[chaosfayt]

Hey guys,

sorry for all the comparison threads , but i really have no idea which amp to pick out of these 4, at the moment all i afford with my budget is pico amp only as the other 3.

I'd like to hear the differences between the shadow, mustang and preddy.
I've read every thread there was on them, but i cant find a direct comparison.
What im thinking now is that in terms of SQ , shadow>mustang>preddy?

I'm not sure =\, I'm leaning towards a predator , but with the above SQ >'s in mind , the predator being lower than those 2 , i have no idea which to buy. I really do want the best SQ of the 3 , considering they are about the same price. All i've heard about the predator are its bass , thats all, and tbh, i don't really care for bass that much. Could anyone give me some advice please ? =[

Thanks

 

[wantmyf1]

Well the good news is that these various amps are fairly different. I've only heard the RSA's so I can't help with the Pico.

The Shadow is a great little amp. I'm using it currently with my OK1's. It's main claim to fame is that it is tiny but still throws out quite a bit of power. However it was made primarily to power IEM's and lower impedance headphones. I've never tried it with my HD600's which are 600 ohm so I can't say for sure how it would do but it wasn't made for that kind of impedance.

The Mustang is a fantastic little amp. Probably the best sounding of any I've heard. It's an amp only as well similar to the Shadow. The differences are that the Mustang is a bit larger and has the volume knob which makes it seem larger still. However, despite it's small size it's a beast for power, capable of driving just about anything. Though I don't know how it would fair with electro-stats. But for dynmics it has no problem with 600 ohms.

Now the Predator is slightly different in that it is an amp/DAC combo. So if you need a separate DAC or an amp/DAC for computer audio then the Predator can serve that purpose. However if you are just going to use it with the analog input then the DAC will not be engaged and it will serve only as an amp. However if you can see yourself needing a DAC than I would suggest the Predater as it sounds great as well!

So in order to make the best choice you do need to decide if you only need an amp or if you could see using a DAC as well. HTH

 

[tjumper78]

havent heard shadow and mustang but i did some comparison between pico (non-slim) and predator side by side. i preferred pico's more transparent and detailed sound over predator's slightly darker sound.

 

[LeeMark]

Having owned the shadow and the Predator, I now prefer the TTVJ slim or the Headstage Arrow over those, hands down.

Oh, great, just what you need, more choices! The Pico slim seems good, but it will take a while to get, as it appears for the Arrow, so keep that in mind. Budget wise, teh arrow is $250 and the TTVJ slim is $350, so both within budget.

 

[chaosfayt]

haha thanks for your replies peeps , but what I would like a dac seeing as I use both my computer and iPhone 3gs as a source depending on if I'm at home or out . I would like a dac yes , so i'm leaning towards the predator , but my primary use is portable , so I would j
just like to know how the predator's amp section compares to the mustangs/shadow as I do not want to forgo a better amp sq just for an added dac if you know what I mean =p

 

[Guidostrunk]

On Skylabs amp round up the Mustang is at the top of the list which made me choose the mustang, then i purchased the shadow shortly after preferring it over the Mustang, the main reason is it is smaller and IMO it sounds more accurate than the Mustang.Just recently i purchased the Arrow , it came highly recommended from my friend Average joe here from the forum. Now owning the Mustang , The Shadow and the Arrow, IMO the arrow out does them both and I'm getting ready to buy the TTVJ Slim. The only thing my Shadow works better with is my TF10. As Leemark stated the Arrow hands down for overall preformance and its even cheaper than buying the Shadow and Mustang used, Go for the Arrow you cant go wrong with this amp it completely blew me away when i got it. I never thought that my RSA amps would be that out done by another amp , but the Arrow has. Just my $0.02

 

[jc9394]

Between Pico and Predator, I personally prefer the Pico. It is more transparent and detail tjumper78 said. It really depends on what you are using and music you like. I may missed but I don't see any type headphone you are planning to use with and the genre you like.

 

[jc9394]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guidostrunk /img/forum/go_quote.gif I never thought that my RSA amps would be that out done by another amp

Give TTVJ or Pico amp/DAC a try but I still can't find a portable ut done the Protector in balanced mode.

 

[LeeMark]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chaosfayt /img/forum/go_quote.gif haha thanks for your replies peeps , but what I would like a dac seeing as I use both my computer and iPhone 3gs as a source depending on if I'm at home or out . I would like a dac yes , so i'm leaning towards the predator , but my primary use is portable , so I would j just like to know how the predator's amp section compares to the mustangs/shadow as I do not want to forgo a better amp sq just for an added dac if you know what I mean =p

TTVJ can come with a DAC also.

 

[Guidostrunk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jc9394 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Give TTVJ or Pico amp/DAC a try but I still can't find a portable ut done the Protector in balanced mode.

I'm getting ready to purchase the TTVJ slim.The protector seems like an awesome amp, is it possible to convert my IEMs to a balanced phone if not i don't see buying it as i do not own any balanced phones. I know the benefits of a balanced signal though as i used to be a DJ, and IMO there is a considerable difference in the 2 signals Balanced/unbalanced.

 

[AVU]

please note that the TTVJ with Dac is approximately twice the price of the iBasso D4, on which you can roll opamps to fine tune the sound (my pref being the HiFlight topkit which sounds like the Mustang). Many reviewers on the forum have preferred the mustang to the TTVJ in SQ, and the D4's Dac is like the Picos. Just sayin'

 

[chaosfayt]

Man this is embarrasing I'm using my iPhone to type so the sentences come out like I'm illeterate for some reason ,with all those sentence structure errors =[

Anyway, I would Like to get the arrow or the ttvj / pico slim , but as of now I'm currently looking at the second hand market in Which only the older models the preddy and the pico exist the other amps you guys mentioned are impossible to find and extremely expensive new =\

I listen to soundtrack music alot. Perhaps ambient , sometimes feel-good jazz, more of instrumentals than anything . I don't really listen to female voices much mostly male and r&b , sometimes abit of mainstream pop and all.

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AVU /img/forum/go_quote.gif please note that the TTVJ with Dac is approximately twice the price of the iBasso D4, on which you can roll opamps to fine tune the sound (my pref being the HiFlight topkit which sounds like the Mustang). Many reviewers on the forum have preferred the mustang to the TTVJ in SQ, and the D4's Dac is like the Picos. Just sayin'

Really... That may be true but I can't remember a single one. Are you prepared to back that up with say 3 references - a minmal description of "many". Can you provide even 1?

Anyway your logic is fascinating: (1) you claim that the HiFlighted D4 sounds like the Mustang (IYHO I assume) and that (2) "Many reviewers on the forum have preferred the mustang to the TTVJ in SQ" (see my coment above) and therefore...? Do we have a sylogism here? We do! Implied that therefore the D4 sounds better than the TTVJ!

Just sayin back at you.

 

[Jalo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chaosfayt /img/forum/go_quote.gif haha thanks for your replies peeps , but what I would like a dac seeing as I use both my computer and iPhone 3gs as a source depending on if I'm at home or out . I would like a dac yes , so i'm leaning towards the predator , but my primary use is portable , so I would j just like to know how the predator's amp section compares to the mustangs/shadow as I do not want to forgo a better amp sq just for an added dac if you know what I mean =p

If you need this purchase soon, your only options are Pico amp/DAC, TTJV Slim amp/DAC, and the Predator amp/Dac.

The TTjv Slim is available new. The Pico and Predator can be found on the used forum. Fwiw, the Pico has a better Dac than the Predator, and the Predator has a better Amp than the Pico according to Headphoneaddict which I agree according to my own ears.

All others (Pico Slim, Arrow, D4 etc) are either hard to get, has a long waiting period, or you'll have to buy them new.

The Mustang is your best bet if you don't need a Dac and want to find them on the FS forum. Good luck amp hunting

 

[chaosfayt]

I borrowed a pico , pred and mustang and a shadow for audition. I liked the predator the most , the signature is extremely fun and aggresive . It's like all my music is on steroids LOL. Extremely fast amp unlike anything I've ever heard . The mustang is nice too , but it doesn't have much wow factor , and the shadow .. Well I liked it the least along with the pico , which I felt had too forward mids and recessed highs and bass in comparison , just a very weird soundstage coming from a previous tf10 and ue signature user, so I really didn't like it. Thus I settled for a silver predator which is gorgeous and doesn't cease to wow me with it's transparency and attack speed along with detail and separation