REVIEW: The MICHI X3 Integrated Amp Gives MORE for LESS.

[@HiFiHuff]

The MICHI X3 is one of my "Best of 2022" products. It is not new, as it came out a couple of years ago but even today this integrated amplifier has massive value for the cost. It's a piece that looks, feels and is built to a high end level but it doesn't cost $10k and up. It's one of my faves of this year due to the what we get for the money here, and we get an awful LOT! I hope you enjoy my take on the MICHI X3 which is for those who want their integrated solution with a DAC and Phono Stage built in, without compromise of sound. The 6K word written review is at the website! Thanks all!

[@cameraprepper7938]

No more Camera and Lens reviews ??

[@heathb1840]

The big question...are you going to give up your pass labs for a michi ??

[@gerihifi]

@@heathb1840 time went on... now replaced with an Grimm Audio MU2, is slightly better..anyone owning an 501/502, I highly recommend to upgrade to the MKII

[@vittoriomartinidonati]

Great job! Now a review of the Hegel H390 is a must. After Michi, Kinky Studio and Naim it would make for a very interesting comparison of four direct competitors.

[@jimeisenmenger410]

Really enjoyed your review. Purchased the X3/b and w 804d3’s/bluesound node 2i May, 2021. Added pair of Rel tx9’s a couple months later. Very happy!

[@fotislagopatis5207]

Great review! Hegel H390 is something that you should do as well. Thanks

[@yangarzon8994]

I went for h390 because of the soundstage but, x3 was a closed contester. Wish you could make a review of the 390. I like your pov

[@danil34]

Thanks!

[@johnsimmons5056]

I still have a Rotel CD Player from the late 90's that still works perfectly. Their stuff lasts forever.

[@gerihifi]

Own an X5 for 6months test it..better than X3...awesome... using it with an external DACx(Weiss 501mkII)...just a beast and pleasure to listen with.

[@BobCoalWater]

Better than the X5 because you need more power? Or simply better even with efficient speakers?

[@stevekemp5462]

Speaker hook up not straight forward. 4 posts for both L and R. Confusing which ones to use. Do you hook up 8ohm and 4ohm speakers to the same posts per the manual or do you use different posts depending on 8 or 4 ohm speakers?

[@SirMountainpass]

Excellent choice, the Weiss DAC 😊👏

[@aubreyhaines7282]

I have played years with a Audia Flight Pre combined with a Krell FPB 300cx Last year a switch to a Michi P5 Roon Nucleus with a farad p3 dc It play’s marvelous 🎉 I have had Conrad Johnson, Krell pre But to be honest….why pay so much The Michi is outstanding

[@Benvos]

This is super interesting, I demoed the Michi X3 and Hegel H390, went with the H390. Reason being the music felt more refined and emotional, but I was using the internal DACs of both. And there’s the thing, I found the Michi slightly harsh and not relaxed and that must be the treble. I should have tried both with external DACs but I’m very happy nonetheless.

[@marcusaurelius2988]

How would you compare the soundstage? Hegel’s wider?

[@cameronkrause4712]

Very interesting review. There is one thing that I do wonder about, and that is the built in DAC of the Michi. Is it possible that the DAC did not have the burn in time that the rest of the amplifier had and thus still had not come onto its own? I wonder about this because a few years back, when I bought my Denon pma1600ne there had been a few reviews around that were critical of the amps digital section.I was really puzzled by this since the Denon performed so well in all other accounts. I decided to let the DAC run in by feeding it a constant signal for a couple of weeks. Sure enough, the DAC improved dramatically. It went from a take it or leave it presentation to one in which I wanted to stay involved.

[@dougg1075]

A beautiful product. Wonder if the display are built to last.

[@danielesbordone1871]

Thr Michi X3 Series 2 now mounts a Sabre ES902 pro DAC , nice improvement. Michi is killing the price/performance market. Thanks for sharing.

[@ewannoelkailevi4772]

I'm like hey this looks great! Whoa ... specs are nice. 6k? Okay, guess I have to stick to other offerings like maybe Rotel tribute or Cambridge ... Nice review tho

[@Sheisintomalakasdino]

I would advise anybody interested in the X3 and that can demo the unit to listen to this amp with female vocals, there's definitely something missing, a few other reviewers have touched on this, this is the main reason this amp did not make it into my listening room

[@davidjurney]

Sounds like a lovely amp and one that I will want to out on my aspirational list if I ever step up that far in budget.

[@anjovandijk9797]

how does the Michi X3 compares to the kinki studio which you recently did comparing both as a amplifier only

[@JayLawrence-tj7oc]

Got this a week ago after being on the fence for nearly a year. No way to listen to it, so relying on reviews such as yours was no small factor, and you did a great job. Thank you! I think you nailed it. One comment after a week of various music types would be that this is not a forgiving amp for casual listening as the bass gets a little lost outside the sweet spot, which is likely a resonance issue with the room, poor match for the speakers (Focal 1038), or the tightness of its focused low-end delivery…still working on it.

[@Jundaku]

I was also on the fence for the Michi X3 for a long time. I've had a lot of Rotel gear in the past and enjoyed them, but felt they are very lacking compared to my other higher end gear. There was only one review for the longest time and a local dealer had demo unit for sale. Took a gamble and picked it up and was totally blown away by how amazing it sounds. With my Sf Olympica 2s and Focal Kanta 2s I find the bass to be exceptional and tight in my office, in my living room I had similar issues, but that room is horrible for bass management without proper EQ.

[@jespermaintz8993]

Truly an interesting brand - here's hoping, you can get your Hans on the p5/s5 combo, as it is on top of my want list. And watch your back when unboxing. :)

[@Mark-rw3kw]

Looks like the The MICHI X3 (and X5) have recently been upgraded to the "Series 2" models.

[@michalryszawy]

Hi . Thanks for great review. Is it better for Your taste then Lux - l-595 ?

[@DDSRacer01]

Excellent review. Ty!!

[@wallyj2000]

HI do you still have the pass labs int25? and Dynaudio Heritage special? Thanks.

[@craigosterberg5045]

Thanks for the review

[@juandanielmoralesarias2695]

Hello! Which of the inputs did you use for the bluesound node to stream music digitally to the X3? Thanks!

[@jackfalco5351]

Did they make an integrated without a dac?

[@kenwong9796]

I love TMR. They are really easy to work with.

[@gabrielheinsch6479]

Did you have it plugged into the new Puritan power strip?

[@HiFiHuff]

Yes indeed. The Puritan is one of the best purchases I have made. I now also use a loom of the Ultimate power cords as well for all of my gear.

[@orvarino]

Nice review. But "Naim requires their cables". C'mon, cables are and always will be a passive component that only can degrade the signal. Pick a cable with the highest electrical conductivity (silver at 62. 1 10e^6 siemens/m) and use balanced where applicable - then you're set until someone brings forward a new element.

[@gmamou6862]

Anyone knows how does this compare to marantz pm ki ruby? Worth the change to michi ?

[@shemaya4979]

Can't find your Hegel H390 review. Can you please attch the link for us🙏

[@LeoRousseau]

😂

[@iliyadkarami1979]

I recently purchase kef reference5 and I’m having a hard time choosing an amp. the Michi x 5 or the mark levinson 5802. I understand there are way better Amps out there but since the company I work for only has these two brands for a great discount I’m limited to these two. Any comment would be gladly appreciated.

[@rog86]

Have you managed to hear Therese 2 yet? Any thoughts?

[@iliyadkarami1979]

I first bought the michi x5 and was fairly impressed. But I ended up getting separates, mc462 and c53 McIntosh. The McIntosh is more detailed and surprisingly brighter. It paired up better with my kef in my personal opinion

[@TheVinnyt82]

You said "...this amp was already burned-in..." So do amps sound better once it's burned in?

[@melvinmansatainday5771]

What is the brand name of that headphone ? 🙌🏽

[@Rascallucci]

At this price range, I would be interested if you could review the Musical Fidelity M8xi.

[@MrCao400]

Moon 340i along with Hegel 390 review would be great

[@happytimeswithdave8670]

nice review

[@hamidrezahabibi8111]

Michi is nice 👍

[@filmstylehd]

I’ve posted a few times. But no response. Wondering if you have ever reviewed any balanced audio technicians equipment.

[@ibrahim-alani]

Please review HoloAudio - May DAC A lot call it giant killer

[@rasmuspersson1000]

Never ever heard someone talk so casual about stuff that cost 20k + When I need someone to motivate my expense, I will watch again :)

[@vangmx]

I have the step down variant of this amp, the Rotel 1592 MK2, recently bought this year. I think I need to upgrade my speakers soon to push the full limits of this amp. Decisions, decisions, decisions…

[@Yru2noz]

It's on my list also. What speakers are u currently paired with.

[@vangmx]

@@Yru2noz I have a set of Dali Oberon 7. I previously had them paired to a Yamaha AS501 which sounded great for the price. But after a few months with the Rotel 1592 MK2, I was able to get a better feel for the sound difference. Overall, the Yamaha isn’t as clean, details in the sound can get muddy, bass can be kinda flat etc. Of course we’re comparing a $500 amp to a $3000 so it’s not really fair.

[@travisb4397]

Here's a suggestion, try your naim supernait as a preamp into the luxman running as power amp. Power and refinement.

[@HiFiHuff]

The Luxman 595 ASE is about as refined as it gets in an integrated at its price point ($12,500). The 595 ASE preamp is superb as it should be. No need to add a SN to the mix, as The Luxman sound is refined, wide open, detailed and very sweet. The SN3 has a smaller soundstage, a more pronounced treble and a nice kick to the sound but it doesn't do the holographic imaging thing like The Luxman. They all sound different but all sound very very nice. I could live with any of them though I am pretty much set in regards to amplification here. Hooke dump the Pass XP-22 and XA60.8's two nights ago when I removed the X3 and will enjoy them for a while until I switch The Luxman back in! Have a great rest of your week and happy holidays!

[@enricocialdini6194]

S2?

[@cameraprepper7938]

No more Camera and Lens reviews ??

[@good2haveyouhere]

Just a big like from my Hart

[@Carl-yx1ww]

Don't take anything as gospel with this guy . He says one thing and does another. Smooth tongue.

[@borlach321]

At this price point most people will opt for more higher end brands e.g. Luxman, Rega, Simaudio, Accuphase. Not sure why Rotel decided to go high-end. I would pass.

[@zachansen8293]

Ah yes the "sound quality based on price" statement. Your dealer must be proud of you. *shakes head*

[@rorschachwatchmen8628]

Owning a pair of M8 Michi monos…….real beasts. I think it spells „Mitchi“ (chinese for „the way“)

[@billybunter3753]

Japanese actually, not Chinese. 😉

[@tonesbones502]

According to google: Michi n/adj. Michi Perfection, perfect. Syn: peerless, sound, unblemished, absolute, sublime. Like Toyota and Mercedes the Michi brand own a building (for assembly) in a country with cheaper wages. Thats why they are more affordable than their direct competition. Japanese quality assembled in China.

[@leosalas41ify]

Does this make sense? Why test amps with your high end preamp? You aren't getting the true sound of the product. Since no one will be listening to the amp with your high dollar preamp.

[@willmac5642]

The dac isn't great tho.

[@zackpetrovic3029]

You keep saying mishi

[@mikeeygauthier2959]

Do you think that you’re wife having hair over her ears will affect the listing? I am asking non mendaciously. Thx. Luv ur vids.

[@HungryEatNow]

How deep is your ❤️

[@georgieboy2432]

If it's made in China, I will pass, regardless.

[@EdBenji]

Made in China!

[@stevenkoski228]

Asian HiFi products are rubbish if true Class A audio is what you desire. Chinese audio is ChiFi not HiFi, remember that.

[@nordic5490]

Did you just type that on a chinese made device ?

[@Carl-yx1ww]

Hii does this amp sound better than the kinki?

[@HiFiHuff]

All integrated amps will sound different. I’ve never heard two that sounded the same. The Michi is much larger, heavier and has more inputs. Also has a DAC and costs more than 3X the cost of the CHoco Sound, 2X+ the cost of the Kinki. The sound of the michi is mellow, darker and smooth. The CHoco Sound amp has more inner detail and a wider stage. The Kinki is more about raw slam and power. All are fantastic integrated amps but for sound I like CHoco, for features I like Michi and for style and design I like the Kinki. All offer different things in style, build and sound. All make wonderful music but the CHoco amp at under $1700 is a bargain in the audio world for the money. All are made in China.