You're the first one to compare two SingXers in stock vs modded, this is why I love your reviews. Great content, I see why it is taking time to put together.
@@chefsteve8381 Passion For Sound is the real MVP. His name is truly fitting for his channel, he goes into detail more than anyone else in the game with a genuine love for audio 👌
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your reviews. They are thorough, eloquent and relevant. Thank you so much for doing this work. It is truly a pleasure to watch your channel!
Very thoughtful of you to say, super glad to read your kind words. Eager to make more vids after supportive messages like these. Happy holidays to to you!!
As is noted elsewhere, the Jot 2 is four amps, depending on how one sets gain, and single-ended versus balanced. The gain determines the degree of feedback in the amp circuit. Many of us prefer high gain, balanced for the Jot 2. One can see that is how it is configured in the Jot 2 Test Bench, but this is never articulated.
These are the best reviews out there, by huge margin... maybe not in terms of production quality (Josh has incredible videos in that regard), but in terms of what matters most, the sound descriptions. Also I love mentioning of things like volume, some amps might feel right at low volume, but once cranked up a little, suddently "detailed and crispy" turns into harsh and annoying, that is very good point that I don't hardly ever hear discussed. Btw... if it only sounds ok at low to moderate volume... I'd say it's crap! and ppl just don't hear the issues and imbalances that come thru easily at higher volumes :) ps: Sold Jot2 after few days, because of the sharpness described, even tho I absolutely loved the bottom end. Then I heard Asgard 3, friend bought, and immediately had to order one for myself.
As always, @MidFi Guy comes in with the most useful and relevant reviews. Can’t wait till part 2 drops. I’ve been very curious about the Flux Labs HPA’s and how they pair with the Ares II in particular.
Great review, watching this is like going to a one stop headphone amp shop, next best thing to actually testing them myself, keep up the great work, looking forward to part 2.
@@chefsteve8381 Damn. I imagine things cost even more there than the US. My budget isn't going any higher than the singxer. Yeah I kept hearing how special it is. But if no theme reviews is to go by the hype usually isn't justified. The gain switches on the bottom is what's keeping me away. I want a balanced amp. Thanks for the response. Too many people go silent here other than to insult or say someone else is wrong lol.
@@chefsteve8381 I don't agree with passion for sound on his opinions. I bought the jot 2 and that amp has weird sound plus the single ended was just bad. He thinks the EX5 had different sounds on the 1/4 and xlr headphone outputs. Which makes no sense the EX5 is wired the same on both headphone outputs internally.
Zeos Pantera / Zreviews compared the GS-X Mini to the SingXer SA-1. And he said they sound the same. Definitely a must buy for me is SingXer SA-1 because I live in Europe and headamp has no resellers in Europe. If I ordered from US, I would pay extra taxes and it is too expensive for me. And I'm still saving a lot of money with that. I’m glad it sounds very similar. I was informed that SingXer SA-1 is the best solid state amp for my future sennheiser hd 800 s headphones. At first I wanted to buy a topping a90 with hd 800 s but I found out that this combination would sound too flat and sterile and it would be a boring sound in music.
Wooow man, I already said so many compliments to you, simply outstanding reviews but this was a step up, so well put together, so immersive. Although I limited myself to not over 300€ amps (DarkVoice with hd600, zen can and Meier Headfive), but still I love to dream.
The Singxer has a problem with 16/32/50 Ohm headphones (such as Hifiman or Focal) the distortion floor rises at higher levels quite a bit more than with 150/ 250/ 300 Ohm headphones such as the HD600. The amp hits design limitations. A very low noise low distortion amp that gets into trouble with low impedance loads. This could account for the "thinness" "color" or "personality" some people mention.
With all the talk about the Singxer SA-1, I was curious, so I ordered one. After 80 hours of break in, the SA-1 was too sugar coated for my taste. It smoothed out bad recordings ( non-audiophile ), but it's transient response is not great. It's not bad, but at $600, there are faster choices. The SA-1 is a super polished sound. Most amps are a like a spinning brush car wash, whereas the SA-1 is like body shop re-spay and polish. Whatever you put into the SA-1 comes out smoother, and most people love the sound. The HiFiMan HE6se could not be played too loud, and I don't like loud, so not an issue for me. But, the SA-1 is not a spot welding beef cake of an amp. It is a super smooth amp, that can play anything well.
Amazing take and I agree completely! I noted that the SA-1 has its own flavor, "maybe too much." People may get tired of that polished/smoothing/floaty sound after a while, but I'd recommend at least trying the jumper mod first if so, which seemed to tighten things up for me. Also agree that it can play most anything well.
@@MidFiGuy Your reviews are wonderfully clear and seem very objective. Usually, pro's and enthusiast can't help making the review about their taste. You stick to the facts and avoid your opinion and that makes you one of my favorite reviewers. Thanks for investing your time to help the rest of us.
@@timc_2433 I am home audio experienced, but only headphone curious. I returned the HE6se, but a month later I bought an open box Arya stealth. The lighter weight and better sound were worth double the HE6se price, but many would say the Arya is overpriced. Then I got a Schiit Lyr ( no module ) and really like the sound. My chain is a Cambridge Audio CD or a Raspberry Pie Signature to a Chord Qutest. Wireworld power cords and interconnects. The Lyr has the Schiit sound ( which is not perfect, yet somehow likable ) and it reminds me of a Schiit MultiBit DAC I had for while. The SA-1 is superior to the Lyr, and it does not cost much more, and Apos Audio has great customer service. But, I wanted to try tube rolling without going broke, so the Lyr is a good fit for me. I really liked the SA-1 and may own one in the future.
What i noticed with THX789 is that it never gets splashy, glarey. When impact happens, you can hear little nuances, no masking happens. And the bass is nicely controlled. Bass heavy tracks are glorious, agile and never fatiguing. Keeps the nerves of the driver checked. This is what i heard in contrast to my soundcard and ifi zen can.
Finally someone that talks about what he felt when listening. YT is full of reviewers that must be sponsorised or the worshipers of how it measured. This only put more confusion and will let people that enter the hobby buying an okish gear while they could have better without breaking the bank and be in awe. I was hesitating between SA1 v2 and Jot2. Seems that Jot2 will be the winner. Singzer feels like a gamble on longevity ! Very odd that one can mod the product to have a better sound. They must know it. So this makes me wonder about how the power will be properly handle for the long run.
Awesome series. Youv'e done it again man.. loved the dac comparisons.. and now this.. absolutely loved it! Btw - which amp pairing sounded the best to you - especially to drive Arya's and get most out of it? I have similar tastes in music as yours and will pair it with Ares2 and Qutest dacs. Im fishing for a SS for Arya (primary priority) and Hd6xx (secondary priority). Love to hear from you.. Waiting eagerly for the 3rd part!!!
FYI, don't get the Ares 2 if you also game on your rig. If you're like me and don't just listen to music on your PC, but if you watch videos or play games, the Ares 2 is not a good choice. It has a audio delay on all it's inputs, about 200ms and the audio will be behind what's going on on the screen.
@@StefanUrkel No, Denafrips themselves talk about it. It's the FIFO buffers on all their DAC's, from Ares 2 to Terminator. Great products, but they aren't meant for gaming or movies with that delay. Denafrips is a music only company :) I ended up getting the Gustard R26 and it's awesome.
@@StefanUrkel I never got an Ares 2 once I learned about the audio delay. My PC is for gaming and music streaming off apple. Gustard R26 / Violectric HPA 550 / Hifiman HE1000v2. So the PC is for music and gaming, so I couldn't have a DAC that delays the audio or games would be all screwed up.
Great info bro, what about Musician Draco for gaming. I want that extra soundstage/imagin from my DAC/AMP. Also, what amp do you recomend me for this purpose? I was thinking in SMSL SP400, or A90D for under 1000 amp.
Love your reviews! Can’t wait for the second half. Also, I saw the THX 789 go for $169 on Drop during black Friday. It had maybe just a half day to a day’s window.
Now thats a freaking comperhensive comparison. Great work, waiting for part 2. My only complain would be that there is no Audig GD Master 19 in the round up. Still great work :)
I feel like this video helps me narrow down what I want. I currently have HD 600s and trying to find a good Amp to pair with them with HD800s and Clears on my next upgrade paths. A pair of Sundaras are on my route soon. Leaning towards the Jot2 and the A90 discrete. (Avoiding amps for now) Thank you for the reviews and analysis.
Love your reviews. Your effort is really appreciated and obvious. I always wonder, where do apple AirPods max or Audio Technica’s rate in comparison to these high end cans. Any thoughts?
I have yet to hear AirPods but DMS & Josh Valour did great reviews on them. I have a review of the MTH-50x's earlier on my channel if you're interested
🎄Seasons greetings ..great video and review 👍 Got the 789, the Xduoo 604 and the Loxji 20 …for shits and giggles….but they’re all good sounding amps and on many recordings TUBES are the fix . As for the DAC ..the Grace from Drop ( EVERYTHING IS IN BALANCED) ..and it’s pretty damn good for the money. 🎄🍻👍 Got the HD650’s and IEM’s to get my musical groove on.
Just got a pair of Empys. Besides the Jotunheim, what amp and dacs would you recomend for them? From varying price points. I currently have an Ifi Zen Dac and Thx789. Keep up with the amazing reviews!
Thanks and good question. I wish I could do all the THX amps but I think having numerous options with the same tech would just make this video much longer. I reviewed the SMSL SP200 and Monoprice THX DAC/amp combo in previous videos if you're interested in those. What I love about the 887 is the better specs and lower price!
@@MidFiGuy I have a THX887 and Jot2 and mainly use DT1990, Arya Organic headphones and IEM's. Would a singxer be good class A amp to combine with these or aim for something more expensive like a burson or headamp?
I may have to look into these, definitely willing to step up my IEM game, especially for such a small price. Thanks for the heads up and looking forward to the next release!
💯 The Blons we’re a bit overhyped and ok for what they are and at their very low price point, but they are strictly entry level and today there are superior options at a similar price point or for just a few bucks more. The Aria’s are solid.
I went through about a dozen midfi amps and ended up keeping the Soloist 3XP. A90, 789, lyr , lyr 3, V280, Phonitor E, Ican, Rupert neve, singxer, fa10, rebel, and jot were all bought and sold.
@@MidFiGuy I kept the Soloist 3XP to drive my Phi TCs/HE6 Sev2 and monitors. Sold everything else. I have a Holo Mammoth KTE hp amp for my desktop rig. Looking to buy my first tube amp.. either Cayin HA-300 mk2 (when it finally comes to market or maybe A&S Forge. RNHP was middle of the pack for me. I liked it better than A90/789 but didn't have enough juice for my planars. Sounded good with my OG Clears.
I'll def spend some time on it after comparing it to the big boy amps ($1.3k+). It's the real deal and sounds naturally & powerfully clean, but imo can sound peaky at higher frequencies.
How the SP200 i have vs the SingXer SA-1 or theres for Hifiman Ananda. I'm also looking to pick up a VMV D1SE or the SMSL M400 and insight on what Dac on this list or you can recommend would like balance out and MQA. I'm sensitive to treble and love bass and try to avoid the harsh sound. I love Rap, Hip-Hop and R&B, Reggeaton etc
THX 789 is okay, but you'd have to be crazy to pay $300 for it when you could get a Jotenheim 2 for $100 more. For that extra money you get real dynamics and actual soundstage. This is in addition to very close to the same precision, transparency, and noise floor.
Great shootout as usual. Have you had a chance to listen to Gustard X26Pro? It's probably time to update the DAC shootout with new(er) models. :-) Happy holidays and all the best in 2022!!!
Looking for a headamp to add to connect out of my stereo pre, and your convo style and comprehensive approach both puts me at ease and gives me nearly everything I need to consider. My only situation is that I’ll need one with (and still sounds good with) a remote. Which have you found with remote that are worth considering? Using a D70s and Sennheiser 560’s 🙏🏼
These are great videos but one crucial part is missing. With Amp bonanza going on there, it would have helpful to get opinion about which high end headphones sounds best on which amp . I would love to know which amp you found best for Arya and Empyrean because that's what brought me to this video. Great work, nonetheless.
Hello.. Thanks for the review. After submitting the Singxer SA1, to the "TRICK" OF THE JUMPERS", do you think that thinness and lack of speed (violins) in the high tones..., does it improve? My intention is to form an audio chain between the Singxer SA1, the SMSL DO 200 (Tidal / Qobuz) and the very precise and fast HifiMan Edition XS..., could you give me your opinion about the possible match between these elements? Thank you very much!!
Everything here has a balanced out. Asgard 3 is single-ended only. That being said, I prefer the sound of the Asgard 3 to the 789. Much better soundstage and a bit of warmth.
Switches on the bottom of Singxer its because u CANT hot-switch gain level. U must turn off amplifier to do this. If u hot switch it u can damage amplifier.
Singxer took a lot of design from the Questyle cma400i, including the gain switches. By the way the DC mod option is also available on Violectric amps with a little jumper. They do warn for blowing up your headphones of course. They graciously didn't even put warranty stickers on the unit I got. Very curious what you'd think of the Violectric V200 and the Rupert Neve RNHP.
Your review of the SingXer proved to be the tipping point for me to finally purchase a headphone amp. Now, subjectivity, if you were to choose say 3-5 headphones that I should consider as a decent pairing for them what would they be? ( Ignoring price. )
@@timc_2433 I ended up with focal clear headphones. I also returned the SingXer and got a topping d90 stack instead. Why? I didn’t like the idea of opening the SingXer and voiding my warranty by putting jumpers down.
@@timc_2433 to me less precise than the Topping. It did sound very good but I’d say slightly worse than the d90 for precision but warmer. With the hack, I’ve read that it’s better than the Topping, but I cannot confirm that.
I have an integrated amplifier Roksan kandy k3 v2 , and i it have a bypass. I would like to know if a preamp like singxer sa-1 will improve the song please! And i don't know if a gustard p26 is not better like preamp.. i would like better natural song and instruments separation if it possible ! Thanks
MG, You are misguiding about the noise floor on the Jotunheim. My IEM's all have black back grounds. I gave away my BLON's[hype train specials]. I love my Jot. just like hearing reviews for S's & G's. Best, D.
Are you sure that's the stock power cable for the A90? I have the A30 Pro/D30 Pro stack and the cables are normal length, like 5-6ft. Maybe the A90 is weird tho idk
Hi guys I have the Hifiman Ananda and Dac SMSL VMV D1SE with the SP200 which the XLR inputs are defective but looking at a different amp looking at this Singxer-SA1 or Jotunheim 2. What would you think be a good match i would like more bass out of my Anandas and not as harsh highs?
I have both the Jotenheim 2 and the Asgard 3. They sound very similar in single-ended mode, and **both** of them have better timbre/soundstage/dynamics than the 789.
Why did you show burson amp but not review or compare at all? I bet you anything it's because the burson with it's messed up DC offset blew up some of your stuff, and when you informed burson, they asked you not to review it in your video.
I'm actually interested in it but at the time I was filming it was rumored that the company stopped producing the amp, I'm guessing due to taking a hit from covid. Looks like they're up & running now so maybe I can get my hands on one in the future.
@@MidFiGuy I have some short subjective impressions of Rebel vs Jot 2. I run my Jot 2 off of the balanced out because I think it sounds a good bit better than the SE. Headphones used were HD600. Rebel is basically less natural sounding, wider/deeper, better imaging, better layering, extremely impressive microdynamics(differences in small volume shifts), hardly any perceived bass boost at all. It has less mid presence and definitely sounds artificial in that region to me. It's more relaxed and wide than the Jot 2. Detail is a tossup between the two honestly and I don't even feel like trying to call it. They're both fine for that. Jot 2 is warmer, more intimate, better timbre, more engaging(for me), better slam but a bit more compressed sounding in microdynamics/small volume shifts. Jot 2 is in your face and aggressive sounding which is more of my preferred signature. I don't care as much for the artificially wide/euphonic sound. It's somehow a sharp sounding amp but also sounds rounded at the same time, I don't know how to put it. I found Rebel Amp to have more treble presence in the air region, while Jot 2 accentuated Upper Mid/Low Treble more, I found Jot 2 to sound more rounded and listenable though. Rebel came off as less rounded and seemed to stick out in the treble because of it. When comparing the Jot 2 to the Asgard 3 I used to own I would say that I tended to agree that Jot 2 was a drier, sharper, more neutral amp and despite it sounding much better at separation, imaging, dynamics, etc, I didn't like it at first. As you listen to it more you just kinda get used to it, though, and Jot 2 is my amp of choice now, having sold both Rebel and Asgard. I do think the drier sounding top end can pair well with headphones that already have a good natural sounding timbre and tonality, it sounds great with the HD600. Overall I'd say the timbre is quite accurate for my tastes on Jot 2, just that the top end decay feels slightly lopped off.
@@xzackly7131 Amazing, thanks for the impressions! If anything reading your post makes me more interested in the Rebel 2. Tbh the comparatively lackluster power output has me side-eyeing it but I know specs aren't everything. Also, I know we're in a supply chain crisis/shortage so quality parts are more expensive now, but I wish they would get the price down based on the competition.
@@MidFiGuy I thought it's considered something totally different. I don't know the technical aspects.. But this was the first time I heard it being stated as just delta sigma.
Bro. Every amp on this list practically smokes the asgard 3 in technical capabilities. Hell, even my magni hersey has comparable performance to the asgard outside of watts per channel. The asgard 3 and magni hersey practically trade blows 😂
![SingXer SA-1 vs Jotunheim 2 vs A90 vs THX AAA 789 [ Solid State Showdown Pt.1 ]](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
