mstyles3k's Demo Tracks
Description
Personally-curated and scrutinized for my reviews of audio gear. Each should be able to highlight specific traits of good sound reproduction: quality of bass/midrange/treble, imaging/instrument separation, and a little "fun factor."
Quickstats
Playlist Length
0 days, 1 hours, 32 minutes
Playlist Followers
69
Source
Playlist Last Updated
May 31, 2018
Mood
Mixed Mood
Track Popularity Rating
Somewhat Popular
Style
Varied
Average Release Decade
2000s
Main Genre:
Mixed
Reddit Info
Reddit Post
Hi, it's me again...the guy who thought he was done once he got the LCD-2C and 6XX. Zeos managed to post his video review of the Monolith THX AAA 788 (I'm just going to call it the 788 after this) on a morning when I was tired, sick, pissed off, and wanted to engage in a bout of retaliatory spending against the world. Take that feeling of total crap and combine it with an impending sense of "damnit, Zeos reviewed this and now Monoprice is going to sell out of these things" and I found myself plunking down an order. Bought on Sunday, shipped the next day, and at my doorstep this afternoon, here I am. I am sitting on my couch, jaw on the floor, and laughing at myself for thinking there wasn't a point in trying for a better DAC/amp than the Topping D30/Magni 3 stack. Now these are going to be a really rough and quick set of initial impressions as I work through my demo playlists (which can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/user/neo_styles/playlist/2wrfs9LEQvXxBDEZKO8tDs?si=7VoXUjzORbm5JgCHlNim_A) and [here](https://open.spotify.com/user/neo_styles/playlist/78TX4Ms8vYUvTdIzMRJ2tY?si=HWldoe8aTRCV5iiUtYXe4A)), but the first thing I have to say is that Monoprice needs to either fire their photographer or find a better backdrop for photographing the 788. Even my photo doesn't do justice to how clean a slab of metal this thing is. What looks like the same cheaply-brushed aluminum as the D30 (this time dressed in black) looks way more pleasing to the eye than I can apparently portray but, alas, our DSLR is at the wife's house so this will have to do. Everything feels substantial on this thing. The knob has a good amount of resistance and does a reassuring bump-bump-bump as it works through each step. What looks like a glaringly-bright and tacky display, in person, is a lot softer and smoother. The modder in me might look into making it amber in the future, but I could live with this. Only thing I could probably have asked for is a metal plug for the single-ended jack. Black plastic isn't a dealbreaker, but just a little shiny silver there to match the tiny silver feet might have upped the premium-feel factor. I also think the wall-wart feels a little cheap for the price paid, but hopefully that means they invested more into the 788's guts. Now I used to be a Windows guy, then I got an external DAC...and anybody who's had to deal with finding the right ASIO driver (or not having one at all) can tell you how much of a pain in the ass that can be. After my computer somehow just decided to lose its activation (which is supposed to be tied to my Microsoft account) and having to deal with the living hell that is Microsoft Customer Support, I'm now running Ubuntu on my PC and will probably never look back. This OS is an absolute BLESSING for people who run external audio equipment. You remember what "plug and play" is supposed to mean? Yeah...you actually get it here. No drivers to hunt down, no complicated menu settings to work through, just "Settings>Sound>Output>Digital Output (S/PDIF)- MONOLITH DESKTOP HPA." It instantly popped up. Might be a little counterintuitive selecting S/PDIF to run the signal out via USB, but it works and I'm not willing to question it. It. Works. That's all I can really ask for out of a DAC when it comes to setup. Die-hards could probably go an extra step and make sure they're using ALSA instead of PureVolume, but the important thing is it's not necessary to make the damn thing work. Did I mention Ubuntu features Spotify in their Software Center so you don't even need to use Terminal to install it? Major plus. But how does the damn thing sound? Fucking. Amazing. Take the D30/Magni 3 stack, give it a clean shave and a shot of testosterone, and you might be able to develop a mental image of what the 788 can do. For the initial impressions, I'm going to stick with the LCD-2C since people claim it's fussy as hell with amplification. More cans (and IEMs) and a more thorough comparison to the D30/Magni 3 stack will come around for the long-term impressions in about a month. Just understand that, ratings be damned, the 788 comes out a clear winner. Bass quantity and quality are here in droves. Mids are exactly what one would expect out of a pair like the 2Cs, which is to say they're fantastic. Treble is detailed, yet not grainy and has yet to be sharp even after having gone through Superorganism's *Everybody Wants To Be Human*, which usually will put a giant spotlight on sibilance in a track. If you're a metalhead and the idea of pop makes you wretch, consider substituting Extol's *The Blueprint Dives* instead...phenomenal album, btw. Pulling out tiny details I haven't heard? Yep, that happened too. I actually heard a couple audience members singing along with Chris Cornell during *Like a Stone (Live)*. So consider me a happy camper for now. I know the 789 drop is supposed to happen tomorrow, but if you're getting anxiety over whether you'd need to upgrade your DAC as well, one option is to just get this instead. Send it S/PDIF or USB and just enjoy a fully balanced path without having to wonder if it is, indeed, fully balanced...assuming that's something you're into. I'm still a ways off from feeling like I need a balanced cable for any of these cans since it doesn't look like I'll be hurting for extra power anytime soon. Monoprice, despite your flaws, you did well this time. Bravo.
Upvotes
50
Subreddit
headphones
Reddit Username
neo_styles
Reddit Timestamp
4/17/19 22:44
Reddit URL
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