Singxer SA-1 / Balanced Amplifier Fully Discrete Class A - beyond THX 888 ?!

[Jay_vs]

Thanks. Nothings easy lol

 

[Aztech]

This.
I was originally planning to get the 1AMP but it's discontinued. I am super happy with the SA-1 but would love to compare them side by side.
The 1AMP weighs 3x the SA-1 LOL

The size of the 1amp is the reason I want to upgrade to something better but smaller lol. It just takes up too much desk real estate... The SA-1 just might be what I'm looking for.

 

[joseG86]

The size of the 1amp is the reason I want to upgrade to something better but smaller lol. It just takes up too much desk real estate... The SA-1 just might be what I'm looking for.

That 1080 wants an upgrade to 3080 too

 

[Lolito]

The size of the 1amp is the reason I want to upgrade to something better but smaller lol. It just takes up too much desk real estate... The SA-1 just might be what I'm looking for.

That thing looks cool. I would install it under the desk, so it takes zero space desk, and the knob position is actually better from when not typing. When typing you can adjust volume via keyboard. Or that is how I would do it at least. With some large L screws, 4 of them, you can attach that thing underneath.

 

[Aztech]

That 1080 wants an upgrade to 3080

Most definitely lol... But with the current GPU market its almost impossible to get one, Let alone at msrp.

That thing looks cool. I would install it under the desk, so it takes zero space desk, and the knob position is actually better from when not typing. When typing you can adjust volume via keyboard. Or that is how I would do it at least. With some large L screws, 4 of them, you can attach that thing underneath.

Well it sounds like a good idea but in the digital domain you want to avoid adjusting the volume through windows. You will lose resolution...

 

[Lolito]

It's a great looking amp this SA-1. I think just for the quality of construction, connection options, in and outputs, pot quality, real balanced/differential, just for all that it is worth it the SA-1 price.

The knob movement is very nice, solid, smooth, but can not move by itself. It will not go crazy up in volume, it is like in an expensive hifi integrated amp from back in the day. Knob size and design is understandable considering current trends, spaces and all that, but it really needs something much deeper and bigger, will order the large silver knob as the one from the wellow forum member who showed it first. Testing all single ended now, both speakers out as pre-amp and with HD6xx as amp. Will replace both cables with XLR/balanced and report back results. Low gain seems high enough, at this moment. I guess I will use 98% low gain, but in low gain already went right to the 6 o clock end, wanting for more, just like any other amp. Gain switch on the bottom would be the only complain that I could make at the moment. And the noise floor is through the roof compared with JDS atom. Not necessarily a bad thing, and not sure if that will stay or go with break in. Soundwise also waiting to break it in more, but I can already notice there is body in the bass, also when you rise the volume, didn't happen with jds. Volume levels now make more sense, jds could go way too high, and loose bass when volume was up, not anymore with SA-1.

 

[nekky]

It's a great looking amp this SA-1. I think just for the quality of construction, connection options, in and outputs, pot quality, real balanced/differential, just for all that it is worth it the SA-1 price.

The knob movement is very nice, solid, smooth, but can not move by itself. It will not go crazy up in volume, it is like in an expensive hifi integrated amp from back in the day. Knob size and design is understandable considering current trends, spaces and all that, but it really needs something much deeper and bigger, will order the large silver knob as the one from the wellow forum member who showed it first. Testing all single ended now, both speakers out as pre-amp and with HD6xx as amp. Will replace both cables with XLR/balanced and report back results. Low gain seems high enough, at this moment. I guess I will use 98% low gain, but in low gain already went right to the 6 o clock end, wanting for more, just like any other amp. Gain switch on the bottom would be the only complain that I could make at the moment. And the noise floor is through the roof compared with JDS atom. Not necessarily a bad thing, and not sure if that will stay or go with break in. Soundwise also waiting to break it in more, but I can already notice there is body in the bass, also when you rise the volume, didn't happen with jds. Volume levels now make more sense, jds could go way too high, and loose bass when volume was up, not anymore with SA-1.

Glad to hear you are coming around

 

[Jay_vs]

So I just purchased an Ares2. I have to know what it's like, it'll drive me insane never finding out.

 

[Fly2High]

How does the volume knob come off? Non of my Alan keys work

I think it is a 1/16" Allen

 

[Lolito]

Most definitely lol... But with the current GPU market its almost impossible to get one, Let alone at msrp.

Well it sounds like a good idea but in the digital domain you want to avoid adjusting the volume through windows. You will lose resolution...

yes, but sometimes you are doing your accounting in excel, with the keyboard and will need to turn down the volume just a moment, I use the keyboard for that moment. Or you can use the knob all the time.

 

[Pharmaboy]

No idea what it is, but for me personally I've experienced it with loads of different equipment, like My Kuro plasma and now OLED TV, AV receivers/amps, headphones. Maybe it's all in my head, but I'm convinced it's not.

Not all audio/video gear will benefit from burn-in. But for any gear that does benefit, the changes in sound are pretty easy to hear. I can think of 4 or 5 audio items I probably would've sold pretty quickly had I not waited for min. 150 hrs burn-in to critically evaluate.

Because I can never predict which gear will benefit, I burn it all in. Headphones & speakers, being physical transducers of sound, are always candidates for burn-in IMO.

I burned in my Kuro, too--but the reason there was to reduce the likelihood of image retention (which I'm pretty sure it did).

 

[Random Lunatic]

I've always been skeptical of burn-in in general and I haven't even heard of it being a thing with amps at all, so it's a bit surprising to hear how all over the place the sound seems to be for the first days for some of you. What's there in an amplifier that could change so drastically with a bit of use?

Don't know if its the case here, but I know some engineers who work with the stuff, who say capacitors take burn in. Transformers can too in a sense - the result of which, if you're unlucky, can be the dreaded trafo-hum, if the windings settle in an unfortunate way, as can sometimes be heard from big old class A/AB amplifiers.
Though whether any of that affects the sound to an appreciable degree, I personally couldn't tell you.

 

[joseG86]

So I just purchased an Ares2. I have to know what it's like, it'll drive me insane never finding out.

were you able to find a single difference between it and x16? be honest, please

 

[Jay_vs]

were you able to find a single difference between it and x16? be honest, please

Won't know until it arrives

 

[Chibs]

So I just purchased an Ares2. I have to know what it's like, it'll drive me insane never finding out.

were you able to find a single difference between it and x16? be honest, please

I'm super curious myself!! I don't own a Sa-1, and am not even considering buying one but really enjoying this thread!
Glad someone mentioned me earlier or I would have never walked in the door!