The ef5 is not without plus points, but the competition is strong at this price level. I cant say it is a tubesound, but definitely it is warmer than my other gears, and still crisp at high. As a summary, this is a good desktop dacamp with one flaw. Im going to come right out and say it these might just be the best of the lot. Nov 05, 20 hi, ive had my hifiman ef2a heres a link to it for reference. Sennheiser hd800 hifiman he400i fostex thx00 ebony cups, lawton stage 1 shure srh840 emu walnut grado sr80e koss ksc75 hifiman re00. Jun 01, 20 vmodas outrageously sweet portable dac and headphone amp. Hifiman ef2c owners guide thank you for purchasing the hifiman ef2c, a hybrid headphone ampli. You failed to mention if you want a portable setup. A step potentiometer is featured for improved volume attenuation, and allows precise control. Hifiman ef100 tube amplifier headphone ampsdacs audiogon.
Hifiman ef2a usb dacamp appreciation thread page 4. Recommend last week, we got a look at hifimans re252 inear monitors, which blew us away in sheer neutrality. View attachment 464 as we see, the news here is quite sad. This owners guide is intended to provide a useful overview of your new ef2c and how to best install and operate it for many years of.
If you want a dac to use with this, the audioengine d1 or schiit modi 2 uber both work great with it, and are fairly cheap. Hifiman he500 headphones and ef5 headphone amplifier. What i love the most about this hybrid hifiman ef2cdacamp is the crisp and well balanced detailed music you obtain whether you are listening your favorite smartphone music list or. Im selling my mint hifiman ef100 tube headphonedesktop dac integrated amplifier. Practical devices xm6 portable headphone amplifier and usb dac. Vmodas outrageously sweet portable dac and headphone amp cnet. What drew me to this is the tubedriven output, i have been interested in giving tube sound a try ever since i started. An official apple mfi certified digital analog converter and headphone amp specifically designed for iphone. Tube and solidstate performance come together in the hifiman ef100 headphone amplifier integrated amplifier. Aug 23, 2012 the amp appears well made, looks nice but not exotic which is also my preference, and is pretty heavy, weighing almost 25 pounds. The headphone amplifier chip is the same one used is the audiophileapproved opa926 with extremely low noise output and lowpass filter duties for line output are handled by texas instruments opa1662. Not just an amp, the hifiman ef2a is also a dac digital to analog converter with legendary and well known burrbrown pcm2702e chip affording not just more power. Fostex hpp1 dac for iphone ipod ipad and headphone amp. In sum, the ef5 is a simple and affordable amp that offers very good levels of sonic sophistication and that is absolutely fearless in tackling tough loads, thus enabling even finicky highend phones to sing and to show off most of their sonic potential.
Its just weird that they screwed up the output level of the dac. Of course i took into consideration hd 650 even hd 700, but the dacamp requirements are too high for me. I have owned the headphones for a few years and considered headphone amps before, but the hd600 sounded so good without an amp that it never became a priority. Nov 08, 20 not just an amp, the hifiman ef2a is also a dac digital to analog converter with legendary and well known burrbrown pcm2702e chip affording not just more power. Hifiman ef2a tube hybrid headphone amp shop music direct.
Fiio q1ii portable usb dac and headphone ampnative dsd dac. Not just an amp, the hifiman ef2a is also a dac digital to analog converter with legendary and well known burrbrown pcm2702e chip affording not. For a dac nowadays that isnt impressive to say the least. If you primarily listen to music on your computer, this compact headphone ampdigitaltoanalog converter. The volume stepped attenuator is a vast improvement from the ef2as volume control. What drew me to this is the tubedriven output, i have been interested in giving tube sound a try ever since i started this hobby over a decade ago and figured the low price. You can use the ef100 as a dacamp unit or as just as an amplifier. Replacement valve tubes for hifiman ef2a headphone amplifier.
Fiio k3 dsd256 384k32bit usbc dac and headphone amplifier for home and computer3. Cayin idac 6 ecpbeezar torpedo iii grace m9xx size1emschiit modi multibit hifiman ef2c amp only dragonfly redsize headphones. Handbuilt by hifiman craftsmen, the new ef6 flagship headphone amplifier provides audiophile quality for the most demanding listeners. If you dont have an external dac at your disposal however, the internal dac is a nice extra. After almost a week of research i oscilate between hifiman 400i and oppo pm3. Two gizmos that could dramatically improve the sound of. Review and measurements of hifiman ef2a dac and headphone. Hifiman ef5 hybrid tubesolidstate headphone amplifier. It is not a bad little amp by the way plenty of power to run the planars. Vmodas outrageously sweet portable dac and headphone amp. There are lots of headphone amps, but only the vamp verza works with the digital output of an iphone or android device, and thats a. We believe that the main purpose of the hifiman ef2c is the warming of the linelevel signal and its amplification by a discrete headphone amplifier.
But even there, its output doesnt get accurate to 0. Hifiman ef2c usb dac headphone amplifier will ship from china before it is in stock in us warehouse sublime and organic tone from the vacuum tube combines the beautiful, warm sounding of the vacuum tube with the advantages of low distortion and high sn rate from the solidstate amplifier. An affordable alternative in a tubedriven headphone amplifier, the ef2a is a hybrid design, usb headphone amplifier using 6j1 tubes for its input stage and incorporates a burrbrown pcm2702 dac chip. Here is the belated linearity measurement for hifiman ef2a. With the adapter, both iphone 6 and 8 sounds the same quality and volume 3. Could this small tube hybrid amp be the perfect portable headphone complement for those seeking for a better listening experience on a. This results is accurate channel balance and excellent soundstaging. Hifiman ef2c usbdac headphone amplifier will ship from china before it is in stock in us warehouse sublime and organic tone from the vacuum tube combines the beautiful, warm sounding of the vacuum tube with the advantages of low distortion and high sn rate from the solidstate amplifier.
This, i think, is one of the most appealing aspects of the amplifier. Now the dac section is the biggest fail on this device the original ti pcb dac is nothing exceptional 16 bit44 khz, but apparently the output of this dac is not matched with the gain of the amplifier, resulting in very high gain which is not adjustable so people can use only the first 5% of the volume control pot and this could lead to. Practical devices xm6 portable headphone amplifier and usb dac headfi tv, episode 002. There are lots of headphone amps, but only the vamp verza works with the digital output of. Jun 20, 2011 in sum, the ef5 is a simple and affordable amp that offers very good levels of sonic sophistication and that is absolutely fearless in tackling tough loads, thus enabling even finicky highend phones to sing and to show off most of their sonic potential. Like you, we are insanely picky on every product we carry. This is a small unit as you can see here, dwarfed not by. This handbuilt high performance headphone amp is designed for use with highend and hardtodrive headphones, such as the hifiman he6. The hifiman ef2a is a hybrid usb dac amplifier that promises to give you warm sound and melodies offered by vacuum tubes and solidstate amplifiers. Hifiman has done it again, building outstanding headphone products that are priced way too low for the level of sound quality they offer. I got this dac amp today and have listening it for 3 hours. I think that the iphone adapter sounds a little better better soundstage and warmer than the iphone 6 headphone sound yes, i know that tests claims something else. The hifiman ef2c is a hybrid headphone amp which combines the beautiful, warm signature sound of vacuum tubes with the advantages of low distortion and high sn rate from the solid state amplifier. It isnt the most modern dac chip and it supports data up to only 1648.
The hifiman ef6 is a stateoftheart, class a reference headphone amplifier and preamplifier. Almost perfect cosmetically and problemfree operation. The sound of the hifiman ef6 bespeaks seemingly limitless reserves of powereven when driving hifimans own he6 headphonesyet the amp in no way sounds slow, sluggish, or musclebound. Dac cum amphifiman ef2a rm890hifiman ef100 rm 2,500 buy now amp hifiman ef 6 rm 7,760 buy now for other products, please refer to. The hifiman ef100 is a powerful hybrid headphone amplifier and integrated amplifier. Fiio q1ii portable usb dac and headphone ampnative dsd.
Impressive little tube amp for anyone interested in the hifi world or someone who is new to the audiophile realm. Benefitting from vacuum tube technology, both headphone amplifier and. Sublime and organic headphone amp powered by two vacuum tubes to. You simply plug in your headphones, switch on the amp, and control the volume via the volume knob all. I dont know if i should reorder a new one because it did sound great or go with a littledot amp and seperate dac.
Hifiman ef2a is a hybrid usb headphone amplifier using 6j1 tubes as input stage. This item hifiman ef2c usbdac headphone amplifier beyerdynamic dt 880 pro overear studio headphone b001b1qeny hifiman sundara overear fullsize planar magnetic headphones with high fidelity design easy to drive by iphone android comfortable headband openback design easy cable swapping black b077xdwt7x. Hifiman ef2a hybrid headphone amp apartment therapy. Review and measurements of hifiman ef2a dac and headphone amp. With original packing, papers, power and usb cables. I have the new audioquest dragonfly and its a stellar improvement over the analog output of the iphone. Ive been trawling the internet and cant find anything anywhere.
What i love the most about this hybrid hifiman ef2c dac amp is the crisp and well balanced detailed music you obtain whether you are listening your favorite smartphone music list or surfing music with your laptop. Hifiman ef100 headphone ampintegrated amp shop music direct. A compact desktop design with an integrated usbdac inherits the power and performance from the ef2a. The hifiman ef2a is an excellent headphone amp with my sennheiser hd600 headphones. Im selling my mint hifiman ef100 tube headphonedesktopdac integrated amplifier.
A compact desktop design with an integrated usb dac inherits the power and performance from the ef2a. Anyway, be warned that quality control seems to be an issue with these amps. Hifiman ef2a for a couple of years now which ive been using with my grado sr225is that i purchased from this site and want to replace the stock chinese tubes, preferably for something with a little more bass punch and less gain the problem is, i honestly dont really know. Housed in its compact attractive chassis lie three independent amplifier sections. Im trying to work out if they can drive my 250ohm dt770s i know they likely wont be able too but it would still be nice to know what sort of power i have to play with. A versatile hybrid design that combines tube and solid state technology, the hifiman ef100 is a. Two gizmos that could dramatically improve the sound of your iphone. Loaded with three independent amplifier sectionsa vacuumtube input stage, class ab headphone amp, and speaker power ampthis extremely versatile design takes advantage of tube warmth, smoothness, and musicality as well as. The ef2c is the perfect match for most pcdriven headphones.
Designed for discriminating music listeners who demand performance and value. I got this dacamp today and have listening it for 3 hours. What a huge improvement this amp provides to bring more out of these headphones. Hi, ive had my hifiman ef2a heres a link to it for reference. Fit and finish hint at the amplifiers exceptional performance under the hood. Hifiman ef2c overview and test of inexpensive headphone. The ef2a allows for digital input via your computer through a usb or you can simply plug in your standard rca connection though wed caution against it if you have a crappy dac to begin with. The amp appears well made, looks nice but not exotic which is also my preference, and is pretty heavy, weighing almost 25 pounds. As we found out, the chosen model of the dac is not capable of revealing the full potential of the device, however, the model does not become more expensive, being just an additional option. Ef6 is a hiend headphone amp with very powerful output. Hifiman ef2a for a couple of years now which ive been using with my grado sr225is that i purchased from this site and want to replace the stock chinese tubes, preferably for something with a little more bass punch and less gain.
Hifiman he500 headphones and ef5 headphone amplifier the. It provides wider stage than my other headphone amp, which is audioengine d1. I dont have the x5 but do have the x1 and i use it with the ef2a sometimes and use the line out of the headphone output with a 3. Great sounding tubes for your cans hifiman has done it again, building outstanding headphone products that are priced way too low for the level of sound quality they offer. Hifi man ef2a tube usb dac headphone amp by hifiman. Im trying to find the specifications of the iphone x dac and amp. The ef2a provides usb input and features 16 bit 44. The digitaltoanalog converter decodes at an impressive 32bit384 khz with a high signaltonoise ratio and low distortion. The hifiman ef2a is a hybrid usbdac amplifier that promises to give you warm sound and melodies offered by vacuum tubes and solidstate. The diminutive ef2a is a fantastic sounding headphone amp with all the sonic characteristics youd want from a headphone amp at four times the price. I compared the ef6 to the rwa driving the lcd3, and to the pioneer driving the he6. Even some powered units will not work as they also draw additional power from the usb connection. The q1 mark ii will convert your iphone s output into highquality audio, ensuring your listening experience is the best it can be. The hifiman ef2a is a hybrid usbdac amplifier that promises to give you warm sound and melodies offered by vacuum tubes and solidstate amplifiers.
Fortunately, even as an amp only, its well worth the price. I have found that you get a more detailed sound when amplifier is connected thru usb dac connection. As a summary, this is a good desktop dac amp with one flaw. Of course i took into consideration hd 650 even hd 700, but the dac amp requirements are too high for me. The show newport 20 hifiman ef2a headphone amp youtube. This little unit is incredibly flexible and offers a build in usb dac, audiophile grade class ab headphone amplifier and an impressive class t speaker power amplifier with 4.
Jun 04, 2018 here is the belated linearity measurement for hifiman ef2a. This week, we take a look at their dedicated hybrid headphone amp cousin, the ef2a. Jan 06, 2015 impressive little tube amp for anyone interested in the hifi world or someone who is new to the audiophile realm. This item hifiman ef2c usb dac headphone amplifier beyerdynamic dt 880 pro overear studio headphone b001b1qeny hifiman sundara overear fullsize planar magnetic headphones with high fidelity design easy to drive by iphone android comfortable headband openback design easy cable swapping black b077xdwt7x.
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