[Skylab]

Quote:

Skylab if you can please tell the synergy between the ED8 and Stepdance (I have ALO RX amp with ED8 and I've found them pair very well,but I also have RS1,HF2,DX1000 and AD2000 and want to know if the Stepdance pair well with them ) ?
Another point I would like to know how you put the ALOR X in your Ranking,in case you have a chance to try ALO RX,which I've myself found better than Mustang (just listen to Mustang shortly,may be I'm wrong here)
thank you 

The Edition 8 sound great with the Stepdance.  I have not heard the ALO RX, however (and have no current plans to).

 
Quote:

my money is on lisa
 
as always u do not dissapoint
 
dude thank you!
 
do u know when she will be available?

No, not sure when available, but I have the review loaner here and will begin to listen a little this week.

 

[tdat7192]

HOLY COW!!!! I am through 3 pages and with a mere 187 to go. I feel like I am drinking from a fire-hose.
I just got here looking for an amp to drive Sony MDR7509 and AT 25-1 II's and now I want to remortgage my house or sell a car and buy tons of head-stuff!
Thank you Skylab and everyone else!

 

[Captfantastic]

 
 
Christmas will be here soon Tdat.... start dropping hints.  heh

 

[novacav]

skylab, did you end up getting that toucan from mrarroyo? it's quite the beast i think you'd enjoy your time with it even if you don't wanna buy one

 

[Skylab]

I have it and am almost done with my review.

 

[novacav]

great news! thanks

 

[wazzupi]

skylab adopt me I'll be that audiophile son you never had. LMAO sorry but damn you got some sick rigs. XD

 

[mrarroyo]

StepDance by Meier Audio
 
Thanks to Rob (Skylab) I am currently listening to the StepDance. My initial listening session was done with an iPod 5.5 Gen which I upgraded from 80 Gb to 240 Gb filled with Apple Lossless files. I used an older ALO Six Shooter line out dock which over the years has remained my favorite sounding unit (although the SXC in 18 gauge was very close overall with a bit better impact and warmth). For cans I used an Audio Technica ATH-ESW9 and ...
 
 
[size=11.6667px] 1. Sound seemed to improved after the unit was on about 10 minutes. I do not recall ever hearing this in other portable SS amps, had to go back to the 1st song I listened too (Bill Evans - Piano Player) to confirm.[/size]

[size=11.6667px] 2. Sound is on the warm side, with good impact and depth.[/size]

[size=11.6667px] 3. Treble does not seem to extend as much as an iBasso D4 w/ HiFlight's Top Kit. Not a huge difference and I do not think I would have noticed it if I did not have both side by side.[/size]

[size=11.6667px] 4. The battery door is very easy to operate, I do not recall the previous versions being so easy to open/close.[/size]

[size=11.6667px] 5. Fit and finish is very good and the overall look is very appealing.[/size]

[size=11.6667px]  [/size]

[size=11.6667px] Next I changed to a Yuin OK1 which are my favorite earbuds while listening to Renee Olstead. I validated my initial impressions, the sound is warm and engaging with the presentation being a bit laid back. This would be perfect for an early Sunday morning or late evening chill out session. Next I will listen using a Westone 2 and a TripleFi 10. Thanks Rob.[/size]

 

[Zuqi]

Hi, anyone tried Meier stepdance with HF-2？ how does it compared with TTVJ slim?

 

[Axcelon]

I ordered a Stepdance recently and expect to receive it in the mail soon.
 
I’ll be using it to drive the Shure se530, Denon D2000, Beyer DT800/600, and Earsonics SM3.
 
For sources I will use the iMod 5.5 80GB, uDac-2, and (just for comparison) the line out of an iBasso D10.
 
I will compare it to:  RSA Predator, D10, the uDac-2 amp, and the Icon HDP.
 
A word about the active ground—this is probably (more than any other single feature) responsible for the dramatic advantage in SQ the Stepdance has.  The active ground reduces the magnetic field and voltage induced around the cables as they carry voltage and current to the headphones drivers.  The effect of these fields varies with frequency and cable and conductor shape, etc.  Normally, to avoid distortion of the signal amps are simply overbuilt to the point where they have enough power to keep the voltage and current so close to where it should be that no one notices the difference.  But the active ground allows the amp to be free of this often frequency-dependent interference.
 
So if you take an amp that is already built to be bulletproof, that has a stepped attenuator and add to it the active ground circuitry—you will have an amp which will be much faster reacting, more fluid, and one that has a very firm grip on the drivers in your headphones.
 
Jan, do you have any plans for a tube amp with your active ground circuit?  Done right that could possibly be the Head-Fi coup d’etat of the millennium.

 

[Captfantastic]

 
 
Looking forward to your impressions Axcelon...

 

[musedesign]

Skylab,
  Thank you for the wonderful work!  I am new to the hobby and appreciate the thought you have put into your reviews!
 
Mark

 

[Dennis]

Why don't u add ALO RX(MK1 &2) into your list?

 

[straden]

Just a quick question, are you planning to review pico slim / arrow amp sometime in future? (those 2 seem to be very popular in forum these days)
I already have ordered arrow and still waiting to be shipped, but would like to hear what you think about it as well as pico slim =)
Thanks for amazing reviews

 

[Skylab]

Might be time to cover the question again about how amps get added to this review thread.  I almost never buy amps to review, unless I am personally extremely interested in owning one.  This means that for inclusion in this review thread, the maker must be willing to loan me an amp for a few weeks so I can review it.  Not everyone is interested in doing that.  Sometimes I request review loaners, and when I do, sometimes manufacturers say yes, and sometimes they don't.  Which is fine.  Sometimes I get asked by the manufacturer to review an amp, and sometimes I say yes, and sometimes I do not (I refuse to review amps which are not commercially available - if head-fiers cannot actually buy them, it's a waste of my time to review them).
 
I don't mind people asking whether I have plans to review this or that amp (although the two posts above are a good example of one nice way and one not-so-nice way to go about it); but it's not possible for me to review everything, even if I actually had time and wanted to