Hifiman ef2a is a hybrid usb headphone amplifier using 6j1 tubes as input stage. Hifiman ef2c overview and test of inexpensive headphone. The digitaltoanalog converter decodes at an impressive 32bit384 khz with a high signaltonoise ratio and low distortion. I have the new audioquest dragonfly and its a stellar improvement over the analog output of the iphone. 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. It is not a bad little amp by the way plenty of power to run the planars. You failed to mention if you want a portable setup. Hifiman he500 headphones and ef5 headphone amplifier the. Two gizmos that could dramatically improve the sound of. 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. Im going to come right out and say it these might just be the best of the lot. 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. I dont know if i should reorder a new one because it did sound great or go with a littledot amp and seperate dac.
A compact desktop design with an integrated usb dac inherits the power and performance from the ef2a. There are lots of headphone amps, but only the vamp verza works with the digital output of. 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. I got this dac amp today and have listening it for 3 hours. Vmodas outrageously sweet portable dac and headphone amp cnet. 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. The hifiman ef100 is a powerful hybrid headphone amplifier and integrated amplifier. Designed for discriminating music listeners who demand performance and value. 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.
If you want a combo unit with a built in dac and amp together, i would look elsewhere. 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. A versatile hybrid design that combines tube and solid state technology, the hifiman ef100 is a. Review and measurements of hifiman ef2a dac and headphone. A step potentiometer is featured for improved volume attenuation, and allows precise control. Im selling my mint hifiman ef100 tube headphonedesktopdac integrated amplifier. Fostex hpp1 dac for iphone ipod ipad and headphone amp. Fortunately, even as an amp only, its well worth the price. 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 hifiman ef2a is an excellent headphone amp with my sennheiser hd600 headphones. 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.
The amp appears well made, looks nice but not exotic which is also my preference, and is pretty heavy, weighing almost 25 pounds. Ef6 is a hiend headphone amp with very powerful output. Could this small tube hybrid amp be the perfect portable headphone complement for those seeking for a better listening experience on a. Here is the belated linearity measurement for hifiman ef2a. 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. 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. 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.
This, i think, is one of the most appealing aspects of the amplifier. Im trying to find the specifications of the iphone x dac and amp. Sennheiser hd800 hifiman he400i fostex thx00 ebony cups, lawton stage 1 shure srh840 emu walnut grado sr80e koss ksc75 hifiman re00. This is a small unit as you can see here, dwarfed not by. Jun 01, 20 vmodas outrageously sweet portable dac and headphone amp. Fit and finish hint at the amplifiers exceptional performance under the hood.
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. 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. Hifiman ef100 tube amplifier headphone ampsdacs audiogon. You simply plug in your headphones, switch on the amp, and control the volume via the volume knob all. Vmodas outrageously sweet portable dac and headphone amp. The q1 mark ii will convert your iphone s output into highquality audio, ensuring your listening experience is the best it can be. With the adapter, both iphone 6 and 8 sounds the same quality and volume 3. 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. Im selling my mint hifiman ef100 tube headphonedesktop dac integrated amplifier. After listening to all the headphones at all the audio shows we narrowed down the best of the best. Ive been trawling the internet and cant find anything anywhere. 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. With original packing, papers, power and usb cables.
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 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. Fiio q1ii portable usb dac and headphone ampnative dsd. Hi, ive had my hifiman ef2a heres a link to it for reference. 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. The ef2c is the perfect match for most pcdriven headphones. After almost a week of research i oscilate between hifiman 400i and oppo pm3. Impressive little tube amp for anyone interested in the hifi world or someone who is new to the audiophile realm. You can use the ef100 as a dacamp unit or as just as an amplifier. Jan 06, 2015 impressive little tube amp for anyone interested in the hifi world or someone who is new to the audiophile realm. Housed in its compact attractive chassis lie three independent amplifier sections. Anyway, be warned that quality control seems to be an issue with these amps. 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.
Replacement valve tubes for hifiman ef2a headphone amplifier. As a summary, this is a good desktop dac amp with one flaw. 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. The ef2a provides usb input and features 16 bit 44. If you primarily listen to music on your computer, this compact headphone ampdigitaltoanalog converter.
The ef5 is not without plus points, but the competition is strong at this price level. 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. Like you, we are insanely picky on every product we carry. Of course i took into consideration hd 650 even hd 700, but the dac amp requirements are too high for me. If you dont have an external dac at your disposal however, the internal dac is a nice extra. 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. Tube and solidstate performance come together in the hifiman ef100 headphone amplifier integrated amplifier. The hifiman ef6 is a stateoftheart, class a reference headphone amplifier and preamplifier. Two gizmos that could dramatically improve the sound of your iphone. Sublime and organic headphone amp powered by two vacuum tubes to. Im considering the new hifiman ef2c, and the oppo ha2. 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. Hifi man ef2a tube usb dac headphone amp by hifiman.
Hifiman ef2c owners guide thank you for purchasing the hifiman ef2c, a hybrid headphone ampli. 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. What drew me to this is the tubedriven output, i have been interested in giving tube sound a try ever since i started. I have found that you get a more detailed sound when amplifier is connected thru usb dac connection. This results is accurate channel balance and excellent soundstaging. The hifiman ef2a is a hybrid usbdac amplifier that promises to give you warm sound and melodies offered by vacuum tubes and solidstate. The volume stepped attenuator is a vast improvement from the ef2as volume control. Jun 04, 2018 here is the belated linearity measurement for hifiman ef2a. 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. 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. What a huge improvement this amp provides to bring more out of these headphones. 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. The show newport 20 hifiman ef2a headphone amp youtube. Nov 05, 20 hi, ive had my hifiman ef2a heres a link to it for reference.
Hifiman ef2a usb dacamp appreciation thread page 4. For a dac nowadays that isnt impressive to say the least. Hifiman has done it again, building outstanding headphone products that are priced way too low for the level of sound quality they offer. Hifiman ef2a hybrid headphone amp apartment therapy. 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. Woo audio fireflies headphone amplifier with builtin usb digitaltoanalog converter high performance classa singleended triode tube headphone amp usb dac builtin. It provides wider stage than my other headphone amp, which is audioengine d1. But even there, its output doesnt get accurate to 0. I compared the ef6 to the rwa driving the lcd3, and to the pioneer driving the he6. As a summary, this is a good desktop dacamp with one flaw. The hifiman ef2a is a hybrid usbdac amplifier that promises to give you warm sound and melodies offered by vacuum tubes and solidstate amplifiers.
An official apple mfi certified digital analog converter and headphone amp specifically designed for iphone. Benefitting from vacuum tube technology, both headphone amplifier and. Review and measurements of hifiman ef2a dac and headphone amp. View attachment 464 as we see, the news here is quite sad. Alos new rx3b headphone amp and cypher labs digitaltoanalog converter can make iphones sound like a. 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.
Its just weird that they screwed up the output level of the dac. I cant say it is a tubesound, but definitely it is warmer than my other gears, and still crisp at high. A compact desktop design with an integrated usbdac inherits the power and performance from the ef2a. Almost perfect cosmetically and problemfree operation. Practical devices xm6 portable headphone amplifier and usb dac headfi tv, episode 002.
Hifiman ef5 hybrid tubesolidstate headphone amplifier. 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. 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. 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 ef100 headphone ampintegrated amp shop music. Fiio k3 dsd256 384k32bit usbc dac and headphone amplifier for home and computer3.
This handbuilt high performance headphone amp is designed for use with highend and hardtodrive headphones, such as the hifiman he6. 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. Recommend last week, we got a look at hifimans re252 inear monitors, which blew us away in sheer neutrality. 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. 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. 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. This week, we take a look at their dedicated hybrid headphone amp cousin, the ef2a. Fiio q1ii portable usb dac and headphone ampnative dsd dac. It isnt the most modern dac chip and it supports data up to only 1648.
Of course i took into consideration hd 650 even hd 700, but the dacamp requirements are too high for me. I got this dacamp today and have listening it for 3 hours. Hifiman ef100 headphone ampintegrated amp shop music direct. Hifiman ef2a tube hybrid headphone amp shop music direct.
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