I just updated the thread with the following:
Update 1-22-08
> Xin Reference
Info:
Xin's Cool Talk - New XIN Reference amp
I received a loaner of the Xin Reference from another generous head-fier. There has been so much talk about this amp, I really wanted to get a chance to listen to one. I have owned Xin amps in the past, and have always been impressed.
I listened to the Reference for several hours straight, by itself, and then directly compared it to the iQube and the Meier Move. The Reference had been broken in prior to my receiving it.
Build Quality: A: Incredibly solid build quality, with absolutely no nod given to making it pretty. Build like a tank, and looks like one too. I have always wished the Xin knobs were shorter. No turn on thump though, and zero hiss even at full volume. Nice.
Treble: A: smooth, clean, unfatiguing treble, with good detail and extension. Lacks the last little bit of extension and air that the iQube has. Treble performance on par with the Meier Move. Treble was nicely neutral – the difference in the treble presentation of different headphones was easily apparent.
Midrange: A-: Maybe this just a letdown from the outstanding midrange of the Pico, but I felt the Reference’s mids were a little cloudy or opaque. There was a little bit of liquidity missing. This is only in relationship to the very best, but I feel the midrange performance of the Meier Move and the iQube were slightly, but noticeably better than that of the Reference. It’s enough of a coloration that it was apparent with different headphones. This is NOT the high-end amp to buy for lovers of solo piano, jazz quartets, or female vocals.
Bass: A+: Tuneful, punchy bass. Excellent depth, and nice and tight. No bloat. Really nothing to quibble with here. Listening to “Living Together” by Circa Survive, the bass drum impact was palpable. Very nice. Maybe the amps strongsuit?
Neutrality: A: Generally neutral, except for the slight coloration in the midrange. But otherwise very neutral.
Soundstaging: A+: Also a strong suit. The soundstage is deep, wide, and well-defined. There is no “Xinfeed” here, but the amp manages to push the soundstage outside the head in a way the majority of amps do not manage. Excellent.
Transparency: A-: I felt the Xin was behind the best headphone amps in terms of transparency due to the very slight opaque quality of the mids. This is something that someone buying the amp with nothing to compare it to would likely not notice, but compared to the Moce and iQube, it’s there, and IMO it detracts slightly from the otherwise excellent sound. I wanted female vocals to have a little more sense of presence and reality than they did.
So, what to make of the Reference? The mere word “Reference”, and the price of the amp, put it up against string competition. For me, it’s just not impressive enough for the $279 asking price to recommend strongly. I’m sure this will forever vilify me with the Xin-heads, but nonetheless, this is my opinion. The Reference is a very fine amp, to be sure, but I would spend $299 on the amp-only Headamp Pico if it were my money.
Conclusions (1/22/08)
OK, so now it’s now 32 amps! Here is my view on how the amps stacked up. Note that the sum of the "Grades" I give does not always tell the whole story in how I rank them, since the whole is sometimes greater or lesser than the sum of the parts, and I am often forced to split hairs here, since the list has gotten so long.
1. Triad Audio Lisa III
2. Qables iQube
2. Headamp Pico
2. Larocco Audio Pocket Reference II mk 2
2. Meier Audio MOVE (discontinued)
3. RSA SR71
4. RSA The Hornet “M”
5. Xenos 1HA-EPC (discontinued)
6. RSA Tomahawk
7. Xin Reference
7. Meier Audio Porta Corda III (discontinued)
7. Xin SuperMicro IV
8. Headamp AE-2
9. Go-Vibe 7
10. Leckerton Audio UHA-3
11. Portaphile V2^2
12. mSeed Spirit (discontinued)
12. Mini-Box E
13. Storm B4
14. iBasso P-1 (discontinued)
15. Visely HEA- 1
16. Microshar uAmp107
16. Practical Devices XM4
17. C&C XO
17. iBasso T2
18. Go-Vibe 6 (discontinued)
19. Xtra X-1 Pro
20. Xenos 0HA-REP (discontinued)
20. iBasso T1 (discontinued)
21. Xtra X-1 (discontinued)
22. C&C Box V2
23. Little Dot Micro+ (discontinued)
As always, this is JUST MY OPINION, but I hope it has been helpful.
