My impressions of the Xenos OHA-REP & the Xenos OHA XO-RHP

[scanfiend 0]

My impressions of the Xenos OHA-REP & the Xenos OHA XO-RHP

 

here are my impressions of the 2 amps after spending a few days listening to them. I’m not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination, but I do appreciate good sound. I was primarily looking for an amp to drive my portable source, which is currently a Creative Vision:M. I’ve tried the amps out using a variety of music (mp3’s encoded at 192bit CBR) and testing it out on my modest collection of headphones: which included the Grado SR80, the Sennheiser HD590, PX100, Audio Technica CTK5, Creative Auvana, and the Westone UM2.

 

I also must thank Wilson, of Jaben Network, who has kindly provided me with the 2 Xenos headphone amps for auditioning. I highly recommend that you guys check out his shop. His service is peerless. He’s also a computer freak, like me, so there’s always plenty to talk about every time I visit his shop.

 

You can find more information on the 2 amps here: http://www.aptecpro.com/Xenos-Prod/X0HA/x0ha-intro-page.html

 

Note that these impressions are based on my equipment, and are totally subjective. The SQ can vary considerably depending on your source, music, and your headphones.

 

With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s begin!

 

1st impressions:

The amps were small and compact, being primarily designed for portable use. Though the casing was made of plastic, I’m happy to report that the build quality was satisfyingly solid. There were no squeaks when squeezed, and no rattles when shaken - no soft, flimsy plastic here! The volume control doubles as a power switch, and a too-bright blue LED those lights up when the amp was powered on.

 

Externally, there was no way to tell the difference between the REP & RHP. You can only do that by popping open the battery cover to look at the sticker inside.

 

The amps were powered by 9V batteries (alkaline or NiMH rechargeables). The instruction sheet stated that the output power increases when a 12V DC adapter (not included) is used. I was using 9V alkalines for this listening test.

 

Can an amp improve the sound of headphones? The short answer, in my case, was yes! There were actual, discernable improvements in sound quality (SQ), dramatic improvements in some instances. This experience has been most enlightening.

 

Xenos OHA-REP

This was the “enhanced performance†model, touted as “compact, audiophile performance†in a portable package. This was the higher end of the 2 amps; it supposedly contained better components and electronics to enhance the sound output.

 

I tried it out on both the headphone out and line-out of the Vision:M (via the dongle).

 

My 1st impression was….wow! The bass, clarity, soundstage & separation showed improvements with virtually every headphone I’ve tried. The biggest improvements in SQ came from a surprising quarter.

 

The Creative Auvana has pretty anemic performance, especially considering its price (over $200). Other being comfy to wear and its good isolation properties when worn, the SQ was certainly nothing to shout about. It lacked presence, the highs were rolled off, and the bass was weak, resulting in thin, weedy & hollow sound. Plugging it into the REP resulted in a world of difference. Bass, clarity and soundstage showed dramatic differences. The congestion all but disappeared. It sounded like a totally different ‘phone. It’s very listenable now.

 

The clarity probably came from the treble extension….I’m sure other more experienced members can explain it better than me. Unfortunately, the treble extension caused some sibilance in my Sennheiser HD590. The infamous “veil†on the Senn HD590 was reduced, but did not totally disappear. Pretty disappointing….maybe there’s no synergy with my Senn HD590.

 

On my Westone UM2, already a strong performer unamped, the improvements were more subtle….but still noticeable. The already strong bass became tighter, more defined, better controlled. The mids and highs filled out a little more, making the already great SQ outstanding. Damn, but the UM2 really sparkled sonically.

 

Xenos OHA-RHP

The “High Performance†model. Touted for “discerning†headphone users. How does it sound compared to the REP? Well, the short answer was that I didn’t spend too much time on it. Why was that?

 

One thing that immediately struck me was how “boomy†the amp sounded. There was a distinct treble roll off. The soundstage sounded congested. As for clarity, it sounded as if someone threw a heavy blanket between you and the music. The bass to my ears was boomy and bloated. In fact, I was surprised at the huge difference between the 2 amps. I was expecting something subtler.

 

So how does this apply to music? Well, Sarah Brightman’s vocals that sounded so effortless reaching the highs (and those who listen Sarah’s music should know) with the REP-UM2 combo struggled under the RHP-UM2.

 

Jocie Guo Mei Mei’s voice sounded nasal – almost as if she has a cold!! (‘nuff said).

 

On a hunch, I tested it on the Grado SR80, which was renowned as a “bright†headphone. Well, it tamed the highs all right, but in doing so, it also mushed up the bass and the mids. Not very pleasant.

 

Comparisons with:

Crossroad HP-1

Very similar sonically to the REP, but the REP has more body, the soundstage and separation more defined. The crossroad sounded a little thin, compared to the REP, but the differences were slight. You really have to do an A-B comparison and listen hard to spot the differences.

 

Last comments:

I was using the amps connected from the headphone jack of the Creative. While I know it went against conventional wisdom, it just sounded better than the line-out.

 

You get the line-out via the dongle and plugging into the A/V out jack. When you do so, the Creative Vision:M apparently directed the audio out at FULL VOLUME. Well, it did say you use that jack for external speakers. You can only rotate the volume knob on the amp just a little before the volume becomes unbearable. The tonal subtleties were totally lost. Maybe the input overwhelmed the amp? Whatever, it’s a flawed implementation of the line-out IMHO. Not to mention that the screen blacks out, and you can’t see and use the UI. Way to go, Creative.

 

 

[Guest joi-ful]

Very informative. Thanks dude... =D

I'm still not quite ready to move on to amping though. Btw what did u buy in the end?? The REP?

[theory_87 0]

i compare to my LDM+, i dun really lyk REP... it some how nt as detail as LDM+ and crossroad... there is more boost in the bass where crossroad and LDM+ is more on treble...

[PurpleLightning 0]

i compare to my LDM+, i dun really lyk REP... it some how nt as detail as LDM+ and crossroad... there is more boost in the bass where crossroad and LDM+ is more on treble...

 

 

and so says the bright side jedi~~~

[ericssan 0]

hi theory_87

 

thanks for your enlightening review/impressions. What you mentioned about Wilson is true. He is super nice. I was there to check out MS2i. By the time I touched MS Pro, it's time for me to go! Too bad.

 

Happy Listening!

[theory_87 0]

hi theory_87

 

thanks for your enlightening review/impressions. What you mentioned about Wilson is true. He is super nice. I was there to check out MS2i. By the time I touched MS Pro, it's time for me to go! Too bad.

 

Happy Listening!

oh.. haha... u can always find time to go again... i mayb gg tml to get cardas for my amps...

[flu_fighter 0]

i compare to my LDM+, i dun really lyk REP... it some how nt as detail as LDM+ and crossroad... there is more boost in the bass where crossroad and LDM+ is more on treble...

 

My thoughts, exactly. From what I have heard the Xenos amps basically just strengthens the signal, does not quite smooth out the edges as much as the LDM+ and the Crossroad. I think the crossroads has got a nice muscial synergy going for it.

 

My impressions of the Xenos OHA-REP & the Xenos OHA XO-RHP

 

here are my impressions of the 2 amps after spending a few days listening to them. I’m not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination, but I do appreciate good sound. I was primarily looking for an amp to drive my portable source, which is currently a Creative Vision:M. I’ve tried the amps out using a variety of music (mp3’s encoded at 192bit CBR) and testing it out on my modest collection of headphones: which included the Grado SR80, the Sennheiser HD590, PX100, Audio Technica CTK5, Creative Auvana, and the Westone UM2.

 

I also must thank Wilson, of Jaben Network, who has kindly provided me with the 2 Xenos headphone amps for auditioning. I highly recommend that you guys check out his shop. His service is peerless. He’s also a computer freak, like me, so there’s always plenty to talk about every time I visit his shop.

 

You can find more information on the 2 amps here: http://www.aptecpro.com/Xenos-Prod/X0HA/x0ha-intro-page.html

 

Note that these impressions are based on my equipment, and are totally subjective. The SQ can vary considerably depending on your source, music, and your headphones.

 

With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s begin!

 

1st impressions:

The amps were small and compact, being primarily designed for portable use. Though the casing was made of plastic, I’m happy to report that the build quality was satisfyingly solid. There were no squeaks when squeezed, and no rattles when shaken - no soft, flimsy plastic here! The volume control doubles as a power switch, and a too-bright blue LED those lights up when the amp was powered on.

 

Externally, there was no way to tell the difference between the REP & RHP. You can only do that by popping open the battery cover to look at the sticker inside.

 

The amps were powered by 9V batteries (alkaline or NiMH rechargeables). The instruction sheet stated that the output power increases when a 12V DC adapter (not included) is used. I was using 9V alkalines for this listening test.

 

Can an amp improve the sound of headphones? The short answer, in my case, was yes! There were actual, discernable improvements in sound quality (SQ), dramatic improvements in some instances. This experience has been most enlightening.

 

Xenos OHA-REP

This was the “enhanced performance†model, touted as “compact, audiophile performance†in a portable package. This was the higher end of the 2 amps; it supposedly contained better components and electronics to enhance the sound output.

 

I tried it out on both the headphone out and line-out of the Vision:M (via the dongle).

 

My 1st impression was….wow! The bass, clarity, soundstage & separation showed improvements with virtually every headphone I’ve tried. The biggest improvements in SQ came from a surprising quarter.

 

The Creative Auvana has pretty anemic performance, especially considering its price (over $200). Other being comfy to wear and its good isolation properties when worn, the SQ was certainly nothing to shout about. It lacked presence, the highs were rolled off, and the bass was weak, resulting in thin, weedy & hollow sound. Plugging it into the REP resulted in a world of difference. Bass, clarity and soundstage showed dramatic differences. The congestion all but disappeared. It sounded like a totally different ‘phone. It’s very listenable now.

 

The clarity probably came from the treble extension….I’m sure other more experienced members can explain it better than me. Unfortunately, the treble extension caused some sibilance in my Sennheiser HD590. The infamous “veil†on the Senn HD590 was reduced, but did not totally disappear. Pretty disappointing….maybe there’s no synergy with my Senn HD590.

 

On my Westone UM2, already a strong performer unamped, the improvements were more subtle….but still noticeable. The already strong bass became tighter, more defined, better controlled. The mids and highs filled out a little more, making the already great SQ outstanding. Damn, but the UM2 really sparkled sonically.

 

Xenos OHA-RHP

The “High Performance†model. Touted for “discerning†headphone users. How does it sound compared to the REP? Well, the short answer was that I didn’t spend too much time on it. Why was that?

 

One thing that immediately struck me was how “boomy†the amp sounded. There was a distinct treble roll off. The soundstage sounded congested. As for clarity, it sounded as if someone threw a heavy blanket between you and the music. The bass to my ears was boomy and bloated. In fact, I was surprised at the huge difference between the 2 amps. I was expecting something subtler.

 

So how does this apply to music? Well, Sarah Brightman’s vocals that sounded so effortless reaching the highs (and those who listen Sarah’s music should know) with the REP-UM2 combo struggled under the RHP-UM2.

 

Jocie Guo Mei Mei’s voice sounded nasal – almost as if she has a cold!! (‘nuff said).

 

On a hunch, I tested it on the Grado SR80, which was renowned as a “bright†headphone. Well, it tamed the highs all right, but in doing so, it also mushed up the bass and the mids. Not very pleasant.

 

Comparisons with:

Crossroad HP-1

Very similar sonically to the REP, but the REP has more body, the soundstage and separation more defined. The crossroad sounded a little thin, compared to the REP, but the differences were slight. You really have to do an A-B comparison and listen hard to spot the differences.

 

Last comments:

I was using the amps connected from the headphone jack of the Creative. While I know it went against conventional wisdom, it just sounded better than the line-out.

 

You get the line-out via the dongle and plugging into the A/V out jack. When you do so, the Creative Vision:M apparently directed the audio out at FULL VOLUME. Well, it did say you use that jack for external speakers. You can only rotate the volume knob on the amp just a little before the volume becomes unbearable. The tonal subtleties were totally lost. Maybe the input overwhelmed the amp? Whatever, it’s a flawed implementation of the line-out IMHO. Not to mention that the screen blacks out, and you can’t see and use the UI. Way to go, Creative.

 

 

By the way, heard you liked the ESI nEar 05 speakers, those sound really awesome don't they? Actually after you left, I was trying out the nEar 04 with my iAudio X5L and they really sound good. Think it is quite source dependent.

[scanfiend 0]

Very informative. Thanks dude... =D

I'm still not quite ready to move on to amping though. Btw what did u buy in the end?? The REP?

 

Isn't it quite obvious?

 

Yep, I bought the REP

 

 

My thoughts, exactly. From what I have heard the Xenos amps basically just strengthens the signal, does not quite smooth out the edges as much as the LDM+ and the Crossroad. I think the crossroads has got a nice muscial synergy going for it.

 

Flufighter: Which is exactly why you need to go down to listen for yourself. Impressions are subjective, after all

 

It's all dependent on the equipment you have. I think the Xenos work very well indeed with my UM2. The UM2 now just sound so effortless and smooth. Musical bliss

 

And yes, those were pretty kick-ass speakers, not too expensive, considering. Were you in the shop the same time as I was? Too bad I hadn't heard of them when my computer speakers died. I could have bought them -

 

i compare to my LDM+, i dun really lyk REP... it some how nt as detail as LDM+ and crossroad... there is more boost in the bass where crossroad and LDM+ is more on treble...

 

Theory_87: As I said, sonically, the Crossroad and Xenos REP are very similar. I do have the 2 amps....and after several days, the nod goes to the Xenos because the sound is fuller. But the difference is very slight. You definitely won't go wrong with the Crossroad.

Edited July 14, 2006 by scanfiend