Massdrop THX AAA 789 Amplifier Review.

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[@alialbather6116]

I can't beleve that Joshua Valor can deliver a much more informative review and 10 times the quality in around less time that takes Z review to just even describe anything tbh. You should have started doing this a long time ago. Oh and I'm not shit talking about Z , it's just a fact. I love his channel but but he needs to have better review process a better way to organize his review.

[@vcmusik]

Wholeheartedly agree. Josh is just a lot more concise and gets straight to what's important. Z's great too but nowadays I kinda watch his videos with a grain of salt and treat it as infotainment than formal reviews.

[@CosmicPotato]

Yup. I can't watch Z's reviews. I'm not going to sit through 30+ minutes of unstructured ranting in order to glean information that can be condensed in 10 minutes. I know some people like the ranty style, but he'd probably have a bigger broader audience of his videos were edited down to just the relevant pieces.

[@marlowe1537]

Unlike you, I am going to talk shit about Z. He is a narcissistic buffoon (we never see his face, does he have orange hair?) whose reviews are useless at best (he generally makes no real attempt to usefully describe the sound of the item being reviewed or make useful comparisons to comparable gear) and possibly detrimental to viewers who not knowledgeable enough in audio to realize his reviews should be taken with a grain of salt. Actually a whole lot of grains of salt.

[@CosmicPotato]

@@marlowe1537 Harry Barlow lol I wanted to be nice, but I agree. His reviews/rants aren't very detailed. That combined with how longwinded he is just makes it impossible for me to justify watching a long video with very little info. Currawong has some longish reviews but his runtime is usually justified.

[@alialbather6116]

@@CosmicPotato I likw Currawong but I rarely trust reviews from someone that believes that cables make a difference in sound.

[@tunejunky]

fantastic review...and i've been thinking about this amp. loving Massdrop for making audiophile equipment easier to buy at lower prices.

[@arthurwatts1680]

Thanks for a balanced review. Josh.I'm guessing that a lot of people who are new to the hobby wont immediately warm to a 'tell it like it is' amplifier - it was only after a few years with various portable amps and the headphone out on assorted CDP/speaker amps that I appreciated what a gem my Auralic Taurus was. Before the current mania for DACs kicked in, headphone amps (particularly anything with a tube) were the equalisers of the headphone world, a situation I was never particularly happy with. A lot of the pairing mania that went on in forums like Head-Fi came down to the fact that many of the early designs just weren't that good - poor output impedance or simply not sufficiently powerful to drive many of the 'cool kid' headphones of the day. I don't know how many *speaker* amps HiFiMan 'sold' when they released the HE-5/HE-6, but I believe those headphones forced designers to build a better mousetrap.

[@functionaldoc5054]

I got one and it is great sounding and powerful and dead quiet . The Monoprice is built and designed by Monoprice vs the THX AAA 789 was designed and supervised by THX throughout the whole process.

[@TraceLight]

Functional Doc so now that you have one, What did it do to the bass frequency? That’s a big question. So far the responses I’ve gotten is “subdued bass quantity, lower thump, but the bass quality goes up as it’s more articulate” Is that accurate?

[@cnnlive10]

I just bought one after hearing all these positives reviews. Add another! It's very clean sounding.

[@pure5152]

Awesome review. I have a THX 789 AAA and agree with your review 100%, and say it's the most accurate review of the amp I've found out there. Really hope it drops again soon because more people need to get/hear this amp.

[@rhodey2952]

pure5152 what headphones you using?

[@pure5152]

Hey @@rhodey2952, I'm using the Focal Clear, ZMF verite, and pmx2. It has so much power I rarely go past 9pm using medium gain through balanced.

[@rhodey2952]

pure5152 awesome. Think this amp is worth more than 350? And if so, how much more? 500 range?

[@pure5152]

@@rhodey2952 Really depends what the rest of your chain is like as well. What headphones are you using now? I'd say if you have a limited budget, get the best headphones you can get and then think about amps, as the headphone will make more of a difference than the amps will. The THX is wonderful and I really think it could be "good enough" for most people (including me), but I'm not sure I'd pay $500 for it, maybe $450 tops? If you already have balanced headphones with an XLR connector, also consider getting the massdrop liquid carbon X, as that amp sounds pretty good through the balanced out (although it sounds horrible through single ended). If you can also wait I have a really good feeling massdrop will release a new drop for these soon, given the demand is so high... My guess is they're waiting to have enough stock to ship these out immediately.

[@pure5152]

@Rhodey-III If you're on head-fi, feel free to send me a PM at pure5152. Might be easier to communicate there than here and I can give you more detailed advice if you'd like it.

[@metal571]

On a serious note, I hereby dub Josh the metal571 of headphone amp and dac reviews. Also I just ordered one finally.

[@adeelzero1445]

After watching this review, it seems like this amp isn't for me(just like Josh described about not everyone's cup of tea). ESPECIALLY after Zeos telling me it's 1000x better than my X7s which powers my LCD-X and HD 6XX without a sweat. I would love to hear your thoughts on it once you do get it. I honestly think this amp addiction is getting ridiculous. I won't be surprised if we get another hype train next year on another new amp which will be considered who knows maybe five billion times better than this lol.

[@metal571]

@@adeelzero1445 The measurements make this and the D50 so clean that I can't imagine anything significantly "better" being even close to noticeable. More expensive and maybe slightly better measuring sure, but at that point I'm not sure it even matters. You also know I'm terrible with telling amps and dacs apart, so this purchase for me is mainly one of having a clean unbiased setup with way more power than the Magni can give me now

[@geoffreyalter5016]

@@metal571 There is another piece to the equation that can't be measured and needs to considered above all else. Musicality. It isn't a money thing either. Although, generally the better the parts, coupled with a great design, the more musical it will sound. The THX is all you say. I just don't find it to possess near enough musicality for my tastes. I also believe the DAC plays a huge part. How those 1s and 0s are converted is instrumental to the overall experience.

[@MuhammadKharismawan]

@@adeelzero1445 which X7s you mean?

[@matthewhilty4209]

Wow your reviews keep getting better and shorter , and you are much more relaxed in front of the camera, good job as always 😎

[@ernievarhola5287]

Still waiting on the monoprice reviews to come in...I'd rather have and all in one unit. Great video Josh.

[@davidmthekidd]

Me too, wonder what's taking so long for that review.

[@yuyanglai1955]

Could you break down a little bit on which headphones you enjoy on THX and which one on NFB? A short list would be quite helpful.

[@metal571]

Generic type of metal *TRIGGERED*

[@WiiNV]

L😂L

[@mc365mc]

It's formed iron ore.

[@metal571]

I prefer molybdenum

[@Smitty_Werbenjagermanjenson]

Brushed aluminum, btw

[@rich1051414]

Brushed magnesuim, because I appreciate them risking a factory fire to use it instead of aluminum :)

[@junglist82]

DAC pairing recommendations?

[@calvinminer4365]

I was thrilled to hear the DT 990s pair well with this amp because the 600ohm version is my favourite pair of headphones! I just left tube amps behind for a few reasons and the 789 currently in the mail to me will be my first SS amp.

[@billfrigo7602]

@8:42 - this is what I'm torn between right now. This 789 + DAC or the Monoprice THX DAC/AMP combo.... Can't decide.

[@jakespivey3716]

I think you know something about photography, this video is lit nicely, good job.

[@Sevenyxxtimes7xx]

why was 6 afraid of 7?

[@JoshuaValour]

Aha

[@rhodey2952]

Sevenyxxtimes7xx awesome!😆

[@dondeleon78]

probably bec of the generic type of metal 😅

[@kennywu5695]

Cuz 7 got corona

[@whn2309]

Thanks Josh, another great review. I wish you would update your review with information about its reliability. I have one from the original drop. Waited eight months for it and it only last three months before it dies. After very little use it just stopped powering on. Red light would just stay red and never change to white. Seems to be very shoddy workmanship as far as its construction goes anyway.

[@barneyrubble4827]

There's plenty of these on eBay for parts only, it ain't just you. Causing me to consider Monoprice even tho I like this amp better.

[@MantaProx2]

Thanks for the review. Putting one of these on my shopping list.

[@RathOX]

can i plug my sub into the SE pass through? i have the SMSL SU-8 which RCA to the headphone amp & also my active monitors too the XLR. my idea if to be able to add my SVS sub into the mix without buying a Schiit SYS

[@althewicked]

I bought this Amp and sold him 2 days later. The price is fair and the build quality is good but the sound was too bright for my taste and also very 2 dimensional. Im listen normally through an RME FireFace 400 and I thought that I needed maybe a Headphone Amp to enhance the sound but the THX did not do that. The sound from the RME is way more fuller and warmer. The THX is a very clean and precise Amp as well as the RME but there was no enjoyment for me to listen with the 789. For everyone who are thinking about buying it I would suggest to looking for a used Fireface. Im from Europe and Ive paid $420 with shipping and duty and for this price you about in the same price range of a used RME Interface and as a big bonus do you have then a very good Audio Interface with enough analog I/O and digital I/O and two very good Mic/Instr. Preamps and if you dont listen to Audio files above 192kHz you even doesent need a additional DAC. And for everyone who bought this Amp already is totally fine because the THX is good. Maybe you can enhance the Imaging with better cables and the brightness with matching Headphones or some EQing. This is just MY experience with the THX and in the end you have to check everything by yourself.

[@pkal244]

Thank you for this review, found it really helpful to my situation!

[@Assimilator702]

A well recorded drum is a good example for demonstrating how any piece of gear does its job. The stick hitting the head is described as the attack while the note produced by the drum would be described as the body. You need linearity from the midbass all the way up to the lower treble to do this well. I’m a drummer so this is one criteria I use to evaluate gear but mostly headphones. Adding a bit of extra bass with a tube a,p will make drums.....bass drums and toms/floor toms.......sound fuller. For the BEST recorded drums in the modern age pick up anything from Simon Philips specifically The Hiromi Trio Project. AMAZING material!

[@adeelzero1445]

I've tried my LCD-X's and 6XX's on the Magni 2, X1S/X7S and the HDV 820 which I got with the HD 800S from Amazon just to see how it compares to my original 800's. I know it's stupid to drop(temporarily) almost $4K just for Testing but here's the crazy part. I honestly didn't notice any SOUND difference/upgrade between the three amps by switching the headphones to each amp side by side. Maybe it's my ears? What do you think Josh? Hopefully I'm not the only one in this LOL

[@barneyrubble4827]

It's better than buying 1 piece after another left wondering. Not surprised at your conclusion. Goal: get close to what u like best, ENJOY THE MUSIC and quit wasting $$$ chasing perfect audio. I do what you do with used equipment, wait for a decent price so I can resell if needed at similar price to what I paid. Last summer I had 6 prs headphones, now have 3. Amps can sound different but not as much as cans do.

[@mmichii0302]

Got mine on the second drop. It is very clean and powerful. Made the fizziness (only way to describe it) in the highs on my he400i's go away. He560 sounds very tight and controlled. Finally starting to like my hd600s. Going to mate it with another audio science recommendation su8 v2. Only analogy I can think of is Ariel atom. All the overpriced bs stripped away. Hell It uses a little switching psu. Nothing more than is necessary.

[@jownbey]

Hows that pairing, thats what ill have when my 789 shows up

[@masterxyr]

AAAAAAH is that wool direct on skin? AAAAAAAAAHH great content by the way!

[@Xsetsu]

Man, I really do want to see you do some reviews of even a lower-end Questyle or Cayin dac/amp. Sorta been my go to brands these days when it comes to amp or dac. Very nice review. Good to see that you get such a great amp for such a small fee.

[@MuhammadKharismawan]

The chimes in Within he means is around 2:40s, not under 2 minutes.

[@alexdoan8060]

Hey Josh, Love your reviews. They strike a great balance between appealing to consumers in pursuit of better music and audiophiles who want the best tech. I feel I fit in that slot, as I love music subjectively, but want to also find objectively good equipment so I know I'm getting my money's worth. I was wondering if you were planning on doing some reviews of tube amplifiers. Most of what you've done so far is solid state - are you planning on expanding out to tubes? I know that's a whole new arena as people will have so many different opinions about tube rolling and all too, but I really value your insight. It's so hard to make a purchasing decision when you only have a few graphs and comments to go from, and I can make purchases with much more confidence knowing that you've heard so much tech at this point that you can really do solid comparisons. Cheers!

[@akilasupun]

Great review. Please do a review about the Soerkis Dac if you can.

[@markphilpot4981]

Really enjoyed the evaluation on this headphone amp. Would have liked a more in depth evaluation noting which headphones it matches well with instead of just a couple.

[@stefanhansen5882]

Great to hear your thoughts on this amp. Being a former audio engineer I am after an amp which let me hear what was recorded. So this sounds like what I am after. I currently have a pair of AKG K701s. Have you tried this combination, and if so, what do you think? Thanks a lot.

[@roberthodge6711]

Thanks for the great video! Do you know how the THX sounds on the Sennheiser HD 800 S headphones? Also, would there be any problems with using this amp in Europe?

[@Aforgamon]

From what I've read the Monoprice 788 isn't tuned quite as well and THX basically just supplied the hardware for Monoprice to do their own thing with, while THX was much more hands on with the development with of the 789.

[@barneyrubble4827]

That's great except these amps have a genuine reliability issue, just look on ebay

[@RefrigeratedTP]

I have a Jotunheim, and before that I had a Fulla 2. Those are the only DAC/Amps I've used, so I grabbed the 789 to see what the "Schiit sound signature" is. Cause that's all I've heard.

[@user-mv6de3sc8g]

Using a device that just amplifies the line signal for headphones is miliondoller guy's extravagant.

[@mrchriz1000]

Your Video Production is on point

[@petrolhead007]

Listening to the THX AAA 789 for the first time this morning. While connecting it to my audio gear I was thinking whether I would be able to hear any difference. I've already got very good quality gear including amps and DACs. Connected my PC with the Chord Hugo 2 and then that with the THX using the SE input connection. Plugged the Sennheiser HD800S in the THX's 4 pin XLR balanced output. Started with King Crimson's Moonchild. As soon as the track began I first felt surprised and then happy - a big smile on my face :) After that Peter Gabriel, The Clash, The Doors, Radiohead, R.E.M., The Smiths, Pink Floyd.....I don't want to stop listening now. Hard to believe that they've created such a brilliant headphone amplifier at such an affordable price point. I haven't tested the amp with my other headphones yet, but at least for the HD800S I think that I've found the optimum setup. Thinking of buying another amplifier as a backup when the drop returns.

[@eschancho3220]

Schiit Modi 2 DAC, any reason to upgrade? I have the Massdrop x THX AAA 789 Amp headed my way. The main question is... Will the 789 with the Modi 2 be a good match? Other options? I game and listen to music from a PC.

[@lastcall9998]

I've got the Modi 2 USB with the Heresy. I still hear sand in my ears. I wonder if the THX 789 will get me to a better place myself.

[@sebastianalleyne1073]

What balanced cable should I be using to connect this to my DAC (Topping DX7s). Does running balanced from the dac to the amp matter? and what cable would work? Thanks

[@markkao9954]

A lot of times the balanced output has a higher wattage rating vs the 2.5

[@davidmthekidd]

The cousin of this amp seems more interesting for my needs, I need to connect my Turn table as well and the Monoprice Monolith Desktop THX amp/dac seems to fit the bill.

[@danielgindlesperger2626]

Looks like they are using the Cisco logo.....

[@2010johnking]

Good informative review. I have the Jotunheim and might have to get another amp kinda like it to try.

[@ThermaL-ty7bw]

thx has a fast roll off phase other ones have a minimum phase , makes bass sound fuller , but also slower of course

[@johnparkerzabala]

Good morning Sir very much obliged you got us hooked up and educated. Salute👏😇 Sir I’m just using an iPhone and iPad what wires, adaptors do we need to connect it with? Also I just use ifi xcan portable amp. Stay safe God bless.

[@tomjones2348]

Good review. I just received a Jotunheim (to upgrade from my Obj. 2) to run my K701 and HD600s. It doesn't have the balls to run either headphone. I don't like the way the boost changes the sound profile. I had to max out the volume on the Jotunheim the same way I have to max out the Obj. 2......but the Obj is actually cleaner. So, my question now is: when is Drop doing another THX789 run??

[@jownbey]

Right now, just ordered

[@schpoopgoose4636]

Hurry up and pre-order one it's available right now.

[@dynamic-audio]

Hi josh. Have you hear the SMSL SH8 by balanced? Do you think smsl is better than JDSL Atom by balanced output? Actually smsl has more power 400mW @300ohms (xlr) and the other just has 250mW @300ohms (6.3mm). But what about other measurements of both; tonality, clear, detail, soundstage and separation, Do you know?

[@lefoobar]

I see you have the HD800's too. Would you recommend this amp with them?

[@auro8649]

no just no this amp is very analytical and cold without any interessting colouring (for me) and the stock 800 is also very bright especially at 6k with this weird peak. I can suggest more like the 800s with a more warm sounding amp.

[@mrolinad]

Hi Joshua, don't know if you still come back to see this video comments but I would like to know if there's any chance of a Monoprice THX 788 review. Tks

[@Binvua925]

My new favorite reviewer, replacing Lachlanlikesathing! Keep up the high quality of the video!

[@zblus]

What do you mean by sharp? To me that means bright sounding/exaggerating high frequencies

[@hansc8400]

According to my unit. I think this amp enhance over 9k Hz .That cause some sharp or some metal like sound to me. But flat at 3k~8k. So it is not bright amp.

[@xadmin1]

How does it compare to the JDS Atom?

[@sswpp8908]

I haven't listened to both so I can't speak from any personal experience. Both amps are designed well and both will be audibly noise and distortion free. The AAA 789 has better THD+N figures but I doubt anybody could tell the difference. The AAA 789 of course has more versatility like the balanced input which can deliver a substantial amount of power and 3 gain selections. I own the Atom and it's been performing great for me on my Hifiman he400i headphones. The only gripe Atom with the that others are talking about and I kind of agree with is that the plastic case leaves much to be desired and the AAA 789 finish is so much more appealing. I'm sure that I'll be satisfied with Atom, but part of me feels tempted to trade up to the AAA 789. Maybe if I find one second-hand for a good price ;) Here are some posts measuring the performance of these amps: www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-new-jds-labs-atom-headphone-amp.5262/ www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-massdrop-thx-aaa-789-amp.5001/

[@boredguy0001]

THX more power but costs more. Choose accordingly

[@StrikitRich]

Or the JDS EL Amp?

[@twinturbo3461]

JDS Atom on it's own is crap, you have to stack with a DAC, I bought one and ended up returning it.

[@davidmason8212]

@@twinturbo3461 i think you returned it because of lack of power

[@canonlon311]

Great vid. Do you know if the Monoprice with THX is virtually the same headphone amplifier but with built-in dac?

[@DamienRamirez]

Monoprice has more, Balanced Dac, Digital EQ, Digital filters, Dirac ("direction sound basicly), Less Power, upgradeable FW. Supposedly the monorpice is true Balanced as well not just through the Dac. The MD one has more power, not true balanced but good enough & i think preamp or passthrough capability. So they are different. I havn't been able to confirm but Monorpice has theTHX aaa 788 unit which is listed by THX, MD THX aaa 789 isnt listed by THX (that i've found to date) so it could be a newer unit or just the 788 rebrand for massdrop. So to answer not virtually the same, but similar.

[@bosco5870]

which one is better: thx aaa 789 or Cayin iHA-6 (expecially for sennheiser hd 800s and focal clear headphones)

[@adangarza725]

I should have never dived into the audiophile world. Its costing me alot of money and smiles now lol I picked up a THX recently from reddit and now need to pair it with a decent dac. Any recommendations?

[@patricksmith1026]

Last I heard you were not able to find why this amp is not considered “fully balanced.” Could it be that the line between the balanced XLR inputs and balanced XLR output for headphones IS fully balanced, but they consider it not to be fully balanced overall since there is not balanced XLR output for stereo interconnects (only a single ended pass through)?

[@HiFiInsider]

the glitch may be because the volume is not at the lowest position. The muting circuit is there to protect the amp from shorts when you disconnect the hp cable with the volume above zero. All analog amplifiers with analog volume pot, you should set the volume to zero before switching. So many "fake balanced" amps on the market. Confusing for the average buyer.

[@s7robe297]

Hi-Fi Insider I trust your opinion on most things. So do you know if this amp is truly balanced?

[@HiFiInsider]

s7robe the whole balanced thing is not really that important. A properly designed single-ended product can sound great. Also, people obsess about measurements. Something that measures well don’t necessary mean it will sound good with music. Measurements are done with test tones. Buy based on measurements if you plan to listen to test tones only.

[@alialbather6116]

@Joshua Valour If you're ever planning to get into tube amps (especially high end/expensive stuff) I recommend Feliks audio especially the Elise and the echo. I don't own any of their products but I read a lot of good things about them especially if you pair the Elise with the HD 800

[@JoshuaValour]

I’ve got a Mjolnir2 review coming?

[@alialbather6116]

glad to hear that. I don't know when but if I ever bought the Elise I'll send it you :D don't get your hopes up though I'm not rich lol

[@JoshuaValour]

Ali A if it happens, great! If not, no biggie.

[@alialbather6116]

@@JoshuaValour thnks for answering. Is the E-Mu headphones still available for the giveaway?

[@brucekhamp6859]

Would the Audeze LCD-X be a good pair with one of these?

[@markvidal7836]

Hey Josh, Could you possibly do a best dac/amp for gaming? I'm a little confused about which one to get between creative sound blaster g6, objective 2, and sennheiser gsx1000. I play on console (ps4) with my akg k7xx. Love my headphones but i need more from them.

[@carchd1]

Mayflower Arc. Has optical and a mic input, a lot like the O2, it's pretty great. I use it with 7xx, 660S, DT1990, drives all well

[@Povell81]

Josh - can you expand a little more on what you mean by this amp being Dynamic?

[@JoshuaValour]

The quiet points and loud points of a song are played accurately to the recording. When an amp isn’t dynamic, it compresses those points closer together, sounding “compressed”. Generally most people like something dynamic over something compressed. Hope this helps :)

[@ganeshkameswaran7123]

Great review! Am looking at Questyle CMA800i (DAC&AMP) or Violectric V280 to pair with my HE1000 V1, many mentioned THX789 pairs well with HE1000 though other two amps mentioned are more expensive and probably an higher tier. If I have money, do I need to go for CMA800i or go with less expensive THX789 since it pairs well? appreciate your insights

[@TraceLight]

Do you know how this would pair with a pair of balanced hd 600? I have the LCX, and I appreciated the nice thump they got. Does the THX suck out that thump because of its linearity?

[@themadkraken1912]

How would you wire up, say, 5.1 surround with only one of every given output type?

[@CLaudiusClemensJimmy]

hi josh, quick question this 789 or topping A30 Pro ( i have a balanced output ) thank man...

[@patrickmccrank8414]

Okay this amp has been on the market for awhile. I have one. I like it. But, i lost the wall wort. Is there a specific linear power supply for this amp. I mean, if im going to buy a replacement, it may as well be an improvement. Right... so any recommendations, especially if they com with the proper power to amp cable world be greatly appreciated.

[@Jacksirrom]

My friend's $250 schiit stack started popping and putting out distorted audio after 8 months... Avoiding that brand.

[@StrikitRich]

Being 'not truly balanced' means you don't have to use a balanced DAC, right?

[@tooitchy]

You still need a balanced dac for balanced output

[@memoryerror]

The Monoprice is not the same. THX designed the Massdrop amp, but says they did not design the Monoprice amp/DAC.

[@memoryerror]

@Gray Au "I must say THX isn't happy with the experience Amir has had with this unit. Although THX and DIRAC are only providers of some tech used in this product (we didn't design it), we're never happy when a customer isn't happy. I've notified Monoprice's designers about this thread and asked that they look into this asap. I'm hoping it's just a simple mix-up with a pre-production unit getting mistakenly shipped." "Glad you're enjoying the 789! Yes that one I can confidently say THX did design" www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/preview-monolith-by-monoprice-desktop-thx-headphone-amp-dac.5420/page-3

[@MrKarush]

What DAC would you recommend with this in 100-300 price point ?

[@loslewis950]

Schiit, jds labs or smsl. From what I've read/watched they're all pretty much the same so go for whatever you like the look of. I prefer the smsl Pro as it's got Bluetooth but it's the most expensive (just)

[@MrKarush]

@@loslewis950 ok thanks I will check them out

[@KWW0321]

The jds labs for 140 bucks with the optical inout has been working great for me with a variety of amps!

[@Felix-ve9hs]

@@MrKarush or Topping (Topping D30) - they make the best DAC in the 100$ Range

[@twinturbo3461]

Topping NX4 DSD XMOS-XU208 DAC ES9038Q2M

[@devosmr1]

I’m trying to find either a source for a quality long cable from the THX AAA 789 to Sennheiser 6xx headphones or a wiring diagram so that Blue Jeans Cables can build one. Drop doesn’t respond to a request for a wiring diagram. Any idea where I can find either of these? Nice review!

[@sveisor2]

Have you heard this on the LCD-X's? Is it too harsh?

[@MrStewbee]

Hey Josh the SE output just a pass through or is it a pre amp out that will be controlled by the volume control?

[@amdenis]

What DAC would you pair with this with Hifiman Sundara headphones? I plan to get Abyss 1266 phones in a few weeks, as a consideration

[@georgepnf8596]

Hi Joshua Valour, great video. Can this amp be good for passive speakers (Jamo S803 8Ohm, 87dB) ? Thank you

[@andersforsgren3806]

Hmm very dynamic and with a lot of punch - I guess it sound a lot like the headphone amp from Vincent then?

[@davidbarnhouse4642]

Is the 780 ONE any different other than the lack of balanced output?

[@barneyrubble4827]

Man, there are a ton of these on eBay "for parts only", gives me serious doubts about long term reliability

[@Matteo_Etzer]

Hey, which amp would you recommend along with the aeon open x from drop? Is this in combination with a balanced cable a good option? Are there newer better options than the aeon open x?

[@krmatiu]

Another great video, thanks 👍

[@TeraNazantia]

I would never want my amp to color the sound or make it warm. How are you supposed to hear and enjoy (or hate) the individual characteristics of your speakers ?

[@billyleungkt]

Hi Josh, I'm new to audiophile world. Currently, I have Denon D7200 headphone and ibasso DX160 and my IEM. For now, I listen to D7200 with a 4.4mm balanced cable to my DX160. Though in high gain with Volume around 60 can power quite well with the sound. I just wonder getting this THX AAA 789 would be a step up for my D7200. So, since i like balanced sound. I'm not planning to get a DAC yet (may be later). Should I use buy a 4.4mm -> dual XLRs -> input to 789 amp. and get another XLR 4pins for my D7200 to the front socket? Is my logic correct? What would you recommend other options for me? Thanks a lot. Billy

[@vripiatbuzoi9188]

Can this be used to drive monitor speakers or only headphones. If not then what amp should I use that's comparable?

[@LazYevgen]

Ryan is GOD! Love my argons

[@kitkit6610]

have a quick question, i just got this and preparing for balanced cables and was wondering for the balanced output option is it viable to use a 4pin xlr to 3.5mm adapter work as well as a dedicated balanced cable or would the adapter be bad for it? hope that makes sense

[@PappLacc]

Why was your Elex vs. Utopia video deleted?

[@JoshuaValour]

The AAA dropped today and it’s only available for 24 hours. I was gonna post tomorrow, but I felt it’d be much more useful today. The Elex v Utopia will be posted tomorrow instead. No biggie.

[@TraceLight]

Joshua Valour Hey Joshua, FYI. The THXX amp on Massdrop renews each day. It is an in stock item until they run out of them. (1,000+ sold so far, doesn’t seem likely)

[@dangerous_lemon7466]

I am going to buy the argon mk3 but I can't diside wich one is beter for me. These of the emotiva m100? Thankyou in advance.

[@Kevinb1821]

I just got this and honestly. I don't like it. I have been using a Marantz SR7500 receiver to both power my speakers and my headphones for at night. I honestly don't even know why I bought a headphone amp since I already love the way my receiver makes my headphones sound. Its just so damn powerful. The thing weights 33 pounds. I'm returning this and going back to the marantz

[@zuvan9201]

will this amp/dac work well even if my main goal is to use it for gaming with the beyerdynamic DT 990 edition 600 ohm? or should i go for something cheaper like the Sound BlasterX G6?

[@TheHope12322]

The DT 1990 pro hates this amp so hard! On gain setting 3 past 50% it stutters like sticking your face in a fan! My HD 800S has no issues and nor does the GSP 600 lol.

[@Dave30867]

THX AAA 789 is built by professional person whos been involved with audio for over 30 years so yeah its a precision tool.

[@JoshuaValour]

Whatever they did. It worked. Passion properly applied is a beautiful thing.

[@ionescugeorge2003]

From memory, how does the 789(on single ended) sound compaired to JDS Atom? Is it a big step up, using medium sensitivity headphones?

[@nortonfamily6711]

Nope. When speaking of amps in general, considering how good the Atom is, as long as the Atom is powering your headphones authoritatively, any benefits you’re gonna get out of an upgrade aren’t gonna be that large.

[@markeastman8494]

What DAC would you recommend for this amp?

[@forthosewhodare7325]

Chord Hugo TT :)

[@ZWhippie]

can you do a videso on how to set one of these amps

[@ItsXev]

Best outro

[@cl3826]

Will you do a DAC/AMP review that work well with laptops? These kind of amps are nice, but I only use laptops.... so I need something that's USB powered and small.

[@edwarddodge7937]

Z mentioned there was a portable version of the 789 in his review. You might want to look into that.

[@cl3826]

@@edwarddodge7937 Thanks! I must have missed that

[@sleepyrhythms6668]

Can it work with just an LGV3O phone? I only have a laptop and have a feeling that would sound bad on this. Do I need a DAC to make it sound good? I was thinking of pairing this with a Topping MX3 but I'd like to just buy the amp to use with my smartphone.

[@GEEZA.]

I just bought this amp but I'm a little confused. I'm new to this amp stuff so sorry if this sounds dumb. The headphones I own now are DT1990s but I don't know how this amp works does the single ended quarter inch get power by the balanced XLRs or do i need RCA cables. Only reason I ask is I plan to get balanced headphones later.

[@caiosilva3254]

Some of you tried the CTH from massdrop? it will be good with HD58x and HE4XX?

[@nikolaizinoviev7348]

Which gain out of 3 should you use?

[@pbmaddhatter]

if i already have a drop 02+sdac can i just connect them together to use the dac i already have?

[@alexv305]

How does it compare to the magni heresy?