[chrisnyc75]

I am shocked at how loud I have been listening.
I got a DB measuring device and measured how golden sound recommend.
I have been listening to 95-100DB!!
No wonder I have tinnitus and felt like my Bliss didn't have enough juice.
Now I'm at -5 with Holo Bliss with single-ended from Chord Dave, M scaler which measures around 75-78..

When you have a headphone and/or amp that don't hit hard enough (even if you don't realize it) your natural inclination is to turn it up until it hits as hard as you want it to. I made this mistake with HD800S years ago and got tinnitus from it. Now, with Caldera + Bliss, I get the slam I want at a much safer volume level. Volume isn't actually where that "slam" lives. Bliss is PARTICULARLY good at this.

 

[HC1205]

When you have a headphone and/or amp that don't hit hard enough (even if you don't realize it) your natural inclination is to turn it up until it hits as hard as you want it to. I made this mistake with HD800S years ago and got tinnitus from it. Now, with Utopia + Bliss, I get the slam I want at a much safer volume level. Volume isn't actually where that "slam" lives. Bliss is PARTICULARLY good at this.

For me, its the vocals. I feel like vocals dont come as big and close than what i would want in 70s db range although i can hear all the details and nuances that i wish for. I am actually going to listen 80-90db range for around 20 minutes and rest at least an hour for my ear sake.

 

[HC1205]

When i say vocals dont come forward as i like in 70s db, im not talking about Bliss, Bliss actually helps and enhances that area. I just wanted to talk about the safe level db and it kind sucks how weak our ears are.

 

[Timbuk2]

When i say vocals dont come forward as i like in 70s db, im not talking about Bliss, Bliss actually helps and enhances that area. I just wanted to talk about the safe level db and it kind sucks how weak our ears are.

I think it's a very appropriate topic to discuss, volume level and tinnitus as well. Thank you for bringing it up. For me, it's balancing vocals as well, and that may be my choice of cans, the HD660S2. Vocals are a bit recessed or less forward, depending on how you hear it. Bliss slams though, wow. It can come out of nowhere from pitch black, so I have to be careful of volume. It's like listening to a live performance. I have tinnitus, and it saddens me to see when other audiophiles sell their equipment because of it. After much searching and auditioning, I decided on on the 660S2 because of my treble sensitivity and tinnitus. I can listen at higher volumes without problems. So far so good. Perhaps it being 300 ohm helps. I think you just have to find the right balance for your system and ears, trial and error... I'm listening with Bliss at around -18 to -22db on Hi-Z, and my source (Qobuz through ASIO on a Windoze laptop) volume is a consistent 60. It's plenty loud and satisfying.

One factor I've found in my audio journey is that when I finally reached true low noise and distortion, the purity and realism of the sound can make it WAY too easy to turn up the volume. Gone is the distortion that makes you turn the volume down, so we kinda loose that feedback with higher fidelity. It's a trade off, but I'll take it, ha!

 

[idairyou]

I think it's a very appropriate topic to discuss, volume level and tinnitus as well. Thank you for bringing it up. For me, it's balancing vocals as well, and that may be my choice of cans, the HD660S2. Vocals are a bit recessed or less forward, depending on how you hear it. Bliss slams though, wow. It can come out of nowhere from pitch black, so I have to be careful of volume. It's like listening to a live performance. I have tinnitus, and it saddens me to see when other audiophiles sell their equipment because of it. After much searching and auditioning, I decided on on the 660S2 because of my treble sensitivity and tinnitus. I can listen at higher volumes without problems. So far so good. Perhaps it being 300 ohm helps. I think you just have to find the right balance for your system and ears, trial and error... I'm listening with Bliss at around -18 to -22db on Hi-Z, and my source (Qobuz through ASIO on a Windoze laptop) volume is a consistent 60. It's plenty loud and satisfying.

One factor I've found in my audio journey is that when I finally reached true low noise and distortion, the purity and realism of the sound can make it WAY too easy to turn up the volume. Gone is the distortion that makes you turn the volume down, so we kinda loose that feedback with higher fidelity. It's a trade off, but I'll take it, ha!

This all comes down to dynamic range and the loudness wars.

If you use the scale Foobar and Roon use I think the 7 on the DR range is that sweet spot. You can get plenty loud (for me plenty loud is 72 to 80db) and the music has plenty of body, and slam that we look for.

Even today though some recordings (especially live recordings and soundtracks) go ridiculously high on DR, like 12 16, or 19.

At that DR your music starts sounding kind of lifeless, and the first thing you do is start turning that volume knob up.

I think the best thing to do (especially if you have a playlist) is use volume leveling. You don't lose DR and you don't get any nasty surprises when you switch tracks or albums.

 

[Timbuk2]

This all comes down to dynamic range and the loudness wars.

If you use the scale Foobar and Roon use I think the 7 on the DR range is that sweet spot. You can get plenty loud (for me plenty loud is 72 to 80db) and the music has plenty of body, and slam that we look for.

Even today though some recordings (especially live recordings and soundtracks) go ridiculously high on DR, like 12 16, or 19.

At that DR your music starts sounding kind of lifeless, and the first thing you do is start turning that volume knob up.

I think the best thing to do (especially if you have a playlist) is use volume leveling. You don't lose DR and you don't get any nasty surprises when you switch tracks or albums.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look into Roon at some point, as it gives you lots of options for tweaking. Many many moons ago, I compared volume normalization on and off and seemed to prefer off for streaming. Using ASIO, looks like the normalization option is removed anyway from Qobuz, from what I can see or can't see, ha. Tidal offers that, but I still prefer the SQ of Qobuz through ASIO. There's another war for ya, the streaming wars... Can't we all just... Get along?

 

[tedacura1]

I just ordered the Holo Bliss... now the wait begins.

 

[Frankie D]

I just ordered the Holo Bliss... now the wait begins.

It’s a great amp and also great with IEMs if you ever use them.

 

[Stanl3h]

I just got the Bliss KTE and I am in love with how it pairs with my Susvara, although between it and the May KTE I am going to die of heat stroke in the summer lol.

 

[mdbuck]

Has anyone paired, or plan on pairing, the new Holo Cyan 2 DAC with the Bliss?

 

[tedacura1]

Has anyone paired, or plan on pairing, the new Holo Cyan 2 DAC with the Bliss?

in the next 4 weeks when I receive my Bliss KTE

 

[MrHaelscheir]

So working from the context in https://www.head-fi.org/threads/rec...ck-to-a-genuinely-curious-objectivist.972411/, after starting with the Arya Stealth and then acquiring a Meze Elite Tungsten (I am a heavy EQer; this thing's distortion performance through my ultra-low-distortion in-ear mics is exceptional and rivals the DCA Expanse and Stealth) and finally an HE1000se (mainly for use with custom NMD pads for swapping between comfort and presentation preferences), I have decided to bite the bullet and see whether the FiiO K9 Pro ESS could possibly be holding me back. As such, I have found the Bliss KTE particularly appealing.

Given this, I listen predominately to classical music, whereby I was wondering how well folks have found the Bliss to handle the texture and tactility of strings and perhaps brass in more aggressive works like Mahler or Brahms symphonies. In upgrading from a less powerful mind THX amp (whatever one may think of such; I think it sounds great, textured, and incisive, though my perception may change by the day from excellence to discontent), do you folks hear a marked increase in tactility or incisiveness, ideally without introducing harshness? Tactility can also of course depend on the specific recording, but I am wondering of whether the tactility and immersive presence or vividness of strings and other acoustic instruments could possibly be improved toward the live experience that I presently regularly attend as a reference. If some of you find the Bliss rather soft, what alternative amps within the Bliss KTE price range would you recommend as exhibiting this "incisive, textured aggressiveness and vivid richness without harshness"? Or would it be worth shooting higher than the Bliss KTE?

 

[walterboss]

Does anyone have impressions to share of Bliss Vs XIAUDIO Formula S and Powerman stack?

 

[gammi]

Has anyone paired, or plan on pairing, the new Holo Cyan 2 DAC with the Bliss?

I have that combo. Enjoy both greatly. Can't say I've noticed much difference between the Cyan 2 and my old Gustard R26 though.

Given this, I listen predominately to classical music, whereby I was wondering how well folks have found the Bliss to handle the texture and tactility of strings and perhaps brass in more aggressive works like Mahler or Brahms symphonies.

I think texture is one of the strong points of Bliss. I listen to the Alice in Chains Unplugged album a lot as a reference point and you can really hear every guitar pluck and the way the string resonates in the air, it's great.

If I had to find one flaw in Bliss, I feel like it might be less punchy than some of my speaker amps I listen on. Idk, sometimes I get this vague feeling like the music doesn't hit as hard on the Bliss, rather it's very organic and smooth.

 

[Frankie D]

I just received a notification from another member about the track “Layla arranged for guitar by Marcin” being played allot at AXPONA. Found it on Apple Music and powered up my Holo May and Bliss using my Susvara.

Without any warmup it sounds terrific. The bass, the details and sound of the arrangement are terrific. Check it out if you can. Fabulous finger work.