UPDATED 2/22 REVIEW 13 USB DAC amp - Predator, Pico, 2/3MOVE, D10 D3 D2 Viper/Boa D1, Lyrix, MicroAmp, Vivid V1, Nuforce, XM5

[Elluzion]

Thanks for this great review!!!

[Kel Ghu]

Originally Posted by kostalex

Man, you just answered the highly-discussed question "Pico or Predator"!

Oh.. I missed that word... "or"... hmmm...

[HeadphoneAddict]

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict

My findings of the 4 amps rankings is un-chaged with the HF-1, HD600 or Edition 9.

I find the Pico does add some more soundstage to the RS-2, but at the expense of the bass they need from the Predator. I can get the bass back switching the RS-2 from bowls to flats, but then I lose some of the soundstage I gained.

In doing my review of the Travagans Green and White USB DAC/Amps, tonight I found myself listening to the Denon D2000 with APS v2 cable and the Pico as a comparison, and there seems to be some positive synergy there that I am liking. I'll have to explore this further, but it is bedtime now.

Just thought I would throw that out there, but I wont say more right now because my review is not ready. With less than 60 hours on the Travagans, I have heard some subtle decreases in bass with the Green yesterday but that has come back, and some sibilance in the White that has vanished today, but I am not sure they have settled down yet (the Red has remained superb throughout). I am thinking they might be appropriate to add to this review, along with my Micro Stack which is up to 300 hours, but I will probably have to put them in their own review as desktop amps. I'll link to that when done in the next week or two.

[mojolo]

ooh...highly looking forward to reading about the Travagans!

[HeadphoneAddict]

Originally Posted by Elluzion

Thanks for this great review!!!

No problem, thank you!

[robojack]

Larry, that was a FANTASTIC review. I don't think I've enjoyed reading an entire thread as much as this one. The step-by-step observations you've made really keep us involved in your journey to determine the best of the amp/dac's you reviewed. I could almost picture the struggle you went through, debating whether the Pico and Predator should be on top, as both have their strengths.

Just so you know, I've purchased a Predator from someone on this forum since reading this! I'll be recommending this thread to anyone else who is wondering what portable amp/dac they should get, and let them be the judge of what is best for them.

Cheers.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Originally Posted by mrarroyo

Nice work Larry, have you given any thougtht at using an AD8620 in the D2? I have one on the way, plus I already received two LM6172 and a couple of THS4032's.

However my D2 only has about 340 hours of burn in and I am waiting for the 400 hour mark before I roll any op-amps.

I have a couple of AD8620 on SOIC to DIP adapters that I bought on 4/10/08 that should be here from Hong Kong soon. They made to to NY and left there on the 15th.

I also have them working on putting two SOIC OPA627 on a double sided 2:1 adapter, but the adapter was out of stock (in Hong Kong), so wait I must.

In the meantime, they also shipped a pair of OPA627 DIP versions, to try in the D1 on my HiFlight 2:1 adapter, in place of the AD743's.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Robojack, thanks for the kind words.

I've been sick, as has my whole family, and my next review of 3 desktop headphone amps is killing me. So many options to cover, including speakers and electrostatic headphone transformer on the speaker terminals, etc... I just have to pace myself, I am not getting any younger - at 46 I feel like I'm 80.

[mrarroyo]

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict

...I also have them working on putting two SOIC OPA627 on a double sided 2:1 adapter, but the adapter was out of stock (in Hong Kong), so wait I must.

In the meantime, they also shipped a pair of OPA627 DIP versions, to try in the D1 on my HiFlight 2:1 adapter, in place of the AD743's.

You can get the mounted OPA627 from Browndog.

[wired00]

whats meant to be great about the opa627?

[HeadphoneAddict]

Originally Posted by wired00

whats meant to be great about the opa627?

Well, OPA627 is supposed to be very clean and natural sounding, and many high end manufacturers that don't have discrete analog outputs use the 627. It might be cool to try a Burson Discrete Opamp in the Travagans if it would fit, or wasn't so expensive.

[HeadphoneAddict]

On another note, I've been asked to expand on my comments about "Positive Synergy with Pico and Denon D2000."

I've discussed elsewhere that my D2000 with APS v2 cable are great headphones, but they are a little dull or boring at times, like a closed HD600. A good amp can wake them up, and I've found that the Pico gives them some "Zing" that makes them a little more exciting, so I don't have to go to my Grados or Ultrasones for "exciting" when listening to ripped music on my Macbook. The bass is well controlled but is powerful enough to make the skin around my ears vibrate, the mids are rich and detailed, and the highs have a sparkle to them. Skylab also seemed to think the Denon have a synergy with the Pico, but he tried it with stock D5000, of which my APS re-cabled D2000 would be similar to that.

I think certain headphones are more picky about the amp you use, HD600 and D2000 included. My DarkVoice 336i that is so good with my Grados and Ultrasones didn't seem to give the HD600 and D2000 a lot of "Zing" - but my new Woo WA6 amp is burning-in to have a lot of energy with the Denon, once I got past 500-600 hours on the huge v-caps and blackgates capacitors.

[qib]

Would the predator be too warm for darth beyers? Or would the Pico provide a cleaner, airyness for the already warm darth beyers?

[HeadphoneAddict]

I find most portable amps too warm for Darths, but the Meier HeadSix/XXS has great synergy with the Darths, and just sounds much better when the two are combined together. The Tomahawk wasn't bad with the Darths, but it didn't fill in the mid-rage suckout like the HeadSix did. Once I found the great match between the Darths and HeadSix I stopped my search for a good portable amp for Darths, and I don't have the Darths anymore because they were just waaaay too picky about what amp to use with them.

[qib]

Oh right, thanks. I've been looking at future rigs for my laptop and got pulled into the pico or predator as i can use them for my portable headphones as well as laptop. What portable dac/amp would you recommend for the darths then? Thanks.