Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
fjrabon
456
Jun 27, 2016
There are a couple of worries I'd have with this with the THX00: 1) 10 ohms is a bit high output impedance wise for the THX00, which to my tastes needs sub 1 ohm output impedance to give the bass its best control. I have used the THX00 with a similar design hybrid tube amp that also had 10 ohm output impedance and found the bass to be very boomy and uncontrolled. Not louder per se, but not as fast. Some may like that super warm, thick sounding bass though, so YMMV. 2) No mention whatsoever of the DAC whatsoever in the specs makes me have pretty large doubts about its quality. I would buy this as amp only, and if the DAC ends up decent, then that's a bonus. 3) As I alluded to in #1, I don't think the THX00 is at its best with hybrid amps, even when they have low output impedance. Maybe if you find *just* the right tube. But in general a hybrid amp is going to bring low order harmonic THD in play, which is why they have the impression of being less clean sounding but also warmer. To my ears the THX00 doesn't need any help with warmth, but does need to be fed the cleanest signal possible. That's where the m9XX works so well with it, as an ultra clean sounding amp that still is smooth. The Voshkod EF95 variant I used with the HiFiMan EF2C was workable with the THX00, but even then I wouldn't say it was optimal. The Schiit Vali, even though it has relatively low output impedance, wasn't the greatest match with the THX00 either. I thought the Schiit Fulla, which also cost ~$80 was better, along with the Dragonfly Red, with the THX00.
That all being said, I haven't heard this particular amp with the THX00, I have only heard similar hybrid design amps with it. My guess is that this amp is functionally a copy of the old Millett SSHM design topology wise, but with slightly different (cheaper) tubes and op-amps. Those are great amps, but they work best with a relatively narrow range of headphones. Notably they are pretty good with the HD600 and HD650 though.
kartiksathappan
97
Jun 29, 2016
fjrabonHey, did you prefer the Dragonfly Red or Schiit Fulla with your TH-X00? Curious because those are two of the dac/amps I'm considering. Did they have a significant advantage over just plugging in your headphones directly?
yoda23233
4
Jun 29, 2016
kartiksathappanCEntrance DACport HD is better than both FUlla and Dragonfly Red by a mile, $199, not the $99 version on massdrop. BHpohovideo sells it. its a class A amp, 32 bit, and uses same DAC chip as Bitfrost and Grace Design X. ;) also schiit fulla only pumps out 200mw, and is onl a pre amp, the CEntrance DACport HD pumps out 700ish mw and its USB only no external power source. Impressive little device. Enjoy
Uzuzu
1431
Jun 29, 2016
fjrabonagree with you, this time ;-) yeah this amp's output impedence will not make the x00's sound to their full potential. Then again the x00 is also a very unpicky can, but that bass response will be noticeable. I could notice the difference on both my EMU Teak and my TH-600 from the m9xx compared to another amp with 8 ohm output impedance (on bass response). Really it isn't like it sounds bad, but just a bit cleaner off the m9xx. And yes the fostex cans need 0 warmth as they already have plenty of character.
fjrabon
456
Jun 29, 2016
UzuzuYeah, totally possible. I'm super hesitant to make any definitive claims and the only reason I responded about this at all is 1) somebody PMd me and asked what I thought and 2) it's a less common product that nobody seems to have heard.
Newyorker4life
45
Jun 29, 2016
kartiksathappanI was disappointed with dragonfly red and returned it. For $200 it's not really for mobile phones (loss of headphone volume & track control) and I heard very little difference using it with Oppo PM3s.
Taisser
3
Jun 29, 2016
fjrabonYh I've only seen people on headfi saying it makes stuff sound warmer
fjrabon
456
Jun 29, 2016
kartiksathappanI preferred the DragonFly Red over the Fulla, although I liked both with the THX00. The Dragonfly sounded a bit smoother to me with a slightly blacker background. They were very close though.
Volume control was nice on the Fulla, but being able to be powered directly from the iPhone was a huge plus for the dragonfly.
kartiksathappan
97
Jun 30, 2016
yoda23233Thanks! Why is the Massdrop version worse? And have you used the Dragonfly yourself?
kartiksathappan
97
Jun 30, 2016
yoda23233Also, have you seen the new DACportable? https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dacportable-listen-to-music-everywhere--4#/ what are your thoughts?
Vexs
98
Jun 30, 2016
kartiksathappanMassdrop version has slightly lower bitrates, and that's about it. IMO you'll never notice a difference.
indi_guy
163
Jun 30, 2016
kartiksathappanThe slim doesn't have much powerful amp.
Uzuzu
1431
Jul 1, 2016
fjrabonyeah and I've sadly owned a couple amps with high output impedance like that. fyi they are 1 sold and the other about to be.
justex07
42
Jul 3, 2016
Uzuzu💯 agree with you!
PRODUCTS YOU MAY LIKE
Trending Posts in Audiophile