A-B TESTS    
 

 

Headphone Amps

A/B Comparison #3
Beta 22 RSA Hornet

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DAC: Cambridge Audio  DAC Magic - via SPDIF
  
Source: Various FLAC Music Files
11/11/2010
  
Test conducted using a switch that connected either amp "A" or amp "B" to the headphones; amps were fed in parallel off the DAC.

I carefully matched the volume levels of the two amps using a 1000 Hz tone & SPL Meter

Note: In some ways, this is apples-to-oranges.  The RSA Hornet is a PORTABLE battery-operated amp roughly the size of a matchbox weighing 4.5 ounces (128 grams) with it's lithium battery, and the Beta-22 is a desktop amp- actually a fairly large desktop amp; mine weighs about 12 lbs (5,440 grams)


LCD-2

I could immediately hear that the upper octaves were slightly rolled off using the HORNET.  Operative word here is slightly.  However, even this very slight rolloff was plainly audible.  Bass was fairly comparable between the two amps, with the Beta-22 having a tiny edge in control and depth.

HD-800

The high frequency rolloff was much less noticeable on the Sennheisers than the LCD-2's. It would seem, then, that the rolloff is possibly related to the lower impedance of the LCD-2's.  The very upper registers from the HORNET were a tiny bit recessed on the HD800s compared to the Beta-22, but the difference between the highs using Beta-22 vs the HORNET were much easier to hear on the LCD-2s.  Bass from the HD800s also seemed to go a little deeper with the Beta-22.  On the HD800s it also sounded like the stereo image was a little bigger with the Beta-22, as if it's stereo separation was a bit better. The highs from the HORNET seemed also to have a little more "grain" than the Beta-22, but this was subtle.

MY CONCLUSIONS

At last I heard some audible differences that were pretty easy to pick out.  But for this I had to go from a big tabletop amp to a tiny portable amp. Even so, this rolloff was NOT enough to make the HORNET dull or dark sounding on the LCD-2s.  It was a small rolloff, but easy to detect.

Again, both of these amps sounded great, really.  The HORNET drove either sets of phones very well and the sound from it was definitely "high end audio" though not quite as "high end" as from the Beta-22.  But of course, you wouldn't tote the  Beta-22 along with you on a trip, etc.


 

 


 

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