[mlarn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamato8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thank you for the review. I guess when the final version, for now, is done we will have more to know for sure. The version I have is after the one you have listened to and I find a slightly larger soundstage in depth and width than the Micro though the Micro is great. The highs are smooth and natural but again we have two different versions and two different sets of ears.

Thank you to both jamato8 and Vorlon 1 for taking the time to give us your impressions with these great amps

 

[goto2003]

The very first batch of RE has the same circurt scheme as Macro LE, and that's why I found it sounded closer to LE other than Micro. After 5/19, Dr. Xin made some critical changes to the RE to make it closer to Micro. Even so, they are still very different. From the email in the past two days, Xin finally decided to use the same scheme as Micro in the finalized one. The sound of beta RE would be VERY different from the finalized one. Even so, Micro and RE would sound different, given there's still some differences between the two, like cap size, DC-DC boost, etc. There's no way for them to sound the same. My best guess is the finalized RE would have a similar sonic signature as Micro yet having more "Hi-Fi" elements.

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamato8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thank you for the review... <some impressions heard differently> ...but again we have two different versions and two different sets of ears.

This is one more substantive difference factor to take into consideration here between these two Reference units - the "3V" burn-in received, for the most part so far, by the Reference in which one of the batteries was originally inserted reversed. Vorlon1's comparison of the Reference to the MicroIV reminded me of jamato8's earlier transitional listening observations of the Reference. It is also a very interesting note made above that the Hornet contains a cap similar in size to the Reference - interesting because of the "400 hour blossom" consistently noted for that amp. Given the differences involved in the units being described for us by these generous and experienced listeners, and the relatively early stage of use for those units, it is really interesting and exciting to be "in on" the "growing in" of the sound of this very promising new offering from Dr. Xin. As all of the direct listeners have already noted, where that sound will finally settle in, no one yet knows. You've got us right where you want us: on the edge of our seats, waiting for the next installment. Hearty thanks to all who are doing us the service of listening carefully to the units in their possession and describing for us what they are hearing (for us to savor) during this transitional period fraught with delicious anticipation. I LOVE this hobby!!!

Edit: Given the R&D developments from goto2003 above, this period of observation and discovery we are in just keeps getting better and better.

 

[kaushama]

GOTO2003 are you happy with SQ of other XIN amps (MACRO, LE and MINI) after 4/12 Mods? Are they in the same league in micro?
You were not very happy about them before. IMO SUPERMINI (post-4/12) though sound different has slight edge over my MACRO (pre-4/12)

 

[EFN]

Again thanks Vorlon1 and MrArroyo & Jamato for those outstanding impressions.

And Vorlon1, I believe your take on SuperMicro-IV is spot on with mine. I agreed with all of the description you state on SuperMicro-IV being suave and musical - and OMG the depth and spaciousness of SuperMicro-IV continues to awe me day in day out.

But I am also keen on knowiing how a finalized Xin Reference and fully burned in Reference would compare then. For me I am in love with SuperMicro-IV for that soothing listening bliss, if Xin Reference turned out to be a SuperMicro on ganja then it may be too hot for me

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vorlon1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif . . . On the other hand, the midrange and treble of the micro sounds more liquid and extended than the Reference. . . . Also, I do not think the treble extension of the Reference is quite as good as the micro, the overall sound presentation is just a bit darker in color at this point. . . . If forced to choose only one at this point, I would choose the micro for it’s overall musicality, depth, airiness, and texture.

Vorlon1 thanks for your detailed impressions. I hope you had a chance to read my post #226 here in which I wrote:

Quote:

These large capacitors act funny and some of the clarity/detail I heard yesterday is kind of gone today. On the other hand the soundstage has gone ultra-wide!

As I mentioned earlier I had made a mistake in which I only fed 3 volts instead of the full 6 volts by having a battery backwards. I feel that the 110 hour of burn in the amp had were in some way skewed due to my mistake.

As stated earlier I also believe the large 15,000 uF capacitor need a lot of burn in. However I do not see the bass getting bigger but rather I feel it will settle down and not be as prominent but instead it will be tighter.

Edit 1:

Quote:

I know there was some tendency to think of the Reference as a micro on steroids in some earlier posts,...

Actually this is from the good Dr. Xin's mouth. If you go to: http://www.fixup.net/talk/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2289 you will find he wrote:

Quote:

On the other hand, you can think of it as a mega version of SuperMicro-IV that's loved by almost all its owners.

Only time will tell, and since the board has been changed chances are the finalized (at least for now) amp will sound quite a bit diferent.

I will ad that once I get the new board and install it you will get it back for your review. Heck perhaps we should do another report as the one we did about 7 months ago.

Edit 2:

I sure hope the Reference with the new board and a good 400 hour burn in trounces the Supermicro IV. If not I will have to buy a Supermicro IV as well. I better do like Boomana and get a 2nd job.

 

[goto2003]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaushama /img/forum/go_quote.gif GOTO2003 are you happy with SQ of other XIN amps (MACRO, LE and MINI) after 4/12 Mods? Are they in the same league in micro? You were not very happy about them before. IMO SUPERMINI (post-4/12) though sound different has slight edge over my MACRO (pre-4/12)

I don't use headphone very often now and hardly find a chance to try the Macro. The one I use most often is Micro. Dr. Xin may apply same tweaks in RE into Micro/Mini/Macro as he mentioned on his forum that he's working on them right now. It may take him one or two days to clean up all these works - not very complicated to get rid of something and make some minor (sonically big) changes. I think the new Macro/Mini/LE would be in the same league, if not better. But they would sound different. I am also interested to find out how this finalized one sound like; it's on its way here. BTW, Micro would also has higher current capacity, good for low impedance gear.

 

[vorlon1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EFN /img/forum/go_quote.gif if Xin Reference turned out to be a SuperMicro on ganja then it may be too hot for me

When mrarroyo brought over the Reference I was hoping it would have the sound of the Micro on some serious juice, but it just didn't. It was more similar to the Macro LE with some extra oomph. So, I am very interested to see how the new changes will affect the sound. If it is able to capture the qualities of the micro and build on them it should be a tremendous amp. I am not saying the amp sounds "bad," some people may prefer the sound signature it has, I just don't.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Only time will tell, and since the board has been changed chances are the finalized (at least for now) amp will sound quite a bit diferent. I will ad that once I get the new board and install it you will get it back for your review. Heck perhaps we should do another report as the one we did about 7 months ago.

I'm very much looking forward to hearing these changes.

 

[druelle]

Why oh why does the word "Xin" seem to cause so much wait and anticipation!! It's killing me!

I, like many others, recently ordered a Micro IV but still have about 1.5-2 months before it ships, and 1.5-2 months to potentially change my order to a Reference if it turns out to be a great one (which it's shaping up to be!) Thanks to mrarroyo, Vorlon1 and jamato for the preliminary reviews, and keep 'em coming!

 

[jamato8]

The big cap does effect the bass but the big change is also in the high frequencies. This is where the hours will tell on the sound and it most likely will take a few hundred. Since the amp is already morphing in Xin's hands this may all be moot. I do know that the version I have sounds very good and while not the same as the Micro, it is every bit as engaging and throws as large and in some areas, a larger stage but again, the final product, what ever that may be, will be the gauge and it will take some time on that amp to know what the final sound will be. From past experience these changes will trickle to the other amps as Xin wants all his amps to sound equally excellent if not always exactly the same.

 

[sbulack]

It is very interesting that the "Soon" price is 280.00, and that a Sale Price of $250 in July is already being announced. Given what the good Dr. already knows about the sound of his latest offering, the changes that he has in mind to try and the time that it will take to know how each version will truly sound, we are already being offered an incentive to wait until things have been sorted out more. While I will wait to order until Dr. Xin is satisfied that this amp is delivering the "purest sound possible" that he is offering it for, the reports on the development of the sound for different R&D versions is one of the most engaging and fascinating reads in a good while, due, in no small part, to the experience and listening skill level of the reviewers.

 

[vorlon1]

After another 24 hours of burn-in some very positive changes have occurred. First, some of the attenuated treble that I mentioned yesterday has cleared up and the highs are now more extended and detailed, and they may not be done developing yet. The soundstage is not so wide and flat but has begun to show more depth, along with a more musical and less hard character. The bass doesn't seem as intense, though still quite present. Along with the better sense of depth the musical detail from all over the soundstage is really excellent, sounds that are on the edge of the soundstage (like the extreme left or right towards the back for example) are very clear, whereas on some amps they become somewhat fuzzy and seem compressed a bit. Not so at this stage with the Reference. It still doesn't have the softer tubier sound of the micro, and probably never will, but it's edge detail (that is what I am calling the sounds on the edge of the soundstage) is better than the micro. It is beginning to take on a positive musical character of it's own that is sounding a lot better than it did yesterday. So, it'll be interesting to see how the new board affects things.

 

[mrarroyo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vorlon1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif After another 24 hours of burn-in some very positive changes have occurred. First, some of the attenuated treble that I mentioned yesterday has cleared up and the highs are now more extended and detailed, and they may not be done developing yet. The soundstage is not so wide and flat but has begun to show more depth, along with a more musical and less hard character. The bass doesn't seem as intense, though still quite present. Along with the better sense of depth the musical detail from all over the soundstage is really excellent, sounds that are on the edge of the soundstage (like the extreme left or right towards the back for example) are very clear, whereas on some amps they become somewhat fuzzy and seem compressed a bit. Not so at this stage with the Reference. It still doesn't have the softer tubier sound of the micro, and probably never will, but it's edge detail (that is what I am calling the sounds on the edge of the soundstage) is better than the micro. It is beginning to take on a positive musical character of it's own that is sounding a lot better than it did yesterday. So, it'll be interesting to see how the new board affects things.

If you did not have the Supermicro IV, SR71, TTVJ Millet, Portaphile V2^2, Tomahawk, etc I would probably need a Police Squad to get the amp back on Wednesday.

 

[vorlon1]

No, but keep them on speed dial after the new board comes in.

 

[jamato8]

One thing I noticed was that the music does not compress, which is to me, the sign of a rare amp. As you state there are sounds at the edge of the soundfield that are still clean and clear. I am getting the same thing with depth.