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Pico Slim first impressions and reviews thread. See p31 onwards for a couple of solid reviews + pics + useful info.
Mar 31, 2011 at 9:47 AM Post #708 of 939
Well I just bit the bullet and ordered the Pico Slim to use with my new Solo and the ES5. I was thinking of getting the TTVJ Slim which I have heard and liked; it has a sweet sound signature. Anyway I decided against adding that quality to the Solo which I feel already has a nicely balanced sound (with the neutral Stepdance). By most accounts the Pico Slim is the faster choice (the TTVJ was just a bit lacking in that regard IMHO) and my best hope to keep a fairly neutral, crisp and transparent presentation with the Solo in a slim package. Oh, and the volume control...
 
Also HPA likes the synergy of the Pico Slim with the ES5. I feel that I can bank on that. 
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Lastly, kudos to Justin for offering $35 USPS shipping to China. At TTVJ, the shipping was $110 by UPS! You can phone them to see if they might offer something less insane. I didn't get around to it.  (Sometimes I wonder if retailers take the time to consider how that kind of nonsense is perceived by potential international customers. Nobody wants to be an afterthought and that sure is how it feels. 
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 )
 
Mar 31, 2011 at 7:04 PM Post #709 of 939


Quote:
cooperpwc said:
Well I just bit the bullet and ordered the Pico Slim to use with my new Solo and the ES5. I was thinking of getting the TTVJ Slim which I have heard and liked; it has a sweet sound signature. Anyway I decided against adding that quality to the Solo which I feel already has a nicely balanced sound (with the neutral Stepdance). By most accounts the Pico Slim is the faster choice (the TTVJ was just a bit lacking in that regard IMHO) and my best hope to keep a fairly neutral, crisp and transparent presentation with the Solo in a slim package. Oh, and the volume control...
 
Also HPA likes the synergy of the Pico Slim with the ES5. I feel that I can bank on that. 
biggrin.gif

 
Lastly, kudos to Justin for offering $35 USPS shipping to China. At TTVJ, the shipping was $110 by UPS! You can phone them to see if they might offer something less insane. I didn't get around to it.  (Sometimes I wonder if retailers take the time to consider how that kind of nonsense is perceived by potential international customers. Nobody wants to be an afterthought and that sure is how it feels. 
rolleyes.gif
 )
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You wont be disappointed in the Pico Slim with ES5.
 
 
Apr 4, 2011 at 1:06 AM Post #713 of 939


Quote:
alm0st said:
I'm still kinda indecisive if I should get the Pico Slim or not. People have been raving about how good it sounds with JH IEM's.
Wonder if it really is THAT good..
rolleyes.gif
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Well, I've posted from the beginning that it sounded better with my ES3X than JH13pro, and likewise it's better with my ES5 as well.
 
 
Apr 4, 2011 at 9:56 PM Post #714 of 939

 
Quote:
cooperpwc said:
Lastly, kudos to Justin for offering $35 USPS shipping to China. At TTVJ, the shipping was $110 by UPS! You can phone them to see if they might offer something less insane. I didn't get around to it.  (Sometimes I wonder if retailers take the time to consider how that kind of nonsense is perceived by potential international customers. Nobody wants to be an afterthought and that sure is how it feels. 
rolleyes.gif
 )
Click to expand...

Is the irony of cooperpwc's position lost on other HeadFiers ? I dont see the problem here as being one of Todd's making - surely its UPS who are to blame. iBasso will have my P4 here to me in country Oz in 2-3 days for $18 shipping fee - thats Shenzhen to Sydney to my home in the 'bush' in 3 days.
 
When you consider that many of the components in the TTVJ Slim (or Ray's amps or Roberts or any of the Schiit amps) almost certainly came from China/Taiwan in the first place, we have a situation where the courier companies are adding large slabs to the manufacturing costs of each amp, then turning around and making a killing on the delivery to the customer. I seem to recall Ray mentioning that he routinely throws out a considerable percentage of parts to ensure that he only uses those that make the grade - whether you dismiss that as marketing, its not difficult to accept that some of that freight is spent on dud components. Something to think about the next time you are asking yourself why the American/European amps are considerably more expensive than the Chinese competition.
 
Please note that I'm not targetting anyone beyond the freight companies here, and I doubt that Todd would simply have told cooperpwc that he had no other choices if he had contacted TTVJ. Our local airlines have just announced that they will be increasing fares in line with the carbon tax and the increasing price of fuel, and I suspect that the days of cheap expedited delivery from China may be numbered. Better order something from Ming Da while I can still afford the shipping costs :)
 
 
 
Apr 4, 2011 at 11:48 PM Post #715 of 939
Estreeter, I really don't disagree with what you said. To be clear, I purchased the Pico Slim because that is the amp I wanted. Justin made it easier by thinking about the needs of me, the international buyer. And I say Kudos to that!  As regards TTVJ, my only "
rolleyes.gif
" is that they choose UPS to do their international shipping. Fedex would do the same for less than $60 (for example, I just got the Solo that way) and USPS under $40. UPS is notorious for wildly expensive treatment of international shipments. They used to hit the receiver with a bill for the third party customs broker; now I think that it is incorporated in the therefore wild fees. If I were an audio retailer, I would be embarassed to have someone go to checkout on a $350 amp on my website and be told that shipping is $110. It makes the customer feel unimportant. That's all. 
 
As for what I call the "Trans-Pacific Shuffle", that is my story here. I am a Canadian in Shanghai who routinely orders products from the North America and Europe that were manufactured in China. It's a lifestyle.  :)
 
Apr 4, 2011 at 11:56 PM Post #716 of 939


Quote:
cooperpwc said:
 
As for what I call the "Trans-Pacific Shuffle", that is my story here. I am a Canadian in Shanghai who routinely orders products from the North America and Europe that were manufactured in China. It's a lifestyle.  :)
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No problem - I can only assume that the money on offer in Shanghai is sufficient to make up for the cold Winters. I've never been further north than Guilin/Yangshou, and when I was told that it snows there in Winter I got back on the next plane to Hong Kong :)
 
I'm not suggesting that you should have bought one amp over another - I have been eyeing off the original Pico for many months but voted with my wallet this time around. If I felt more secure in my job, it may have been different, but these are 'interesting times' in the Chinese sense.
 
On the freight issue, iBasso must be getting a very good deal with whoever is shipping their amps - that or they just amortize the cost back into the sticker price of their amps. Either way, its a good deal from my experience with the D4. Enjoy your amp.
 
 
 
Apr 21, 2011 at 1:46 PM Post #719 of 939
My new Pico Slim is well past 50 hours and the treble (which was a bit overwhelming at first) has tamed nicely. The clarity and detail of this amp is quite remarkable. It has a bit less bass impact than the (huge and power hungry) Stepdance but the bass goes very deep. I am listening to REM's Moral Kiosk and the deep bass notes plunge into the depths.
 
The volume control is something special. I will call it perfect since I cannot imagine how it can be improved. I am usually listening at about 10:30 with the ES5. I love how I can gradually turn it right down. (Some people find this bottom swing a negative?) 
 
As for battery life, well, I will comment when I finally have to recharge it. :)
 
The soundstage is the big and pleasant surprise. Emphasis on "big"... It is really making the most of the Solo's excellent imaging.
 
Very early impressions: a lovely little amp.
 
Apr 21, 2011 at 2:55 PM Post #720 of 939


Quote:
cooperpwc said:
The soundstage is the big and pleasant surprise. Emphasis on "big"... It is really making the most of the Solo's excellent imaging.
 
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This is exactly my experience too.   As I wait for my JH-3A, I am using the Slim with the Solo and 7G iPod Classic.   I've been doing this for weeks now and really like what the Solo adds ("excellent imaging") to the Slim, or rather how well the sound together.
 
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