TANCHJIM Space Portable Headphone Adapter Review

[staticV3]

it is a Hugo2, not Mojo2.
Amir measured it. Good enough for me.

That's exactly the issue:

Amir measured 500mW max output->the Amp is barely loud enough for you->you assume that 500mW is not enough without ever checking that you're using 500mW.

That's just not good enough to come to any sort of conclusion. Not when a number of factors can lead to you not using the Amp's full potential when you think you are.

Verify, don't assume.

As to sensitivity figures, Audeze claims LCD-XC a figure of 100dB for 1mW. Amir came up with something like 95 IIRC. They may have different methods of measuring. Hence my statement, that transducers measurements are not absolute as per Amir's preface to every headphone review.

Agreed.

 

[multiformous]

My understanding:
0dB is max. digital level, disregarding special circumstances!
The amp side clips at this max. level. I think it is bang on. The amp's gain is so chosen to make sure one can actually achieve max. output from the amp.

So the clipping would be encountered if I set the volume to max on the device itself?

 

[VientoB]

How loud are you guys listening to music that 500mW is not enough? Christ on a bike.

 

[staticV3]

So I was wondering about the clipping on the balanced output described in the original review here. Is that a real issue?

Both Tanchjim's official measurements of the Space and independent measurements from L7Audiolab show undistorted 0dBFS balanced output resulting in clean 4.0Vrms.

At this point, I would not rule out a bug in Amir's measurement setup or good old user error as the culprit behind that clipping.

 

[VientoB]

I'd like to know what the Space isnt on Amir's performance graph for this kind of product.

 

[Rja4000]

I'm able to get 3.9V...
But nothing close to 114dB SINAD.
I'm stuck around 100dB.

And there is no level where I may approach those figures.
Balanced or unbalanced.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

So the clipping would be encountered if I set the volume to max on the device itself?

That and when the song you are listening to has peaks at 0dB, so hardly ever.

Amir measured 500mW max output->the Amp is barely loud enough for you->you assume that 500mW is not enough without ever checking that you're using 500mW.

Please, enough:
- I said I need Most of it, also said it was Enough.
- Hugo2 with 32R is at 500mW, at 20R it is more, check the curves, it manages 3.3V (ish) at 20R. OK , let's say it is 400mW, does it change the picture?
Calm down, read the posts, so you don't misquoted me.

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

Here is my conclusion:
The Space doesn't have enough power for the MM-100. At higher volumes, I could clearly hear how the bass was distorted.

I took the opportunity to do a direct comparison with the Isine10. It reminded me why I switched from the Utopia and Empyrean to the LCDi3. These Audeze Planar IEMs, are simply incredibly good.
I think that even the Isine10, can compete with the best over-ear headphones out there.

Btw. The MM-100 are great!

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Here is my conclusion:
The Space doesn't have enough power for the MM-100. At higher volumes, I could clearly hear how the bass was distorted.

I took the opportunity to do a direct comparison with the Isine10. It reminded me why I switched from the Utopia and Empyrean to the LCDi3. These Audeze Planar IEMs, are simply incredibly good.
I think that even the Isine10, can compete with the best over-ear headphones out there.

View attachment 390284

Btw. The MM-100 are great!

did you use the balanced out of Tanchjim?

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

Yes.
I also used oratorys EQ profile.
I can well imagine, that the power would be sufficient, without using EQ.

 

[VientoB]

Here is my conclusion:
The Space doesn't have enough power for the MM-100. At higher volumes, I could clearly hear how the bass was distorted.

I took the opportunity to do a direct comparison with the Isine10. It reminded me why I switched from the Utopia and Empyrean to the LCDi3. These Audeze Planar IEMs, are simply incredibly good.
I think that even the Isine10, can compete with the best over-ear headphones out there.

View attachment 390284

Btw. The MM-100 are great!

Did you measure what volume you were listening at?

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Yes.
I also used oratorys EQ profile.
I can well imagine, that the power would be sufficient, without using EQ.

Thank you.
I doubt the power would have been sufficient either way. Almost all of music power is in Bass region. EQ or not, if it was distorting at Bass, means it was running out of juice.

Did you measure what volume you were listening at?

if it was distorting, it wouldn't matter, because he had hit the power ceiling.

 

[Jimbob54]

Yes.
I also used oratorys EQ profile.
I can well imagine, that the power would be sufficient, without using EQ.

What's the source player and device?

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

Smartphone + Neutron Player

 

[Jimbob54]

Smartphone + Neutron Player

Check the hardware volume sliders in neutron. With UAPP I noticed no matter how high I put the physical buttons, when I looked in uapp volume one slider was way down.

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

I am in direct USB mode, and have deactivated the volume control on Neutron.
I control this, using the buttons on the Space.

 

[Ken Tajalli]

Check the hardware volume sliders in neutron. With UAPP I noticed no matter how high I put the physical buttons, when I looked in uapp volume one slider was way down.

I think the only possibility of the Neutron doing anything wrong, would be if the preamp slider had been accidentally pushed up. The actual volume control slider can only reduce level, not cause distortion.
He has audible distortion at high volumes (clipping).

 

[Ken Tajalli]

I am in direct USB mode, and have deactivated the volume control on Neutron.
I control this, using the buttons on the Space.

Still check the preamp slider, that one could be active.

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

The preamp is set correctly, especially since I have also activated the gain protection. The Space simply reaches its limits with the MM-100, at very high volumes + Harman Target.

 

[danadam]

I'm stuck around 100dB.

Is it limited more by noise or THD?

But nothing close to 114dB SINAD.

I get ~111dB (unbalanced) but only in specific configuration: Laptop on battery power -> DAC -> ADC -> Desktop