+1 to aimlessly blaming my equipment made me die in a video game and cause me start swearing.
Also, amps don’t cause the lag, it’s all driver priority and hardware solutions that induce lag with sound. If you want low latency audio, get an ACTUAL sound card if you can tell the difference.
Yeah i do my gaming on a 144hz monitor so i will need to see. A lot of my work is streaming so i am also sensitive to a/v sync soooo 
I think at worst if i do percieve something ill leave my current dac/amp there and switch it.
I wonder what the latency on the Modius is
The gist of the video is that they both sound about the same.
That’s pretty close to my experience, actually–with most headphones I’ve still not heard any major differences between the two amps. Any time I think I may have, I’ve been able to A-B, volume match by ear, and get the same results.
That’s more or less the same conclusion I’ve arrived at with the Neve amp. SINAD of 101 vs 119 for the THX amp? Not making a difference to me. At least not with the sampling I’ve done. FWIW, I’m feeding both with an ADI-2 DAC (SINAD 112).
Per Wikipedia:
The 16-bit compact disc has a theoretical undithered dynamic range of about 96 dB; however, the perceived dynamic range of 16-bit audio can be 120 dB or more with noise-shaped dither, taking advantage of the frequency response of the human ear.
I’m still wrapping my head around how to best integrate that, but in simple terms it seems like ~96dB of clean signal is perfectly transparent for CD quality (16/44) audio. But that doesn’t completely line up with all of my personal experiences.
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The real trouble with measurements is that they attempt to reduce a multidimensional landscape into a 2-dimensional graph or one-dimensional number. With context they can be very informative and helpful, but they are always an incomplete picture.
For example, SINAD is a function of input amplitude and frequency. Vary either of those and the numbers will change. Use a single reference frequency and level and you get a good “thumb in the air” idea of transparency, but not enough information to call a SINAD ranking an absolute ordering of device quality.
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One thing I disagree with in the review is calling the 887 a more powerful amp. The THX amp has a linear power response. Here are the specs:
Meanwhile, RNHP:
On the THX amp as load doubles, power output is halved. The RNHP has a non-linear power output. Anecdotally, it does a better job of powering my 600 ohm Beyers than the 887 does (both SE). I think that flies in the face of the oversimplified claim that THX has more power.
Where the RNHP struggles a bit is with low impedance headphones that are also insensitive. Amir mentioned the Ether CX, which are a good example:
This is where the gobs of power from THX amps at low impedance really come in handy. With Ether CX balanced out of the 887 bass is more impactful and the overall sound signature is more coherent and clean than it is from the RNHP (SE). Interestingly enough, the RNHP will drive the CX plenty loud, but they’re just not well controlled.
Meanwhile, I’m listening to Orbital today out of the RNHP / Sundaras, and they sound pretty great. Sundaras have just a bit higher load (37 ohms) and just a bit more sensitivity (94dB). Could be that pushes them closer to RNHP’s sweet spot (or maybe they’re just better headphones), but in either case they’re a better pairing for RNHP than the CX.
Excellent points.
Anecdotally, I really enjoyed the LCD-X from the RNHP (when I owned them). I found it was a very good pairing.
I’ve got an rnhp coming Friday. Once I destroy the button lights I’ll give the lcd-x some time on it for sure
Did they make another change to the RNHP? Attached are pics of the one i just bought. It was used but i have no idea what those white things are on top of the caps or if those caps are the nichicons…
Those are 5uF capacitors (rated 100V for whatever reason) badly soldered and hot-snotted on top of the existing ones.
The right (marked 1) joint is technically okay, except the wire being bent like that makes it a PAIN in the backside to remove without just taking wire snips to it.
The center (marked 2) one is just ugly. Has flux resedue on it (bad) and looks like it was almost too cold when soldered in place. Also the “wire too short”-bodge wire between the thick wire coming from the capacitor and the capacitor-leg of the factory one.
Same for the left joint (marked 3)
Q: Does this improve it?
A: Unlikely. The RNHP from this thread and others has a problem with letting high frequency noise pass. Capacitors let that kind of noise pass streight through.
Q: So is it bad?
A: I don’t think so. Inrush current drawn from the PSU will be higher, appart from that, it may aswell not be there.
The fact those are Axial (the factory one below are radial) meaning one wire on each end… I decalre that mod hereby a bodge.
Edit: For reference, the factory capacitors are 4700uF (25V). This mod in theory improves transient response.
Interesting. I’ll check the one that shows up for me tomorrow.
They are indeed caps, probably someone playing with “bypassing” …or thinkning they are.
The actual solder joints if wrapped and crimped would work…if just “tack” soldered then over time if any movement they would fracture and cause an issue…
Guess the large glue stick stuff was to prevent this…I would not do this this way, but it will work.
Alex
The wires from the white caps are wrapped around the leads from the black ones and then soldered. I also got a response from neve support saying 100% it is not stock:
Blockquote Yeah, that is definitely not stock. We use nichicon caps which are marked. If it works it should be ok, but that does look fairly sloppy. As long as you aren’t going to be rough with it, I would guess leaving it as is, would be the best option.
So, should i be worried here? A lot of things are done in theory but then eventually lead to not so great stuff down the line.
Besides propsed “better transients” what other changes to the sound may occur?
I’m going to contact the seller as this was not disclosed and, although im trying to stay open minded, i am a little upset. If everything else is stock (no clue cant read the dark caps below) then i could desolder these, but i also dont know if the modder cooked anything or botched anything else during this mod. I dont have another rnhp to compare to or anything to even hook this up to yet.
Yeah not mentioning a mod is a dick move. What prompted you to open it up?
No (well, about as much as a buyer who was lied to)
Worst case, the caps ad 0.1% capacitance to the stock ones (which I would call negligible).
Going of the photos, PCB looks untouched (does not rule out some more “mods” under the circuit board…).
Rightfully so.
Smartphone/Notebook/Computer out via the 1/8" in?
As for removing the bodge there:
I’d personally leave them in there, or return it to the seller, it’s a negligible change to the capacitance, in the power section, of an amp that takes DC in, I doubt it has much of an effect if any. I have to wonder what whoever did it was thinking, but …
Why chance damage removing it.
Looking at the pcb briefly last night i didnt see anything else touched or soldered in a way that looked out of line but i didnt take the board out for obvious reasons (i think the white caps are glued to the side of the case)
The seller bought this second hand and is contacting the original seller as well, he has offered to ship it back and refund me if i want. My thing is i got this for a good price and since so many have passed and cost more. The person who sold it to me did disclose all other marks on the unit. But who knows people can always be pulling a ruse…
I can probably test via a dap i have, but tbh unless something is critically wrong i dont have a reference to compare to. It may also be double amping in there.
I opened it up because i was wondering if this was a newer or older revision and the cap color usually indicates this. Its easy enough to open so why not. I first thought this may of been a later revision to tame that on off sound people report, but it was too diy and the caps low quality.
If this is all he did, u can just clip them out to get back to “stock”.
But if your still not trusting this guy, return it if possible and get a new one.
A.
I think some other questions are if anything else was damaged or changed. I trust myself to clip and desolder, but that glue looks like a pia.
I would also want to at least measure some things afterwards with a meter but i dont know what those measurements should be or if i can find out/neve will give me them to test. I also dont know if even though it measures right if anything else is not right…
Im waiting for what the original owner gets back from the seller. OG seller is a bigger reseller online so we will see. Just annoyed at the moment. I would of been more annoyed if i had the full chain and everything set up then finding this.
This one is for sale:
The only mod that’s been done to it was an application of vinyl wrap onto the front panel.
Thanks, i reached out as i waiting for a response on the modded unit.
