Rupert neve designs RNHP

While the Neve consoles certainly played a part it must not be forgotten that the great albums also had:
1. excellent musicians playing great arrangements
2. recording spaces with excellent acoustics
3. excellent microphones with fabulous off-axis performance (for useful bleed)
4. tracking and mix engineers and producers that knew how to make use of all the above
5. excellent mastering engineers and their respective facilities

 

I agree. Coming from a recording engineering background myself. The common thing with most Neve console recordings is a particularly punchy sound in the drums. I was referring mainly to the dynamic and EQ controls of that particular model at Sound City

 

Has anyone had a chance to try this amp yet?

 

Since we have no information on this amp here (or anywhere really) I thought I would share some impressions as I just got it in. I've compared it to the Jotunheims balanced output using stock HD650s, both amps fed by Modi MB. These impressions are pretty limited since I only have the HD650 to compare with at the moment, but hopefully someone can get use out of them still.

Spoiler: Shitty phone picture

On first listen, I perceive the Jotunheim as being clearer as it's a bit brighter, but as my ears adjusted I find the RNHP to sound significantly cleaner in the treble and mids than the Jot. The Jot fed by the Modi Multibit sort of has this hazy unfocused thing going on in the mids which has me turning up the volume to compensate, though it never really goes away. The RNHP sounds more focused with a better center image, though it has slightly inferior separation. Backup vocals are more distinct on the Jotunheim whereas they tend to blend in on the RNHP.

In terms of tonal balance, my HD650s sound a lot more like I would expect them to sound out of the RNHP, whereas they are closer to the HD600 out of the Jotunheim due to it's aggression in the upper mids. I wouldn't call the Neve amp warm, but I feel it's less sharp and exhibits less harshness than the Jotunheim. Certain records such as Echobelly's On are pretty difficult to listen to on the Modi Multibit-Jot-650 and require careful attention to volume, not the case on the RNHP.

What's interesting about the RNHP is that it makes the HD650 sound overly damped in the bass. In fact even though my pair of 650s are stock you could have fooled me into thinking they had dampener applied on the rear driver by playing them back through the RNHP. I don't feel as though the RNHP struggles to keep grip over the driver, and I actually prefer this sort of presentation since I mostly listen to rock; but I could see how someone else would interpret it as being bass-light.

Regarding headstage I've already mentioned I think the RNHP has a clearer center image, but stage width left-to-right is less compared to the Jotunheim's balanced output. Bass and rhythm guitars go back to being placed squarely in the ear canal, whereas they were placed just outside it with the Jotunheim. This contributes to the feeling that the Jotunheim has a slightly grander presentation overall, but the RNHP also doesn't exhibit the flat 2D stage depth that the Jotunheim has which can be annoying at best and nauseating at worst.

It's a little too early to say which I prefer ultimately but I'm leaning slightly towards the RNHP for my own preferences. I also think I would rather have the HD600 with the RNHP and HD650 with the Jotunheim as I like my upper mids. As an aside, the volume knob on the Neve unit is perhaps the finest I've ever used. Extremely smooth and responsive to turn. I got my RNHP for about the same price as the Jotunheim with no DAC module; I have to say comparing retail prices however the Jotunheim is the better value at $399, with a greater feature set (module expansion, balanced in/out, more output power).

 

A lot of that punch on those 90 records is the compressors allowing samples fed in from an Akai to be more effectively mixed into the snare and kicks which is why they sound fake as hell.

 

The Akai was pretty commonly used in the mid to late 80s, that had nothing to do with something like, say, Rumors by Fleetwood Mac. There is a Neve sound, just as there is an SSL, or Sony DMX sound.

 

Yeah but the specific sound of the compressors in it is different from the 90s drum sound that people claim is from the Neve. The Akai was mainly used (if not for total sample replacement or touch ups) to mix the sample together with the recorded hit on the console or with a jerry rig an erase head to stick the sample right where the hit was a few milliseconds after the initial contact. The "slap" and supernatural clarity of 90s drums has nothing really to do with the Neve console and most of these guys don't want admit it. The Sound City (and Morrisound for death metal) hype then has to do with touch ups and pioneering sample replacement as these guys were shitty drummers who wanted to play far beyond their ability. Every band wanted their drums to sound like Dave Lombardo but most of these guys sucked so the producers and engineers had to do all the work.

 

A video with the man himself, although he doesn't actually say much that is useful to us.


I was kinda worried he was going to keel over in the video, but hey kudos to the man for still working and designing at his age.

 

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread. Just wanna give you guys my input for living with this unit for the past 6 months and this one glaring issue.

I have been using this unit with my DT1990 Pro and the Urbanfun TS1 (dun ask...bought the hype) without much problem, but this thing is NOT SUITABLE FOR IEM.

The SMPS sound can easily be audible with low impedance IEM. The two I have are the KZ AS16 and the Audiosense T800. The KZ is 16 Ohm, 105 db/mW, and the T800 is 9.2 Ohm, 90 db/mW. The noise on KZ is unbearable. The Audiosense I can live with the noise once the music is going.

Also, I ran into the GM of Neve when they setup booth in the Hong Kong Highend AV convention, where they were trying to sell their new Fidelice line including the Precision Headphone Amp and the Precision DAC (with an XLR output). They say the new design has a different input stage, but once I plug my KZ in, the same noise is still present. The GM agrees with me as well. The chassis' front panel layout of the RNHP and the new PHA is very similar, but they did say the new one is gonna cost significantly more. Haven't heard the new DAC though. Probably gonna cost an arm and a leg.

 

I have one of these. I have had it for about a year. I really like it.

It moves in and out of use a lot. I will have setup, get something new and shiny and replace it, but then it usually ends up coming back out.

Its got nice clean power for most headphones Ive tried it with. Dark, quiet background. Nice punchy bass. Very clear sound.

Its really an amp with no flaws (at least to me), that said it has no real highlights or aspects that particularly jump out. No WOW factor in sound or design. Except the volume knob. Oh baby, you have to feel it to believe it.

For the money, I feel, it has no real flaws and puts out great, clean, quiet power to most cans.

 

A smidge more info on these...

https://fidelice.com/precision-digital-to-analog-converter
https://fidelice.com/precision-headphone-amplifier

 

Looking at the pictures with the exact same front and back panel component layout and a copied and pasted specs section, I'm disappointed that they didn't do more to make the headphone amp worthy of its mahogany laminate.

 

I know right...I can tell the PSU is the same, and the input stage? If there are any difference I wouldn't be able to hear it over the SMPS noise anyways.

 

Hi all, I got some new updates. Remember I said I met the GM of NEVE in HK audio show? Well, he said he is gonna take care of me, and he delivered. I got a new PSU from them (free of charge on my part, UPS expedited from US to HK), plug in, and it just works. I have two sensitive IEM, the Audiosense T800 and KZ AS16 as mentioned above. The hissing and pot noise comes in at about 10-11 o clock, which is WAY pass my 8 o'clock normal listening volume. At 9 o clock I will probably pop my ear drum, FYI.

So, all in all, in this state I can wholeheartedly recommend this.

Is it the best for the price? Well, I have like five other amps such as the E1DA 9038s, PDv2, iBasso DX160 and an AMI DS5 (yeah, I know, aside from the DX160 probably no one heard the others) and I think this is not bad on an IEM. Omission of a balanced output though, compared to the 4.4" on the DX160, I am not 100% sure this is better or worse. This is me using a 3.5mm to RCA cable from the DX160 into the NEVE. Still very clean. I sold my Spring 1 a while back so I can't really compare DX160 to it. I bet Spring will kick the DX160's butt. Oh well.