[nc8000]

Confusing but absolutely essential as some great gear can sound just plain awfull in the wrong combinations

 

[fungus amongus]

Hey guys they released pics already

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f38/he...lifier-424448/

 

[charlie0904]

awesome !!!!

 

[jukkoo]

Wonderful. I am waiting to read reviews.

 

[sachu]

Alright..Why hasn't anyone posted anything about the slim since Canjam?
Who all heard the Pico Slim at Canjam?..you know you were impressed by the little bugger weren't you?

I wasn't expecting much from the Pico slim as I am generally averse to the whole portable thing. But since grawk was busy listening to his ESP950s on the BHSE, i decided to give the Pico Slim a try.

Now, keeping in mind that this is an amp targeted at the ultra portable crowd, the low impedance high efficiency headphones and IEMs, i in all my smugness plugged in my Yamaha Yh-100 orthodynamic.

The amp struggled to drive the headphone..understandably so, as the mighty Yamaha has brought so called desktop amps to its knees and I was being an ass by trying it out on the slim. Further more the slim was low on juice by the time I sat down.

Justin had a pair of HF-2 next to the slim and I had heard the HF-2s on and off throughout saturday and most of sunday morning.

I had a very good frame of reference to the Grados capability after having listened to it through Namaans Bijou and Nikongod's spud amplifier and my Cavalli Audio CTH.

I didn't think it would even sound anything like what I had heard with the other three amps. Justin let me drive the volume knob, as i turned it up to listening levels, I kinda started paying attention to what I was hearing. Slowly I had my foot tapping and I didn't even notice the silly grin spread across my face.
The Pico made the Grados sing..i mean really sing. It felt like the amp had the headphones by its balls and was drumming out the bass quick and fast. The air in the highs that I had experienced with the other amps was present but to a lesser degree which isn't really taking away too much from this little amplifier. The mds were well balanced with the rest of the frequency spectrum though I like to have the mids a little forward compared to the highs and lows.

as for build quality and looks, The volume controls and the input,output jacks all were of top notch quality. I was amazed at how small thsi amp really is. Definitely worth checking out for those who would like to 'slim' down their portable gear and have something sexy that women wouldn't make fun of you for. I have had women give me weird glances when i bring out my Archos + mini3 combo in pubic. Its the size of a double cheese hamburger put together. With the Pico Slim, noone would even notice it..itz that small.

Overall, i thoroughly enjoyed the Pico slim, so much so that I had stopped bothering grawk to get off the Blue Hawaii and let me hear the ESP950s. I was so digging the PIco slim that grawk eventually had to tap on my shoulders to get me my attention and thrust the ESP950s in my hand before i took the HF-2s off my head.

As I took off the HF-2s off , I smiled and nodded approvingly at Justin for making yet another fantastic and gorgeous headphone amplifier.

 

[GLdgShDjKsHT]

pretty impressive

 

[Edwood]

Got to try out the Slim at Canjam with my ES3X. Absolutely no hissing noise, and perfect channel balance at even at very lowest volume. The volume control is smooth and easy to turn. Feels just like a regular pot, which it is, but volume control is digital. Extra bonus is no scratchy wiper noise when turning the volume up and down.

Oh, and volume at zero is completely silent, most cheaper pots I can hear sound leaking through.

-Ed

 

[belac]

Great initial review!! Thanks for the input!!! I'm really impressed with the feedback I've heard so far and can't wait until we get a date and price so I can enjoy the slim.

 

[sachu]

Thanks..I think the PIco Slim would be kickass with the JH-13 Pros..

I heard the JH13 pros through some amplifier which I thought was holding back the JH13 pros a bit. If only real amplification was used those JH-13 pros would have been declared the best sound of the show bar none. This s where I think the Pico Slim comes in, far superior sounding amplification.

 

[Bojamijams]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachu /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks..I think the PIco Slim would be kickass with the JH-13 Pros..

Thats what I'm thinking too. Either the Slim or the Shadow with the JH-13's and an imod... I may not need another full size can/amp ever again

 

[jamato8]

So any images?

 

[sachu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bojamijams /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thats what I'm thinking too. Either the Slim or the Shadow with the JH-13's and an imod... I may not need another full size can/amp ever again

Naah..not the shadow..the slim yes..At least for me the RSA sound seems to roll off the highs far too quickly.

I thought the shadow was bigger in size than the slim too. I also did not like the rotary volume control they had..felt real cheap..almost like I was using some old old walkman. And the shadow just doesn't look as sexy as the Pico slim does.

 

[Rdr. Seraphim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachu /img/forum/go_quote.gif Naah..not the shadow..the slim yes..At least for me the RSA sound seems to roll off the highs far too quickly. I thought the shadow was bigger in size than the slim too. I also did not like the rotary volume control they had..felt real cheap..almost like I was using some old old walkman. And the shadow just doesn't look as sexy as the Pico slim does.

From what I'm hearing, this is gonna be great!

Ok Justin! What about a Pico Slim DAC to go with the Pico Slim? And... when ya gonna open the pre-order thread?

 

[Bojamijams]

There already is a pico dac.. I'm sure if he could've made it a 'slim' he would've .. its probably as small as its gonna get

 

[jamato8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachu /img/forum/go_quote.gif And the shadow just doesn't look as sexy as the Pico slim does.

What did the case of the Shadow look like?