[oyjandrew]

I know this question has been asked quite a lot but ive not been able to make a decision simply because i have been unable to "imagine" the sound just from reading their descriptions

Im currently leaning towards the predator simply because of its lifetime warranty since i dont intend to upgrade my portable amp after this. I have a tomahawk and am pretty satisfied with its sound sig. Alot of posts have stated that if i like the tomahawk, i would like the predator. Well, they said that about the hornet too which i found much too bassy for my liking.
So, could somebody help me out by describing the sound of the predator compared to the tomahawk. Would also appreciate it if somebody could compare the bass between the hornet and predator since that is pretty much the only thing i remember about the hornet during my brief try out.
Im also interested in the pico since I have the impression that it has great mids and is not too bassy like the tomahawk but with greater soundstage, details and a fabulous dac.
Ill be using the amp with ms pro and livewires 3 and i listen to alot of vocals especially female's. Hope that helps

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

I don't know if everyone is afraid to advise you because you might not be satisfied with whichever amp you pick, for a variety of reasons. In my USB DAC Amp review I started with only a very brief comparison of Pico and Predator. But as I added more amps to the review I discussed the sound of the Pico and Predator in more and more detail as I compared each new amp to those benchmark amps.

That review might help you: UPDATED 2/22 REVIEW 13 USB DAC amp - Predator, Pico, 2/3MOVE, D10 D3 D2 Viper/Boa D1, Lyrix, MicroAmp, Vivid V1, Nuforce, XM5 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

In the end, I kept the Predator for over a year and a half until last week, because I like the RSA P-51 combined with an upgraded DAC a little more, and a friend needed the Predator more than me. I use the Pico DAC-only or iBasso D10 to feed the P-51. The P-51 is more open and airy with bigger soundstage than the Predator, but otherwise has many of the other sonic features.

 

[techenvy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't know if everyone is afraid to advise you because you might not be satisfied with whichever amp you pick, for a variety of reasons. In my USB DAC Amp review I started with only a very brief comparison of Pico and Predator. But as I added more amps to the review I discussed the sound of the Pico and Predator in more and more detail as I compared each new amp to those benchmark amps. That review might help you: UPDATED 2/22 REVIEW 13 USB DAC amp - Predator, Pico, 2/3MOVE, D10 D3 D2 Viper/Boa D1, Lyrix, MicroAmp, Vivid V1, Nuforce, XM5 - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio In the end, I kept the Predator for over a year and a half until last week, because I like the RSA P-51 combined with an upgraded DAC a little more, and a friend needed the Predator more than me. I use the Pico DAC-only or iBasso D10 to feed the P-51. The P-51 is more open and airy with bigger soundstage than the Predator, but otherwise has many of the other sonic features.

intereesting, im thinking of trying out the pico becasue my audio technica ha25 d amp/dac seesms to really beat the predator which isnt sayin all that much, initially i couldnt decide between the mustang and th epredator,, but now amthinkin the shadow may best the mustang, what u think shadow vs mustang?
thanks

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by techenvy /img/forum/go_quote.gif intereesting, im thinking of trying out the pico becasue my audio technica ha25 d amp/dac seesms to really beat the predator which isnt sayin all that much, initially i couldnt decide between the mustang and th epredator,, but now amthinkin the shadow may best the mustang, what u think shadow vs mustang? thanks

I really don't know because I haven't spent enough time with the Shadow despite hearing it at three meets. Out of the choices you gave me above I'd probably go for the Shadow because of the form factor being smaller. I think the P-51 only has slightly more power than the Predator, but not enough to make a huge difference, and the Shadow should be about the same.

The Pico slim is another option for a thin amp, but the original Pico has twice the voltage swing and power of the Slim, P-51 or Predator (8.4v vs 4.2v max). The Slim should be every bit as powerful as the RSA amps while the regular Pico comes closer to being able to drive the HD600 to clean loud volumes than the Predator or P-51. Still, the Pico Slim should be every bit as powerful as the P-51, Shadow or Predator.

I compared the Pico, Pico Slim and P-51 at CanJam and liked the P-51 and Slim more than the Std Pico because it was warmer sounding but still very smooth. I only listened with IEM, and never got close to max volume on any of them. I ended up putting my bets on the Pico Slim since the Shadow sounds so similar to my P-51 and I didn't want two amps that sound so close. After I have the Slim, if it lives up to my expectations I may sell my P-51 to buy a Shadow too.

I recently traded my Pico, an HD600 cable and a spare HF-2 for my old Predator and two Onyx Rocket UFW-10 subwoofers, because I will pair the Pico slim with my Pico DAC-only and didn't need both Picos. I was able to compare the Pico to my new D4 and the Pico is a little more powerful and slightly smoother, while the D4 sounds a little closer to the P-51. I think the P-51 is still a little better than the D4, but I am not done with my comparisons. The P-51 is my best portable that comes closest to the sound quality of my ALO Amphora, and I expect the Pico Slim will still sound as good as I recall.