Out of all my headphones, I find this most noticable on my Alessandro MS1's. It only takes a short time to get fatigue, and I think this is due to the bright nature of the sound. I do use a crossfeed DSP (bs2b) plugin for foobar2000, which I find this eliminates fatigue, and has the advantage of being configurable - I can control the mount of HF rolloff, etc.Nico Ras said:Hi Mike,
Just try one of the earlier recordings 70's & 90's and even some recent recordings, especially on electronically generated music. The sound is so spatial it makes your eyes water. I read somewhere that to wide stereo have a psychological side effects and the reason you suffer fatigue is because the brain copes badly with sound that only exist in one ear, it is not natural that sound does not spill around your head.
I will try and locate the web-site, it is really very interesting, and it works.
I think that you may be suffering from this effect rather than anything else. Try it, you may just not have to build another amp.
Kind regards
Nico
On paper, balanced eliminates ground loops (which isn't really much of a problem in the headphone world), eliminates crosstalk and has a lower noise floor... weather this leads to a better overall sound id debatable.Nico Ras said:Would anyone be kind enough to explain to me what the benefits are if any why one would want to push the ground signal through an amp as well.
To me balanced sounds better than single ended - but that might be because I'm using portable amps, and I'm driving the amps less hard under a balanced setup. Hopefully when I get the parts and time to try your amp design, I'll see how balanced compares to single ended, as single ended could end up sounding better than balanced...
MikeHunt79 said:
I'll see how balanced compares to single ended, as single ended could end up sounding better than balanced...
Hello Mike,
If you like the sound of this amp it would be because it is class A.
Kind regards
Nico
MikeHunt79 said:
On paper, balanced eliminates ground loops (which isn't really much of a problem in the headphone world), eliminates crosstalk and has a lower noise floor... weather this leads to a better overall sound id debatable.
To me balanced sounds better than single ended
Now I understand your perspective. You are very much confusing balanced with bridged. In an audio system context, *Balanced* refers mainly to interconnection, whereas *Bridged* refers mainly to amp output stages (although the HeadRoom adverts have served to confuse people). Bridged means that the output is bridged between two active outputs, instead of between an active output and 'ground'.
When you say *single ended* in relation to amp output stages I think that you mean simply *non-bridged* outputs. (Non-bridged outputs can be single ended, but they can also be push-pull. It gets a tad confusing because bridged outputs can also utilise single-ended output stages on each side of the bridge!).
Designing a bridged output involves a lot of extra circuitry... the extra output plus the signal inverter for it, plus changes to the power supply (all x2 for stereo). All of that creates it's own problems, so is perhaps only worth it if you really need the extra voltage swing provided by a bridged output topology. In my small world the smart money is on non-bridged dual monos.
Still, it's your money and your head, so experiment and enjoy.
MikeHunt79 said:
On paper, balanced eliminates ground loops (which isn't really much of a problem in the headphone world), eliminates crosstalk and has a lower noise floor... weather this leads to a better overall sound id debatable.
To me balanced sounds better than single ended - but that might be because I'm using portable amps, and I'm driving the amps less hard under a balanced setup. Hopefully when I get the parts and time to try your amp design, I'll see how balanced compares to single ended, as single ended could end up sounding better than balanced...
Mike,
I m intrigued by this balanced headphone amplifier idea. Kindly post a typical circuit so both Gordy and I can be enlightened. I don't think either of us understand this concept.
Kindest regards
Nico
Ok, my setup only works due to having a balanced source...Nico Ras said:
Mike,
I m intrigued by this balanced headphone amplifier idea. Kindly post a typical circuit so both Gordy and I can be enlightened. I don't think either of us understand this concept.
Kindest regards
Nico
I'll try to describe and post a quick diagram....
source = 1212m balanced analogue out, from 1/4" trs jacks, thru a 4 gang pot (volume control) to 3.5mm jack connectors, to the cmoy amps.
Maybe a diagram could be better... se the attached diagram
H=Hot C=Cold G=Ground L=left R=Right I've left out the pot, but this works without the pot also.... Also, both Cmoy's have volume pots, I used a scope to get an even power output for left and right...
Gordy: I'm now more confused than ever... I'm pretty sure this isn't a bridged setup, but I may have things mixed up here...
Attachments
crosstalk?
Maybe you were thinking of Dr. Jan Meier?
http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de
He resides in Germany and sells headphone amps. I believe he explains the crosstalk phenomenon.
tea
Maybe you were thinking of Dr. Jan Meier?
http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de
He resides in Germany and sells headphone amps. I believe he explains the crosstalk phenomenon.
tea
Re: crosstalk?
Thank you t-head, that was the guy. Sorry for not remembering you Dr. Jan Meier.
Regards
Nico
t-head said:Maybe you were thinking of Dr. Jan Meier?
http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de
He resides in Germany and sells headphone amps. I believe he explains the crosstalk phenomenon.
tea
Thank you t-head, that was the guy. Sorry for not remembering you Dr. Jan Meier.
Regards
Nico
MikeHunt79 said:
Ok, my setup only works due to having a balanced source...
I'll try to describe and post a quick diagram....
source = 1212m balanced analogue out, from 1/4" trs jacks, thru a 4 gang pot (volume control) to 3.5mm jack connectors, to the cmoy amps.
Maybe a diagram could be better... se the attached diagram
H=Hot C=Cold G=Ground L=left R=Right I've left out the pot, but this works without the pot also.... Also, both Cmoy's have volume pots, I used a scope to get an even power output for left and right...
Gordy: I'm now more confused than ever... I'm pretty sure this isn't a bridged setup, but I may have things mixed up here...
Hi Mike,
looking at your diagram, I do not believe that it is actually balanced but that you make use of the +- balanced output of the 1212m to drive the two amps differentially and the result is actually bridged. But one could also argue balanced I guess as the common mode rejection should be better than common ground.
You could do exactly the same with the headphone amp described here it should sound great.
Nico Ras said:
Hi Mike,
looking at your diagram, I do not believe that it is actually balanced but that you make use of the +- balanced output of the 1212m to drive the two amps differentially and the result is actually bridged. But one could also argue balanced I guess as the common mode rejection should be better than common ground.
You could do exactly the same with the headphone amp described here it should sound great.
Ahh, now it makes sense. Thanks for clearing this up. I've got a few other projects to finish first smash: ), but I'm really looking forward to trying this amp.
Want to give you guys a heads up on a new item that
came in...
Alesis switcher that can be used as a headphone amp
Information here
http://www.prodigy-pro.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28889
Price on these are $15.00 each
Steve @ Apex Jr
came in...
Alesis switcher that can be used as a headphone amp
Information here
http://www.prodigy-pro.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28889
Price on these are $15.00 each
Steve @ Apex Jr
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