mrarroyo
Headphoneus Supremus
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- Jul 27, 2005
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It has been about 9 months since Rob (Vorlon1) and I did a portable amp comparison. Since then I have had an idea of going back and adding additional amps. I hope that the additional listening time and perspective of all these months allows us to provide a better insight especially as we all growth in this hobby.
The initial comparison took on a humorous turn when we decided to write the comparison from two perspectives, kind of along the ways that Siskel and Ebert & the Movies used to be. Since that review many portable amps have come and gone with a select few remaining constant. Thus we decided to get together and see if we could add value to our old write-up.
On this first post I will attempt to set up the stage by first copying here the 1st post the review and pictures we did about 9 months ago. On the second post I will post pictures of the latest get together and a list of the equipment used. I should point that for this second installment we had a third member, Ron (HiFlight).
Finally on the third post I will attempt to add notes from this second get together and arrange the portable amp rankings from my perspective. I look forward to both Rob (Vorlon1) and Ron (HiFlight) post their comments as well as the additional pictures they took. I will take their pictures and add them to the 2nd post. Their rankings will be added to the third post so that you the end user have only three posts to get the overall idea.
Chances are that as the thread develops we may change some of these ideas with the intent to make for a more enjoyable reading experience. Be advised we are posting our opinions, which in no way are neither the last nor the best. Hope you gain from reading but most importantly that it makes you want to go out and listen to more music and some of the great equipment available.
The following is a copy of a post I made back in 10/14/06. It can be found at: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showpo...04&postcount=1
Today Vorlon1 and I got together to go over a few portable amps. Specifically we had:
-PA2V2
-Go-Vibe 5
-LaRocco PRII
-Ray Sammuel SR71
-Ray Sammuel The Hornet "M" with about 225 hours of burn in
-Dr. Xin Supermini IV
-Dr. Xin Supermicro IV
-Xenos 0HA-REP
-Pint Amp made by DieInAFire
-Pint Amp made by MisterX (the one in the Hammond case)
-Practical Devices XM3
We also had at our disposal two home amps, these were:
-Musical Fidelity X-Can V2 (un-modded)
-LaRocco Home PPA
For sources we had:
-4th Generation 60 Gb iPod Photo with the iWine Mod
-5th Generation 60 Gb iPod Video
-4th Generation 60 Gb iPod Photo
For interconnects we had:
-ALO cotton mini to mini IC
-ALO cotton mini to rca IC
-Blue Jean Cable mini to rca IC
-Turbo mini to mini IC
-Pocket Dock
For headphones we had:
-2005 Beyer DT990
-2003 Beyer DT880
-A +/-15 year old Beyer DT990
-Westone UM2 with ear molds for Vorlon1
-Sennheiser HD600 with Headphile Senn V2 cable in Black Silver
-Etymotic ER4S
Here are some thumbnails taken, click on them to see the full size picture.
Vorlon1 and I will write a single impression which will get posted in an upcomming post. Hopefully it will help some prospective buyers or it may just confuse you further
. I can say I had a lot of fun listening to so much gear.
The following is a post I made on 10/18/06. It can be found at: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showpo...8&postcount=21
Everything writen in blue below was done by mrarroyo, in red by Vorlon1.
Here is the write-up, hopefully it will be helpful.
Doing a product comparison is not only a demanding task but most important it is a means to clear up some misconceptions on what you thought was good and ends up being average. It is also an opportunity to be surprised by equipment that you did not expect to fare well yet against all odds it surprises you.
That was the case, at least for me (mrarroyo). Another thing I should mention is that the particular setting was very appropriate for comparing equipment, since it was a quiet office environment with no visual distractions, with comfortable seating arrangements as well as a good table to use as a platform. I say this because in some meets the sound level gets a bit loud, this is great for making new friends and to express yourself openly. However the noise and coming and going of people can definitely influence the way you perceive a particular piece of equipment.
Vorlon 1: Maybe we will end up the Ebert and Roper of the Head-Fi set, but I have some doubts. I’m glad Miguel found the environment so conducive to good listening. I, on the other hand, was expecting my staff to bang down my door any second with some crisis or other. It was quiet in there though, and we had plenty of equipment to listen to.
In my (mrarroyo) case I started comparing equipment with The Hornet “M” as my base against which I compared the various other offerings. My impressions were:
Vorlon 1: Generally I use the SR-71 as my baseline for comparison because of its many sonic attributes. (Impact, weight, clarity and detail for example).
mrarroyo: SR-71: Here I was surprised, based on my initial comparison about a year ago in which the SR-71 was the clear winner in every category I could think of. This time around it still came ahead in the clarity and detail departments. However, the differences were subtle, The Hornet “M” was a more fun and involving amp with a really great bass. Neither is better than the other, just different. An analogy I can offer is that both my AKG K701 and my Beyer DT990 sound different but both are fantastic cans. If you are looking for an amp to constantly carry around due to a hectic schedule I would recommend The Hornet “M,” it allows you to switch cans on the go without having to worry if they would be overpowered by the amp or worry that the amp won’t be able to drive them. All of this thanks to the gain switch, do not forget that it has a built in charger which would allow the user to get two wall warts, one for the office and one for home without having to worry about running out of juice or having to carry an additional battery. On the other hand if most of your listening will be at one location then the SR-71 would be a better choice. I would also choose the SR-71 if most of my listening is of classical or jazz.
Vorlon 1: mrarroyo’s Hornet really impressed me. I had an original Hornet some time ago, but I sold it because I found it too intense on the treble end and harsh sounding on many recordings. The M version has no such problem. It is warm, but very well defined and clear, with a bigger and deeper soundstage than the un-modded version. Guitar notes are sharp and clear, and vocals have detail and subtlety and a more forward presentation than the SR-71, but a pleasant degree of forwardness. I really like the presentation and tonality of the M Hornet.
mrarroyo: Go-Vibe 5: Ok, for this one I will put on my flameproof suit. Yes, the overall winner in sound quality is The Hornet “M,” however the differences IMO are very minute. The Hornet “M” does have an advantage on features such as again switch, rechargeable battery, and smaller size. However, if you are on a budget the difference in sound is not justified by the increase in price (390.50/82=4.76). By the way, those who may be concerned about theft will find that having the Go-Vibe 5 would give them the flexibility to carry a top of the line amplifier (soundwise) and not be paranoid at loosing $400 due to being mugged.
Vorlon 1: I got a Go-Vibe 5 soon after they became available and I like this amp very much and think it is a fantastic value at its price. I think it has many qualities of the SR-71 and Hornet without having all the refinement of the SR-71 or all the warmth and simultaneous clarity of the Hornet. We used mrarroyo’s Go-vibe and I thought it had a bit more warmth and sounded more like his Hornet than my Go-vibe which seems slightly less warm, but very open and clear.
mrarroyo: Pints: We had two available, one built by DieInAFire (mint case) and the other by MisterX (hammond case). I really liked the sound out of the MisterX Pint and when I compared it to the Go-Vibe 5 and The Hornet it was very close to the point I do not think I would not be able to tell them apart in a double blind test. However seeing them I would choose the Go-Vibe 5 and The Hornet over them.
Vorlon 1: The DieInAFire Pint originally had an AD 8397 in it, but I found it too upfront and asked him to modify it with an LM 6172, which he did. I find this very smooth and clean, with very good detail and a pleasant uncolored sound. The other Pint was originally in a mint tin also, but MisterX , who did not build the original version of it, was kind enough to put it in a Hammond case and put an LM 6172 in it also. It uses one 9V battery instead of two, which the DieInAFire Pint uses. It sounds similar, but I don’t think the bass is as weighty on it as the two battery version. A great amp for less than 100 dollars if you can still find the boards.
mrarroyo: Practical Devices XM3: This little amp is a great bargain overall, its only drawback is its implementation of the crossfeed since it loses a lot of volume but most importantly clarity/detail when the crossfeed is engaged. It does have various unique features such as gain switch, variable crossfeed, you can roll OP Amps, built in charger, a way to program how long you would like to have the amp on for, and a system to let you know the voltage remaining in the battery. Sound quality wise I would say it is close to the Pint by MisterX but just a tad less detail and punch.
Vorlon 1: I bought this one to see what it was like. I like the design and looks and it has entertaining features, but the crossfeed wasn’t so hot. I think it can be adjusted, but I never use crossfeed anyway so it was left at the default setting. It is a clean sounding pleasant amp, but nothing to write home about.
mrarroyo: Xenos OHA-REP: You know what they say about chocolate and vanilla? There are some people who truly love one but do not want anything to do with the other? Well, although in my case the differences were not as pronounced, this amp is not for me. I can’t honestly say it did anything wrong but at the same time it did not do anything extraordinary either. At its price I would choose the Go-Vibe 5. I will say I like the built in recharger, its smaller size, built in clip that by the way it is detachable. I do believe when OP Amp rolling is added this amp will merit a second look.
Vorlon 1: This little amp has a lot of power and gain and will drive high impedance cans very well, but I honestly find the sound mediocre. It’s not that it sounds bad, it is smooth sounding and tonally it is fine, but I like amps that let you hear background details very clearly, like the high hats in the back of a small jazz combo. These details are present with the Xenos, but the finer points of them seem lost in the mist, so to speak, they don’t sparkle like with an SR-71 which is excellent at reproducing those details.
mrarroyo: PA2V2: This amp has a special significance since it was the first portable amp I ever owned. Listening to it again brought back its abilities and limitations. If you only have $60 get it, especially if you have Grado or Etymotic cans. This little amp is made to drive Grado/Etymotic a job it does extremely well. When you put into the equation the excellent service that Gary provides it makes this amp an easy amp to own.
Vorlon 1: This is also the first amp I ever owned, and I still have it. It is smooth and warm, very pleasant to listen to, sounds good on vocals, and really does nothing very wrong. For its price it produces very nice sound, but it won’t power hard to drive cans, give you a deep and wide soundstage or bring out small details in the recording as well as the other amps, and particularly the Go-Vibe which is only 20 dollars more. Still, I haven’t sold it off…..
Mrarroyo: Dr. Xin’s Supermicro IV: Ok, here I lost all objectivity. Why, because there is no way something this small can have this huge sound. I truly believe that Dr. Xin made a deal with the Devil to make it happen. This gem has clarity, punch, detail, sound stage etc. Until you try it you can’t believe it, I mean it was driving my Senn HD600 and my Beyer DT990 without any problems!!! I have one coming in black, if it sounds as good as Vorlon1’s blue Supermicro IV I will most likely sent it back??? because I will upgrade to the Supermacro IV since I want the crossfeed feature, as well as the bass boost and the OP Amp rolling capability.
Vorlon 1: It was very entertaining to watch mrarroyo’s face when he listened to this amp. Pleasure and surprise were the order of the day, and well deserved too. This is an amazing amp. I think it was just really beginning to “bloom” in the days leading to our little meet, and it has continued to develop. If anything, it is sounding more open, clear, and crisp than it did last Saturday. I was listening to it for several hours today and found it very tubelike in the best sense, smooth, warm lush mids, clear and natural highs, no harshness anywhere, and the largest and deepest soundstage of any portable amp I have ever heard, including all the more expensive ones we listened to. It’s a real adjustment to hear sounds like this coming from a device not much larger than a hand held pencil sharpener!!
mrarroyo: Dr. Xin’s Supermini IV: This amp sounds IMO the same as the Supermicro IV. However it costs $20 more and you still need to get a charger specific to the OP Amps you will be using. This could mean another $20 to $30 each, so at the end of the day you are to about $250. Although it sounds great I would get the Supermicro IV or the Supermacro IV. Yes the Supermacro IV is $350 but you do not have to deal with jumpers for which you have to open the case and have tweezers available to change the jumpers.
Vorlon 1: Today I sent the super-mini in for the latest updates. It sounds very much like the micro, but not as open or tubelike, and doesn’t have the sparkle the micro has recently shown. This may be because it is not burned in yet and hasn’t been used as much as the micro. When it comes back from Dr. Xin I will give it more time to open up. Right now the micro is superior in sound.
mrarroyo: LaRocco PRII: This is a tank, the finish and attention to detail are everywhere. Once you hold it you are in awe at the quality it exudes. It has a very long list of attributes to make it a home amp and many use it that way. However, for me it is too big and I can not see using it as a portable or a transportable. Others may disagree and that is fine. Furthermore even though it sounds great I do not see it having much value at $500, for that money I would rather get The Hornet “M” and a Supermicro IV or the Supermacro IV and the Go-Vibe 5.
Vorlon 1: The Larocco is a very powerful amp. I had to send it back to get the gain lowered to use it with IEM’s. Even with that, it will still drive K 701’s with the volume turned high. This is a very, very clean and detailed amplifier. You can hear background details effortlessly, and the highs sparkle. At first I thought the amp a bit cold sounding, but it has warmed up some as it has burned in. The SR-71 and Hornet are warmer, the Larocco probably more neutral and it has a somewhat larger soundstage than these two amps. If you like power and detail with super clean sound you will like this amp. I do not think it is fully burned in yet, this one has the black gate caps and may very well continue to evolve. I am also trying to get the mods with the 744 chips that have been mentioned earlier in this thread.
mrarroyo: LaRocco PPA: I did not spend to much time with this amp, however it is a very solid performer and it had no noise floor (totally black). I found it to be very clear, detailed, and a fun amp to listen to.
Vorlon 1: I just got this one in a trade and haven’t listened to it much yet, but I agree with mrarroyo’s discussion above. I think it reminded me a bit of a Gilmore Lite, but with more weight and impact. I have to listen to it more….
Mrarroyo: Musical Fidelity X-Can V2: I will be brief since it is my amp and I am biased. This amp is a bargain, you can get it for $160 to $190 on the used market,and these prices include S&H to your home. It is my opinion everyone should own one because this amp has so much…groove and soul …it makes all kinds of music come alive. FYI, since I have shipped my X-Can V2 to PinkFloyd to have it modded.
I will stop because the fanboy will come out!
Vorlon 1: I am not an X-Can fanboy, but I thought this amp sounded excellent. I liked it better than my Larocco PPA and thought it was warm, clean and detailed with a good soundstage. It was very musical sounding and I thought more “tubey”(good tubey, not bloated tubey) sounding than mrarroyo’s X-Can V3 which I had heard previously. This amp is a great bargain at the used price, in my opinion.
mrarroyo: I was not going to comment on cans but since Vorlon1 did I will add my $0.02 on the Beyer DT990. This can is a major find, it has many of the elements of my RS1 and my HD600. It is extends a bit more on both bass and treble than the K701, in the begining it was to much, however it has mellowed and settle nicely. This can is a lot of fun to listen to and will get your feet tapping.
Vorlon 1: DT990s: Mrarroyo brought his new DT990s and I had the opportunity to hear them and I was very favorably impressed. I thought they sounded much more open and more natural than my 2004 DT 880s, for example. I like the open and spacious presentation of K 701s and found that these were very similar, while still having the Beyer house sound. Very enjoyable cans.
Mrarroyo: Since at the end of the day everyone will want a ranked list I will do so. Be aware that most if not all will not agree with these rankings and that is fine. We all have different ears, cans, listen to different music, and we all have different preconceptions and biases. The list is going to be done only for the 11 portables. Here it goes:
RankAmp
1Supermicro IV Xin SuperMicro IV/LaRocco PRII
2SR-71/The Hornet "M" SR-71/Hornet M
3Go-Vibe 5 DieInAFire Pint/Go-Vibe 5
4LaRocco PRII Xin Supermini IV
5Supermini IV MisterX Pint
6MisterX Pint Xenos OHA-REP
7Practical Devices XM3 PA2V2
8DieInAFire Pint Practical Devices XM3
9Xenos OHA-REP
10PA2V2
Footnotes/Clarifications by mrarroyo:
Although I ranked the LaRocco PRII as a 4 on its sound quality it would not be an amp I would purchase if I wanted a portable amp. For home use yes and for that there are better options IMO.
Although the sound of the Supermicro IV and the Supermini IV is virtually identical I have ranked the Supermini IV lower due to its complexity in using the jumpers and that you need to purchase a separate charger.
Although ranked last the PA2V2 would be my choice if I had $65 or less and I was only planning on driving Grado 60, 80, or 125 or Etymotic ER6 or ER6i. The synergy with those cans is fantastic.
The initial comparison took on a humorous turn when we decided to write the comparison from two perspectives, kind of along the ways that Siskel and Ebert & the Movies used to be. Since that review many portable amps have come and gone with a select few remaining constant. Thus we decided to get together and see if we could add value to our old write-up.
On this first post I will attempt to set up the stage by first copying here the 1st post the review and pictures we did about 9 months ago. On the second post I will post pictures of the latest get together and a list of the equipment used. I should point that for this second installment we had a third member, Ron (HiFlight).
Finally on the third post I will attempt to add notes from this second get together and arrange the portable amp rankings from my perspective. I look forward to both Rob (Vorlon1) and Ron (HiFlight) post their comments as well as the additional pictures they took. I will take their pictures and add them to the 2nd post. Their rankings will be added to the third post so that you the end user have only three posts to get the overall idea.
Chances are that as the thread develops we may change some of these ideas with the intent to make for a more enjoyable reading experience. Be advised we are posting our opinions, which in no way are neither the last nor the best. Hope you gain from reading but most importantly that it makes you want to go out and listen to more music and some of the great equipment available.
The following is a copy of a post I made back in 10/14/06. It can be found at: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showpo...04&postcount=1
Today Vorlon1 and I got together to go over a few portable amps. Specifically we had:
-PA2V2
-Go-Vibe 5
-LaRocco PRII
-Ray Sammuel SR71
-Ray Sammuel The Hornet "M" with about 225 hours of burn in
-Dr. Xin Supermini IV
-Dr. Xin Supermicro IV
-Xenos 0HA-REP
-Pint Amp made by DieInAFire
-Pint Amp made by MisterX (the one in the Hammond case)
-Practical Devices XM3
We also had at our disposal two home amps, these were:
-Musical Fidelity X-Can V2 (un-modded)
-LaRocco Home PPA
For sources we had:
-4th Generation 60 Gb iPod Photo with the iWine Mod
-5th Generation 60 Gb iPod Video
-4th Generation 60 Gb iPod Photo
For interconnects we had:
-ALO cotton mini to mini IC
-ALO cotton mini to rca IC
-Blue Jean Cable mini to rca IC
-Turbo mini to mini IC
-Pocket Dock
For headphones we had:
-2005 Beyer DT990
-2003 Beyer DT880
-A +/-15 year old Beyer DT990
-Westone UM2 with ear molds for Vorlon1
-Sennheiser HD600 with Headphile Senn V2 cable in Black Silver
-Etymotic ER4S
Here are some thumbnails taken, click on them to see the full size picture.
Vorlon1 and I will write a single impression which will get posted in an upcomming post. Hopefully it will help some prospective buyers or it may just confuse you further
The following is a post I made on 10/18/06. It can be found at: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showpo...8&postcount=21
Everything writen in blue below was done by mrarroyo, in red by Vorlon1.
Here is the write-up, hopefully it will be helpful.
Doing a product comparison is not only a demanding task but most important it is a means to clear up some misconceptions on what you thought was good and ends up being average. It is also an opportunity to be surprised by equipment that you did not expect to fare well yet against all odds it surprises you.
That was the case, at least for me (mrarroyo). Another thing I should mention is that the particular setting was very appropriate for comparing equipment, since it was a quiet office environment with no visual distractions, with comfortable seating arrangements as well as a good table to use as a platform. I say this because in some meets the sound level gets a bit loud, this is great for making new friends and to express yourself openly. However the noise and coming and going of people can definitely influence the way you perceive a particular piece of equipment.
Vorlon 1: Maybe we will end up the Ebert and Roper of the Head-Fi set, but I have some doubts. I’m glad Miguel found the environment so conducive to good listening. I, on the other hand, was expecting my staff to bang down my door any second with some crisis or other. It was quiet in there though, and we had plenty of equipment to listen to.
In my (mrarroyo) case I started comparing equipment with The Hornet “M” as my base against which I compared the various other offerings. My impressions were:
Vorlon 1: Generally I use the SR-71 as my baseline for comparison because of its many sonic attributes. (Impact, weight, clarity and detail for example).
mrarroyo: SR-71: Here I was surprised, based on my initial comparison about a year ago in which the SR-71 was the clear winner in every category I could think of. This time around it still came ahead in the clarity and detail departments. However, the differences were subtle, The Hornet “M” was a more fun and involving amp with a really great bass. Neither is better than the other, just different. An analogy I can offer is that both my AKG K701 and my Beyer DT990 sound different but both are fantastic cans. If you are looking for an amp to constantly carry around due to a hectic schedule I would recommend The Hornet “M,” it allows you to switch cans on the go without having to worry if they would be overpowered by the amp or worry that the amp won’t be able to drive them. All of this thanks to the gain switch, do not forget that it has a built in charger which would allow the user to get two wall warts, one for the office and one for home without having to worry about running out of juice or having to carry an additional battery. On the other hand if most of your listening will be at one location then the SR-71 would be a better choice. I would also choose the SR-71 if most of my listening is of classical or jazz.
Vorlon 1: mrarroyo’s Hornet really impressed me. I had an original Hornet some time ago, but I sold it because I found it too intense on the treble end and harsh sounding on many recordings. The M version has no such problem. It is warm, but very well defined and clear, with a bigger and deeper soundstage than the un-modded version. Guitar notes are sharp and clear, and vocals have detail and subtlety and a more forward presentation than the SR-71, but a pleasant degree of forwardness. I really like the presentation and tonality of the M Hornet.
mrarroyo: Go-Vibe 5: Ok, for this one I will put on my flameproof suit. Yes, the overall winner in sound quality is The Hornet “M,” however the differences IMO are very minute. The Hornet “M” does have an advantage on features such as again switch, rechargeable battery, and smaller size. However, if you are on a budget the difference in sound is not justified by the increase in price (390.50/82=4.76). By the way, those who may be concerned about theft will find that having the Go-Vibe 5 would give them the flexibility to carry a top of the line amplifier (soundwise) and not be paranoid at loosing $400 due to being mugged.
Vorlon 1: I got a Go-Vibe 5 soon after they became available and I like this amp very much and think it is a fantastic value at its price. I think it has many qualities of the SR-71 and Hornet without having all the refinement of the SR-71 or all the warmth and simultaneous clarity of the Hornet. We used mrarroyo’s Go-vibe and I thought it had a bit more warmth and sounded more like his Hornet than my Go-vibe which seems slightly less warm, but very open and clear.
mrarroyo: Pints: We had two available, one built by DieInAFire (mint case) and the other by MisterX (hammond case). I really liked the sound out of the MisterX Pint and when I compared it to the Go-Vibe 5 and The Hornet it was very close to the point I do not think I would not be able to tell them apart in a double blind test. However seeing them I would choose the Go-Vibe 5 and The Hornet over them.
Vorlon 1: The DieInAFire Pint originally had an AD 8397 in it, but I found it too upfront and asked him to modify it with an LM 6172, which he did. I find this very smooth and clean, with very good detail and a pleasant uncolored sound. The other Pint was originally in a mint tin also, but MisterX , who did not build the original version of it, was kind enough to put it in a Hammond case and put an LM 6172 in it also. It uses one 9V battery instead of two, which the DieInAFire Pint uses. It sounds similar, but I don’t think the bass is as weighty on it as the two battery version. A great amp for less than 100 dollars if you can still find the boards.
mrarroyo: Practical Devices XM3: This little amp is a great bargain overall, its only drawback is its implementation of the crossfeed since it loses a lot of volume but most importantly clarity/detail when the crossfeed is engaged. It does have various unique features such as gain switch, variable crossfeed, you can roll OP Amps, built in charger, a way to program how long you would like to have the amp on for, and a system to let you know the voltage remaining in the battery. Sound quality wise I would say it is close to the Pint by MisterX but just a tad less detail and punch.
Vorlon 1: I bought this one to see what it was like. I like the design and looks and it has entertaining features, but the crossfeed wasn’t so hot. I think it can be adjusted, but I never use crossfeed anyway so it was left at the default setting. It is a clean sounding pleasant amp, but nothing to write home about.
mrarroyo: Xenos OHA-REP: You know what they say about chocolate and vanilla? There are some people who truly love one but do not want anything to do with the other? Well, although in my case the differences were not as pronounced, this amp is not for me. I can’t honestly say it did anything wrong but at the same time it did not do anything extraordinary either. At its price I would choose the Go-Vibe 5. I will say I like the built in recharger, its smaller size, built in clip that by the way it is detachable. I do believe when OP Amp rolling is added this amp will merit a second look.
Vorlon 1: This little amp has a lot of power and gain and will drive high impedance cans very well, but I honestly find the sound mediocre. It’s not that it sounds bad, it is smooth sounding and tonally it is fine, but I like amps that let you hear background details very clearly, like the high hats in the back of a small jazz combo. These details are present with the Xenos, but the finer points of them seem lost in the mist, so to speak, they don’t sparkle like with an SR-71 which is excellent at reproducing those details.
mrarroyo: PA2V2: This amp has a special significance since it was the first portable amp I ever owned. Listening to it again brought back its abilities and limitations. If you only have $60 get it, especially if you have Grado or Etymotic cans. This little amp is made to drive Grado/Etymotic a job it does extremely well. When you put into the equation the excellent service that Gary provides it makes this amp an easy amp to own.
Vorlon 1: This is also the first amp I ever owned, and I still have it. It is smooth and warm, very pleasant to listen to, sounds good on vocals, and really does nothing very wrong. For its price it produces very nice sound, but it won’t power hard to drive cans, give you a deep and wide soundstage or bring out small details in the recording as well as the other amps, and particularly the Go-Vibe which is only 20 dollars more. Still, I haven’t sold it off…..
Mrarroyo: Dr. Xin’s Supermicro IV: Ok, here I lost all objectivity. Why, because there is no way something this small can have this huge sound. I truly believe that Dr. Xin made a deal with the Devil to make it happen. This gem has clarity, punch, detail, sound stage etc. Until you try it you can’t believe it, I mean it was driving my Senn HD600 and my Beyer DT990 without any problems!!! I have one coming in black, if it sounds as good as Vorlon1’s blue Supermicro IV I will most likely sent it back??? because I will upgrade to the Supermacro IV since I want the crossfeed feature, as well as the bass boost and the OP Amp rolling capability.
Vorlon 1: It was very entertaining to watch mrarroyo’s face when he listened to this amp. Pleasure and surprise were the order of the day, and well deserved too. This is an amazing amp. I think it was just really beginning to “bloom” in the days leading to our little meet, and it has continued to develop. If anything, it is sounding more open, clear, and crisp than it did last Saturday. I was listening to it for several hours today and found it very tubelike in the best sense, smooth, warm lush mids, clear and natural highs, no harshness anywhere, and the largest and deepest soundstage of any portable amp I have ever heard, including all the more expensive ones we listened to. It’s a real adjustment to hear sounds like this coming from a device not much larger than a hand held pencil sharpener!!
mrarroyo: Dr. Xin’s Supermini IV: This amp sounds IMO the same as the Supermicro IV. However it costs $20 more and you still need to get a charger specific to the OP Amps you will be using. This could mean another $20 to $30 each, so at the end of the day you are to about $250. Although it sounds great I would get the Supermicro IV or the Supermacro IV. Yes the Supermacro IV is $350 but you do not have to deal with jumpers for which you have to open the case and have tweezers available to change the jumpers.
Vorlon 1: Today I sent the super-mini in for the latest updates. It sounds very much like the micro, but not as open or tubelike, and doesn’t have the sparkle the micro has recently shown. This may be because it is not burned in yet and hasn’t been used as much as the micro. When it comes back from Dr. Xin I will give it more time to open up. Right now the micro is superior in sound.
mrarroyo: LaRocco PRII: This is a tank, the finish and attention to detail are everywhere. Once you hold it you are in awe at the quality it exudes. It has a very long list of attributes to make it a home amp and many use it that way. However, for me it is too big and I can not see using it as a portable or a transportable. Others may disagree and that is fine. Furthermore even though it sounds great I do not see it having much value at $500, for that money I would rather get The Hornet “M” and a Supermicro IV or the Supermacro IV and the Go-Vibe 5.
Vorlon 1: The Larocco is a very powerful amp. I had to send it back to get the gain lowered to use it with IEM’s. Even with that, it will still drive K 701’s with the volume turned high. This is a very, very clean and detailed amplifier. You can hear background details effortlessly, and the highs sparkle. At first I thought the amp a bit cold sounding, but it has warmed up some as it has burned in. The SR-71 and Hornet are warmer, the Larocco probably more neutral and it has a somewhat larger soundstage than these two amps. If you like power and detail with super clean sound you will like this amp. I do not think it is fully burned in yet, this one has the black gate caps and may very well continue to evolve. I am also trying to get the mods with the 744 chips that have been mentioned earlier in this thread.
mrarroyo: LaRocco PPA: I did not spend to much time with this amp, however it is a very solid performer and it had no noise floor (totally black). I found it to be very clear, detailed, and a fun amp to listen to.
Vorlon 1: I just got this one in a trade and haven’t listened to it much yet, but I agree with mrarroyo’s discussion above. I think it reminded me a bit of a Gilmore Lite, but with more weight and impact. I have to listen to it more….
Mrarroyo: Musical Fidelity X-Can V2: I will be brief since it is my amp and I am biased. This amp is a bargain, you can get it for $160 to $190 on the used market,and these prices include S&H to your home. It is my opinion everyone should own one because this amp has so much…groove and soul …it makes all kinds of music come alive. FYI, since I have shipped my X-Can V2 to PinkFloyd to have it modded.
Vorlon 1: I am not an X-Can fanboy, but I thought this amp sounded excellent. I liked it better than my Larocco PPA and thought it was warm, clean and detailed with a good soundstage. It was very musical sounding and I thought more “tubey”(good tubey, not bloated tubey) sounding than mrarroyo’s X-Can V3 which I had heard previously. This amp is a great bargain at the used price, in my opinion.
mrarroyo: I was not going to comment on cans but since Vorlon1 did I will add my $0.02 on the Beyer DT990. This can is a major find, it has many of the elements of my RS1 and my HD600. It is extends a bit more on both bass and treble than the K701, in the begining it was to much, however it has mellowed and settle nicely. This can is a lot of fun to listen to and will get your feet tapping.
Vorlon 1: DT990s: Mrarroyo brought his new DT990s and I had the opportunity to hear them and I was very favorably impressed. I thought they sounded much more open and more natural than my 2004 DT 880s, for example. I like the open and spacious presentation of K 701s and found that these were very similar, while still having the Beyer house sound. Very enjoyable cans.
Mrarroyo: Since at the end of the day everyone will want a ranked list I will do so. Be aware that most if not all will not agree with these rankings and that is fine. We all have different ears, cans, listen to different music, and we all have different preconceptions and biases. The list is going to be done only for the 11 portables. Here it goes:
RankAmp
1Supermicro IV Xin SuperMicro IV/LaRocco PRII
2SR-71/The Hornet "M" SR-71/Hornet M
3Go-Vibe 5 DieInAFire Pint/Go-Vibe 5
4LaRocco PRII Xin Supermini IV
5Supermini IV MisterX Pint
6MisterX Pint Xenos OHA-REP
7Practical Devices XM3 PA2V2
8DieInAFire Pint Practical Devices XM3
9Xenos OHA-REP
10PA2V2
Footnotes/Clarifications by mrarroyo:
Although I ranked the LaRocco PRII as a 4 on its sound quality it would not be an amp I would purchase if I wanted a portable amp. For home use yes and for that there are better options IMO.
Although the sound of the Supermicro IV and the Supermini IV is virtually identical I have ranked the Supermini IV lower due to its complexity in using the jumpers and that you need to purchase a separate charger.
Although ranked last the PA2V2 would be my choice if I had $65 or less and I was only planning on driving Grado 60, 80, or 125 or Etymotic ER6 or ER6i. The synergy with those cans is fantastic.