FullBright1
Headphoneus Supremus
Your favorite set of headphones, a castle in the sky, and the Monolith 124459.
Ahhhh.......life is good.....
And how does it sound?
Like it costs a lot more.
The gear itself looks like something made by Onkyo back in the '90s.
Its that black brushed aluminum style.... (Circuit City).
This gear has been around a few years, and didn't make a significant or impactful splash around here that im aware of, vs the Massdrop Amp Only similar 789 version that has been creating epiphanies according to most reviews.
I think this one could also, if you want to find out.
(Post purchase)...I was looking at the reviews on the Monoprice site and i think it has about 11 obo, and all are 5-Star but one which is a 4, and more then likely this buyer can't be satisfied unless they have paid over $15,000 USD, as for this type buyer, they have been led to believe that if it costs more, then it must be better.....and if is costs a whole lot more, then it must be the best.
(Welcome to Capitalism and the world of Marketing Hype)
Listen.... as a consumer, you are constantly being "leveled up" and being convinced that the "next" is always "better".
But here is the reality......when you fall into the black hole of ever chasing ...good <>better <>BEST, and you've let this become your main concern, you have to understand that to go from good to BEST, is a matter of inches/millimeters...tiny percentages, and subjective analysis, and the designers are going to make you PAY PAY PAY till you bleed to get to that last little taste of what they tell you is their end game sound.
Now there is one thing that is a 100% guarantee that you'll possess if you spend a fortune on music gear, and that is "Pride of Ownership".
Yep, you get bragging rights., if you want to pay for them.
Absolutely.
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So, what does the Monolith get right?
Well, "sound".
It gets that right.
You could spend a lot more money and not get the Sound-Q this gear is able to produce.
Now, there are specs available, charts aplenty, info on the Dac, and complete reviews im sure, but i read none of them, and im not going to list all that here.
I think there are at least 2 Head-Fi Threads that discuss this gear that i noticed before posting this mini-analysis,, and im sure the charts and specs are all over those like magic mushrooms found in a dark wet forest.
I bought this amp-dac and never read a review before I purchased it based on Z-Reveiws (video) gushing-love of the M-789.
I can't speak for that product, but i can say that this one could only mildly disappoint you if you are a fan of dry analytical surgical sterile frequency response. (DASSFR) As in that case, this gear wont supply it.
But if you feel that $500 USD is within your means to own the Monolith 12449, then expect upon arrival into your ears a smooth, lush, detailed sound, with a little extra something being done to the soundstage that allows for more depth and width.
There is something buttery and finessed and magical going on within the sound that this little black box is dialing up.
Comfort level inside your head is a 9.
Now for one caveat..... I have a brand new MSI Gaming (Windows 10) LT GP63-041 and it will not work with this gear.
My Mac of course worked instantly.
So, that's your heads up.
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-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Ahhhh.......life is good.....
And how does it sound?
Like it costs a lot more.
The gear itself looks like something made by Onkyo back in the '90s.
Its that black brushed aluminum style.... (Circuit City).
This gear has been around a few years, and didn't make a significant or impactful splash around here that im aware of, vs the Massdrop Amp Only similar 789 version that has been creating epiphanies according to most reviews.
I think this one could also, if you want to find out.
(Post purchase)...I was looking at the reviews on the Monoprice site and i think it has about 11 obo, and all are 5-Star but one which is a 4, and more then likely this buyer can't be satisfied unless they have paid over $15,000 USD, as for this type buyer, they have been led to believe that if it costs more, then it must be better.....and if is costs a whole lot more, then it must be the best.
(Welcome to Capitalism and the world of Marketing Hype)
Listen.... as a consumer, you are constantly being "leveled up" and being convinced that the "next" is always "better".
But here is the reality......when you fall into the black hole of ever chasing ...good <>better <>BEST, and you've let this become your main concern, you have to understand that to go from good to BEST, is a matter of inches/millimeters...tiny percentages, and subjective analysis, and the designers are going to make you PAY PAY PAY till you bleed to get to that last little taste of what they tell you is their end game sound.
Now there is one thing that is a 100% guarantee that you'll possess if you spend a fortune on music gear, and that is "Pride of Ownership".
Yep, you get bragging rights., if you want to pay for them.
Absolutely.
------------------------------------------------------------------
So, what does the Monolith get right?
Well, "sound".
It gets that right.
You could spend a lot more money and not get the Sound-Q this gear is able to produce.
Now, there are specs available, charts aplenty, info on the Dac, and complete reviews im sure, but i read none of them, and im not going to list all that here.
I think there are at least 2 Head-Fi Threads that discuss this gear that i noticed before posting this mini-analysis,, and im sure the charts and specs are all over those like magic mushrooms found in a dark wet forest.
I bought this amp-dac and never read a review before I purchased it based on Z-Reveiws (video) gushing-love of the M-789.
I can't speak for that product, but i can say that this one could only mildly disappoint you if you are a fan of dry analytical surgical sterile frequency response. (DASSFR) As in that case, this gear wont supply it.
But if you feel that $500 USD is within your means to own the Monolith 12449, then expect upon arrival into your ears a smooth, lush, detailed sound, with a little extra something being done to the soundstage that allows for more depth and width.
There is something buttery and finessed and magical going on within the sound that this little black box is dialing up.
Comfort level inside your head is a 9.
Now for one caveat..... I have a brand new MSI Gaming (Windows 10) LT GP63-041 and it will not work with this gear.
My Mac of course worked instantly.
So, that's your heads up.
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-
-
-
-
-
-
-
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