Funnily enough, I have the Aeon 2 Closed right now and would be happy to answer any questions regards to how it pairs with iFi products. I was quite shocked when I got it because it’s the most power hungry
For my listening volume (which is admittedly on the louder side), I use the pairing of our Micro iDSD Signature on Turbo with with the knob twisted anywhere from 60 to 75%. The Diablo has about 25% more power than the Micro iDSD specifically for power hungry headphones like the Flow 2.
I don’t have it in house yet (should sometime soon) to give you an accurate impression of the difference, but they will both suffice. That said, the Diablo is an entirely new platform with a different sound! I do love the Micro iDSD Sig pairing as well!
@Roger-Houston , I read a couple of reviews of the AK120m2 and they said that it was under-powered for power hungry headphones, so I think that rules out the ZMFs that you mentioned. Something that’s easier to drive, like a Focal Clear, Radiance or Stellia may be better for you. For instance, I can easily listen to my iPod Touch using my Stellia, but it struggles with my ZMF Aeolus and Verite, and I have to have it on full volume just to hear the music.
@PaisleyUnderground - Thank you. Yes, I’ve been using them with IEM’s and I expected it wasn’t very powerful. I was pretty sure I wanted to go with Closed back for travel - whenever we can travel again - but I mostly wanted to use it at my desk. I thought I could combine use cases.
As such, I have recently purchased the GoldPlanar GL2000 with Dethonray Honey for use at my desk. I know my AK won’t drive them and together they are about what I might have paid for a Focal Radiance which might have worked as well. The GL2000 looks to be punching well above it’s pricepoint and I am partial to Class A sound vs the linear THX. It’s funny, I see the Focal Radiance open box on sale now. I really wish I could listen to everything, but shopping audio from home is a crap shoot.
I have a question about which way around to insert the pins of a 2-pin cable into a 64 Audio IEM (the Nio in my case, if that makes a difference).
I want to try out some new Hart cables, but I wasn’t sure which way around the pins should go. Hart told me which pin is positive on the cable, so now I just need to know which hole on the IEM is positive. Does anyone know an easy way to figure this out?
Edit: I added a picture to hopefully make it easier to answer the question.
If you look at the attached photo, where I have the left and right channel IEMs flat side down, with the holes facing me, can someone please tell me which way around the pins should go? For example, is it - + on both IEMs? Or is the right channel the opposite of the left (e.g. left is - + and right is + -)?
In my experience if a device doesn’t supply its own power (like a speaker driver) the + and - are interchangeable and only determine the phase. As long as both ears have the same phase it will sound fine. You will know if they are out of phase - it will sound wonky. If so, switch one ear to get them back in phase.
I don’t know anything about these specific iem’s so I can’t say if there is any possibility of damage but I’ve never seen it in passive devices.
Edit: Also, these things tend to be consistent so the hole at the top of each iem is probably the same (either + on both or - on both).
Before posting, I had tried various combinations and it seemed to sound best with either + on top for both or - for both. But that didn’t seem logical to me because the cable connectors have a flat side and a grooved side, and the best sound came from having the flat side facing me on one channel and the grooved side facing me on the other channel. I kept switching it back so that they were both flat or both grooved facing me, and I got more and more frustrated.
I have a technical question.
When i listen to black sabbath sweet leaf (remastered 2014) at 3:01 there is a drum part.
When using my hd560s i feel like everything is over everything, i can’t quite hear when a sound stop and when another starts. This part feels distorted so to speak.
When i listen with my HE4XX i hear every hit on the drum as separated compared to the 560s but the punch of the drum sounds all the same, not the sound but the intensity of the punch feel the same.
When i listen with my Elegia i hear everything separated but i hear each notes fading away in a sea of subsequent notes.(i dont know if you guys gets what im saying… it sound really precise as if i get the full picture of all the sounds even tho they sound closer to me) the 4xx was more one hit start and then stops when the next one happens.
i also feel the intensity of everything like its punchier the range of intensity is differents from the 4xx as i can tell how fast and how hard the drummer hits. It is the first time i feel like my elegia sound better than my 560s and my 4xx usually its 560 > 4xx > elegia not the other way around…
Anyway i wanna know if you guys could maybe explain me where i hear speed , instrument separation and clarity in what i just explained as i realize my comprehension is still not on point.
PS I AM RUNNING everything from my topping Mx3 as a dac to my thx 789 single ended output in this specific case.
Hi Everyone, I’d love to collect some opinions on this:
I want to run out of my DAC to two different single ended devices and there is only one SE output. I want to have my Asgard 2 on my desk so I am not running my tube amp 100% of the time. I am about to get a BF2 with only one SE output. The balanced out will be used to the sub woofer.
Do you think I am better off using the splitters or Y cables like Audioquests? OR, should I just use the passive pre-outs on the Asgard 2 into the second amp sort of daisy chained?
I have used the Asgard 2 before as a sort of pre-amp/volume control for my subwoofer, but is it logical to think that it is going through more circuitry than a simple splitter and thus less desirable?
I may end up just trying both. But I want the cleanest signal possible into the tube amp.
This has come up a few times, and I don’t think anyone reached a conclusion regarding whether a switch was audibly distinguishable from a Y-splitter cable or Audioquest adapters. I like the ease of use of my switch because I can switch between amps by turning a knob, others prefer the splitter. Pick your poison.
And because the next question is normally “how can I use the Sys when it’s 2 in-1 out and I need the opposite”, you can use the Sys “backwards” as a 1 in-2 out switch.
I would use a Y-splitter myself – as long as only one amp is being used at a time. When in adventure-mode, i.e., all amps playing, I’d keep an active on ground loops. In an event of ground loops, option 4 or 5 are probably your best bet.
Option 4 is a solid choice. With one oddity, if not using the third input/output some noise is introduced, I was able to solve it by inserting a dummy 1/8” to 1/4” adapter. The other nice thing about this unit is has the 1/8” option in addition to RCA. I was able to use those connectors when comparing amps with relative ease.
I have both this unit, and option 1, I think they are good extras to have on hand.
on ground loops. In an event of ground loops, option 4 or 5 are probably your best bet.
