[joseG86]

Won't know until it arrives

ops

 

[Jay_vs]

You should get one it's outstanding.

 

[quawn0418]

You should get one it's outstanding.

Are you referring to the sa-1 or the ares 2

 

[Jay_vs]

Are you referring to the sa-1 or the ares 2

sorry, the SA-1

 

[Lolito]

A couple of questions for anyone using balanced cables, since this amp takes balanced... If you want to make your current balanced cable longer, say 3 meters, or 5 meters. 3 would be enough though, where do I buy such extension cable??? seen them of 3.5 and 6.35, and XLR 3 pin male female, but 2.5mm, or pentacon, or pentacon to 2.5mm 3 m long, I can not find. Please let me know. Otherwise I can maybe order a custom thing...

 

[Jay_vs]

I think you'd be looking at a custom job for that. 4pin XLR to XLR are easy to find. But not 4.4mm female to 2.2mm male.

 

[Lolito]

more like 4.4 male, to 4.4 female. or 44mm male to 2.5mm female is what I would like to have, so I can either use BTR5, or with tiny adapter to amp, or with an extra 3m adapter cable to the nearby area up to 3m...

 

[quawn0418]

I just let my girlfriend (non-audiophile) a/b the sa-1 and thx 887/789 runnin the singxers pre out to the 887 (don’t know how practical that is..still learning the rules lol) but I volume matched both amps and had both set to hi gain, it took her about 2 minutes of back and forth listening to tell me what she thought, and somehow her thoughts were the exact same as mines. She said that the thx sounded cleaner, and that she prefers the thx over the sa-1. I told her she doesn’t know anything about long listening sessions lol anyhow again, the sa-1 isn’t as clean as the thx amps, but it has some character with it, and it’s more dynamic than the 887/789 for sure, there’s more space between notes and vocals with the sa-1, not saying that it has more soundstage (I can’t tell any difference between soundstage) but it is more dynamic and may come off that way. However nothing reaches out any further to me than with the thx. The sa-1 is a really good amp, glad I decided to keep it.

 

[Capunk]

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

Same here, mate
but I sold my gustard x16 beforehand and turns out Ares 2 is...
"different"

 

[quawn0418]

Same here, mate
but I sold my gustard x16 beforehand and turns out Ares 2 is...
"different"

Different as in better? Do tell

 

[Jay_vs]

Same here, mate
but I sold my gustard x16 beforehand and turns out Ares 2 is...
"different"

Lol you tease. I hope its a good different

 

[Chibs]

Same here, mate
but I sold my gustard x16 beforehand and turns out Ares 2 is...
"different"

I just sold my RME Adi 2 dac and am left with X-16.
Using funds to buy Meze Empyrean. Hope I did the right thing. Just boxed it up and already missing that beautiful screen with it's spectral analyzer!

 

[Jay_vs]

I just sold my RME Adi 2 dac and am left with X-16.
Using funds to buy Meze Empyrean. Hope I did the right thing. Just boxed it up and already missing that beautiful screen with it's spectral analyzer!

From my memory of the RME adi 2, the X16 sounds better to me.

 

[Lolito]

I have to say, this class A thing really is pleasurable. Specially after 4 weeks without an amp, with speakers connected directly to the dac, was all broken glass sound, kind of. Could be equed down, but anyhow, this amp now takes out those edges, and gives body to the bass. Sounds clearly less clean than the previous jds atom opamp good measuring amp, but gives quite some body to the bass with my speakers. Used it all afternoon with the subwoofer off, didn't want the sub, which just works way way down anyways. The SA-1 gives warmth around the 60-120Hz I guess. Maybe gives better subbass too? didn't test that, subwoofer was off all time. I would not call this amp edgy or sharp. Didnt try modern electronic music or transient speed... not sure it is any "faster" than usual class d, but then again, i just tested it for 8 hours.

All in all, like Zeos said of rebel amp: sounds expensive, like good old HIFI warm-ish, but still precise, like a expensive class A amp Sansui with super-feedforward system. It is just maybe a tiny bit of reverb on the notes, bass guitar notes sound now thick as they should.

Soundstage seems to me now HUGE in headphones, but I think that is because I spent 2-4 week via BTR5 in APTX bluetooth only, now soundstage feels huge in comparison. Seems powerful enough to me in low gain already with 300Ohm HD6XX single ended. Balanced should be even louder, so no need for high gain anyways.

I do not notice any difference with the Z switch with this headphone. Didn't try with an IEM yet. The knob has some resistance, which is welcome, but then it is slippery, need a bit of force to clamp it to turn it, I think one or those molted or riveted or spike surfaced knob would be the best. Could not find any knobs on 32mm like the original knob. It does get warm to the touch indeed.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32814287576.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.68a93c003qkd3o&mp=1

 

[quawn0418]

I just sold my RME Adi 2 dac and am left with X-16.
Using funds to buy Meze Empyrean. Hope I did the right thing. Just boxed it up and already missing that beautiful screen with it's spectral analyzer!

That’s my fear also, I want to sell mines but I know I’ll miss it