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ElectronicVices
2940
Aug 17, 2018
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Not at all trying to be a dick here but asking about sound signature comparisons before they've been released to the public is a bit unrealistic. Some things to think about from specs and my personal stance:
1) I like separates... the flexibility they provide is worth the extra space/cost to me. Not going to state they are "better" per se, just like being able to swap smaller pieces of my audio chain.
2) Do you have balanced or balanced capable headphones? If yes the THX makes 6x the power into 32 ohms and 8x the power into 600 ohms. The THX also puts out almost 2x the power in 32 ohms and 600 ohms in single-ended. This extra headroom may be handy if you have hard to drive planar magnetics or 300-600 ohm cans (Senn/Beyer).
3) The AA R-2R is an interesting topology, lots of subjective opinions on it having an inherently smooth characteristic.
4) The M9XX and the AA both do DSD
5) AAA has 3.5, 6.3 and XLR outputs, negating the need for any adapters.
In the end only you will be able to decide, for me I like separates and I own fairly inefficient planar headphones so the stack would be the way I would go . The grace is a nice piece of kit but may not be the best pairing with extremely efficient low impedance headphones or hard to drive cans. What headphones are you using?
Aug 17, 2018
Glaga
15
Aug 17, 2018
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ElectronicVicesNono, I knew it was unrealistic but thought I'd ask just in case, so you had every right to make that comment.
I actually meant to include my headphones in my post but forgot! I'm currently using Senn HD 700. They are 150 ohms if I'm not mistaken.
The seperates interest me a lot too for exactly that, flexibility. I've been eyeballing some tube amps as well but I definitely want something neutral as my go-to. Thanks for your reply!
Aug 17, 2018
jaydunndiddit
3263
Aug 17, 2018
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GlagaThe HD 700 is rated at 150-ohms but has some pretty big swings upwards of 400-ohms. Ideally, you'd want to have an amp that would be able to compensate for that behavior to ensure they're being driven to their best.
I can't comment on the the THX/R2R but the amp has my attention mainly because I have IEMs that are very sensitive with an impedance of 9 ohms and cans that go as high as 300 ohm (swings well above 500-ohms at some points).
Aug 17, 2018
ElectronicVices
2940
Aug 17, 2018
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jaydunndidditAgree on the impedance swings, the HD700 can also be ran in a balanced configuration so it could take advantage of additional XLR output of the THX amp.
Aug 17, 2018
Glaga
15
Aug 19, 2018
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ElectronicVicesSo that alone already makes it a major upgrade for my headphones. I never knew about the impedance swings! That's really good to know! Thanks guys!
How well would the Grace m9xx handle the impedance swings?
Aug 19, 2018
ElectronicVices
2940
Aug 19, 2018
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GlagaIf you are running the grace with both usb inputs connected (hi power mode) I doubt you will have any trouble with the HD700 as it is fairly efficient. Remember that audio typically plays in an arena with seriously diminishing returns. The THX AAA could be a small improvement but I would be hesitant to call it major. If you had balanced planar headphones or very low impedance/high sensitivity headphones I could see a bigger return on investment. If you think your headphone collection will grow and you want the flexibility of separates then I say go for it. If you are completely happy with the HD700 I would just stick with the Grace but that also depends on the severity of your case of upgraditis.
Aug 19, 2018
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