Donāt think I heard much a difference between XLR and RCA input on my unit
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Headphone pairing advice needed
Gents,
Just purchased the G111, and after a few days, I agree with comments about this amp not sounding its best with planar headphones. In terms of DAC performance, my Aune X8 DAC seems sufficient for now, so Iām more interested in finding a new headphone to pair with this amp. The DAC upgrade can wait.
From your experience, which dynamic driver headphone played really well with this amp?
Context
- Ignore Focals ā theyāre uncomfortable for me.
- Budget will be <$1,000 ā used is OK with me
- You can ignore sound preference ā Iām more interested in synergy right now (plus I enjoy different sound signatures)
-
You can ignore these headphones ā I already own them and they sound fantastic on this amp.
1. 6XX
2. Koss Porta Pros
3. Sivga Pheonix
4. Audeze Sine (the only exception to my above āplanarā complaint)
Why am I looking for a new headphone?
- I did not buy this amp for the above-mentioned headphones. It was meant to drive my LCD2Cs, which do not sound noticeably better on this amp when compared to the JDS Element II (IMO).
- If I canāt find a dynamic driver headphone that makes me say āholy shitā while playing on this amp, Iāll probably sell it.
- This amp sounds incredible with my low-end mid-fi gear, but I struggle to justify keeping it unless it pairs well with most of my top-3 headphones (it currently does not).
My Top 3
- LCD2 Classic
- M1060C (Iāll probably replace this with a dynamic headphone. Iām barely using it these days.)
- HD6XX (pairs well, but I prefer these on my TA 26 amp)
Well outside of the aforementioned 6xx the 800s also pairs really well with this amp too, but outside senn Iād say a beyer t1 gen 2 is a great pick here. A kennerton gjallarhorn is an interesting pick as well. Iād also potentially consider something like a zmf auteur or eikon.
I know you already have the 2 classic, but really consider moving up to an lcd 2 pre fazor if you can find one used which I think is a direct upgrade to the classic in every way, and also will pair a lot better and actually take advantage of what the amp has to offer. The classic is somewhat gimped in itās technical ability and itās scaling so it isnāt all that responsive to amp upgrades imo. The 2 fazor is also good but less direct of an upgrade but still close enough imo.
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Pre fazor and fazor are two separate headphones, correct?
So both are technically lcd 2, but different revisions, older lcd 2 had no fazor, but I think in 2014 they started adding fazors. Thereās different community called revisions as well, but the bigger part is getting one without the fazor (which is what the classic tries, but doesnāt fully succeed, to replicate imo)
Thereās more info here, but you will just have to look around, typically listings will label if something is pre fazor or not
But there are seemingly less for sale these days as they have gotten more desirable, a fair going price for a pre fazor is around 600 in good condition, perhaps 700 if it has a newer upgraded headband, although in the past they used to go for around 500 ish
I lack the energy to search for a used LCD at the moment, but Iāll keep them in mind.
In the interim, Iāll consider dynamic headphones that scale well. ZMFs interest me, for sure.
Appreciate the advice 
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Hi Guys,Finally I Get LP G111ā¦
What about Gain selector?I have to touch jumpers or default setting Is enough?
Unless you have all super sensitive loads (reduce gain) or all super tough loads (increase gain), Iād leave it on the stock setting. I find that to be quite flexible. It will handle the harder driving half of the IEM market all the way up through HE6se v2 on the stock setting.
I Will pair LP G111 with HD600
I Hope I Will receive them in the next few Daysā¦
Hi Guys,What about Gain Selector?
You use default settings (0 db) or You use + 6 Db/12 db?
I read that in Amplifier the ideal position of the Knob should be between 10/12 oā clockā¦
With gain set to 0 at 12 oclock with HD600 I Donāt reach the level of volume that satisfy me .
Finally throwing the DT880-600Ī© on the G111 and it is fairly impressive how fattened up the low-end is and treble rather controlled. Really, this should be the spot for people that like the 880 but find the presentation too lean. Normal listening occurs in the 12:00 vicinity on stepped-pot . A really nice amp for high-impedance cans, especially if theyāre neutral-bright in FR. At used-market pricing it is really the SE darling if you donāt need pre-outs. +resolution/microdetail/imaging/blackness/space. Trouble is, thereās not a ton of them floating around.
I do feel like the A3 might be more diffuse in shape, wet and āfunā generally, with a good macro-orientation and very good timbre. It goes back to the 'tube-feel" of A3.
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Just in case someone is wondering, there are 2 gain jumpers inside, each one controls the gain of either the left or right channel of both 1/4ā outputs, so you canāt have different gains for each output.
@WaveTheory
I have been watching the G111 MKII for a while. I used to have the MKI.
Also, I cannot wait for your 600$ comparison! (I literally have until 11/11 to purchase the topping a90d for discount price 509)
Jokes aside, Thanks for the review.
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yeah, that comparison could determinate my next amp purchase
already have a g111 and wanted a second bit warmer amp for planars so the singxer was on my radar but the lyr+ and g111 do threaden my upgrade path XD 
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Reading all this with great interest, and the G111 Mk2 seems mighty tempting, especially based on the $600 shootout from @WaveTheory (stellar work, as always).
Iām wondering would this be a good option for my current set of Atticus, Lcd-xc (2021), and HD 600. I currently have a Zen stack (zen Dac and can), and Project Ember ii (which i love with the Audeze), but am looking for something a bit more incisive if that makes sense. So much to exploreā¦
I guess that depends on how much youāre looking to spend. With both the Atticus and HD600, a BHC+Speedball would be a really good choice. But if you want to spend a bit more, you canāt go wrong with the Quicksilver amp. If you are looking to stay with SS though, the G111mk2 is a fine amp.
Thanks for the kind words!
The short answer is: yes! The G111mk2 will be a fine amp for your quiver of cans. The Lake People amp designs handle hi-Z very well and in the latest generations have added more control for low-Z planars. Thatās your collection right there.
As far as the incisiveness goes, the Zen DAC is decent but will be the bottleneck here. To really get that you might need to upgrade in 2 stagesā¦get an amp now and then start saving again for a mid-fi tier DAC. Fortunately there are lots of good options there. If youāve been watching my channel Iāve been pecking away at a string of mid-fi DACs with more to come. There will be a roundup of them at the end.
Thanks man, really appreciate your feedback and all the work that you have been putting in to sharing insights and learnings - super helpful for someone like me who doesnāt have the opportunity to test gear at shops, meetups etc.
Thanks for the advice about the upgrade path as well; definitely will need to upgrade both Dac and amp, but can only afford one at a time at present. Might do a bit more digging to see if it makes more sense to go Dac first, then ampā¦ Youāve definitely got me thinking now 
Thanks kindly @Michael, very much appreciated. BHC and tubes is a great shout as well. Due to work, I may have to move from the Americas to Europe shortly, so I am likely going to have to look at a solid state that will work with both voltage systems. But tubes is definitely a rabbit hole I want to dive into as soon as possible. So much to explore
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Just to close out my journey - was excited to try to get the Lake People G111, but I was only able to find the first model in my area so in the end I took the plunge and got the Violectric V202. I auditioned both the V222 and the V202, and actually found the SE as good, if not slightly better, on the V202 (caveat about difficulty about switching between both, sighted bias etc)ā¦was only able to audition with the HD600 and LCD-XC in store, but very much liked what I heard and thought it will dispel the āwhat ifā¦ā feeling. Got a Mojo 2 to drive it, and am now going to take my time, disconnect from the forums and explore my music for a whileā¦ thanks to all for the responses and guidance. And happy listening.
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