Prism Sound Orpheus headphone output quality

[moogvoyager]

Hi there ,

I was just wondering which quality the headphone outputs of the Orpheus provide.
I am currently using a RME Fireface 400 with a Benchmark DAC-1. Due to a lot of traveling I mainly have to work with my headphones, that's why a high quality headphone output is extremely important for me. I am interested in the Prism Sound Orpheus and maybe like to change the FF400+DAC1 against the Orpheus. The headphone outputs are more important to me than the amount of inputs and other features. The manual of the Orpheus doesn't sate anything about the headphone output quality so I am really interested in some information about their quality.

All the best
moogvoyager

[David Rick]

I'd say the Orpheus headphone outputs are competantly done, but not in the same league as stuff from Benchmark and Grace. The Orpheus can drive low-efficiency headphones to moderate levels, but you can't really hurt yourself with an Orpheus driving a pair of K 240's. To use the Orpheus for tracking a loud rock band, you'd want to have fairly high efficiency cans. I don't like to mix on headphones, but I can and do use the Orpheus headphones for editing late at night.

David L. Rick
Seventh String Recording

[TrueZebra]

the headphone outputs are killer !
same d/a chip as the normal outputs (cirrus logic)
unlike an ensemble for example which uses inferiour d/a chip than their outputs.

It was night and day between headphones on ensemble and orpheus.

But they don't get that loud.
Even in the mixer you can not put a channel +6db (like in ensemble)

[Andy Saul]

The headphone outputs have the same tech specs as all other analogue outputs.

I admit that this is not made clear in the manual, and we should address this in future. But rest assured, you can make a headphone mix with the same precision as a monitor mix.

[moogvoyager]

Many many thanks for your answers!

@David Rick: I don't like to hurt me either way so I usually listen in a very moderate loudness. More important for me is the signal to noise behaviour because of the different impedance combined with the moderate loudness then...

@bugsstar: Funny that you mentioned the Ensemble which I also have in my home studio - I listen very often just music over it with my headphones at office work. So it is very interesting for me also how the headphone quality behave compared to the Orpheus.

I did a little research to figure out some specs of the D/A especially the headphone ones.
Feel free to correct me because the specs are form different ressources (I used the manuals as far as possible):

Line Outs

Prism Sound Orpheus
THD+n: -106 dB
Dynamic range: about 116 dB
SNR: about 115 dB
Headphone output impedance: 155 ohm

RME Fireface 400
THD+n: -96dB
Dynamic range: about 110 dB
SNR: about 110 dB
Headphone output impedance: 30 ohm

Benchmark DAC1
THD+n: -106dB
Dynamic range: about 110 dB
SNR: about 114 dB
Headphone output impedance: 0,11 ohm

Apogee Ensemble
THD+n: ?
Dynamic range: ?
SNR: ?
Headphone output impedance: ?

I like to using the Orpheus with my AKG K702 (62 ohm) on the road to do high quality mixes.

I didn't find any Ensemble specs which I think is quite odd?

So do you think the Orpheus would be a downgrade from my Benchmark DAC1 (expecially with the headphone mix in mind?)

[creative.control]

I find Orpheus's headphone outs remarkably quiet and excellent, great for mixing and editing.

When tracking, I do have to send mine to a behringer headphone amp for drummer's mixes, etc as there's not enough volume onboard for that purpose, but that still stays clean and fairly quiet, unless ridiculously loud.

[moogvoyager]

Or in extreme words: For mastering purposes (yes, over headphones, please no discussion here) would you prefer the Orpheus or the DAC1?

[David Rick]

Originally Posted by moogvoyager

Many many thanks for your answers!

@David Rick: I don't like to hurt me either way so I usually listen in a very moderate loudness. More important for me is the signal to noise behaviour because of the different impedance combined with the moderate loudness then...

<snip!>

I did a little research to figure out some specs of the D/A especially the headphone ones.
Feel free to correct me because the specs are form different ressources (I used the manuals as far as possible):

Prism Sound Orpheus
THD+n: -106 dB
Dynamic range: about 116 dB
SNR: about 115 dB
Headphone output impedance: 155 ohm

Benchmark DAC1
THD+n: -106dB
Dynamic range: about 110 dB
SNR: about 114 dB
Headphone output impedance: 0,11 ohm

So do you think the Orpheus would be a downgrade from my Benchmark DAC1 (expecially with the headphone mix in mind?)

What you can see from these specs is that both are very good products. In neither case is the SNR anything to worry about. The improved dynamic range spec of the Orpheus is probably due to using a later-generation converter chip. The dramatically lower output impedance of the Benchmark is due to use of a Linear Technology high current buffer stage.

The obvious advantage of the Orpheus in mastering is that it has both A/D and D/A channels, so you can run an outboard analog processing loop. Not to mention that these are some of the best converters I've ever heard. The Orpheus also supports noise-shaping to 16-bit resolution, if you don't have this function in your DAW.

The Benchmark wins if you need to drive a "difficult" headphone load.

David L. Rick
Seventh String Recording