N@Z 0 Report post Posted December 14, 2003 Patience is always a virtue when dealing with Xin. My patience finally paid off when I received my freebie SuperMicro last Saturday afternoon. It just came inside an unassuming bubble wrap padded envelope. Thanks Dr Xin Feng (aka Fixup) of X Y Computing & Network. I have no idea whether it has been burned-in or not. Physically it looks pretty much exactly the same as Absolute0's AD823 in the photos. I think both ours have similar specs bar the OPA. Ours also don't have the optional ER4P-to-S switch, which I don't need anyway. Amp specifications: 2 button digital volume control CCS (Class A) XinFeed (Minature crossfeed) Super Blue LED light AD8620 OPA I've only been able to listen to it once last night. I will let you know my impression after I've had another listen to it tonight to reconfirm my thoughts. So I ask of you the same patience as was asked of me. I have been waiting for this amp since October! You'll only have to wait another night. In the mean time as a teaser here is what it looks like in the setup I'm using right now. Sony D-EJ925 PCDP -> Marketek mini to mini -> SuperMicro/META42 -> Etymotic ER4S. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Absolute0 0 Report post Posted December 14, 2003 Wow I am really waiting for this one. Hope it doesn't turn away all my buyers, N@Z! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Q00 0 Report post Posted December 14, 2003 Whoa N@Z!!! Things have been looking up for you this particular month hasnt it! You have been getting "the catch of the day" for quite some time now hehehe... U just seem to be approaching audio nirvana over and over... Maybe Absolute0, you could post your impressions of yer supermicro as well! Its a totally different sounding amp due to its diff Opa. I would drop the cash for it if i had the greens for it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N3w_Typ3 0 Report post Posted December 14, 2003 COOL upz for N@Z!!! all to do now is ENJOYS !! CHEERS N_T Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
augustineRS 0 Report post Posted December 14, 2003 I was wondering the option of having a digital over the analog volume control will make a difference. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N@Z 0 Report post Posted December 14, 2003 (edited) Abs0, don't worry, suffice to say I am very very impressed with mine. augustineRS, the analog volume control is not an option on the SuperMicro (only SuperMini) due to lack of space. See the photo below. Infact compared to the single button (2db steps) SuperMini v3, this twin button (1db steps) is alot better & IMO does not audibly affect the sound in operation. Edited December 17, 2003 by N@Z Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
headphonecrazy 0 Report post Posted December 15, 2003 Just curious 2 know, can it drive the Sennheiser 600s? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Q00 0 Report post Posted December 15, 2003 its supposed to due to the voltage booster on it.... so it should be able to handle the big voltage swings required by the 600 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N@Z 0 Report post Posted December 15, 2003 This is what I can write about it so far, bare in mind the equipment used as posted earlier. The plusses: The first thing that I noticed about the sound is the richness & fullness of the mids. Vocals & stringed acoustic instruments like guitars & violins sound truly amazing. Recordings with upfront vocals sound especially superb. Next was the amount of minute detail I could hear in the recording without hinting at brightness at all. Seperation of insturments is very good giving a well defined perspective to their relative positions (in your head). The digital volume control is very easy to use & does not affect the sound in anyway. Low volume performance is also very good & it will remember the previous setting after powering down. Not sure if that is the case after replacing the battery. I've only used it for a several hours so far. The Blue LED light although tiny has the same brightness & can be used similarly like my META as a night light! The minuses: The first time I used it I thought it had a very slight grain to the sound which I didn't notice the second time round I used it. It lacks bass weight compared with the Etys+META however bass extension is it's forte & the rest of the range is more clearly heard because of this. Although I don't have big stubby fingers, it's a little hard to use the power switch in the dark & near impossible to operate the Xinfeed (Crossfeed switch) because it is so tiny & recessed in the enclosure. The finish around the holes for the switches & volume seems iffy but that's nit picking considering what this baby is capable of. Conclusion: Given its microscopic board size & the modest 1.5V operation (boosted to about 5.5V) the performance is simply astounding! At the very least right now (assuming still requiring the obligatory burning-in) it is on a par with my META & the PCII. I agree with Xin's claim that this minature amp has a warm tube like sound (at least with the AD8620 opa). Is it better than the other amps? Again, depends on your taste & what headphones you use. They all have different characters. To me it's a very close call. My preference, presently it is still my portable META but only just! It is very closely followed by the SuperMicro & last but still not the least PCII (which to me still works the best with Beyer headphones). Is it worth that much money for so little amp? IMO, yes. I'd pay for it knowing what I know now. If you see used ones snap it up & I'm not just saying this to help Abs0. If you don't like the AD823 sound send it back to Xin to have it changed to AD8620. Last note: remember the first time you heard the Koss KSC35? Impressed? Yep, same thing with the SuperMicro. Dr Xin, you are a GENIUS! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Absolute0 0 Report post Posted December 15, 2003 Hey N@Z, great review there! I agree for the most part of it despite the difference in op amp, but I guess mine can be more detailed. The bass coming out of my Supermicro is tight and punchy, and I don't find bass weight lacking at all, though it might be due to the more aggressive nature of the AD823. And yes, I think it does remember the previous volume setting after battery replacement, and indeed it is pretty difficult to operate the Xinfeed with bare fingers, but I have absolutely no problems using the power switch in the dark! Perhaps you still need to get used to yours. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
augustineRS 0 Report post Posted December 15, 2003 After looking at the differences in the presentation due to the opamps,was wondering is it possible to change the opamps ourseleves? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N@Z 0 Report post Posted December 15, 2003 Not according to Xin, you will have to send it back to him to have it changed I can't find the photo of the board showing the opamp on his website. From recollection he uses a different production process to normal soldering. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mackie 0 Report post Posted December 16, 2003 Fantastic performance for something so mico. I'm glad that PCII has synergy with Beyer cans (all that I own), otherwise, my mind will start veering towards this bugger. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N@Z 0 Report post Posted December 17, 2003 A little update, after approximately +12 hours of use on a Duracell Alkaline battery, the sound started to clip even at low volume. But the super bright LED light is still going strong. I could literally use it as a close range narrow beam flash light! Going to try with an Energizer (e2 Titanium Technology) battery next. I remember these had really good life on my SuperMini V3. Which incidently I will try to compare with this weekend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelv 0 Report post Posted December 19, 2003 Ermm, are the two recessed buttons the power and the crossfeed switch, respectively? And exactly what is the fuction of the crossfeed? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
