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THX 889 vs A90 vs Singxer SA-1

WoollyGeezer

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Sep 5, 2021
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Hey ASR,

I have been debating between the three amps to run off of my D70s to my Arya/Anandas/M4u1/Q701/800s/Clear OGs. (I use the arya/ananda the most depending on the track)

The THX 889 is currently 250$, the A90 is currently 500$ and the Singxer SA-1 is 600$.
The Singxer SA-1 is the only Class A amp on the list.
A lot of reviews say the THX 889 is overrated/analytical/outdated and clips with a lot of DACs (5v output on D70s).
A lot of reviews also say the difference between the A90 - THX889 is negligible. Not a lot of info on the SA-1 at the moment.

Does anyone here have any experience with either of them? I run fully balanced in and out.

People appear to agree that a class A amp synergizes well with the Arya.
 

Snoopy

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I have the Singxer SA1. Use it with Focal Elegia. XLR connection from my streamer. And XLR cable to headphones.

Sounds lovely

But it's not class A. Its class A that switches to A/B if you need more power for demanding headphones.
 
OP
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WoollyGeezer

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I have the Singxer SA1. Use it with Focal Elegia. XLR connection from my streamer. And XLR cable to headphones.

Sounds lovely

But it's not class A. Its class A that switches to A/B if you need more power for demanding headphones.

Have you compared it to any other similarly priced amps?
 

Snoopy

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Have you compared it to any other similarly priced amps?


Nope. I have a integrated amp (Cambridge Cxa81) that I used before. The Singxer is my first headphone amp.

I basically just got it because at least when I purchased it, the SA1 was cheaper than the topping.

And I thought a A - A/B amp is nice to have.
 

virtua

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You'll likely be happy with any one of them, just go with your gut feeling as to which one to pick. If you want to save some money, go for the 887.
 

Roland68

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Hey ASR,

I have been debating between the three amps to run off of my D70s to my Arya/Anandas/M4u1/Q701/800s/Clear OGs. (I use the arya/ananda the most depending on the track)

The THX 889 is currently 250$, the A90 is currently 500$ and the Singxer SA-1 is 600$.
The Singxer SA-1 is the only Class A amp on the list.
A lot of reviews say the THX 889 is overrated/analytical/outdated and clips with a lot of DACs (5v output on D70s).
A lot of reviews also say the difference between the A90 - THX889 is negligible. Not a lot of info on the SA-1 at the moment.

Does anyone here have any experience with either of them? I run fully balanced in and out.

People appear to agree that a class A amp synergizes well with the Arya.
I would add the SMSL SP400 and SH-9 to the headphone amplifiers listed. Both have a relay based volume control.
The SH-9 has 6 watts of power, but the XLR headphone connection is not really balanced.
I own the Singxer SA-1 and the SP400, the SH-9 only had to go because it had no preamp output.
A friend once brought the Drop THX, but it was a disappointment for both of us (compared to the other three)
 

kenshone

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May 15, 2022
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As far as I can tell, there is only a THX 789 or 888...typo in "889?"
 

Diable

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May 23, 2021
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Get the THX 789. It provides over 3w of clean distortion power at half the price of the other two amps. And the 789 will only clip if you feed it 4v (or more) on high gain, just set to medium and you'll be fine.
 
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