Massdrop x THX AAA 789

That's where you blind fold the gear so it doesn't know who is listening

 

LOL. You made my morning, mate.

 

The well established testing methodology where both the subjects and testers don't know if they're using A or B, and the written test results are also anonymised.

 

And the AAA 789 is available to drop again. This time I ordered it and I'm not canceling it like before.

I know I'm being silly that I want to use the balanced part of this amp, but I'm too lazy swamping cables from my headphones. I'll feed it my Modi 2 Uber until I feel like upgrading that (maybe the Grace SDAC Balanced or maybe something from Schitt, dunno). Should do the trick for what I want it to do.

 

How would you describe the sonic differences between 789 and the latest Jot? Especially for mid-fi 'phones like HD-6XX and HE-4XX, Modi Multibit DAC?

 

Don't know you consider him reliable but Josh volour compared both on YouTube.
Edit:

 

He explained it many posts back.

 

I was asking in my low-key whether the below ever happened:

I thought his other comments between the two were based on original Jot

 

You can spend all day worrying about what other people think about gear that’s one step up from bargain basement or you can wait to hear it yourself at a meet and make up your mind based on your own ears.

If you have nothing then show some bravery, and buy something you can use. You gotta start somewhere even if you can only afford Behringer.

None of this is distorted, defective garbage fit only for a recycling plant or will clip itself like an O2/ODAC combo designed by tech bro idiot who think windows mixer doesn’t affect the sound. Just take the plunge.

 

I'm guessing you're not a NwAvGuy fan.

 

Do you like digital and solid state clipping? Do you want to make everything sound like Metallica’s Death Magnetic? Then Amir Majidimehr designed the color box for you! Do not believe all the wrongheaded gobblygook talk of transparency. The pleasant sound of clipping can be yours for one small payment of $109.99!

 

At the very least, you get points for humor and sarcasm. +1

 

Hey man, show some respect for nwavguy! He was an engineering student. Do you know much talent it takes to make an amp that sounds worse than what you'd get out of an altoids can?

 

If you could stretch the comparo to include both launch Jot and current production, that'd be really interesting. I'll be honest, I'm almost more interested in how the Jots compare than how the 789 stacks up (shame on me). It'd be interesting to have some idea of what the running revisions have achieved.

 

I saw this post from another thread. Do you have example tracks that you were listening to and what headphones were you using?

 

Thanks- sounds like I am not missing missing much.

I have a first week of release (i.e. fedexed over the pond rather than waiting for local dealer) Jot sitting on my desk as a solid state amp for non-estats in a pinch- it doesn't get a whole lot of use, but it's useful when I need it. When I want dynamics to sound more relaxed, I will just warm up some tubes as usual.

Short of a fit of madness leading to a Neurochome HP-1 or something, that might be enough SS headamp for me for the foreseeable future.

 

Is it possible that the "fake balanced output" aspect of this amplifier only comes into play when using single ended input?

@ceetee ?

Edit: Also want to add - can anyone comment on the sound quality difference between the 789 and a Magni 3?

 

If you don't mind short term impressions, I can provide one to you by next weekend. Keep in mind the source will be a Modi 2 Uber from my laptop feeding the THX + Mangi 3.