Drop + THX AAA 789 Linear Headphone Amplifier - Desktop Amp with Balanced XLR and Single-Ended RCA Inputs

The very favorable reviews in the audio media are what prompted this purchase. I have no regrets. Construction is solid. The XLR inputs provide a better signal from my Mark Levenson preamp via the required 25 foot cable. The 3 stages of gain and the smooth rotary volume knob make for precise volume settings. Three different headphone connectors are available. Before purchasing headphones, I listened to classical recordings via Quad electrostatic speakers, and I thought the sound was detailed while somewhat lacking in dynamics. What I now hear through my AKG702 headphones is greater detail, better dynamics and an immediacy not heard heard through my floor speakers. This is not a harsh, digital, analytical sound but simply more detailed information in a still very listenable manner . Another very nice headphone amp I own (but with only RCA inputs) sounds more "tubelike", pleasant and smooth but lacking in the detail provided by the 789. I much prefer to hear all the information in a recording. This headphone amp has exceeded my expectations and is a bargain at its price.

I'm not going to say that this amp somehow changes the sound of music as if blessed by God's chorus of angels themselves. What it does, it does VERY well. I have a Cambridge Audio DACMagic Plus running to this with Amazon Basics balanced cables, and USB from my laptop. It is powering a pair of Sennheiser HD650 headphones, the modern equivalent of which is also available from Drop. I paid $400 for these headphones a decade ago, and I think they go for about $220 from Drop. I had previously used an integrated amp solution from Peachtree Audio, the Decco2 - also using USB from my computer. That Peachtree amp uses a (bypassable) tube input stage and class A headphone output. I was never really impressed by the sound of my headphones from that amp though...I mean, it sounded good, but it was missing something. I bought a $900 pair of Bowers & Wilkins P9 as a replacement...that's how much I thought was missing. But now, through this combo of Cambridge Audio DAC and Drop + THX AAA 789 headphone amp, I am really quite pleased with the sound! It sounds REALLY good. In fact, I think the Sennheisers sound BETTER in this combo than the B&W P9s (the reverse was true with the Peachtree)! That's right... $220 headphones now sound BETTER than a $900 pair, at least to me. This entire combo, Sennheiser HD6xx, Cambridge Audio DAC Magic Plus, and Drop + THX AAA 789, would cost about $900 today, or MUCH less than the $1400+ I paid for the Peachtree and Sennheiser combo a decade ago. That $900 could be reduced further by getting a less expensive, but still very high quality DAC, such as those from Topping, Schiit, and others, that can be had from $50-250+ (sky's the limit on DAC prices - up to tens of thousands of dollars...serously, though diminishing returns occurs the higher you go, as with all audio). This amp is a no brainer, if you ask me, and very highly recommended for those who demand high quality audio!

I use this amp as my daily driver with Abyss Phi CC headphones -- super revealing and hard to drive. This amp performs admirably, and is my new benchmark to test all other amps against. It sounds way better than its price would suggest. I use balanced out exclusively to take advantage of its full 6w of power.It is totally clean sounding, very resolving, I'd say very close to 'neutral'. Conversely, it is not warm at all, in fact some say it's cold and clinical. I'd say its sound simply reflects everything else you have in the chain. I've tried numerous different cables and various tweaks upstream, and heard discernible differences every time I did. Just shows how revealing this little amp is. I'd say it's worth to own even as a secondary amp, but I'm using it as my primary and would have to justify spending 5-10x its cost for a 'better' amp. Not saying this is TOTL endgame, but surprisingly good in its own right. For $300? In this crazy $$$ headphone game? No brainer.Tip: If your existing gear tends toward bright or lean, this amp might exacerbate those traits. Also, I added Mapleshade 2" footers underneath and brass weights on top, which to my ears sounds much fuller and more to my liking.

I have a Schitt head amp and an Ayre Codex, but neither offers an XLR 4 pin headphone connection. Most of my headphones are terminated in 4 pin so I had to use adaptors for my other amps. That is a pain. I liked the looks of the 789 at first glance because, among its other features, it has an XLR headphone connection. Then i began to notice that some reviewers that I trust either had one on their desk or referred to the 789 in reviews of other products. I was curious. Given the price, I bought one. I still can't believe how quiet, transparent and resolving it is. Both the "balanced" and the RCA outputs provide stunning clarity. I love it.After 9 months, a few changes in interconnects and USB cables. I am literally amazed at the sound that I am getting. I think this is an incredible value. I took a USB cable that sounded a bit edgy in my main system, and it actually improved the sound of my desktop system, without a hint of the glare I had been hearing in my other system. This makes no sense to me, but it illustrates that character and tone can be affected by the wires you connect your dac with. Full disclosure, I should mention that I added and AudioQuest Powerquest 3 power conditioner, and it is probably a combination of the two items. The point is, it sounded good out of the box, but with a few tweeks it is even more enjoyable. Great buy.

Incredible amp. Best for the money imo. If you want a versatile amp that’s affordable, has balanced XLR output and is as clean and neutral as possible this is your best bet.Built quality is not the best, specially the on/off button, and the Power light is so tiny I didn’t even see it for a whole day. But the volume knob is smooth and it’s very sleek looking. Amazing purchase overall.

This is a terrible amplifier in regards to trying to use it with balanced cables. I tried to hook it up to my dac and it shorted out after only having the amplifier for three weeks. It is otherwise a great amplifier when using single ended cables.

I’ve been around good music for 40 years but I'm new to the current crop of reference headphones. After trying several, I settled on the Sennheiser HD800s. I love their clarity and separation and, yes, the famed soundstage. The 800’s plus this amp made me appreciate good soundstaging and changed the way I mix music. The THX AAA 789 amp produces pure, clear sound with as much power as you want without distortion. Beautiful gear at a good price. Really solid value.

Lo tengo con los focal elex y funciona de maravilla, le da a la señal de audio unauy buena potencia (me gusta escuchar poco tiempo pero a un volumen alto) y cumple sin problema. Muy buena la calidad de fabricación.

This amp gets great reviews on you tube and other sites and for good reason. It is an excellent AMP, lots of power, very detailed. The balanced input and outputs really make your music shine. Love this amp. Very well made and terrific value.

This is a great amp. It is dead silent with a perfect black background. It extends the range of your headphones to bring out the highs and lows in more detail and resolution than other amplifiers. The gain setting allows a wide range of headphones. It also has a passthrough output, so you can use it between your source and your amp, or between your source and your powered speakers to cut out the amp entirely.It runs very cool and has an auto power-off function.Compared to my Dragonfly DAC/AMP, I can run a wider range of headphones with more detail and resolution.Compared to my Shanling Class A amp, it is not as dark sounding and bass is not as emphasized or as warm sounding. It is also more silent with IEMs.Compared to my Hifiman tube amp, it is more silent with a blacker background, but does not have the same atmospheric affect.Overall it is now my favourite headphone amp, but I still prefer the Hifiman tube amp with my planar magnetics to bring out their delicate life-like affect with vocals, and the Shangling class-A amp with more bass-heavy music.

This is a spectacular piece of audio engineering period.The noise floor is non existent and it drives just about anything you can plug into it.I’m running HD650🎧 in balanced mode .The 300 ohm is not tough to drive ..but this amp drives it happily.If you’re serious about a headphone set up ..you’ve got to consider the Drop THX unit.