[MacMan31]

I’m trying to compare DACs. I have the Schiit Bifrost 2 connected to my Singxer SA-1 via XLR and the EF600 via RCA. I’m using my CD player as source with coax digital to the BF2 and RCA to the EF600. RCA out of the EF600 to the amp. But no sound from my headphone amp when I switch to the EF600. Is there a step I’m missing?

 

[Pharmaboy]

I’m trying to compare DACs. I have the Schiit Bifrost 2 connected to my Singxer SA-1 via XLR and the EF600 via RCA. I’m using my CD player as source with coax digital to the BF2 and RCA to the EF600. RCA out of the EF600 to the amp. But no sound from my headphone amp when I switch to the EF600. Is there a step I’m missing?

Let me get this straight: you have both a coax digital cable and an analogue interconnect RCA) coming out of the same CD player? And the coax goes into the BF2's input (for conversion to analog); while the RCA interconnect goes to the EF600's input?

Then an RCA interconnect takes the analog output of the EF600 to the input of an un-named headphone amp?

How do you "switch to the EF600"?

There are a number of things that could go wrong here, assuming I got everything right in sentences above:

• Perhaps your CD player will not output analog via RCA outputs when also outputting digital via coax?
• Of if both outputs are live on the CD player, you appear to have two headphone amps with volume pots chained, one to the other. In that case, you would usually have to rotate the volume pot on the 1st amp (the EF600) close to maximum so that the actual volume of sound via headphones could be operated by the 2nd amp's volume pot.
• Another variable is the "Input Selector" on front of EF600. Not sure what that does, or how, but that could be the blockage if it's not set correctly.

If I'm missing something here, please advise.

 

[MacMan31]

Let me get this straight: you have both a coax digital cable and an analogue interconnect RCA) coming out of the same CD player? And the coax goes into the BF2's input (for conversion to analog); while the RCA interconnect goes to the EF600's input?

Then an RCA interconnect takes the analog output of the EF600 to the input of an un-named headphone amp?

How do you "switch to the EF600"?

There are a number of things that could go wrong here, assuming I got everything right in sentences above:

• Perhaps your CD player will not output analog via RCA outputs when also outputting digital via coax?
• Of if both outputs are live on the CD player, you appear to have two headphone amps with volume pots chained, one to the other. In that case, you would usually have to rotate the volume pot on the 1st amp (the EF600) close to maximum so that the actual volume of sound via headphones could be operated by the 2nd amp's volume pot.
• Another variable is the "Input Selector" on front of EF600. Not sure what that does, or how, but that could be the blockage if it's not set correctly.

If I'm missing something here, please advise.

Un-named headphone amp? The Singxer SA-1 (which I named) is the headphone amp. In any case I reconnected things in a more proper order. I used both digital outs from the CD player. One to each DAC. Then used RCA from the EF600 and XLR from the Bifrost 2 going into the Singxer SA-1 amp. From what I could tell I could not hear a difference between the two. Perhaps a slight increase in volume from the EF600 DAC but maybe it has a higher output than the Bifrost 2. Should I be hearing a difference between DACs? The headphones I used were the ZMF Bokeh.

Either way doesn't the EF600 have a pass-through option? It has both in and out for RCA and XLR. Can't the EF600 be used as a pass through pre amp?

 

[Pharmaboy]

Un-named headphone amp? The Singxer SA-1 (which I named) is the headphone amp. In any case I reconnected things in a more proper order. I used both digital outs from the CD player. One to each DAC. Then used RCA from the EF600 and XLR from the Bifrost 2 going into the Singxer SA-1 amp. From what I could tell I could not hear a difference between the two. Perhaps a slight increase in volume from the EF600 DAC but maybe it has a higher output than the Bifrost 2. Should I be hearing a difference between DACs? The headphones I used were the ZMF Bokeh.

Either way doesn't the EF600 have a pass-through option? It has both in and out for RCA and XLR. Can't the EF600 be used as a pass through pre amp?

Sorry...totally missed the SA-1.

I would expect you'd hear at least a small sonic difference between these DACs. Then again, I'm ignorant of them--never heard either, also am not sure whether the Bifrost is a fully balanced DAC or the EF600 a pure single-ended DAC.

I downloaded and checked the EF600's manual. The answer to your final question should be there--but isn't (which is nuts). When I see an RCA/in pair and RCA/out pair (also XLR/in & XLR/out pair), I figure the DAC/amp is also a preamp. Or failing that, at the very least it's a bypass output (live at all times & unmodified by the volume pot--live even when the unit is switched off). But if you can't get RCA signal out of the EF600 when you have analog signal going in, that makes no sense.

Sorry that I can't seem to help you w/this issue...

 

[LarsNL]

Can you connect the EF600's preouts to the SMSL VMV A1 (class A) power amplifier? The VMV A1 has a volume knob, so you can regulate volume, and as I understand the EF600 has no volume control on the outputs. Would it be possible to connect those two?

 

[rantng]

EF600 already on sale for $649 from HiFiMan - https://store.hifiman.com/index.php/ef600.html

 

[MacMan31]

For anyone in Canada. I am offering my EF600 for sale. I have compared with my current stack of Bifrost 2 and Singxer SA-1 and cannot distinguish between them. Barely if at all. So perhaps my loss is your gain.

See my CAM ad here. https://www.canuckaudiomart.com/details/650094716-hifiman-ef600-dacamp-combo/

 

[erdem]

dear all!
i have meze 109 pro and and want to get ef600. so I wonder that is it suitable for such a sensitive over-ear (40 Ω, Sensitivity: 112 dB)?
I am familiar with the channel imbalance at first %10-15 volume however I want to use it with balance to get full sound quality.
so, at low gain mod for sure, do you have an experinece with the 109 pro or similar sensitive cans for ef600?