New Practical Devices XM6 Amp/DAC (The Complete Review)

[HK_sends]

I hope word of mouth and forum member's impressions help the XM6 as well.  I understand about the OpAmps...I had the D10 and HiFlight's TopKit and a couple others I bought to try.
At least the options that James offers on his site (currently offered for the XM5) are excellent chips at a reasonable price.  I ended up sticking with the AD8397 for my XM5...
 
Cheers!

-HK sends

 

[Armaegis]

I'm pretty sure the opamps can be ordered for much cheaper through Digikey or something, but the listings are a bit staggering to sort through and I wouldn't know which ones to get get anyhow.

 

[mark2410]

Quote:

I'm pretty sure the opamps can be ordered for much cheaper through Digikey or something, but the listings are a bit staggering to sort through and I wouldn't know which ones to get get anyhow.

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/432749/the-opamp-thread
 
look in there and be warned you will will feel like a retard as you will have no clue what people are talking about till you have been reading it a for a few weeks.

 

[HK_sends]

Quote:

I'm pretty sure the opamps can be ordered for much cheaper through Digikey or something, but the listings are a bit staggering to sort through and I wouldn't know which ones to get get anyhow.

I purchased some from there (my first pair of BUF634s) but the AD8397 at PD was already mounted on a "double cat" that plugged into both OpAmp sockets...

You can sometimes also request a free sample direct from the manufacturer.  I did that a while back for one or two of my OpAmps.
 
Cheers!

-HK sends

 

[Darksyde]

Excellent review, HK_Sends!  If I didn't already pay for my Hifiman, I would be all over this for my portable.  Thanks to you, I've had the opportunity to have previous PD products in my house!  Hooray for a great company (and a review that did this exceptional product justice)!
 
Then again if money wasn't an issue, I would dump a nice hot Schiit on my desk and throw a pair of HP2s beside it... and a Lavry DAC

  The woes of the poor T_T 

 

[HK_sends]

Quote:

 
The woes of the poor T_T 

 
Thanks!  And I feel your pain with the woes of being poor!
 
Cheers!

-HK sends

 

 

[Armaegis]

I'm not poor, I'm merely headfi challenged.

 

[HK_sends]

Quote:

I'm not poor, I'm merely headfi challenged.

Aren't we all?
 
Cheers!

-HK sends

 

[HK_sends]

If anybody is interested, I ordered a pair of AD8610s and a AD8397 DoubleCat to try out with the XM6.  If anybody would like, I can post impressions.
I also asked James when the XM6 was supposed to debut and for how much, but he has gotten back to me yet.
 
Cheers!

-HK sends

 

[jendol]

I am always intrigued by dac/amp with lots of bells and whistles (bunch of features), at first this sound wonderful, but I notice that plain vanilla amps like lisa3, iqube, al rx, etc are always coming on top in various reviews, while amps with adjustable bass, trebles, crossovers, etc have not make it to the top of these lists. I do wish to see this xm6 going to the top of the chart

 

[HK_sends]

 
Quote:

I am always intrigued by dac/amp with lots of bells and whistles (bunch of features), at first this sound wonderful, but I notice that plain vanilla amps like lisa3, iqube, al rx, etc are always coming on top in various reviews, while amps with adjustable bass, trebles, crossovers, etc have not make it to the top of these lists. I do wish to see this xm6 going to the top of the chart

I think there's a bit of a trade off with customizable and non-customizable amps.  I see amps like the lisa3, iqube, al rx, etc. getting really great reviews as well.  However, what if their sound isn't quite what you are looking for?  I have an RSA P-51 Mustang and I find in sounds great with some combinations of music and headphones, but not with others.  Since our ears and brains are different, we prefer different qualities in our sound (some prefer bass over anything, some focus on mids, some treble).  So that #1 amp on Skylab's list (a most excellent thread by the way) may be his top pick and yet some people might not care for the sound.  Then all you can do is return or sell the amp and try another one until you find the sound you enjoy the most.
 
With a customizable amp, you are sacrificing some of the tailoring that the manufacturer puts into a non-customizable amp, but you may be able to find a sound you enjoy with much less difficulty (replacing OpAmps instead of the whole amp) and possible expense.  You can even change the sound as your tastes change.  For the XM6, I am finding with the stock OpAmps, that I am turning on the bass boost less and less.  That tells me the amp is still opening up or my ears are becoming more used to it.  But I am finding a sound signature I like.  Of course I will try the other OpAmps I just ordered to see if I can find something better.
 
Is one type of amp better than the other?  I don't think, so.  I think it is what you are looking for that counts.  I am a tweaker, so I need a customizable amp to enjoy experimenting with sound.  Those that are looking for that single magic signature sound are just as happy with their favorite non-customizable amp.  That's the beauty of this hobby; we can both be right.  It's just when we try to convince the other group that they are wrong that the problems arise.  It's a big community, I think we can enjoy the benefits of both.
 
Off my soapbox... 

 
Cheers!

-HK sends
 

 

[nsx_23]

Quote:

 
At least the options that James offers on his site (currently offered for the XM5) are excellent chips at a reasonable price.  I ended up sticking with the AD8397 for my XM5...
 

I still can't stop mucking around with op-amps in my XM5.
 
The XM6 looks like a nice little upgrade. Hmm...

 

[HK_sends]

 
Quote:

I still can't stop mucking around with op-amps in my XM5.
 
The XM6 looks like a nice little upgrade. Hmm...

I ordered some more OpAmps from Practical Devices just for the XM6.  I'll start the rolling soon.

 
Cheers!

-HK sends
 

 

[HK_sends]

A quick FYI:  I received a response from James that the release of the XM6 was "imminent" but he wasn't able to set a date or price at this time.  He said he would let me know so I could post the release date and price as soon as he has them.
 
For inquiring minds...

 
Cheers!

-HK sends

 

[clarinetman]

Very interesting, thanks for your review.
 
However, I'm personally leery about buying from PD because of the horrendous lack of support I got from them last year... It took them almost two months to repair a grounding issue that later resurfaced, and then they never gave me back the upgraded buffers I had originally bought when they finally shipped it back to me (I was a senior citizen by that point). James was always amicable though.