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Showing 1 of 139 conversations about:
Drop + THX AAA™ ONE Linear Amplifier
hdduggan
0
Jun 4, 2021
No balanced out? Better off with the previous version. Except its cheaper... not worth losing the balanced out in my opinion.
(Edited)
JaegerD
190
Jun 11, 2021
hddugganWhat previous version, the thing thats a totally different item?
hdduggan
0
Jun 11, 2021
JaegerD"We teamed up with THX to build a leaner version of our beloved 789 amplifier."
You could try reading literally the first sentence.
JaegerD
190
Jun 11, 2021
hddugganAh the different amp that costs more due to the balanced out and probably other items
hdduggan
0
Jun 11, 2021
JaegerDYes, and at least with Sundara headphones there was clipping at higher volumes until I switched to balanced (using the 789). Very annoying. And bass and instrument differentiation improved too. So I wouldn't get this amp unless I were using a very easy to power headphone.
(Edited)
JaegerD
190
Jun 11, 2021
hddugganLuckily there is a whole different amp to help you out
Jackpine
16
Jun 18, 2021
hddugganShould be enough power for Sundara. Are you using a lot of EQ? Anybody else tried this with Sundara?
(Edited)
hdduggan
0
Jun 18, 2021
Jackpineno eq at all
postwarscars
1367
Jul 12, 2021
hddugganLiterally not the same single-ended performance as the 789.
That said, outside of a pre-amp switch, this isn't as powerful as a Schiit Magni Heresy, which is between $50-$100 cheaper.
Tombot3000
23
Jul 23, 2021
postwarscarsSE output is lower than the Heresy, but it has more gain stages, better measurements, and front toggles for power & pre amp. SE output in both is higher than the Magnius, which is Schiit's competition in this price range.
Subjectively, I think the pot on this is significantly better than the one on the Magni 3 (base), which is likely to be similar to the Heresy or 3+. Schiit makes solid products, but they are known for scratchy pots and occasional channel imbalance in the low end, perhaps due to having such high gain and power in budget devices.
postwarscars
1367
Jul 23, 2021
Tombot3000Well, the Magnius has a tacked on SE output, because it's meant to be a balanced amp primarily.
I'm sure the pot on this is better. It's also $50-$100 more expensive. The 3+ and Heresy do have a less-than-amazing pot. As for the performance, I can't tell a difference between the Atom, Heresy or 789, and I doubt the One would change that, so it comes down to features in my opinion. If I was in the market I just don't know if I'd spend $150-$200 on this, personally.
Tombot3000
23
Aug 1, 2021
postwarscarsSure, but balanced isn't purely beneficial - the sound difference is minimal if perceptible at all, the extra power is only useful if you have headphones so hungry that none of these SE amps should be on your list anyway, and third party cables are significantly more expensive.
If you're looking for medium-power, SE capable amps, the ONE has 2nd most power, 2nd best pot (IMO, this is subjective), tied-ish for best measurements, medium size, pre-amp out, and front switches working in its favor of the main ones in question. It's also regularly $150 instead of $200, which is a nice price point.
I wouldn't recommend any of the amps in question as a universal choice, but they each make an argument for themselves depending on what features you value and how important price is.
postwarscars
1367
Aug 1, 2021
Tombot3000Balanced is beneficial in that it rejects noise and has more power, but there's no sound quality difference if the engineering is proper. The cables aren't that much more expensive, really, and extra power is almost always useful (within reason).
Anyway, I'm not saying the One is bad, it just wouldn't be my first choice at $200 (especially if the 789 hits $250). But I think it's because I can do without convenience features, personally. Not everyone shares my tastes, which is totally fine.
(Edited)
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