Drop + THX AAA™ 789 Linear Amplifier Reviews | Drop

Drop + THX AAA™ 789 Linear Amplifier

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Jul 28, 2019

Verified Buyer

Great balanced amp for the money

This is a very good balanced amp at $400. It offers very clean and neutral sound. You don't hear any background hiss (dead silent) unless you crank all the way up. I also like the 3 different gain settings. It is useful when going in between IEMs and high impedance headphones. Sound wise... it depends on if this is an upgrade from your previous setup or you already own a higher end setup. If this is a major step up from your previous setup, I really cannot think of any other fully balanced amp to compete with 789 at $400 price range. But there are definitely amps ($600-1000/higher) that can outperform the 789, even single ended amp. The sound signature can be a little cold and not as musical for some people. When I compare the 789 to the Cayin iHA-6 or Beyer A2, I especially noticed the 789 has less height in soundstage. The Beyerdynamic A2 performs much better on layering and instruments separation. After all, we are talking about the two amps that costs almost twice as much than the 789. In the end, I really have no complain for $400, especially if you have not heard any higher end amps. In a nutshell, if you are looking for clean, power, neutral sounding, versatile gain settings, balanced/single ended, this is a great amp for $400. I would not say this is "THE END GAME" like some people (maybe for entry level end game?), because it is definitely not. But if you only have a budget of $500 for an amp, this could really be an excellent option.

Recommends this product? Yes

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Alcatras

Jul 30, 2019

Der_KlaviermannI think Aune X1S is another alternative to the 789. And it is half of the price of this 789.

Jul 31, 2019

AlcatrasIf you’re not looking for balanced input/output, that could be an alternative. I don’t own the X1S and have never heard it. So I can’t really say much. But thanks for your input and suggestion! Cheers!

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Alcatras

Aug 1, 2019

Der_KlaviermannOh I am sorry. I meant X7s. Hahah

Aug 1, 2019

AlcatrasHa~ No worries! X7s only has balanced out right? I’ve heard many good things about that amp. But I guess it also depends if someone wants fully balanced.

(Edited)

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Viper_Necklampy

Aug 1, 2019

Der_KlaviermannWhich was the DAC connected to 789?

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Aug 2, 2019

Viper_NecklampyConcero HD & Geshelli Enog2 Pro

Aug 2, 2019

Alcatras Aune forever!

phrodini

Aug 22, 2019

5h0l3e5which one would you recommend?

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Aug 22, 2019

phrodiniWell I have T1SE which is a DAC/AMP with tube buffer. You can read my article about it: https://forum.hifiguides.com/t/aune-t1se-tube-usb-dac/2636/2 Z reviews who praises 789 a lot, said T1SE ss amp sounds better than 789 while not knowing this unit is a dac + tube buffer, not a tube pre. That says a lot. But if you don't want tube, X1s Pro is a really great choice. It's basically X1s + X7s because it's a DAC with class A amplifier.

Aug 24, 2019

Der_KlaviermannWhat is the end game amp then to you ?

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Aug 26, 2019

nick_tI don't have one. There're still plenty of gears that I haven't heard or cannot afford. It's a never ending quest. But I'm happy with what I have for now.

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Aug 26, 2019

Der_KlaviermannSo meaning, you will not know there is an end game when you havent tried.

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Aug 27, 2019

nick_tOf course, I would have to try it before I know if it'd be an end game for me. "End game" changes as my taste changes, and also when I find something better. The gears I have now are pretty much entry level Hi-Fi. So I wouldn't even think about the term - End Game.

Aug 28, 2019

Der_KlaviermannSo meaning you cannot judge the THX 789 AAA as not really as an end game when you have not tried others yet in comparison.

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Aug 28, 2019

nick_tI don't think it's fair to judge anything as an "end game" without having comparison. Everyone defines "end game" in their own way. It's not an end game for me doesn't mean it's not end game for you.

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Aug 28, 2019

Der_KlaviermannWell that mayebe be true. But am referring to the best end game, period. Anyway my statement referring to you that saying the THX is not an end game when you have not tried others yet in comparison.

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Aug 28, 2019

nick_tNo, I don't have one single end game. Maybe I wasn't being clear before... I don't think THX is my end game because of the two other amps I have, like I've stated in my review. I'm happy with the two solid state amps I've now, but that doesn't mean they are end game. Also, some headphones pair better with some amps and some do not. So, I'm not really into looking for the absolutely one and only end game amp.

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Aug 28, 2019

Der_KlaviermannThen what is other of your two amp better than the THX 789 AAA

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Aug 28, 2019

nick_t Cayin iHA-6 and Beyer A2, as I've mentioned in the review.

(Edited)

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Aug 29, 2019

Der_KlaviermannSo these are better than the THX 789 AAA ? How do they sound like ? And why do you need two amplifier.

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Aug 29, 2019

nick_tTrust me buddy, 789 is way too overrated for what it is practically. It may be awesome on paper but the measurements says nothing about soundstage, for example.

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Aug 29, 2019

5h0l3e5But for $400, nothing beats the THX 789 AAA right ? Then tell me, what are the better alternatives that beats the 789 in its own class in terms of nuetral and transparency with natural realism in the sound ? Give me some suggestion for me to buy. Also, maybe the 789 is overrated as end game but highly rated for the price point of high end sounding ? What do you think ?

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Aug 29, 2019

nick_tLook at this video @15:00 and @18:00 https://youtu.be/49iMY26qHGg There are things to consider:

Z Review is a huge 789 fan.
T1SE is a tube buffered dac + sold-state amp.
Z doesn't know the fact number 2. He thinks it's a tube pre.

This guys is literally saying T1SE ss amp is better than the so-called best solid-state 789. I'm sure if he knew the fact number 2 he wouldn't have said that. That was a good blind test for a totally honest opinion.

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Aug 29, 2019

5h0l3e5That guy who loves to spent money and hardly use its audio equipment. Either way, , what are the better alternatives that beats the 789 in its own class in terms of nuetral and transparency with natural realism in the sound ? Give me some suggestion for me to buy. Also, maybe the 789 is overrated as end game but highly rated for the price point of high end sounding ?

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Aug 29, 2019

nick_tBuy T1SE with a decent dac and you'll be happy.

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Aug 29, 2019

nick_tYes, the two amps are better than the 789 in some aspects. Let me reiterate from my review... Both iHA-6 and the A2 have better soundstage and instrument separation than the 789. A2 is a warmer and more musical amp, while the iHA-6 does better on the mid and upper mid. I don't need both, but I can and I want both. One obvious reason being A2 is a single-ended amp and iHA-6 is a balanced amp.

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Aug 29, 2019

5h0l3e5Sorry am not happy with decent.

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Aug 29, 2019

nick_tSo buy the best dac and pair it with T1SE.

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Aug 29, 2019

Der_KlaviermannWhich one is more nuetral and in what way the are better than 789 ?

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Aug 29, 2019

nick_tNeutral in my own opinion or base on the Harman response curve? I think the iHA-6 is neutral for my own taste, and the 789 is way too flat and boring for my liking. I don't want to be redundant and repetitive. You can find how I think the 789 is different from A2 and iHA-6 in the review and all my responds in the comments.

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Aug 30, 2019

Der_KlaviermannDo you still own the 789?

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Aug 30, 2019

nick_tNo, sold mine a while back.

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Aug 30, 2019

Der_KlaviermannIs it because you dont like it and you bought those two amp you mentioned ? How do you get rid of the 789 ?

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Aug 30, 2019

nick_tI didn't need two balanced amp. I only keep the one that performs better. So I sold the 789 online.

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Aug 30, 2019

Der_KlaviermannWhich one is balanced ? Isnt the 789 not truly balance ? In the first place, why do you go for the 789 ? Can you suggest an amp for me ?

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Aug 30, 2019

nick_tBoth Cayin and the 789 are balanced amp. I wanted a balanced amp. So I bought both and decided to keep one. I don't think I can suggest an amp for you. My experience is only limited to what I've listened, which are the three amps I've been talking about. You can look up other peoples' / professional reviewers' review on the amps.

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Aug 30, 2019

Der_KlaviermannWell, so you wanted to see which is better ? How do you sell the 789 ? Also, I thought the 789 is not truly balance ?

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Aug 30, 2019

nick_tI don't know. Didn't bother to find out at the beginning. You can do more research on your own. Doesn't matter to me now, since I sold it.

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Aug 30, 2019

Der_KlaviermannDo you consider the Cayin as the best you heard ? Is it very good ?

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Aug 30, 2019

nick_tI'm not going to say it's "the best" I've heard. But it's one of the better ones that I can afford. Different amps offer something different. I don't believe in "THE BEST." If you look for the best, you should look elsewhere. There's nothing I can offer you here.

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Aug 30, 2019

Der_KlaviermannHow would you rate out of 10 ?

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Aug 30, 2019

nick_tRating requires a benchmark which I do not have. Subjectively without a benchmark, I would rate it 10/10 because it satisfies all my needs.

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KevYeoh

May 3, 2020

Der_KlaviermannHey I'd like to hear more about the differences between the Beyer and Cayin amp if you don't mind. I'm currently torn between the two.

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May 7, 2020

KevYeohBeyer is a little warmer and more musical. Cayin is a little more neutral. Beyer soundstage is about one step wider than Cayin, but the difference is very small. The Beyer amp really has good height. Cayin has single ended and balanced input and output. It also has current gain which gives you a small increment of mids for some dynamic headphones. Cayin has a lot of power which will power all hard to drive headphones with no problem, e.g. HE-6SE. Since it has a lot of power, you’ll hear more noise floor with sensitive IEMs. So, just don’t use IEMs on Cayin. It really depends on your needs - balanced, single ended, IEMs, hard to drive headphones.

(Edited)

KevYeoh

May 9, 2020

Der_KlaviermannThanks for your input. I'm not particularly a big fan of neutrality. I think I'll go with the beyer since it has a smaller footprint and overall looks better built.

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