I would strongly consider researching DACs first before getting another amp right away. As far as wow factor, there is a sparkly sound on highs (especially acoustic instruments).
A good song for testing the 3d sound on the RNHP is a high quality (not YouTube) track of Panama by The Avener. You will get a sense of the sweetness and holographic sound that a lot of amps can’t compete with.
Think I intended to reply to Kron on that last one, opps.
But thanks! yeah I’m looking at the RME Adi-2 right now but am also intrigued by the Soncoz SGD1. Also Geshelli has a new dac coming out in the spring that I’d be curious to hear more about.
From how I understand it, the headphone is the most important, then the headphone amp and then the dac. It seems like once you get into the audiophile world you start dealing with more and more subtlety but I haven’t been convinced that the dac has a ton to do with it yet. I like RME as a company and I’m curious about their dac for features on top of the amazing reviews.
Don’t think I’ve exactly experienced the 3D effect you are talking about yet, just listened to the Avener track on Spotify (I know not exactly highest quality). So you are saying with the right dac this takes on a whole new effect with the RNHP? Interesting.
I think Mic Check by Cornelius has been my go to “3D sound” track up till now but maybe you are talking about a whole other dimension because I guess thats still pretty 2 dimensional in a sense. Also Name Game by Shawn Lee and Clutchy Hopkins was the first track that I heard another vertical dimension of sound on while comparing the Liquid Platinum to the RNHP, again with my basic dac setup.
So the RME is a fine dac, but word around the water cooler is that it’s just too smooth and not engaging enough. I would strongly consider a ladder DAC such as the Schiit DACs (Bifrost 2 and Yggdrasil with the A2 board), Holo Audio DACs, Soekris, and Denafrips. While there maybe a few contenders, the ladder DACs out perform in the market segment for under and around $2k it seems.
If you go in the threads for the Bifrost 2 or Denafrips Ares II, you will find a cult following for VERY good reasons.
Well the rnhp is made in the light of music production. I wont say specifically for it, but thats the world it came from.
I paired mine with the bf2 and lcdx and 24. I know people say dacs influence things the least out of the cans, amps, and dacs, but i spent more on the dac than the amp and at some point its about the total chain and end output sound.
Thanks! I’ll spend some time reading up on these.
Not sure if this is the spot for this, but I came across it and thought it would be worth sharing on the forum.
It seems lately the list of those passing is longer and longer with less time between each addition. Its always sad news but hopefully the legacy lives on.
My chain currently consists of a FiiO M15 -> LO into Qed Graphite to RCA -> RNHP -> via Forza Audioworks Noir HPC MK2 into Denon AH-D9200 … I am somewhat satisfied with this combination but have the feeling I could get more out of this. The sound is nice and precise, but seems a bit liveless/sterile … Would swapping the RNHP for for instance a G111 make sense? Or would anyone have another recommendation?
Well, my gut tells me that swapping amps will not fix your problem.
How would you compare the sound between going straight out of the M15 vs using the C input on the RNHP vs (currently) the B input with the adapter vs using the B input, but with a DAC that has rca outs?
Not sure if I would want to risk putting a variable output (the FiiO’s 4.4mm does not officially support line-out) straight into the balanced input C… And I am indeed torn between investing in a stand-alone DAC and a better Amp …
Personally in your case I think you could go either way. What I might suggest doing is grabbing a dac like a bifrost 2 as that would really improve the rnhp overall and might solve the lifelessness/sterile issue for you and that would be that, and if you found it didn’t improve the rnhp to the extent or way you wanted, you could always go for the g111 instead and sell/return the rnhp and have a nice dac for it already. Generally I should ask what aspects of the rnhp are you really looking to improve or change?
So I gotta make a quick pitstop on the thread and say that while my main gear is being reviewed, I have the Sarga DAC hooked up to the RNHP balanced with my trusty LCD X, Nueman ND-20, and Klipsch HP-3. While the LCD X sounds the best on there I have to say, $3400 DAC and I can hear more detail than I have ever before.
I know people talk about buying gear and wondering how well it will scale for what price… Hands down the cheapest thing in the chain is the RNHP. The bottle neck to hear more detail in the chain is guess what? The headphones here. If you are newb and you want to enjoy your music with clear bass (not great on impact and slam) with most any headphone that is mild to moderate power requirements, this amp scales. This amp especially likes clear and detailed sources but if you must, there is a 3.5mm stereo input from a cell phone on the back that just sounds great.
If you want an amp that will always perform that you make keep and always having reserve, it’s this RNHP. I just wanted to share this reminder for all those that chase “end game” and know for some, the cost can be lower than you expect and this amp maybe it.
After having the RNHP here and experimenting with it for awhile I would say its a pretty flat headphone amp and, as a result, more lifeless than other things. It felt like a good tool for music production, maybe mastering to be more precise, but it fell flat for pure music enjoyment for me. I returned mine.
I have been enjoying the Liquid Platinum for music listening a lot more (with upgraded tubes).
*Please note I am not a hardcore audiophile like some here so take my experience with a grain of salt.
Do you run an EQ with your LCD-X? I love mine but sometimes I forget to turn my EQ setting on and it makes me question my entire music setup. Then I realize I need to flip the switch on APO and everything comes alive again!
I swear by The Headphone Shows EQ for it
APO LCD-X EQ
Band 1: G +3 F120 QLow Shelf
Band 2: G-2 F250 Q1.41
Band 3: G-2 F700 Q1.7
Band 4: G+3.5 F1700 Q1.5
Band 5: G+7 F3200 K Q1.5
Band 6: G+6 F4200 Q4
Band 7: G-3.5 F5500 Q3
Band 8: +5 F9500 Q6
Band 9: -1.5 F11600 Q3
Band 10: 0 F16500 Q0
Pre Amp -7
For the reasons u didn’t like the rnhp, the liquid plat was a great choice , it’s a very great amp. What dac have you used with each amp?
I recently got a RME ADI-2 used so I compared everything on that but have also listened to them on a Tone Board and a Komplete Audio 6 interface.
I’ve been reading about this cap upgrade some people have done on their Liquid Platinum. The results sound pretty interesting and seems easy to solder. I think I’m going to do it when the parts come in.
Hi there, new member here. I’ve been thinking about getting the RNHP for my Avantone Planar, I would like to get better timbre and texture on this headphone. However the problem I have is that I’m already completely unable to tell the difference between my Fiio K5 pro and Fiio E5 portable amp in a blind test, despite the 10x power difference. Is it safe to say I wouldn’t probably hear a difference either with the RNHP or could I have a good surprise?
RNHP is on drop now for $449
Anyone try RNHP paried with Grace SDAC balanced? Wondering if it would be a nice combo. Could also try it with my Motu M2 as DAC.