Really grateful to hear your earlier comments about the A3 Pro on your livestream, as it got me ready to order this as soon as it went live. I'm really excited to hear how this sounds with my T60RP Argons. An added bonus is that Sparkos is a local company for me, just down the road! It's going to be a long 2-3 months wait for this.
Glad I caught your interest - this one deserves lots of praise and anticipation. I'd definitely recommend getting your order in fast before the hype train gets rolling.
That sparko opamp is awesome, I have it in my hand built Whammy and it’s a big improvement over other opamps I’ve heard. This is the amp I’d buy if I needed a reasonably priced solid state amp
I love that the audio space still has room for smaller companies who make excellent affordable products that they could easily charge more for. With so many industries turning into, or already being, oligopolies, the audio space resisting that drift is worth celebrating. Wish I'd waited a few weeks before taking the leap on my new Jotunheim 2 though. The return policy expired the same month the A3 was announced. Would've liked to have compared them. Oh well, I do love my Jot, even though it sounds like the A3 would probably come out on top.
That's a great point about the diversity in this industry! Yes, the A3 Pro will beat the Jot 2 on technicalities, etc. but the Jot 2 still has a certain something about its sound that is super fun to listen to.
Wow, can't get one for the foreseeable future as I've spent quite a bit upgrading my 2 channel system, but you got me excited about this headphone amp no doubt...
Very nice how you've synced up the music with the light up Buttons during the beauty shots. Thanks for mentioning the track name too. Looking forward to the 1266 Review! It's a very unique headphone for sure
Excellent review. Once again due to your very convincing articulation of a device i have purchased it! And it is true: Truly a beautiful looking and sounding amp. It does better another purchase i made from lachlans recommendation; the schiit lyr +. It is better, but the lyr still has its place in my collection due to its hybrid design, and sound signature which pairs extremely well with my headphone setup/ mostly focals (celestee, clear mg & og, radiance, elegia). Love my focals. And this A3 pro is another wonderful edition 😀 Cheers, buddy! Looking forward to the next big "bang for buck/unique" pick.
"Sounds"very interesting! Quite a glowing review despite not having any tubes, lol. Always enjoy your reviews, as well as the live chats with Brian and the gang.
The Sparkos SS2590 is something special. I am using it in my Geshelli J2S in the RCA single ended socket, with a socket riser. And I am using them in my AkitikA PR-102 preamp. It sounds simply glorious. As you say clean and dynamic and "natural" with a lot of soundstage space and layering.
@@peytonsnead3114 I have tried 7 different op-amps in the J2S. If you are going to use the XLR balanced outputs mainly, then the smaller Sparkos SS3602 is the best for those. The big Sparkos can't fit there. The difference between the OPA1656 (the same as the J2) and the OPA1612 is going to be a matter of taste. I think the 1656 is my preference, but that is the one I have not tried in my J2S. If you are planning on the big Sparkos SS2590 in the RCA single ended, and are using any "regular" op-amps in the XLR, then you need just 1 socket riser to fit the it. It has to tilt ever-so-slightly, because it *just* touches the back of the RCA jacks. (They will be moving the socket away a small bit more on the next batch of boards, so this may not be needed?) If you have the SS3602 in the XLR sockets, then two risers are needed - and this will probably still be the case even with the shifted socket position. And Sparkos does sell the socket risers for $2 each, so definitely get what you need when ordering. Sparkos *had* a 25% off sale, that I don't know if it is still happening? The discount code is TwennyFii
My A3 arrived... Using it with the ultra quiet recommended LPS and an inline Supercapacitor bank... Using custom Teflon Silver Plated Star Quad DC cables from the LPS to the bank and then to the A3. Running it now... I bought it in all wenge with dovetails. Took just under a month to arrive.
What are your thoughts on the A3 Pro after having it for a while? I recently ordered an A3 Pro along with the JNOG2 SOCKETED [J2S] DAC with the AK4493 DAC Chip and Sparkos SS3602 op amps for RCA and XLR
@@JTB-- Well, I do like it... It sounds great. Super clean & works well with my DT-1990's and my speakers. I think the button LED's are a bit too bright. I did have to open the front and tighten the buttons as both the gain and power were rattle loose. One caveat, but I get it. When you plug in headphones, it does not cut the sound from the pre-out. I found this out at about 1:00am while listening to the phones for the first time. I hit the gain button, turned up the volume and started rocking out... Only to see my family motioning to me..... Waiving at me like I was aircraft coming in to a carrier! I took off the cans and the music was shaking the house... HA! Neighbors must have LUV'd it! Solved this by putting a JDS LABS OL switcher on the pre-out to the speaker amp. Now I just turn that knob down to zero when I want to run my cans. So... Yeah, A3 Pro really sounds great... Even better with my speakers and sub running... LOL I am running the Aune X8 XVIII DAC with Sparkos SS2590 dual pro feeding the A3. Speakers are on the Aiyima A07 pro with 5 Sparkos SS3602 op-amps Can't get enough of that magic...
@@Scrufboy Oh man that's a classic with the Speakers blasting simultaneously with the headphones!! 😆 Glad to hear you are enjoying the A3 Pro. I'm feeling better about my purchase of this Geshelli stack. I'm curious about the tone controls on the A3 Pro. Do they work well enough to sell off my Lokius or should I ignore the tone controls on the A3 Pro and stay with the Lokius? I'm wondering if the A3 Pro tone controls actually enhance the listening experience or mess with the sound too much detracting from the sound quality? I really like the Lokius which I have in both of my audio setups and being able to tweak things with the physical knobs is more up my alley. Not a fan of the software EQ's and trying to hit targets and measurements blah blah blah. I just let my ears tell me when I'm at my sweet spot. Thanks for the input and advice. It's much appreciated. 🍻
@@JTB-- Well I think the tone controls are fine for what they do, they don't add noise and unlike Jazzzy on head-fi, mine don't produce noise when touched. Poor guy. They are heavy handed. In that - they are exactly what you'd expect. They add treble and bass. I don't know which frequency ranges they actually cover. I took the Loki Mini out of my chain and added the Lokius myself. I have the Lokius in front of the A3 Pro. I prefer it. That low knob allows me to dial in the subwoofer really well. The second knob in from the right helps with my DT-1990's if there is too much treble near their 8k spike. My suggestion is to bypass the Lokius and then see if the tone controls on the A3 can contour the sound enough in all your listening scenarios. If it's too fat and wide or too crisp and filled with sibilance. Try the same tracks with the A3 Pro with the tone controls off. Then try to dial in the same track with the Lokius. Pick a few revealing tracks on both sides of the V. I'm sure you will find one device more capable... But will it be necessary? I'm keeping the Lokius in the mix for now.
mate, another great review. very interesting the comparison you make with the Burson XP. were you using the Burson with a supercharger psu? any more news on possibility of an E3 fro Geshelli? btw, are the opamps swappable in the A3? the A3 is on my shortlist with the much pricier Burson 3xp, Violectric v222.
Actually yes, I was using the Super Charger, so that makes the A3 Pro even more impressive. As for swapping the op-amps, I'm not sure. The Sparkos pro op-amps use a different pin out (not regular 8-pin) so I don't know how they're arranged in the A3 Pro. No news on an E3 Pro as yet.
Hi Lachlan, with such a glowing review are you planning on reviewing the Gesheli Labs dac? Also, albeit slightly OT, would you consider reviewing some high(ish)-end portable music players. I've got a Pioneer XDP-300R and 512GB micro SD cards, but I'd be interested in how it stacks up against some of the current players.
I've already got an order in the system for the Geshelli socketed AKM J2 and I'm hoping to try the new dual chip DAC too. As for DAPs, I don't get offered many for review, but I do have the Shanling M7 coming up very soon.
Been sorta following this little family run company since I first heard of them through z reviews. It's great to see small company that is making reasonable geat have success. Sorta reminds me of the beginnings of schitt audio. Another great small American success story. Enjoyed reading Jason's book on the beginnings of that company. I think he still continues to write and add chapters. He's a great designer but also a great personality and writer. And when you get moffit and Jason in a interview it's always fun! Considering this amp but I may need more power as my new lcd 4 with 100 ohm driver and lowish sensitivity (for a planar ) are maxing out a couple of amps. No issues with audeze lcd x 2021. It's interesting how different sources play a roll how far I need to crank the volume . Thanks for the review!
Glad you liked the review! With sensitivity of 97dB/mW, the A3 Pro should have no issues with the LCD-4. I've driven the less sensitive ZMF Caldera and HiFiMan HE1000SE from the A3 Pro with plenty of headroom remaining.
Hi Lachlan, I pre ordered a Eversolo DMP-A8. And for my headphone I just bought a Chord Mojo 2. Do you think that is Archel 3 Pro is better than the Mojo?? Best regards
That's a tough question. Personally, I'd probably just run straight from the Mojo 2 to keep the signal path as short and simple as possible. I haven't compared them side-by-side though to know if the A3 brings an upgrade over the Mojo 2.
Out of interest, perhaps look at the Bellari PA550 pre-amplier with EQ and also the Bellari SE560 'Sonic Exciter' pre-amplier. It would be very interesting to see how they perform in a chain. Their simplicity looks appealing.
I'd choose the A3 Pro over the Rebel every time. The Rebel is nice, but it doesn't have the layering of the A3 Pro and the A3 Pro is competing at a higher price point (despite not costing that much)
I haven't compared them to the Violectrics, but going on reputation, I would say that the Archel 3 Pro won't be quite as rich in the mids as the Vio amps, but is still not lean or dry in any way - it has a lovely, natural sound to it
Nice review, it's incentivized me to try some sparkos op amps in my soloist 3XP 🙂 Also I keep spotting that SPL Phonitor X in the background so it seems like an amp you are keeping but I don't see any review from you for it. Have you published a review on it and I can't find it or no plans to do that?
Definitely worth throwing a couple of Sparkos op-amps in the Soloist 3XP. As for the Phonitor, I haven't reviewed it yet, but I definitely will be in the coming months - it's an excellent product for the most part.
@@PassionforSound Nice, a review would be great as I've seen some pop up on the second hand market in AU for great prices, I almost bought one recently but got tempted by a Violectric instead and took the Vio over the Phonitor.
@@PassionforSound I wanted to try the older Violectric sound of the V280/281 models so grabbed a V200 that popped up as my understanding is it's identical but with only SE output. I bought it for my Verite Closed cans for quick listening when I don't want to fire up the OTL amp. It's definitely better synergy with the VC's than my Soloist 3XP, something about the design for voltage delivery vs current delivery which apparently the SPL phonitors have similar design idea. You are welcome to borrow it but I'm in Sydney so you'd need to fund the postage both ways but I suspect you're probably more interested in the current stable of Violectrics. PM me if you want to borrow it, cheers.
As an FYI, other than for side by side testing a couple more times to be sure, I've never used my Soloist with my VC's since getting the V200. I'm now keeping my eye out for any deals that pop up on a V280/281 or any of the new suite that lake people have said have very similar circuit design and sound to the V280 which is any of the current model V202, 222, 226, 340 and 380. But if another decent Phonitor X pops up I'd probably take that first to try the difference.
Hey Lachlan, I've recently been looking into the Soloist 3XP to upgrade my system, and this review couldn't have come at a better time- thank you for the thorough review and song comparisons! How would you say the A3 Pro compares to the Soloist 3XP in terms of soundstage and imaging/separation? It's the one area I've heard reviewers gush about the Soloist, here's hoping the A3 Pro doesn't give up much there.
I felt like the A3 Pro went toe-to-toe with the 3XP on staging. I don't feel like either was clearly better or worse there, but the A3 Pro was better on tonality and also some of the textural detail I mentioned in the review.
Did you get a chance to try as a preamp? Would like to pair with my Purifi amplifier. Will you receive credit if I purchase the J2 along with the Archel thru this link?
The A3 Pro is equally as good as a pre-amp. It uses basically the same circuit for both the headphone and preamp output stages. And yes, if you use the link, I'll receive a small percentage of any purchase. Thank you! 🙏♥️
Swapping out my Loki+ Mini for a Lokius. Swapping out the Magni+ Heretic for THIS Archel 3 PRO! - After putting the Sparkos SS2590 Dual Pro into the Aune X8 XVIII, I find this op-amp is the best there is and it edges out the Burson V6 Vivid in the Aune. I'm looking forward to when the Archel arrives.
I can't check right now, but it drives my ZMF 300 ohm cans beautifully. If you click through the link in the description, it's probably on the site in the specs
I actually don't know - sorry! This is just what Geshelli sent me, but U agree that it's beautiful. If you want the same, just email them and ask - I'm sure they'll assist.
Lachlan have you tried any violectric headps? If not can you please review them? Especially the new ones. I believe you can also use burson opamps on it, specifically the v380
Thank you very much for all your competent videos. I very much hope that you will be able to test the Aune S17 Pro. I am completely torn as to whether I should buy this or the A3 for my HEKSE. I also noticed that AUNE has released a brand new (their first?) headphone - Aune AR5000. Maybe I'll order them soon. There are hardly any tests about it yet, but it sounds good. Thank you, Merry Christmas and stay safe and sound. Best regards from Germany :-)
Yes the Aune S17 Pro and A3 Pro seem like the two reasonably priced headphone amps of the year. I’m sure there’s plenty of other ones too but these are the 2 that people seem to keep talking about. So would be interesting to see how they compare. I think as audiophiles, we would love it if one product clearly is better than everything else so we know what we should get. So I think there is always a push in the community to get to a clear winner. Even if there are usually trade offs. But perhaps these 2 amps really do make a difference.
@Ray-dl5mp I agree that people seem to want and prefer definitive best/worst type content. I think that's why the objective measurement content has become so popular, but it's rarely (if ever) so cut and dry.
Thank you for your review. I'm looking to connect a pre amp to a pair of ZA3's. I've been looking for something with XLR outputs. Is there a disadvantage to using RCA outputs? Very new to component audio. Sorry for the newbie question.
Generally there should be no issues using RCA or XLR, but the ZA3 happens to sound significantly worse using RCA so you will want to stick with XLR outs from the preamp for that one.
I pair hd600 with asgard3, sound great. Do you think it's necessary to replace asgard3 with a3pro？If I do this, how much improvement will there be？I don't have any other headphones 🤔
How does this amp compare to the mojo 2 in terms of sound quality? Detail, resolution, sound stage. Thanks for the review. Thinking of connecting to my mojo 2 but not sure if it’s needed. Driving Arya organic.
It's hard to say because you can't isolate the Mojo 2 amp stage to compare and I've not tried the Mojo 2 with higher level amps to see exactly how it performs.
I just received the J2 AKM socketed and the not-yet-released J2 AK4499 version too. I believe there will be an Erish Pro (E Pro) balanced headphone amp coming in the future, but don't know timing
If I decide to stay with headphones, I'll be saving up for a Gishelli stack with nice wooden cases as my next upgrade and likely endgame. I feel like that's around where diminishing returns is and I'm also not picking apart my music to such an extreme extent. I listen to music so I can turn my brain off lol. Btw, dumb question but my memory isn't the greatest. Did you delete one of my posts?(very possible I meant to go back to a video and forgot) Apologies in advance if I broke any rules inadvertently.
No, I never delete any posts. That will be the UA-cam bots. They get a bit weird with what they cull sometimes. I definitely think a Geshelli stack with the A3 Pro and possibly the new AKM dual chip DAC could be a fantastic option.
@@PassionforSound Weird, I make a point not to swear. Didn't know they had comment bots. Anyway, I saw your interview with them. Great family that I'd like to support.
Not sure if they're actually bots so much as just a comment filter, but yes, it's really odd what they delete. The Geshellis are fantastic and definitely people I enjoy supporting when they produce great products (i.e. they don't get automatically good reviews because they're good people) 🙂
Great review! I think people should kinda let go of the idea of labeling things "poorly recorded" because it has a lot of gain compression over the L/R master. Just because it's a bit compressed doesn't mean it's not full of layers and tones, such as a lot of stoner or shoegaze rock. You can still achieve definition in loud recordings as long as the mixing didn't muddle things too much or when mastering puts like a super harsh edge on it.
Glad you liked the review. Are you saying the issue with the track is actually mastering, not the initial recording (probably true)? Or do you mean something else?
@@PassionforSound I'd say usually the mixing / mastering, if anything, can be a problem. If you record everything with individual mics and you're not clipping the inputs, it should be fine. I think to say it's been "recorded poorly" is just an easier way for people to say it sounds muddy or dynamically compressed. The latter is just a loudness thing most of the time, unless it's shoutey 100% of the songs. Just because it's grunge doesn't mean it's less worthy of being used as a point of reference or analysis is my point :)
Hey friend, that is truth to what you say for sure, and the mixing and mastering is a huge part of final experience, although that doesn't mean there aren't also plenty of music that is recorded to low standards, mid standards, high standards, super high standards etc. The acoustics of the room, the microphone placement/technique, the microphones, preamps, tracking through analog hardware processing, the quality of the AD converters, are actually what really makes the sound be what it is. Of course that can be poorly treated and damaged in the mixing and mastering stages, but you can't take a let's call "low resolution" or low quality audio recording and process it in mixing/mastering to become high res, rich and complex in it's harmonic, transient/time based, and other informations, if they weren't even captured, and therefore aren't there in the first place. The resolution of the captured frequencies, the capacity of the recording chain to capture and preserve frquency/transient information and all the subtle nuances that make the sounds sound closer to how they sound organically in real life varies vastly depending from the quality of all these chain of equipments, and an outstanding sonic result in resolution, fidelity, texture, results from the culmination of the interaction of these various nuances and details that when added, make a huge difference. But of course, this does not mean in the least music recorded with a chain that isn't outstanding on the technical side, doesn't have its value to be appreciated and valued. That'd be absurd! The music is the soul of the whole process and the reason why all of these stuff exist and was created for in the first place. So that's not the point at all. I think the important distinction to be made, is that when evaluating audio equipment, it is a universal truth that a audio chain is limited by it's weakest link. Be it from the listening audiophile side or from the recording/engineering/music side, because it's a truth that concerns to the mechanics of the machines, electrical/digital signals etc. If you look at it, when you're listening to a recording in some ways you are connecting to that chain that was used to your chain. So it's only sensible that in this type of reviews of audio products, when you want to properly evaluate the range of capabilities that an audio device has and how it performs in different areas, the greater the quality of the audio (and the chain that was used for it, that you're "connecting" to) from a technical aspect, the more nuances and complexity of audio information will be presented to the device being tested, and more nuances will be shown about it's performance. Simple assessment of the evolution and performance of the technology we humans use in the recording and reproduction of sounds, waves, vibrations. And where the particular device falls in capability within the current technology, which is largely the interest of the viewers, considering the direct experience of someone else so we can have a basis from something we haven't experienced ourselves, but want to know it's capabilities and if it's relevant for us or not. Or wanting to know how others experienced something we have. Or just curiosity, many things can come into play. But I believe it largely relates to us keeping track of the technologies humanity is putting forth and where we're at. Then how each one of us will use it, which forms of art and expression we resonate and connect the most with, and will listen in our devices, is totally up to the individual, and absolutely no better or worse, just what makes you feel what you like to feel! So I don't think there's genre judgement to attach to and be bothered by. I believe it's more about evaluation of technological performance. And for that, using materials that stem from high performing technology just gives the better view of what is trying to be seen. Felt like sharing these perspectives, hope they can serve in some way, even if just to consider more aspects of the situation. Thank you, have a great life following life evolving as we evolve with It. ✌
You could, but you'll likely be degrading the sound quality I think. If you have the ability to run multiple outputs from your DAC, I'd do that instead.
Geshelli Labs has always been a great proposition; it just unfortunately doesn't ship to my country which makes getting one (especially with warranty) not particularly easy. Something like this would've probably been my pick but I've already reached my endgame setup at this point but have to admit that Geshelli not only kills it on the value proposition front but also just the style.
Yes, I've emailed with Sherri from Geshelli about this in the past, and international shipping is more challenging than we might think. Glad you've found an endgame setup for yourself despite that!
I agree, living is Asia it is similar. Even if I were to order something from Schiit, for example, the tariffs and customs duties mean I should simply look at amps/dacs in the $1000 range that are available here instead and actually get warranty service or the ability to return them if something goes wrong. I've had enough hardware failures (drivers, etc) to make that a real consideration.
@@PassionforSound Yea, unfortunately here I don't even have access to SSML or Topping or any chinese brands even before FiiO. Mid-fi does not exist, you are either using a FiiO amp/dac, Aune, or Woo audio and other summitfi gear with 30-40% price hikes to boot! lol
How would this compare to the new sparkos Gemini amp? I know it’s a hybrid tube and twice the price. A bit apples to oranges for sure, but they use the same sparkos op amps.
Does this amp pair well with IEMs? I currently use the Singxer SA-1 and I'm looking to get myself a sidegrade amp. I own the Unique Melody Mest MKII, Truthear Hexa, and Dunu SA6 (OG), and Penon Fan2.
The A3 Pro is great with IEMs. Dead silent and has a good volume range (unless you have a high output DAC). It's also a slight upgrade on the SA-1 IMO.
@@PassionforSound That's awesome to know. I'm honestly surprised I didn't pay much attention to this company beforehand. My only gripe is that it doesn't offer something like 4.4mm or XLR, but not like that that's a deal breaker or anything. Definitely gonna think about placing an order at some point here. Will this pair well with the SMSL VMV D1se DAC (OG)?
No problems pairing it to with the VMV DAC. As for the headphone connector, the A3 Pro will still sound better than any similarly priced (or even higher priced up to the S17 Pro) amp that has balanced outputs.
In my experience in this hobby amps either pair better with planar or with dynamic. I have a great amp and planar pairing but I need an amp for my dynamic custom headphones. They are most similar to a Grado RS1 in spec. Is this amp a better choice over SA-1 or Jot 2 if my goal is low fatigue sound? I love detail but I am sensitive to sibilance. I have SE and balanced cable BTW.
I'd say that this will be an ideal pairing with a dynamic headphone like that. The SA-1 is great, but this is significantly better than either SA-1 or Jot 2 IMO.
@@PassionforSound My order has been placed. Thanks for the guidance! I will be feeding the A3 Pro with the Himalayan R2R DAC and XLR Cardas cables. I hope it all comes together nicely.
According to a very technical reviewer in UA-cam - 2 Capacitors causing a Sub-Bass roll-off...... Maybe in the Geshelli Erish 3 Geno fixed that problem.....
Weird question for you. In the manual for this amp it says to plug in the headphones prior to turning it on but have read elsewhere that amps should be on before plugging in. Do you know if the correct way to use this is to plug in first and then turn it on and then turn it off before unplugging or switching headphones?
Hey I have a question prob a crazy one! I just recently bought a separate dac but I realize I can’t use it with my headphones! Is there any adapters I can use to be able to use them! Our do I have to buy an amplifier as well? It’s a Gustard x26 pro, I also have the EF 400 and chord mojo 2! Don’t know if I can connect any of those to the x26. Thanks
How would it pair with that! The dac is 60 watts! And it only has RCA and XLR! The dac is the Gustard X26 pro, not sure what cables and everything I need to pair them up together
The DAC might be consuming 60W, but that's not its output power. You can just take RCA or XLR from the DAC to the A3 Pro and then plug your headphones into the A3 Pro. (This is true for any headphone amp)
@@PassionforSound ok thanks so what kinda xlr our rca will I need? Do I need to hook up both to use the dac and amp our I can just use 1 XLR our RCA! Thanks and sorry just new to all of this lol
You can use either XLR or RCA, but you need to only choose one type of connection. I'd personally go with XLR if your DAC has XLR outputs as some DACs perform better via XLR. As for brand, starting with something like a Mogami or Canare XLR from World's Best Cables is a safe option. Another nice option are Supra cables - I did a full video about their range a little while back.
Curious how it would compare to the HeadAmp GS-X Mini, in between the price range of the 3XP and the GT and from a different company. I also wonder how the A3 would compare to the 3XP with the Sparkos op-amps.
Great questions, Eric! I'd say it will get pretty close to the GSX-Mini, but I haven't tried it to be sure (only GS-X Mk2). I'd say the Soloist 3XP with Sparkos op-amps will be about the same as the A3 Pro, but might still fall a touch short (unless you use the Sparkos pro op-amps if they fit in the 3XP)
Well one thing is for sure for GS-X Mini - on its stock feet and with a "stock" power cord, it's not a giant killer, but with some highend feet (like Maxi / Ultra from AAI), proper power cord and an aftermarket fuse (AudioMagic M1), then the term "amazing" doesn't even cut it. I also upgraded its fuse holder for a better implementation of the contact treatment Q45T and that's another unbelievable piece of technology.
I tried to upgrade my Asgard3 to a Jotenheim2 expecting a "nice difference". Single ended or Balanced makes no difference even with an D30Pro Balanced DAC. They're nearly indistinquishable. You think this Geshelli would give a nice upgrade over the Jotenheim2 then?
I think you're probably being held back by the DAC. The Jot 2 is definitely better than the Asgard 3 (which is already excellent), but will only ever be as good as the DAC before it will allow. The A3 Pro amp is amazing, but I suspect you'll still be underwhelmed by its performance if you heard no difference with the Jot 2.
No, the pro op-amps are hard to fit because they're very wide. I've only used the regular Sparkos op-amps in the 3XP and that does make it a closer battle so for those who already own the Soloist 3XP, trying some Sparkos op-amps does make a lot of sense
It's 449 now and this paired with 130 dollar fiio 12v 3a linear power supply could make an amazing amplifier upgrade from my asgard 3 I think. I couldn't find the ampere requirement in website maybe it is in manual or somewhere. Don't have money Rn so not bothering to search. 😂
The 3A supply will do fine. The A3 Pro doesn't draw masses of current (I think maybe a 1A supply is standard). You'll be really impressed vs the Asgard 3, I think.
@@PassionforSound I have 400se and older version of topping dx3. Funny part is that 3.5 out of dx3 is more detail than its rca out to asgard. I know asgard isn't doing anything to drop detail because when I used 3.5 out of my hip dac before (which i sent to my brother now) felt like more detail through the amp than 3.5 out. The tone space and warmth of asgard 3 feels awesome to me. But I want a dac upgrade. Not sure if another newer 100 dollar new modi or atom 2 or e30 ii would be a big enough upgrade or if I'll regret the side grade instead of putting money on headphones. So right now it's headphone first (400se to xs, ananda or used arya if I get lucky), dac second (eyeing old mojo for 200 or so bucks) and amp only then. I wish used audio market in Australia had more stuff cuz my in laws are there. Still waiting for mj3 review cuz there's basically 1 review on UA-cam right now. Your review would help my friend with utopia take the plunge I feel. 😂
I haven't compared directly and I love the Jot 2, but A3 Pro is comfortably better IMO. I've compared Jot 2 with SA-1 and SA-1 with Soloist 3XP and my end results are that all are excellent, but Jot 2 < SA-1 < Soloist < A3 Pro
@@PassionforSound picking up a used soloist for $700. I hope it lasts for some time. I'll try swapping in the sparkos to see the difference. I still haven't gotten over the idea of class D trumping a class A yet.
Thoughts on this compared to the ss mode on lyr+? I finally broke my lyr+ ss mode in (i almost always use tube since i found a 60s rca tube and a nos Sylvania that i roll) but sometimes the ss sounds better depending on the material.
Just sold my tube amp and now I wonder which amp I should go with. The Archel 2.5 XL is definitely cheaper but the Archel 3 pro ist tempting. But importing things to Europe simply sucks. Customs fees are another 75 bucks on top and shipping is expensive too :/
The A3 Pro is easily the best amp (significantly better than the Archel 2.5XL) under $700-800 USD. The only real competition is the Aune S17 Pro (which is a little better) so I'd say the A3 Pro is worth it unless you can get the S17 Pro cheaper.
@@PassionforSound well.. I bought it lol. That's quite a bit of money that disappeared from my bank account now, but I hope it will be worth it. Next I'll probably buy the J2, haven't decided on the AKM chip yet but this will have to wait until I saved up more money. The tax fees to import Geshelli products to Germany are quite crazy. For now, and this will sound ridiculous, I will use my FiiO K5 pro ESS as a DAC only. It will take a few weeks until the amp is made and arrives here in Europe. Hope it harmonizes well with my Sash Tres SE, which is basically Ukrainian LCD-2c. These headphones sound amazing by themselves, but I bet a bit of adjusting the tone controls will make them even better.
@@PassionforSound Well.. it just arrived and sadly I am getting humming and buzzing when turning on the tone controls, it's especially bad on high gain. I contacted Geshelli, might have to send my unit back. I expected the unit to be dead silent when using tone controls.
@PinePizza it definitely should be (mine certainly is) so either there's a fault in the device or a ground loop somewhere (hard to say without some troubleshooting, but the Geshelli team will take you through that). I'm sorry to hear it hasn't been as glorious an experience as I expected for you!
I would love to get some GL gear, but the shipping and exchange etc makes the price double to get it to Australia when I emailed them about it. Can be done but suddenly they have to compete against much more expensive chifi stuff - like most US gear . Seems Chifi stuff gets here cheaper than it gets to the USA when you do the maths. I’m not sure what trade deals different countries have with each other but last time I looked they shipped to NZ on the online shop which was about 20% of the shipping cost quoted via emails to get it sent to Oz
Yes, it makes it very difficult in multiple countries. For some of their products, it makes them not worthwhile here in Aus/NZ, but the A3 Pro performs so far above its price that it will be worth anything up to the same price as a Burson Soloist 3XP (and maybe then some)
Using external supplies helps to keep the size compact and the price lower. It's a good trade-off to get sound of this quality at the price and size, I think. It's unlikely they could achieve this performance for under $1000 if they used in internal linear supply.
I'd say they're comparable. I tend to highlight the differences so as not to draw out the videos too long. That means that if I don't specifically mention bass, mids, soundstage, etc. then there isn't a significant difference
Yes, it all comes down to the circuit designs. There will be a different approach to power filtering, etc. In both amps and then the rest of the circuit will be optimised to the power supply being used in each case.
Yep, it's got plenty of power for both of those and will suit them well too. In terms of total size, it's not dissimilar to other powerful amps like Asgard 3, Jotunheim 2, A90/A90D, etc.
Comfortably better IMO. I prefer the SA-1 over A90D and the Soloist 3XP over the SA-1. The A3 Pro is better than 3XP so it's comfortably ahead of SA-1 and therefore A90D too.
I'm not sure exactly. I know that there's a new DAC coming with AKM's new dual chip DAC (4499?) so perhaps they'll be matching, but I don't know for sure.
@@PassionforSound That's great to hear and thank you for the reply. I'm hoping it gives the Gustard A-26 a run for its money. If you still have the A-26 when it comes out perhaps a head to head comparison would make for some good content. ( Hint, Hint)
XLR output isn't necessary for maximum performance and many of us have non-XLR terminated headphones. I think there will be a balanced output version of this in the future though.
A3 Pro all the way. Unless you want the ability to play with tubes, the A3 Pro is better in every way. More input options, time 3 controls and better sound quality (regardless of the mode of tubes in the Lyr+)
Can’t wait for lachlans review of the 1266 phi tc . My guess is based upon his preferences he won’t be as impressed with it as I am. It’s a party fun speaker with tons of bass tons of energy but lacking in refinement and naturalness.
I need to try the Flux Labs - we had plans for a review before the war in Ukraine. I think it will have a hard time matching the A3 Pro though based on my comparison with the Soloist 3XP
@@PassionforSound I guess we need to wait and find out. From what I see and read Flux is making something very unique in terms of sound quality so it might surprise you.
I haven't checked, but I wouldn't recommend it. You'll have a VERY hard time finding an op-amp as good as (or possibly even close to) the Sparkos pro op-amps being used
i love music but could never afford to be an "audio purist" or "audiophile" as we define them. a purist to me is an audiophile that has enough money to buy 20 to 30 sets of headphones, a dozen or more each of high end amps and dacs then play with different configurations to achieve whatever playback results they are after without using eq's or tone controls thinking they are hearing the artists intent. i like many, do not have the resources to do this so i will stick with what i think sounds as good as possible then hit the tone controls or eq band when needed. besides, i think my ears are broken. i was at an audio store and listened to a serious high end setup with the store rep hyping up the playback purity and i thought it sounded hollow, thin & lifeless. perception is "purely" subjective.
I think that's exactly the right approach, Steve. I think trying to find the "right" sound is a fool's errand because every recording is different and no-one can ever know what the artist intended (or which artist because recordings are made by so many people). I think you've got the right approach in finding what you like and then focussing on enjoying the music. As for the salesperson in the store, everyone has different ideas of what sounds good and, as you say, it's all subjective so no-one is right.
Ok, so in that case, there are a few reasons that I don't do it and don't specifically recommend it (not that it's wrong/bad). The tail of damaging your headphones by mistake is a big one because of the levels of power from speaker amps. Then there's the convenience of easily switching between speakers and headphones. An affordable HP amp is also easier for most people to deal with than getting switch boxes and adapter leads.
@@PassionforSound You would be surprised how far you need to turn up the volume control on your amp to achieve normal listening levels with headphones. You might think with 100w amp, I'm going to blow my headphones, it doesn't work like that though. I'm just saying an adapter lead from the speaker outputs works fine, it's not something people think about because they think it will blow their headphones. But it won't.
The trouble isn't that you have to turn it up to a certain level for the headphones alone. It's that a much lower sensitivity driver like a speaker driver (e.g. 86dB sensitivity) demands significantly higher power (and therefore volume settings) than a significantly more efficient headphone (e.g. 96dB sensitivity). The problems arise - and they do - when someone forgets to adjust the volume from speaker levels before connecting to their headphones and POP! There goes an expensive headphone driver. If you like to setup that way, that's totally fine - I'm not saying you're wrong to do so because the sound can be great. My point is to warn others reading this of the dangers and I have heard many, many stories of this occuring when people use vintage amps or modern power amps like AHB-2 for driving headphones.
Great review, Geshelli always punches above there weight class.
Definitely. The A3 Pro takes that to a whole new level
Really grateful to hear your earlier comments about the A3 Pro on your livestream, as it got me ready to order this as soon as it went live. I'm really excited to hear how this sounds with my T60RP Argons. An added bonus is that Sparkos is a local company for me, just down the road! It's going to be a long 2-3 months wait for this.
Glad I caught your interest - this one deserves lots of praise and anticipation. I'd definitely recommend getting your order in fast before the hype train gets rolling.
@@PassionforSound almost two weeks ago now, it turns out. Time has been counting down faster than I thought already.
Exciting!
That sparko opamp is awesome, I have it in my hand built Whammy and it’s a big improvement over other opamps I’ve heard. This is the amp I’d buy if I needed a reasonably priced solid state amp
Yes, they're brilliant op-amps! Nice to hear they can go in a Whammy too
Just got my A3 Pro today after waiting a little over 8 weeks on Backorder. The Hype is real. Best Amp under $1K easily
It's awesome, isn't it? So glad you got one and love it
I love that the audio space still has room for smaller companies who make excellent affordable products that they could easily charge more for. With so many industries turning into, or already being, oligopolies, the audio space resisting that drift is worth celebrating. Wish I'd waited a few weeks before taking the leap on my new Jotunheim 2 though. The return policy expired the same month the A3 was announced. Would've liked to have compared them. Oh well, I do love my Jot, even though it sounds like the A3 would probably come out on top.
That's a great point about the diversity in this industry!
Yes, the A3 Pro will beat the Jot 2 on technicalities, etc. but the Jot 2 still has a certain something about its sound that is super fun to listen to.
Wow, can't get one for the foreseeable future as I've spent quite a bit upgrading my 2 channel system, but you got me excited about this headphone amp no doubt...
It's brilliant! Definitely one to put on the wishlist
Very nice how you've synced up the music with the light up Buttons during the beauty shots. Thanks for mentioning the track name too.
Looking forward to the 1266 Review! It's a very unique headphone for sure
Glad you liked it! The 1266 is definitely a curious headphone. I'll be producing that review this week for release during June (I think)
Excellent review.
Once again due to your very convincing articulation of a device i have purchased it!
And it is true: Truly a beautiful looking and sounding amp.
It does better another purchase i made from lachlans recommendation; the schiit lyr +.
It is better, but the lyr still has its place in my collection due to its hybrid design, and sound signature which pairs extremely well with my headphone setup/ mostly focals (celestee, clear mg & og, radiance, elegia). Love my focals.
And this A3 pro is another wonderful edition 😀
Cheers, buddy! Looking forward to the next big "bang for buck/unique" pick.
I'm so glad I've been able to help you and that you're enjoying the A3 Pro so much!
"Sounds"very interesting! Quite a glowing review despite not having any tubes, lol. Always enjoy your reviews, as well as the live chats with Brian and the gang.
😂 Yes, this one is a real standout. Glad you're enjoying the content!
The Sparkos SS2590 is something special. I am using it in my Geshelli J2S in the RCA single ended socket, with a socket riser. And I am using them in my AkitikA PR-102 preamp. It sounds simply glorious. As you say clean and dynamic and "natural" with a lot of soundstage space and layering.
Did you order the J2S with the Sparkos SS3602 or the base op amp?
Are you using the Sarkos dip socket riser?
I need to try the SS2590 in some other products. Still haven't gotten around to it.
@@PassionforSound Sparkos was running a 25% off sale. The discount code is/was TwennyFii
@@peytonsnead3114 I have tried 7 different op-amps in the J2S. If you are going to use the XLR balanced outputs mainly, then the smaller Sparkos SS3602 is the best for those. The big Sparkos can't fit there.
The difference between the OPA1656 (the same as the J2) and the OPA1612 is going to be a matter of taste. I think the 1656 is my preference, but that is the one I have not tried in my J2S.
If you are planning on the big Sparkos SS2590 in the RCA single ended, and are using any "regular" op-amps in the XLR, then you need just 1 socket riser to fit the it. It has to tilt ever-so-slightly, because it *just* touches the back of the RCA jacks. (They will be moving the socket away a small bit more on the next batch of boards, so this may not be needed?) If you have the SS3602 in the XLR sockets, then two risers are needed - and this will probably still be the case even with the shifted socket position.
And Sparkos does sell the socket risers for $2 each, so definitely get what you need when ordering.
Sparkos *had* a 25% off sale, that I don't know if it is still happening? The discount code is TwennyFii
My A3 arrived... Using it with the ultra quiet recommended LPS and an inline Supercapacitor bank... Using custom Teflon Silver Plated Star Quad DC cables from the LPS to the bank and then to the A3. Running it now... I bought it in all wenge with dovetails. Took just under a month to arrive.
Nice! Please share your thoughts on the sound when you've had some time with it
What are your thoughts on the A3 Pro after having it for a while? I recently ordered an A3 Pro along with the JNOG2 SOCKETED [J2S] DAC with the AK4493 DAC Chip and Sparkos SS3602 op amps for RCA and XLR
@@JTB-- Well, I do like it... It sounds great. Super clean & works well with my DT-1990's and my speakers. I think the button LED's are a bit too bright.
I did have to open the front and tighten the buttons as both the gain and power were rattle loose.
One caveat, but I get it. When you plug in headphones, it does not cut the sound from the pre-out.
I found this out at about 1:00am while listening to the phones for the first time. I hit the gain button, turned up the volume and started rocking out... Only to see my family motioning to me..... Waiving at me like I was aircraft coming in to a carrier! I took off the cans and the music was shaking the house... HA! Neighbors must have LUV'd it!
Solved this by putting a JDS LABS OL switcher on the pre-out to the speaker amp. Now I just turn that knob down to zero when I want to run my cans.
So... Yeah, A3 Pro really sounds great... Even better with my speakers and sub running... LOL
I am running the Aune X8 XVIII DAC with Sparkos SS2590 dual pro feeding the A3. Speakers are on the Aiyima A07 pro with 5 Sparkos SS3602 op-amps
Can't get enough of that magic...
@@Scrufboy Oh man that's a classic with the Speakers blasting simultaneously with the headphones!! 😆
Glad to hear you are enjoying the A3 Pro. I'm feeling better about my purchase of this Geshelli stack.
I'm curious about the tone controls on the A3 Pro. Do they work well enough to sell off my Lokius or should I ignore the tone controls on the A3 Pro and stay with the Lokius? I'm wondering if the A3 Pro tone controls actually enhance the listening experience or mess with the sound too much detracting from the sound quality? I really like the Lokius which I have in both of my audio setups and being able to tweak things with the physical knobs is more up my alley. Not a fan of the software EQ's and trying to hit targets and measurements blah blah blah. I just let my ears tell me when I'm at my sweet spot. Thanks for the input and advice. It's much appreciated. 🍻
@@JTB-- Well I think the tone controls are fine for what they do, they don't add noise and unlike Jazzzy on head-fi, mine don't produce noise when touched. Poor guy.
They are heavy handed. In that - they are exactly what you'd expect. They add treble and bass. I don't know which frequency ranges they actually cover. I took the Loki Mini out of my chain and added the Lokius myself. I have the Lokius in front of the A3 Pro. I prefer it. That low knob allows me to dial in the subwoofer really well. The second knob in from the right helps with my DT-1990's if there is too much treble near their 8k spike. My suggestion is to bypass the Lokius and then see if the tone controls on the A3 can contour the sound enough in all your listening scenarios. If it's too fat and wide or too crisp and filled with sibilance. Try the same tracks with the A3 Pro with the tone controls off. Then try to dial in the same track with the Lokius. Pick a few revealing tracks on both sides of the V. I'm sure you will find one device more capable... But will it be necessary? I'm keeping the Lokius in the mix for now.
mate, another great review. very interesting the comparison you make with the Burson XP.
were you using the Burson with a supercharger psu?
any more news on possibility of an E3 fro Geshelli?
btw, are the opamps swappable in the A3?
the A3 is on my shortlist with the much pricier Burson 3xp, Violectric v222.
Actually yes, I was using the Super Charger, so that makes the A3 Pro even more impressive.
As for swapping the op-amps, I'm not sure. The Sparkos pro op-amps use a different pin out (not regular 8-pin) so I don't know how they're arranged in the A3 Pro.
No news on an E3 Pro as yet.
Hi Lachlan, with such a glowing review are you planning on reviewing the Gesheli Labs dac?
Also, albeit slightly OT, would you consider reviewing some high(ish)-end portable music players. I've got a Pioneer XDP-300R and 512GB micro SD cards, but I'd be interested in how it stacks up against some of the current players.
I've already got an order in the system for the Geshelli socketed AKM J2 and I'm hoping to try the new dual chip DAC too.
As for DAPs, I don't get offered many for review, but I do have the Shanling M7 coming up very soon.
Hi Lachlan! Great Video. Do you think this amp with a Bifrost 2 would be a good pairing with the Verite Open?
That would be a fantastic setup IMO
Been sorta following this little family run company since I first heard of them through z reviews. It's great to see small company that is making reasonable geat have success. Sorta reminds me of the beginnings of schitt audio. Another great small American success story. Enjoyed reading Jason's book on the beginnings of that company. I think he still continues to write and add chapters. He's a great designer but also a great personality and writer. And when you get moffit and Jason in a interview it's always fun! Considering this amp but I may need more power as my new lcd 4 with 100 ohm driver and lowish sensitivity (for a planar ) are maxing out a couple of amps. No issues with audeze lcd x 2021. It's interesting how different sources play a roll how far I need to crank the volume . Thanks for the review!
Glad you liked the review! With sensitivity of 97dB/mW, the A3 Pro should have no issues with the LCD-4. I've driven the less sensitive ZMF Caldera and HiFiMan HE1000SE from the A3 Pro with plenty of headroom remaining.
Hi Lachlan,
I pre ordered a Eversolo DMP-A8.
And for my headphone I just bought a Chord Mojo 2.
Do you think that is Archel 3 Pro is better than the Mojo??
Best regards
That's a tough question. Personally, I'd probably just run straight from the Mojo 2 to keep the signal path as short and simple as possible. I haven't compared them side-by-side though to know if the A3 brings an upgrade over the Mojo 2.
@@PassionforSound thanks for your Answer !
Modjo 2 via USB on the A8?
Is it the best way ?
Either USB or optical would be easy enough. I'm not actually sure which would be better - they might be the same.
no way, the Mojo 2 is way better than the Archel 3 Pro. I have both
Thanks for sharing that, Jay!
Out of interest, perhaps look at the Bellari PA550 pre-amplier with EQ and also the Bellari SE560 'Sonic Exciter' pre-amplier. It would be very interesting to see how they perform in a chain. Their simplicity looks appealing.
I'll look into them. Thanks for mentioning them.
Thanks for this review, possibly not a fair question but in your opinion how does this compare to the Rebel audio headphone amp?
I'd choose the A3 Pro over the Rebel every time. The Rebel is nice, but it doesn't have the layering of the A3 Pro and the A3 Pro is competing at a higher price point (despite not costing that much)
Thanks 👍
hi, thx for the great review 😎 how is the Archel 3 Pro compared to Violectric V281 or V222? does the mids have good body / warmth / smoothness? thx
I haven't compared them to the Violectrics, but going on reputation, I would say that the Archel 3 Pro won't be quite as rich in the mids as the Vio amps, but is still not lean or dry in any way - it has a lovely, natural sound to it
19:55 Included wall wart is 12V 1A. Doubtful the unit needs more than about 750mA from your linear supply. 😊
Thank you. I know some amps required more than 1A, but couldn't recall for the A3 Pro.
Nice review, it's incentivized me to try some sparkos op amps in my soloist 3XP 🙂 Also I keep spotting that SPL Phonitor X in the background so it seems like an amp you are keeping but I don't see any review from you for it. Have you published a review on it and I can't find it or no plans to do that?
Definitely worth throwing a couple of Sparkos op-amps in the Soloist 3XP.
As for the Phonitor, I haven't reviewed it yet, but I definitely will be in the coming months - it's an excellent product for the most part.
@@PassionforSound Nice, a review would be great as I've seen some pop up on the second hand market in AU for great prices, I almost bought one recently but got tempted by a Violectric instead and took the Vio over the Phonitor.
Which Vio, Steve? And where are you located? (I'm wondering if we can arrange a short term loan for me to review the Vio and you to try the Phonitor)
@@PassionforSound I wanted to try the older Violectric sound of the V280/281 models so grabbed a V200 that popped up as my understanding is it's identical but with only SE output. I bought it for my Verite Closed cans for quick listening when I don't want to fire up the OTL amp. It's definitely better synergy with the VC's than my Soloist 3XP, something about the design for voltage delivery vs current delivery which apparently the SPL phonitors have similar design idea. You are welcome to borrow it but I'm in Sydney so you'd need to fund the postage both ways but I suspect you're probably more interested in the current stable of Violectrics. PM me if you want to borrow it, cheers.
As an FYI, other than for side by side testing a couple more times to be sure, I've never used my Soloist with my VC's since getting the V200. I'm now keeping my eye out for any deals that pop up on a V280/281 or any of the new suite that lake people have said have very similar circuit design and sound to the V280 which is any of the current model V202, 222, 226, 340 and 380. But if another decent Phonitor X pops up I'd probably take that first to try the difference.
Hey Lachlan, I've recently been looking into the Soloist 3XP to upgrade my system, and this review couldn't have come at a better time- thank you for the thorough review and song comparisons!
How would you say the A3 Pro compares to the Soloist 3XP in terms of soundstage and imaging/separation? It's the one area I've heard reviewers gush about the Soloist, here's hoping the A3 Pro doesn't give up much there.
I felt like the A3 Pro went toe-to-toe with the 3XP on staging. I don't feel like either was clearly better or worse there, but the A3 Pro was better on tonality and also some of the textural detail I mentioned in the review.
Did you get a chance to try as a preamp? Would like to pair with my Purifi amplifier. Will you receive credit if I purchase the J2 along with the Archel thru this link?
The A3 Pro is equally as good as a pre-amp. It uses basically the same circuit for both the headphone and preamp output stages.
And yes, if you use the link, I'll receive a small percentage of any purchase. Thank you! 🙏♥️
Abyss 1266 review seems to be coming. I am curious to hear your take. ;)
Yep, looking to produce that one during the next week or so.
Swapping out my Loki+ Mini for a Lokius. Swapping out the Magni+ Heretic for THIS Archel 3 PRO! - After putting the Sparkos SS2590 Dual Pro into the Aune X8 XVIII, I find this op-amp is the best there is and it edges out the Burson V6 Vivid in the Aune. I'm looking forward to when the Archel arrives.
Yeah, it's a beast thanks to those op-amps
Did you find a replacement lid for the Aune to fit the opamp? I know some 3d print, but I'd like to buy one somewhere
Do you know roughly how much power output this can produce in a 300 OHM load? Thanks!
I can't check right now, but it drives my ZMF 300 ohm cans beautifully. If you click through the link in the description, it's probably on the site in the specs
@@PassionforSound Good to know, thanks!
Hey! really odd question here but i'm just wondering, what wood combination do you have on the archel 3 pro? Looks gorgeous, cheers!!
I actually don't know - sorry! This is just what Geshelli sent me, but U agree that it's beautiful. If you want the same, just email them and ask - I'm sure they'll assist.
@@PassionforSound thanks!
Hey Lachlan I see that you have the SPL Phonitor XE in the background. How do you like it? Thanks.
I love it, DKH! Full review coming later this year 🙂
Great review, Thanks! That amp is really cool.
Glad you liked it! Yes, the amp is brilliant
Lachlan have you tried any violectric headps? If not can you please review them? Especially the new ones. I believe you can also use burson opamps on it, specifically the v380
I'd love to, but the local distributor won't provide review units and I can't afford to buy all the gear I review ☹️
@@PassionforSound 🥺
Thank you very much for all your competent videos. I very much hope that you will be able to test the Aune S17 Pro. I am completely torn as to whether I should buy this or the A3 for my HEKSE. I also noticed that AUNE has released a brand new (their first?) headphone - Aune AR5000. Maybe I'll order them soon. There are hardly any tests about it yet, but it sounds good.
Thank you, Merry Christmas and stay safe and sound.
Best regards from Germany :-)
I'm glad you're enjoying the content on my channel! I need to contact Aune and see if I can get an S17 in for review. Perhaps the headphone too
Yes the Aune S17 Pro and A3 Pro seem like the two reasonably priced headphone amps of the year. I’m sure there’s plenty of other ones too but these are the 2 that people seem to keep talking about. So would be interesting to see how they compare. I think as audiophiles, we would love it if one product clearly is better than everything else so we know what we should get. So I think there is always a push in the community to get to a clear winner. Even if there are usually trade offs. But perhaps these 2 amps really do make a difference.
@@PassionforSound would really appreciate that, thank you a lot for all your efforts and well spoken details about hifi-gear.
@Ray-dl5mp I agree that people seem to want and prefer definitive best/worst type content. I think that's why the objective measurement content has become so popular, but it's rarely (if ever) so cut and dry.
@auro8649 my pleasure. Fingers crossed I can get a unit in to try
Thank you for your review. I'm looking to connect a pre amp to a pair of ZA3's. I've been looking for something with XLR outputs. Is there a disadvantage to using RCA outputs? Very new to component audio. Sorry for the newbie question.
Generally there should be no issues using RCA or XLR, but the ZA3 happens to sound significantly worse using RCA so you will want to stick with XLR outs from the preamp for that one.
@@PassionforSound Thank you very much.
I so much like that design ☝🏽
What do you think it compares to the Rupert Neve RNHP?
I haven't tried the RNHP so I can't say for sure.
@@PassionforSound i think, thats a miss. Try one if you get the chance to...
I pair hd600 with asgard3, sound great. Do you think it's necessary to replace asgard3 with a3pro？If I do this, how much improvement will there be？I don't have any other headphones 🤔
The A3 Pro is a significant step up on resolution compared to the Asgard 3. It's difficult to put a number to it, but it's a big upgrade IMO
How does this amp compare to the mojo 2 in terms of sound quality? Detail, resolution, sound stage. Thanks for the review. Thinking of connecting to my mojo 2 but not sure if it’s needed. Driving Arya organic.
It's hard to say because you can't isolate the Mojo 2 amp stage to compare and I've not tried the Mojo 2 with higher level amps to see exactly how it performs.
Will you be reviewing their dacs too? Id love to know how they work as a combo. Wish there was a balanced headphone imput.
I just received the J2 AKM socketed and the not-yet-released J2 AK4499 version too.
I believe there will be an Erish Pro (E Pro) balanced headphone amp coming in the future, but don't know timing
@@PassionforSound looking forward to it
If I decide to stay with headphones, I'll be saving up for a Gishelli stack with nice wooden cases as my next upgrade and likely endgame. I feel like that's around where diminishing returns is and I'm also not picking apart my music to such an extreme extent. I listen to music so I can turn my brain off lol.
Btw, dumb question but my memory isn't the greatest. Did you delete one of my posts?(very possible I meant to go back to a video and forgot) Apologies in advance if I broke any rules inadvertently.
No, I never delete any posts. That will be the UA-cam bots. They get a bit weird with what they cull sometimes.
I definitely think a Geshelli stack with the A3 Pro and possibly the new AKM dual chip DAC could be a fantastic option.
@@PassionforSound
Weird, I make a point not to swear. Didn't know they had comment bots.
Anyway, I saw your interview with them. Great family that I'd like to support.
Not sure if they're actually bots so much as just a comment filter, but yes, it's really odd what they delete.
The Geshellis are fantastic and definitely people I enjoy supporting when they produce great products (i.e. they don't get automatically good reviews because they're good people) 🙂
Great review! I think people should kinda let go of the idea of labeling things "poorly recorded" because it has a lot of gain compression over the L/R master. Just because it's a bit compressed doesn't mean it's not full of layers and tones, such as a lot of stoner or shoegaze rock. You can still achieve definition in loud recordings as long as the mixing didn't muddle things too much or when mastering puts like a super harsh edge on it.
Glad you liked the review. Are you saying the issue with the track is actually mastering, not the initial recording (probably true)? Or do you mean something else?
@@PassionforSound I'd say usually the mixing / mastering, if anything, can be a problem. If you record everything with individual mics and you're not clipping the inputs, it should be fine. I think to say it's been "recorded poorly" is just an easier way for people to say it sounds muddy or dynamically compressed. The latter is just a loudness thing most of the time, unless it's shoutey 100% of the songs. Just because it's grunge doesn't mean it's less worthy of being used as a point of reference or analysis is my point :)
That's a very good point. We do all tend to say "poor recording" when it's really in the handling of what's been recorded.
@@PassionforSound yeah that and passing off certain genres for analysis on audio gear
Hey friend, that is truth to what you say for sure, and the mixing and mastering is a huge part of final experience, although that doesn't mean there aren't also plenty of music that is recorded to low standards, mid standards, high standards, super high standards etc. The acoustics of the room, the microphone placement/technique, the microphones, preamps, tracking through analog hardware processing, the quality of the AD converters, are actually what really makes the sound be what it is. Of course that can be poorly treated and damaged in the mixing and mastering stages, but you can't take a let's call "low resolution" or low quality audio recording and process it in mixing/mastering to become high res, rich and complex in it's harmonic, transient/time based, and other informations, if they weren't even captured, and therefore aren't there in the first place.
The resolution of the captured frequencies, the capacity of the recording chain to capture and preserve frquency/transient information and all the subtle nuances that make the sounds sound closer to how they sound organically in real life varies vastly depending from the quality of all these chain of equipments, and an outstanding sonic result in resolution, fidelity, texture, results from the culmination of the interaction of these various nuances and details that when added, make a huge difference. But of course, this does not mean in the least music recorded with a chain that isn't outstanding on the technical side, doesn't have its value to be appreciated and valued. That'd be absurd! The music is the soul of the whole process and the reason why all of these stuff exist and was created for in the first place. So that's not the point at all.
I think the important distinction to be made, is that when evaluating audio equipment, it is a universal truth that a audio chain is limited by it's weakest link. Be it from the listening audiophile side or from the recording/engineering/music side, because it's a truth that concerns to the mechanics of the machines, electrical/digital signals etc. If you look at it, when you're listening to a recording in some ways you are connecting to that chain that was used to your chain. So it's only sensible that in this type of reviews of audio products, when you want to properly evaluate the range of capabilities that an audio device has and how it performs in different areas, the greater the quality of the audio (and the chain that was used for it, that you're "connecting" to) from a technical aspect, the more nuances and complexity of audio information will be presented to the device being tested, and more nuances will be shown about it's performance.
Simple assessment of the evolution and performance of the technology we humans use in the recording and reproduction of sounds, waves, vibrations. And where the particular device falls in capability within the current technology, which is largely the interest of the viewers, considering the direct experience of someone else so we can have a basis from something we haven't experienced ourselves, but want to know it's capabilities and if it's relevant for us or not. Or wanting to know how others experienced something we have. Or just curiosity, many things can come into play. But I believe it largely relates to us keeping track of the technologies humanity is putting forth and where we're at.
Then how each one of us will use it, which forms of art and expression we resonate and connect the most with, and will listen in our devices, is totally up to the individual, and absolutely no better or worse, just what makes you feel what you like to feel! So I don't think there's genre judgement to attach to and be bothered by. I believe it's more about evaluation of technological performance. And for that, using materials that stem from high performing technology just gives the better view of what is trying to be seen.
Felt like sharing these perspectives, hope they can serve in some way, even if just to consider more aspects of the situation.
Thank you, have a great life following life evolving as we evolve with It. ✌
Great video - quick question can I use my singxer as a preamp with this unit - like to use both thanks much
You could, but you'll likely be degrading the sound quality I think. If you have the ability to run multiple outputs from your DAC, I'd do that instead.
Thank you very much appreciate it - ordered A3 yesterday from Sherri so the wait is on :)
Awesome! Enjoy. 🙂🙂 (The amp, not the wait 😉)
Thanks my Friend Happy Holidays - I thinking A3 wont match my Singxer SA-1 - but hoping - not a lot going on in the A3 not sure how it could
I think you'll be very surprised. I sold my SA-1 thanks to the arrival of the A3!
Unfortunately shipping and customs is such a pain, which makes me leaning towards the Aune S17 Pro. (Hope to see a review of that from you)
No current plans, but you never know...
Geshelli Labs has always been a great proposition; it just unfortunately doesn't ship to my country which makes getting one (especially with warranty) not particularly easy. Something like this would've probably been my pick but I've already reached my endgame setup at this point but have to admit that Geshelli not only kills it on the value proposition front but also just the style.
Yes, I've emailed with Sherri from Geshelli about this in the past, and international shipping is more challenging than we might think. Glad you've found an endgame setup for yourself despite that!
I agree, living is Asia it is similar. Even if I were to order something from Schiit, for example, the tariffs and customs duties mean I should simply look at amps/dacs in the $1000 range that are available here instead and actually get warranty service or the ability to return them if something goes wrong. I've had enough hardware failures (drivers, etc) to make that a real consideration.
Yes, that's a tough one with import duties and warranty considerations 😥
@@PassionforSound Yea, unfortunately here I don't even have access to SSML or Topping or any chinese brands even before FiiO. Mid-fi does not exist, you are either using a FiiO amp/dac, Aune, or Woo audio and other summitfi gear with 30-40% price hikes to boot! lol
Ouch! Sorry to hear that ☹️
How would this compare to the new sparkos Gemini amp? I know it’s a hybrid tube and twice the price. A bit apples to oranges for sure, but they use the same sparkos op amps.
The A3 Pro is on a similar level, but being pure solid state, it has an edge in the technicalities
Hi Lachlan, what DAC would you recommend with A3pro Thanks 🙋♂️❤️
It all depends on the budget, but the J2S AK4499EX is an obvious option.
Yes sure Thank you ✌️ ❤️
Does this amp pair well with IEMs? I currently use the Singxer SA-1 and I'm looking to get myself a sidegrade amp. I own the Unique Melody Mest MKII, Truthear Hexa, and Dunu SA6 (OG), and Penon Fan2.
The A3 Pro is great with IEMs. Dead silent and has a good volume range (unless you have a high output DAC). It's also a slight upgrade on the SA-1 IMO.
@@PassionforSound That's awesome to know. I'm honestly surprised I didn't pay much attention to this company beforehand. My only gripe is that it doesn't offer something like 4.4mm or XLR, but not like that that's a deal breaker or anything. Definitely gonna think about placing an order at some point here.
Will this pair well with the SMSL VMV D1se DAC (OG)?
No problems pairing it to with the VMV DAC. As for the headphone connector, the A3 Pro will still sound better than any similarly priced (or even higher priced up to the S17 Pro) amp that has balanced outputs.
@@PassionforSound Great to hear! Will this power headphones like Arya Stealth and Focal Clears (OG) efficiently?
Absolutely. No problems at all and it'll sound great.
In my experience in this hobby amps either pair better with planar or with dynamic. I have a great amp and planar pairing but I need an amp for my dynamic custom headphones. They are most similar to a Grado RS1 in spec. Is this amp a better choice over SA-1 or Jot 2 if my goal is low fatigue sound? I love detail but I am sensitive to sibilance. I have SE and balanced cable BTW.
I'd say that this will be an ideal pairing with a dynamic headphone like that. The SA-1 is great, but this is significantly better than either SA-1 or Jot 2 IMO.
@@PassionforSound My order has been placed. Thanks for the guidance! I will be feeding the A3 Pro with the Himalayan R2R DAC and XLR Cardas cables. I hope it all comes together nicely.
Congratulations! I hope you love it
According to a very technical reviewer in UA-cam - 2 Capacitors causing a Sub-Bass roll-off......
Maybe in the Geshelli Erish 3 Geno fixed that problem.....
Weird question for you. In the manual for this amp it says to plug in the headphones prior to turning it on but have read elsewhere that amps should be on before plugging in. Do you know if the correct way to use this is to plug in first and then turn it on and then turn it off before unplugging or switching headphones?
I've actually never found an amp where it really matters (unless there's a design flaw). I wouldn't worry too much about it (I certainly never have)
@@PassionforSound awesome thanks for the info!
Hello, could you please tell me if this would make a good preamp for a two channel system?
Yes, it's a great pre-amp too. Basically, everything I've said about the headphone output applies to the pre-amp output too.
@@PassionforSound Wow you replied with exactly the information I was looking for. Thanks!
Hey I have a question prob a crazy one! I just recently bought a separate dac but I realize I can’t use it with my headphones! Is there any adapters I can use to be able to use them! Our do I have to buy an amplifier as well? It’s a Gustard x26 pro, I also have the EF 400 and chord mojo 2! Don’t know if I can connect any of those to the x26. Thanks
You'd need a separate headphone amp. If you want to keep price down, the A3 Pro is easily your best choice
How would it pair with that! The dac is 60 watts! And it only has RCA and XLR! The dac is the Gustard X26 pro, not sure what cables and everything I need to pair them up together
The DAC might be consuming 60W, but that's not its output power.
You can just take RCA or XLR from the DAC to the A3 Pro and then plug your headphones into the A3 Pro. (This is true for any headphone amp)
@@PassionforSound ok thanks so what kinda xlr our rca will I need? Do I need to hook up both to use the dac and amp our I can just use 1 XLR our RCA! Thanks and sorry just new to all of this lol
You can use either XLR or RCA, but you need to only choose one type of connection. I'd personally go with XLR if your DAC has XLR outputs as some DACs perform better via XLR.
As for brand, starting with something like a Mogami or Canare XLR from World's Best Cables is a safe option. Another nice option are Supra cables - I did a full video about their range a little while back.
And that you can mod it as you want. That's just brilliant!
Curious how it would compare to the HeadAmp GS-X Mini, in between the price range of the 3XP and the GT and from a different company. I also wonder how the A3 would compare to the 3XP with the Sparkos op-amps.
Great questions, Eric! I'd say it will get pretty close to the GSX-Mini, but I haven't tried it to be sure (only GS-X Mk2). I'd say the Soloist 3XP with Sparkos op-amps will be about the same as the A3 Pro, but might still fall a touch short (unless you use the Sparkos pro op-amps if they fit in the 3XP)
Well one thing is for sure for GS-X Mini - on its stock feet and with a "stock" power cord, it's not a giant killer, but with some highend feet (like Maxi / Ultra from AAI), proper power cord and an aftermarket fuse (AudioMagic M1), then the term "amazing" doesn't even cut it.
I also upgraded its fuse holder for a better implementation of the contact treatment Q45T and that's another unbelievable piece of technology.
I have fiio k7 and would like to upgrade should I get better dac or amp first from Archel?
That's a tough one. I'd probably go for the amp first because the FiiO DACs tend to be better than their amps.
See! You can have a great sounding amp with TONE CONTROLS. Hats off Geshelli Labs!! Thanks for a great review.
Glad you liked the review and totally agree - tone controls AND performance amplification FTW!
Gosh. The design is just stunning!
Some people aren't a fan, but I love it too.
How does this compare to the fiio k7? Just wondering if its a good upgrade.
This is only an amp, while K7 has a DAC too. For pure amplification purposes, this is miles ahead of the K7.
I tried to upgrade my Asgard3 to a Jotenheim2 expecting a "nice difference". Single ended or Balanced makes no difference even with an D30Pro Balanced DAC. They're nearly indistinquishable. You think this Geshelli would give a nice upgrade over the Jotenheim2 then?
I think you're probably being held back by the DAC. The Jot 2 is definitely better than the Asgard 3 (which is already excellent), but will only ever be as good as the DAC before it will allow. The A3 Pro amp is amazing, but I suspect you'll still be underwhelmed by its performance if you heard no difference with the Jot 2.
@@PassionforSound Thank you so much.
My pleasure. I hope that's helpful 🙂
Did you use the same sparkos in the 3XP? Would be really interesting otherwise.
No, the pro op-amps are hard to fit because they're very wide. I've only used the regular Sparkos op-amps in the 3XP and that does make it a closer battle so for those who already own the Soloist 3XP, trying some Sparkos op-amps does make a lot of sense
Interesting product and review. It seems as if the default playback speed is 2x.
I have no control over the playback speed of videos I post so not sure about that. Glad you liked the review though 🙂
The wait time and the wooden design holds me back ;)
They're working on an aluminium design which should cut the wait time right down I expect.
It's 449 now and this paired with 130 dollar fiio 12v 3a linear power supply could make an amazing amplifier upgrade from my asgard 3 I think. I couldn't find the ampere requirement in website maybe it is in manual or somewhere. Don't have money Rn so not bothering to search. 😂
The 3A supply will do fine. The A3 Pro doesn't draw masses of current (I think maybe a 1A supply is standard). You'll be really impressed vs the Asgard 3, I think.
@@PassionforSound I have 400se and older version of topping dx3. Funny part is that 3.5 out of dx3 is more detail than its rca out to asgard. I know asgard isn't doing anything to drop detail because when I used 3.5 out of my hip dac before (which i sent to my brother now) felt like more detail through the amp than 3.5 out. The tone space and warmth of asgard 3 feels awesome to me. But I want a dac upgrade. Not sure if another newer 100 dollar new modi or atom 2 or e30 ii would be a big enough upgrade or if I'll regret the side grade instead of putting money on headphones. So right now it's headphone first (400se to xs, ananda or used arya if I get lucky), dac second (eyeing old mojo for 200 or so bucks) and amp only then. I wish used audio market in Australia had more stuff cuz my in laws are there.
Still waiting for mj3 review cuz there's basically 1 review on UA-cam right now. Your review would help my friend with utopia take the plunge I feel. 😂
How does it compare to the Asgard 3?
I love the Asgard 3, but this is in a different league altogether
How would this compare against ifi pro ican?
I'm yet to try the iCan so I can't answer that - sorry
Has anyone tried this as a preamp. Thinking of us in the JNOG into the Archel 3 pro and out to my Purifi amp?
Yes. It's excellent. You can translate everything I said about the headphone output to the preamp output in terms of sound quality. 🙂
Could I use this to drive Dan Clark Audio E3?
I haven't tried the E3, but I suspect it will do just fine
How would you compare it to the cheaper Jotenhiem 2? Any Soundstage width?
I haven't compared directly and I love the Jot 2, but A3 Pro is comfortably better IMO. I've compared Jot 2 with SA-1 and SA-1 with Soloist 3XP and my end results are that all are excellent, but Jot 2 < SA-1 < Soloist < A3 Pro
@@PassionforSound wow! Thanks!
@@PassionforSound picking up a used soloist for $700. I hope it lasts for some time. I'll try swapping in the sparkos to see the difference. I still haven't gotten over the idea of class D trumping a class A yet.
I think you'll be very happy with the Soloist!
Just for clarity, there are no Class D headphone amps that I'm aware of.
You can probably use an inline superconductor bank with the stock power. I have one on the Aune X8 and the result was quite impressive.
Yes, that should work. I haven't played with them, but so long as voltage and current delivery are retained, it should be a nice upgrade
Thoughts on this compared to the ss mode on lyr+? I finally broke my lyr+ ss mode in (i almost always use tube since i found a 60s rca tube and a nos Sylvania that i roll) but sometimes the ss sounds better depending on the material.
The A3 Pro blows the Lyr+ away (and I really like the Lyr+)
@@PassionforSound thanks for replying! Will have to consider for the future. Hope you get the new akm geshelli dac in.
It's planned. Just waiting for the review unit(s) 🙂
Just sold my tube amp and now I wonder which amp I should go with. The Archel 2.5 XL is definitely cheaper but the Archel 3 pro ist tempting.
But importing things to Europe simply sucks. Customs fees are another 75 bucks on top and shipping is expensive too :/
The A3 Pro is easily the best amp (significantly better than the Archel 2.5XL) under $700-800 USD. The only real competition is the Aune S17 Pro (which is a little better) so I'd say the A3 Pro is worth it unless you can get the S17 Pro cheaper.
@@PassionforSound well.. I bought it lol. That's quite a bit of money that disappeared from my bank account now, but I hope it will be worth it.
Next I'll probably buy the J2, haven't decided on the AKM chip yet but this will have to wait until I saved up more money. The tax fees to import Geshelli products to Germany are quite crazy.
For now, and this will sound ridiculous, I will use my FiiO K5 pro ESS as a DAC only. It will take a few weeks until the amp is made and arrives here in Europe. Hope it harmonizes well with my Sash Tres SE, which is basically Ukrainian LCD-2c. These headphones sound amazing by themselves, but I bet a bit of adjusting the tone controls will make them even better.
@PinePizza congratulations! I hope you love it (and expect you will)!
@@PassionforSound Well.. it just arrived and sadly I am getting humming and buzzing when turning on the tone controls, it's especially bad on high gain. I contacted Geshelli, might have to send my unit back. I expected the unit to be dead silent when using tone controls.
@PinePizza it definitely should be (mine certainly is) so either there's a fault in the device or a ground loop somewhere (hard to say without some troubleshooting, but the Geshelli team will take you through that). I'm sorry to hear it hasn't been as glorious an experience as I expected for you!
I would love to get some GL gear, but the shipping and exchange etc makes the price double to get it to Australia when I emailed them about it. Can be done but suddenly they have to compete against much more expensive chifi stuff - like most US gear .
Seems Chifi stuff gets here cheaper than it gets to the USA when you do the maths.
I’m not sure what trade deals different countries have with each other but last time I looked they shipped to NZ on the online shop which was about 20% of the shipping cost quoted via emails to get it sent to Oz
Yes, it makes it very difficult in multiple countries. For some of their products, it makes them not worthwhile here in Aus/NZ, but the A3 Pro performs so far above its price that it will be worth anything up to the same price as a Burson Soloist 3XP (and maybe then some)
maybe that's a stupid question. can I let Amplifier (Brooklyn Bridge) play for 20 hours? (This is about headphones burn in)
Absolutely. Won't do any harm at all 🙂
Other than the cheapest equipment, I have a problem with external power supply. Put it in the unit preferably not switching.
Using external supplies helps to keep the size compact and the price lower. It's a good trade-off to get sound of this quality at the price and size, I think. It's unlikely they could achieve this performance for under $1000 if they used in internal linear supply.
bass quality, scene depth a3 vs. 3xp? you didn't mention this in video..
I'd say they're comparable. I tend to highlight the differences so as not to draw out the videos too long. That means that if I don't specifically mention bass, mids, soundstage, etc. then there isn't a significant difference
@@PassionforSound very interesting, external common power brick 12 v vs advanced burson own technology power supply and the bass is the same...
Yes, it all comes down to the circuit designs. There will be a different approach to power filtering, etc. In both amps and then the rest of the circuit will be optimised to the power supply being used in each case.
I found that the size of A3 is smaller than other amps, Can it drive hd600 or hd800s well? How did it happen？🤔
Yep, it's got plenty of power for both of those and will suit them well too.
In terms of total size, it's not dissimilar to other powerful amps like Asgard 3, Jotunheim 2, A90/A90D, etc.
How the sound if compare to topping A90D?
Comfortably better IMO. I prefer the SA-1 over A90D and the Soloist 3XP over the SA-1. The A3 Pro is better than 3XP so it's comfortably ahead of SA-1 and therefore A90D too.
would love to see this vs the E3 pro
Stay tuned! 😁
Awesome review. Are they perhaps working on a matching DAC to compliment this?
I'm not sure exactly. I know that there's a new DAC coming with AKM's new dual chip DAC (4499?) so perhaps they'll be matching, but I don't know for sure.
@@PassionforSound That's great to hear and thank you for the reply. I'm hoping it gives the Gustard A-26 a run for its money. If you still have the A-26 when it comes out perhaps a head to head comparison would make for some good content. ( Hint, Hint)
I don't have an A26 at all yet so we'll have to see if the stars align 😁
Geshelli would be perfect if all the products had xlr output also for headphones.
XLR output isn't necessary for maximum performance and many of us have non-XLR terminated headphones. I think there will be a balanced output version of this in the future though.
the burson killer?
At the 3XP level - yes
Geshelli Labs A3Pro or Lyr+. Which is your preference and the better value and why?
A3 Pro all the way. Unless you want the ability to play with tubes, the A3 Pro is better in every way. More input options, time 3 controls and better sound quality (regardless of the mode of tubes in the Lyr+)
dang... that's some bold claim there. now I want to sell my Singxer SA-1 and get A3 Pro...
I would definitely support that decision 🙂
Thanks!
Thank you, Jay!
Honestly for $500 I'll wait for the successor of the jotunheim 2.
Hope this isn’t too soon haha, just bought my jot 2
@@nickkarach76 Well it came out late 2020. So 3 years this december. Maybe next year when it turns 4 years old.
The Jot 2 is lovely, but the A3 Pro is on a whole different level. Schiit will have their work cut out for them to catch up on this one
Can’t wait for lachlans review of the 1266 phi tc . My guess is based upon his preferences he won’t be as impressed with it as I am. It’s a party fun speaker with tons of bass tons of energy but lacking in refinement and naturalness.
You're somewhat correct in that prediction, Ace, but not exactly 😉
@@PassionforSound interesting now I’m really looking forward to it.
I wonder if this could be anything better than amps from Flux Lab Acoustics - FA12S is pretty much same price
I need to try the Flux Labs - we had plans for a review before the war in Ukraine. I think it will have a hard time matching the A3 Pro though based on my comparison with the Soloist 3XP
@@PassionforSound I guess we need to wait and find out. From what I see and read Flux is making something very unique in terms of sound quality so it might surprise you.
I'll reach out and see what they're up to at the moment and if they're in a position to send me something to review.
I think im gonna wait on an ss amp until i see whst the moljnir 3 has to offer.
Yes, MJ3 looks very interesting! It'll need to be good to beat the A3 Pro on sound quality, but 🤞🤞
Can I do OP-Amp rolling with this amp?
I haven't checked, but I wouldn't recommend it. You'll have a VERY hard time finding an op-amp as good as (or possibly even close to) the Sparkos pro op-amps being used
i love music but could never afford to be an "audio purist" or "audiophile" as we define them. a purist to me is an audiophile that has enough money to buy 20 to 30 sets of headphones, a dozen or more each of high end amps and dacs then play with different configurations to achieve whatever playback results they are after without using eq's or tone controls thinking they are hearing the artists intent. i like many, do not have the resources to do this so i will stick with what i think sounds as good as possible then hit the tone controls or eq band when needed. besides, i think my ears are broken. i was at an audio store and listened to a serious high end setup with the store rep hyping up the playback purity and i thought it sounded hollow, thin & lifeless. perception is "purely" subjective.
I think that's exactly the right approach, Steve. I think trying to find the "right" sound is a fool's errand because every recording is different and no-one can ever know what the artist intended (or which artist because recordings are made by so many people).
I think you've got the right approach in finding what you like and then focussing on enjoying the music.
As for the salesperson in the store, everyone has different ideas of what sounds good and, as you say, it's all subjective so no-one is right.
Why not just drive your headphones though speaker switchable outputs if you have them?
Do you mean from a speaker amp?
@@PassionforSound Yes, just from your normal amp, you would need to make a lead up though.
Ok, so in that case, there are a few reasons that I don't do it and don't specifically recommend it (not that it's wrong/bad). The tail of damaging your headphones by mistake is a big one because of the levels of power from speaker amps. Then there's the convenience of easily switching between speakers and headphones. An affordable HP amp is also easier for most people to deal with than getting switch boxes and adapter leads.
@@PassionforSound You would be surprised how far you need to turn up the volume control on your amp to achieve normal listening levels with headphones.
You might think with 100w amp, I'm going to blow my headphones, it doesn't work like that though.
I'm just saying an adapter lead from the speaker outputs works fine, it's not something people think about because they think it will blow their headphones. But it won't.
The trouble isn't that you have to turn it up to a certain level for the headphones alone. It's that a much lower sensitivity driver like a speaker driver (e.g. 86dB sensitivity) demands significantly higher power (and therefore volume settings) than a significantly more efficient headphone (e.g. 96dB sensitivity). The problems arise - and they do - when someone forgets to adjust the volume from speaker levels before connecting to their headphones and POP! There goes an expensive headphone driver.
If you like to setup that way, that's totally fine - I'm not saying you're wrong to do so because the sound can be great. My point is to warn others reading this of the dangers and I have heard many, many stories of this occuring when people use vintage amps or modern power amps like AHB-2 for driving headphones.
Every amp video i see.....no tone controls? That's me out, then.
It's a rarity these days, but not with this one! 😁
Love the beard bro, no homo
Thanks. No need to specify that last bit though 🙂
@@PassionforSound I know... it rhymes tho.
😁
Love the company but don’t like this product as for it just looks too busy
That's fair enough. There's a fair bit going on and by keeping it compact, it does make it look busier.
Kinda mehh.
Btw. Please use less compression with your mic preamp. Voice is sooooo unnatural, very strange.
I don't use any compression and there's no need to be rude. You're welcome to not watch.
@@PassionforSound lol whee I'm rude? Just saying. Voice is so bold thick and loud.
@@IHearEverythingDude sounds like you might have an equipment problem. His voice sounds pretty natural and pleasant to me.
Something is wrong on your end.
@@jonathandavis9507 could be I used tws that seems to be malfunctioning. Will check later at home.