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Project Ember Headphone Amp

raxx

So have you heard the HE-4 through this O2 amp? Have you compared the sound to other amps? How do you know it can drive the HE-4?

Are you just looking at specs or are you just taking the word of the Mayflower rep guy who just happens to make a version of the O2? 

I'm telling you because people create this cloud of confusion where they think that planers are impossible to drive when I've enjoy LCD-2's off an iPhone 3g.

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I'm telling you because people create this cloud of confusion where they think that planers are impossible to drive when I've enjoy LCD-2's off an iPhone 3g.

Different headphone dude. I just realized that I regret starting this thread. 

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Different headphone dude. I just realized that I regret starting this thread. 

 

No, you just don't get it.

 

LCD-2's are planar headphone just like the HE-4's. He's saying that it doesn't take some magic amp to power them (example his iPhone). I'm not really sure what you are trying to accomplish in this thread. You got your answer, we recommended some alternatives that will do the same job for cheaper and you are being weird about this.

 

The specs are on nwavguy's blog and on his website if you are wondering where we are getting this information.

 

9843996_orig.jpg

 

Oh and just to let you know, since the HE-4's have low impedance, you'll want to stay away from tube amps anyway - They have high output impedance and will mess up the FR of the headphones.

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I'm telling you because people create this cloud of confusion where they think that planers are impossible to drive when I've enjoy LCD-2's off an iPhone 3g.

A less efficient headphone....and the point you missed still stands. 

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Don't tell me I am being weird because my thread got hijacked by people who don't own Project Ember or the HE-4. I never asked "what amp should I buy", I asked about Project Ember. 

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Don't tell me I am being weird because my thread got hijacked by people who don't own Project Ember or the HE-4. I never asked "what amp should I buy", I asked about Project Ember.

....

I have the he-5's and they get loud enough on my iPhone 5. From the looks of it, you are worried about powering them. Any decent amp on the market can power them without a sweat. I'm willing to bet nobody (besides that one guy) has that amp on this forum.

We told you that you can get a similar product for less.

You argue about it and are getting upset because we're trying to help you. I would call that being weird.

Either way, I'm out - it seems like you just want someone to confirm your purchase which I'm not here to do. Good luck.

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Like I said, I should never have started this thread. 

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Just to note, one would have to be smoking some serious crack if they think the o2 can produce 3w from a 4556 opamp especially at 600ohm lol Maxium power specs were already listed and those are not RMS specs, they are maxium. Ember has variable output impedance which can tailor the sound and match the amplifier properly to a wide variety of headphones. You can select from .1, 35 or 120ohm so there goes the output impedance argument. I generally find the mid 35 ohm setting to sound the best.

 

To the OP, you would be VERY happy with an Ember Amplifier - that is the bottom line.

 

Lots of productive talk on Ember:

http://www.diyah.boards.net/thread/143/project-ember

 

Lots of good tube rolling info here:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/641936/project-sunrise-ps2-tube-rolling-thread-and-maybe-even-project-horizon-and-project-ember

 

There is literally info on Ember and the company spanning many countries, tons of forums. Just goog it.

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Just to note, one would have to be smoking some serious crack if they think the o2 can produce 3w from a 4556 opamp especially at 600ohm lol Maxium power specs were already listed and those are not RMS specs, they are maxium. Ember has variable output impedance which can tailor the sound and match the amplifier properly to a wide variety of headphones. You can select from .1, 35 or 120ohm so there goes the output impedance argument. I generally find the mid 35 ohm setting to sound the best.

 

To the OP, you would be VERY happy with an Ember Amplifier - that is the bottom line.

 

Lots of productive talk on Ember:

http://www.diyah.boards.net/thread/143/project-ember

 

Lots of good tube rolling info here:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/641936/project-sunrise-ps2-tube-rolling-thread-and-maybe-even-project-horizon-and-project-ember

 

There is literally info on Ember and the company spanning many countries, tons of forums. Just goog it.

Thanks! I haven't bought this amp or any high end headphone yet, but this is the kind of feedback I am looking for. Thanks for the links.

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Just to note, one would have to be smoking some serious crack if they think the o2 can produce 3w from a 4556 opamp especially at 600ohm lol Maxium power specs were already listed and those are not RMS specs, they are maxium. Ember has variable output impedance which can tailor the sound and match the amplifier properly to a wide variety of headphones. You can select from .1, 35 or 120ohm so there goes the output impedance argument. I generally find the mid 35 ohm setting to sound the best.

 

To the OP, you would be VERY happy with an Ember Amplifier - that is the bottom line.

 

Lots of productive talk on Ember:

http://www.diyah.boards.net/thread/143/project-ember

 

Lots of good tube rolling info here:

http://www.head-fi.org/t/641936/project-sunrise-ps2-tube-rolling-thread-and-maybe-even-project-horizon-and-project-ember

 

There is literally info on Ember and the company spanning many countries, tons of forums. Just goog it.

 

No one ever said it can do that? At all? And 3 watts is way to much for any non electrostatic headphone.

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Actually... yes they did :)

 

 

You've hit the nail on the head, a tube amp is different and clearly the other descriptors you used relate accurately to your experience.  Though I just need to point out the O2 can manage just over 3 watts for a 600ohm load which actually makes it more powerful than the Ember.

 

So for the OP the question is really is, do you want the sound you get with valves or do you want a transparent SS?  

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Actually... yes they did :)

And it can, and I also said:

 

 

the engineers blog, It can deliver 7volts into a 600 ohm load.  That would be absolute overkill for for just about anything, and for the most part even 600mW for 33ohm load is pretty pumpin'.

 

 

See I even linked to the information that that explains how,  plus I also pointed out that 600mW for a 33ohm load (which is RMS wattage at low gain setting).

 

 

Just to note, one would have to be smoking some serious crack if they think the o2 can produce 3w from a 4556 opamp especially at 600ohm lol

 

Do you even understand how these work? there are two per channel.  I linked to the proof. And just so you know the output stage of the Ember is solid state, so don't go thinking it is more powerful because it is a tube amp. the tube is only the pre.

 

 

Different headphone dude. I just realized that I regret starting this thread. 

 

Dude, come on. no one is telling you to buy anything specifically, they are just answering your questions or clarifying your statements.

 

you said:

I am more interested in this amp for its driving power for the headphones I want vs the tube amp sound. If I wanted tube amp sound I could go with several other amps. The problem is that I can't find a normal ss headphone amp that will drive these planar magnetic headphones. I am going by recommendations so I thought I would ask here. It seems the answer is "NO" noone has this amp. I dont give a rats ass what people think about tube amps.

 

You are "more interested in this amp for driving headphones vs the tube sound" and "The problem is that I can't find a normal ss headphone amp that will drive these planar magnetic headphones"

 

This says to me you are more worried about driving your headphones than which amp you have, we have shown you that you can have a cheaper SS amp that will drive them. We have not said don't buy the ember, but we have told you about other options.

 

you then went on to say:

 

 

These are the specs on my headphones, the HE-4.

 

Impedance: 38 Ohm

Efficiency: 86 DB

 

From what I am reading I need more that 600mW at that impedance.

 

 

to which I explained how loud those drivers would be at 600mW

 

Mate we're trying to help,  If you really want the Ember then go and get it.  The cold hard truth is that a no one has told you that the o2 is better or that you "should" get it, even bowleggeedcat said there are a multitude of amps on the market that will drive those headphones.  If you come looking for advice you will get it, but please, we are not going to say something that isn't true just to make you feel better about buying any one particular amp.

Grammar and spelling is not indicative of intelligence/knowledge.  Not having the same opinion does not always mean lack of understanding.  

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Sorry man you are painfully misguided and wrong on all accounts :rolleyes:  Do you even know how to calculate power output? If the claimed voltage is 7v at 600ohm, you would calculate 7*7 / 600ohm dummy load which = about 81mW NOT 3000mW. It is not possible for an NJM4556 to produce 3w per channel especially at 600ohm. Ask the guys at mayflower on here which seem to sell the amplifier and also ask the o2 website himself.

 

Ember is in fact painfully more powerful all around than an O2 and tubes do not equal more power that is silly. Solid state on all accounts is more efficient and more powerful in general than vintage tube gear can ever hope to be. That is why hybrid amplifiers are becoming more popular. Tube distortion with the power of a solid state amplifier.

 

Now the simple facts, yes an o2 will drive the OP's headphones just fine, there is no question about that. It is just not for me and many that are info headphone hifi.

 

Also everyone keeps talking about the gain switch like it is some magic toggle that gives the amplifier super powers. It simply changes the gain of the amplifier to better mate to a low or high voltage input which can also better mate to difference efficiency headphones. It is still going to clip at the same place per the same load so rms output will not change. Oh and the ember has one too ;)

 

That is my last post on this sillyness - for anyone reading simply do your own homework ;)

 

And it can, and I also said:

 

 

 

 

See I even linked to the information that that explains how,  plus I also pointed out that 600mW for a 33ohm load (which is RMS wattage at low gain setting).

 

 

 

Do you even understand how these work? there are two per channel.  I linked to the proof. And just so you know the output stage of the Ember is solid state, so don't go thinking it is more powerful because it is a tube amp. the tube is only the pre.

 

 

 

Dude, come on. no one is telling you to buy anything specifically, they are just answering your questions or clarifying your statements.

 

you said:

 

You are "more interested in this amp for driving headphones vs the tube sound" and "The problem is that I can't find a normal ss headphone amp that will drive these planar magnetic headphones"

 

This says to me you are more worried about driving your headphones than which amp you have, we have shown you that you can have a cheaper SS amp that will drive them. We have not said don't buy the ember, but we have told you about other options.

 

you then went on to say:

 

 

 

 

to which I explained how loud those drivers would be at 600mW

 

Mate we're trying to help,  If you really want the Ember then go and get it.  The cold hard truth is that a no one has told you that the o2 is better or that you "should" get it, even bowleggeedcat said there are a multitude of amps on the market that will drive those headphones.  If you come looking for advice you will get it, but please, we are not going to say something that isn't true just to make you feel better about buying any one particular amp.

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Sorry man you are painfully misguided and wrong on all accounts :rolleyes:  Do you even know how to calculate power output? If the claimed voltage is 7v at 600ohm, you would calculate 7*7 / 600ohm dummy load which = about 81mW NOT 3000mW. It is not possible for an NJM4556 to produce 3w per channel especially at 600ohm. Ask the guys at mayflower on here which seem to sell the amplifier and also ask the o2 website himself.

 

Ember is in fact painfully more powerful all around than an O2 and tubes do not equal more power that is silly. Solid state on all accounts is more efficient and more powerful in general than vintage tube gear can ever hope to be. That is why hybrid amplifiers are becoming more popular. Tube distortion with the power of a solid state amplifier.

 

Now the simple facts, yes an o2 will drive the OP's headphones just fine, there is no question about that. It is just not for me and many that are info headphone hifi.

 

Also everyone keeps talking about the gain switch like it is some magic toggle that gives the amplifier super powers. It simply changes the gain of the amplifier to better mate to a low or high voltage input which can also better mate to difference efficiency headphones. It is still going to clip at the same place per the same load so rms output will not change. Oh and the ember has one too ;)

 

That is my last post on this sillyness - for anyone reading simply do your own homework ;)

you'd better read my post again, each chip (4556) can drive 7v into a 600 ohm load, at 33 Ohm load (as I posted earlier that you conveniently keep forgetting about) it can push 1.48watts, there are two chips per channel so that is 3 watts per channel at the 33 ohm I specified.

 

But carry on calling me misguided if it makes you feel better.

 

EDIT: just saw my typo one page back and apolgise for the confusion, however I did pint out on more than one occasion that the 600mW was on a 33 ohm load and more than enough.

Grammar and spelling is not indicative of intelligence/knowledge.  Not having the same opinion does not always mean lack of understanding.  

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