I wouldnāt dive into it so hard if I hadnāt heard the differences myself. And with different headphones at that (Ananda, HD 560s, XS)
I dare anyone to compare an underpowered amp to something in the 5+ watt range and tell me the difference isnāt substantial.
That being said I donāt know how they scale with even more power. Iām using balanced out from my Jot 2 at 7.5w at 16 Ohms. I imagine a speaker amp would gain results but Iām not sure how much itād scale. 7.5w is a lot for headphones already. Someone compare a headphone amp to a speaker amp and chime in!
I wasnāt basing it so much on marketing as I thought I saw other people who said they were using the Atom stack with the XS and working well. So when I was able to get a used Atom+ stack for $140 I thought that would work well.
I.e on another thread someone said;
ā Iām using a JDS Labs Atom + DAC-amp stack. $210 new combined. Works well. Clean power that wonāt color the sound.ā
I guess a little bummed that it sounds like I need to spend $400 (Magnius/Modius) or $500-600 (Jot 2 with a DAC module) to actually get proper performance from the XS.
But Iād rather invest in whatever it is that I need to to actually get good performance
It does seem like the need for such expensive Amp/DACs does change value proposition of the XS a bit to me. Especially if I could keep my Atom stack and spend a bit more to get an Ananda
I thought the same thing when I bought the Hel 2 but what weāre looking at are entry level amps and DACs that may be enough for the people that casually use headphones, or find that level of performance to be satisfying enough. Iām not saying you canāt enjoy these headphones at that level of performance but youāre leaving a lot on the table.
Ananda are a different beast and likewise as scalable as the XS. They are pretty fantastic but different. Theyāre more analytical, the Soundstage is bigger and imaging is more noticeable. My biggest issue was the fit, they gave me splitting headaches.
Audio is tough to get in to, itās expensive and what works for others may not work for you. My advice is get something with a good return policy and when you stop feeling the itch to try something else the youāve found what works for you. Maybe youāre just fine with something lower budget and thatās fine. Donāt let it deter you
An Asgard 3 with a Modi or ES9028 card (or the jds dac) will probably have synergy with a much broader selection of headphones compared to a Magnius. Plus muting pre-outs. Get the Modius later if you feel you need it.
I bought a bifrost 2 and PayPal has been holding my funds for a week now. No shipping until it clears. Iām so pissed, they can take my money in a day but canāt clear it for a week. And then I have to wait for shipping.
I donāt own higher end equipment than the Atom stack though so I donāt really have a way to tell what Iām missing compared to a higher end setup. It sounds good to me, but I wouldnāt really know what something better sounds like
So the Hel 2 and atom arenāt enough? I think the liquid spark is slightly more powerful but itās still is under 2 watts I think, the ananda runs of a potato from what I know, interesting value plot twist if you need a $200 amp minimum ($400 where I am probably lmao T.T)
this thread is starting to sound like the he-6 threads. You can run it on an atom lolā¦will it sound better on a jotenheim, yes most likely but does not mean it doesnāt work with an atom
Very useful information and I am happy that someone actually have a good comparison with power feeding.
I really thought Zen Can is powerful enough and I still hope I am not missing a lot of the potential of the XS. Soon I will be able to test it balanced and I it should be a big improvement. If I see a difference I would imagine how much more I would get with more powerful amp. The thing is that I am not planning to upgrade it in the near future.
Yesterday I continued listening on a higher volume with Xbass activated. And I can say the sound is much more enjoyable for me. With my 770 or M50x I never use it because it starts to feel boomy and the sound gets worse. However on XS it sounds so much better. With Xbass their bass is maybe even better than my closed pairs without the Xbass. For me thatās the signature I am looking for.
Now I canāt wait for my cables. Seems like this is the only upgrade for me in the near future
Hello guys, Iāve been lurking for a while, but this is my first comment. Iām a total noob in the audio world, so I figured I needed some guidance.
Recently I decided to upgrade my low level audio setup that Iāve used for the last few years, specifically a Sennheiser HD598 paired with a Sound Blaster X7. So, after some research, I decided to try the HD560S and so I did. After a little A/Bing with the 598 I reached the conclusion that I like the 560S more, but I also find it slightly more fatiguing and I didnāt find the increase in quality to be night and day.
So I started craving for more, I needed moar, and after briefly entertaining the thought of buying a HE400se to A/B with the 560, I stumbled upon the Edition XS. I read everything I could find on the internet about it and ended up inevitably jumping on the hype train.
So now Iām really close to pull the trigger, but thereāre a few buts. I know that the Sound Blaster X7 is possibly a terrible abomination for any respectable audiophile, but before I upgrade the amp/DAC I really want to upgrade the cans. The question is: will I be able to enjoy these cans with my current setup and really feel a substantial difference compared to the 560S? Ideally Iāll order them in the next few days from Hifiman, but as I live in Italy I donāt know if Iāll get them before the deadline for returning the 560S, so I donāt know if Iāll be able to A/B them.
Also the last thing, the X7 has a toggle in the control app that lets you switch between 32-300 ohms and 600 ohms gain, as I read that EXS is power hungry, would it be beneficial to switch to the 600 ohms mode or would it be downright dangerous and potentially damage the cans and/or the amp?
Absolutely youāll be able to enjoy the upgrade. I went from 560s to Ananda after finding the 560s bright and boring and it was still amazing despite only having the Hel 2.
Switching on high gain mode wonāt cause any damage. I did it with my Hel 2 and my Jot 2 is always on high gain
.
