[ateeq]

Hi does dx200 output USB allow connection to ifi dxd
is spdif lower resolution output so sacrificing quality
regards

 

[Jezda]

I've both mojo and chord Hugo. Not Hugo.

The below comparison with Custom Art Harmony 8.2 and pw audio #5 cable. Effect audio ares 2 was a little dry and bright for me. Pw audio retained the body and lushness in the mids better than ares 2

Dx200 with amp4 or amp4s, the sound quality is on par with Hugo.

Transparent and the sound stage is very wide in both.

Instead of lugging around a source and a not so portable Hugo, dx200 is very convenient on the go.

Dx200 vs Sony wm1a (both with 4.4mm balanced

Wm1a has less soundstage width than dx200 + amp4 or amp4s.

Wm1a has more extension at both ends.
Amp4s extends more than amp4 but doesn't catch up to wm1a.

And wm1a beats dx200 with amp4 or amp4s when it comes to drums or rhythms. It feels more punchier and very natural without overdoing it.

Amp4 has some punch and amp4s a little more. But it doesn't come anywhere close to wm1a.

And that long battery life of wm1a makes it best for on the go or those long flight journeys.

Thanks for your impressions and to others who added some comments.
Maybe @jasonho can add something as I can see you have Hugo2.

 

[jerick70]

Hi does dx200 output USB allow connection to ifi dxd
is spdif lower resolution output so sacrificing quality
regards

Just an FYI... USB and SPDIF are not the same thing and will not work together.

Also iFi doesn't make a iDXD. They do make a iDSD and an xDSD. Which one are you talking about?

Anyway, you should be able to connect the SPDIF from the DX200 to the SPDIF input on the iFi iDSD and xDSD. I own the iDSD BL and it works well. I'm not 100% sure if the xDSD will work.

 

[fuhransahis]

Amp 4 going up for sale, posting here first. PM for first dibs

 

[AndoH]

My AMP8 arrived today...!!! Amazing body and depth to sound, compared to the default AMP1, though I guess it's just a matter of preference. I had the AMP3 for a brief while, and felt that it is boomier than AMP8.
Though I thoroughly enough AMP8 more than the 3 or 1. iBasso did it again

 

[Drywolf]

Deleted

 

[meomap]

I agree with you there, I must be roughly at the same burn in clock maybe a bit more (60+ hours) and yes there was a fairly unpleasant phase that puzzled me because it was not really consistent or I couldn't put my finger on it. I thought it was ear fatigue as I have extensively listened to AMP8 since last thursday but when I rested some and then picked it up it was there alright. Now everything seems to be stable and settled in, bass is less overpowering (or I am getting used to it) maybe because the treble has grown on me as something truly special : smooth yet with tremendous energy (those hi hats... yum!), and so fast (the VE8 are singing like they never did with AMP4). I very much like the vocal presentation in the mids, smooth yet very refined. Overall the signature is not too colored, the star of the show that makes this amp special to me is the dynamics, the depth and the layering that make it so rich and enjoyable to listen to. The Z axis imaging can be pretty damn amazing and the separation in different plane of depth is just what I had missed so far with the DX200. If you had a taller soundstage compared to AMP4 it makes for a very holographic experience.

This being said, I notice that soundstage can vary greatly depending on mastering, from mind blowingly good (like eerie ah ah moments) to pretty average contrary to AMP4 that I found very stable in that respect. I wonder if that will settle down...

Sure personal preference will come into play, but so will synergy with gear and that's probably also related. It would seem most people with analytical gear (Galaxy v2, Encore) find AMP8 harsh...

Well let me get my K10C out of dusty box and test with amp4s or amp8.
Find Encore mid are much more open and airier than K10C. That's why k10c was put back into its box after hearing Encore.

 

[icefalkon]

Look what Santa left me...

Since everyone is burning in AMP8....I'm going to burn in AMP7 and do my review of that first!

 

[icefalkon]

HMMM Just listened to my LCD's with the AMP4s before putting AMP7 on...

The difference, with zero burn-in, is distinct. The bass is more pronounced without being...bassy...if that makes sense. The song I listened to with both AMP's is more "rich". Man, this is going to be AWESOME.

 

[ateeq]

Just an FYI... USB and SPDIF are not the same thing and will not work together.

Also iFi doesn't make a iDXD. They do make a iDSD and an xDSD. Which one are you talking about?

Anyway, you should be able to connect the SPDIF from the DX200 to the SPDIF input on the iFi iDSD and xDSD. I own the iDSD BL and it works well. I'm not 100% sure if the xDSD will work.

Hi thanks for the reply what i have is the ifi xdsd i want to know if i can connect via the usb prt to dx200
regards Ateeq

 

[PinkyPowers]

Loving AMP8. Noticeably more bass over AMP4, which I like. tia Fourté sounds fuller, even with Leonidas.

I'm not ready to make comparisons about performance, but I do really like what I'm hearing.

 

[Signal2Noise]

My AMP8 arrived today...!!! Amazing body and depth to sound, compared to the default AMP1, though I guess it's just a matter of preference. I had the AMP3 for a brief while, and felt that it is boomier than AMP8.
Though I thoroughly enough AMP8 more than the 3 or 1. iBasso did it again

I am considering your term "boomier" as a negative? Because as far as bass is concerned I find AMP8 hits with more impact than AMP3.

 

[jerick70]

Hi thanks for the reply what i have is the ifi xdsd i want to know if i can connect via the usb prt to dx200
regards Ateeq

Yes it should work via an OTG cable. You can connect the xDSD to the DX200 with the SPDIF cable and via bluetooth.

 

[Likeimthere]

Darn you @Whitigir , just purchased the Xivero software So it should be set to 1 bit, DSF, but what about the Threads? Any recommendation?

So I made the jump to and got the software... did a sample album over night...

Oh my goodness... the clarity and the layering and the separation are amazing... and this is with AMP3 and Thor on my A18.

Ugh I thought it wasn’t possible to squeeze more in terms of this musical experience ... you all have reawaken an itch I thought I stopped... someone hide my wallet please...

 

[natemact]

That's why we are called Human.
Each one of us will have different feelings to our five senses. Even identical twins will have some differences to their senses.
I agreed micro details from DX200 is better than 1Z. Vocal from amp8 is a little too forward or in your face vs amp4s more natural to me. With 1Z, sometimes I felt as if I am there with artists where I can't feel with DX200 through 4s or 8, same songs same albums.
Even more with Utopia with pure silver cable from DHC.
Have you try Utopia with vinyls? You should try that combo, to die for that natural sounds.

Sorry to go OT but: Nice Maggie’s! I also had a Classic at one point in the journey, periphery ring and all. What cart do you have on it?

My last pair of hps were Utopias w/Cardas Clear on a TT only system - no digital for me back then - and was immensely impressed, clearly not seeking any upgraditis for a solid year+ but....after living with my DX200/Phantom combo for all of a month I decided to sell the whole $20k rig It was not easy decision because other than owning the DX100 for a year+ and a one month stint with a Eximus DP-1 I’ve been vinyl only for 15+ years, so clearly a shock to not even need an audio rack any more.

The thing is though, I didn't find the SQ dip between formats or transducers significant enough to warrant keeping either considering their worth. Sure, there’s some things vinyl rig did better and some things the Ute’s did better but the same can be said for the DX200/Phantoms, and it was this realization that led me to doing what most TT owners would deem grounds for hospitalization.

Back briefly OT - I freaking love this DAP and even more now with #8. At ~$1100 this thing shouldn't have a chance competing with desktop systems of considerably higher outlay, be them vinyl or digital, but it truly does, even more so with upsmp to D512. Someone was asking about vs H2. Well although I haven't owned one I did have one home with me for a week and for sheer resolving abilities throughout (bass texture, mids emotion and treble resolve/decay), depth and layering, cohesive SS (less holes, finely knit), treble extension and air, the H2 had Amp4s beat. Although Amp8 has helped out with many of these qualities - notable ones for me being depth/layering, cohesive SS and treble resolve - it's still a DX200, just a better DX200. As in, it's still closer in performance to a DX200 + Amp 1-6, than it is to a H2. *Source for H2 was MBP via Lifatec optical as usb really benefits from galvanic iso and conditioning.

I also debated between H2 or dap as I only needed transportability, not portability, and while I can accept that a H2 has all daps beat, at the end of the day I'd rather give up some sq for the benefits of a one device solution. If I had to pick a source to pair a H2 with it would have to be a dap, as phone seems like a waste and laptops are too bulky for my application, but at that point you may as well just buy a really good dap if you hate redundancy as much as I do. Plus, now that I too am up-sampling to D512 I couldn't play these files with H2 using a dap as the source.

I guessed I missed out on that rough patch during burn-in. I haven't been able to listen since Friday night. Will hopefully get back to it at some point tomorrow though. Will be closing in on ~100 hours late tomorrow night, so really looking forward to where we are at the century mark.