[SACD-Man]

The amp3 does require a good 100-150 hours to burn in.

Thx!
Craig

 

[soozieq]

Thanks for the fast impressions Chris!

So, does the amp3 sound more digital/clinical than the X? You tried the D2 if I remember and found it a little cold? Would you say the amp3 has a similar level of coldness to your ears or is it warmer? And have you tried it with your warmer IE8 yet? Sorry for the spanish inquisition but you know how I like to know everything all at once

 

[cn11]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SACD-Man /img/forum/go_quote.gif The amp3 does require a good 100-150 hours to burn in. Thx! Craig

Thanks, I'm quite aware of that after keeping a close eye on this thread. I am expecting things to improve dramatically. But there are some big ways it's falling short that have me wondering at this point. We'll see what the 100 hours brings.

I will reserve any conclusions until that window has been passed. I simply wanted to report what I hear out of the box, since there's been so much anticipation related to these two players, and since for many of us ultimate SQ is the biggest goal.

 

[cn11]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soozieq /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the fast impressions Chris! So, does the amp3 sound more digital/clinical than the X? You tried the D2 if I remember and found it a little cold? Would you say the amp3 has a similar level of coldness to your ears or is it warmer? And have you tried it with your warmer IE8 yet? Sorry for the spanish inquisition but you know how I like to know everything all at once

For sure at this point, again though burn in may help this. Right now, the X is more intimate, relaxed, and natural sounding.

As for the D2, I'm going from memory, but yeah, I'd say their level of coldness is very similar. I'd say the amp3 is less 'digital' sounding than the D2 though.

I'll have to try the IE8's later tonight. I look forward to seeing how they pair up with it.

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cn11 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well I have the amp3 to start to dig into. These will be brief, initial impressions that will deal with SQ only, nothing about user interface, build quality, etc. I took a quick listen to a few Radiohead songs on both the amp3 and the Sony X. Keep in mind that this is right out of the box with no burn in. Also, I'm using my Victor FX500's. I am much more keen to listen to the player with my personal everyday earphones, not the buds that were included, good as they may be. And I think most audiophiles would prefer their choice gear as well. So I'm considering this to be normal practice for most Head-Fi’ers. On first listen I hear about the same level of ultimate detail between the players. Soundstage is also dead on equal. But bass goes to the X, no doubt. I hope it deepens with some burn in on the amp3. The difference in upper end is that the amp3 seems to my ears to be colder in its presentation. The Sony seems more mellow, natural, and more intimate by comparison. This is not a subtle difference. Unfortunately my taste leans toward the X's naturalness, so at this point I'm wondering if I'll be able to deal with the amp3's coldness. I hope this warms up somewhat with burn in. The hiss mentioned is definitely very present. It's quite distracting on quiet passages with my FX500's. The Sony's background is much more quiet. Fans of vocals will perhaps like them better on the amp3 since I think I’m hearing them a tad more forward than on the X. Of course I will be doing burn in and much more listening over the next several nights, and be coming back to update as things develop with the amp3. At this point though, the Sony X is the better sounding player by a good margin. Hope this is helpful at this initial stage.

And it's better in boldface too.

You initial remarks comparing the two don't really indicate such a large disparity, yet your conclusion does. For example, you say they have the same level of detail, and soundstage is equal. Bass gos to the X, and your preference for warmer highs may not be everyone's, so that could be considered a toss-up as well (and you do say some might prefer the Amp3 for vocals). Interesting. On four factors, two ties, one for the X and one that you give to the X, but admit it's because of personal preference.

Sounds a lot closer to me, and this is without a whit of burn-in for the Amp3, while the Sony is fully broken in.

I'm not really an audiophile, so I guess I will at least try the enclosed buds at first, to see how they synergize with the Amp3. Would have been interesting if you had used the buds on both the Amp3 and the X to compare as well, just for kicks.

Bottom line, it's pretty obvious that comparing an amp/DAP that the manufacturer says requires 100 hours of burn-in with a quality DAP (at least for sound) that is burned in for at least 2-3 weeks is of little value, really. But you already know that.

I think I am going to order the X as well, see how it stacks up. Curiousity has gotten the best of me. And I always have that great Amazon 30-day return policy after I do my comparison.

Anyway, thanks for the early report. Based on your points, I'd say the Amp3 fared pretty well out of the box against a "seasoned" DAP known for its SQ.

I am looking forward to giving mine a whirl and eventually comparing it to the current King of SQ. Your early report is actually encouraging.

 

[soozieq]

Craig, please could you confirm if your X was burned in when you did your comparison, and if so, for how long? Sorry if you already answered this before, but it would be helpful to know if only the amp3 was burned in at the time.

Thanks.

 

[bakhtiar]

cn11
Thank you for the initial review. I am looking forward the 100th hrs review

... But, the hissing with FX500 (16 Ohm, 100dB@1mW) .... mmmm.. wonders how much more hissing with the sensitive UM3Xs or the bright IEMs such as PFEs.

Hoping the DAP with SPDIF out will appears soon

Thank you...

 

[gameboy115]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cn11 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well I have the amp3 to start to dig into. These will be brief, initial impressions that will deal with SQ only, nothing about user interface, build quality, etc. I took a quick listen to a few Radiohead songs on both the amp3 and the Sony X. Keep in mind that this is right out of the box with no burn in. Also, I'm using my Victor FX500's. I am much more keen to listen to the player with my personal everyday earphones, not the buds that were included, good as they may be. And I think most audiophiles would prefer their choice gear as well. So I'm considering this to be normal practice for most Head-Fi’ers. On first listen I hear about the same level of ultimate detail between the players. Soundstage is also dead on equal. But bass goes to the X, no doubt. I hope it deepens with some burn in on the amp3. The difference in upper end is that the amp3 seems to my ears to be colder in its presentation. The Sony seems more mellow, natural, and more intimate by comparison. This is not a subtle difference. Unfortunately my taste leans toward the X's naturalness, so at this point I'm wondering if I'll be able to deal with the amp3's coldness. I hope this warms up somewhat with burn in. The hiss mentioned is definitely very present. It's quite distracting on quiet passages with my FX500's. The Sony's background is much more quiet. Fans of vocals will perhaps like them better on the amp3 since I think I’m hearing them a tad more forward than on the X. Of course I will be doing burn in and much more listening over the next several nights, and be coming back to update as things develop with the amp3. At this point though, the Sony X is the better sounding player by a good margin. Hope this is helpful at this initial stage.

Thanks for your report. Lets see how it goes after 100 hours

 

[tstarn06]

Bakhtiar, there is a user (Ulsanman) who has the UE11s, and had hiss. But he reports that once he hit 60 hours of burn in, it became much less of an issue. It's a few pages back. An impedance adapter might also help, not sure. Sasaski also reported hiss, but said the Amp3 worked well with several of his phones. We'll see where it goes, for sure.

 

[bakhtiar]

But, for audiophile level devices, hiss is an enemy, BIG enemy

especially in digital audio world.. BTW, I am not an audiophile, and I want to enjoy our audio as simple and pure as possible. Ooo.. wait, there are audiophile devices that hiss but they still can enjoy it

... Example: turntable and vacuum tube amps

. So the keyword here is Enjoyment.

 

[tstarn06]

Good point, I think, from one non-audiophile to another non-audiophile.

 

[blawhh]

What kind of impedence adapter would you need to get?

 

[tstarn06]

Not sure, but Sasaski says he was going to try and find his 75 ohm adapter. Moon Audio sells a nice one, but it's only if you have hiss after burn-in. As noted, Ulsanman says the his on his UE11s dissipated after about 60 hours of burn in.

 

[ulsanman]

There is another major problem with the AMP3!!! You have to keep going back to your other DAPs to remind your self of how good it actually is, you tend to forget after time, for reference my others are, x5l, sony808, 4th Gen Imod using mini3 amp, not really much interested in them anymore. Bring on the next AMP player!!

 

[bakhtiar]

Yes, bring on the next AMP DAP

, and make sure the noise/noise level is controlled up the Audiophile standard, since the company claims it is the Audiophile MP3.