lupus

Thanks for the impressions of the Xin/ PK1 combo, Boomana. The Xin was actually recommended to me for the RS-2 by a member whose opinion I respect, who compared a previous Xin model with a couple high end Meier home amps using Grados, and much preferred the Xin. The Mini^3 purchase came about after the PK1 found its way into my hands. In my case, I am not "making due with what I have." My decisions have all been based on research, solicited opinions, budget constraints, and present lifestyle (which doesn't permit the toting around of a 20 pound tube and metal monolith). The "make due with what we have" statement was made in reference to DennyL's situation, which I thought was clearly and easily understandable. He had a chance to listen to a new amp, and he used the cans that were available to him at the time. Anybody, I would think, would do the same. I still fail to see any issues here. I look at the gear in your sig Boomana, and know, without a trace of envy, that we are in completely different tiers as related to this hobby. Right now, I'm happy to get my feet wet and see what I can sift out in the shallow waters. You are obviously in (not off) the deep end. Maybe I will venture into deeper waters, maybe I won't. I want to get a feel for things here first, and i think that is all many of us ask: a chance to feel our way around without being constantly told that the water is clearer and cleaner just past the reef. I am well aware of this, as are most others. Common sense dictates it. It's just that not everybody is willing, or has the means, to take the plunge. As for the educational value in going about it this way, that's a matter of opinion. I think I've learned a lot already. You may not see it this way, but everyone progresses on a different curve, and as frustrating as it might be for you to witness the follies of the unwashed masses, well, what better way to learn than through mistakes. In the end, I am in this for one reason and one reason only: the music. There are times when I will don a white lab coat and steel rim spectacles to assess my current situation, but for the most part I just want to hit play, turn up the volume, and wear my ass as a hat, to use the parlance of our times. And FWIW, if you pull your ass down far enough over your eyes, you don't even notice the color of the room :] No hard feelings, Boomana.

I don't doubt that, as the AD8397 is known for being quite a robust op-amp. That, and the numerous claims that it does good things with Grados and the PK1 led me to the purchase.

Ok, maybe I am misusing the terms here. By output stage, I was referring to how much voltage and current that can be supplied to the headphones (Please feel free to clarify if I'm confused here). I was also referring directly to DennyL's initial post, where he states that he was impressed by the Reference's handling of the K340, which I took to mean that it sounded better than just 'noise.' Yes Grawk, I did take advantage of the F/S forum, which is the best option available to me. My RS-2 and PK1 were bought used. I'm awaiting parts for the Monica so I can put it together, and basically the only thing I've bought new is the Rockhopper Mini^3, which I still consider a good deal, and the Xin amp. Buying used and DIY gear is a conscious decision I made a while ago to stretch my budget out.

Boomana, after feeling the brunt of your full frontal assault, I re-read your post. I intiially thought DennyL was being unfairly called to the mat, but I see much of it could be construed as more of a general rant. I apologize for the snide sig remark. As for the rest of my post, I stand by it. I jumped into this amp thread because I have a vested interested In Xin's amps. I ordered one a couple months back, so am interested in any impressions I can find. Pretty straighforward. Your taking me to task for having no issues with the headphones used I thought was a bit unfair because you omitted the following sentence, which was the crux of the statement: "We make do with what we have." As mentioned previously, for those of us in bumfuck, wherever, the option to buy, beg, borrow or steal a set of phones to match the amp we are test-driving is not always, if at all, available. And in the name of full disclosure: I haven't heard a set of K340s before, nor did I ever claim to. I am however, aware of their reputation of being particularly hard to properly drive. The fact that the Reference was able to drive them at all surprised me, and told me at least something about the output stage of the amp. In other words, I felt I was able to learn something. YMMV. As for all the name-calling and "shut up" stuff, well, that's probably best left on the playground. Back to the thread: A couple months back, I sent an email to Xin requesting a bump in the internal gain setting of the amp due to the anemic voltage output of my Monica dac. Today, I received a reply from Xin. It read, "OK, thank you, Xin." I feel so special.

Maybe you should just stick this in your sig and be done with it. I have no problems with DennyL sharing his opinions about the Xin Reference amp in a Xin amp thread. I also have zero issues with the headphones he used. We make do with what we have. And FWIW, I'm guessing Dr. Xin wouldn't feel his artistry or craftsmanship was insulted by the impressions, either.

I interpret the "minimal distortion of the original signal" as often contradictory to a preferred sound signature. I thought that was what Holt was pointing out. As for subjectivity deciding what is "true to life" and what is crap, I couldn't agree more.

"No audio product has ever succeeded because it was better, only because it was cheaper, smaller, or easier to use." Sounds like iPod territory to me. Rather than a curmudgeon, Holt comes across more as exasperated and frustrated. He seems to simply be distinguishing between high-fidelity and musicality, two distinct terms that tend to be misappropriated by audio companies, and then further confused in audio forums. Strictly speaking, he is a purist. And while many may claim to be an audiophile, they are often misusing the term, describing sound preferences that may have nothing to do with true to life sound reproduction.

Hmm...rolling back to mid 2006 as a temporary solution doesn't seem a like a good idea at all, imo. If it's the final solution, then so be it, but for all the logistical reasons mentioned, not to mention the space-time conundrum, it will most likely just create more problems. Hiya Steve...I'll send you a pm.