Sorry to keep going on in this thread but I’ve been A/Bing the RNHP again today and feel like maybe I’m missing something.
Since I got the unit I didn’t even think about comparing it to the headphone out from my audio interface (Komplete Audio 6 MKI). Now this interface is pretty out and doesn’t have the best specs but with the balanced out from the KA6 to the RNHP and switching from the headphone jack on each the difference is…almost unnoticeable. I mean the difference is very subtle if at all. So I think to myself, “well, maybe its the dac limiting the RNHP”. so I hook up the Tone Board via RCA to the RNHP and A/B to the headphone jack from the KA6 and now the RNHP is a bit brighter in sound, much louder (I rematched the volume as best I could), but it is not a night and day difference. When considering the price difference and age between these units you would think the difference would be very noticeable.
The question is could my dac (s) really be limiting the RNHP this much?! or is it possible that an old audio interface with build in headphone amp from 10 years ago is really almost on par with the RNHP?
Has anyone tried their RNHP with the Tone Board? If so what kind of results?
You need a mildly engaging DAC to get the sparkle with the RNHP. If you don’t have a very detailed and fast DAC you may not enjoy it with the RNHP. The Tone Board is likely to be smoothed out too much due to it’s needs to sound good at that price bracket. If I only had a D10, Modi (regular), or Tone Board, I would send the RNHP back.
Yeah, I was planning to have a better dac by now but I just haven’t made a decision yet (well I bought the Modius but didn’t like it at all). Maybe I will just return it.
Modius is nice but it plays better with something like my THX Amp. The RNHP + Bifrost 2 for many could be an “endgame” setup. But if you value impact, slam, wide sound stage, and not a fan of the sweetness in mids and highs present in good recordings… avoid the RNHP.
I felt the same about the rnhp compared to my Asgard when I was running it with my topping e30, enough to wonder if I was really hearing much difference past it sounding a little brighter. But since I got my bf2 I can definitely tell the difference especially in the detail with my Lawton’s, enough that I haven’t used the Asgard since getting the bf2 really as I have felt that I’m getting what I want out of the rnhp.
I value both of those things but in different contexts. Causal listening I tend toward the wide, impactful, wow factor, and in music production I’m looking for a neutral balanced honest presentation, which I also enjoy in causal listening at times. I think thats why I liked the contrast of the RNHP vs the Liquid Platinum so far but the fact that my old audio interface is giving almost the same impression as the RNHP is a bit surprising. Also that the RNHP would have such a limited dac favorability.
Anyway, I’ll probably return it and once I get a better dac/upgraded audio interface think about a more neutral headphone amp again. Maybe the Lake People g111? In the mean time I think I am going to solder the cap mod into the LP, because I’ve heard really good things, and just use my old trusted KA6 till then.
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.
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.
