The base model with the Alps potentiometer has fine volume control, very smooth and precise. You may be thinking of the DACT stepped attenuator that is an option. It only has 24 steps that some people don’t like.
I have a DAC with remote volume control that I’ve used with the Mini. I set the volume of the Mini just slightly higher than I want to listen with the DAC turned up full. That way the DAC doesn’t need to attenuate too much, but if a quiet track comes in I can still turn it up a little. There is also a switch to select between headphone or pre amp output. The Mini works well as a pre. That same DAC with volume control doesn’t sound nearly as good directly into a power amp as it does using the Mini in between.
I seem to be in the minority here but I love the DACT stepped attenuator... With a variable voltage DAC, I've not had an issue at all and the signal path is shorter and more "pure" with reduced distortion and cleaner noise floor.
I had the MK II with the DACT attenuator and I wanted to throw it out my window. The clicking and distortion every time I changed the volume drove me nuts. Plus, overall it was a little bit more shrill and bright than the Mini.
I had the MK II with the DACT attenuator and I wanted to throw it out my window. The clicking and distortion every time I changed the volume drove me nuts. Plus, overall it was a little bit more shrill and bright than the Mini.
looking for a solid state amp that'd reliably drive all the following reasonably well.
current desktop source is an adi-2, but I've also been running an old pioneer djm-600 with some vinyl and other assorted dj gear.
am just starting a bottlehead crack amp, but i'd like solid state for reliability, transportability, less risk buying used, and use with lower impedence gear.
thingthis amp. is it it? have i found it? nirvana?
hoping to stay around 1k used, 1.5 k if there's an insane deal somewhere.
main cans below, listed in order of how much i care about them being good synergy:
-Fostex TH-909
-Rosson Rad-0
-Verité Closed (might sell unless they're insane with a better amp)
-Sennheiser HD600 (mostly keeping to pair w/ the crack)
-Moondrop Variations & probably a pair of IER-Z1R's or Campfire Bonnevilles soon (probably fine off the adi-2)
looking for a solid state amp that'd reliably drive all the following reasonably well ....
current desktop source is an adi-2, but I've also been running an old pioneer djm-600 with some vinyl and other assorted dj gear.
am just starting a bottlehead crack amp, but i'd like solid state for reliability, transportability, less risk buying used, and use with lower impedence gear.
thingthis amp. is it it? have i found it? nirvana?
hoping to stay around 1k used, 1.5 k if there's an insane deal somewhere.
main cans below, listed in order of how much i care about them being good synergy:
-Fostex TH-909
-Rosson Rad-0
-Verité Closed (might sell unless they're insane with a better amp)
-Sennheiser HD600 (mostly keeping to pair w/ the crack)
-Moondrop Variations & probably a pair of IER-Z1R's or Campfire Bonnevilles soon (probably fine off the adi-2)
looking for a solid state amp that'd reliably drive all the following reasonably well.
current desktop source is an adi-2, but I've also been running an old pioneer djm-600 with some vinyl and other assorted dj gear.
am just starting a bottlehead crack amp, but i'd like solid state for reliability, transportability, less risk buying used, and use with lower impedence gear.
thingthis amp. is it it? have i found it? nirvana?
hoping to stay around 1k used, 1.5 k if there's an insane deal somewhere.
main cans below, listed in order of how much i care about them being good synergy:
-Fostex TH-909
-Rosson Rad-0
-Verité Closed (might sell unless they're insane with a better amp)
-Sennheiser HD600 (mostly keeping to pair w/ the crack)
-Moondrop Variations & probably a pair of IER-Z1R's or Campfire Bonnevilles soon (probably fine off the adi-2)
You don't need any kind of serious amp with IEMs, but as long as you have a 4-pin XLR termination on your headphones, the way I'd summarise the amp is that it's a slightly warm, very punchy amp, but not the last word in resolution.
looking for a solid state amp that'd reliably drive all the following reasonably well.
current desktop source is an adi-2, but I've also been running an old pioneer djm-600 with some vinyl and other assorted dj gear.
am just starting a bottlehead crack amp, but i'd like solid state for reliability, transportability, less risk buying used, and use with lower impedence gear.
thingthis amp. is it it? have i found it? nirvana?
hoping to stay around 1k used, 1.5 k if there's an insane deal somewhere.
main cans below, listed in order of how much i care about them being good synergy:
-Fostex TH-909
-Rosson Rad-0
-Verité Closed (might sell unless they're insane with a better amp)
-Sennheiser HD600 (mostly keeping to pair w/ the crack)
-Moondrop Variations & probably a pair of IER-Z1R's or Campfire Bonnevilles soon (probably fine off the adi-2)
Agree with everything @Currawong said. I’d caution that the Mini does not play well with sensitive IEMs unless you use something like Ifi’s IEMatch. You’ll get a strong hiss on sensitive IEMs. Amp also performs best on high gain - very noticeable difference between low and high gain, as observed by many others on this thread.
Overall, it’s a really solid midfi amp with a rich timbre and slightly warm tone. It’s smooth, for sure, but it will still let you hear the difference between DACs. A lot of folks mistake laser-etched transients and bright, brash highs for clarity and resolution, but these are qualifies you may not find in the very best, most expensive amps. Musicality and smoothness are traits that should be treasured.
I’ve run my Mini off of a Chord Mojo, Chord Hugo 2, Dangerous Music Convert-2, BorderPatrol SE-i and Chord Dave. All played nicely - I’d say say I liked the BorderPatrol the best, even though it really softened the bass a lot. Hugo 2 was a great match as well.
I’m researching this amp as one of maybe two or three that are considered A-list for my Abyss 1266. I’ve researched and found reviewers, owners, and even the guys at Abyss all state it’s a solid match for the AB 1266 (only higher up is the A+ tier of WA33 and Formula S; both too pricey for me). I’ve only seen one comment (page 183) that stated the GSX Mini is insufficient for the AB 1266.
I’m deciding between the Mini, Burson 3xgt, and Ferrum Oor. Leaning towards the Mini, but curious if you guys agree that these three I just named are roughly equivocal.
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