[tnmike1]

scoured this thread but, unless I missed it, no one's compared this Reference to the Supermacro IV LE. I'm thinking of ordering this with 8656 LR and 8616 in 3/4, but don't know if the Reference would come close to the sound of an LE in that configuration.

Anyone care to guess which would be better???

 

[jamato8]

Right now the Reference is better but the other amps will have the updates from the infulence of the Reference. I would imagine at that time it will be a matter of taste rather than which one is really better.

The UM2's haven't sounded better and I am forming a new opinion of them being driven with this very good amplification. The bass is much better and truer than I remember from them in the past.

I still find the Micro IV excellent in all respects. It is a hard one to top.

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnmike1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif scoured this thread but, unless I missed it, no one's compared this Reference to the Supermacro IV LE. I'm thinking of ordering this with 8656 LR and 8616 in 3/4, but don't know if the Reference would come close to the sound of an LE in that configuration. Anyone care to guess which would be better???

I had the Supermacro LE, and a bunch of op-amps. Amongst those were the 8616 and the 8656. IMO the LE sounded very good with the 8616 in the 3/4 with the 8656 in the L/R with buffers bypassed. However the Supermicro IV sounded better and I sold the Supermacro LE. The new Xin Reference I have is shaping up very nicely, however both the Beta-2 and Beta-3 (my call names and not Dr. Xin's) have only 72 and 24 hours of burn in respectively. Since the cap is a Nichicon 15,000 uF I will wait untill it has 400 hours or so before I post definet impressions and if it continuous should be better than the LE. Just my $0.02

 

[ldj325]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I had the Supermacro LE, and a bunch of op-amps. Amongst those were the 8616 and the 8656. IMO the LE sounded very good with the 8616 in the 3/4 with the 8656 in the L/R with buffers bypassed. However the Supermicro IV sounded better and I sold the Supermacro LE. The new Xin Reference I have is shaping up very nicely, however both the Beta-2 and Beta-3 (my call names and not Dr. Xin's) have only 72 and 24 hours of burn in respectively. Since the cap is a Nichicon 15,000 uF I will wait untill it has 400 hours or so before I post definet impressions and if it continuous should be better than the LE. Just my $0.02

I've seen various referneces to op amp rolling, especially regarding the Xin, but have never heard how it is done. Do the op amps pop in and out? Or is it strickly a sodder job to change these?

Thanks

 

[jamato8]

They have sockets so it is just a matter of the right opamps and putting them in the right direction and not bending the pins but with just a little care it is all very easy.

 

[ldj325]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamato8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif They have sockets so it is just a matter of the right opamps and putting them in the right direction and not bending the pins but with just a little care it is all very easy.

Cool! this sounds like a very nice option then.

 

[ckhirnigs113]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamato8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The UM2's haven't sounded better and I am forming a new opinion of them being driven with this very good amplification. The bass is much better and truer than I remember from them in the past. I still find the Micro IV excellent in all respects. It is a hard one to top.

So in your opinion, do the UM2's sound better with the new Reference or the Micro? I have been undecided between all of Xin's amps to use with my UM2's. There were many that said they don't improve noticeably with amplification. I guess you disagree? -CK

 

[jamato8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckhirnigs113 /img/forum/go_quote.gif So in your opinion, do the UM2's sound better with the new Reference or the Micro? I have been undecided between all of Xin's amps to use with my UM2's. There were many that said they don't improve noticeably with amplification. I guess you disagree? -CK

It would depend on the quality of the amplification. I find that they sound good with either the Micro IV or the Reference. There is a good sense of stage, which I was not getting before with more of a headphone presentation rather than an all in your head and between your ears sound that I have often heard. The spatial information that both amps have with headphones is also picked up by the UM2's, more so than I have heard in the past.

The Reference needs more burn in time so I don't know what its final sound will be.

 

[druelle]

Haven't seen any updated reviews in the last couple of days... No news is good news?

 

[jamato8]

Nearing 400 hours and the sound conintues to change. I had some sibilance for a few hours, which was strange and then it disappeared. The sound continues to have a very open venue and a bass definition and articulation that defies the size of the amp. This is a very nimble amp.

It is more like an instrument than a piece of electronic equipment.

 

[kaushama]

It will take about one week for REF to be available for public it seems!

 

[jamato8]

I am sad to say, well in a way, that my Reference outpaces and performs better than my modified Little Dot Micro Tube. It is more open and so on and so forth. The MT has a nice power supply and plenty of power out with two 634 buffers per channel and I have taken out the caps that in my opinion should not be there, and although the sound is really very good, open and very enjoyable to listen to, the Reference just keeps getting better and Xin says there is another board. Oh lord of the musical realm, where does it end. :^)

Oh, I just got some Equation RP-21's and these headphones cook! They aren't even broken in yet but the Reference drives them with aplomb. I love the French in the English language.

 

[Morph201]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamato8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I love the French in the English language.

Ja, I love cursing in French, in the English language, it's like wiping ya a.s.s with silk!

 

[CAvanessia]

the description the reference sounds amazing. I just placed my order for the supermicro

 

[clc220]

this new board makes is beta #? ?