THX AAA 789 / Monolith THX 887

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JohnR

THX AAA 789 / Monolith THX 887
« on: 16 Sep 2019, 01:04 pm »
Has anyone heard one of these THX-derived amps? The one from Massdrop oops Drop is back on preorder and there's the new competitor from Monoprice.

adydula

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Re: THX AAA 789 / Monolith THX 887
« Reply #1 on: 16 Sep 2019, 01:59 pm »
Several sites have reviewed that amp, Class AB, and its not totally balanced...

Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV8hgxQrJiw

Looks good, measures well.

I honestly dont think it is anything really earthshattering than whats aleady out there.

They even state they cut some corners where "it doensnt count"....

But many vendors in the low end do this....

Looks nice...

Alex

JohnR

Re: THX AAA 789 / Monolith THX 887
« Reply #2 on: 16 Sep 2019, 03:12 pm »
I finally found what you refer to. Mason says that internally it's differential a la Putzeys, which I assume and if memory serves is that circuit where the local ground is treated as the negative leg of a differential circuit. This is cutting edge stuff at a budget i.e. non-mortgage price, I'm a bit surprised you are not more enthusiastic about it :)

adydula

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Re: THX AAA 789 / Monolith THX 887
« Reply #3 on: 16 Sep 2019, 08:33 pm »
I guess I am getting abit jaded in my old age!  :D

Unless I have it hear and listen with it i am always a bit skeptical...

I have run thru 20 or so amps, a dozen dacs, lots of mega buck cables (speaker) and interconnects....lots of "cutting edge"...and that
term in used a lot...

It maybe cutting edge in design and implementation but whats the real improvement in the sonic presentation.

I would love to have one to try out and see what its cutting edge really means for the actual listening session.

I recently built the T2 (DIY) and really was impressed using it...but another high end engineer and designer who has one of the best measuring amps out there,
since pulled off the market, rained all over the T2, indicates it measures terribly....but yet it sounds just great IMO.  :D

The T2 has no cutting edge it it all....but the high end amp certaintly does or did...maybe this is why i dont jump up and down when new stuff comes out...

Back a few years when the O2 first came out I really liked the design goals and how it worked...what a ride that one was....

So John, I hope you get this amp and let us know how it works.

Alex

JohnR

Re: THX AAA 789 / Monolith THX 887
« Reply #4 on: 17 Sep 2019, 03:03 am »
Well, I'm asking if someone here has heard it :) I'm jaded too, which is why I now stay away from the popular brands. The T2 is interesting, although it's basically the polar opposite of the THX AAA (in solid state).

adydula

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Jon L

Re: THX AAA 789 / Monolith THX 887
« Reply #6 on: 17 Sep 2019, 04:15 pm »
789internal by drjlo2, on Flickr

Posted on ASR.  As expected given the price point, there are lots of opamps  :|

JohnR

Re: THX AAA 789 / Monolith THX 887
« Reply #7 on: 17 Sep 2019, 04:34 pm »
What I meant to say is, it seems to me it has exactly the right number of op-amps...

adydula

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Re: THX AAA 789 / Monolith THX 887
« Reply #8 on: 23 Nov 2019, 08:01 pm »
Just wondering if anyone out there has one of these yet?

Monoprice has its "Monolith" version that costs $399....

JohnR asked about this awhile back and I had no clue about this technology.

Since then out of boredom!! I watched a video with the head of audio R&D at THX in the UK and he was explaining what this AAA
technology is from a design point etc...it was very informative....

So this is the amp that measures or out measures all others!!

So who has one??

Christmas is coming!!

Alex

adydula

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Re: THX AAA 789 / Monolith THX 887
« Reply #9 on: 24 Nov 2019, 08:32 pm »
The specs for a non Class A amp are absolutley insane!!







Alex


adydula

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Re: THX AAA 789 / Monolith THX 887
« Reply #10 on: 30 Nov 2019, 04:45 pm »

adydula

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Re: THX AAA 789 / Monolith THX 887
« Reply #11 on: 1 Dec 2019, 12:32 pm »
I posted my write up of my Monoprice 887 here:

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=166553.msg1769249#msg1769249

I did this because I stared the "surprise coming" discussion thread and didnt want folks to get lost....with my ramblings!!

Alex