[ace8888]

WOW! Just got passed 575ish hours and I couldn't believe my ears!

this little thing has evolved so much since the first time I bought it.

I didn't notice any significance difference in the sound @300h mark, so I thought the whole "burn-in" thing is just a myth, until I heard it myself...and I was so wrong lol

Now, the music sounded so unbelievably fluid, warm and more refined than when it was in its 300h mark. The sound stage sounded much bigger, and all the frequencies has extended so much. also much much more musical.


Based on Jamato8's review, he says that the sound is still changing until it hits the 1200h mark. BUT, I seriously don't know how it's gonna sound then, if right now it's already sounded so unbelievably goood!!

 

[Orcin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamato8 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It is, 75mm long 20mm high and 50mm wide. tiny, tiny tiny for all that it does.

Thank you, jamato8. Interesting, the dimensions are almost identical to my Hornet.

 

[jamato8]

Yeah, and if nuclear powered it could be even smaller. :^) I find it amazing how small these things are getting and sound that emanates engulfing our head in a musical spectrum of enjoyment, well most of the time.

 

[user1029]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zhix /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi user1029, would you be able to share your thoughts on the predator with your UE11?

No problem! However, I am at 150hours burn in and my UE11s arrive tomorrow (who knows how many times I have to send them back for re-fits). With the triple.fi's that I'm using right now, the Predator even in the early stages of burn in, does yield noticeable improvements in soundstage

 

[robojack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thank you, jamato8. Interesting, the dimensions are almost identical to my Hornet.

You might want to measure again. It's quite a bit smaller than the Hornet. Almost identical in size to the Tomahawk, would be more accurate.

 

[zhix78]

Quote:

Originally Posted by user1029 /img/forum/go_quote.gif No problem! However, I am at 150hours burn in and my UE11s arrive tomorrow (who knows how many times I have to send them back for re-fits). With the triple.fi's that I'm using right now, the Predator even in the early stages of burn in, does yield noticeable improvements in soundstage

If it's any comfort to you, i just send back my UE11 for the 3rd time.

Do share your thought when you get back your UE11 and hopefully the fit works for you this time around. Keeping my finders crossed for you.

 

[Orcin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robojack /img/forum/go_quote.gif You might want to measure again. It's quite a bit smaller than the Hornet. Almost identical in size to the Tomahawk, would be more accurate.

I just measured my Hornet again:

Length = 75mm (excluding the knob)
Width = 50mm (at the back plate)
Height = 25mm (at the back plate)

So, assuming jamato8's measurements are correct, it is 5mm shorter than the Hornet, but certainly wider and possibly a little longer than the Tomahawk. I assume the extra height of the Hornet is needed to accomodate the battery.

P.S. I ordered a Predator (black) today! I hate this place.

 

[tnmike1]

orcin: mine's a tad smaller than my 5.5g Ipod--front to back about 1/8" both directions and almost flush side to side. Don't have rulers on me but fit is pretty decent with one of those "Lance Armstrong"-type bands to secure. God forbid you'd use velcro on this bad boy and mar the finish. Use a band or an asparagus band or something like that

 

[Orcin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnmike1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif orcin: mine's a tad smaller than my 5.5g Ipod--front to back about 1/8" both directions and almost flush side to side. Don't have rulers on me but fit is pretty decent with one of those "Lance Armstrong"-type bands to secure. God forbid you'd use velcro on this bad boy and mar the finish. Use a band or an asparagus band or something like that

I agree that the velcro is not the best solution, but the bands don't look so good on my Touch and it's hard to make them fit without covering some of the screen. I am thinking about getting one of the Headroom bags.

 

[jamato8]

I use stick on velcro all the time. Great stuff and instead of marring the surface it protects it and it peels off if you no longer want to use it unless you sew it to the case. :^)

 

[tnmike1]

orcin: O I forgot units like the Touch where you're using the complete screen. And john: I had velcroon my Portaphile for a couple years and went to remove it and it left some tackiness so I had to use acetone to remove it. Now I know acetone is a rather aggressive solvent, but still am now a little shy about using the velcro route on a $400 amp. I'll stick with the "lance armstrong"-type bands and leave the sticky at home

 

[jamato8]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnmike1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif orcin: O I forgot units like the Touch where you're using the complete screen. And john: I had velcroon my Portaphile for a couple years and went to remove it and it left some tackiness so I had to use acetone to remove it. Now I know acetone is a rather aggressive solvent, but still am now a little shy about using the velcro route on a $400 amp. I'll stick with the "lance armstrong"-type bands and leave the sticky at home

Sounds wise to me. I had a little adhesive left on a unit and some alcohol took it right off but I understand.

 

[kau_999]

@jamato8
thx for your very detailed review....n i can't believe myself that i actually experienced what you did with my predator n TFpro.

 

[jamato8]

I am glad it was of help. It is an interesting journey, isn't it.

Welcome to HeadFi with your first post.

 

[Orcin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orcin /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just measured my Hornet again: Length = 75mm (excluding the knob) Width = 50mm (at the back plate) Height = 25mm (at the back plate) P.S. I ordered a Predator (black) today!

I received my Predator today. It measures identical to the Hornet except the height, which is 20mm on the Predator. There are no screws on the back plate either, so it presents a lower profile than my Hornet. It looks great when paired with my Touch.

I listened briefly before setting up my burn-in bench for the night with my HD600's and a SACD of Downward Spiral on repeat. I was impressed with the signature. It is a Ray Samuels amp to be sure. It sounded a little rough around the edges, but I would have been quite happy with it if I had never heard my mature Hornet. I played around with the DAC briefly. It was hard for me to draw a conclusion, since I have never owned a DAC and thus had no frame of reference except my other analog sources.

I was surprised at the color though. The Predator that I received is not black. It is a very dark brown/red color, almost wine or maroon. Hard to describe, but definitely not coal black. It is obvious when placed next to my black Hornet, or even compared to the black faceplate of the Predator itself.

Has anyone else experienced this color difference? I am not complaining, mind you. It actually looks pretty nice with the gold lettering and black faceplate. I just wondered if all black Predators had this appearance, or if something has changed in the latest production run of cases.

I would post a pic, but frankly the color difference is so slight that I doubt it would be noticeable in a digital compressed photograph. In low light or at an angle, it actually appears black anyway.

I wonder if it will change color over the 1000 hour burn-in, eventually reaching pure black at the moment of sonic magic? Ok, I'm stopping now before I completely destroy what little credibility I have left.