Review and Measurements of Massdrop THX AAA 789 Amp

[focus_rarely]

The su-8 is probably faulty. But check volume on the dac using the remote to make sure it's at max.
Then the mid gain on 789 is unity gain the low gain is actually attenuation. So isn't far off.

I was wondering if my SMSL Su-8 was faulty. As I was having trouble with my headphones when I was listening to it connected to my Cavalli Tube Hybrid. I wasn't sure what the issue was so I picked up a THX 789. The left channel on my headphones would start clipping and eventually go out. I would have to plug my HE560 into my receiver and rip the volume and the L channel would come back. I stopped using the DAC and just used headphone out to the CTH and haven't had issues., but always did want to upgrade to 789s.

Strange so I plugged the DAC back in and unplugged the XLRs to my JBL speakers. Now with PC volume max, DAC volume max, and 789 gain 1 and volume at 50% seems good now. I usually just leave DAC at max and then control volume through PC.

Is it still possible my DAC has a problem?

EDIT: is it standard to have PC and DAC at max volume?

 

[zepplock]

I have 789 and I drive HE560v2 with it. I'm on mid gain and about 20/30% of volume.
Using balanced cables, both from DAC and to headphones.

 

[focus_rarely]

I have 789 and I drive HE560v2 with it. I'm on mid gain and about 20/30% of volume.
Using balanced cables, both from DAC and to headphones.

Ok I just made sense of the phrase "unity gain" so gain "II" is normal. I swear at the same settings before it was low. Oh well at least it seems to be working now.

 

[zepplock]

it works on low too, just need to crank up the volume a bit.
honestly, soundwise it sounds the same. Maybe on some IEMs people can hear a difference, I can't.

 

[frogmeat69]

As of today Drop has reduced the price of the 789 to $299, and had older Massdrop logo units for $50 less, but all gone. Still, big price drop for this amp!

 

[Illtrick]

Wonder what monoprice and smsl are going to do in response to the price drop?

 

[Shazb0t]

At $299 I'm running out of reasons not to buy this amp.

 

[wiz2596]

Is there any amp like this for bookshelf speakers?

 

[amirm]

Is there any amp like this for bookshelf speakers?

There is from Benchmark (AHB2) but it is a lot of money. https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-and-measurements-of-benchmark-ahb2-amp.7628/

 

[escalibur]

Maybe this is the reason behind the price drop:

A cheaper unbalanced variant (probably to compete with the likes Schiit Magni 3+, Heresy, Atom etc..) is coming soon:

Drop + THX AAA ONE Linear Amplifier

https://drop.com/talk/35725/introducing-drop--thx-aaa-one-linear-amplifier

 

[Dogway]

Balanced *input* does not change the power. It just rids the unit of mains noise, and thus improve its performance.

To get more power you have to use its headphone/XLR balanced output.

Do you think mains noise (RCA input from D50s) will get annoying if I plug my headphones with a XLR connector? I want to upgrade my Atom because I have low volume with knob at max and in high gain (I do some HP EQs with APO).

 

[JohnYang1997]

Do you think mains noise (RCA input from D50s) will get annoying if I plug my headphones with a XLR connector? I want to upgrade my Atom because I have low volume with knob at max and in high gain (I do some HP EQs with APO).

no

 

[Dogway]

no

Thanks, I asked because with Atom at max in high gain the SNR lowers and it's annoying to hear.

 

[LuckyLuke575]

At $299 I'm running out of reasons not to buy this amp.

Same here

 

[AVKS]

I picked one up to compare with my Emotiva A-100, which has endless power but seems to have a slight hiss with all of my headphones (DT 1990, DT 990 250 ohm, and ATH-A900X. $299 isn't pocket change by any means but it is more palatable for this type of comparison since the A-100 powers my desk speakers and isn't going anywhere regardless of the outcome.

 

[jae]

I feel if they are dropping price and also releasing a cheaper SE version, they must have plans to release a new 'flagship' balanced version?

 

[Scarlettlol]

I hope you can help me out guys:

Last 3 years or so all I have heard is grain/sand, harshness, distortion, noise, piercing highs, whatever you wanna call it, I have bought and sold a bunch of gear I am so tired of doing so, even if Amazon and/or other sources allow you to return the product for free (still, takes time and
it's a little bit stressful).
Even when I make my homework: reading lots of info, reviews, youtube videos, etc, I end up being just disappointed.
Just a recent example: a Youtuber Zeos (Z reviews) swore that the Phillips Fidelio were the "best" headphones ever and that we were the most stupid person in the world if we didn't buy them... long story short, they arrived from Amazon, I opened them, plugged them in, played 5 songs,
put them back in the box and returned them. To me they were the worst piece of sht ever made in mankind history. (Too bad, they were beautiful looking).
Now I don't return to his channel anymore...

Currently I have:

Duet (Apogee last gen) interface (it has balanced outputs, but they are 6.5 mm not XLR )
Yamaha receiver R-S02 //apparently Class B (I bought it for some NS-244 speakers, that I swear sounded powerful and amazing when I bought them).
Modi 2 USB + Heresy
And recently bought a iFi Silencer (which I swear does something, it has helped me clean, or so I believe, jitter from the Modi/Duet). Signal feels cleaner meaning more defined, helped with instrument separation.
Headphones: Sennheiser HD650 (recently bought 2, they were a bargain, for me the best overall headphones so far), HD599, Beyerdynamic DT990.

And I am not happy at all. With the iFi at least I feel some sort of improvement.
I like more the Duet than the Schiit combo, but it sounds to me it has exaggerated highs, and somehow it manages to "obscure" vocals a little bit.
(electric guitars sound as they should, great timbre, VS the Modi + Heresy combo, they sound like azz, timbre is not respected at all).
Line outputs sound different than the headphones output.
I have run the Duet's line outputs into my Yamaha receiver and into the Heresy (separately) and the Heresy is just anemic. The Yamaha receiver sounds fuller/warmer not anemic (night and day of a difference vs the Heresy) but I still feel I hear a little bit of distortion/noise, no matter the volume. I call this noise like some sort of saturation (as I use lots of plugins for music mixing, this one I feel is the perfect example of a word/description, and saturation is distortion. Btw, I loathe saturators. Probably would like them if I felt I had first a clean/distortionless signal)

I mention the Heresy being anemic because I fear I would have the same issue with the THX AAA 789? Reading the output power/impedance
specs (which I don't understand at all but they seem similar between them).

But I am interested in the THX AAA 789 because it's basically distortionless?

Hell, sometimes I grab my headphones, put them on, and even if I don't hear anything (meaning I don't play any music/sound), I feel sometimes something that makes me just remove them off my head.

Also the THX AAA 789 is supposed to be not only distortionless but clean and almost flat, meaning it will respect TIMBRE ?

So, from what I read the THX AAA 789 has what I am looking for?
It has more power than the Magni?
It's pretty much distortionless?
It's very very clean?
It's FR is flat (meaning it will respect the timbre of my recordings)?
It's got balanced inputs which I can use with my Duet's balance outputs?

I want it loud, powerful, clean, timbre respectful. I focus on Vocals, snares, kicks, bass (as in very well defined), cymbals (silk sounding, not metallic //more than they should, I mean, they are made of metal, I know // ) any brass instrument. I focus on instrument separation, not a messy/muddy presentation.

Or having the Heresy, it would be reduntant, maybe they are very near each other sound/specs wise?

Maybe I won't ever like anything for good? I swear I don't continue recording stuff because I just don't feel like turning on my gear since I don't hear nowhere a decent sound. Something's always off (specially with the aforementioned distortion/saturation I feel I hear, no matter the volume level).

Note: My Duet's sound is not that is bad //specially through headphones// , but either have to listen to it at low levels or I feel it gets nasty at medium/high volumes sometimes.
Has great bass projection (not exaggerated, to me sounds as it should, but from mid highs? to highs it kinda gets into harshness/saturation/distortion?)

P.S. Just running Bluetooth into my Yamaha's receiver, sending the output into the Heresy, it sounds with added distortion, whereas the Yamaha receiver's own headphone output sounds almost with no distortion in it. Night and day difference.
Using Audioquest red RCA cables, if you must know (forgot about mentioning I am using those, which yes, sound "better" or at least different than
Amazon's Editors Choice RCA cables).

I have written this kind of Thesis in several places with no answer so far.

 

[Scarlettlol]

Try to engage with these posts for a bit and learn about audio equipment measurements. Take your time. Give yourself a healthy break. And don't go back to those sites you visit. They are worthless.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/understanding-audio-measurements.2351/
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...digital-audio-measurements.10523/#post-290932

I believe you are half right:

I don't think I am expecting something out of reality. With my Duet I feel I am very near to what I expect to hear (and the HD650):
With those 2 products I listened to a Dixie Chicks full concert and lots of details stood out, and timbre was so much better. Can't explain with words but I would say 1000% better vs the Schiit stuff (trying with words: timbre of the Gibson acoustic rythm guitars finally stood out //not stood out as out of the mix, but as in I could finally tell a good/great timbre// low toms, kicks, sounded phenomenal. Bass was defined and understood the whole concert. Here I could tell the bass player is just stellar and why he has been with the Dixie Chicks for like forever. Electric Violin //specially when doing just backround stuff// finally stood out too. Etc etc) Issue here is that at some point I can't hear this louder as I feel it's a little bit distorted at near loud levels. And that vocals for some reason are a tad lower (instead of being the main attraction, as I think it should be. Although I can't tell what the mixing engineer wanted here, maybe he wanted that).

On the other hand probably you helped me out this way: looking at the SINAD comparison graphic, the Modi 2 is not recommended at all. In fact pretty much all Schiit dacs. So, at least now I know I should've stayed away from them and why I hear my Duet's so much better.
With my Duet I feel I am very near to what I expect to hear.

Also probably you are right about all those sites I visit are worthless (and probably you didn't mean worthless per se, but worthless to me, idk, still the point applies).

Also, the THX aaa 789 is recommended by Amir, but also the Heresy, and I loathe the Heresy. That's why I wonder if the THX 789 would be a big step up.

 

[Scarlettlol]

No because they are both transparent. Please learn what the measurements mean. This idea of a "big step up" is a delusion.

So, just as an example, the THX SINAD's of 117db vs Heresy's 104db means nothing?

 

[Veri]

But I am interested in the THX AAA 789 because it's basically distortionless?

Also, the THX aaa 789 is recommended by Amir, but also the Heresy, and I loathe the Heresy. That's why I wonder if the THX 789 would be a big step up.

Both Heresy and 789 are essentially distortionless. They won't sound different.
Why do you 'loathe' the heresy? Also your post reads like you're high on a lot of caffeine lol.