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Looking to power up my Sundaras

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Yesterday at 8:09 PM
#1

I have been experimenting with different amps and headphones and I believe that I may have found a solution. I have sampled Both the sennheiser 660s and the Hifiman Sundara. Without a doubt the Sundara's are keepers. The only problem is finding the right amp to drive the Sundara. While playing YYZ from Rush the kick with the drums were really nice on a borrowed ifi zen can and much better than a fiio K5. I was wondering if the ifi would be a worthy pairing or should I look elsewhere. Honestly I do not care for the look and stacking it with a dac would be weird, but it does have some power. And the xbass button (I know that is cheating) really made the drums hit on YYZ that extra little bit.
 
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T

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Anybody have experience with the ifi Zen can? Is it the powerhouse they say?
 

somy

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Hi, I too prefer Sundara to HD660S :)
It’s quite easy to drive HP and I heard people are even happy with Lotoo Paw S1 to drive it.
 

Jose Hidalgo

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If you're worried about the amp being able to drive a Sundara, why don't you try a Topping L30 ? See its review by Amir. It has a lot of power and its measurements are off the charts. Ridiculously good for the price.
 
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How does the Topping L30 compare to the ZenCan. They are close in price.
 

GDK

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I have an E30>L30>Sundaras set up and I think it’s fantastic.

Just make sure that you have a way to apply the Oratory1990 EQ adjustment to the Sundaras. It makes a huge difference.
 

somy

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I have an E30>L30>Sundaras set up and I think it’s fantastic.

Just make sure that you have a way to apply the Oratory1990 EQ adjustment to the Sundaras. It makes a huge difference.
Can eq adjustment done by software if the source is a computer?
 

somy

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Yes.

note: When applying EQ to Sundaras better be sure to know which (pads) version you have.
You could be applying the wrong EQ.
Any suggested software on Mac OS for eq? I know some DAC has eq support like some of RME models, is hw support better than software in terms of sq?
 

Jose Hidalgo

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Here you will find a selection of EQ for all operating systems including MacOS.
Here you will find L30 review. Like I said, best value for the price.
As for the Sundara's revised earpads, here you will find all about them and how to know for sure if you have them or not. If you bought the Sundara after Q1 2020 you certainly have them.
 
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Purchased my Sundara's a month ago. Pretty sure they are the latest version as the earpads are not thick all the way around. Kind of tapered in the front by the jaw. I have borrowed a freinds ifi zen can/ dac combo he has. The zen dac by itself is not that powerful and quite frankly the soundblaster z card on my PC does the DAC part pretty good when comparing and it has it's own eq that works well along with the SBX stuff that is fun to play with. The Zen can on the other hand is for real. On single ended it drives both the 660s and Sundara's just fine with room to spare not needing more than the 6 or 12 db gain (it goes from 0-18db). What I cannot figure out though is whether or not balanced output makes a difference using the cables supplied for the 660s. Yes at the same vol/gain settings the balanced is noticeably louder but I feel that can be made up by just adjusting the volume. Is that all you get with balanced?
Finally, addressing the Topping L30 recommendation, I am seriously giving it some consideration over the Zen can, JDS labs, and Schiit's. I just don't know whether to choose the L30 or the A50s because of the balanced thing which I am still not certain of yet.
 

Jose Hidalgo

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The balanced is theoretically better, as it is more stable vs. noise over the cable distance (you know how balanced works, right ?).
That's in theory. In the real world and over a few feet of cable, I doubt your ears can feel any difference, if there is one.
If you feel you need balanced (even just for peace of mind) and you can afford a A50s or a A90, go for it.
Otherwise the L30 will be just fine. Its specs are off the charts.
 
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The balanced is theoretically better, as it is more stable vs. noise over the cable distance (you know how balanced works, right ?).
That's in theory. In the real world and over a few feet of cable, I doubt your ears can feel any difference, if there is one.
If you feel you need balanced (even just for peace of mind) and you can afford a A50s or a A90, go for it.
Otherwise the L30 will be just fine. Its specs are off the charts.
Yes, I get the distance thing....so long as the L30 suits my power needs it will be worth a try. I will have the L30 Tuesday according to Amazon and I will compare it to the ifi Zen Can. If it is a keeper I will have to get the E30 to match down the road.
 

Jose Hidalgo

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Sounds great. The L30 has lots of power, as shown by its measurements. 1.04W @33 Ohm and 0.117W @300 Ohm, that's not only excellent for its class, but also very close to much more expensive and bulky amps like the THX 789 (1.3W @33 Ohm and 0.150W @300 Ohm). I have no doubt that the L30 will drive your Sundara effortlessly. The Sundara aren't even so hard to drive. HD600 are harder, and several people here are driving them (and their Sundaras) with the L30 without any problems. ;)
 
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Sounds great. The L30 has lots of power, as shown by its measurements. 1.04W @33 Ohm and 0.117W @300 Ohm, that's not only excellent for its class, but also very close to much more expensive and bulky amps like the THX 789 (1.3W @33 Ohm and 0.150W @300 Ohm). I have no doubt that the L30 will drive your Sundara effortlessly. The Sundara aren't even so hard to drive. HD600 are harder, and several people here are driving them (and their Sundaras) with the L30 without any problems. ;)
I will report back once I get to set it up and compare. This guy scared me a little with his review though, about 8:15 in specifically;
But then again Zeos had a fit about how good it was!
 

raistlin65

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I will report back once I get to set it up and compare. This guy scared me a little with his review though, about 8:15 in specifically;
But then again Zeos had a fit about how good it was!

If they didn't try it with the Sundara, then how do they know?

I have tried the Sundara with my Atom, which is similar in lower impedance power output to the L30. The Atom drives the Sundara no problem.
 

Jose Hidalgo

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This guy scared me a little with his review though, about 8:15 in specifically
Are you saying that you'd rather believe the subjective impressions of a guy (or two guys if we count Z whose reviews are subjective too) to real actual objective measurements like Amir's that prove otherwise beyond the slightest doubt ? :oops:

You can't deny measurements. Well, you can... in any audiophile forum, but not here on ASR, sorry. The L30 *is* technically better than the other amps you mentioned [EDIT - at least those measured @ ASR, so I don't know about the Zen Can]. Sometimes marginally better, sometimes clearly better. If your ears say otherwise it's because they're deficient. Never underestimate the possibility of deficient ears, as no two ears are alike. But we can't deny reality. ;)
 
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raif71

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I have both L30 and Zen Can (A50s too :)). Here is ifi zen can published specs @ https://ifi-audio.com/products/zen-can/

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If you're thinking about using the Can with iems, better think again. I listened the Can using Thieaudio L3 @0db and the volume was circa 9 o'clock and that was already loud with SE. With iems, L30 is the best bet with -9db gain. The Can is best used with headphones and if you plan to get balanced cable with the headphones the the Zen Can is the better choice however remember, Amir has not measure the Can yet so this info is important too ;). Also the L30 has E30 and A50s has the D50s as their pairing DAC. Currently I'm pairing the Can with Topping D10s. :)
 
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