I was using a mini stereo RCA single ended input into my PC, with dual stereo RCA jacks hooked up to the SMSL amp. If I disconnected the mini plug and touched it, the noise returned. This made me think it was some kind of grounding loop issue, so I put everything on the same outlet, still had the same problem…
Plugging in my Schiit Magni 3 had zero noise regardless of the outlet used.
(I’m still waiting on some quality RCA cables to test the Schiit Magni 3 to see if I get the same distortion/clipping at loud volume that I get with the SMSL. I only have balanced cables right now to connect the DAC to the amp, and the Schiit doesn’t have balanced inputs.)
I’m going to try the Topping A90 amp as it’s getting great reviews, essentially the same as H4A Benchmark amp but with a little less crosstalk so it provides better soundstage.
I also ordered some Meze 99 Classics. I think I might like those, but they are extremely sensitive to wattage, with peak power rating of 50mW. Which scares me. Since most amps put out 40 TIMES MORE wattage than that. I have no idea what 50mW translates to on the volume dial so… I don’t believe these will last long lol.
They’re also not aggressive, which I’m not sure what that means exactly. Hopefully it doesn’t mean “loses dynamic range” or “sounds compressed.”
Hmm ok. It’s just that with car audio speakers, I’ve put twice the wattage into some speakers and the voice coil burned up after a few minutes. In this case though we’re talking about potentially putting 400 times their max wattage. Like sticking an Emotiva BasX amp on a set of regular headphones.
I guess I will just go by SPL and how they sound (no distortion) to gauge their power limit.
Im still curious what will the end be.
Can you pass the signal from Magni 3 → THX, if the issue continues? Just to test the amp and signal.
That kinda was my go-to as well, few years back.
If the rating was 40wrms/80wmax then it would have/get 80wrms or 800/1.6k then it’s 1.6kwrms.
Push it real good with good signal and save fr-ranges.
Thought did not actually burn any…but 2 center speakers had factory flaws. They did not last even normal listening. my max limit in loudness was not the speakers max. lasting one song usually.
At show’s i played “if the coils burn… they burn!” mentality.
Hifiman Edition X V2 via Monolith Liquid Platinum. Whatever dac you want. If you want a headphone to hit like ‘12 inch subs’ without compromise, that’s the only thing under $1500 that’ll really do it.
I finally got some RCA cables so I can use my old Schiit Magni 3 amp. The sound definitely improved at higher volume, without bass distortion. I’m actually really enjoying the DT 177X Go now… better bass. The mids and treble is still there it’s just not as loud as my DT 1990 Pro. Which I guess is what people call a “relaxed” sound.
I also noticed my SMSL SP200 amp was REALLY hot… This amp is supposed to run very COOL or at least not generate heat. So yeah, definitely something seriously wrong with it! I’ve been running my Schiit Magni 3 for 5 hours now with music LOUD, and it’s only slightly warm.
Hifiman seem to discontinue their more well-received cans, e.g. HE-500 and HEXv2. It would be awesome if there’s an HE-5XX. Has anyone compared the HEXv2 to the Edition XX?
Ok first test is the Dekoni Audio Elite Hybrid pads on the DT 1990 Pro. I have to say… Wow. The bass sounds great now, 4.5/5.0. But unlike my Sennheiser HD8 DJs, it’s not always there like an elevated bass level to all the music. When songs have a lot of bass I really hear it, but songs without much bass are quiet. With the HD8s I hear bass pretty much in everything at a decent level, and then really strong with bass heavy music.
If I had to keep these as my only headphone I’d be content with them. The only thing I feel is missing is it doesn’t quiet get to the SPL I enjoy. They still start to distort somewhere around 90dB. I might be able to squeeze a little more volume out of them with a stronger amp.
The Meze 99 Classics are louder than my current headphones, maybe another 10dB. Better bass impact around 90 Hz and up. But a HUGE roll off in sub-bass.
EQ’ing didn’t help either. I could hear more bass but I could still recognize the sharp roll off. I’d probably have to add a lot more sliders to the EQ for at least a dozen more bass frequencies to get it to sound more natural. EQ’ing the bass is sort of like holding up a huge plastic bag filled with water, when you push your hands up on one part, it still quickly sags down on either side of your hand. You would need a lot more “hands” to create a proper bass sound.
Ideally I want that “marshmellowy” (as Zeos calls it) sub-bass. Where it booms and has a nice rumble. These just hit like taking drumsticks and hitting drums really hard next to your ear, but then quickly placing your hand on the drum to keep it from resonating. If that makes any sense…
So yeah TL;DR version, as others have said these are not “basshead” headphones.
The only positive thing is they do get louder than my current headphones which makes listening to music more fun (I’m still looking for that “concert sound” in a headphone). But I’ll be returning them since I’d rather get a little less SPL and get much better sound quality with my DT 1990 Pro with the Dekoni Elite pads.
Fostex T50RPs can also give you a taste of what planars can do for bass. Shure 840 pads will make em sound V-shaped. Foam can reduce the treble too, if needed. But I don’t think you’ll need to – you’ll just get a… more “violent” version of DT 1990s, maybe? (Planar speed – you just have to hear it to believe it)
But T50RPs, above all, are just… “versatile” headphones. Grab 10 pairs of inexpensive pads and it will change the sound 10 times. There’s a reason why T50RPs are really well known, but it’s hard to find a stock frequency response graph of these, lol. Everyone mods em.
Yeah, I really wanted the MKIII Argons. I like how planars are described as being able to get really loud without distorting. And that you can EQ the bass up a lot.
I’m watching Zeos’s review of the T50RP MKIII again and now I remember why I didn’t want to get the stock versions. They take a ton of power to get loud.
I’m kind of set on the Topping A90 amp as it got really good reviews, but it’s not a really powerful single ended amp.
I just bought the Topping A90 amp, based on reviews. It seems to be able to drive really hard to drive planars. The specs on the amp seem much lower than they actually are. Their 250 ohm performance for example is about half that of my Schiit Magni 3 which is only $100. (The A90 is $500) But if it can drive 200 ohm planar magnetic LCD-4s then I’m sure it will have no problem with my 250 ohm DT 1990 Pro.
I want to see how the DT 1990 Pro sounds first on that amp, but I’ll probably end up buying the T20RP with 1840 Shure pads. I really think I’ll be impressed with planar headphones, and they can get ridiculously loud (130 dB). It’s just a matter of if they can get close to the sound quality of the DT 1990 Pro.
(The T50RPs are too hyped up so they sell for around $350 on Amazon which is unacceptable. That’s like paying for Argons but not getting Argons lol.)
I’m on Zeos’s patreon and he recommended that amp. That’s the first time I heard about it.
I then checked out his review and others like Soundnews. Soundnews really sold me on it because of how well he addressed concerns a lot of people have. Like with driving planar headphones. I really like how he does his reviews, they’re extremely informative.
That’s the first time I heard about it.
