M1-Dac and M1-HPA Advice

[jezuz]

After reading a guide from solderdude about resistance and impedance, I feel somewhat smarter.

rockgrotto.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=b&action=display&thread=6057

Nothing is stronger than the weakest link, that's what often gets said.

Now the M1 set looks fine and it apparently fits perfectly to HD650 which I like. My current ones are dying and I'm buying a new set as replacement until august when I get HD800.

Now to the issue.

M1-HPA looks fine:
Output
Output Power 1.1W into 32Ω
Output impedance less than 1Ω
Output level 5.2V rms max
Frequency response 15Hz to 75kHz -3dB max.
Signal to noise >109dB “A”- wtd
Total harmonic distortion <0.008% 10Hz to 20kHz
Connections
Line level input 1 pair RCA line in left and right
Line level outputs 1 pair RCA line out left and right
1 pair RCA pre-out left and right
Digital input 1 USB type ‘B’ connector for computer/PDA
Power requirement
Mains voltages 90-250VAC 50/60Hz
Consumption 25 Watts


M1-DAC do not.
Output
Output impedance 47 ohms
Output, digital 0dB level RCA output - 2.2V r.m.s. nominal (RCA) 4.4V (XLR)
DAC
DAC circuit 24 bit Delta-Sigma (bit stream) dual differential 8x over-sampling to 192kHz Total correlated jitter <12 picoseconds peak to peak Linearity <0.1dB down to -96dB Frequency response 10Hz to 20 kHz -0.1dB max.
Channel separation >105dB 20 Hz to 20 kHz
Signal to noise >119dB “A”- wtd.
Total harmonic distortion <0.0025% 10Hz to 20 kHz
Connections
Line level outputs 1 pair line level RCA (phono), left and right
1 pair line level XLR (balanced), left and right
Digital inputs 1 XLR AES balanced digital input
1 RCA coaxial connector SPDIF 32-192 kbps (16-24 bit stereo PCM)
1 TOSLINK optical connector 32-96 kbps (16-24 bit stereo PCM)
1 USB type ‘B’ connector for computer/PDA 32-48 kbps
Power requirement
Mains voltages 115/230VAC 50/60Hz (factory pre-set) 100VAC 50/60Hz (alternative)
Consumption 10 Watts maximum


The M1-dac seems to be for low-ohm headphones. Is it possible that my understanding is wrong and that the low power flow through it doesn't matter when connecting it to M1-HPA?

As I see it, buying the M1-Dac could burden the MPA and then I wouldn't get the best possible sound in my HD650. I'm aware that MF use cheap parts, but that what everyone do today unless you pay good for it.

And I like this dac due to that it can handle 24/192 through USB, while it reviews looks good. I do happen to have:
1 x Optical + 1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Output
On my motherboard, but I have never used and don't know the difference.
www.asus.se/product.aspx?P_ID=G7JoxzAEXsQwDt7G

Is it any good alternative to change out the M1-Dac with or is it just my imagination?


I'm not the smartest one when it comes to this field, it's my first Dac and HPA. Any help would do a lot, I always look for the best possible option towards a certain price. I were going to have bought these yesterday, but I feel a asleep(so might as well ask).

And the upgrade MF got for Dacs seems expensive while the X-series is cheap.

[Deleted]

Output Power 1.1W into 32Ω
(calculations say 0.85 W into 32 Ohm, based on 5.2Vrms and only 90mW into 300 Ohm (HD650))

Output impedance less than 1Ω
(Sennheisers feel better at higher output impedances)

Output level 5.2V rms max
Frequency response 15Hz to 75kHz -3dB max.
15Hz -3dB is a considerable roll-off but makes bass sound somewhat tighter.

> The M1-dac seems to be for low-ohm headphones. Is it possible that my understanding is wrong and that the low power flow through it doesn't matter when connecting it to M1-HPA? <

The M1DAC only needs to drive the input of the HA.
It's input impedance, strangely enough, is not given.
I expect it to be between 10k and 100k

[jezuz]

It seems as I didn't get smarter, I should have checked out here first.

Thanks for the help Solderdude!

I'll likely buy these then unless you or anyone would have something else in mind. When I checked reviews on many other Dacs/amps in the same price range, then it wasn't that many around. Better would likely cost more than these two(I could of course be wrong, it wouldn't be the first time).

I only bought a soundcard with a boxed amp right after I bought my HD650 for several years ago. However, anything should be better than Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Pro.

And sorry. I noticed the importance of how you nick were spelled.

[Deleted]

And sorry. I noticed the importance of how you nick were spelled.

Yes.. it is solderdude as in a dude with a soldering iron..

[jezuz]

Ok, Solderdude.

Now I got it right.