VicAjax
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Dec 11, 2009 8:54 AM
On FedEx vehicle for delivery
NEW YORK, NY
On FedEx vehicle for delivery
NEW YORK, NY
Review: ALO Rx - Double the battery, double the fun
- Thread starter shigzeo
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Congrats, I'm sure you'll be loving life once it arrives!
VicAjax
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Quote:
Listening to it now...
First reaction: Really nice build quality. the end plates are machined perfectly, the printing is very professional, weight is perfect. the power switch has a nice firmness, the blue LEDs look great. my only very minor beef is that the volume rocker itself is a little plasticky and slightly wobbly. but it functions brilliantly... the double-step is so precise.
Second reaction: "Hey! No hiss! woo hoo!" That's right, my über-sensitive UM3X pick up almost zero hiss. the noise is next to black until i push the volume way beyond listenable levels.
Third reaction: Right out of the box, I'm getting two of the things I was most looking for: bigger, deeper soundstage, and airier treble. I'm not going to assess the sound critically until the amp has more hours on it. Literally, I've put 15 minutes on this thing.
But so far... I'm incredibly pleased with my purchase.
| Originally Posted by cn11 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Congrats, I'm sure you'll be loving life once it arrives! |
Listening to it now...
First reaction: Really nice build quality. the end plates are machined perfectly, the printing is very professional, weight is perfect. the power switch has a nice firmness, the blue LEDs look great. my only very minor beef is that the volume rocker itself is a little plasticky and slightly wobbly. but it functions brilliantly... the double-step is so precise.
Second reaction: "Hey! No hiss! woo hoo!" That's right, my über-sensitive UM3X pick up almost zero hiss. the noise is next to black until i push the volume way beyond listenable levels.
Third reaction: Right out of the box, I'm getting two of the things I was most looking for: bigger, deeper soundstage, and airier treble. I'm not going to assess the sound critically until the amp has more hours on it. Literally, I've put 15 minutes on this thing.
But so far... I'm incredibly pleased with my purchase.
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I am excited to hear of your good response to the amp. Love it.
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Quote:
Great to hear. Those are the exact same things I noticed too. For me, add in deeper bass response as well. It really improves upon the already great bass quality of the Sony X. The more 3D and encompassing soundstage, and bass response, were the biggest areas of improvement over the X's HO that I heard.
| Originally Posted by VicAjax /img/forum/go_quote.gif Listening to it now... First reaction: Really nice build quality. the end plates are machined perfectly, the printing is very professional, weight is perfect. the power switch has a nice firmness, the blue LEDs look great. my only very minor beef is that the volume rocker itself is a little plasticky and slightly wobbly. but it functions brilliantly... the double-step is so precise. Second reaction: "Hey! No hiss! woo hoo!" That's right, my über-sensitive UM3X pick up almost zero hiss. the noise is next to black until i push the volume way beyond listenable levels. Third reaction: Right out of the box, I'm getting two of the things I was most looking for: bigger, deeper soundstage, and airier treble. I'm not going to assess the sound critically until the amp has more hours on it. Literally, I've put 15 minutes on this thing. But so far... I'm incredibly pleased with my purchase.
|
Great to hear. Those are the exact same things I noticed too. For me, add in deeper bass response as well. It really improves upon the already great bass quality of the Sony X. The more 3D and encompassing soundstage, and bass response, were the biggest areas of improvement over the X's HO that I heard.
Quote:
so you dont get any hiss in the listenable range of the volume huh? even with your UM3X...maybe i should pick one up instead of waiting for the pico slim. I just dont want any hiss with the JH13's im getting. They got my molds yesterday!
| Originally Posted by VicAjax /img/forum/go_quote.gif Listening to it now... First reaction: Really nice build quality. the end plates are machined perfectly, the printing is very professional, weight is perfect. the power switch has a nice firmness, the blue LEDs look great. my only very minor beef is that the volume rocker itself is a little plasticky and slightly wobbly. but it functions brilliantly... the double-step is so precise. Second reaction: "Hey! No hiss! woo hoo!" That's right, my über-sensitive UM3X pick up almost zero hiss. the noise is next to black until i push the volume way beyond listenable levels. Third reaction: Right out of the box, I'm getting two of the things I was most looking for: bigger, deeper soundstage, and airier treble. I'm not going to assess the sound critically until the amp has more hours on it. Literally, I've put 15 minutes on this thing. But so far... I'm incredibly pleased with my purchase.
|
so you dont get any hiss in the listenable range of the volume huh? even with your UM3X...maybe i should pick one up instead of waiting for the pico slim. I just dont want any hiss with the JH13's im getting. They got my molds yesterday!
VicAjax
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Quote:
the bass is definitely better, but i'm not commenting on that yet for a couple of reasons:
1) i think bass is the easiest thing for an amp to improve. almost everyone who gets any amp immediately notices, "OMFGBASS!"
2) bass is the quality that seems to change the most with amp burn-in. right out of the box, i'd like to hear the Rx bass tighten up just a little; give me a bit more slam. but that's not really a fair assessment until it's gotten a few dozen more hours on it.
Quote:
never heard the JH13, but they have both lower sensitivity and lower impedance than the UM3X, so my guess is that they shouln't hiss.
the UM3X are the most sensitive headphones i've ever had. they hiss out of most headphone outs i've tried them with. the Rx has the quietest output i've heard so far with them.
that's not to say it's pure black... you know you're plugged into something, but it's more of a "presence" than a noise, if that makes sense.
| Originally Posted by cn11 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Great to hear. Those are the exact same things I noticed too. For me, add in deeper bass response as well. It really improves upon the already great bass quality of the Sony X. The more 3D and encompassing soundstage, and bass response, were the biggest areas of improvement over the X's HO that I heard. |
the bass is definitely better, but i'm not commenting on that yet for a couple of reasons:
1) i think bass is the easiest thing for an amp to improve. almost everyone who gets any amp immediately notices, "OMFGBASS!"
2) bass is the quality that seems to change the most with amp burn-in. right out of the box, i'd like to hear the Rx bass tighten up just a little; give me a bit more slam. but that's not really a fair assessment until it's gotten a few dozen more hours on it.
Quote:
| Originally Posted by SoupRKnowva /img/forum/go_quote.gif so you dont get any hiss in the listenable range of the volume huh? even with your UM3X...maybe i should pick one up instead of waiting for the pico slim. I just dont want any hiss with the JH13's im getting. They got my molds yesterday!
|
never heard the JH13, but they have both lower sensitivity and lower impedance than the UM3X, so my guess is that they shouln't hiss.
the UM3X are the most sensitive headphones i've ever had. they hiss out of most headphone outs i've tried them with. the Rx has the quietest output i've heard so far with them.
that's not to say it's pure black... you know you're plugged into something, but it's more of a "presence" than a noise, if that makes sense.
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Everyone's sensitivity to hiss is different. I and at least one other person hear hiss with the Rx, but we are in the minority. I also have chimed very loudly in the AMP3 Pro thread about hiss with stock buds to my DJ1Pro DJ headphones. So, while it hisses to me with all of my balanced armature earphones including the JH13Pro, it may not to others.
Hiss level is not even close to intolerable, but it is present. Every audio output, even the most expensive will hiss when matched with a super-sensitive output unit or input unit. My ears, I suppose are the latter.
I almost feel sorry I brought it up; everything else outweighs hiss, but to make an honest review, I had to mention what some people may pick up on.
Otherwise, I think it the perfectest of low ohm, hard to drive ear monitors like the FitEar 333 or JH13Pro. The fact that it is very good even with my DT880 is wonderful. I cannot imagine it being dethroned as a reference for such a wide range of headphones, but we will see.
Hiss level is not even close to intolerable, but it is present. Every audio output, even the most expensive will hiss when matched with a super-sensitive output unit or input unit. My ears, I suppose are the latter.
I almost feel sorry I brought it up; everything else outweighs hiss, but to make an honest review, I had to mention what some people may pick up on.
Otherwise, I think it the perfectest of low ohm, hard to drive ear monitors like the FitEar 333 or JH13Pro. The fact that it is very good even with my DT880 is wonderful. I cannot imagine it being dethroned as a reference for such a wide range of headphones, but we will see.
VicAjax
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yes... my comments on hiss are only meant in comparison to other sources... and definitely according to my ears only.
sxr71
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I posted this in another thread talking more about an amp for the HD-25-II, but I think it is more germane here since I talk more about the amp itself. These are first listen very preliminary impressions:
I just tried the ALO RX with my HD25-II and whatever said and done it makes a difference. This is something nobody could argue with.
It was almost a roller coaster ride of impressions. Starting with some disappointment frankly. It was very clinical, the bass didn't seem as I read it would be, and the highs seemed really prominent.
It's funny how our ears adapt to a product sometimes. The HD-25-II when I first got it and ran it off the iPhone, I thought it was okay. The treble dip didn't bother since anyway that was less fatiguing and I had bought the HD-25-II purely for practical reasons. But coming from the lush SE530, the recessed mids of the HD-25-II did bother me. But I got used to it. They were very practical phones after all. iPhone + HD25 isn't bad at all.
So when I tried it with the ALO it was a little jarring even. As I played more music I began to realize that it just brings out the recording. If the treble in a particular song is excessively recorded you hear it. But you also hear everything on the well-recorded songs. I was hearing detail that I never heard before on the HD-25. I almost thought it transformed into a ETY ER4 for a second. It was all laid out.
The mids are also back. The vocals are there where I want them to be and so are the guitars. They are nowhere near SE530 lush though. I think the SE530 adds a little mid-bass hump that sounds so seductive. This combo is definitely on the analytic side.
The bass? Well as weird as this may sound, maybe the unit needed a few minutes to warm up or just break in a bit. The bass is definitely there and with these phones with the right track it will be there in spades. These are probably the most impactful phones I own. They outdo the Grado SR-225, they may not outdo the UE Triple.fi in some senses (I feel that phone suffers from bass emphasis and recessed mids - I never ended up liking them - maybe I need to try them with this amp), the HD-25 being supra-aural gives you a thump that no IEM on any day can replicate. You can have the phones vibrate on your head if you'd like. The perception of bass is almost as important as the sound itself and while this is no Velodyne, it is still a step up - significantly.
The ONE thing that stands out to me in the end is that it made me want to listen to more music. I was trying songs out like I hadn't done in a while and I understand that could be chalked up in some senses to "new toy effect" but this was different. It was only pain from the HD-25 that made me stop (you know they hurt after a while).
I need some more time to really make a clear impression, these were just very preliminary "first listen" impressions.
I just tried the ALO RX with my HD25-II and whatever said and done it makes a difference. This is something nobody could argue with.
It was almost a roller coaster ride of impressions. Starting with some disappointment frankly. It was very clinical, the bass didn't seem as I read it would be, and the highs seemed really prominent.
It's funny how our ears adapt to a product sometimes. The HD-25-II when I first got it and ran it off the iPhone, I thought it was okay. The treble dip didn't bother since anyway that was less fatiguing and I had bought the HD-25-II purely for practical reasons. But coming from the lush SE530, the recessed mids of the HD-25-II did bother me. But I got used to it. They were very practical phones after all. iPhone + HD25 isn't bad at all.
So when I tried it with the ALO it was a little jarring even. As I played more music I began to realize that it just brings out the recording. If the treble in a particular song is excessively recorded you hear it. But you also hear everything on the well-recorded songs. I was hearing detail that I never heard before on the HD-25. I almost thought it transformed into a ETY ER4 for a second. It was all laid out.
The mids are also back. The vocals are there where I want them to be and so are the guitars. They are nowhere near SE530 lush though. I think the SE530 adds a little mid-bass hump that sounds so seductive. This combo is definitely on the analytic side.
The bass? Well as weird as this may sound, maybe the unit needed a few minutes to warm up or just break in a bit. The bass is definitely there and with these phones with the right track it will be there in spades. These are probably the most impactful phones I own. They outdo the Grado SR-225, they may not outdo the UE Triple.fi in some senses (I feel that phone suffers from bass emphasis and recessed mids - I never ended up liking them - maybe I need to try them with this amp), the HD-25 being supra-aural gives you a thump that no IEM on any day can replicate. You can have the phones vibrate on your head if you'd like. The perception of bass is almost as important as the sound itself and while this is no Velodyne, it is still a step up - significantly.
The ONE thing that stands out to me in the end is that it made me want to listen to more music. I was trying songs out like I hadn't done in a while and I understand that could be chalked up in some senses to "new toy effect" but this was different. It was only pain from the HD-25 that made me stop (you know they hurt after a while).
I need some more time to really make a clear impression, these were just very preliminary "first listen" impressions.
sxr71
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Some things I forgot to add:
There is a tremendous sense of rhythm and timing. There is also finally "space between instruments." Probably just a fancy way of saying this amp is very resolving. Every instrument exists in it "own space" and by that I mean it can be easily followed without cluttering interference from other instruments.
In general I don't believe that "soundstage" and "headphones" really belong in the same sentence generally. But this amp does impart something of a soundstage. Nothing to write home about if you listen to speakers, but nice for headphones.
Bass is well controlled, not accentuated, and basically anything but "loose". It is tight, detailed and thanks to the HD25 quite powerful.
I haven't really done plain "pleasure" listening since I guess the tendency is to analyze a new product. However, I can already see why some people might prefer a different sound.
There is a tremendous sense of rhythm and timing. There is also finally "space between instruments." Probably just a fancy way of saying this amp is very resolving. Every instrument exists in it "own space" and by that I mean it can be easily followed without cluttering interference from other instruments.
In general I don't believe that "soundstage" and "headphones" really belong in the same sentence generally. But this amp does impart something of a soundstage. Nothing to write home about if you listen to speakers, but nice for headphones.
Bass is well controlled, not accentuated, and basically anything but "loose". It is tight, detailed and thanks to the HD25 quite powerful.
I haven't really done plain "pleasure" listening since I guess the tendency is to analyze a new product. However, I can already see why some people might prefer a different sound.
clarinetman
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Great review, this looks very exciting!
However, I'm really stuck between the Rx and the TTVJ Slim, since according to reviews, they both seem to have the same sound characteristics I look for. Any comparisons?
Moreover, how do either of these compare to the XM5? Mine is being repaired right now, and I'm contemplating whether or not I just want to get a refund and buy one of the two listed above because of my bad experiences with the regular-style pot on the XM5 and the rather poor customer support I've gotten recently with Practical Devices.
However, I'm really stuck between the Rx and the TTVJ Slim, since according to reviews, they both seem to have the same sound characteristics I look for. Any comparisons?
Moreover, how do either of these compare to the XM5? Mine is being repaired right now, and I'm contemplating whether or not I just want to get a refund and buy one of the two listed above because of my bad experiences with the regular-style pot on the XM5 and the rather poor customer support I've gotten recently with Practical Devices.
zatara
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I was listening with my RX and W3 to the Chesky Ultimate CD on my iPod and in the very quite sections I could sense there was some low level hiss.
I tried an inline volume control and that got rid of the hiss but really craped up the sound. So I got the Etymotic P to S cable and now the hiss is totally
gone and there is no dedgridation in the sound quality.
Things sound amazing with my W3's and the RX now.
I tried an inline volume control and that got rid of the hiss but really craped up the sound. So I got the Etymotic P to S cable and now the hiss is totally
gone and there is no dedgridation in the sound quality.
Things sound amazing with my W3's and the RX now.
unclejr
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Quote:
Hey, what is your source? I noticed that my mini3 amplifier would hiss if the chain was an iPod classic from the line out to some "generic" iPod LOD (eBay) to the UM3X. However, with the same amplifier, amp level, and headphones, my MBP via USB to a gamma-1 DAC to the mini3 (via some random mini-to-mini) was dead quiet. I suspect that, like shigzeo, I am incredibly sensitive to hiss even at very low levels. I do not have an Rx yet, but I expect that it will be dead quiet with the proper source, and I wonder how much a different iPod LOD cable would fix that noise problem.
| Originally Posted by VicAjax /img/forum/go_quote.gif Listening to it now... First reaction: Really nice build quality. the end plates are machined perfectly, the printing is very professional, weight is perfect. the power switch has a nice firmness, the blue LEDs look great. my only very minor beef is that the volume rocker itself is a little plasticky and slightly wobbly. but it functions brilliantly... the double-step is so precise. Second reaction: "Hey! No hiss! woo hoo!" That's right, my über-sensitive UM3X pick up almost zero hiss. the noise is next to black until i push the volume way beyond listenable levels. Third reaction: Right out of the box, I'm getting two of the things I was most looking for: bigger, deeper soundstage, and airier treble. I'm not going to assess the sound critically until the amp has more hours on it. Literally, I've put 15 minutes on this thing. But so far... I'm incredibly pleased with my purchase.
|
Hey, what is your source? I noticed that my mini3 amplifier would hiss if the chain was an iPod classic from the line out to some "generic" iPod LOD (eBay) to the UM3X. However, with the same amplifier, amp level, and headphones, my MBP via USB to a gamma-1 DAC to the mini3 (via some random mini-to-mini) was dead quiet. I suspect that, like shigzeo, I am incredibly sensitive to hiss even at very low levels. I do not have an Rx yet, but I expect that it will be dead quiet with the proper source, and I wonder how much a different iPod LOD cable would fix that noise problem.
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Went to a portable headphone meeting today in Tokyo.
Well, I do prefer it to the Shadow. I used Ray's beautiful little amp today, and for my listening habits, I vastly prefer the ALO. Both amps hiss, which is surprising as I did not expect the Shadow, an IEM amp to hiss, but with the FitEar 333, I could pick it up even in a crowded room. Most amps today hissed except for one or two.
Another ALO Rx met mine in a terrible tower of amps (you will not believe this). In terms of power, for the size, I think the ALO is probably at the top, but in terms of class, the SR71 is still probably my favourite of the large makers in terms of usability, construction and sound character.
Which would I prefer to use? The Rx - it simply is a better fit for my uses. Today, however, I heard a portable amp which will probably never get produced, but is something I will probably beg to buy.
Well, I do prefer it to the Shadow. I used Ray's beautiful little amp today, and for my listening habits, I vastly prefer the ALO. Both amps hiss, which is surprising as I did not expect the Shadow, an IEM amp to hiss, but with the FitEar 333, I could pick it up even in a crowded room. Most amps today hissed except for one or two.
Another ALO Rx met mine in a terrible tower of amps (you will not believe this). In terms of power, for the size, I think the ALO is probably at the top, but in terms of class, the SR71 is still probably my favourite of the large makers in terms of usability, construction and sound character.
Which would I prefer to use? The Rx - it simply is a better fit for my uses. Today, however, I heard a portable amp which will probably never get produced, but is something I will probably beg to buy.
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