[average_joe]

I don't have any full sized cans (other than the KSC75), but I think the Denon C710 sounds awesome with the AMP3 when an impedance adapter is used, and the Mingo WM2 is also a great match with fantastic synergy.

And I agree that the AMP3 improves with age. I actually believe all amps really need 400+ hours of burn in from my numerous op amps I have used and my E5, and now the AMP3.
The AMP3 is definately a real treat!

 

[Punnisher]

To the makers of the amp3:

The elimination of hiss is one of my major hopes for all mp3 player manufacturers. I'd say 90% of all iems have low enough impedance and/or high enough sensitivity that hiss is a big problem.

Example: All of my iems are difficult for me to use straight out of my mp3 players due to hiss (except my phonaks which are 32 ohm and less sensitive than most). In quiet passages in classical music, I am distracted by hiss. With my UM2 the hiss is just as loud as my music is.

Adding resistors in series gets rid of the hiss but creates a voltage divider which changes the frequency response of the headphones.

I'm not sure what you'd have to do to prevent hiss on your later models, but I promise the effort would be met with much praise and increased sales. I would certainly be ecstatic and would buy at least one on the spot. Add gapless after that and I could die a happy man.

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punnisher /img/forum/go_quote.gif To the makers of the amp3: The elimination of hiss is one of my major hopes for all mp3 player manufacturers. I'd say 90% of all iems have low enough impedance and/or high enough sensitivity that hiss is a big problem. Example: All of my iems are difficult for me to use straight out of my mp3 players due to hiss (except my phonaks which are 32 ohm and less sensitive than most). In quiet passages in classical music, I am distracted by hiss. With my UM2 the hiss is just as loud as my music is. Adding resistors in series gets rid of the hiss but creates a voltage divider which changes the frequency response of the headphones. I'm not sure what you'd have to do to prevent hiss on your later models, but I promise the effort would be met with much praise and increased sales. I would certainly be ecstatic and would buy at least one on the spot. Add gapless after that and I could die a happy man.

Check out the new AMP3 Pro2 thread here (not to mention the Studio

).

From that thread:
Quote:

Originally Posted by SACD-Man /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm very pleased to announce the newly updated Amp3 Pro2 and the newest model; STUDIO I....... I do not have all of the details yet, however here is a teaser. Amp3 Pro2 *Supports FLAC!! *Supports up to a 16GB MicroSD Card *Bug Fixes (more details will follow) *Greatly Reduced or Fully Reduced Hiss... Some fixes include the startup time, battery issue.... *New front Buttons *A few cosmetic changes. More details to come. *Improved Sound Quality... All for only $159!! They will be in stock within 10-14 days. If you order on my site, I will keep the $149 price for the next 3 days, than the price will go up!!

Sounds great.

And a note on the impedance adapter I am using with the AMP3...makes my 2 IEMs with hiss issues sound better than ever! If the Pro2 sounds that good without the adapter (which I am hoping for), there would be little reason to get any other DAP!

 

[i_don't_know]

TO ALL AMP3 OWNERS:

Are any frequencies emphasized or rolled off? By how much? Is the AMP3 more on the warm side, the bright side, or does it sound 100% completely flat, neutral, and transparent? How "quick" is its sound? Instrument separation? Detail? Is its sound comparable to "vintage" PCDPs?

PLEASE ANSWER, I might replace my muddy-as-sin S639F with the Pro2.

 

[HiFlight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_don't_know /img/forum/go_quote.gif TO ALL AMP3 OWNERS: Are any frequencies emphasized or rolled off? By how much? Is the AMP3 more on the warm side, the bright side, or does it sound 100% completely flat, neutral, and transparent? How "quick" is its sound? Instrument separation? Detail? Is its sound comparable to "vintage" PCDPs? PLEASE ANSWER, I might replace my muddy-as-sin S639F with the Pro2.

Very difficult question to answer, as everyone has differing perceptions of sound.

I try my best to compare the sound of my amps, sources, phones, and all links in the audio chain to the sound that I hear from a live performance, preferably one that does not include room or hall acoustic influences.

That said, I would best describe the sound of the AMP3 as very neutral, with an expansive, 3-dimensional soundstage. It can certainly be called a "fast" amp, as transient response is superb. Such sounds as tympani strikes are tight and clear, not bloated or smeared.

When I play a sweeping sine wave through the AMP3, there is no doubling of the bass nor harshness or shrillness of the highs.

As far as emphasis or rolling off of certain frequencies, I feel certain that there is active signal processing at work to "rebuilt" certain parts of the audio signal that are compressed or lost in the conversion from the master mix to the ripped MP3, or other lossy formats.

I am also surmising that the Class A amplifier is designed to provide an extremely wide bandpass, one that can accurately reproduce the complex overtones and harmonics that give each instrument their unique sound, for example, the differences that allow one to discriminate between an oboe and a clarinet, or piano and harpsichord.

The AMP3 does, however, require quite a long "burn-in" time to reach its full potential.

The bottom line is that the AMP3/PAA-1 combination is capable of reproducing an incredibly lifelike soundstage, while still accurately presenting even the smallest of musical details.

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_don't_know /img/forum/go_quote.gif TO ALL AMP3 OWNERS: Are any frequencies emphasized or rolled off? By how much? Is the AMP3 more on the warm side, the bright side, or does it sound 100% completely flat, neutral, and transparent? How "quick" is its sound? Instrument separation? Detail? Is its sound comparable to "vintage" PCDPs? PLEASE ANSWER, I might replace my muddy-as-sin S639F with the Pro2.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiFlight /img/forum/go_quote.gif Very difficult question to answer, as everyone has differing perceptions of sound. I try my best to compare the sound of my amps, sources, phones, and all links in the audio chain to the sound that I hear from a live performance, preferably one that does not include room or hall acoustic influences. That said, I would best describe the sound of the AMP3 as very neutral, with an expansive, 3-dimensional soundstage. It can certainly be called a "fast" amp, as transient response is superb. Such sounds as tympani strikes are tight and clear, not bloated or smeared. When I play a sweeping sine wave through the AMP3, there is no doubling of the bass nor harshness or shrillness of the highs. As far as emphasis or rolling off of certain frequencies, I feel certain that there is active signal processing at work to "rebuilt" certain parts of the audio signal that are compressed or lost in the conversion from the master mix to the ripped MP3, or other lossy formats. I am also surmising that the Class A amplifier is designed to provide an extremely wide bandpass, one that can accurately reproduce the complex overtones and harmonics that give each instrument their unique sound, for example, the differences that allow one to discriminate between an oboe and a clarinet, or piano and harpsichord. The AMP3 does, however, require quite a long "burn-in" time to reach its full potential. The bottom line is that the AMP3/PAA-1 combination is capable of reproducing an incredibly lifelike soundstage, while still accurately presenting even the smallest of musical details.

Just a simple add on and reiteration of what HiFlight said:
The AMP3 with a lot of burn in sounds beautifully balanced with great 3D space. It seems to have the ability to improve the sound of some of my lower level IEMs by quite a huge amount. For example, the Philips SHE9500 with the AMP3 is slightly better than my NE-7M from my Fuze.

I initially thought it was bright, but now I would just say balanced! And it is very detailed and transparent.

My NE-7M with an impedance adapter (I don't like the sound straight out of the AMP3 with the NE-7) is as detailed as my Denon C710! I am amazed at how good it sounds as I did not get these results with any other amp, including the NuForce Icon Mobile (which I would figure would be a good match for their IEM). And the AMP3 makes the NE-7 soundstage very 3D, and the NE-7 has a shallow soundstage with all my other sources. Since the NE-7 has a wide soundstage, when I use the AMP3 with it, it maintains the width but adds depth for a great experience, especially with the added detail.

So in other words, the AMP3 is a great choice if you own many headphones as it will no doubt make some, if not all of them sound much better!

 

[tstarn06]

X2 on the great sound of the 710s when using an adapter. Wow. Same with the UM3X, and now I am going to try some other phones I own as well. But I agree, the Amp3 NEEDs 400+ hours of burn in to come into its own, no doubt about it. Never harsh, cold or analyitical, which was an early criticism by some who didn't really let it burn in properly in my view. None of the original owners who have burned it in over 400 hours would call it bright, harsh or cold. And with the new model and the Studio, I am really looking forward to hearing those upgrades.

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif X2 on the great sound of the 710s when using an adapter. Wow. Same with the UM3X, and now I am going to try some other phones I own as well. But I agree, the Amp3 NEEDs 400+ hours of burn in to come into its own, no doubt about it. Never harsh, cold or analyitical, which was an early criticism by some who didn't really let it burn in properly in my view. None of the original owners who have burned it in over 400 hours would call it bright, harsh or cold. And with the new model and the Studio, I am really looking forward to hearing those upgrades.

After an initial 24 hours of audio bliss with the AMP3, I hit the (usual and expected during burn-in) too-bright period for about the next 24 - 48 hours of use. At between 100 - 200 hours of use, at this point, I'm thankfully past that period and back into a sound using the AMP3 that is better balanced and which allows better listening into the inner depths and details of the music. I'm looking forward to the sonic development of the AMP3 Pro.1 over the next 200-300 hours of use. The stock PAA-1 buds are really capable phones in their own right, and so well matched to the AMP3. It's a very well-thought-through product, sonically speaking. I'm very interested in what the software update for the AMP3 Pro.1 will bring, ergonomically speaking.

X3 on HiFlight's description of the sound and sonic capabilities of the AMP3 Pro.1.

That someone who has heard both the AMP3 and the upcoming Studio model (albeit a product manager at HiSound) has described the sound using the Studio as "a mile" better than the AMP3 has got my "just-too-delicious" anticipation going. Can't wait for initial impressions of the Studio and comparisons with the AMP3 Pro.1 from Head-Fiers, whose ears are better documented in their history of posts about diverse sonic matters.

 

[Booda]

X4 on HiFlight's description of the sound and sonic capabilities of the AMP3 Pro.1.

I almost listen the music via PAA1 and AMP3 PRO1 very day enven I can hardly write my enjoyment out. While HIFLIGHT, Average-JOE, SBULACK and other headfiers have said it as just for me to.

 

[i_don't_know]

How is the synergy with Phonak PFE straight out of AMP3?

 

[fatman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by i_don't_know /img/forum/go_quote.gif How is the synergy with Phonak PFE straight out of AMP3?

The sound stage is wider,and the highs is more smooth and extending. The bass is more tight and heavy if you hook directly PFE with AMP3 comparing other DAP.

 

[nickyboyo]

I am sorry to step over old ground, but would those of you that have tried, explain why the the Amp3 is not a suitable match for ER4's (my preferred iem).
If the match was that bad, is there any chance of the ER4's mating up nicely with the upcoming studio and pro2 models?

 

[jant71]

Quote:

Originally Posted by average_joe /img/forum/go_quote.gif And a note on the impedance adapter I am using with the AMP3...makes my 2 IEMs with hiss issues sound better than ever! If the Pro2 sounds that good without the adapter (which I am hoping for), there would be little reason to get any other DAP!

Of course you might still use the adapter even with the Pro2 or a Studio. I use my S-adapter with my K401 pad modded RX700's regardless of hiss. It just refines them and adds more tightness and transparency to the sound.

I'll be able to try it out soon since, after waiting patiently, I have joined the club happily ordering a Pro2.

 

[Anouk]

Hello all, very nice to know that this all-in-one highend portable audio market is heating up! I myself have decided to do a way with a separate portable amp and just go all in one. Maybe I will wait till januari next year htough to see what happens, get the bugs out of these young products.
Greetings, Anouk,

 

[Anouk]

Oh yes, i forgot, i also vote for open source or rockbox (although the makers cant do much about rockbox because its a voluntary project).
I personally would like an interface like the sansa clip so with buttons for every function and not time based multifunctional buttons. But thats just me...
Greetings, Anouk,