[Sceptre]

I haven't done the comparison but am happy driving my JH13s with the AHA120. I don't feel the need to experiment with balanced. I'm sure my soon to arrive (yeah right) Roxanne's will also match well.

Very happy for people to try out my AHA120 at a meet or nearby.

Regards

Sceptre

 

[sree]

I have had this amplifier since 2011 and I have often wondered why it is not well appreciated here. I have paired it with many headphones but I love it most with my Denon AH-D7000. I have not modified the gain yet to try that with Sennheiser HD-800 with Moon-Audio Silver Dragon Cable but without the gain change, the Senns seemed to be holding something back for me.
 
I have bought and sold off quite a bit of amplifiers but this one has been with me since 2011. Like many reviews mentioned about this amp, it is ruthless with bad source. I had to change my music preferences quite a bit to enjoy music again. Even though the Denons are very forgiving, the amp just isn't and even with the Denons they display everything that is wrong with the source.

 

[Grev]

I havent been here for a long time and here it goes...
 
I recently started listening to headphones again after 2 years (which I spent lots of money on and neglected), my impressions of the AHA-120 is very good.
 
Using my LCD2v2 and HE-400, CLAS, ipod touch and various amps (rx mk3, continental v2, national, triad L3 and the AHA-120), I found that the AHA-120 gives the fullest sound, the L3 is very close and using two 9.6v batteries gives good sound but just a bit behind the AHA-120, the continental is smooth, the national is a bit less smooth and a bit clinical, then the RX mk3 is very clinical and just do everything quite well, like a robot.
 
Those are my noob reviewing observations.

 

[rasmushorn]

  I havent been here for a long time and here it goes...
 
I recently started listening to headphones again after 2 years (which I spent lots of money on and neglected), my impressions of the AHA-120 is very good.
 
Using my LCD2v2 and HE-400, CLAS, ipod touch and various amps (rx mk3, continental v2, national, triad L3 and the AHA-120), I found that the AHA-120 gives the fullest sound, the L3 is very close and using two 9.6v batteries gives good sound but just a bit behind the AHA-120, the continental is smooth, the national is a bit less smooth and a bit clinical, then the RX mk3 is very clinical and just do everything quite well, like a robot.
 

 
Hi Grev - welcome back
It is interesting that you think the AHA-120 sounds better than the L3. I used to have the original LISA III years ago. The LISA III was one of the best 'portable' battery driven amps I have had. After I sold the LISA III I heard the AHA-120 at a meet and immediately thought they shared some charachteristics. I have never had the chance to compare the two directly but I have always wanted to. I enjoy my AHA-120 immensely so if you say that it really does play just as well as the L3 then I think I will remove the L3 from my wishlist of amps I would like to go back to and just keep enjoying the AHA-120. 

 

[Sceptre]

I have both the Lisa III and AHA120. I hear hiss on the Lisa III when using IEMs and believe the AHA 120 to be a superior amp in every way possible (SQ, batt life, size, etc).

We are talking quite a few years between these designs and although I am comparing the Lisa III, I have not heard the newer L3 version.

 

[rasmushorn]

I have both the Lisa III and AHA120. I hear hiss on the Lisa III when using IEMs and believe the AHA 120 to be a superior amp in every way possible (SQ, batt life, size, etc).

We are talking quite a few years between these designs and although I am comparing the Lisa III, I have not heard the newer L3 version.

Thanks for sharing that! As much as I enjoyed the LISA III it only makes me value the AHA-120 even more.

I just listened to iPod Classic --> CLAS original --> AHA-120 --> Beyerdynamic T5p and it sounded so crisp and fast. The AHA-120 is a great center of a very good portable setup and it offers plenty listening pleasure for almost any genre.

 

[Xtralglactic]

How does this pair with just audio UDAC 2496?

 

[rasmushorn]

How does this pair with just audio UDAC 2496?

I have never read any comments on UDAC2496. I would also like to read how it compares to other portable DAC's. 

 

[Xtralglactic]

Still enjoying my AHA 120's. Just sayin ! Is there a new portable amp that has taken the crown?

 

[scook94]

Chord Hugo?

 

[Xtralglactic]

But thats a dac/amp....i mean just a portable class A ampifier made in 2014

 

[scook94]

Very true, but the sound quality is light-years ahead of what I was getting from my AHA-120.

 

[tepet08]

hi guys.just received my AHA120 today.Still getting used to the sound signature.many of the songs seem like the vocal is moved to slightly off-centre.is that just a better placement(i notice how there is more 'space' between instruments now) or seperation or channel imbalance.also the headphone out socket seem a bit on 'loose' side,or was it just me after the 'tight' DX90 headphone out?
 
Source is DX90 and headphone is Alpha Prime.
 
Thanks

 

[LFC_SL]

People often pick up on bigger space and separation when upgrading DAC and/or amp. If you rock a smartphone in particular it is typically congested and central regardless of what brand handset

 

[SDBiotek]

  hi guys.just received my AHA120 today.Still getting used to the sound signature.many of the songs seem like the vocal is moved to slightly off-centre.is that just a better placement(i notice how there is more 'space' between instruments now) or seperation or channel imbalance.also the headphone out socket seem a bit on 'loose' side,or was it just me after the 'tight' DX90 headphone out?
 
Source is DX90 and headphone is Alpha Prime.
 
Thanks

Sometimes with analog pots, you will notice some channel volume imbalance at lower volumes. This is normal, even with high quality potentiometers (like that used in the AHA120). I haven't noticed any issues with the headphone out socket feeling loose, but the socket in the DX90 is very tight compared with others I've encountered.