Micro Amp today

[Raptor34]

Just unpacked the little bugger and hooked it up to my Oppo SV970HD's sacd stereo outputs. The digital out of the Oppo is connected via a toslink connector to my Denon AVP 5000 pre-amp, which I no longer use except for headphoning It has separate DAC's for each of it's seven inputs so I can use all my older gear with the Micro amp as well as the Oppo. Haven't had time to burn the Micro in yet but so far the improvement over the Total AirHead I've been using for three years is astounding. No REALLY, I'm not kidding. My HD580's with the Micro have improved immensely. I'm hearing a clarity and space in the sound stage I never knew existed! Sweet highs with no subliminal grunge and rock solid bass. This was an impulse buy for me and I wasn't expecting this much improvement. Now you couldn't get the micro amp away from me unless you pried it out of my cold dead hands Headroom, I'm a believer.....

[kboe]

Wait till you have several hundred hours on it, it seems to settle into a mature sound thats so lush and warm and comes only with age, so worth it. Its absolute bliss!! Enjoy!
Kevin

[mkozlows]

Yeah, the Micro Amp is really great. Three and a half years now, I've had the Micro Amp (the 2005 version, which is not even as nice as the one you can buy today). And nearly that whole time, I've intended to upgrade to HeadRoom's higher-end stuff, on the basis that if they can do this at the low end, just imagine what they can do at the high end. But I keep getting stymied but not being able to really find any flaw in what I have or to imagine how it could be better.

(If you read that linked post, don't worry: I've since moved the headphone system to the bedroom with a Squeezebox Duet, so I'm not being perpetually cut short of sleep...)

[myinitialsaredac]

Grats on the amp.
Now you have to try the micro dac. Its a wonder. If you get the extra cash, definitely try the ultra micro dac also with an astrodyne. Moving from onboard to the micro dac was a splendor, from the micro dac to the ultra micro was again amazing. I really have been impressed with the quality and more importantly the sound of the Headroom offerings.

Dave

[aimlink]

Originally Posted by mkozlows

Yeah, the Micro Amp is really great. Three and a half years now, I've had the Micro Amp (the 2005 version, which is not even as nice as the one you can buy today). And nearly that whole time, I've intended to upgrade to HeadRoom's higher-end stuff, on the basis that if they can do this at the low end, just imagine what they can do at the high end. But I keep getting stymied but not being able to really find any flaw in what I have or to imagine how it could be better.

(If you read that linked post, don't worry: I've since moved the headphone system to the bedroom with a Squeezebox Duet, so I'm not being perpetually cut short of sleep...)

I recently upgraded from a MicroAmp to Ultra-Micro Amp and DAC. For DAC, I was using a FireStone SpitFire 24bit. When I ordered the Ultra Micro Stack, I was feeling the way you did in that I really couldn't see my sound getting significantly better than it was. My former rig really sounded great, especially after obtaining some flac formatted DVD-Audio rips and with the amp burning in.

However, I decided to put my trust in HeadRoom and try the upgrade. Just to appease my curiosity ... 'could it actually get better than this?' The MicroAmp and SpitFire DAC seem to be seen as entry level audiophile products, so I could afford to and wanted to see what the fuss was about.

After the upgrade, I was surprised at the similarity in overall sound, i.e., the general balance etc. The general fun factor in listening to my new rig was pretty much the same. However, there was distinctly more detail in some recordings where I could hear even more in the music. Your headphones will play a distinct role in appreciating these difference. The difference in extra detail varied from negligible, to more than subtle, depending on the recording quality.

So I've found more fun and fascination in the detail, detail that isn't essential for all, and even me. I could afford the Ultra Micro Stack and have no regrets getting it. However, I would, without any hesitation whatsoever, recommend my previous setup since it's not at all far removed from the ultra micro stack sound. IMO, it's no night and day thing, but there's a still easily heard improvement in sound detail and staging which in the realm of diminishing returns and where differences become increasingly subtle, may be considered to be a night and day difference. While I may not care about it when listening to my rock collection, it certainly adds to the fun when listening to some new age instrumental, classical and jazz.

So all in all, it can indeed get better than what you're hearing from the MicroAmp, but the point of diminishing returns does loom very near and it's a matter of what you want out of your system as well, the state of your wallet, and if you wish to explore the possibilities.

I think though that you could easily lay to rest the possibility of things getting better, by upgrading your headphones first, and not the amp.

[Raptor34]

Originally Posted by myinitialsaredac

Grats on the amp.
Now you have to try the micro dac. Its a wonder. If you get the extra cash, definitely try the ultra micro dac also with an astrodyne. Moving from onboard to the micro dac was a splendor, from the micro dac to the ultra micro was again amazing. I really have been impressed with the quality and more importantly the sound of the Headroom offerings.

Dave

Nope! I am now officially broke!! However as aimlink suggests: "I think though that you could easily lay to rest the possibility of things getting better, by upgrading your headphones first, and not the amp." Maybe my HD580's need some company on the headphone rack. I was thinking Denon AH-D2000? I would love to have a pair of HD650's but they are too expensive an upgrade to improve on it's older brother, the HD580.

[aimlink]

Originally Posted by Raptor34

Nope! I am now officially broke!! However as aimlink suggests: "I think though that you could easily lay to rest the possibility of things getting better, by upgrading your headphones first, and not the amp." Maybe my HD580's need some company on the headphone rack. I was thinking Denon AH-D2000? I would love to have a pair of HD650's but they are too expensive an upgrade to improve on it's older brother, the HD580.

I initially had, and still have, the HD595. I then moved up to the HD 650. The difference was so relaxing for me. I have not listened to the HD 595s since. Not that I didn't have a lot of fun with them. It's just that when you think things are wonderful, you do an upgrade and you're stunned. I do feel that short of a headphone upgrade or going tubes, I'll not get much better than I now have. Gotta sell the HD 595's... never sold anything like this before. Do I simply post its availability and price, then hope that someone will trust that I'm not taking them for a ride?

The Denon's seem to have a decent reputation. I doubt that you'd be disappointed in trying the D2000's.

[Chri5peed]

I love how the DAC is USB & Co-ax/Optical.

[moogoob]

Originally Posted by Raptor34

Haven't had time to burn the Micro in yet but so far the improvement over the Total AirHead I've been using for three years is astounding. No REALLY, I'm not kidding. My HD580's with the Micro have improved immensely. I'm hearing a clarity and space in the sound stage I never knew existed! Sweet highs with no subliminal grunge and rock solid bass. This was an impulse buy for me and I wasn't expecting this much improvement. Now you couldn't get the micro amp away from me unless you pried it out of my cold dead hands Headroom, I'm a believer.....

Lol. Same thing here, came from Bithead to Micro. The dynamics were leaps and bounds beyond what the Bithead alone could do, even with my "easy to drive" 325is. Getting the Ultra Micro DAC was a comparatively lesser (but still very good!) upgrade, but that probably speaks more about the surprisingly good quality of the TBHs little DAC chip.

Also, my setup has a very black noise floor, which is crucial with such sensitive phones.

[aimlink]

Originally Posted by moogoob

Lol. Same thing here, came from Bithead to Micro. The dynamics were leaps and bounds beyond what the Bithead alone could do, even with my "easy to drive" 325is. Getting the Ultra Micro DAC was a comparatively lesser (but still very good!) upgrade, but that probably speaks more about the surprisingly good quality of the TBHs little DAC chip.

Also, my setup has a very black noise floor, which is crucial with such sensitive phones.

The impact of the DAC upgrade also depends on the recordings you listen to. There's only so much that you can get out of unfortunately, most of the recordings out there.

[moogoob]

Originally Posted by aimlink

The impact of the DAC upgrade also depends on the recordings you listen to. There's only so much that you can get out of unfortunately, most of the recordings out there.

Too true. Infected Mushroom really comes alive, though. (in a sorta scary way!)

[HeadphoneAddict]

I feel my Micro DAC/Amp are at least as good as my Pico with Macbook USB and slightly better when using optical, which is what I wrote in my big USB DAC Amp review thread. Mine is the portable version yet it also bests the Meier Headfive, a stock Firestone Cute Beyond and Travagans Red (but not one with OPA627 or AD743 in it), and edges out the Apogee mini-DAC headphone out.

I bought the HR last March and would never dream of selling it, despite having moved up to a balanced Apogee mini-DAC and Single Power balanced amp in my main rig since then (HR is in my bedside rig amp rotation). I did hear the HR Balanced Desktop last summer and it is a step above the Micro Amp, and if I hadn't gotten such a good deal on a demo/used Square Wave I would own the HR balanced Desktop with DAC instead.

[JMCIII]

I absolutely love my Portable Micro Amp w/DAC. it makes my AKG701s, Beyer DT770s, and Shure 530s sing so sweetly that if i hadn't just heard what the Ulimate Desktop System could do I would never think of upgrading. So if yo're happy, don't listen to the Desktop stuff. It'll spoil you somehitng fierce - plus deplete the wallet.

[Schweiz]

Great raptor34. Thanks a lot! I really don't need to spend more money.

I have the total bithead and have been contemplating the micro stack. I already have the D2000's you mentioned. I decided that I would save my money for the time being, since I'm happy now and don't know any better. But my curiosity keeps getting tickled...

Congratulations on the equipment.

[Raptor34]

Originally Posted by Schweiz

Great raptor34. Thanks a lot! I really don't need to spend more money.

I have the total bithead and have been contemplating the micro stack. I already have the D2000's you mentioned. I decided that I would save my money for the time being, since I'm happy now and don't know any better. But my curiosity keeps getting tickled...

Congratulations on the equipment.

I don't usually post about a purchase and any improvements gained by that purchase, I sort of feel like a unpaid advertiser for the company I bought from but this is different. There is a real and significant improvement between the two products. (Air/Bithead vs Micro Amp) Guess there better be as the price difference is substantial but worth every penny, er dollar I would really like to hear my micro with other cans but the 580's continue to impress way beyond what I have expected on them. Unless the D2000 or the HD650's drop significantly in price, I'm sticking with the 580's. You on the other hand haven't heard how really good your Denon's are. muhahahahaha.