[ToneDeafMonk]

Are you saying you're so righteous you had to speak up? Where were you when snake oil audio manufacturers were making outlandish claims? J/K J/K.

Reviews encourage manufacturers to game the system, period! Why do you think manufacturers send products to "select" reviewers (like yourself and Amir) ahead of product launch? Tell me that's not misleading.

I agree companies like Topping and SMSL (I have no problem calling them out) are taking advantage of the situation by over emphasizing the importance of certain measurement results (that are well beyond human threshold) when promoting their products, which certainly is contributed by ASR's measurement focused approach. And you're right those numbers are now becoming just numbers to impress people without tangible benefits. But even if those numbers don't benefit us, how does higher SINAD hurt the consumers? And even if it did, isn't that the company's fault for misleading consumers rather than the reviewer's fault for believing those measurements are critical to gauging audio fidelity? How do you evaluate audio equipment? Aren't you doing it based on features or sound you feel are important? So to your logic, if another reviewer disagrees with your conclusion and your methods, can that person say you're misleading others? What you are implying when you say someone else's measurements are done poorly and that person's reviews are over-generalized is the point I'm trying to make. That's all.

Again, this wouldn't be a problem if you weren't a reviewer with some clout who gets paid for the reviews you do. I just wish reviewers would focus on their reviews instead of doing the same things they're accusing of others of doing. And this goes for Amir too.

Well said KP! Options should be based on listening test no numbers IMHO and leave it at that your take on what you heard and like.

 

[inscythe]

Are you saying you're so righteous you had to speak up? Where were you when snake oil audio manufacturers were making outlandish claims? J/K J/K.

Reviews encourage manufacturers to game the system, period! Why do you think manufacturers send products to "select" reviewers (like yourself and Amir) ahead of product launch? Tell me that's not misleading.

I agree companies like Topping and SMSL (I have no problem calling them out) are taking advantage of the situation by over emphasizing the importance of certain measurement results (that are well beyond human threshold) when promoting their products, which certainly is contributed by ASR's measurement focused approach. And you're right those numbers are now becoming just numbers to impress people without tangible benefits. But even if those numbers don't benefit us, how does higher SINAD hurt the consumers? And even if it did, isn't that the company's fault for misleading consumers rather than the reviewer's fault for believing those measurements are critical to gauging audio fidelity? How do you evaluate audio equipment? Aren't you doing it based on features or sound you feel are important? So to your logic, if another reviewer disagrees with your conclusion and your methods, can that person say you're misleading others? What you are implying when you say someone else's measurements are done poorly and that person's reviews are over-generalized is the point I'm trying to make. That's all.

Again, this wouldn't be a problem if you weren't a reviewer with some clout who gets paid for the reviews you do. I just wish reviewers would focus on their reviews instead of doing the same things they're accusing of others of doing. And this goes for Amir too.

Pretty good points you raised there! I follow both ASR and Currawong (btw @Currawong , I watched your roundtable with PFS, GoldenSound, and WaveTheory... pretty insightful!), and I do believe that the true value of the either styles of review is somewhere in the middle.

I do agree with Currawong about Amir is "doing the measurements poorly" to a certain extent, in a way that Amir's just doing the measurement without making any correlation to actual sound quality benefits to the listener other than "better numbers/graph = better sound". I doubt anyone would notice the difference between 0.000006% THD and 0.0000055% THD, or 1-2dB difference in SINAD (even this, Amir is using best case SINAD, which doesn't make sense to me in terms of consistency across multiple devices). The fact that gears with identical measurements can subjectively sound different means that the data points collected by the measurements might not be suitable. In an analogy, this is like trying to measure weight in litres; while the unit is mismatched, unless you make a correlation between the mass and volume (a.k.a. density of the material), you can't directly infer the weight value.

Meanwhile, Currawong is coming from a different direction where measurements means little to sound quality. Listening is an imperfect science after all, so listening impression should be descriptive and personal. I also often read the comments under the video to find the different opinions and impressions from other people to more points of views. However, most of these impressions are eventually very personal ones, so trying to use it for my personal buying decision is a bit hard. That said, living in Singapore gives me pretty convenient access to try a lot of the gears myself, so it's fine for me, but I can see the value of a more objective-based review (a.k.a. measurements) for those who have little access to the gears. Not everyone can afford blind buying after all.

TL;DR: Amir makes poor correlation between measurements and sound quality, instead leaving it to the readers to decipher them. Currawong could use some measurements as a tool to help reinforce his impressions so that viewers can do indirect comparisons.

 

[Marlowe]

Leaving review ideology aside (though I admit to being a non-militant subjectivist), I know Currawong's reviews are far more fun to read or listen to. (I also admit to possible bias in Currawong's favor, since he has thoughtfully and respectfully responded to a few of my comments over the years, both here and on his YT channel.) Reading an Amir review is like a non-accountant reading a spreadsheet; if I have any interest in the review, I generally just skip down to the (always short) conclusions. Plus it's ridiculous for him to trash gear for high distortion even while admitting that there is no audible distortion until volume is well beyond the hearing loss level on a 300 ohm headphone. (I'm thinking of his Burson Soloist review; since that amp is on my short list, along with the A90D, for upgrades next year and was interested.)

 

[duffer5]

Leaving review ideology aside (though I admit to being a non-militant subjectivist), I know Currawong's reviews are far more fun to read or listen to. Reading an Amir review is like a non-accountant reading spreadsheet. Plus it's ridiculous for him to trash gear for high distortion even while admitting that there is no audible distortion until volume is well beyond the hearing loss level on a 300 ohm headphone. (I'm thinking of his Burson Soloist review; since that amp is on my short list, along with the A90D, for upgrades next year and was interested.)

Just an FYI headphones.com has the Burson lineup at 20% off. I was on that same fence and went with the A90D coming from the Singxer Sa-1. Very pleased. Have not heard any of the Burson gear but I read good reviews but many say you can get all of the Burson experience at 1/2 the cost with the A90D.

 

[Marlowe]

Just an FYI headphones.com has the Burson lineup at 20% off. I was on that same fence and went with the A90D coming from the Singxer Sa-1. Very pleased. Have not heard any of the Burson gear but I read good reviews but many say you can get all of the Burson experience at 1/2 the cost with the A90D.

Thanks, but it's a moot point for a while. I'm retired on a fixed income (and don't use credit) so I plan possible purchases well in advance and need to save up for them. Since I just acquired a new Hifiman Arya last week (after saving for a few months) my next upgrades won't be until sometime in late winter to late spring (depending on the price of my final selections and how successful my saving is). But the months of research into possible upgrades is a lot of fun in itself (and its free!). As the wise Mr. Spock once noted (in Amok Time, one of the greatest TOS episodes that I saw--in glorious B&W on, I think, a 25 incher--when it kicked off Season 2 in 1967): "[Y]ou may find that having is not so pleasing a thing after all as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true." And I don't think buyer's remorse was part of the language yet in 1967, though it obviously existed.

BTW, The Arya, even without the recommended burn in yet, is truly worth every penny (and with the recent price drop and an unexpected 10% discount code from the retailer, I paid only $1169).

Edit: FWIW, ATM (and it's always subject to change) I'm probably looking at a new amp and DAC for use in my favored late night listening spot without either physically moving moving gear or using the iFi Go bar dongle (which in turbo mode easily drives the Arya, at least as far as volume is concerned). Current finalists for the amp are the A90D and the Burson Soloist. For the DAC, the Schiit Bifrost 2/64, Musician Draco or Pegasus, Gustard X18, Soekris 2541. Or quite possible a different direction together: the Fiio K9 Pro ESS all-in-one, which is significantly cheaper than any of these combinations and has (mostly) been very highly reviewed, especially its dual ESS 9038 Pro DACs. The THX-based amp is significantly less powerful than the A90D or the Soloist, but I am not planning to drive the $6K Susvara (though I'd like to!). It should be fine for all my headphones and IEMs and at least a couple of reviews have specifically praised its match with the Arya.

 

[Hal X]

Just an FYI headphones.com has the Burson lineup at 20% off. I was on that same fence and went with the A90D coming from the Singxer Sa-1. Very pleased. Have not heard any of the Burson gear but I read good reviews but many say you can get all of the Burson experience at 1/2 the cost with the A90D.

I am currently in possesion of a Singxer SA-1 myself and was wondering how the A90D performs compared to it, could you share any thoughts/impressions on the matter?

 

[duffer5]

I am currently in possesion of a Singxer SA-1 myself and was wondering how the A90D performs compared to it, could you share any thoughts/impressions on the matter?

Sure. I prefer the A90D. It is not night and day better but to my ear the A90d is the evolution of what the Singxer could be. Fully discreet so no op amps the same as Singxer but with more power which results in clear crisp and pure sound with no additional color. Speaking of clear my Focal Clear’s OG never sounded better as they do with the A90d. Clarity is strong, bass is pure as intended and finally sound stage sounds more expansive. Sa-1 is great but to my novice ear the A90d just sounds next level. For the price it can stand shoulder to shoulder with amps that cost 5x or even 10x as much. Plus the volume knob is addictive. If the Singxer had been introduced at the same time as the A90D but as we know the Singxer has been around almost a year I would have gone A90d but I am glad I have / had the Singxer. Chi-fi is moving so fast and improving typically from one model year to the next that what was the best last year becomes 2nd fiddle more quickly. Not sure where we go from here as the A90D to me is about as good as it gets and that includes top tier Amps as well.

 

[Currawong]

Are you saying you're so righteous you had to speak up? Where were you when snake oil audio manufacturers were making outlandish claims? J/K J/K.

It's not a joke. I've spoken up about significant issues that affect the industry as a whole: balanced amplification being unnecessary especially in portable gear, the misleading use of impulse responses to market NOS DACs as being superior, and MQA being a massive con, and I just contacted a manufacturer about the measured power output specs of one of their products being completely false.

Reviews encourage manufacturers to game the system, period! Why do you think manufacturers send products to "select" reviewers (like yourself and Amir) ahead of product launch? Tell me that's not misleading.

Why is it misleading to send a reviewer a product? The feedback I get from manufacturers is that I'm chosen because I'll give the product a fair, reasoned review. I don't ask why they send other reviewers a product, that's up to them. Obviously someone like Z because they have a huge subscriber base. In the case of the A90D it was because APOS wanted my opinion as to whether it's a good amp or not.

I agree companies like Topping and SMSL (I have no problem calling them out) are taking advantage of the situation by over emphasizing the importance of certain measurement results (that are well beyond human threshold) when promoting their products, which certainly is contributed by ASR's measurement focused approach. And you're right those numbers are now becoming just numbers to impress people without tangible benefits. But even if those numbers don't benefit us, how does higher SINAD hurt the consumers? And even if it did, isn't that the company's fault for misleading consumers rather than the reviewer's fault for believing those measurements are critical to gauging audio fidelity? How do you evaluate audio equipment? Aren't you doing it based on features or sound you feel are important? So to your logic, if another reviewer disagrees with your conclusion and your methods, can that person say you're misleading others? What you are implying when you say someone else's measurements are done poorly and that person's reviews are over-generalized is the point I'm trying to make. That's all.

Again, this wouldn't be a problem if you weren't a reviewer with some clout who gets paid for the reviews you do. I just wish reviewers would focus on their reviews instead of doing the same things they're accusing of others of doing. And this goes for Amir too.

Fair enough. One point though: If I disagree with another reviewer, that doesn't mean either of us think the other is misleading people. The issue I have is the idea that you can judge the overall performance of a product through a very limited set of measurements. I used the analogy recently of putting a car on a dyno and using that to judge how well it will drive.

I think the main issue is trying to be "objective" in a subjective hobby. I've said it before, but choosing to focus on objective performance is, basically, a subjective preference. People like products that are attractive. To different people that may mean physically attractive, to others, that it has some kind of attractive performance numbers associated with it.

I definitely should get some measuring gear. I want to consult a few people first about what I intend to do so that it can be actually useful though.

 

[KPzypher]

It's not a joke. I've spoken up about significant issues that affect the industry as a whole: balanced amplification being unnecessary especially in portable gear, the misleading use of impulse responses to market NOS DACs as being superior, and MQA being a massive con, and I just contacted a manufacturer about the measured power output specs of one of their products being completely false.

Why is it misleading to send a reviewer a product? The feedback I get from manufacturers is that I'm chosen because I'll give the product a fair, reasoned review. I don't ask why they send other reviewers a product, that's up to them. Obviously someone like Z because they have a huge subscriber base. In the case of the A90D it was because APOS wanted my opinion as to whether it's a good amp or not.

Fair enough. One point though: If I disagree with another reviewer, that doesn't mean either of us think the other is misleading people. The issue I have is the idea that you can judge the overall performance of a product through a very limited set of measurements. I used the analogy recently of putting a car on a dyno and using that to judge how well it will drive.

I think the main issue is trying to be "objective" in a subjective hobby. I've said it before, but choosing to focus on objective performance is, basically, a subjective preference. People like products that are attractive. To different people that may mean physically attractive, to others, that it has some kind of attractive performance numbers associated with it.

I definitely should get some measuring gear. I want to consult a few people first about what I intend to do so that it can be actually useful though.

First of all, appreciate your views and an opportunity for a candid conversation. I absolutely agree the challenge lies in remaining objective within reason in a subjective hobby. But there's been plenty of discussions on that matter so I won't belabor it.

Anyways, thanks for keeping your cool and really look forward to your future reviews that can cater to both crowds by striking a balance between 'objectivism' by way of meaningful measurements and your subjective expertise.

As for the A90d, what I like the most compared to the original design is the amount of volume control I get, which have been my biggest gripe. Volume control became more problematic IME when low-imp./high-sen. HPs became the norm in recent years. I also appreciate the adjustable volume curve. On the other hand, I do miss the toggle switches.

 

[Hal X]

Sure. I prefer the A90D. It is not night and day better but to my ear the A90d is the evolution of what the Singxer could be. Fully discreet so no op amps the same as Singxer but with more power which results in clear crisp and pure sound with no additional color. Speaking of clear my Focal Clear’s OG never sounded better as they do with the A90d. Clarity is strong, bass is pure as intended and finally sound stage sounds more expansive. Sa-1 is great but to my novice ear the A90d just sounds next level. For the price it can stand shoulder to shoulder with amps that cost 5x or even 10x as much. Plus the volume knob is addictive. If the Singxer had been introduced at the same time as the A90D but as we know the Singxer has been around almost a year I would have gone A90d but I am glad I have / had the Singxer. Chi-fi is moving so fast and improving typically from one model year to the next that what was the best last year becomes 2nd fiddle more quickly. Not sure where we go from here as the A90D to me is about as good as it gets and that includes top tier Amps as well.

I see, I think it might be the type of amp I was looking for then. Thank you very much for the detailed impressions!

 

[DMITRIY R]

The channel "Passion for Sound" published a review of the А90D and its comparison with the SA-1. Perhaps this will help someone with the choice of an amplifier.

 

[DMITRIY R]

The channel "Passion for Sound" published a review of the А90D and its comparison with the SA-1. Perhaps this will help someone with the choice of an amplifier.

I mostly agree with the conclusions. I have both amplifiers and it's hard for me to name a clear winner in this battle. The SA1 has a little more bass and is a little more relaxed. The A90D is a slightly faster amp and textures the sound better.

 

[jlemaster1957]

The channel "Passion for Sound" published a review of the А90D and its comparison with the SA-1. Perhaps this will help someone with the choice of an amplifier.

Thanks - had been waiting/watching for Lachlan to do this review. I’ve already bit the bullet and added Burson 3XP on the basis of his review of that unit (to use as a Poweramp which is a bit different to the typical use and not something g A90D does at all). There aren’t so many YT reviews on A90D and his are highly regarded (by me anyway, even when I dont 100% agree he is very fair and reasonable and just states his honest user impressions).

 

[DeckHiFi]

Thanks - had been waiting/watching for Lachlan to do this review. I’ve already bit the bullet and added Burson 3XP on the basis of his review of that unit (to use as a Poweramp which is a bit different to the typical use and not something g A90D does at all). There aren’t so many YT reviews on A90D and his are highly regarded (by me anyway, even when I dont 100% agree he is very fair and reasonable and just states his honest user impressions).

He also seems to do one of the best if not the best job at comparing different products that you want to hear about. He really takes the time to give the audiophile what he's looking for. I also really love his timestamp bookmarks he adds to his videos. Most appreciated.

 

[duffer5]

The channel "Passion for Sound" published a review of the А90D and its comparison with the SA-1. Perhaps this will help someone with the choice of an amplifier.

I do like his reviews but I do see one not so obvious issue. He performed the DC mod on the Singxer and used that unit for the head to head comparison. Considering most people won’t mod their Sa-1 unit due to potentially causing damage to their equipment or voiding the warranty or just being unaware of the mod need itself the sound he speaks of regarding the Singxer maybe unrecognizable on a stock Sa-1. Not saying that will be definitively the case but it could cause some people to make a purchase decision without all the info.