[RedTwilight]

Nope

A hint though, it's bigger than a thumbtack

 
 

Another hint, it's earphone related

 
 

Great hint is there wires.

 
Magnetic toothpick pin for the Trinity iems??

 

[Brooko]

Another hint, before GPS we used to depend on these a lot

 
Atlas
 
Still waiting for the prototypes to get here.  How do they sound?

 

[nmatheis]

Thanks Creative and hakushondaimao!!!

 

[Hisoundfi]

Atlas

Still waiting for the prototypes to get here.  How do they sound?

I'm jamming the stock tuning right now. The first word that comes to mind is very transparent.

More to come with them. I'm going to take them with to work tomorrow.

Right now I'm enjoying this...

 

[twister6]

 

Atlas

Still waiting for the prototypes to get here.  How do they sound?

I'm jamming the stock tuning right now. The first word that comes to mind is very transparent.

More to come with them. I'm going to take them with to work tomorrow.

Right now I'm enjoying this...

 
Hmm, looks like Duke in the picture?

 

[Hisoundfi]

Hmm, looks like Duke in the picture?

It is. I got the runabout and Atlas prototypes in today.

I had to check out the Duke and Runabout combo. I never had much use for my HSA Nova N1...UNTIL TODAY

The Nova N1 with that thick copper interconnect into the runabout and Duke, it sounds incredible.

 

[Brooko]

I guess that explains why the pot is usable.  I'm guessing the Nova either has a weak line-out, or you're using headphone out?

 

[nmatheis]

I guess that explains why the pot is usable.  I'm guessing the Nova either has a weak line-out, or you're using headphone out?

I can listen to Duke with RA Brooko. Been using Fiio X5 LO -> VE RA -> Duke. It's no worse than trying to use sonething like the Cayin C5. I'm not getting much channel imbalance, either - at least not at normal listening levels.

I should be getting some of mo's secret smoothie foamies tomorrow. Curious how those will work out.

 

[Hisoundfi]

I guess that explains why the pot is usable.  I'm guessing the Nova either has a weak line-out, or you're using headphone out?

I'm using the headphone out.

 

[RedTwilight]

I can listen to Duke with RA @Brooko. Been using Fiio X5 LO -> VE RA -> Duke. It's no worse than trying to use sonething like the Cayin C5. I'm not getting much channel imbalance, either - at least not at normal listening levels.

I should be getting some of mo's secret smoothie foamies tomorrow. Curious how those will work out.

 
I initially read it as mo's secret foaming smoothies.. 

 

 

[Hisoundfi]

I initially read it as mo's secret foaming smoothies.. :blink:  

Dude that's the funniest thing I've heard all day.

Welcome back btw

 

[RedJohn456]

  I guess that explains why the pot is usable.  I'm guessing the Nova either has a weak line-out, or you're using headphone out?

 
Are you running it on H or L gain? I think Duke was meant to be run at low gain iirc.
 
Even at high gain, I didn't have too much trouble with the volume as I had plenty of play with the knob, I was running the Titan 1, Havi B3, Z5 etc. Even the VSD3, which is really easy to drive, the volume wasn't a problem and I had plenty of play with the knob. Ymmv depending on listening volume. I loved both the Titan 1 and Duke on low gain fwiw
 
 
 
Edit: Saw in the other thread you were running the RA out of the Fiio DAPs, not sure how loud their LO signal is. I was running it with the line out from my SMSL m2, being able to control the line out with the mac software. might be different in terms of the DAP, is there anyway to reduce the volume on the DAP to give more play with the volume pot?
 

I can listen to Duke with RA @Brooko. Been using Fiio X5 LO -> VE RA -> Duke. It's no worse than trying to use sonething like the Cayin C5. I'm not getting much channel imbalance, either - at least not at normal listening levels.

I should be getting some of mo's secret smoothie foamies tomorrow. Curious how those will work out.

 
Nice, post some impressions once you get it! Yea same, didn't get channel imbalance unless it was on the lowest volume level. You and I listened to the same unit so I know for sure haha. The volume pot gave me plenty of room before it got loud.
 
Edit: Should clarify I was running it macbook -> SMSL M2-> RA. With the mac software it would make sense why I had more head room. Didn't mean to make it sound like I was questioning your findings @nmatheis @Brooko 

 

[nmatheis]

RedJohn456: I'm not going to say there's plenty of room. I'd love to be able to use up to 50% of the pot on low gain with Duke. That ain't happening, but as I mentioned it's definitely usable but you have to be careful not to nudge the volume up too high. Same issue as C5 + IEM really, others don't seem to put up a fuss about it like I did.

 

[RedJohn456]

@RedJohn456: I'm not going to say there's plenty of room. I'd love to be able to use up to 50% of the pot on low gain with Duke. That ain't happening, but as I mentioned it's definitely usable but you have to be careful not to nudge the volume up. Same issue as C5 + IEM really, others don't seem to put up a fuss about it like I did.

I missed the part that you guys are running it out of the DAP, I was running it out of mac laptop via SMSL m2, so I had more room to play with the volume in that case, would account for what we were hearing. 
 
@Brooko  I had a question about the battery life in general of the Fiio DAPs, does using LO to an external amp have a beneficial effect on the DAP battery life? My cellphone battery is terrible and am thinking of picking up a DAP and I will be using it with an external amp mostly. 

 

[RedJohn456]

@Hisoundfi  Are you allowed to post pics of the Atlas prototype? Would be awesome to see what it looks like