With the same headphones, volume is the same. It is priced at $499.99. From what I gathered reading the user manual, this is expected and welcome behavior. TechHive helps you find your tech sweet spot. Sometimes that means an unadorned, plain Jane device that arrives in non-descript packaging. You’ll also find dynamic range control onboard, which lets you set the shelving filters. THX’s AAA amplifiers use feed-forward error correction topology to reduce distortion. There's just one pair of RCA pass through output. Can this be used as a power amp for headphones with a DAC that has volume control and balanced out? There's a single THX stereo module that works as a bridge to split power to each channel. As far as I know, you cannot bypass the DAC, so if you want to experiment with DACs get this one. There’s a main display in the middle of the unit showing you current volume level, input, signal, and settings you’ve made. I think you really mean OUTPUTS? You’ll find dual AK4493 32-bit DACs—one for the left channel and one for the right—which support up to 768kHz PCM and 22.4MHz DSD. What would be your preference to go separately with Phone Amp and DAC or get two in one as a single unit? I don't see those . You are correct. For basically all amps, it's good practice to always (1) plug in the headphones AFTER turning the amp ON and (2) unplug the headphones BEFORE turning the amp OFF. It might be due to other things in your setup like the DAC outputs that are used and whether they are increasing the gain of the output signal etc. Note: it’s teamed with SMSL’s M500 (balanced) & Sennheiser HD600 & Drop HD6XX. Bass was never anemic nor disproportionately emphasized. Pass Through means volume is not adjustable? The other one is DAC and Amp in one, The 887 is pure amplifier the other one has a dac too. and it works beautifully. Is that normal? Freelance contributor, Don't know, there's enough room for DAC. Does the pass through output both the XLR and RCA inputs or just the RCA? 18% OFF + FS – Monolith by Monoprice THX AAA Balanced Headphone Amplifier featuring THX AAA 887 Technology November 23, 2020 Consumer Electronics 0 Comments Capable of powering even the most demanding headphone, the Monolith™ by Monoprice™ THX AAA Balanced Headphone Amplifier featuring THX AAA 887 Technology … Monoprice includes an extensive set of measurements on the Monolith’s performance. How low impedances can it power? The Monoprice Monolith™ THX Amplifier is a mid-fi priced THX certified DAC/Amp combo featuring dual AK4493 and up to 2W of power. It took me a long time to realize a more powerful amp was what I needed to get a nice tonal balance in the low-end. If they can come close to or tie the measured performance of the ESS9038pro based Matrix XSabre Pro MQA DAC than I would buy that combo for my computer desk. This headphone amp is not only reasonably priced, it’s a stellar, balanced performer. "Fully" is open to interpretation. I don't believe it perfectly balanced but it far exceeds anything in its price range performing 2-3X its price. The Monolith comes with several options to fine-tune the sound of your headphones. Rather, Sensaround attempts to address that unpleasant “in your head” sound sensation common to headphones. AAA stands for “Achromatic Audio Amplifier,” a moniker implying that the amplifier does not add any coloration to the sound. I did not, however, evaluate such a configuration. Switch up: After a few hours without audio, the unit will turn off to conserve power. Before either, however, be sure to turn the VOLUME knob all the way down. The black brushed-aluminum enclosure and … First of all, this headphone amp has a very solid build and can power any headphones, up to the power-hungry Sennheiser HD-800S (with a 300-ohm impedance). Should I turn the amp on/off with headphones plugged in or should I first unplug the headphones before turning the unit off?