Massdrop x THX AAA 789

How does this amp compare to the Gilmore Lite II? Hunting around for a small, convenient headlamp to pair with my 650s.

 

I know it's super niche but I'd love one of these with a balanced passthrough at a premium to run to my speakers, would fit nicely as an upgrade to the HPA2.

 

I heard the Gilmore lite at canjam London and remember it quite well.

It was a bit warm, it was bright with this glare in the treble. The staging was ok and the imaging was mediocre, the dynamics felt a bit limp and there was this graininess.

I'd rather spend more and get the cayin iha 6 which I tried that same day since it pretty much improved in most aspects significantly, reduced the glare, but retained some grain and it wasn't as warm.

Although I'm the type of person who prefers something like the bricasti M1 to the Gungnir Multibit A2.

IlI' probably reference one of the two when I get my thx, but since it isn't a direct comparison it won't be as detailed.

 

Saw purr1n said that the THXAAA789 is in the same league with the Schiit Jotunheim and they sounded really close to each other. I am currently using Schiit Mjolnir 2 Gungnir Multibit with tubes. Focal utopia and HE1000. I wonder will it be a good combo with my headphones.

Would the THXAAA789 / Jot a good choice as a solid state alternative? purr1n also said that the THX AAA 789 is not as warm as Jot. So it is more neutral compared to Jot and also Mjolnir 2?

 

Ive heard the Gilmore and I'm surprised at your impressions. I found it precise, with fairly linear treble response and neutral with just a touch of warmth to round out the FR. Loads of easy power on tap to handle big dynamic swings and incredibly clean - what was the rest of the chain you heard it on?

I haven't heard the THX and was wondering where it falls sonically compared to amps I have heard such as the Gilmore or Jotunheim.

 

I think it was using the mytek brooklyn as a DAC, but I got to compare the headphone out with the Gilmore.
Hd580

 

Anyone know how this compares to the Project Ember II? Thinking of getting this as a replacement for that.

 

Ordered a 789 yesterday, should ship tomorrow (Nov 15th). I'm currently running a Magni 3 and am looking forward to comparing these. Also I received my Yggdrasil yesterday from Schiit and am rocking it as I write this. It is all I expected, amazing.

Greg

 

Has anyone compared the single ended and balanced outs? With my main amp being a ZDS, all my cables are single ended. Sounds like this amp could provide some good synergy with the Yggdrasil A2.

Looking for a solid SS to complement my ZDS when demoing non-high impendance dynamics.

 

There is a post in the Massdrop thread. Apparently using balanced inputs gets some opamps in the signal path, perhaps a conversion stage. Cost savings. They can't be that bad considering how the amp measures, but will probably affect transparency.

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-thx-aaa-789-linear-amplifier/talk/1983016


Based on this single ended might be preferrable.

 

That's kinda sad, but not unexpected for the $350 I guess. Then again "but they are very nice opamps!" sounds like damage control :/

 

Hmm.. so SE to BAL would probably be opamp'd as well. May have to test mine using various configurations.

 

Did you mean to include that referral/affiliate link in there?

 

That's what I got when I used the Copy link button. Editted.

 

Hey SBAF friends, just thought I'd share my massdrop review here as well. This is my first time trying to lay out a review, so if there's anything unclear, or if I did something wrong, or if you have any other feedback, please let me know so I can improve.

For context, here's some notes about my audio system:

• DAC: Schiit Gungnir Multibit (Analog 2 board)
• AMP: THX AAA 789 (fed through balanced and single ended)
• CANS: ZMF Eikon (balanced XLR), Audio Zenith Pmx2 (single-ended 1/8"), CA Andromeda (single-ended 1/8")

I'd say the most notable things about this amp are its:

1. slam (sub bass extension and bass articulation)
2. speed (transients are super crisp and articulate, with crescendos and decrescendos happening instantaneously)
3. blackground (extremely low noise floor, allowing micro details to be heard more clearly)

This makes for an incredibly transparent listening experience, with great dynamics. Infected mushroom never made me groove harder, and orchestral pieces never sounded so precise and real, with instrument sounds appearing ephemerally out of silence (a product of that super low noise floor).

It's really impressive how low that noise floor is, and I'd go as far as to say this is the most impressive thing about this amp to me. My Andromedas hiss with most amps I've tested (schiit lyr 3, schiit magni 3, oppo ha2se, xduuo xd05, Massdrop LCX, magni 3). The only amps I've heard zero hiss from were the es100, sennheiser hdv 820, and this THX AAA 789. There's no hiss even at high gain, which is absolutely insane to me.

Even though the amp isn't truly balanced (see this massdrop discussion, mentioned above in this thread as well), I did notice the sound seemed to get even more punchy and controlled out of the balanced out, probably due to the extra power output. I prefer using the amp balanced because of this.

Regarding sound signature: Others have mentioned concerns that this amp leans more on the brighter side. I honestly feel this amp is incredibly neutral, with superb subbass extension (slam!) and treble extension (air!). It sounds super natural and balanced pmx2 (which I regard as my standard of neutrality); it slams freaking hard on the eikon (which has a more warm/dark tilt), while giving it more air.

Honestly, even though there's no hiss on the andromeda, the amp is way too powerful for that IEM, even on the lowest gain. I had to use my iFi IEMatch to turn the volume to a point where there wasn't channel imbalance, and after that it sounded great.

Why only 4/5 stars?

While the soundstage has good width and height, it lacks in depth and layering compared to my lyr 3; instrument separation is still good, but sometimes it can sound a bit flat. Also, while I feel the amp is neutral, it does sometimes sound bright on brighter recordings, and this can make the amp sound fatiguing when listening at louder volumes in extended durations. Warmer/darker headphones will synergize well with this amp on all recordings, but more neutral/brighter headphones may sound harsh and even sibilant at times. Also, the volume knob has very poor tracking from off to 8'oclock, and doesn't work very well for IEMs, even on the lowest volume setting.

Overall, this is an excellent solid-state amp for the money, with great slam, speed, and blackground. It lacks in soundstage, however, and at times for me can be a little harsh/bright with a more neutral/brighter headphone pairing, especially at higher volumes.

 

Some extremely unprofessional posts regarding Schiit from the THX guys in that thread... "we put the money into the components that matter. Schiit puts money into marketing and enclosures." and "A quick comparison of spec performance will make you wonder what Schiit IS spending money on.". People should be proud of their work (and it's clear that THX are), but there's no reason to talk about your competitors in that way...

 

Yeah, I’ve been trying to defend schiit in that thread (I’m pure5152 on Massdrop). It pisses me off when people make baseless lies about products, especially members of the trade.

Here was my response on Massdrop:

EDIT: fixed formatting in my quote

 

@pure5152 thanks for your impressions. Does it do enough to liven and wake up the PMx2? I always liked the tonality of it but felt it was a bit sleepy and damped, lacking somewhat dynamics and such. How did it do in this regard vs other amps you've heard or have?

 

Hey brencho, thanks for the question! I definitely feel that sentiment of it being "a bit sleepy and damped". When I first got the pmx2, my only amps at the time were my oppo ha2se and little dot 1+ (also the massdrop LCX), and I thought the pmx2 sounded fine on these, if not a bit weak on the ha2se...

That is, until I got the lyr 3. With the lyr 3 on low gain, pmx2 really just came to life: the sound was more "full" to my ears, with much better soundstage (width and height, but especially depth and layering). I attribute this to the extra power the lyr had over the little dot 1+ (iirc, something like 18x more power or something crazy like that)

Aside: I was actually a bit underwhelmed by the lyr 3 at first when using the ha2se as my DAC, thinking it didn't sound enough better over the little dot 1+ to warrant the $500 dollars I spent. What really made the lyr 3 truly shine for me was first taking the leap to the Modi Multibit, then the Gungnir Multibit. The Gungnir Multibit was such a huge improvement, that it made me a believer in DACs, and is my favorite audio piece so far. But I'll save that for my Gungnir Multibit impressions whenever I get to that...

Aside 2: With the Raytheon GTB tubes I have, it sounds clear without ever sounding harsh or sibilant, and I can listen to it for hours without getting fatigued. I did feel with the stock NOS/Tung Sol, it did sound a bit flatter too me, and with the tung sol it could get a bit harsh.
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The THX amp sounds similarly powerful, providing greater subbass and treble air extension, speed, and a lower noise floor than the lyr 3 (as mentioned in my impressions above). I can hear micro details better, and instrument separation seems cleaner on the THX, and it's great if I want to do more critical listening. I should warn though that at times the THX did get a bit too bright for me with female vocals or cymbals, especially for brighter electronic recordings, and listening got a bit fatiguing when listening at higher volumes.

Personally, for the pmx2 I prefer the lyr 3 over the THX amp, because I prefer its deeper, more layered soundstage and smoother tonality. I can listen to the pmx2 with the lyr 3 for hours and not get fatigued at all, even at high listening volumes.

Aside: I also feel it is just a tad bit more filled out (it's slightly more powerful?), though I don't have a balanced XLR, so I could not test the THX's balanced out (which has a little more power). (EDIT: eh, I don't think the power difference is enough to really matter all too much. the pmx2 sounds great on the THX)​

That said, I can easily see someone liking the THX better if they like to hear all the micro details, want something with an absolute black blackground, and want all the speed.

Hope my additional subjective ramblings helped! Let me know if you have any additional comments or questions (and feedback, as I'm always looking to improve)

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Also yay, that was my 30th post! Huzzah!