Verdict: If you’ve got spare cash, get one and give it a shot. Quality Control: The left and right channel on the headphone out on my PowerWave are swapped. Now that I’ve apologized to my PowerWave, it still remains that the PowerWave is susceptible to it. Volume Control: The PowerWave lacks any way to control the volume on the unit, making it unsuitable for a direct CDP -> PowerWave -> Cans setup.Ĭonnectors: This is nitpicky, but if I had DIY skills, I’d start replacing the RCA connectors on this thing (and headphone jack)ĮMI: When I first got my 580s and plugged them in I thought the noise floor was unacceptable, but now I’ve realized it was EMI from all the other junk on my desk. That said, I feel that the Pimeta, when driven by the PowerWave, relaxes the sound a bit, so the music feels like there's more space/ambience than the headphone out. Headphone out vs Pimeta: Unfortunately, I did some testing and realized that the left and right channels are swapped on my PowerWave, so it makes it difficult to do a real comparison. The PowerWave handles complex passages of music much better than the Toshiba (the Toshiba collapses during complex passages), and instrument separation is also better than the Toshiba. The soundstage is smaller than the Toshiba, and the highs are brighter (not un-listenable, just brighter). kettle drums are, uh, more “kettle drum-ish” and the PowerWave really brings out the male choir in “Khazad Dum” ). When compared to the Toshiba-Pimeta, bass is clearly articulated (e.g. System vs System: Bass is where the PowerWave shines.
#Griffin ifire firewire amplifier update#
Note: I’ve only burned in the PowerWave for about 10 hours, and will update if anything major changes.
Nirvana, Nevermind “Smells Like Teen Spirit”ģ Doors Down, Away from the Sun. “Creepin’ In”Įmmylous Harris, Alison Krauss, and Gillian Welch, O Brother Where Art Thou. Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Best of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong. Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Test setup 2: PowerBook -> USB extension -> Radioshack Fusions -> Headsave Ultra II -> Senn 580s Test setup: PowerBook -> USB extension -> PowerWave headphone out -> Senn 580s The power supply is a Potrans Elec Corp (unregulated) 12V. The connectors aren’t bad, but don’t look for Cardas quality here. RCA in (Mic Level Mode) –30.0dBu, 7000 OhmsĦ-foot stereo mini-jack male to RCA male cableħ-inch stereo mini-jack male to RCA female cableĮven though it’s a plastic case (with a REALLY BLUE LIGHT), it’s a decent quality plastic. RCA in (Line Level Mode) –15.0dBu, Greater Than 20kOhms (The BLUE is seriously washed out in the pictures.) Well, it matches my PowerMate!ġ5 W + 15 W (10 Hz – 20kHz, 10W, 0.1% THD) Apologies to my PowerWave.įinal note: The light is BLUE.
I bet it was EMI from all the other junk on my desk. And, now that I just saw this thread and tried it again as a headphone amp, the crackling I heard was gone. I set it up, but ended up using a USB extension cable in order to keep it in my audio cabinet. So I tossed it aside until last night, when I was cleaning my room and decided to consolidate audio eq. When I first got my 580s and plugged them in I thought the noise floor was unacceptable.
#Griffin ifire firewire amplifier how to#
If anyone has suggestions as to how to get around this, please let me know. There's no volume control on the PowerWave, so trying to connect the PowerWave to the Toshiba via RCA interconnect is a one way ticket to deafville. Notes: Why am I using two different sources and two different amps? Or maybe it's because I'm tired and am overlooking obvious ways to test the thing. If anyone's interested I'll do more listening and post more detailed results, IF someone can figure out a way to even the comparison, because what I feel like I'm doing right now is comparing two systems, rather than evaluating the PowerWave itself. Right off the bat, the bass seems to be better articulated by PowerBook&Wave than Toshiba 3950 + Pimeta. Short Take: Hmm, not bad, not bad at all. Reference: Toshiba 3950 -> Radioshack Fusions -> Headsave Ultra II -> Sennheiser 580s Test: PowerBook -> USB extension -> PowerWave headphone out -> Senn 580s This is a quickie take, not a comprehensive review as it's 1:00am and I just got home an hour and a half ago. I just dusted it off and gave it a go again.
I've had a PowerWave for the past few months (got it well before I ever discovered head-fi, Sennheiser 580s, etc etc).
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