Reviving an old topic fellow Virtuous listeners. I just pressed my battery powered M901 w/Dodd buffer into service with my LCD-2 headphones using a balanced cable off the speaker terminals. I am also getting a big big hiss. The sound quality is excellent, the best I've heard with these headphones, but the hiss is a deal breaker, I'm sad to say. As with NIGELJAMES, the hiss is there with and without the buffer engaged and is independent of volume.
I had this amp driving some VERY sensitive speakers with a folded ribbon AMT and I didn't hear ANY hiss. So I'm not sure it's a matter of sensitivity. I think the LCD-2 is a 50 or 60 ohm load, could that have something to do with it? And the "leaf rustle" is very loud, but that's a known entity and only happens when I adjust the volume. BTW, there is an abundance of power, I only have the volume control at about the 7 o'clock position, any louder would make my ears bleed. I'd love to be able to make this fine amp work for me, any ideas?