[jlbrach]

the formula s with the powerman is really good with the 1266...it is not the very best but is up there with the best....I am now using a tube amp with the 1266 which is simply outstanding

 

[newToAudio100]

Just listened to the ab 1266 phi tc for the first time in a few weeks. At first I was surprised and thought I left my speakers on because the soundstage was so big. I listened to a song I had only listened to once before so I didn't know it well. The abyss really is impressive. Larger soundstage than hd800s with better detail and bass.

 

[krude]

From 20 pages of search results on speaker amps there seems to be plenty of impressions on their capabilities with 1266, but precious few comparisons to standard SS headphone amps like Formula S.

Has anyone experienced both speaker amps (like TToby) and SS amps (Formula S or equivalent) with 1266? Because I can get a TToby for significantly less than FS/Powerman combo.

TC is not Susvara, it doesn't need a speaker amp. It needs a synergystic system. I tried a selection of headphone amps and a few speaker amps and quality / synergy is what's important.

Some picks I remember liking : Soloist 3XP (with swapped opampas and psu), Soloist GT (swapped op amps and psu), Bliss KTE (still have it, great pairing), Cayin HA6a (can sound phenomenal with the right tubes), Cayin HA300MK2 (tried a bunch of tubes, most sound famtastic, also Elrog), Audio Note Vindicator Silver Sig (with synergystic tubes it's the best pairing I've heard. Does everything and more and then some.).

Vindicator is a tube speaker power amp, but it's not important, it just has crazy good synergy in my system.

Obv YMMV, but long story short, TC can sound great with many amps. You don't need a nuclear power plant to power it either.

 

[walterboss]

TC is not Susvara, it doesn't need a speaker amp. It needs a synergystic system. I tried a selection of headphone amps and a few speaker amps and quality / synergy is what's important.

Some picks I remember liking : Soloist 3XP (with swapped opampas and psu), Soloist GT (swapped op amps and psu), Bliss KTE (still have it, great pairing), Cayin HA6a (can sound phenomenal with the right tubes), Cayin HA300MK2 (tried a bunch of tubes, most sound famtastic, also Elrog), Audio Note Vindicator Silver Sig (with synergystic tubes it's the best pairing I've heard. Does everything and more and then some.).

Vindicator is a tube speaker power amp, but it's not important, it just has crazy good synergy in my system.

Obv YMMV, but long story short, TC can sound great with many amps. You don't need a nuclear power plant to power it either.

Thanks Krude and Jlbrach as I've followed your posts through this thread for a while.

I was just intrigued by Spawn and Orlok's rapturous praise for the TToby.

Tubes are definitely in my future. But I feel like I have to at least go through the XIAUDIO FS/P first to try it. I've only ever used TT2 solo for an amp. Excited to see the difference. Cheers!

 

[Whazzzup]

Wa33 with hd800S muah. with TT. Just fyi

 

[SpeleoFool]

what 1/4 4pin xlr adapter is this?

Sorry, never saw the Head-Fi notice. That's a custom job by Double Helix Cables.

 

[jlbrach]

Thanks Krude and Jlbrach as I've followed your posts through this thread for a while.

I was just intrigued by Spawn and Orlok's rapturous praise for the TToby.

Tubes are definitely in my future. But I feel like I have to at least go through the XIAUDIO FS/P first to try it. I've only ever used TT2 solo for an amp. Excited to see the difference. Cheers!

the formula s /powerman combo gets you maybe 85-90% of the way there...my CFA3 is marginally better and right now the Feliks envy with WE300b is my go to ..tubes work real well with the 1266 but to be honest if I lived with only the formula s/powerman I could be happy

 

[TheMiddleSky]

the formula s /powerman combo gets you maybe 85-90% of the way there...my CFA3 is marginally better and right now the Feliks envy with WE300b is my go to ..tubes work real well with the 1266 but to be honest if I lived with only the formula s/powerman I could be happy

Set aside from soundstage, does CFA3 perform better in midrange as well than Formula stacks?

 

[jlbrach]

the CFA3 has more grunt and impact as it is much more powerful...to me the formula s combo is more nuanced sounding...I like both but the CFA3 is my choice if I have to choose between the 2 but it was a hassle to receive mine from sweden etc...I assume the model about to be released by headamp I think will be easier to procure and service etc

 

[TheMiddleSky]

the CFA3 has more grunt and impact as it is much more powerful...to me the formula s combo is more nuanced sounding...I like both but the CFA3 is my choice if I have to choose between the 2 but it was a hassle to receive mine from sweden etc...I assume the model about to be released by headamp I think will be easier to procure and service etc

Yeah i'm waiting for more impression about headamp cfa3 as well. I never heard CFA3, but heard some Kevin Gilmore amps and they always sound great.

 

[olris]

Sorry, I'm using an automatic translator. I have had Abyss for almost 10 years and am happy with them. Yesterday, however, I was pleasantly surprised. I was listening to the album Yes: Mirror of The Sky, in the 6th song Circles of Time at 1:07 a bell starts ringing on the right. Abyss reproduced this sound very poorly. I turned the cable to see if there was something wrong with the right earbud, but it was the same. Every other headphone I plugged in played the jingle just fine. Can someone please try it.

 

[number1sixerfan]

TC is not Susvara, it doesn't need a speaker amp. It needs a synergystic system. I tried a selection of headphone amps and a few speaker amps and quality / synergy is what's important.

Some picks I remember liking : Soloist 3XP (with swapped opampas and psu), Soloist GT (swapped op amps and psu), Bliss KTE (still have it, great pairing), Cayin HA6a (can sound phenomenal with the right tubes), Cayin HA300MK2 (tried a bunch of tubes, most sound famtastic, also Elrog), Audio Note Vindicator Silver Sig (with synergystic tubes it's the best pairing I've heard. Does everything and more and then some.).

Vindicator is a tube speaker power amp, but it's not important, it just has crazy good synergy in my system.

Obv YMMV, but long story short, TC can sound great with many amps. You don't need a nuclear power plant to power it either.

Agree, the TC is much more versatile with a variety of amps. Not the easiest to drive, but synergy is more important than power and it does well under a lot of circumstances.

 

[skhan007]

Sorry, I'm using an automatic translator. I have had Abyss for almost 10 years and am happy with them. Yesterday, however, I was pleasantly surprised. I was listening to the album Yes: Mirror of The Sky, in the 6th song Circles of Time at 1:07 a bell starts ringing on the right. Abyss reproduced this sound very poorly. I turned the cable to see if there was something wrong with the right earbud, but it was the same. Every other headphone I plugged in played the jingle just fine. Can someone please try it.

Hello, welcome!

I'm listening to the track right now. I love YES. The sound at 1:07 is a tambourine with reverb, and it sounds accurate on my Abyss 1266. I do not notice anything unusual. It sounds completely normal, no sibilance, or anything strange. Maybe check your EQ?

 

[Frankie D]

Hello, welcome!

I'm listening to the track right now. I love YES. The sound at 1:07 is a tambourine with reverb, and it sounds accurate on my Abyss 1266. I do not notice anything unusual. It sounds completely normal, no sibilance, or anything strange. Maybe check your EQ?

Yes, the sound is a tambourine just as you said. I hear no issue with it.

 

[olris]

Thanks for listening. In my Abyss, the sound of the tambourine is very muffled, even at first I thought it was some kind of CD defect. It's hard for me to do anything about it when any headphones plugged into the same amp output reproduce that tambourine much better. Thanks again for the answers.