[Rclark]

EDIT: this thread will also serve as my review of the unit

Have an xda 2 on the way and want to take advantageof the headphone amp. Willing to spend $300 or so, and need a pair of headphones that will mate with this amp well.

Specs found here  http://shop.emotiva.com/collections/processors/products/xda2

Seems to put out about .3 watts at 10ohms, which seems tiny to me, but their marketing keeps stressing it's a "high current" amp.

Any ideas on what to run? I favor ultimate fidelity over warmth or house curves, etc, and am a complete headphone noob.

[TrungT]

Clean out your Inbox 




Shure SE425-V

[Rclark]

Need to clean that thing out. I like what I saw in Freo's recommend of the Sony MDR. For $80 seems like a no brainer to match with xda. Neo, high efficiency, I even like that the cord is 9.8 feet. Extremely highly reviewed. Nice.

Was going to do HiFiman He-300 but this MDR seems to enjoy a cult status, and the price is nice.

When I step to a dedicated headphone amp, I'll spend more then.

[Rclark]

http://emotiva.com/resources/media/xda2/xda2_asrccomparison.pdf

One thing that intrigues me about the Xda-2 is its anti-jitter circuitry they call ASRC. Emotiva is one of the few companies that puts out a lot of measurement data and here are some measurments of ASRC on removing jitter, above.

My source right now is a ps3, was an Erc-2, but I've switched to an excellent streaming service on the ps3. I think it'll be interesting to hear this circuity in action. It's also defeatable via the remote.
 

[Rclark]

The Sony MDR 7506's showed up and they are far nicer in real life than they look in pics and am blown away by the deluxe quality packaging, they're practically silk wrapped and bow tied. The 1/4 inch adapter actually screws on, the feel of the phones on my head is downright decadent compared to what I'm used to. I made the right choice. Going to let them break in on my tablet as I go back to work. Can't wait for dac and headphone amp on Monday.

Thanks to Freo for the heads up on these cans.

[Rclark]

So far, just running of my Galaxy Tab 10.2 tablet, the sound quality of the phones is excellent, much better than anticipated, and so comfortable I can forget I'm wearing them, which is quite a feat. The kind of cans you can sleep with.

They are extremely flat, accurate, and without coloration. Studio headphones indeed. Very fast drivers in these, stop on a dime type stuff. Much better than my other headphones in house, and crush my cheapie JVC on ears. The only thing the JVC does better is exaggerated bass. Definitely lots of potential.

If the Emo headphone amp makes a lot of improvement, then I'm going to take headphones more seriously and will probably be interested in a more serious amp soon. The Bottlehead Crack with Speedball mod looks like a fun kit, and not seen anything else so raved about. Was interested in Schiit, but Bottlehead has my attention now. Plus they're local.

[Noseyears]

From my experience the Emotiva have a Good dac/preamp but the Headphone section lacks power, it is good for lower impedance headphones mainly (Grado, lower impedance beyers and such) i felt there was something missing with 600 ohm models.

It has nice features though..Not a bad start. 

[Rclark]

Well, about to find out. The xlr's, optical, and dac just showed up. Great packaging as usual, top notch.

Guess I'll change the thread. Title to a review for this little swiss army knife device. I hope I've picked right headphone, I chose one that sits well with the xda 2 powerband.

Ok, it's fun time 

Edit: the cabling packages are very nice, like an Apple product. And wow, the cables are extremely nice looking/feeling. Do not come across as cheap, at all.

[Rclark]

 

Quick first impression that stands out: Started playing Smashing Pumpkins album "Gish" on music unlimited and also started pressing the ASRC button on and off.

The increase in fidelity with the anti jitter circuit enabled is stunning. Alright let everything warm up. Initial impression is I have my top end sparkle back.

Edit: just plugged in the phones. Oh they like each other. A quantum leap beyond my Tab 2 and S4 phone. Honestly a pleasantly surprised first impression on the amp.

[Rclark]

Another quick impression. I will AB the two units but I believe I am getting resolution at lower volumes than even my battery LDR. Despite not having a knob for quick adjustment, there is an extreme amount of fine variation in the volume control. And I keep turning it down, and it is as their advertizing claims, to my ears it is impressively lossless.

And on the headphone/amp combo, I am breaking in the amp on some bass music and in one track I can hear the freaking recording studio walls rattling. Very impressive. And I mean that in resolution terms, hearing into the mix.

[Rclark]

Review incoming after this weekend.

Quick thing about these awesome headphones, apparently Beyerdynamic makes a VELOUR ear piece for these Sony cans. Just ordered those babies. Already extremely comfortable, about to be plushed out.

[Rclark]

So the CMX2 showed up today and i
 is a very impressive unit, far nicer in real life than pics. My ps3 and xda 2 are plugged in and I feel good knowing my xda 2 will never ever keep me awake with transformer whine. (My xda 1, in my old apartment,  in system's first iteration, eventually developed a whine when in stand by and system off from DC in the power. Would have killed for a CMX 2 then).

All in all. My impressions after the deluge of new gear and dramatic changes... no longer battery powered anything in my main system, are of being very very impressed by the new sound. Crystalline clear, beautiful.

I'm going to let everything settle in for a while and let me get bored with the bew gear, less biased, and let the capacitors all break in etc.

I know I said review incoming, but you all deserve something more in depth and worthy, and I need time to adjust.

Previous system:

Erc 2 cdp with analogue out
ps3 with analogue out
warpspeed optocoupler on battery for volume
all analogue, silver rca's, rca's everywhere
ncores with computer power cables and balanced/rca hybrid cables

To

Ps3 via X Series Optical (soon to be PS4)
Xda 2 Dac with X series balanced xlr cables
ncores with X series iec cables
CMX 2 filter on ps3 and xda 2.

... SONY MDR 7506 headphones via xda 2 headphone amp.

Periscope down for now. Review later.

Thanks to Big Red Machine for the awesome cmx 2. Nice snappy transaction. I like it!

[Rclark]

Real quick comment on headphones as I get accustomed to the dac. First of all the Xda 2 with the cmx 2 filter is excellent.  At one time I had battery amplification and battery pre. This setup has an even lower noise floor and better response than that.

On phones - it's really good. Really really really good. I can listen all day long. The amp and phones are perfectly matched for each other. Plenty of power and crushing, undistorted bass when called for. Perfect, delicate highs, and a great imaging. And they're so comfortable,  didn't realize how comfy nice cans could be. Taking this further,  the Beyerdynamic velour cups should be here friday.

Buuuut. Vs my main system, there is just a whole other level of fidelity. Never thought I'd have a system this good. I never ever get tired of it or feel like something's lacking.

The headphones are downright excellent, but maggies with 8 by 4 by 12 inch diffusion on the back wall and 4, 2 by 2 by 3 inch skylines on the front wall, on ncores, absolutely trounce the headphones.

Want to try a Bottlehead Crack/Speedball headphone amp next.

However these Sony's,  with the Xda 2 headphone amp, with ASRC anti jitter on, is excellent and satisfying. No slouch!

[doctorcilantro]

So the CMX-2 fixed the tranny whine? Glad you are digging the XDA-2!

[hibuckhobby]

Emotiva does a great job at the price point.  You'd have to spend a great
deal more to do significantly better.
Hibuck...

[doctorcilantro]

Thanks!

[Rclark]

I had Tranny Whine with the xda 1 at my old apartment. It was how I got to learn about dc on the line and what drove me to my first system iteration of all battery power.

Everything would be off in my room and I'd be trying for some shuteye but there'd be this maddening hum from the transformer.

I am in a new place and got the xda 2 and cmx 2 within days of each other so never got to find out if the xda 2 would develop that hum. Sort of nipped it in the bud with the cmx 2.