I already upgraded the power supply to 3A. It seemed to help significantly.
We’ll see how it goes with the balanced cable.
Oooh, this just reminded me that I haven’t tried the Reflector tubes yet.
Now that it has cooled down here (only hits about 80°F during the day) I can move back to over ear territory and try out the HD6XX with the Reflectors.
Use my P20 with my Modius fully balanced. IMHO, they are an outstanding value
performance wise. Best of luck!
I recommended this same configuration to a friend of mine who is looking for a budget setup.
It’s a great budget setup that could be end game for many headphone enthusiasts.
Lots of value in the Modius and Loxjie P20. The P20 for around $100 is as good as anything
I’ve used in this price range, including the Cavalli Liquid Spark, Schiit Magni 3 and JDS Labs
Atom.
For those on a budget, skip the Modius and use the Modi or a similar $99 DAC. You probably won’t hear the difference.
I use the P20 more than the $300 (was $400) THX AAA 789. To my ears the P20 sounds like a very clean THX or Topping amp with tubes added. This is not unlike what the charts/data communicate either.
Endgame is a state of mind, as most of us reached the point of diminishing returns and sidegrades long ago.
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Yep… Endgame is a state of mind. I also use a Modi 2 Uber/ EITR which is similar to the Modius. Discrete output
stage vs opamp for the Modius. Not quite as good as the Modius in my opinion, but close enough. I find adding the LOKI Mini to make a significant improvement regardless of whatever DAC, headphone amp, or headphone I use. In fact, in terms of value I have found using a Fulla 2 with the LOKI Mini makes for a very affordable DAC/headphone amp/ equalizer for under $250. And it actually sounds good.
| generic Founding Member
October 20 |
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Jimmyblues:
Lots of value in the Modius and Loxjie P20.
For those on a budget, skip the Modius and use the Modi or a similar $99 DAC. You probably won’t hear the difference.
The P20 for around $100 is as good as anything
I’ve used in this price range
I use the P20 more than the $300 (was $400) THX AAA 789. To my ears the P20 sounds like a very clean THX or Topping amp with tubes added. This is not unlike what the charts/data communicate either.
Endgame is a state of mind, as most of us reached the point of diminishing returns and sidegrades long ago.
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I went from a Modi to a Modius in my original setup (Asgard 3) and I thought the Modius was noticably better. And that was SE not balanced.
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I also have an A3 that I use with the Modius and find them to be an excellent match. Great value too - especially when purchased as B stock.
I might be the only person insane enough to do this, but I listened to my HE-6 6 screw off the P20 balanced for an hour or so today, and it really did surprisingly well at my relatively moderate listening levels. I applied my usual insane bass boost just to stress the amp, and even then the P20 didn’t really struggle too much. What I did notice is the HE-6 sounded drier coming out of the P20, and vocals were pushed back a little and not as smooth as my THX 789. But it doesn’t absolutely choke or run out of volume like a lot of lower power amplifiers I’ve tried.
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The P20 is an overachiever – it might be more respected at a higher price-point or from a familiar brand name.
Are you running the factory tubes?
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I think that is very true. I think if it was just a familiar name like SMSL, not necessarily a hi end name, it would be taken more seriously.
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Yes, factory tubes for now. I’ve been meaning to get a pair of WE396A or something similar to swap in.
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I had mine going all day today. Just using some cheap Russian tubes I bought on ebay. Tied into the balanced outs of the bifrost 2 it’s pretty incredible for 100 bucks. Obviously the Hagerman is better, but if you start with the P20, you don’t miss it until you switch over and just hear more.
Tubes were 15.00 shipped, got to Connecticut from Russia in exactly 14 days from purchase. Well spent.
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That’s great, and is exactly why I haven’t yet pulled the trigger on a couple tube amps I’ve been eyeing. Be sure to consider headphone impedance, as the P20 can bloat some headphones.
The P20 is a ‘horses for courses’ amp, and an inexpensive way to fill a tone/delivery niche. In my recent Focal Utopia review, I again noted serious brightness issues with the Focal Elex – it’s particularly brutal on all of my solid-state single-ended amps. After finishing the review I conducted additional testing. The Elex / P20 combo is still too bright and penetrating, but it becomes listenable with high-range EQ cuts too (Schiit Loki). Adding both takes off the sharp edges and results in a good but relatively hazy delivery that splits the difference between the Clear and HD-600. Less is more, at least if you happen to be sensitive to treble.
I had no idea how much I’d use the Loki before getting one. It ‘saves’ many flawed headphones and harsh amps.
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Hello guys I am planning to change my power supply, please someone to tell me if this it’s ok or should I go for the ifi ipower…
I continue to experiment with the P20 and new setups. Curiousity kills. Today’s oddball signal chain:
MacBook Pro → USB → Schiit Bifrost 2 → WBC XLR3 interconnect → Loxjie P20 with 6N3P triple mica tubes → XLR4 balanced cable → Sennheiser HD-600
Ever since getting the HD-600 I’ve struggled to eliminate its shrill high range noise and hiss. This motivated me to try balanced setups several years ago, and led to notable improvements with older DACs. As the Bifrost 2 has XLR3 output jacks, and the P20 has XLR3 inputs, the temptation to combine them was too great. Yes, I paired a $700 DAC with a $150 amp (my P20 has upgraded tubes and a larger power supply).
The Bifrost 2 setup takes away almost all hissy HD-600 noise and delivers a stunning level of harmonics, reverberations, and room character. It presents richer and more defined resonance than I ever thought possible for the HD-600. The staging and details are fully superior to my Lyr 3 to Focal Clear setup (the Lyr 3 has limited clarity and staging). However, the P20 does nothing to address the HD-600s limited richness/body and its elevated upper mids.
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