[qusp]

having heard the predator, I actually think its debatable whether its better than D10 at all. I preferred the pico with dac to predator and I prefer my D10 to the pico. plus you are stuck with USB; and wi've already been over that. also if you dio get predator, get ready for 1000hrs burn-in to sound its best

 

[Fastnbulbous]

Quote:

Originally Posted by smallcaps /img/forum/go_quote.gif if your are willing to go $400 then go $475 and buy the Predator and be done with it. awesome amp, awesome dac, awesome sound, will power most headphones you would want to buy, good resale value if you don't like it, and if you don't break it, will probably never need another headphone amp/dac for the rest of your life.

I was excited as I thought I was gonna be able to get a HeadRoom Desktop Portable for $500. Turns out it was first generation that required a clunky external battery pack, so I didn't bid.

Now I'm really dying for one. Anyone compare this to the HeadRoom Portable Micro Amp that runs for $599?

 

[clasam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by smallcaps /img/forum/go_quote.gif if your are willing to go $400 then go $475 and buy the Predator and be done with it. awesome amp, awesome dac, awesome sound, will power most headphones you would want to buy, good resale value if you don't like it, and if you don't break it, will probably never need another headphone amp/dac for the rest of your life.

Not saying that the Predator isn't great, but imo, this statement can also apply to the ibasso D10...and it's about $75 cheaper. Some feel that the DAC is better than the Predators, especially when used optically. The ability to roll opamps means that you can "clone" other amps...iqube, predator, etc.

Very much a "one and done" product (buy one, no need to upgrade - and at this point is is arguable if there is, in fact, a better portable product).

 

[Fastnbulbous]

Regarding the D10 Cobra, does the power adaptor work as an AC power supply, or is it only to charge the battery? Can it be plugged in indefinitely without affecting the lithium battery lifespan, or does it need to be unplugged after a certain number of hours?

 

[qusp]

no its a trickle charge system, it has a switch to turn the charging on and off, so no need to unplug it again every 20rs of use. i'm leaving it plugged in for burn-in, but after that i'll be doing that. yeah its a pain, but to do it any other way they would have had to install more power circuitry in an already packed case.

clasam: the D10 is $175 cheaper, not $75 actually closer to $200
Predator $475
D10 $270

 

[LEEMAGOCHI]

The Predator is just too expensive for me, I'll have to sell my blood and sperms for the extra $$.

If the SQ of the 3Move and D10 is comparable to the P-51, then I might just have to choose between these two.

 

[qusp]

well I cant help you there, I havent heard the P-51. its a full-on FOTM around here at the moment. apparently its a bit of a departure from the regular RSA house sound too, so any comment I make on those is not so relevant. (not a fan) hopefully someone else will chime in on that. but put it this way. the Lisa III is widely considered to be the best sounding portable amp around and has been since release over 2 years ago. I do still prefer the Lisa to the D10, but the times I travelled light and only brought the D10 with me (fed by my DIYMOD) when I hadnt received my sysconcept optical cables; I was still very satisfied with the SQ and I would say it still beat my pico for amp only operation. so add to that the wonderful dac and IMO there is no contest. get yourself a used iriver iHP120 and off you go; true portable hi-fidelity sound. mustang wins on size though and does sound like its a great little amp, but I dont see it being worth the extra money TBH. pity you cant get to a head-fi meet before you buy; great way to hear all these options. I would definitely say there would be at least P-51, D10 and possibly a 3MOVE there at any medium sized meet.

 

[charlie0904]

i am on a amp scouting journey too !

too many choices !! too little money !! @@

 

[Fastnbulbous]

Quote:

Originally Posted by qusp /img/forum/go_quote.gif no its a trickle charge system, it has a switch to turn the charging on and off, so no need to unplug it again every 20rs of use. i'm leaving it plugged in for burn-in, but after that i'll be doing that. yeah its a pain, but to do it any other way they would have had to install more power circuitry in an already packed case.

iBasso wrote back and said:

Quote:

Yes, the power adapter also works as a AC power supply. When the power adapter is connected, it will charge the D10 first. After the D20 is fully charged, it starts to work as a AC power supply. Technically, you can always keep the adapter plugged. But this type of adapter will introduce noise to your listening. We suggest always use the battery power.