Drop + THX AAA 789 Linear Headphone Amplifier - Desktop Amp with Balanced XLR and Single-Ended RCA Inputs

The very favorable reviews in the audio media are what prompted this purchase. I have no regrets. Construction is solid. The XLR inputs provide a better signal from my Mark Levenson preamp via the required 25 foot cable. The 3 stages of gain and the smooth rotary volume knob make for precise volume settings. Three different headphone connectors are available. Before purchasing headphones, I listened to classical recordings via Quad electrostatic speakers, and I thought the sound was detailed while somewhat lacking in dynamics. What I now hear through my AKG702 headphones is greater detail, better dynamics and an immediacy not heard heard through my floor speakers. This is not a harsh, digital, analytical sound but simply more detailed information in a still very listenable manner . Another very nice headphone amp I own (but with only RCA inputs) sounds more "tubelike", pleasant and smooth but lacking in the detail provided by the 789. I much prefer to hear all the information in a recording. This headphone amp has exceeded my expectations and is a bargain at its price.

I'm not going to say that this amp somehow changes the sound of music as if blessed by God's chorus of angels themselves. What it does, it does VERY well. I have a Cambridge Audio DACMagic Plus running to this with Amazon Basics balanced cables, and USB from my laptop. It is powering a pair of Sennheiser HD650 headphones, the modern equivalent of which is also available from Drop. I paid $400 for these headphones a decade ago, and I think they go for about $220 from Drop. I had previously used an integrated amp solution from Peachtree Audio, the Decco2 - also using USB from my computer. That Peachtree amp uses a (bypassable) tube input stage and class A headphone output. I was never really impressed by the sound of my headphones from that amp though...I mean, it sounded good, but it was missing something. I bought a $900 pair of Bowers & Wilkins P9 as a replacement...that's how much I thought was missing. But now, through this combo of Cambridge Audio DAC and Drop + THX AAA 789 headphone amp, I am really quite pleased with the sound! It sounds REALLY good. In fact, I think the Sennheisers sound BETTER in this combo than the B&W P9s (the reverse was true with the Peachtree)! That's right... $220 headphones now sound BETTER than a $900 pair, at least to me. This entire combo, Sennheiser HD6xx, Cambridge Audio DAC Magic Plus, and Drop + THX AAA 789, would cost about $900 today, or MUCH less than the $1400+ I paid for the Peachtree and Sennheiser combo a decade ago. That $900 could be reduced further by getting a less expensive, but still very high quality DAC, such as those from Topping, Schiit, and others, that can be had from $50-250+ (sky's the limit on DAC prices - up to tens of thousands of dollars...serously, though diminishing returns occurs the higher you go, as with all audio). This amp is a no brainer, if you ask me, and very highly recommended for those who demand high quality audio!

I have a Schitt head amp and an Ayre Codex, but neither offers an XLR 4 pin headphone connection. Most of my headphones are terminated in 4 pin so I had to use adaptors for my other amps. That is a pain. I liked the looks of the 789 at first glance because, among its other features, it has an XLR headphone connection. Then i began to notice that some reviewers that I trust either had one on their desk or referred to the 789 in reviews of other products. I was curious. Given the price, I bought one. I still can't believe how quiet, transparent and resolving it is. Both the "balanced" and the RCA outputs provide stunning clarity. I love it.After 9 months, a few changes in interconnects and USB cables. I am literally amazed at the sound that I am getting. I think this is an incredible value. I took a USB cable that sounded a bit edgy in my main system, and it actually improved the sound of my desktop system, without a hint of the glare I had been hearing in my other system. This makes no sense to me, but it illustrates that character and tone can be affected by the wires you connect your dac with. Full disclosure, I should mention that I added and AudioQuest Powerquest 3 power conditioner, and it is probably a combination of the two items. The point is, it sounded good out of the box, but with a few tweeks it is even more enjoyable. Great buy.

(Positive)+Lots of Power+Excellent Noise Floor(Neutral)+/- Clean Sound+/- Balanced(Negative)- Build Quality Questionable- Volume Potentiometer- Short warrantyI've used my 789 for thousands of hours at this point. This was my first high-end amplifier, and initially, I was very pleased with my purchase. As a benchmark of good clean sound, the 789 is pretty much the gold standard. This is quite literally a double-edged sword, the 789 is so clean it seems to lack soul. I don't mean it in a bad way, it is just incredibly clean. Maybe too clean. It drives everything I've used with it very well, the build quality is meh, the buttons are not the nicest, and the volume potentiometer is unreliable. A potential fix to the potentiometer is to leave it at 100% volume and adjust line levels accordingly. The case doesn't sit totally flush. None of these things have impacted operation, but at this price, they shouldn't have these flaws which seem common according to other critical reviews.