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Showing 1 of 12 reviews about:
gmonty2712
7
Jul 25, 2018
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The sound is excellent, but the volume on my HiFiMan 400i headphones isn't impressive even with volume dial maxed.
DC-Audio
11
Sep 27, 2018
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gmonty2712That's because by default the amp is set to high gain, which is not right for the 400i. You need to open the bottom and change the gain switch to low setting, which is used for low impedance headphones. If you leave the amp on high gain, the amp will run hot and give about the half the volume that you will get on low gain. I have the 400i, and on low gain, I can barely turn up the volume past 10 oclock without blowing my ears out.
Sep 27, 2018
gmonty2712
7
Oct 12, 2018
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DC-AudioWould you happen to know where the gain switch is after the bottom is opened? I can't find any source on the internet that gives clear information on this.
Oct 12, 2018
DC-Audio
11
Oct 12, 2018
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gmonty2712Hi there -- yes the instructions are very helpful either. Just open it up (two screws on front and back - be careful to use the right size phillips because they strip easily). Turn it over and you see on the circuit board a bright red plastic switch that has two small dip stitches on it. By default these are pushed up to the top -- that's hi gain setting. For low gain, just push each switch to the bottom. On my unit there is white lettering labeling them "1" and "2". That's all there is to it.
BTW, I concur with many other people praising the GE JAN 5654W tubes -- they are awesome! You can get a matched pair from Riverstone Audio via Amazon for $24. Worth every penny.
Oct 12, 2018
gmonty2712
7
Oct 13, 2018
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DC-AudioI did what you said, I stripped the screws a little bit but they came out, I flipped the 2 switches down, and the sound is much better. Thank you. Now I'm waiting for those GE JAN 5654W tubes from Amazon...
Oct 13, 2018
Davestef
239
Mar 23, 2020
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gmonty2712I use my little dot1+ with my he400i and he4xx and they’re both plenty loud. and I’m pretty sure high gain is what you want to be using for those. They’re not very sensitive even though they’re low impedance, so they need a lot of current (versus higher voltage for high impedance headphones, which is why they work best with OTL tube amps like the dark voice with its higher output impedance). Maybe yours was on the low gain setting? You might also also want to try the burson v5 opamp that they sell on massdrop too. Changes the sound signature a bit to one that’s more punchy in the bass and treble emphasis. More “V” shaped imho. It sounds good, but I prefer the stock one. Less fatiguing.
(Edited)
Mar 23, 2020
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