Source: Ohm Image . Go check out Nathan’s cool website and facebook page
Headfonia.com’s Editor-in-Chief, Lieven, joins OHM to chat up ALO’s re-imagned Rx, InEar’s Stage Diver 4, headphone girls, the crazy lack of standard connectors on our favorite headphones, Mr. Speakers’s Ether, and a hell of a lot more.
Relevant links:
1. Stage Diver 4 review (headfonia):
www.headfonia.com/inear-stagediver-4-well-tuned/
2. ALO Rx: (ALO):
www.aloaudio.com/amplifiers/rx
In the mean time it seems my Rx has an exceptionally high gain setting, this isn’t the case for the production version
3. Plus Sound Cloud Nine review (Headfonia):
www.headfonia.com/plussound-cloud-…-get-moon-boots/
4. Mr. Speakers’s Ether (Mr. Speakers):
mrspeakers.com/shop/ether-headphones/
Be sure to subscribe to Headfonia’s Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/headfonia and of course, to this podcast.
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Tibor
Nice talk guys, I just hope that you will get your hands on the new Alo Continental too! It’s a bit more interesting than the Rx, price $1495, so hopefully worth it! 😉
Headfonia_L.
Hi Tibor, thank you. There actually will be one on the way to me soon…
It looks awesome! (but big)
Tibor
Yeah I am really looking forward for your review! I asked Alo about how it compares to my PanAm and Ken replied that it is just better on every level, dac, soundstage, it’s far less grainy, etc… And I remember you said that the PanAm has a light sound, so I wanna know how it is doing in this area. I better start saving some money now! Thanks 😉
Anthony Kimball
Enjoyable interview thanks, but, curiosity got the best of me…how much did the box of cables weigh??
Headfonia_L.
Hahaha, I will weigh it this evening if I don’t forget 😀
Boogie6301
I just got my Rx. I’m wondering if there are others who have used it with an iMod and low/mid impedance headphones. With the HD25-1 II the output was really low. I understand that it is optimized for IEMs but it should have decent gain for small to medium cans. The volume was slightly louder via the iPod headphone but still not enough. Besides, it defeats the purpose of the iMod where the inferior analog output stage is bypassed when you connect an external amp via the headphone jack.
With my 1964 V6-Stage my normal comfortable level is already around 3-4 o’clock. At full volume you can really hear distortion. It sounds great matched to the V6-Stage at mid volume but for all my other cans and iems it was a disappointment. I’m sure it has nothing to do with my cable or player because when I tried a stock iPod Video and LOD the volume level is the same. Interestingly, using the Fiio X1 as my DAP (via line out setting) the volume was loud even at 12 o’clock with the HD25-1 II.
It seems it doesn’t match well with the iPod ecosystem. I haven’t made measurements but I’m assuming when you use the line out on a player, regardless if it’s an iPod, Fiio, AK or any other DAP the voltage should be at or near the standard 1Vrms. I also have the JH16/JH3A combo and my iMod works perfectly on that one – although the JH3A digitizes the analog input for its DSP before converting it back to an analog out to the JH16s.
Oddly I’m hoping my Rx is just a case of a manufacturing defect (so I can just have it replaced) because I really like it’s sound signature similar to my Pure II. I hope Headfonia can try the Rx with an iPod via LOD.
Headfonia_L.
Hi, my new Rx is actually being flown over to me as I type, it should be here on Tuesday. I will for sure try it with an ipod (classic) on the LO for you
Boogie6301
Thanks for the quick reply. I’d really appreciate it if you can test it on an iPod to validate or dismiss my observation. I have tested it both on an iMod 5g and iPod U2 5g with the same results. As mentioned on the Fioo X1 no problems at all via line out setting. I hope I just got a bad unit. I really like the sound of the Rx.
Boogie6301
Hi,
I got this reply from ALO support
“…..The Rx is a IEM (In ear monitor) only amp, not meant for headphones so If your using the Rx with Sennheiser HD25 then yeah it will not have enough gain. The Rx page is pretty specific about that it is a IEM amp. I would use it with IEMs only”
It still didn’t explain why when using other sources like the X1 the gain is more than enough. I asked for more specifications like input voltage and impedance because I believe this is a matching issue with the iPod rather than power.
dalethorn
I hadn’t heard about Markus Schwarz’s Mainstage before this, so I got a copy and tried it out on a bunch of headphones. The new eGrado couldn’t handle the bass at normal volume – bad driver breakup. But the eGrado does well with several other heavy-bass tracks I have, except one organ piece by Virgil Fox. The pressure wave coming from the electronic bass in this track could damage ears if played over and over, since there’s no real “audible tone” to be aware of. The Senn PX100ii had no problem at all, even with the deep bass boosted by 4 db. Most others I tried (T51p, B&O H2, Philips 9500, Grado 325….) had no problem. Even the Apple earpods with a 5 db deep-bass boost played the pressure wave fine. And the Apple earbuds (the free ones) with a 12 db boost from 60 to 90 hz played the track cleanly, although the pressure wave was diminished in strength. The v-moda LP2 didn’t have a problem, because the deep bass was very light.
ohm image
Which eGrado is this? The earphones, or the headphone series?
dalethorn
The small blue behind-the-head headphone – with on-ear pads.
ohm image
‘Behind-the-head’ do you mean over-the-ear GR8e? Or the SR80? I’ve not heard the latter, but they’re not something I’d spring for.
dalethorn
No, it’s a totally new design. Instead of the headband going over the head, it goes behind the head, and the part of the headband that connects the earcups has a curved part that “hooks” over the tops of the ears.
ohm image
There is so much I do not know.