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Am I going insane? (alien.top)

submitted 1 year ago by SameRightsForAllofUs@alien.top to c/headphones@hi-fi.community

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So first of all: hear me out.

I’m not a professional listener, I do not believe that a more expensive amp will sound better than a cheap one and I won’t buy a 1000€ DAC because it gives me better sound quality.

Yet I bought a A70 pro to power a pair of tungstens in the future.

So now I have it so I use it. I connect it to my element III with the RCA pre amp output and plug my Zeus elite into them.

So now: Am I insane or do those headphones suddenly sound more lean?

Like the elites are far from neutral, they have quite some warmth and body to them yet on the A70 they sound kinda thin. Like did I do something wrong or am I missing something?

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[–] Normal_Donkey_6783@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Not sure but I think all solid state amplifier sound either neutral or bright (sound more detail, less bass also easier to hear sibilant if the music has any of it),
tube amplifier induce warmth (more bass, more distortion, reduce sibilant, more muddy), because solid state amplifier has lower damping factor than tube amplifier. The road to audiophile is full of myth...

[–] GarlicBiscuits@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What output on the A70 are you plugging your Zeus Elites into? If it's the unbalanced, there's a chance the A70 wouldn't be optimized with it in mind (as a fully balanced design) and may change the sound. Because it's fully balanced, connecting the Element III to it via RCA (instead of XLR) may further change the sound.

I am only speculating though, so take this with a grain of salt. For all I know, as long as there's no audible distortion, the inputs and outputs may not change anything besides volume.

[–] SameRightsForAllofUs@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

I connect the Zeus elite with the 4.4 connector. Maybe the rca out of the element is the problem, I’ll take a look at it

[–] JAaSgk@alien.top 1 points 1 year ago

Well what can I say believe what you want or trust your ears .. I thought low distortion was it all and everything else didnt matter. My ears have prooven me wrong.