coredump
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2007
- Posts
- 648
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- 10
I recently purchased the TU-882AS which is the TU882 version with the pre-assembled PCB. Putting the amp together was simple and a lot of fun. The process took about an hour and I experienced zero issues. The TU882 worked perfectly the first time I plugged it in.
I’ll be comparing the TU882 to the amp on the Audio-GD Compass using six different headphones. The Compass is using the Earth opamp and is connected to the digital out of my PC. The TU882 is connected to the Compass DAC out.
The following are my brief impressions.
DT770 250 Ohm
The TU882 adds lushness to the vocals and a little more depth and impact to the bass. In comparison the Compass sounds dry.
PRO 2500 dampened Canare recable
The TU882 adds lushness to the vocals but pushes them out away from the ears. The sound stage is widened and the bass has a little more depth. I think I still prefer the sound of the Compass which feels more intimate.
AD900
Vocals with the Compass have always been good but with the TU882 they’re amazing. On the negative side the TU882 makes the AD900 very forward and perhaps a little fatiguing. With the Compass the sound is more relaxed but also seems a bit flat.
K701
The TU882 extends the bass and adds impact on the lower end. It's not a lot but it's noticeable with the deep bass. The biggest difference is what the TU882 does with vocals. It's hard to describe but they get more lush, 3D, and life like. On the downside the vocals also feel pushed out and lose some of their intimacy. I’m still not sure which amp I prefer.
MS1
The MS1 is noticeably better on the TU882. It becomes more detailed and airy. I’m thrilled that they sound so good since I’ll be getting the HF-2 soon. I’m also considering turning these into an MS1000.
HD650
I love the HD650 with this amp. The mud clears, the sound stage widens, and there is more depth. I used to think the HD650 was dull and boring and now it could be my favorite headphone. The TU882 also gave me my first out of headphone experience with the HD650.
Some other thoughts
I tested the priority input terminal using my iPod Nano. The sound was surprising good but not as good as the DAC on the Compass. The Nano was a bit too bright for some headphones but it worked well with HD650. I suppose this feature would be useful if you don’t have a good source or you’re sharing the amp with friends who want to plug in their MP3 players.
The TU882 has 3 different headphone jacks and I've verified that all three work at the same time. The sound quality remains relatively unaffected but since each jack has different impedance levels the volume may vary quite a bit between each headphone. The idea of using multiple headphones at the same time is intriguing but I don't imagine I'll need to do that. I guess it could be useful if I want to burn in multiple headphones.
The main jack has 3 impedance setting which can be easily adjusted to sound best with the headphone you are using. LOW 4～20Ω、MID 20～100Ω、HIGH 100～1kΩ. The spare 1/8 jacks are set to LOW and MID impedance.
The TU882 runs very cool compared to the Compass, Zero, and Little Dot III.
The RCA output on the amp is strait pass through and works even when the amp is not powered on. The TU882 does not alter the sound and the volume cannot be adjusted.
In the first few hours after assembly the amp may sound harsh. This is especially true for low impedance headphones. Just a few hours of burn-in will smooth it out. Of course you'll probably want to burn it in for 100 hours or more but I felt the biggest changes happened in the first 6 hours.
In Summary
I love this amp and what it does to the vocals on every headphone I have. My HD650 has never sounded so good and based on my experience with the MS1 I expect my HF-2 will sound wonderful with it as well. As far as appearances go it’s sort of industrial and compact. It’s not trying to look fancy and I like that. Here it is tucked away under my monitor.
I’ll be comparing the TU882 to the amp on the Audio-GD Compass using six different headphones. The Compass is using the Earth opamp and is connected to the digital out of my PC. The TU882 is connected to the Compass DAC out.
The following are my brief impressions.
DT770 250 Ohm
The TU882 adds lushness to the vocals and a little more depth and impact to the bass. In comparison the Compass sounds dry.
PRO 2500 dampened Canare recable
The TU882 adds lushness to the vocals but pushes them out away from the ears. The sound stage is widened and the bass has a little more depth. I think I still prefer the sound of the Compass which feels more intimate.
AD900
Vocals with the Compass have always been good but with the TU882 they’re amazing. On the negative side the TU882 makes the AD900 very forward and perhaps a little fatiguing. With the Compass the sound is more relaxed but also seems a bit flat.
K701
The TU882 extends the bass and adds impact on the lower end. It's not a lot but it's noticeable with the deep bass. The biggest difference is what the TU882 does with vocals. It's hard to describe but they get more lush, 3D, and life like. On the downside the vocals also feel pushed out and lose some of their intimacy. I’m still not sure which amp I prefer.
MS1
The MS1 is noticeably better on the TU882. It becomes more detailed and airy. I’m thrilled that they sound so good since I’ll be getting the HF-2 soon. I’m also considering turning these into an MS1000.
HD650
I love the HD650 with this amp. The mud clears, the sound stage widens, and there is more depth. I used to think the HD650 was dull and boring and now it could be my favorite headphone. The TU882 also gave me my first out of headphone experience with the HD650.
Some other thoughts
I tested the priority input terminal using my iPod Nano. The sound was surprising good but not as good as the DAC on the Compass. The Nano was a bit too bright for some headphones but it worked well with HD650. I suppose this feature would be useful if you don’t have a good source or you’re sharing the amp with friends who want to plug in their MP3 players.
The TU882 has 3 different headphone jacks and I've verified that all three work at the same time. The sound quality remains relatively unaffected but since each jack has different impedance levels the volume may vary quite a bit between each headphone. The idea of using multiple headphones at the same time is intriguing but I don't imagine I'll need to do that. I guess it could be useful if I want to burn in multiple headphones.
The main jack has 3 impedance setting which can be easily adjusted to sound best with the headphone you are using. LOW 4～20Ω、MID 20～100Ω、HIGH 100～1kΩ. The spare 1/8 jacks are set to LOW and MID impedance.
The TU882 runs very cool compared to the Compass, Zero, and Little Dot III.
The RCA output on the amp is strait pass through and works even when the amp is not powered on. The TU882 does not alter the sound and the volume cannot be adjusted.
In the first few hours after assembly the amp may sound harsh. This is especially true for low impedance headphones. Just a few hours of burn-in will smooth it out. Of course you'll probably want to burn it in for 100 hours or more but I felt the biggest changes happened in the first 6 hours.
In Summary
I love this amp and what it does to the vocals on every headphone I have. My HD650 has never sounded so good and based on my experience with the MS1 I expect my HF-2 will sound wonderful with it as well. As far as appearances go it’s sort of industrial and compact. It’s not trying to look fancy and I like that. Here it is tucked away under my monitor.
