[cn11]

Nice!

 

[rawrster]

I don't believe I've ever read a review as harsh as this one on head-fi before However I do like reviews such as this where you give your honest opinion on it even if it is negative. Those who can't accept a negative opinion on a product they like can't have much merit (or is credibility a better word). No product is going to have a 100% agreement ever. dfkt, I do appreciate the time you took to review this and give your honest opinions on it.

I never had an intention of buying an amp3 pro1 or pro2 or whatever else they come up with in the future but it is nice to read up on it.

 

[trentino]

I love reviews like this because there's a lot of praising going on on Head Fi. It's easy to get sucked in regarding new hot products. Haven't heard the Amp3 (and I know it's not new) so I know nothing about it, just happy to read a negative review

 

[james444]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yo43 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Writing up a hostile, vicious review, and calling someone a criminal when it's blatantly not true, takes very little courage in fact.

So, if I may ask, what would be the appropriate term for someone, who to this day has the gall to claim on their website:

Quote:

What is AMP3? We define the new generatio MP3 as follow features:Audiophile-grade sound quality; Amplifier fuction; All-purposed musical device, Accurate reproduction ; Afordable price, That is AMP3. AMP3 will bring the MP3 to a new era for the perfect high quality musical performance. With the size about half of the credit card, The AMP3 is the studio monitor grade audio device which is the fineast MP3 player in term of sound quality in the world.

Suggestions, please?

 

[yo43]

Quote:

Originally Posted by james444 /img/forum/go_quote.gif So, if I may ask, what would be the appropriate term for someone, who to this day has the gall to claim on their website: Suggestions, please?

It ain't criminal. Being a lawyer, I can tell you so. Monster claims it has "subwoofers" in its IEMs. Really? Not enough space here to list all the hype going on by sellers and manufacturers. The Amp3 is no longer even a buyable product, so get over yourself. I can acceopt someone doesn't care for they Amp3. Why can't you accept some people do, and believe no crime was committed when they bought and paid for it.

 

[stingx]

yo43, here's an idea...

Instead of this back and forth useless banter, how about you quantify your love/appreciation for the AMP3 as well as dfkt has in dispelling the hype? Your opinion is just as valid as his is except that he comes across as being intelligent whereas you come across as an angry kid who was just called a name and is now crying for his milk and cookies. In all seriousness, what exactly makes this AMP3 so good, in your honest opinion? Convince the person who busts his balls for a living why he should spend hard earned coin on said device or similar offering? Provide details such as dftk has and let's see what you have? The website is just pure horse**** rhetoric with regards to this device in particular. I have seen people build projects like cmoy amps that look 100% more professional than this contraption.

If you have no stake in this product why are you so bent out of shape over others' opinion of it? You seem to be on a crusade of some sort and appear to have a serious agenda here.

When looking for opinions in such an ever changing hobby as this is, it is great to get no holds barred reviews of all kinds. Way too many products out there claiming to do everything under the sun. You can never be armed with enough information. Ultimately you take what you find and hope you make the best decision. Where you see this review as a scathing, personal attack, others see it as being very useful in helping them make a decision on a purchase - a rather pricey one at that.

 

[evilking]

The AMP3 hissed with my ER4-S, that's pretty pathetic. I don't own any other equipment that hisses with the ER4-S; old stereos, desktop onboard sound, 2004 no-brand laptop, nokia phone, free 256mb mp3 player literally falling apart, are all silent (or hiss less) with the 100ohm ER4S. I'd have to really work hard to find a headphone out worse than the AMP3...



EK

 

[james444]

Quote:

Originally Posted by yo43 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I can assure you I am an Amp3 customer, no connection to HSA and have no vested interest. I have bought things from Craig at Whiplash, and I feel if there was any intentional attacking going on here, it occurred in the very first post whereby the reviewer called the seller of the Amp3 a criminal.

On a less emotional note, I believe you're somewhat confusing Craig/Wiplash with Hisoundaudio. I have great respect for Craig. At the peak of the AMP3 craze he was constantly surpassing himself in trying to make up for Hisoundaudio's abysmal customer service. In fact he was in some way a victim himself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by yo43 /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Amp3 is no longer even a buyable product, so get over yourself.

IMO you're missing the point. If this thread possibly succeeds in making folks more aware of all the hype and shilling going on with Hisoundaudio products, they won't be able to pull the same thing off a second time. They'll have to deliver or fail. That's how it should be.

 

[yo43]

I agree. I read all the posts on the Amp3 thread, bad and good, and decided to give it a shot because several respected members bought one and found it worthwhile, warts and all. I can tell you if dfkt had posted his review on that thread early on, I would have considered it too. But he didn't. He waited until the thing is out of production. In the meantime, I bought one and I really like it for its SQ with several of my headphones, and while it does hiss somewhat, the hiss doesn't bother me. As I said, this morning I borrowed a friend's Clip and to me, the Amp3 sounded better with my headphones, a pair of Grado 325i.

Is that enough from my perspective in terms of how I quantify the Amp3? I won't provide any graphs or charts, and I will tell you that the UI and the flaky nature of the Amop can make me crazy at times. But for what I use it for (mainly jazz and vocals), it sounds spectacular.

Shigzeo and Joker, two respected HF reviewers, early expressed their POV on the Amp3, and they were summarily ignored.

I do agree, enough pointless back and forth. But I feel compelled to respond to some of the obviously silly defenses of the review, which have been outlined already by myself and some others.

Again, I have no stake in the product. I just like it. Calling the seller a con artist is really hitting below the belt.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stingx /img/forum/go_quote.gif yo43, here's an idea... Instead of this back and forth useless banter, how about you quantify your love/appreciation for the AMP3 as well as dfkt has in dispelling the hype? Your opinion is just as valid as his is except that he comes across as being intelligent whereas you come across as an angry kid who was just called a name and is now crying for his milk and cookies. In all seriousness, what exactly makes this AMP3 so good, in your honest opinion? Convince the person who busts his balls for a living why he should spend hard earned coin on said device or similar offering? Provide details such as dftk has and let's see what you have? The website is just pure horse**** rhetoric with regards to this device in particular. I have seen people build projects like cmoy amps that look 100% more professional than this contraption. If you have no stake in this product why are you so bent out of shape over others' opinion of it? You seem to be on a crusade of some sort and appear to have a serious agenda here. When looking for opinions in such an ever changing hobby as this is, it is great to get no holds barred reviews of all kinds. Way too many products out there claiming to do everything under the sun. You can never be armed with enough information. Ultimately you take what you find and hope you make the best decision. Where you see this review as a scathing, personal attack, others see it as being very useful in helping them make a decision on a purchase - a rather pricey one at that.

 

[yo43]

Quote:

Originally Posted by james444 /img/forum/go_quote.gif On a less emotional note, I believe you're somewhat confusing Craig/Wiplash with Hisoundaudio. I have great respect for Craig. At the peak of the AMP3 craze he was constantly surpassing himself in trying to make up for Hisoundaudio's abysmal customer service. In fact he was in some way a victim himself. IMO you're missing the point. If this thread possibly succeeds in making folks more aware of all the hype and shilling going on with Hisoundaudio products, they won't be able to pull the same thing off a second time. They'll have to deliver or fail. That's how it should be.

Agree with that. They have to improve, but to dismiss the Amp3 as a complete piece of garbage (that's what it was called) means this thread/review doesn't really add anything to the mix in that regard. I believe that scenario, that HSA has to get it right this time, was already well established before this review was published.

As for Craig, I doubt he would feel the same way when he sees himself described as a "con man" engaged in a "scam," which is how dfkt describes those who sold the Amp3. I bought my Amp3 from Craig, not HSA. No, I am not confusing anything.

 

[yo43]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cyberspyder /img/forum/go_quote.gif What makes you think he is talking about Craig AT ALL? Maybe there is SOME OTHER RESELLER FOR THE AMP3? Or maybe, perhaps, he's calling the makers that dreamt this POS up con artists?

There is only one seller of the Amp3 in the U.S., Whiplash Audio. Enough already.

 

[boomana]

I'm reopening this thread. I deleted 34 posts, and probably missed some. If folks can't post without flying off the handle and attacking each other, then folks might get a vacation from posting.

 

[SDDL-UP]

Awesome!

THANK YOU dfkt!

So the ONLY area where the HiSound AMP3 can compete with the Sansa Clip+ is that it has less crosstalk in the mid and upper frequencies under load. That's it. Nothing else even approaches the Clip+.

I and many others appreciate you taking the time to do this as most people don't have the tools or know how. Fact from fiction gets sorted out pretty easily doesn't it?

 

[shigzeo]

It doesn't take much time or effort to do RMAA tests (a headphone splitter, a cable, and a headphone and computer) and listen against other portables. What does take time is to really listen - something which is probably hard to really do as a lot of what we do just gets sparked by other reviewers and marketing.

Personally, the AMP3 Pro2 (never heard the 1) is a machine I would like other than the hiss and evident inability to drive earphones (which I have been saying and been taking flack for for months) as well as the competition.

Otherwise, I actually like the style - it speaks microwave styling better than any other product I've held and feels solid. Based on performance alone, it is pretty expensive, but if HiSound can mop up their troubles with resolution and/or hiss, they can at least run straight at Cowon for similar spec. If they can fix roll off, and get Rockbox, they will have a special place - or should have considering that other brands with nothing at all to offer get lots of gooshes here.

The reason why I've had trouble with the AMP3 is its marketing: audiophile and professional are the words they chose to represent the product. While I like it (to some extent), those words don't come in to the product.

Of course, it is out of production, but that still means that many have sold and it is sad since it doesn't meet professional standards. Audiophile - maybe. Audiophiles have fewer standards than professionals since more than anything, we are marketing hogs, but since cheaper players such as the Fuze can drive earphones better (no hiss and to better resolution), I have a problem with the word Audiophile too.

But, there is still the fact that fiction isn't sorted out. The AMP3 Pro isn't impressive in its ability to achieve noiseless signal or to drive earphones, but... it has its fans. Whether they are bitten by placebo or genuinely like it is up to them. Every sound has its fans and the AMP3 Pro has its fans. So I think arguing sound preference won't get anywhere, especially here.

People like what they like; whether they have heard better, or if they realise what good/bad is is another story. Personally, I would enjoy the AMP3 Pro if it had its problems fixed.

 

[james444]

Nicely put, shigzeo. Sadly it won't have its problems fixed, instead they want you to buy a new product.