i’m thinking of upgrading my current amp which is the schiit asgard 2, and here are the two options that i’m considering :
i can wait for the drop of the thx aaa 789 and also get a separate balanced dac, or instead get the thx aaa 788 from monoprice
so my question is: is there a sound quality difference between the two amps?, and can the balanced output of the monoprice amp power the argons mk3 properly since it’s less powerful than the 789?
Thanks…
The 788 can power everything.
I own both the 788 and 789 and they are both fantastic. Kinda wish I had just purchased the 788 instead of the 789 with the SU-8.
do you have the Monoprice or Massdrop AMP’s?
no i don’t, my current amp is the schit asgard 2 with the modi 2 dac.
hey Ryodan, sorry, I was talking to PE, since he has both options.
Sorry for not specefying what I meant in the original question, I was asking about the desktop aaa 788 amp/dac not the portable one…
My bad… I see 788 and I think the portable. I don’t own the desktop so I can’t speak to it directly. I have heard power-wise it is nothing in comparison to the 789. The portable is a monster able to power anything. Personally I’d go with the portable from everything I’ve heard.
And many of us automatically think of the Monoprice desktop. The simplistic 788 vs 789 designations that are being used in headphone fora are causing the confusion. Trying to get this straight in my mind, I found that there is not one, or even two, but three products all built around the THX AAA 788 amp module (listed here: https://www.thx.com/mobile/aaa/). One is a Massdrop product, two are Monoprice Monolith products:
1. The Massdrop X THX AAA 789 Linear Amplifier is a desktop amp-only, built with THX’s AAA (Achromatic Audio Amplifier) tech, using dual THX’s 788 amp modules in a THX-designed balanced architecture. (So the product as a whole = 789, but it contains 788s, just like the Monoprice products do.) Output: 800 mW bal. and 200 mW SE at 300 Ω. Ref: Drop + THX AAA™ 789 Linear Amplifier | Audiophile Amp.
2. The Monoprice 24459 is the product number and only short designation for their desktop amp/DAC unit. If you want to call it by its full name, the Monolith by Monoprice Desktop Balanced Headphone Amplifier and DAC with THX AAA Technology (Dual AKM 4493 DACs & Dual AAA-788 Modules), go right ahead. This model uses two 788s and two AKM 4493 DAC chips and is also balanced. Output: 580 mW bal. and 150 mW SE at 300 Ω. Ref: https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24459.
3. The Monoprice 24460 is the product number for their portable amp/DAC. Full name: the Monolith by Monoprice Portable Headphone Amplifier and DAC with THX AAA Technology. This model uses one 788 and one AKM 4493 and is not balanced. Output: 46 mW SE only at 300 Ω. Ref: https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24460.
The names Monoprice 24459 and 24460 are probably not going to fly at this point. So if using a 788 designation, you probably need to specify Desktop or Portable (as Ryodan properly did in the title of this thread).
I have the Monolith 788 Desktop but not the Massdrop 789, but looking at the specs, they do seem to have related but different specification amps.
The 788 SE output at 300 ohms is 150mW, where the 789 SE output at 300 ohms is 200mW.
Balanced, the 788 at 300 ohms is 580mW, and the 789 at 300 ohms is 800mW.
The Monolith Portable at 300 ohms SE is 46mW, and PapaEmeritus found it to be powerful enough for his gear.
Comparison, the Aune X7S output at 300 ohms SE is 250mW and balanced is 1W.
For my application of DT 1990 Pro on SE and Westone UM Pro 30 on balanced, I have no issues with power on the Monolith 788 Desktop.
