Massdrop x THX AAA 789 Amplifier - Official Thread

One of my most common observations is that it reveals too hot/clipped recordings. With less resolution these sources sound warm, but with the 789 they sound like being singed in the flames.

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Sounds like my kind of amp. :grin:. I love detail and clarity with a good dollop of resolution. If that’s what it brings.

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Well I might have a problem… I look forward to comparing this to the 788 from monoprice

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I look forward to the champion of the THX-AAA budget amp showdown

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Well first impression…it is well pretty amazing. I am getting the same feel I get when I had the Airist R2R DAC for preview/review… it is shocking, the hype is real with this one I think…mind you I have only had it for a couple songs…but first impressions are really good. I still need to do back to back with the 788 though.

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I probably will pick it up whenever it drops next time. :slight_smile: Maybe I will use the Monolith amp as a balanced DAC for it in the future. heh. The Monolith does have considerable noise on IEMs though. It’s not the end of the world but it’s a little annoying. Fortunately I can reduce it with the iFi products.

On a sidenote, I saw someone that looked like you tonight at our early NYE dinner. I had to do a double-take. :slight_smile:

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I have this amp, a Loxjie P20 and a Crack with Speedball,
HP’s are HD 650K, Clear and HD58x.

The hype is real, with all of the above. Crack and HD650 is still like pouring liquid sound, So smooth. Vocals my not be exactly as recorded, Dunno, I wasn’t there. But I am fairly sure this is how they might want it to sound. The HD58x also sound very nice, a little bass shy where the HD650 is strong and a bit bloomy.

The THX789 is very clear with the Senns, no veil that I can hear. More articulate, more detail.
The Focal Clears are very very clear. Like being in a classroom. The music is presented and this is the music. Any questions? Did we leave anything out? No hands are raised. Articulate bass, not boomy at all. No hip hop, just jazz and rock and roll.

The Loxjie P20 is somewhere in between. Not as resolving as the THX789 but nice detail and it has the tube warmth Not as much as the Crack, though. Very pleasant on all the headphones.
The Clear and HD650 were run balanced, the HD58X unbalanced. Surprisingly the HD58X sounds great this way. Hard to tell the difference between the THX789 and the Loxjie. on this HP. Just a hint more warmth. It reminds me of the MCTH. I have that in a box but may have to pull it out again

The THX789 has the SE passthrough. With my Gumby I can hook up 4 amps at a time, 1 balanced, 2 unbalanced + the passthrough. I have it this way now with one going to a SYS and powered speakers. Hopefully the Gumby won’t complain about this. No issues so far.

Maybe tomorrow I will sit down and run them all over several songs in all combinations. No Crack and Clear though. I need a Crack designed for a HP like the Clear.
The Loxjie will have to do for now.
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I get that a lot actually, the CEO of Vulcan and myself look very similar apparently, even though he is 6’4" and maybe 200lbs, and I am 6’2" and 240 with tattoos and earrings lol. I get this practically everyday, “hey Bill” then the awkward avoid eye contact and move rapidly away from my presence action… lol…

But I can assure you I’m in sweats at my computer drinking whiskey and listening to my new toy :wink:

I will move downstairs and shoot some Nazis soon though…Battlefield 5 is calling. In 2019 I’ll start up Assassins Creed Odyssey and slowly pick away at it while I wait for Cyberpunk 2077.

Also the 789, in balanced (ADI-2DAC balanced out) with volume completely at zero and gain at 1, I can hear tracks fairly easily…just as a heads up, oh I’m using the Elegia for my listening…I may give the HD820 a farewell listen here soon though… :cry:

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Ok using the HD820 now and on gain 2 it is nearly silent, I can pick up the tracks still but just. On gain 1 it is silent except for a couple of peaks…but you really have to listen for it. This thing puts some power out. I’m impressed so far with it. I may make it a permanent addition to my desktop, damn and I just got my black Jot too…the Jot might have to go to the Office with my MCTH. I will then have to decide what to do with my JDS Labs Element…

Rant over going to play some games then bed…we’ll see if I make it to New Years…

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/r/avexchange awaits your toys

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Or my friends that wait like greedy sharks waiting for me to upgrade my stuff so they can get a good deal on my older stuff lol. But I think I’ll offer up my more expensive stuff to the Avexchange crowd.

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You lucky, lucky man.

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Ok fiddling with the Monolith 788 and it sounds pretty close after changing bit rate and khz. Why it is such a pain on Windows :sob:, once I switched it to the Mac it worked great, and changing things on the fly helped get the settings right. I would say the THX 789 takes the lead, but I can’t figure out why. Also it takes the lead because I can use my ADI-2DAC :wink:

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You can use an external DAC on the monoprice one too.

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Really… I for whatever reason didn’t think you could…I’ll mess with that latter and see if it was the DAC causing more of the change…it does seem to separate ever so better than the 788 and the inky dark quiet surrounding everything really highlights the different notes on the 789.

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Also I’m really impressed with the Monolith THX788 after changing the settings and moving it over to the Mac.

You can but not balanced. Standard rca output.

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This is now available for pre-order again.

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Yep I put my name in the hat this morning. Do not really need but joining the hypefest.

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