I turned it on, plugged YBF into it, and thereās a fairly nasty electrical noise Iāve never heard before. My guess is because itās configured in PC USB mode, but the USB cable isnāt plugged in. After I put the USB in, I hear NO change in static/background noise at any volume level(<3), but I do hear the faintest electrical static/noise when plugging in YBF(and itās always present until unplugged).
With Mojo volume at lowest(for good listening volume still) + PC vol 100%, there is still a detectable bit of noise when plugging in. If I turn Mojo way up, the noise/static increases a lot.
Same level of barely detectable noise with FH3 and VK4. So I must have had the hardware volume up too much before, and/or there is always slight electrical noise with this.
Itās a more voltage focused amp and is current limited. You commonly see this with some transformer coupled tube amps. Other solid state manufacturers have power curves like this as well. All depends on the design, the amp is more geared for higher impedance, just what they designed it for
For the iem question stuff Iāve thrown on there works well enough, but I havenāt used it enough with iems to say anything detailed
What about adapters for IEMs, to eliminate noise or match impedance better, like iFi IEMatch+ and those impedance cablesā¦? I have no idea if they affect SQ, or amplify/de-amplify the sound, but Iād like to have a product to cut noise(try it on my Mojo).
The iematch works great, has a minute non substantial impact on sound quality for most 1k and below iems from my experience (at least in ultra mode, I thought high didnāt work as well)
Given the nature of it, it will cause you to have to push your amp harder depending on the amp and iem. But if you have hiss or noise floor itās a great way to take care of that
Ok, letās say I want to go a step or 2 up from G111, with Bifrost, for IEMs+phones. I see the MLP is $499, but no idea how it compares.
Even if Bifrost might be at its limit with a ~G111, a more capable amp could enhance the presentation yet. I would like to try Arya or something like it in the future, but I donāt want a specific-headphone-tailored amp. ThieAudio Oracle is on the way to me now, on the IEM side.
Do you think G111 is straight up excellent for both IEMs and headphones? (I havenāt ordered it yet, so Iām still open to higher options)
Does G111+Bifrost give you everything you want? Would you change anything? Too thin/studio-like soundā¦? Or do you think going up a step or 2 with the amp would really take it to no-compromises high-end(like I am currently wondering about)?
What amps have you been looking at above G111, if any? Or do you feel Bifrost is the weak point?
It is straight up excellent, and an undeniable/immediately recognizable improvement from the A3. The IEM/headphone thing is slightly tricky - itās fantastic for IEMs (Thieaudio Monarchs are my main). But the āgainā switch is inside the unit, so if you have an incredible high impedance headphone and an incredibly sensitive IEM in your lineup, be prepared to turn it way up for the headphone, and way down for the IEM. This isnāt too much of a problem for me. For a 6xx for example, Iāll have the volume around ~11 to 1. For my Monarch, between 8 and 10 (usually 9). Havenāt opened the box and touched gain, left at default.
Bifrost 2 is unbelievable. There are some who might prefer a more clinical/analytical sound, who might do better with a Topping DAC, but for my purposes, the B2 is perfect. I literally havenāt given a second thought to upgrading. Together, the G111 and B2 are a great pairing. I am not interested in upgrading either right now. My only plans for the future is to buy a Feliks Audio tube amp - either the Echo mk II or the one just a tier above the Echo. But thatās much further down the road, when I get an Aeolus.
See above I guess. Iām not interesting in clinical/analytical, THX isnāt for me, and I really like the G111 because itās neutral without being overly opinionated in its neutrality (i.e. pushing neutrality so far that it becomes noticeable as a distinct signature - again, clinical or analytical). The stage is nice and wide, the euphony from the B2 still gets to shine through, the resolution is an improvement from the A3.
Have you heard anything better yet? It seems entirely logical to stop at G111+BF. Then spend the extra on different phones. I think I will try a Huge 2 after G111+BF2.
What were you using before G111 and BF? Iāve seen quite an improvement going from d50s+ATOM to this silly Mojo.
Yeah, this is pretty fantastic, actually! It COMPLETELY took out the Mojo noise, on high mode, and I noticed it softens/smooths the treble on ultra mode, which is a sweet bonus. One tiny switch to get 2 sounds.
This is a single ended amp, it does not output balanced. Thereās balanced inputs but it only outputs single ended. The dual 1/4 inch outputs are for dual headphones, not balanced (since there are some amps that use dual 1/4 inch TRS for balanced but thatās rare and not something this amp supports)
Ugh, I seeā¦ Makes me question why it has bal inputs then lol. It looks like RNHP is the same; bal inputs + SE jack. I guess I have to askā¦ Should I just go with it? Should still be a huge sound upgrade, either way. Iād rather not have an amp with crappy SE + much better bal output. I will have bal cables for all my IEMs soon, but Iām not sure what the bal amp option would be, comparable to G111. Ah, MLP, I guess. MLP would be better than G111, ya think?