[devilboy]

I wonder how much of that was the amp or the rest of the chain (dac and clock). From what I gather, the amp is the weakest link.

Good question. Having heard all three pieces together I cannot say which is the strength and which is the weakness. I haven't heard that the amp is the weakest link. I'm not saying it isn't, I'm just saying I haven't heard that or any other component specifically is the weakest link in the chain.
IF the amplifier is the weakest link, it's probably a fraction of a less performance than the rest. I can't imagine DCS making anything that sounds bad. Although, I have read a few comments on how the Bartok isn't all that great.

Enough to make one forget the dent in the wallet?

More seriously, what headphones are the "best" match for an MJ3? I know the source makes a big difference so how do we control for that?

Hahahaha well said. The people buying that stack aren't concerned about the dent in their wallet. True, many of them are buying it only because they feel as though that it must be the best because it's one of the most expensive kits out there. There's always "that person" who just buys the most expensive gear, you know?

Everything makes a huge difference. I've often wondered what makes the most impact... Is it the source? The preamplification? The amplification? The transducers? The cabling? The confirmation bias towards the money spent? Who knows?

 

[PopZeus]

Enough to make one forget the dent in the wallet?

More seriously, what headphones are the "best" match for an MJ3? I know the source makes a big difference so how do we control for that?

In my experience you end up accounting for your source based on what you really want to get out of a music source. If you are using the Mj3 to drive a properly revealing headphone, you will start to see what you like and don’t from your source and what you like and don’t from your headphone.

 

[psy472]

Enough to make one forget the dent in the wallet?

More seriously, what headphones are the "best" match for an MJ3? I know the source makes a big difference so how do we control for that?

For me the Susvara is the best out of all my cans. In terms of classical and slow R&B songs, it’s addicting. I had to EQ it for the bass though but it only needed a bit of EQing.

 

[devilboy]

In my experience you end up accounting for your source based on what you really want to get out of a music source. If you are using the Mj3 to drive a properly revealing headphone, you will start to see what you like and don’t from your source and what you like and don’t from your headphone.

Well said.
After receiving my Audio GD Master 19 I was blown away by the transparency. It's so damn transparent It's making me appreciate my Lindemann Musicbook digital to analog conversion even more. It's amazing what Lindeman is achieving from this AKM 4493 chip.

I've owned the Benchmark AHB2 driving my Susvara and the HPA4 (twice), driving multiple headphones. That is some transparent stuff but the transparency I'm hearing now is off the charts. Now, usually transparency comes at the sacrifice of weight and meat on the bones. Usually, transparency means very lean.
Thankfully, with this Master 19, I'm getting the best of both worlds. Ridiculous transparency, inner detail and weight and BODY. In my opinion, this thing is truly exceptional.
I really liked the MJ3 and I really wanted to keep it. It is a fantastic amplifier and a great piece to have to enjoy music on.
However, I know me and I know what I'm looking for and I think of what it would be like to own something down the road and for multiple reasons I got rid of it and thankfully I found something that I like even more.

 

[Currawong]

Gotcha. Let me ask then, the Loki Max says on the FAQ page "It’s balanced and differential in and out, uses both phases in, and provides both differential phases out. All stages are fully discrete, from the input summers to load-invariant superbuffers to the current-feedback processing stage to the Nexus™ output."

However, it can't be truly balanced because we'd have to have separate frequency controls for left & right channels, where there is only a single set of controls. I'm guessing you haven't had the opportunity to listen to the Loki Max, but based upon your comments above, is your thinking that the Max would have the same not-balanced shortcomings as the Lokius??

Do note that Schitt's website does say the Max is not truly balanced. Question becomes 'how much balanced circuity is enough?'

I like the MJ3 specifically for its transparency, which is important to how I like to listen, and is the reason I set things up as I have.

In my set-up I most often use a Chord TT2/MScaler stack, which I sometimes listen out of directly. This is optimal from its SE output, but I have one pair of excellent XLR cables (which I mentioned in my video review) and in trying to A/B the RCA and XLR inputs on the MJ3, quickly switching while also quickly adjusting the volume, sometimes I didn't notice a difference, but feel very slightly that the XLR from the TT2 is slightly better.

So, from that, I decided that since the Lokius is SE internally, that it'd be more transparent to loop through the RCA ports from the TT2. I find that, even with EQ engaged, the Lokius is transparent enough. The music I tend to EQ I am usually only adding bass anyway (Dead Can Dance with a bass-boosted HD800S is quite amazing).

 

[Shane D]

Well said.
After receiving my Audio GD Master 19 I was blown away by the transparency. It's so damn transparent It's making me appreciate my Lindemann Musicbook digital to analog conversion even more. It's amazing what Lindeman is achieving from this AKM 4493 chip.

I've owned the Benchmark AHB2 driving my Susvara and the HPA4 (twice), driving multiple headphones. That is some transparent stuff but the transparency I'm hearing now is off the charts. Now, usually transparency comes at the sacrifice of weight and meat on the bones. Usually, transparency means very lean.
Thankfully, with this Master 19, I'm getting the best of both worlds. Ridiculous transparency, inner detail and weight and BODY. In my opinion, this thing is truly exceptional.
I really liked the MJ3 and I really wanted to keep it. It is a fantastic amplifier and a great piece to have to enjoy music on.
However, I know me and I know what I'm looking for and I think of what it would be like to own something down the road and for multiple reasons I got rid of it and thankfully I found something that I like even more.

I have thought quite a bit about that amp. I just dread the thought of sending it back to China for repair if anything goes wrong.
Are you writing a review or notes about your experience somewhere?

 

[devilboy]

I have thought quite a bit about that amp. I just dread the thought of sending it back to China for repair if anything goes wrong.
Are you writing a review or notes about your experience somewhere?

No review. I'm sure I'll post more soon.

 

[Slim1970]

Well said.
After receiving my Audio GD Master 19 I was blown away by the transparency. It's so damn transparent It's making me appreciate my Lindemann Musicbook digital to analog conversion even more. It's amazing what Lindeman is achieving from this AKM 4493 chip.

I've owned the Benchmark AHB2 driving my Susvara and the HPA4 (twice), driving multiple headphones. That is some transparent stuff but the transparency I'm hearing now is off the charts. Now, usually transparency comes at the sacrifice of weight and meat on the bones. Usually, transparency means very lean.
Thankfully, with this Master 19, I'm getting the best of both worlds. Ridiculous transparency, inner detail and weight and BODY. In my opinion, this thing is truly exceptional.
I really liked the MJ3 and I really wanted to keep it. It is a fantastic amplifier and a great piece to have to enjoy music on.
However, I know me and I know what I'm looking for and I think of what it would be like to own something down the road and for multiple reasons I got rid of it and thankfully I found something that I like even more.

I'm thinking about adding the HE-9 Mk3 along while also considering the MJ3 to match with my OG Yggy. The way you've compared the Master 19 to the MJ3 from a sound standpoint has me thinking about the Audio-GD sound.

 

[devilboy]

I'm thinking about adding the HE-9 Mk3 along while also considering the MJ3 to match with my OG Yggy. The way you've compared the Master 19 to the MJ3 from a sound standpoint has me thinking about the Audio-GD sound.

Lol! I'm loving this Master 19 so much that I'm also am thinking of the 9. Possibly one of those with the regenerate power supply.
I'm new to Audio GD so I'm still learning all of the model numbers.

 

[devilboy]

Nice piece of kit.

 

[GumbyDammit223]

Nice piece of kit.

Where did you get that rack? Is it carbon fiber?

 

[devilboy]

Where did you get that rack? Is it carbon fiber?

It's a carbon fiber vinyl wrapping. It's a Pangea rack I think. I think I got it at Audio Advisor.

 

[quawn0418]

Given that you're running an Aune S17 amp as myself, how do Hifiman's synergize with this amp in your humble opinion?

Sorry for the late response, been doing alot of listening lately, but the s17 plays very well with the Arya, tuning wise I’d say it pairs better than the MJ3, but the MJ3 is a clear step up in performance, the s17 is mind blowing at $700 and the MJ3 is just as blowing at $1200, 2023 was a good year for amplification.

 

[Erick Muller]

Sorry for the late response, been doing alot of listening lately, but the s17 plays very well with the Arya, tuning wise I’d say it pairs better than the MJ3, but the MJ3 is a clear step up in performance, the s17 is mind blowing at $700 and the MJ3 is just as blowing at $1200, 2023 was a good year for amplification.

I can understand dude, you're now in audio nirvana with the MJ3, good to know that hifiman's synergize really well with the S17

Dude, by any change would you still have the S17 with you and if so, have you try pre-amping the MJ3 with the S17 and see if some of the 100ma goodness gets into the MJ3? because if that's the case, I'm super cumming for sure.

 

[analogbox]

Curious if anyone has it paired with Denafrips Ares II?