Oh wow, there’s a really interesting comparison/contest to win this stuff. There are four 88khz FLAC files to download under the video, and the goal is to guess which amp is which between an iPhone, a Bluetooth module, a DAC/AMP and a THX Amp. That’s really interesting!
My guess:
A is the Radsone ES100 Bluetooth module (compressed – you can’t even hear half of the cymbals!)
B is the Topping DX7 Pro (second best, bass is a just bit muddy)
C is the SU-8/SP200 combo (the best, speed and clarity everywhere)
D is the iPhone (the worst – muddiness everywhere)
And someone already guessed the same, so it’s the first one, not me, who’ll win the Topping DX3, if this is right.
Edit: Bass is just a bit muddy, he says, comparing all this with his Denon AVR with muddy, boosted bass. Lol.
Still, honestly, it’s just a question of personal preference. Some people don’t even like the THX stuff because it sounds too “clinical/analytical”. Some people on this forum heard the X000$ Benchmark THX speaker amps, and had the same impression. Obviously there’s apparently a ton more detail to hear with the THX stuff but well. Speed and clarity can also be seen as “thinness” (like, my T50RPs vs my HD58Xs).
Oluv said it himself in the video too, his ears are not as good as they were when he was 20-25 years old. And, yeah, he’s nearly 45. So, “good sound”, for him, may mean good old smooth, “tubey” sound… perfectly replicated by his iPhone’s muddy output.
I’m still subscribed to him anyway, because binaural audio tests of headphones is so damn rare, and useful.
The Archel2 was on a limited release for a few weeks back in Oct/Nov. That introduction ended November 4th. It just came back on the market November 29th. The Archel2.5 was also released on November 29th. The original Archel was designed for 300-600ohm headphones and did not have a gain switch. Our new amps now have a gain switch. The Archel2 is well suited for a variety of headphones. Gain on the A2 is set at 4x. The Archel2.5 has a full one watt per channel, upgraded op amps, and XLRs. The high gain is closer to the original with a low gain great for low ohms. We decided to make two so folks who didn’t need XLRs, balanced in’s etc. wouldn’t have to pay extra for features they do not need.
They beat me too it. I’ll mention it more in the review but I think the one watt of power should be perfect. The Archel 2 has enough power for all the headphones that I’ve tested. I will say that I can listen to the Hifiman at full volume on low gain and its is LOUD but not uncomfortable. Planar are harder to drive though. On high gain they could distort slightly at max volume but I don’t believe anyone would listen to them that loud.
To Geshelli’s point though ( Spoiler Alert) If you don’t need balanced or have hard to drive headphones the Archel 2 Pro is a no brainer, if you have planar or hard to drive headphones there is the 2.5 Pro.
I mean if you are the ONE GUY who shits on a popular product, it’s going to get you attention. It’s a gamble, but he could be playing it up to get more clicks. It reminds me a bit of when Zeos shit on the Audio Technica M50s. Lol
I’ve seen some other channels do similar with ‘popular’ products and they gain a small fanbase… “I only trust YOU now!” type of thing… because that person saved them from spending money.
Makes sense, well let’s hope he doesn’t get ahold of something like geshelli products to avoid undeserved hate lol (or any amps that are actually good for that matter)
