jamato8
Headphoneus Supremus
I received this amp yesterday, well today in the US and many other countries. The case is the same as the LD Micro+ but about 6 or 7mm longer. It comes with a small IC, adapter for 100 to 240, instructions, nice velvet bag and a card identifying who made the amp. It came from the manufacturer here in China and not a reseller.
On first listen the sound was surprisingly good and then it went soft and ill defined, which is normal, at least to me, as all the electrical components settle in and the caps form. After a couple of hours it opened back up and after about 8 hours the bass firmed up and got out of the way of the music. The highs are clean and articulate, the mids are neutral and the bass solid and correct within the frequency range. There is very good transparency and spatial information leading to an open and airy presentation. It drives the HD650's and IEM's equally well with no noted deficiencies.
There are three controls on the back for voice, bass and an increased perception of an expansive stage or recording venue. I don't care for the first two but the last works well, seeming to add a slight reverb, that is not noticed as such, which opens up many recordings and adds to the auditory enjoyment and excitement.
Downside is that I don't care for the build quality very much. It has the same case as the LD M+, which means it has the same type of screws that have no real hole to tap into and two were already loose and ready to fall out. I took off the faceplate and pulled the internals out to have a look around. The batteries are just 4 NiMH, nothing special and the caps, which were supposed to be some good Sanyo type is an inexpensive Nichicon. The board is ok but not of very high quality and could have been cleaned better. If you don't pull the guts out of your amp none of this really matters. The "Alps" pot is maybe one but I can't tell for sure.
As to the sound alluded to up the page, I find nothing lacking. I am disappointed with the build but so what? For 65 or 115 dollars, the prior here in China, you get an amp that should, unless it changes for the worse, compete with anything out there including some home amps or maybe many home amps as it has the "big" feel/sound that you often get with the higher output units for desktop use.
It is your call but I can't see many being unhappy with the sound they get and frankly the aural fantasies we all like to embrace may well be satisfied at least until the next outing of another newcomer.
One additional note: At this time, which very little time has been allowed for break-in/burn-in, the bass has a bit of emphasis. Experience has taught me that this normally clears up with 100 or more hours of use. If not then I will report back on this but at this time it is my only caveat, besides the build of the unit but I am more picky than many.
Recharge time: about 3 hours after an initial 4-5 hours though mine took about 30 minutes with the “on” light extinguishing if the unit is off after full charge and changing to a green from slightly amber if on.
Gain: set gain but I don’t know what it is set at.
Finish of mine: Black with front and back plates silkscreened.
On first listen the sound was surprisingly good and then it went soft and ill defined, which is normal, at least to me, as all the electrical components settle in and the caps form. After a couple of hours it opened back up and after about 8 hours the bass firmed up and got out of the way of the music. The highs are clean and articulate, the mids are neutral and the bass solid and correct within the frequency range. There is very good transparency and spatial information leading to an open and airy presentation. It drives the HD650's and IEM's equally well with no noted deficiencies.
There are three controls on the back for voice, bass and an increased perception of an expansive stage or recording venue. I don't care for the first two but the last works well, seeming to add a slight reverb, that is not noticed as such, which opens up many recordings and adds to the auditory enjoyment and excitement.
Downside is that I don't care for the build quality very much. It has the same case as the LD M+, which means it has the same type of screws that have no real hole to tap into and two were already loose and ready to fall out. I took off the faceplate and pulled the internals out to have a look around. The batteries are just 4 NiMH, nothing special and the caps, which were supposed to be some good Sanyo type is an inexpensive Nichicon. The board is ok but not of very high quality and could have been cleaned better. If you don't pull the guts out of your amp none of this really matters. The "Alps" pot is maybe one but I can't tell for sure.
As to the sound alluded to up the page, I find nothing lacking. I am disappointed with the build but so what? For 65 or 115 dollars, the prior here in China, you get an amp that should, unless it changes for the worse, compete with anything out there including some home amps or maybe many home amps as it has the "big" feel/sound that you often get with the higher output units for desktop use.
It is your call but I can't see many being unhappy with the sound they get and frankly the aural fantasies we all like to embrace may well be satisfied at least until the next outing of another newcomer.
One additional note: At this time, which very little time has been allowed for break-in/burn-in, the bass has a bit of emphasis. Experience has taught me that this normally clears up with 100 or more hours of use. If not then I will report back on this but at this time it is my only caveat, besides the build of the unit but I am more picky than many.
Recharge time: about 3 hours after an initial 4-5 hours though mine took about 30 minutes with the “on” light extinguishing if the unit is off after full charge and changing to a green from slightly amber if on.
Gain: set gain but I don’t know what it is set at.
Finish of mine: Black with front and back plates silkscreened.
