News from Leckerton:
Quote:
Hello,
My test amplifier shows that an input pad works as I expect. Another solution I can suggest is to decrease the output volume of your source. This would also allow you to turn the volume up at the amplifier, and would not require changing anything on the amp. Have you tried this?
Regards,
Nick
I told him none of my portable sources allow this (which is true) and he offered to mod my amp
I received my Rx 3 MK-B today and have listened to it a bit with my Signature Pros and the 334's. As I posted before, Caleb said they were going to send me a unit with a lowered gain, and I think they did, since I have a decent amount of usable volume with the Fitears, but I'm not 100% sure. My stopping point on most tracks with the 334's is just past 3 o'clock (volume starts around 1). On most amps this wouldn't be in my comfort zone, but the Rx 3's volume knob is so tight I don't see myself accidently turning it higher. I still wish the gain was a bit lower than it is. I feel like, with a portable amp, it should be assumed that the low gain setting is really IEM friendly, whereas this is just usable. If the balanced output is any louder (which it probably is?), I don't think balanced IEM's would be usable at all. Do note, though, that I'm running it out of the CLAS, which seems to have twice the lineout volume of an iPod although that shouldn't excuse it because iPod -> CLAS -> amp is kind of ALO's thing; you should be able to assume they test their amps with it.
Sonic impressions: Sounds pretty good so far. In my mind I tend to evaluate mids before anything else and they have this great sense of texture and authority to them that the HP-P1's integrated amp doesn't. Bass seems really quick, clean, and powerful to boot. Iuno about treble yet. I'm posting here as opposed to the Rx3 thread because my impressions obviously aren't very mature.
Rantiness: Should a $650 pocket amp that's supposedly been under development for two years really have background noise and channel imbalance? The channel imbalance extends further than that of the HP-P1's integrated amp too, and the amp in that thing isn't even lauded as being all that great, nor is it expensive when you consider how much of the unit's cost is just the DAC. The background noise isn;t an issue when music is playing and it's strangely higher when the amp is at lower volumes, but hearing it when my music is paused definitely effects my enjoyment of the product itself. As I was getting at the other day, this interest of mine isn't all that rational.