[mfgillia]

I think at a certain point the “specs” makes less of an impact on sound quality. Or perhaps we need to start looking at alternative specs and not just watts.

Agreed - roughly twice the power isn't necessarily relevant especially with the GT pumping out 8 watts into 30Ohms.

 

[Pashmeister]

I think at a certain point the “specs” makes less of an impact on sound quality. Or perhaps we need to start looking at alternative specs and not just watts.

Depends on the specs for sure. Also, GT is pretty packed with features, connections, etc that would all be useful. SQ is very important and it looks like it is right up there. Can be confident with the quality assurance. Form factor is great. Looks good. Early review is stellar, from a reviewer I respect but don’t always agree with. And if you got it at preorder price that turns out will have free supercharger, that’s one helluva deal. It’s ticking all the boxes and more. So many other good choices other than the GT and the consumers win; at this point it just seems like whether you get a GT, Oor, Volot, Bliss, etc— you’re all good. So long as you receive a functional one with no QA issues!

 

[Pashmeister]

Agreed - roughly twice the power isn't necessarily relevant especially with the GT pumping out 8 watts into 30Ohms.

The Susvara for me is mysterious. On paper, it shouldn’t require so much. But collective ears couldn’t lie— they open up and sing out of speaker amps. The increased bass physicality is not just heard but literally felt on the cheek. I dunno what it is with the drivers that an even more powerful amplifier than what paper specs require is still able to squeeze out more out of the Susvara. I guess that’s why Hifiman created the EF1000 which is more powerful than sensible but is also the best you can hear the Susvara out of. So, as a Susvara owner, I definitely welcome the GT’s power output that’s higher than what seems necessary.

 

[rmsanger]

Depends on the specs for sure. Also, GT is pretty packed with features, connections, etc that would all be useful. SQ is very important and it looks like it is right up there. Can be confident with the quality assurance. Form factor is great. Looks good. Early review is stellar, from a reviewer I respect but don’t always agree with. And if you got it at preorder price that turns out will have free supercharger, that’s one helluva deal. It’s ticking all the boxes and more. So many other good choices other than the GT and the consumers win; at this point it just seems like whether you get a GT, Oor, Volot, Bliss, etc— you’re all good. So long as you receive a functional one with no QA issues!

My eye test is the Volot looks beefy you see the huge heat sinks, capacitors, and toridials it's quite impressive almost like a TOTL speaker amp. I know they have had some initial build quality issues, parts/availability issues, initial scrapping of the pre-amp module but from a specs/design perspective it certainly passes the eye test (akin to Wells Headtrip/etc..).

3GT on the other hand doesn't have the same beefy components, doesn't have the huge internal heat sinks, has the fan, doesn't have the isolation like Flux.

Then you have the Niimbus US5 there is somewhere in between in terms of the components but perhaps uses a higher quality of components.

Anyway at a certain point the watts, frequency response, cross talk , thd , etc.. become far less important than the noise, quality of components, fully balanced topology, etc...

Flux advertised or at least Sandu mentioned the Volot having a "deeper A class" technology which I'm not sure how that is measured or even defined.

The oor from a visual perspective appears to be the least impressive of the bunch.

 

[yolosauce]

Just so I have this correct. The dac gets plugged in like this? Right XLR 1 and left XLR 1?

 

[akqrate]

Just so I have this correct. The dac gets plugged in like this? Right XLR 1 and left XLR 1?

This is correct.

 

[mfgillia]

My eye test is the Volot looks beefy you see the huge heat sinks, capacitors, and toridials it's quite impressive almost like a TOTL speaker amp. I know they have had some initial build quality issues, parts/availability issues, initial scrapping of the pre-amp module but from a specs/design perspective it certainly passes the eye test (akin to Wells Headtrip/etc..).

3GT on the other hand doesn't have the same beefy components, doesn't have the huge internal heat sinks, has the fan, doesn't have the isolation like Flux.

Then you have the Niimbus US5 there is somewhere in between in terms of the components but perhaps uses a higher quality of components.

Anyway at a certain point the watts, frequency response, cross talk , thd , etc.. become far less important than the noise, quality of components, fully balanced topology, etc...

Flux advertised or at least Sandu mentioned the Volot having a "deeper A class" technology which I'm not sure how that is measured or even defined.

The oor from a visual perspective appears to be the least impressive of the bunch.

I think your post just convinced me to wait awhile longer before purchasing a new headphone amp and pass on the GT for now.

 

[rmsanger]

I think your post just convinced me to wait awhile longer before purchasing a new headphone amp and pass on the GT for now.

That wasn’t my desired intent just to show that specs start to become less meaningful at a certain point. Or at least the common ones that are part of the usual marketing materials.

XI formula S + powerman would be an example addition it appears to be way underpowered on paper but it certainly doesn’t sound that way

 

[mfgillia]

That wasn’t my desired intent just to show that specs start to become less meaningful at a certain point. Or at least the common ones that are part of the usual marketing materials.

XI formula S + powerman would be an example addition it appears to be way underpowered on paper but it certainly doesn’t sound that way

I wasn't focusing so much on the specs per se but the build quality of those different amps on full display in the pictures. That plus thinking about the additional issues that seem to be piling up with the ORR and potential DC offset issues with Bursons IMHO has the Volot looking more and more attractive.

 

[XVampireX]

I wasn't focusing so much on the specs per se but the build quality of those different amps on full display in the pictures. That plus thinking about the additional issues that seem to be piling up with the ORR and potential DC offset issues with Bursons IMHO has the Volot looking more and more attractive.

Why haven't you pulled the trigger yet?

 

[Alien2085]

Why haven't you pulled the trigger yet?

Maybe he read the Volot forum here

 

[Fafner]

My eye test is the Volot looks beefy you see the huge heat sinks, capacitors, and toridials it's quite impressive almost like a TOTL speaker amp. I know they have had some initial build quality issues, parts/availability issues, initial scrapping of the pre-amp module but from a specs/design perspective it certainly passes the eye test (akin to Wells Headtrip/etc..).

Not really build quality issues, it looked more like a small design flaw which was then rectified.

 

[ericx85]

Volot not having a pre amp is why I went with the GT past a certain price point I think it should be a given to have one. Even if its 1/4th the SQ of the headphone out

 

[XVampireX]

Volot not having a pre amp is why I went with the GT past a certain price point I think it should be a given to have one. Even if its 1/4th the SQ of the headphone out

It's just around the corner.

 

[jerrytsao]

Local dealer here in China just informed me 3XGT should arrive in a week time, however I'm having serious trouble making decision between Volot and 3XGT, on paper Volot seems to have 2X power output (16 vs 8 Watts in 32 Ohm), so technically this should be the best headphone amp for Susvara, but 3XGT is much more compact, which suit my needs well when paring with already portable QA390LE...