Originally Posted by Asr /img/forum/go_quote.gif For me personally, the portable amps I've heard recently do not compare to the Gilmore Lite v2, with or without the DPS. My experience with portables so far leads me to believe that amps running solely on AC power have a significant advantage over battery-powered amps and help add grounding in the bass, control over layer separation, and overall blackness to the background, which can be big differences if you have equipment high-end enough to render those differences.
Protable headphone amps may not be able to deliver enough current to reproduce loud and deep bass sounds.
Do you also think they are to slow to deliver adequate current for control over layer seperation?
And does this only count for protable headphone amps, that run on batteries? ´Cause you can also use ( for example) a Go-Vibe V6M with a 24 volt power supply.
I agree with skylab on the LDM+, the background noise is horrible for a IEM, however, you can ask the producer (Dr. Yang) to modify to a lower gain, which should reduce the noise.
Also I would like to say both LDM+ and STORM are overpriced in USA compared with their local price. I got my LDM+ for no more than $35 equivalently in China and I know the STORMs are priced at roughly $170. Unfortunately they lost their price advantages( either by posting charge&taxes or excess profit strategy) in USA and make them hard to compete with local amps. I hope this info won't hurt the interests of those people who live on selling those Chinese amps...
Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif My problem was actually with the LD II+ Tube amp - it hummed badly and was noisy.
My reply was based on my personal experience and your statement of the LDM+ being the noisiest amp.
BTW, I have my LD II+ Tube amp for almost one year and it works fine with K501 and AP2496 soundcard. The only flaw is the blast when it is turned on from cold state, and I think the sound level of the blast can easily destroy IEMs and some small low-impedance headphone. Everytime I have to unplug the headphone before turning on the amp and then plug it back...I don't know if it's just individual flaw or every owner has this issue..
Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree on the prices here in the US - wish they were like in China!
I agree with this. After living in China for the past year and a half I often saw prices that were half or more of the prices here. Hard drives are the same price as in the US, which is hard to figure and that makes them very expensive there but someone is grabbing for a very hefty profit with some of these amps. The Xtra X-1 was about 40 dollars in China after shipping, which is much less than in the US.
Originally Posted by Nattydraddy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Protable headphone amps may not be able to deliver enough current to reproduce loud and deep bass sounds.
Do you also think they are to slow to deliver adequate current for control over layer seperation?
And does this only count for protable headphone amps, that run on batteries? ´Cause you can also use ( for example) a Go-Vibe V6M with a 24 volt power supply.
I don't know enough about current delivery (or other technical aspects) to be able to make any statements about possible relation to layer separation. And yes I was referring to only battery-powered portables. I haven't heard the V6M but I have heard a Portaphile V2^2 Maxxed w/ LT1210 & Black Gate caps that I used with AC adapter only. I can't say if using only the AC adapter affected anything, I don't have any 9V batteries and didn't request any when I got it on loan from Romanee.
Originally Posted by Morph201 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ouch! That was a low blow...Andrea???
Nonononono! I would NEVER downplay Xin's amps, the man was a former rocket scientist, I have the utmost respect for his products... Seriously, I say these things (well most) in jest!!
But truth be told, the SR-71 smokes a supermicro like a cheap cuban cigar (well, cuban cigars aren't cheap in the US since that dang embargo!).... KIDDING
I wouldn't mind ordering a NEW Xin amp just to see what his grand finale is like, I seem to have develop more patience for the shipping process, so the wait shouldn't be an issue at this point.
Well, this is just great! We will have to call you AndreaIT from now on. IT= in training
Originally Posted by kaushama /img/forum/go_quote.gif Mrarroyo's impression of Supermicro is based on a speciman before 11/4 tweaks! It is well known that Xin's top of line, SUPERMACRO, had its problems right from the beginning. First they had serious oscillation problems. Even he managed to stop SMIV oscillation, SMIV never reached the summits of supermicro. Dr. Xin didn't admit it in public. But he never went on full production mode after he announced IV, perhaps prematurely out of euporia.
But GOTO2003 and HIGHFLIGHT, who helped in development never openly placed SMIV's performance above that of supermicro.
It seems Dr. Xin has found the problem and ultimate solution in the power supply of IV amps on 4/11. But it has to be verified by user experience and opinions of GOTO2003 and HIGHFLIGHT.
At last I think Dr. Xin publicly admitted, indirectly though, the problems prevailed in IV line. That may be a good sign that he has finally solved the issue.
Dr. Xin - Xin Forum,
"[4/11/07] I spent almost half year to perfect the IV amps. There are lots of changes inside, but these are important to users:
It is not just the OPAMP. It took me 6 months to figure out why the Micro-IV sounded better.
The issues were in SuperMicro-IV too, just not so noticeable compared to SuperMacro-IV and SuperMini-IV. Until 4/11, I could not found the answer."
I think if Xin amps are to be reviewed correctly, SKYLAB should have amp specimen produced after 4/11. Probably with OPAMP combinations tested by HIGHFLIGHT recently!!!
Well, Vorlon1 has a much newer (2007) Supermicro IV and it kicks ass.
Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well, the cynic in me says it will land exactly where the Headphonia used to be
I very much believe that's the case............still, the Headphonia is between a Tomahawk and a XM4 when it last appear in your ranking but you see, there'r SO MUCH middle ground in between now..............dunno how it'd fare against, say, a SMIV. but still, your reply is making me happy (with my wallet fuming)
Originally Posted by EFN /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am actually on the edge of bursting.....received my SuperMicro IV (04/11 batch) this morning around 11AM and now it's 5.29PM......this thing out of the box doesn't seem need burning in.....I am shaken...trully shaken because the size defied all logic, yes as anticipated I fear the worse.....that my 650Hours Tomahawk is getting trounced ever so mildly......
could you clarify this as there are a couple of different conventions. when you say 04/11 batch what exactly do you mean (this is a date, no?) do you mean amps manufactured on or after april 11, 2006 or 2007, or november 4, 2006? in what ways is the supermicro affected? (as opposed to the mini or macro (when folks use the 'sm' abbreviation it's often unclear to me which amp they're referring to.)) are there updates available to recent micro amps and if so what's the difference between recent micro4s and ones that were produced a few months ago?
Originally Posted by daveDerek /img/forum/go_quote.gif could you clarify this as there are a couple of different conventions. when you say 04/11 batch what exactly do you mean (this is a date, no?) do you mean amps manufactured on or after april 11, 2006 or 2007, or november 4, 2006? in what ways is the supermicro affected? (as opposed to the mini or macro (when folks use the 'sm' abbreviation it's often unclear to me which amp they're referring to.)) are there updates available to recent micro amps and if so what's the difference between recent micro4s and ones that were produced a few months ago?
This confuses me too. At the time I sent the micro to Skylab I thought the only update for it was from last fall and deemed relatively insignificant. It seems most of the updates were for the macro and, less so, the mini. I have heard mention of the 4/11 update, but its difficult to imagine anyone has much experience with such a recent update. A little clarification would be helpful.
Originally Posted by nfusion770 /img/forum/go_quote.gif This confuses me too. At the time I sent the micro to Skylab I thought the only update for it was from last fall and deemed relatively insignificant. It seems most of the updates were for the macro and, less so, the mini. I have heard mention of the 4/11 update, but its difficult to imagine anyone has much experience with such a recent update. A little clarification would be helpful.
If my memory serves me correctly, the 4/11 update is for the macro's and mini's. Supposedly they're SQ matches the micro in quality now.
That's if I remember correctly...I'm sure one of the south beach boyz will chime in.
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