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Sleek SA6 With Which Amp?

post #1 of 11
9/16/08 at 6:59am
Thread Starter 
Hi Head-Fiers,

I would like to ask if what amps you guys recommend me to get for the Sleek Audio SA6 Audio. Preferably those that gives nice Soundstage, Sound Separation as the SA6 lack in those 2 aspects. My budget is around 500-600, but of course if there's something cheaper and it will do the SA6, why not? Heard that the RSA Predator is good in Soundstaging but I haven't got a change to personally try it with the SA6.

On a sidenote, I didn't see any proper threads that recommends which amp the SA6 should combine with thus created this thread. Also, I'm not sure if this should go into the Portable Amp sub-forum or here, thus I give it a try here...

Many thanks in advance for your recommendations.

Regards,
Fiiophile.
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post #2 of 11
9/17/08 at 11:05am
Thread Starter 
No recommendations?
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post #3 of 11
9/17/08 at 11:59am
MiniboxE+ works well with SA6, but it's the only amp I own, save the FiiO.
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post #4 of 11
9/17/08 at 12:06pm
Ray Samuels Tomahawk, haven't tried a lot of portable amps with it, but the Tomahawk seems to add a little to the experience. Otherwise try and look into the other good low gain amps they will probably aide the performance of the SA6s somewhat.
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post #5 of 11
9/17/08 at 12:18pm
I'm using an iBasso D2 Viper, and it's brilliant. I first had a Fiio E3, and it also did very well, boosting the SA6's lack of bass. The Viper also boosts the bass ever so slightly, but not so much in terms of loudness, but brings it forward, which is really really nice. It's also considerably punchier and more detailed. Soundstage-wise, the Viper puts you closer (spatially) to each instrument, as though you were standing on the stage and listening to the musicians' stage monitors, rather than through the main speakers. Not everyone likes this effect, but I find it very satisfying. It's very intimate and enjoyable.

The advantage of the Viper is you can roll the opamps to tailor the sound to your liking. The Viper is also considered to be as near in sound signature to the Predator as one can get, without actually being a Predator, with the added advantage of being $300 cheaper.

Unfortunately, iBasso only built 100 of these things, but if you're lucky (like I was), someone here will be willing to sell theirs, as amps get passed around frequently. I'm saving up for a Predator, so this Viper will go as soon as I get one (but that's months away). You may also want to consider the iBasso D2 Boa or Python (not modifiable unfortunately), and the new upcoming P3 Heron, in which rollable opamps have been reintroduced.
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post #6 of 11
9/23/08 at 5:56am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by roxxor View Post
I'm using an iBasso D2 Viper, and it's brilliant. I first had a Fiio E3, and it also did very well, boosting the SA6's lack of bass. The Viper also boosts the bass ever so slightly, but not so much in terms of loudness, but brings it forward, which is really really nice. It's also considerably punchier and more detailed. Soundstage-wise, the Viper puts you closer (spatially) to each instrument, as though you were standing on the stage and listening to the musicians' stage monitors, rather than through the main speakers. Not everyone likes this effect, but I find it very satisfying. It's very intimate and enjoyable.

The advantage of the Viper is you can roll the opamps to tailor the sound to your liking. The Viper is also considered to be as near in sound signature to the Predator as one can get, without actually being a Predator, with the added advantage of being $300 cheaper.

Unfortunately, iBasso only built 100 of these things, but if you're lucky (like I was), someone here will be willing to sell theirs, as amps get passed around frequently. I'm saving up for a Predator, so this Viper will go as soon as I get one (but that's months away). You may also want to consider the iBasso D2 Boa or Python (not modifiable unfortunately), and the new upcoming P3 Heron, in which rollable opamps have been reintroduced.
Thanks man. I will look around for the viper and see if i can try it or not. I'm currently with the Fiio E3. Waiting for the E5. Maybe it can pair up with the SA6 well too. Who knows..
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post #7 of 11
9/23/08 at 12:08pm
I second the Tomahawk. It effectively increases the depth of the soundstage with every in-ear and earbud I've thrown at it. Keep in mind that while it's not the best with full sized phones (clipping is apparent with high gain and around 3 o'clock on the dial depending on how hot your input signal is) it does power them well. So if you want versatility, it's not your best option. Others I've tried include the Airheads as well as CMOYs. They did not have a clean of a signal as the Tomahawk and the Tomahawk also exhibited the least amount of interference noise from EMF.
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post #8 of 11
9/23/08 at 1:59pm
If you can take the hit, get a RSA Predator, which has even better SQ and soundstaging than the Tomahawk.
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post #9 of 11
9/23/08 at 4:07pm
The Predator that I auditioned does sound very very very very good actually. Size is comparable with the Tomahawk but if you're only trying to drive the SA6s or any in-ear for that matter, a Tomahawk is more than sufficient and the sound is not THAT far off from the Predator especially at around $150 cheaper. The Predator is a bit more versatile though as the power supply can drive the bigger phones better without the clipping issue that the Tomahawk could exhibit.
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post #10 of 11
9/24/08 at 10:13am
Thread Starter 
I see, Thanks ppl. Speaking of the of the Tomahawk, there's an amp, the Graham Slee Voyager, around that price. I've read many good stuffs about them. Anyone used or tried this with the SA6?
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post #11 of 11
9/24/08 at 10:19am
You do realize Graham Slee Voyager is quite big in size? It is currently available at Jaben for audition, if you want to try it out.
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