Big fan of the tracks you found! I’ve had them in my mix for awhile now
That’s should keep you busy for a bit 
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So nice of you! Thank you very much!! Just starting on it now but I’ll have to shut down here soon.
I think I’m going to be busy for the next few days. 
Edit (on the fourth song so far), you have good taste. I skimmed down the list and noticed quite a few artists that I like in there. The Hp is sounding very nice! Messing up my plans to go to bed early tonight. “Damn Fine Coffee”
lol
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A rare, “guilty pleasure”, run through Technotronics “Pump Up the Jam” album, with the RME ADI-2 Pro FS R BE (Ref. Level +13 dBu, output set at 0 dB), into the Phonitor X (no volume boosts applied), has me currently listening with the volume dial almost maxed.
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90’s hip-hop rocks! (Fist pumping in my head). 
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I use CarPlay and I often listen to the “Hip Hop Classics”. It’s a fun way to find music while in the car.
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Hi Ian,
my wife and I can´t do a roadtrip with out Technotronic 
- it´s pure fun!
I read something about your dialed in settings.
with the output set at “0dB”? not -5? for XLR outputs with Ref. Level at +13dBu? - have to check at home what I have dialed in, for the line out > THX AAA 789
did you maybe alter from -5 up to 0 dB, because the HEDDphone needs it or is this your standard line-out setting for the RME to XLR?
I’ve never run the XLR (or RCA) outputs on any of the RME units I’ve had at -5 dB.
It’s always been 0 dB.
So no, no change there.
With the pre-4493 version of these units I left Auto Ref. Level = ON, which at 0 dBr actually nets an output level of +19 dBu. And that was because a) doing so yielded the best dynamic range performance from the RME unit and b) the Phonitor X has inputs that can easily handle that level of signal.
If you turn the output down below 0 dB with the RME units, then you’re engaging their software/digital volume control. And while this is one of the best such implementations available, the second you do that you’re no longer bit-perfect in your output. Audibly transparent - sure, but that’s not the same thing.
On the newer RME units, you don’t need to be at maximum reference level to get the best dynamic range performance, so I set a fixed output level of +13 dBu instead of Auto Ref. Level = ON (which works better with the Phonitor’s Vu meters, otherwise I’d just have left it as it was), and still keep the volume set at 0 dB. No reason to engage the digital volume control when I’m feeding an external amplifier with a perfectly good analog control.
Now …
Not all amplifiers have inputs that can tolerate such a hot input (specs for that aren’t published for the THX AAA 789 that I’ve seen) and may cause input-stage to clip, but in that case you’re better off turning down the output level (say to +7 dBu) and leaving the volume set at 0 dB.
Depending on whether a given amplifier has audible channel imbalance, another option is to turn the amplifier up to full, and do all volume control via the more precise digital output on the RME … but that comes with other risks and issues.
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thank you Ian,
for taking the time and the easy to follow explanation.
I did not hear any clipping yet or percieved any channel imbalance with my headphones.
In the first days, I had the amp on gain 2 of 3, volume at 12 o´clock and used the RME Adi 2 DAC fs (4493) to adjust volume. Later on dialed in the fixed line out settings, I had read somewhere on our forum - I searched for it the last minutes and wasn´t able to find it.
I will check my settings this evening
Edit
I checked the settings now and had it at -5db and +13 dBu, with Auto Ref Level “On” and locked volume.
Played around for a while and leave it now with
the output level at +7 dBu and the volume at 0dB locked
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For those of you who have been lucky enough to have received their Hp, I was wondering if there is consensus that a good tube amp is the best way to maximize what the Hp has to offer.
I own a Bottlehead Mainline (paired with an HD800). But by all accounts it sounds like a bad match for the Hp. I’m therefore looking at amp alternatives. And based on some of the comments here, sticking with a tube amp might be a good idea.
Thoughts?
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My hunch is that it’s something that does better with balanced solid state amps - ones that have a ton of power. Like the Cayin IHA-6 or better (think more than the THX 789). I know the guys at CanJam were impressed by the HEDDphone on the iFi stack, much more so than the Hugo 2 or whatever the other option was, but I think that’s just because the iFi stack has so much power at the ready. In some ways, the iFi stack is actually perfect, because you also get the incremental bass boost, which adds a slight bass shelf (lowest boost setting), and that seems just right. For tube amps, I’d worry that it might flatten a bit of the treble - but it likely depends on the tube amp as well.
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I have Formula S with Powerman, GS-X mini and Pendant. The Pendant(tube) was okay. On the mini it does great and unbelievable on the Formula S/Powerman setup. The most powerful is the mini giving me 4 watts at 50 ohms, the Formula S gives me 2 watts at 50 ohms.
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The Chord amp at CanJam was the Hugo TT 2.
Yeah sorry, that’s the one I meant.
I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to come across as though I was correcting you, it just occurred to me that it’s interesting to note which setups the manufacturers choose for showing off their headphones. I’d be interested to read what the other guys at CanJam thought of this combination, especially as I didn’t hear the pairing with the iFi stack.
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Yup, all good. From what I understand the Phonitor X was unfortunately on low gain the first day, so that likely wasn’t the best indication of what it could sound like. The few reviewers I talked to weren’t fully impressed by it until they heard it on the iFi stack, at which point flux ran over to me from across the show floor, pointing at me saying “you are right!”. I didn’t know what he was talking about until he clarified it was the HEDDphone on the iFi stack haha. So my guess is that it just wasn’t getting enough power at the main area. I’m also not a huge fan of the SE cable being used for something that would really benefit from the power a balanced output has (at least from the Phonitor X and the iFi stack). Probably a good lesson for the future.
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I appreciate the response, @Resolve. I probably have some time before I receive the Hp. That’ll give me time to do some due diligence. But you’ve given me a great starting point. Thanks.
Anyone else have good experiences with the Hp on certain amps? So far, I have shortlisted iFi Pro iCAN and SPL Phonitor X.
I enjoyed it most off of my Phonitor XE… but any Solid states with good power should work well (synergies aside)
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I feel like the HEDDphone could be fun with certain tube amps. I haven’t tried them on any tube amps myself but if we get our pair back in time for Montreal Audio Fest I’m fully going to bring it around to a couple tube amp setups and see what happens.
I have tried the HEDDphone with a couple of setups now though and the Phonitor X has taken the cake for my favourite amp with it. I’ve heard great things about it with the iFi Pro stack as well though so that is also one I’m looking to try out. We were planning on having an iFi Pro stack at Axpona as well as a few other amps but I have a feeling that if the coronavirus situation continues down it’s path there may not be an Axpona, or at least there won’t be a whole lot of people attending.
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I don’t know about “consensus” in regards to driving the HEDDphone with tube amplification, but with the right tube amplifier they’re magnificent.
They’re going to be fairly awful with OTL amps, but with a suitable transformer-coupled design they’re a treat. Tubes are generally better at voltage-drive and the HEDDphone are current hungry, so absent the better EC, DNA and Woo amps they’re a bit of a challenge.
Most of the mid/lower tier tube amps I’ve heard really don’t fare that well with low-impedance headphones, even when power isn’t a big factor.
All that said, off my Woo WA234 MKII Mono, with plate-output and Lo-Z configuration, they’re amazing.
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Nice. Thanks, @Torq. I think the WA234s are a little out of my price range. 
I’ll likely “settle” for a decent SS amp.
But I can dream. 
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