Agreed. This is my first speaker (stereo) and I must say I prefer speakers for sure. I mean even if I had crazy good sounding headphones the reason I prefer the speakers is also that there is something about having them in front of you. The sound, the distance it’s just more special
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Any thoughts on this powering the RB42s???
this also exists
Not for the rb42 lol, would not recommend
That should be fine, personally I prefer the topping pa3 with them, but that should also work too
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is this a good deal for $45 used? for rb42
Would this amp be enough without a DAC? Or would you recommend this amp as well as a DAC? If so, which DAC? For relatively lower budget. Thanks for the feedback!
What do you plan on using as your source?
Planning for a TV setup, not desktop.
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If you have RCA out on your TV, I guess. DAC would be recommended though.
Would a receiver like this be more cost efficient for a TV setup with the RB42s?
I can’t say for sure since I’m not too knowledgeable but I had heard you want at least 80 watts per channel to power the miccas properlyy
I have one It works well for me.
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I think the pa3 + a d10 dac or m100 dac would come out to the same as a receiver (but I think the small amp and dac stack would be higher quality)
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Pobato, I am using the Topping MX3 and it is powering them really well. Alot folks say they need 80 watts or more to get their real potential. I plan to get a more powerful amp but for now this MX3 is powering them really well…
My current configuration is: MINIX Anroid TV Box, optical into the Topping MX3, hooked to the RB42’s. I also use Bluetooth from my phone… Both work really well…
Yeah the SMSL AD18 I use is 80wpc, compared to the original amp I used, the Origain, which was 50wpc. I can easily tell a difference in sound quality.
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Oh yeah I bought two additional items, USB cable and foam blocks. I’ll update the purchase list:
$4.51 AmazonBasics USB 2.0 A-Male to Micro B Charger Cable, 6 feet, Black
$17.99 AmazonBasics Foam Yoga Blocks - 4 x 9 x 6 Inches, Set of 2, Black
$149.99 Micca RB42 Speakers
$99.99 Micca Origain DAC+amp AD250
$16.99 Micca banana plugs 6ft
$4.99 Amazon Basics optical cable (optional; USB sounds much better).
total before tax: $294.46
Micca RB42s>Logitech Z333 but not by much which is why I will recommend the Logitech Z333s (and buying a DAC to pair with these active speakers as it already has its integrated amp) more than the Micca RB42s. I was thinking of keeping the Logitechs and pairing it with the JDS Labs El DAC 2 as it just came out and Z liked the previous version a lot. I hate returning things, especially with Amazon’s more strict return policies.
Loudness is decent. In a super quiet silent room (my m-itx PC has only two Noctua fans and a MSI GTX 1080 that has a fanless mode at <70C, and I cannot hear any fan/electronic noise unless my ear is super duper close outside of its vents) I can hear the speakers decently when the volume knob indicator is turned to top left (~40%). I didn’t want to test the amp/speakers to the point of breaking but for sure the Micca Origain can fill my room no problem (room can fit like four king size beds in sq area so it’s pretty spacious). Not sure if it distorts at high volume so I am not sure to recommend these as party speakers.
Using the Micca Origan AD250 DAC+amp combo, USB (96khz 24bit) has better clarity, fullness, and definition/resolution than optical (192khz 24bit). It seems like in older/cheaper DACs, Audiosciencereviews’ test results with USB vs Optical show that USB is better and I definitely heard the difference.
Both Micca and Logitech sound very similar that the overall sound improvement is very small. In an analogy, it’s like going from “medium” to “medium-high” in a very specific gaming graphics setting but it isn’t game-changing like jumping from 720p to 1080p. So yeah, the Miccas are definitely not worth the extra $~300 (it needs a subwoofer, Micca’s low end was more detailed but it was still missing some sounds/frequencies that the Logitech had; I was debating on either the Polk PSW10 or Sony SA-CS9). I may keep the Miccas because they look more sexy, sturdy (holy moly it weighs a lot but in a good-build kind of way) and I like buying new things.
I tested the sound by watching videos/movies and listening to music (even Tidal’s free trial with its super high quality “mastered” versions of audio files… couldn’t hear a difference lol). To sum up the improvements, there are these two Youtube videos:
4:29 Slight detailing/texture improvement (no extra unheard sound effects, just improved sharpness/definition). the sound effects of the helm breaking apart, sky “breaking open” into the alternate dimension (idk) with sounds of thunder, Sylvanas’ badass banshee screaming, and of course the sexy rumbling bass at the end when the title “Shadowlands” unveils while the textured dark clouds move around and vanish. The lows, mids, and highs sounded a little bit more detailed/clearer in the Miccas but not in a game-changing way that’s worth $300 more.
0:0 Slight Imaging improvement: It was so nice to hear the bells, “beams” (idk), and Drake’s/2 Chainz’s voice in more detail/clarity. Miccas sounded a little bit more airy, clearer, centered, and sharper compared to Logitech’s frontal sound signature as if there’s a plane/blanket of muzzled music going into your ears. Again like in the Shadowlands video, the improvements are only slightly noticeable that it doesn’t justify the additional +$300.
That’s my review so far. I definitely need to buy a sub to pair with these Micca RB42s. I’m still a happy customer even though I lost ~$200 to squeeze out a smidgen of improvement in sound. Again, don’t buy the Micca RB42s unless you have a good DAC+amp. I think that’s why the sound improvements were minimal because I’m using only this $100 Micca Origain AD250 DAC+amp. Oh well, lesson learned lol.
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Thanks for the detailed feedback…
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I really think those Micca cables with pre-installed banana plugs are a really good deal. They are what I use and I have never had a problem with them. Very good quality.