Cavalli vs THX 789

⭐AAA 789 - massdrop.7eer....
⭐Carbon X + SDAC - massdrop.7eer....
DACS Used -
Airist DAC - massdrop.7eer....
Balanced DAC Used - massdrop.7eer....
Headphones Used -
Elex - massdrop.7eer....
Arya - amzn.to/31WVWoa
HD800S - amzn.to/2NpiXuC
HD820 - amzn.to/32W0b4F
X00 Ebony - massdrop.7eer....
SOCIAL MEDIA
📘 / joshua-valouryt
📷 / joshua.valour
🔔 / joshvalour
💸PATREON💸
/ joshuavalour
Early Access & AMA
1 Simple Tier
⭐HALL OF FAME⭐
Headphones
1. Hifiman Arya - amzn.to/2WNGzQr
2. Audeze LCD-X - amzn.to/2WpMbRE
3. Massdrop 58X - massdrop.7eer....
4. Koss KSC75 - amzn.to/2ENisar
5. (Studio Pick) - DT1990 - amzn.to/2WgWUZA
Amps
1. Massdrop THX 789 - massdrop.7eer....
NEW - IDSD BL - amzn.to/30DAzYs
2. Liquid Spark - amzn.to/2WhyUFC
3. JDS ATOM - jdslabs.com/pr...
4. (TUBE PICK) - Darkvoice - amzn.to/2MuexW4
5. (Power Pick) - www.audio-gd.co....
📫SENDING FOR REVIEW??📫
Email Me - [e-mail]
#Drop #LiquidCarbonX #THX789
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

[@samuelpippin5640]

no one: Josh: These amplifiers are guns

[@luckyupyours]

also, they could be knives. 789 is a scalpel, cavalli is a fancy cheese knife.

[@gundybears]

Fantastic comparison, and exactly how I went. Darkvoice for fun, THX 789 for accuracy (JDS Labs atom until my drop order arrives). It's the best of both worlds.

[@Lmao-ke9lq]

Jayson Gundy how would you compare atom to 789

[@gundybears]

@@Lmao-ke9lq I was tired of waiting for the 789, and ended up getting the Monoprice 887 shortly after this comment. I have been listening on the 887 ever since. The Atom doesn't hold a candle to it, but that $100 price point is pretty sweet depending on your headphones.

[@metal571]

No one: Joshua Valour: HIGH-fihmin

[@italiansurprise]

metal571 I have to say that I prefer that pronunciation vs HIGH-FI-MAN, which to me sounds like the equivalent of “Great Audio Guy” or “Audiophile Cool Dude.” Still sounds ridiculous for a headphone manufacturer, but maybe a bit less like Chinese misunderstanding of western English.

[@SatanDynastyKiller]

LCX currently at $200, worth picking up as my first headphone amp ? I have HE4XX, K712Pro, HD5XJubilee, Fidelio X2HR and K701, all purchased over last 7 weeks, as I start down this path...

[@UrbanZooKeeper]

You're spot on- i've learned that i prefer to enjoy my music than to analyse it. Completely subjective. BTW- it cost a lot of money to learn that about myself :/

[@gtifury310]

All a part of the journey

[@sleepyrhythms6668]

Woah! A reviewer honest about his opinion preferences. Good job! Great review.

[@Nick-s-f]

Gotta agree with you on the differences between amps. Zeos hyped the 789 so hard, but in the end they are all just a wire with gain.

[@MrClartez]

Hey Josh, what's the intro song for this video? :) Thanks

[@allydea]

1-3%... finally someone who knows how to use percentage numbers when discussing small differences. I haven't heard either of these, but based on my general experience, 1-3% is reasonable.

[@davidsylvia6791]

I have the Monoprice Monolith THX 788 and the LCX and I love both and would recommend both at the same time. The 788 has the analytical side and the LCX has that slightly warmer side. I think they make a great pairing along with the CTH. With my selection of amps, I can be critical listening or relaxed listening. I find that the LCX even though it has a slightly warmer hint to it is still a very capable amp with a detailed sound. I do not hear any issues with off center placement versus other amps. I love both amps and I find that I use them both equally, helps with different headphones as not all headphones play well on a certain amp.

[@iamsimonmorris]

Cheers for the review Joshua. I have the 'Airist R-2R Dac' paired with the 'Drop THX AAA 789' and the '"Cavalli Tube Hybrid" Trinity. A wonderful pairing, when I feel the need to add a little more warmth to the endgame I run my cans out of the Cavalli. Just My 2 cents worth. The 3 units I have mentioned all are exceptional for what they are. I usually listen on my "Alpha Dogs" by "Mr. Speakers'. No issues at all running those.

[@yihan4835]

I bought the LCX, and I upgraded to the 789 and can't be more satisfied. I would upgrade to 789 any day. The sound quality difference is huge for me.

[@deugenea]

Cavalli or THX 789 for LCD-X? or maybe a tube amplifier, like Mjolnir? I care about enjoyability more than precision but still not sure which one is a better fit for my LCD-X. Btw, Joshua, all your reviews are excellent and this one is no different!

[@younglp]

Will Airist get its own review? Would like to know how it pair with THX 789. Cheers!

[@andr192]

not sure about the thx but i have it with the carbon x and absolutely love it

[@intoitreviews]

Too bad airist isn't balanced... thx aa 789 rca implementation isn't perfect.

[@JSym92]

It's an R2R DAC, and it's not balanced. R2R DACs aren't clean and transparent, just like tube amps for example. ASR has measured the Airist R2R as well, which shows quite disappointing performance. So no, it's not a good pairing with the 789. Better get the SDAC-B.

[@LittleBear97]

Pretty sure he's not gonna be reviewing it. He has a policy not to review DACs on his channel

[@mensrea1251]

crallen 1197 Do you know why?

[@MuhammadKharismawan]

Currawong is right, drop uses the exact same case for the a similar product. And they're being so lazy on putting the 789 together it has a lot of dead space, sodead space that actually may be usable to out the power brick inside instead of outside. Other than that, this fight really better pick the 789 and EQ it the way you like it.

[@owenroberts6572]

@Joshua Valour do you have an updated review of the 789 ? As you are quoting a $399 price. But it’s now $299

[@josecuervo3351]

Excellent review. This comparison was exactly what was on my mind. Given the hardware that i am going for

[@owenpatterson9355]

When is the lcd 1 review coming out. I’m already sold on the headphone, but I need you to tell how good you are.

[@quentengarcia4391]

Owen Patterson they are good. I’ve had them for a few days and I have really enjoyed them. Better than anything in the price range. The soundstage isn’t huge like bigger planets but is sufficient.

[@owenpatterson9355]

Everyman Media that’s what other reviewers have said. What’s your opinion opinion on the bass response? I loved that about the lcd-2c, but I can’t afford them so I wonder how similar these sound.

[@metal571]

Yeah LCD1 review wen

[@jeeyi345]

Thanks for the review, I owned LCX and was considering upgrade, the review answered my question.

[@masteringenespanol4322]

Did you bought it ? I have the LCD X and I’m thinking on buying it I currently have the chord mojo

[@2thousand639]

Agree that synergy is important - hence warm planars + neutral-bright solid amps and bright dynamics + warm transformer-coupled tube amps. I don’t think Arya is warm, though. So it seems like it would be a good match with Cavali, Burson Conductor 3 or another tube amp such as Woo Audio WA7D. Is THX 789 made in China or U.S.?

[@LouisCYC_TW]

怕

[@elias38]

Awesome review! As a sound engineer I like precision. Love my 789!🔥

[@SuLu_B]

@Danger Zone With the 789, it will come down to your headphone far more than the amp when it comes to sound characteristics. It's really unbelievably transparent and will make the differences in sound signatures between headphones much more apparent. If you have a headphone that does punchy bass, they will be punchy as all hell on this amp.

[@iTzxNooBs]

Great comparison. I'm very glad I that recently upgraded my USB DAC FiiO E10K and got a Cavalli Liquid Spark. I now know that I'm good on amplification until I get thousands of dollars worth of gear.

[@claytonstatham5604]

What would be a better buy? The LCX+SDAC or the Asgard 3 with AK4490 DAC? Will be listening on He-400i & DT770 (80ohm). Thanks!

[@pentapandamusic]

Thanks for the review, the Cavalli is on sale now for $160 (version without DAC), making it same price range with the Liquid Spark. In your opinion is the Cavalli more worthy than the Liquid Spark? Which one should I get? Thanks in advance.

[@davidgriffin79]

Why is it that accuracy is always equated to "clinical" and "warm" to "musical". Both "warm" and "clinical" are forms of distortion; "warm" usually second harmonic and "clinical" to odd harmonic. An accurate sound should be effectively a wire with gain and convey much more realistically what comes out of the mastering desk. I've got two Benchmark DACs both of which are, I would say, very accurate and both of which have been accused of being "clinical" because of that. The Benchmark DACs I own are anything but clinical, they don't mask the music through "warm" mellifluous "rose tinted" spectacles, they present the sound in as uncoloured and honest a manner as they can; and the sound can be hugely enjoyable in the musical sense if the performance is up to it and the mastering hasn't been done for maximum compression. So much audio gear tries to present a version of the music that the designer thinks will please the audience and is voiced accordingly; such equipment is anything but true high fidelity.

[@gtifury310]

When are you going to drop a review of the SMSL SP200?

[@Joe-if5rq]

Nice review as always. Was thinking getting this amp since now it's in stock. But looks like there's the THX AAA 887 monoprice monolith. Maybe wait for reviews to see if THX AAA 887 is better. What do you think?

[@sephondranzer]

You should note the $20 investment in an adapter to really use the Cavali Liquid - it wasn’t a deal breaker for me but boy was I pissed to receive a headphone amp that needed adapters to work with headphones...

[@Osprey1994]

Carbon + SDAC is 250 is it now a better pick?

[@sharpblad3]

i guess i will have to listen for myself to judge but ... how these two compare to the iFi Audio Nano iDSD BL??? is the difference massive? i own the focal elex.

[@buster7618]

Loving all this new content my man!

[@elwis74]

I'd like to see Josh review of Klipsch Heritage Headphone Amplifier and how it compares with these amps

[@networkn]

+joshua valour great video as always. I'd love to see an updated version of this which includes the Topping A90.

[@Accuaro]

May I ask what DAC you would pair with this?

[@qwertywerwer]

What pads are you using on HD800S ? How did it impact sound?

[@nicktan4530]

THX AAA 888 vs THX AAA 789 ? What is the difference ?

[@muna5066]

Nothing you'd be able to hear. Or the 888

[@muna5066]

The 887* I mean

[@freddumartin7878]

What now the Liquid Carbon X amp + DAC is listed for $250 ?!? That doesn't make any sense to me but it seems like a very good deal. Any thoughts?

[@Hanga1986]

I am looking for a new amp for my DT1990. Something to make them just a little less harsh and a bit more dynamic. Could the Cavalli be the solution or is there something better suited? Currently using an old Firestone Audio Fubar III amp/dac,

[@exact3]

What's the song on the intro? Sounds nice.

[@flossenking]

I'm wondering as well. Tell us, Josh!!!

[@muna5066]

I used Shazam to discover If You're Looking For Trouble by Basixx Feat. TASH. www.shazam.com/track/498362157/if-youre-looking-for-trouble

[@networkn]

I really like the tone of your reviews and how accessible and understandable they are. Subscribing. The Liquid Carbon is $200 on Drop today.

[@snazzysailor]

nice review. Could you do some comparisons against the Mojo in the future since a lot of us have it?

[@brianoh8192]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video, thank you!!

[@TraceLight]

PSA: Cavalier dac/amp is NOISY. As in, the volume nob every time it’s touched for whatever reason will produce noise. Huge deal breaker for me. The 789 nob does not make noise.

[@fullyverified7491]

Sounds like a bad volume pot. You should rma it.

[@AsySatya]

Would love to hear your opinion about that airist r2r :)

[@SolidSpider195]

In terms of engineering, it's a rip-off. They market it as a super clear DAC but it clearly isn't.

[@AsySatya]

o7 brother some said that it is as clear as topping dx7 or smsl vmv1, thats why i want to know about his opinion whether it is marketing bs or some internet shenanigans

[@makeow]

I using Cavalli Tube Hybrid AMP with Airist R-2R DAC and the 789amp will be arrive next week. If i going to got a better DAC such as soekris 1421, it really a upgrade ? or i need to get a mytek brooklyn dac+ or soekris 1541? thx

[@flossenking]

Josh please what's the name of the song in the beginning??

[@tom_loves_audio_tech_gaming]

so you can feed both them RCA in and they convert to balanced output? and how would the aune s7 (pro) stack to these?

[@rab70]

Would you notice the difference if you didn't know what was plugged into what when you came home from work at the end of the day?

[@eat_ze_bugs]

Andrew Carruthers You'll most likely wouldn't be able to tell unless comparing them side by side.

[@ravoid36]

is source - thx 789 - hd6xx a good idea or is a dac mandatory?

[@orelove]

I hear you, brother. I have 3 headphone amps and can't see myself parting with any of them. On the main system, I have my reference THX AAA 789 which was the last one to arrive, but I route the passthrough to a Monolith Liquid Spark which I was using before the THX. Why? Because it's slightly warmer and makes someof my single-ended headphones more enjoyable. Sound familiar? On my work desktop, I use a JDS Atom, primarily for its two inputs. I use the Atom to switch between my phono amp and my DAC. I find the Atom is somewhere in between the THX and the Liquid Spark, less powerful than the first, less warm than the latter. Still a great hundred dollar amp and perfect for this application.

[@thump3r]

i honestly feel like anything and everything is suffering just bc THX hype. i feel like THX came out to shit on everything making a statement saying "WE DID THIS FIRST!" 🤣🤣😂😂

[@MrGrosMamouth]

Since theese just magicaly appeared on amazon canada, theese videos are welcomed.

[@nhennessy6434]

Thirty-three percent more, Josh! The $100 premium in cost for the 789 is 33% higher than the $300 Liquid Carbon.

[@lorcro2000]

They're nice, and nobody can argue that the THX isn't one of the best headphone amps ever made, but I honestly don't think either of these do anything/very much that the FiiO K5 Pro can't do at $150. I suppose if you legit need a 6 watt headphone amp, but that should be pretty much nobody.

[@ahmedsafa91]

Have u heard both 789 and Fiio ??

[@banny123456]

exactly :D 99.99% of people will notice absolutely no difference at all between these amps. buy HD569 or DT990 or M40x with fiio amp, K3, or K10E and you will be absolutely fine, more money you spend, less difference you will notice if any.

[@ahmedsafa91]

@@banny123456 didnt answer my question..anyway i find difference between headphone sounds on different setups..ex: hate my m50x on setup but love on my phone

[@AverillexFilms]

Are they line outs to the speakers or pre-amps?

[@Wadson]

do you still need a dac with the THX? Im just a lame ass pc gamer that enjoys edm and rap... i have dt 990 pro headphones and just ordered the massdrop 6xx headphones

[@kevinzeng9606]

I'm in the camp where the headphones are the main factor in sound - of course. But I think there is definitely more than just a 1-3% difference in sound profile switching between amps (mainly between tube and SS) but there are also quite big differences to be found among SS amps and tube amps themselves. Sound quality is subjective but signature I would say is more objective and there are quite substantial differences in terms of how amplifiers sound and perform.

[@colin8601]

If I replaced my modi/jds atom with the liquid carbon dac/amp, would I notice anything?

[@BoostDriftTeam]

Colin depends on your cans

[@wcg66]

The only amp that I have that is noticeably different is my Darkvoice tube amp. If you switched your setup you would likely convince yourself the more expensive setup sounds better.

[@russellleahy]

Do you really think it makes a different if left is in right or right in the left

[@h1a8]

Is there a sonic difference if I used iPhone to an amp to a headphone (focal elex) vs iPhone to a dac to an amp to a headphone (focal elex again)? Which portable amp do you recommend for the focal elex?

[@samwhite7693]

I would go with the Monolith THX AAA portable dac/amp. Great convenience, amazing sound quality and certainly enough power for the elex. Here is the link www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24460&gclid=CjwKCAiA0svwBRBhEiwAHqKjFnIbyicYsrnfUQdCDhyQs3fSZAqbDYJwmHOdNAvCDV5pT3nHxUzbpxoChaEQAvD_BwE

[@tormaid42]

Can’t wait for the 820 review!

[@ErezAvital]

The LCX is now $160 on drop

[@orelove]

Thx. Bought one. Will replace my Liquid Spark for a cleaner looking stack with my THX AAA 789.

[@sabergoli3518]

Well yes but how does the SE sound?

[@rhodey2952]

789, hd800S, and darkvoice. I'm done! Haha Edit: this comment didn't age too well lmao. Jokes on me!

[@masterxyr]

but are you, thoug...?

[@masterxyr]

h...

[@rhodey2952]

@@masterxyr no lmao. That was a long time ago and I didn't know any better 😆 That comment didn't age well haha.

[@masterxyr]

@@rhodey2952 hahahahaa but have you at least kept the three? :D

[@rhodey2952]

@@masterxyr nope, just the hd800S. And I sold it and bought it again lol. I've basically settled on the Verite, Meze Empyrean, and HD800S. I'll eventually upgrade my dac, just don't know what direction to go in...currently I have the Bifrost 2. And my amp is the LTA MZ3. I'm going to build a BHC eventually as well and maybe add a simple ss amp.

[@hobomnky]

ur math was off a couple times, at 15:00 i think you meant 75% and i think there was another earlier too i think you said 25% instead of 33% but then later fixed it to 33% lol it bugged my so i had to point it out

[@gordonfreeman4491]

RB: Product Placement?

[@mentatteg]

u know what's up

[@phenax1144]

Doubt it.

[@JoshuaValour]

I wish.

[@Steadybeheady]

@@JoshuaValour LCX/789 vs MCTH?

[@RyanOca]

What headphones does the 789 fail to drive? I have one, curious as to what the limits of the amp are.

[@kevinji7285]

Not much. By the time you got those headphones you wouldn't use an 400 dollar amp anymore.

[@davidgriffin79]

"Overbearing precision". "Enjoyability over precision". Oh please; they are not mutually exclusive. Don't confuse an extended top end as "bright" and "edgy": that's just a function of the distortion in the headphone drivers being emphasised when fed with a less bandwidth limited signal.

[@charmainesintos3669]

Can I run this with my 555ll adom amp and heresy ll speakers?

[@Arcangel2992]

Holy crap they’re bigger than I thought they be.

[@xyanide1986]

Liquid Carbon on sale now for $200.

[@ahmedsafa91]

Waiting for airist r2r dac review..🙏🙏🙏

[@vintageflanker7096]

Here you go (very bad performance): audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/massdrop-airist-r2r-dac-review.9565/ Unusually high 2,5V output which makes you believe it sounds "better".

[@carnikun]

@@vintageflanker7096 "You don't eat out of dirty dishes thinking it adds flavor to your feed. Why do that in the case of DAC?" Damn RIP Airist

[@metal571]

Measurements are always bad on R2R DACs. Wait for subjective impressions first

[@vintageflanker7096]

@@metal571 Coming from you, metal571, I'm a bit surprised... I thought you were some kind of technical guy who somehow believed in measurements. Why on earth subjective impressions from anybody should be more relevant than objective datas? And not "all" R2R DACs measure that bad. Some from Holo, for example measured almost on par with good DS ones.

[@metal571]

@@vintageflanker7096 if measurements were everything, my channel would be pointless. People are applying different logic to source gear than for headphones, and that makes no sense.

[@seanmangan2769]

Excellent review! (Isn't it a b**** when they're so close?) If you have time please also review The Benchmark headphone amp, thank you.

[@anhiirr]

now there is a 100$ price difference between the two. and theyre 100$ less. Pretty nuts

[@steven2640]

I'd say the difference is more like 15-20%. LCX is a good amp that simply is inferior in every way to the THX. For me upgrading to the THX was like getting a new pair of glasses with a different prescription. Everything is clearer and when I go back to the LCX it feels like wearing old glasses. They work but after more and more time with the new glasses the old seem more and more dull. I don't I could recommend an LCX to anyone now with the THX and similar products available from Monolith. Hold on to your money, sell some mid-fi headphones, eat out less and get a THX.

[@flossenking]

What's the song from the intro?

[@MisterBlueSky]

If You're Looking for Trouble - Basixx feat. Tash

[@treyusher32]

These are both now 100 bucks cheaper so I wonder if his opinions would change at all

[@2020deltron]

What cable is that on the Fostex?

[@Sigillum88]

Would be nice of you to review SMSL SP 200 to see your expert opinion on it ^^

[@bastulainen]

IMO i'd get the thx 789 especially when they are 300$

[@Sigillum88]

@@bastulainen I would also if they reduced the price earlier... This comment was 3 months ago xD

[@bastulainen]

@@Sigillum88 lol

[@italiansurprise]

Any chance you could comment/rank each of these pairings? :)

[@olimphus26]

so if i already have a warm headphone i can get the 789 for that extra precision and resolution

[@t.j.bennett6454]

Yes unless that headphone has sharp highs

[@Audfile]

That is one hell of an underbite.

[@matthewdavies2057]

The only people who us Latin in daily speech are lawyers and priests. Humm...

[@KindredGh0st]

You shoot too?! Hell yeah!

[@stephannordmann5346]

The review is really good but why the poison Red Bull 😳🤔

[@deckermorgan7024]

What do reviewers mean when they say "resolving"?

[@theinnocent_one]

Cmon josh, power calculations are napkin math. I think there are even online calculators which would do it for you.

[@JR_Taylor]

judge from the case i think we're made in the factory

[@Lmao-ke9lq]

Does anyone here have any experiences with ordering stuffs from massdrop to EU?

[@theyruinedyoutubeagain]

Yes, it takes forever and the taxes are high -- for the UK, took about 1-3 months for the few times I ordered from there, and IIRC customs were about 30% of the value. Sucks.

[@mpalen19]

5:10 what headphone stand is that?

[@muna5066]

Think I saw it on Amazon. Search dual headphone stand

[@AIRFORCEFREAK1]

See what had happened was... I bought THX in July when it released again and then bought the Cavelli to hold me over until now, since I was tired of my Vali 2. So... I guess I'll have both (I have the AMP/DAC version).

[@MititeluRadu]

Wait what? Single ended are not the main focus? 789 is not even full balanced, of course single ended is it'a main focus.

[@michaelnorberg9732]

Love your site man - after following already many of your reviews - great stuff ! But too bad you tested the 2 Amps with the Airist R2R Dac, which you call a great Dac, really ? This is one of the worst measuring dacs on the market and any anyone should avoid buying it, as a matter of fact.

[@iNViSiBiLiTi]

789 vs 887 soon?

[@muna5066]

You're not going to be able to hear any difference between those two

[@JayJayYUP]

I don't understand the reductio. You move on to describe how using "overly analytical" or "bright" headphones like the HD800s is good with something more "warm". First off, brightness and warmed can be EQ'd, so buying one device to compliment a single pair of headphones doesn't make sense, because if you ever use any other headphone that isn't "analytical" you've blundered by doubling down on "warmth". Secondly, why ever get "analytical headphones" only to then have to "tame" them with an amplifier? Why not simply get the cleanest amp possible, and simply buy headphones with the sound signature you prefer. And simply EQ anything else you would want? I just cannot get passed these virtues. And this is before we even properly define the terms used in the conversation, as for some reason, the only two types of amps that exist from the reviews you've done is basically "warm" or "analytical". I truly believe you would be breaking serious ground if you could do a content piece on what DSP and EQ can achieve. Likewise blind testing some of this stuff as even claiming what you hear is itself up to question. Finally, I hope you're not seeing my post as antagonizing. But hope you see some of the holes here :\

[@gtifury310]

Basically, all this shit sounds good and you should save some money to buy the cheaper option.

[@laicphk]

anyone knows the intro song?

[@muna5066]

I used Shazam to discover If You're Looking For Trouble by Basixx Feat. TASH. www.shazam.com/track/498362157/if-youre-looking-for-trouble

[@mylifematter]

Looks like the cheaper Massdrop 789, not the recent $50 price increased Drop 789.

[@DumbledoreMcCracken]

33% more

33% more cost.

[@abhishekrohera]

Please review the tin t3🙏

[@CronTheCob]

Tin t3 is a totally different category than these amps. That's like putting a ferrari engine in a in a honda civic. You're never gonna be able to pull out the full potential of the amp through those headphones. But if you're going for it, I would pair the t3's with the cavelli, the t3's are already very bright and the thx will only add to the brightness, whereas the cavelli, it's a little warmer, which will help bring down the harshness of the t3's.

[@abhishekrohera]

@@CronTheCob my comment had no relation with the amps, it was for Josh request/reminder to review them.

[@JR_Taylor]

T4 is almost out

[@abhishekrohera]

@@JR_Taylor A addition to the confusion 😶