Shadow vs. ALO Rx? - Page 2

I have both the shadow and Rx and to my ears the Rx is doing it for me but both amps have yet to get to full maturity so I will not make a definitive decision until then.

from your description hmm I think shadow is not your choice. I prefer pico to shadow. the highs and lows not as extended. the mids cant touch pico forwardness. not sure about the ALO rx yet cos no demos here yet. but reading the driving power of RX. It is better to get something that can drive jh13 at flat frequency as in Shigzeos review's graphs.

I don't have the Pico or RX but I know what I hear. I do have the Lisa III, the Woo 6, and an assortment of portables. The Shadow does an excellent job with presenting the music as it is recorded. I use the JH13's for most of my comparisons as I find them very revealing and the Shadow is designed for IEM's and easier to drive phones.

I have found that contrary to what I thought about burn-in with this amp, it does take a few hundred hours to fully settle and reveal its frequency capabilities. The top end is grain free and extended and I find the mids bring out the voice in a convincing and dimensional manner. By dimensional I mean more of the 3D effect. The bass is controlled and creates foundation for the music that never overwhelms the other frequencies but gives the impression of location as in the venue a studio or live recording was done, if the recording is done well. Listen to "Jimmy Row" by the Grateful Dead on The Dead Set. Every thing is there from the dynamics, punch and shear joy of the performance.

For source I often use my iRiver H140 with lossless to the optical in MB-1 dual dac.

I have the 2 RX and shadows and owns differents portable amps.
This is my personal rate.
Source imod and pvcaps.Headphone Grado GS 1000 or westone 3 :
Music : Classical and Jazz.
XP7 Mod+ dedicate power supplie >RX>P 51>Shadow>Hornet Non M>Predator.

Just my personnal experience.

Thanks Jam - I'm steadily getting all the confirmation I need that its worth holding out for the Lisa RS. The Shadow/D4/Rx all seem like fantastic choices for IEMs, but I want an amp that I know will have no problems driving fullsize cans to their optimum. I know it means 'transportable' over 'portable' - perhaps we need a new forum for 'Transportable Amps and DACs' .

i was under the impression that the RS was strictly for home use. not even necessarily "transportable," although i suppose anything is transportable.

I haven't heard that shaddow, but I owned an original sr71, and know Ray's signature sound, which I think he aims for with each amp.

I just got the Rx, and I'd say you are describing it, more than the RS sound. I think while the Rx may be a bit better technically, the biggest differences will be in tone. The Rx has a very clean, detailed, extended and linear sound. Kind of clinical. the RS sound is more warm and analog.

So far I am finding the Rx to be too clean sounding for my taste, but if that's what you're after, it's going to be great.

Well I think there are enough amps to satisfy most everyone's taste. Cool, warm, neutral, mellow, laid-back, dynamic, bass heavy, and on it goes.

It's all good. Be kind and enjoy the music.

And I was given to understand that it will be a mains-powered amp with the same footprint as the Lisa III : from the photos I've seen, that will easily fit in a backpack and be transportable between my office and my bedside table. That, to me, is transportable.

All amps are transportable some require a forklift though. :^)

The Rx is not better than the Shadow or vice versa.

It depends of your tastes and the music that you listen to.

I have compared both amps a lot today and so far I slightly prefer the Shadow because of the "toe tapping" factor.

The Rx is probably a little bit better technically but I have a little bit more fun with the Shadow.

I have not used the Rx a lot recently so I will continue to burn it in for another 100 hours as a minimum.

jam, I admit that I wouldnt bring my CA integrated into the office, even though it is physically conceivable, but hopefully the RS should be a simpler proposition. Most of the time, it will be hooked up to the Topaz and my MBP on the bedside table. Big amps generating a lot of heat are probably the pinnacle in audio, but they just dont suit my requirements at this point in time.

I know, just having some fun. I most likely wouldn't take my Woo 6 back and forth, tends to get bulky and then those tubes.

A power cord at the office and one at home I can see where taking the RS back and forth would be fun. I wish I could listen to music at work but just a bit difficult when you have to listen to those pesky alarms in ICU all the time. :^)