Shadow Impressions - Page 15

Good to see this little marvel back on current pages.  Rays smaller amps (Shadow; P51) have always been in my rotation and I think they are still incredibly good sounding and powerful little amps.  Nico_g, I think you made the right choice (although I also have the Pico Slim that I use for my JH13s, a small amp that is really good with IEMs) given you had a chance to listen to some really good amps in Hong Kong.  Lucky you!

Hello kiwirugby,

it was really a big chance to find this shop in HK !

I'm from France, and here, there is no shop like this. I was only able to compare the Fostex HP-P1 DAC-Amp, against my Tomahawk in a store in Paris.

When I bought the Tomahawk, it was a blind decision because I was unable to test it.

I confirm that only real testing can help making the best choice. But my conclusions are in good agreement with a lot of review posted in this forum.

You're not kidding you were lucky, nico.  I lived in Paris quite awhile ago and there was nothing like what you found.  Unlike you - other than the Tomahawk - most of my amp purchases were "blind" having to makes decisions based on what people said on head-fi fora.  Mostly, I have been pleased with what I bought.  But in Hong Kong you were able to try out some good amps and use your listening to decide.  We don't always get that chance unless you go to meets.

I'd be interested in hearing about your new amp.

My new amp is a little gem : I'm very pleased with the sound, even if it probably need some burn-in. The battery lasts forever !

I only have a concern with my old LOD (from ALO) : there is some loose contact with my Ipod and   i tried to fix it but the problem comes back after a few weeks.

So, I need to buy a new LOD.

I don't want to spend more than 150-200$ and I've found some interestinf models from Whiplash, ALO or RSA.

I prefer if the LOD has the highest Ipod connector quality because those contacts are so tiny that I think that's one of the weakest point in LOD design.

For example, I listed :

http://www.aloaudio.com/alo-audio-occ-cryo-22awg-iphone-ipod-cable (same Ipod connector as my LOD)

http://www.aloaudio.com/alo-audio-18awg-occ-triple-pipe-cryo-ipod (best ipod connector)

http://www.whiplashaudio.com/cables/ipod-cables/elite-reference-line-out-dock-lod.html

Whiplash seems to be good but very expensive if you want to have the best Ipod connector.

All advices are welcome !

I have a Whiplash LOD from my Nano 6 > Shadow, but the one that is much smaller than the one you show.  I'll see if I can find it on Craig's website and send you the link.

Here you go, Nico: http://www.whiplashaudio.com/cables/ipod-cables/whiplash-elite-micro-line-out-dock-lod-left-exit.html

There's a left and right exit.  The one Craig made for me is a middle exit with a really short - I mean miniscule! - cable and a small angled jack.  Craig will custom build one for you.  Juts be prepared to wait a bit!

Thanks for the link. I think I prefer straight LOD, against angled ones, because the Shadow is too small and has to be located far from the bottom of my Ipod Classic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nico_g 

Thanks for the link. I think I prefer straight LOD, against angled ones, because the Shadow is too small and has to be located far from the bottom of my Ipod Classic.

Makes sense.  Still, I would suggest working with a cable builder to see how small a footprint LOD they can build.  Let us know what you end up with.  Pictures, of course!!  All the best in your search.

Love this amp.  Very black background and great volume control with my IEMs.

I just picked it up used on eBay  ($239 shipped).  Here's a pic, is this serial# 10, or #5010?

Also, does the charging LED go out?  Is it OK to leave it plugged in to the supplied charger for and extended period of time?

Cheers!

Yes, the LED charging light does go out when it's fully charged.  I have had amp plugged in overnight (8-9 hours) to charge without any problems.  However, I have never used it on a charger for any extended time.

As you say, a great little sounding amp.  I use it with my Nano 6 and Klipsch X10 for ultraportable listening.

Hello

I confirm for the LED : it stops when charged, after a few hours.

The serial number is S010 : the first character is the first letter of the name of the amplifier : so S for Shadow.