Thanks AnakChan.. great reviews and impressions so far..keep them coming

It's interesting to read these impressions now. I borrowed Jude's SR71/CLAS rig with the pre-production LCD-3s overnight while we were in Tokyo last year and felt the same about the SR71 lacking a bit in zing. Given the whole set-up was unfamiliar I didn't say anything. Also, I only heard the prototype RX3 at the meet, but it did sound good last year, as this year when I tried it again. Since everyone in our group wanted to try the RX3 it was hard to do a good comparison and switch amps quickly, but it seemed to at least a little better than my L3, my impression being that the soundstage is wider.

@Currawong, I'm planning to takyuubin you my RxMk3 when I'm done initial impressions. Although I like to share my thoughts, I'm also concern how "professional" (or lack of, more like it) my reviews are.

I'll PM you when I'm done & can send it over to you for your thoughts to share with the group here.

That's awfly nice of you ol chap, while your at it, any chance of say sending it down the road abit.....im in Os tralia ol boy.....

Takyuubin me your Edition 8s while you are at it! haha

Subscribed. Keep 'em coming!

I had only a few seconds with the RX MKIII, but at minimum what I can corroborate is that the Rx series has incredible sound stage.
Quote:

currawong said:

It's interesting to read these impressions now. I borrowed Jude's SR71/CLAS rig with the pre-production LCD-3s overnight while we were in Tokyo last year and felt the same about the SR71 lacking a bit in zing. Given the whole set-up was unfamiliar I didn't say anything. Also, I only heard the prototype RX3 at the meet, but it did sound good last year, as this year when I tried it again. Since everyone in our group wanted to try the RX3 it was hard to do a good comparison and switch amps quickly, but it seemed to at least a little better than my L3, my impression being that the soundstage is wider.

Click to expand...

I have found that the change from single ended to balanced on my iBasso Pb2 had a big step up in instrument placement and width of sound stage. The best way that I can describe is that it is like going from a stereo speaker setup to something closer to a surround theatre. I would guess that if the Rx3 loses to the Dx in a shoot-out that it shouldn't be because of soundstage.

Quote:

kremer930 said:

I have found that the change from single ended to balanced on my iBasso Pb2 had a big step up in instrument placement and width of sound stage. The best way that I can describe is that it is like going from a stereo speaker setup to something closer to a surround theatre. I would guess that if the Rx3 loses to the Dx in a shoot-out that it shouldn't be because of soundstage.

Click to expand...

also my question would be how was the test set up? he wasnt really comparing the Rx3 tot he DX100 it doesnt seem, he was comparing the Rx3 plus ipod to the dx100 on its own. I wouldnt discount the DX100's ability to bring about many of those changes over the ipod. i would love to see a comparison of the dx100 with and without the Rx3, or does the dx100 not have a lineout?
edit: Sorry is seems that he was using the CLAS with the rx3, but still the difference in the dac stage could also still easily account for the differences heard. i think a comparison of the dx100 with and without the rx3 would be interesting
 
edit: Sorry is seems that he was using the CLAS with the rx3, but still the difference in the dac stage could also still easily account for the differences heard. i think a comparison of the dx100 with and without the rx3 would be interesting

That would be an interesting test for those people with really deep pockets. . I am guessing, again, that the dx with the rx3 could become the ultimate portable...at least until the Hifiman 901 is released in a month or two.

Because the DX can play ALAC format songs, it is one of the first options outside of an iPod that doesn't require me to convert my music library. I want to know how it will compare again my planned CLAS Rx3 rig.

So many great toys around......

Of course, not all earphones (multi armature) will be better for going balanced as their crossovers are generally tuned for a specific input type. Dynamic I can understand. Franck at Earsonics mentioned specifically that his earphones wouldn't sound as good. He didn't provide graphs charting how the discrepancies spread over the frequency, but I will have to agree as I've used a number of customs in balanced and it's hit-or-miss, miss mostly.
 
Dynamic, however, I've never encountered one that isn't more engaging, with better left-right and instrument separation, and sometimes, awful bass humps smoothed out.
Quote:

kremer930 said:

I have found that the change from single ended to balanced on my iBasso Pb2 had a big step up in instrument placement and width of sound stage. The best way that I can describe is that it is like going from a stereo speaker setup to something closer to a surround theatre. I would guess that if the Rx3 loses to the Dx in a shoot-out that it shouldn't be because of soundstage.

Click to expand...

Anyone care to guess when an "Mk 4" will be released, decimating the resale value of this amp?

Anakchan: That'd be great! After a bit of confusion with my DX100 distorting and the L3 sounding weird in the treble with some people (maybe due to a low battery) I'm definitely up for spending some time with the RX3. 

Can someone make a comparison between the Rx MK2 and Rx MK3?  Is there any difference in sound signature (coloration or lack of), soundstage, bass presence (without turning up the bass on the MK3), etc.?

Hi, sorry I never tried the Rx Mk2.

Anyhow today I've pulled out the SR-71B instead. Now, in general, I've not really been that impressed with my SR-71B (that's the only one I've tried), but I went out today with an objective mind. Again, today's gear was the iPad3, FitEar TO GO! 334 (and later tried the Unique Melody Merlins), and for the most part, the tracks I listened to were the same with the only exception being Vivaldi's Four Seasons where in this case I just listened to two tracks as opposed 5. You'll see my comments have a similar pattern across most genre and I didn't feel the need to listen to everything I listened to yesterday.
 
As with the other impressions, these are just notes I wrote of what I thought at that moment. i.e. if anything doesn't gel or make sense, my sincere apologies.
 

 
 
Bill Evans Trio Waltz For Debby (My Foolish Heart & Waltz For Debby)
SR-71B: drum brushes is very apparent up to the point that I found them distracting as it felt it was drowning the other instruments. Possibly strong mid forward/focused? Or I'm too used to the DX100/Rx Mk3 sound signature. In addition, (and if this makes sense), on the SR-71B, the instruments sounded like they had a lisp as opposed to sounding crisp like the RxMk3. The background audience noise is much more apparent but in a 2D way, whereas the RxMk3 sounded more 3D but a little more distant (more depth). In case the readers aren't aware, This album was recorded live, as such the audience noise.
 
RxMk3: wider soundstage. Cymbals sound more distinct. Clarity in the trebles.
 
Low Gain/Mid Gain, no difference.
 
Diana Krall's The Look Of Love (S'Wonderful, Love Letters, Besame Mucho)
SR-71B: voice sounds muffled. Again a tad of that lispy sound. The shaker instrument (is that what you call it??) can distinctively be heard on the right channel but all other instruments rather centric.
RxMk3: Sounds clearer, but in comparison to the SR-71B, the RxMk3 sounds a tad V-shaped. Instrument separation is great! More 3D and encompassing around me. Shaker sounds so crystal clear, whilst other instrument positioning/placement also more easily determined - guess it's due to the wide soundstage and detail, and imaging.
 
For fun I tried to switch on the Bass...at low levels it's fine, at max it sounds boomy.
 
Original Footloose Soundtrack (Footloose & Let's Hear It For The Boy)
SR-71B: continues the same trend. To sound mid focused making the RxMk3 sound v shaped by comparison. Is the SR-71B "A shaped" and the Rx Mk3 neutral, or is the SR-71B more hill-shaped and the Rx Mk3 more V-shaped? The treble extensions are there but not forward.
RxMk3: Same story as before.
 
Black Eyed Peas' E.N.D. (Boom Boom Pow & Rock That Body)
RxMk3's bass extension continues to make me shudder in comparison to the SR-71B despite the RxMk3's bass switch being off. RxMk3 sounds so 3D. The rest of the story is the same as above.
 
I have to admit, at this point, I find it very hard to find a reason to listen to the SR-71B as it the pattern is doesn't changes (this is on different gain settings too on both amps).
 
Isaac Stern's Vivaldi Four Seasons (Summer III: Presto then skip to Winter I: Allegro non Molto)
Same story as before. the RxMk3 imaging, clarity is simply superb.
 
 
Switching IEMs
Now either I'm either getting very accustomed to the Fit Ear TO GO! 334 or the Rx Mk3 needs more burning in, I find that the UM Merlins today painfully piercing. A few days ago I found the UM Merlins bright/glitzy but today it was almost painful. The UM Merlins were more agreeable with the SR-71B in this respect however the above impressions remain the same, but just not as strongly noticeable. Headphone/Earphone synergy with the amp and/or source is quite critical. i.e. there's no absolute "clear winner" when the earphone/headphone itself is a moving baseline target.