOT the same as the Elex and does not respond the same way to amps. I own both and really don’t like the Clear/789 combo. At all. The Clear is super duper sensitive and nuanced. The Elex is dynamic, brassy, and glary.
I actually DO like the Elex/789 combo on a balanced cable. It controls the Elex.
At $150 I also find a very good value in the K5Pro. You may even save a few extra bucks as Black Friday approaches.
I have its little brother, the K3. It’s not as powerful than the K5 but it’s very convenient. It works even as a (bulky) USB dongle out of my S8 phone.
Just a quick question, I’ve been looking around and another cheap yet excellent stack is JDS Labs Atom stack. Would these pair better with the Clears than the Topping stack? Or maybe Topping DX3 Pro which is a combo DAC/AMP?
Amps fall on a general continuum between clean/technical and modestly distorted (generally warm, rich, or thick sounding) by design.
Very clean solid state:
THX amps (all vendors)
Topping (most products)
JDS Atom
Schiit Magni Heresy and Magnius
Generally clean solid state:
Schiit Magni 3+
Most legacy products, many Chinese products, and any amp that has “notably less than THX” specs
Intentionally very thick solid state:
Audio GD (many)
Some Schiit and others
Tube Hybrids
Schiit Lyr 3, Schiit Vali
Loxjie P20
Many Chinese products
Pure Tube
Bottlehead Crack
Woo (various including $$$$$)
Hagerman Tuba
Feliks (various)
Donald North Audio $$$$$
Many Chinese products
In my experience with the Clear, be careful with any amp in the “very clean” category. Very clean amps are often described as ‘clinical,’ ‘analytical,’ ‘dry,’ or ‘cold’ sounding. The Clear is already very resolving, so pairing it with a resolving amp can leave you overwhelmed by details rather than perceiving the whole musical product as one. The Clear also tends to be bright to some ears, so warming or thickening can be an advantage.
Note that many pure tube amps are OTL or Output Transformer-less. These are intended for high impedance headphones (e.g., Sennheiser 600, 800 family; some Beyerdynamic, etc.). OTL amps may bloat the bass and distort the sound with the Clear.
All of this mixes objective data with subjective experience, and many people love products that do not measure well. The tube amp industry is strong and thriving (and can be extremely pricey) because some insist on them. Others deny the value of tubes too. It’s just a hobby so try for yourself and don’t become an absolutist.
See @Torq’s comparison of the Magni 3+ vs. Heresy to get a sense of the possible interactions. You may find that you prefer one style, not care, or really hate one style. I personally hated the old Magni 3 (not +) and got rid of it quickly. I recently bought the Magni 3+ and am happy with it for planar headphones.
