James, I am not familiar with your headphones, but I want to make sure you are aware that there are two modes for headphone listening. Low gain, and high gain…depending on how hard they are to drive, one setting might work better than the other. The TT2 does not come with a manual, you go to the Chord website, and can download the PDF. I suggest doing this in advance, to get a head start on all the settings, since you will only have it a few days.
I anxiously await your report.
Agreed the MyteK definitely sets a high bar. It was a very enjoyable turnkey system when paired with the GSX Mini - and also cheaper than the TT2 (though not by much).
One slight strike against the TT2 from what I have been reading on Headfi. It does seem to frequently have some hiccups or problems - overheating, glitches etc. Let’s just say that I have the impression Chord build quality is not at the level of Linn or Naim. Just my impression though.
Will do and thanks N-Q for the heads up on the manual. Looks to be slightly quirky in operation but looks easy to figure out. Pick up later so if I can get out of work at a reasonable time today then I look forward to having a play with it later
I am jealous – have fun!
Rob Watts recommends using high gain for headphones, low gain was meant for IEM’s he said on head-fi. Looking forward to your thoughts, are you going to try it with a speaker system too?
Bah - work has got in the way a bit so apart from connecting up late last night and a quick listen i’ve not had too much time to play. Hopefully more time tonight and tomorrow…
You are in for a treat, I think. Today I spent about 2 hours in Sorishop in Seoul — comparing the TT2 with Hugo 2. This was with Sennheiser’s HD800s. I bought a pair of Sennheiser in Sorishop about two weeks ago. It’s a great place for headphones, and also Naim!
I am not writing that it is a night and day difference between TT2 and Hugo 2. The H2 isn’t suddenly broken; it’s still a fabulous DAC. But the TT2 is something special. I am not good in describing what I hear. And I don’t think that I have terribly fine ears by the standards of this Forum…
But the TT2 was so “effortless” that it made listening to music (in my case, classical music) incredibly enjoyable, and it had great “composure” when throwing complex, orchestral music at it. I am still very happy with my H2 — no problem with returning to the “little one”. But the TT2 gave me a great afternoon in the heat and humidity of the Far East… Sadly, there is no MScaler in Sorishop for a brief listening…
Don’t lead us into temptation, but deliver us…
Me too until kids came along. Now, 3 minutes into the first track of anything, I’m fast asleep.
Need advice.
I wont close headphone. I want to use headphones on my mobile phone and on Atom. I like Audeze Sine the most, although I have no experience with headphones. Some people tell me that they are overvalued too expensive. The problem with listening on Atom is that the headphones have a short cable (1,4m). Not sure how to get a longer cable or extension.Anyone have any experience with this headphones?
Thanks.
The Sine use a digital connection. Not normal analogue headphones. So probably are useless on the Atom.
Why not split your budget and get some suitable headphones for Atom and some for mobile? Mobile will be lower sound quality so you needn’t spend as much. The Sine is quite expensive and I can’t imagine a mobile (I am assuming phone here vs a dedicated player) would get anything like the best out of them.
Sine has normal 3.5mm conector too.
Have you had a chance to give the TT2 a good listen yet James? I just inserted my Cary Audio Preamp back in between the TT2 and amp for two channel (speakers) to see if it adds or subtracts anything from going TT2 directly to the amp. Sounds really good so far, but I need more time to draw any conclusions, the Cary is a very neutral Preamp.
Yes i have - It’s an amazing bit of kit, the amount of detail it digs out is really quite disconcerting and recordings i know well have revealed more than i’ve heard before. You’d think it would be a slam dunk for the TT2 but i suspect when it goes back to the shop on Tuesday I won’t miss it. I’ll put a some more detailed thoughts down in the next couple of days
Hmmm - it seems to have woken up tonight. Not sure how new the TT2 is i have on loan but the engagement that was missing now seems to have joined the party.
This is more like it !
Try putting some ferrites on the cable going into it too…if you have any on hand.
James
Anxiously waiting your TT2 review however - in the meantime - care to write some words comparing the Mytek to your 1Z?
I am sitting here now listening to my 1Z > Axios/Utopia and am quite happy. I did however definitely love my demo at CanJam of the Mytek/HeadAmp Mini into my same Axios/Utopias. It would have been nice to have done a direct comparison between the two.
Gregg
I’ve got quite a few knocking around - i’ll have a play later
Hi Gregg – well it’s not good news on the TT2 front. I’ve just not warmed to it. I put the first time I tried it down to being tired after a long day but the first impression has stayed the same over the last few evenings. Ergonomically it’s fine and it’s quite big compared to the Mytek but is actually pretty easy to use. Plug headphones in (it selects HP mode), select and filters and cross feed (filter 1 for me and no cross feed) and select gain. I initially selected Lo but on advice from NQ, set it to high. Select input and off you go. I used it as I did the Bridge, with a Project Streambox S2 Ultra providing the bits via a Chord C USB cable. Both units were plugged into a standard mains ring (this is to be a bedside system). The TT2 does dig really deep into a recording, making everything sound fresh and alive. The noise floor is low and on live recordings you really feel the acoustics of the venue envelope you. If you like detail and digging into the deepest depth of a recording then this is the DAC. For this it’s a remarkable piece of kit. But…
I just don’t get the engagement I get with the Sony or indeed the Bridge.
I find the TT2 bright and analytical and I find myself listening to the recording rather than listening to the music. When I had the Bridge here, I found myself listening late into the night and sneaking off during the day just to have a quick listen too. With the TT2 this has not been the case. The TT2 will be packed up tonight and goes back to the dealer tomorrow. They did have a DAVE there so I’ll ask if I can borrow that for a few days to see if that addresses my issues with the TT2. If not, then Mytek (DAC + or Bridge) will get my money.
James
My 1Z has been sitting forlornly next to various DACs over the last couple of weeks that have been attempting to better it for home headphone duties. With the TT2 back in its box I used the 1Z last night, put the balanced cable back on my headphones and had a listen. Just lovely and a good reminder of where I’m going. Achieving this level of playback via a networked device is the aim so I can take advantage of Roon (and Tidal) via my headphone setup. So far the Mytek Bridge has achieved that (albeit in USB mode fed from the Streambox). Expectations were very high for the TT2. It’s a beautifully built unit and it’s great to see a made in the UK sticker on the bottom. Nice as it is though and I can understand its appeal, it just didn’t work for me.
I’m picking up a DAVE when I drop the TT2 back at lunchtime, so I’m very much looking forward to hearing what it can do…