# Monoprice Monolith Liquid Spark - By Alex Cavalli



## ufospls2

https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=120&cp_id=12008&cs_id=1200801&p_id=33304&seq=1&format=2

Another new monoprice Cavalli design take. Does anyone have more info on these? This might be a heavy Magni 3 contender if it is any good.


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## heliosphann

The Spark lives!!!


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## XERO1

I'll be getting one as soon as it's available!


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## NotsoHifi

Has this just been delayed?


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## Hyp0xia

NotsoHifi said:


> Has this just been delayed?


Yes


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## NotsoHifi

Hyp0xia said:


> Yes



Oh well, I really wanted to try it out, I read somewhere that it is better than Magni 3


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## techboy

Cavalli had initially planned to launch this at $499 but then they closed shop.


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## XERO1

NotsoHifi said:


> Has this just been delayed?


Not a surprise, really.  I just hope the LS and LP don't turn out to be vaporware again, like they did last time.


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## Zachik

Anyone got any prototypes to play with?!
Seems like very few got protos of the Platinum, and initial impressions are being posted, but nothing for this little guy?!


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## Hansotek

Zachik said:


> Anyone got any prototypes to play with?!
> Seems like very few got protos of the Platinum, and initial impressions are being posted, but nothing for this little guy?!






You mean like this one? 

I’m reviewing it, but if there’s is anything you want to ask, by all means, go ahead.

It’s hard not to talk about this amp without it sounding like hyperbole. Not going to mince words here though, this is the best sounding $99 amp I have ever heard. Not by a little bit either. By A LOT. I’ve heard every Cavalli amp from these last two generations, and while it’s not the most resolving or spacious or whatever of the bunch by any stretch of the imagination, it is, in my opinion, the most impressive. The fact that this amp sounds this good at $99 is downright laughable. 

The Spark has real big boy amp bass, not tiny little amp bulls*** bass. It hits HARD. It also has that very special trademark Cavalli midrange presentation - very evocative... turns the music into an experience.


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## Odin412

Very exciting - looking forward to your review!


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## antdroid

Hansotek said:


> You mean like this one?
> 
> I’m reviewing it, but if there’s is anything you want to ask, by all means, go ahead.
> 
> ...



Will you be able to review it side-by-side with the Schiit Magni 3? I'm assuming that will be it's biggest competitor. That and probably the Objective 2.


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## Hansotek

antdroid said:


> Will you be able to review it side-by-side with the Schiit Magni 3? I'm assuming that will be it's biggest competitor. That and probably the Objective 2.


I’ll see if I can get ahold of a Magni 3. I have an O2 somewhere. It’s very clearly in another class relative to either one of those, especially in terms of the bass (light years ahead), the mids (much more musical) and the treble (more forgiving, like most higher end amps). Harder to compare things like soundstage, imaging, etc. w/o a head-to-head comparison though.

If someone wants to loan me one for a couple of days, PM me!


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## Hyp0xia (Sep 4, 2018)

This product really cannot be reviewed without a Magni 3 for comparison. It's the product with which the Spark is directly competing.


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## Zachik

@Hansotek buddy, you got all the new toys!!!  (could not find a green-with-jealousy face... but angry with jealousy would do...)
My favorite relatively inexpensive solid state is the Gilmore Lite Mk2 (granted it cost 4-5 times). Would love comparison to it, if you got one...
A comparison to Massdrop's LCX should be obvious IMHO (despite costing 2-3 times more), being a Cavalli SS design as well.
TBH, I do not need yet another amp, but for $100 if it's half as good as you portray it - I will get one (besides, since when "need" play any role in this hobby?!).


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## heliosphann

Zachik said:


> @Hansotek buddy, you got all the new toys!!!  (could not find a green-with-jealousy face... but angry with jealousy would do...)
> My favorite relatively inexpensive solid state is the Gilmore Lite Mk2 (granted it cost 4-5 times). Would love comparison to it, if you got one...
> A comparison to Massdrop's LCX should be obvious IMHO (despite costing 2-3 times more), being a Cavalli SS design as well.
> TBH, I do not need yet another amp, but for $100 if it's half as good as you portray it - I will get one (besides, since when "need" play any role in this hobby?!).



He already did a review of the Gilmore Lite MK2 http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0818/HeadAmp_Gilmore_Lite_Mk2_Amplifier_Review.htm


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## Zachik

heliosphann said:


> He already did a review of the Gilmore Lite MK2 http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0818/HeadAmp_Gilmore_Lite_Mk2_Amplifier_Review.htm


Cool, so hopefully @Hansotek can compare them (despite the price difference).


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## Hansotek

Zachik said:


> Cool, so hopefully @Hansotek can compare them (despite the price difference).



I still have it. They are actually pretty complimentary of one another, as the Gilmore Lite is very neutral and solid state sounding and the Liquid Spark is more warm and tubey sounding.


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## Zachik

Hansotek said:


> I still have it. They are actually pretty complimentary of one another, as the Gilmore Lite is very neutral and solid state sounding and the Liquid Spark is more warm and tubey sounding.


Sigh. Guess I HAVE to buy the Liquid Spark now... Assuming Monoprice actually sell it during my life time...


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## tim0chan

Hansotek said:


> You mean like this one?
> 
> I’m reviewing it, but if there’s is anything you want to ask, by all means, go ahead.
> 
> ...


How is the gain? Low enough for use with iems?


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## XERO1

Hansotek said:


> You mean like this one?
> 
> I’m reviewing it, but if there’s is anything you want to ask, by all means, go ahead.
> 
> ...


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## Zachik

@Hansotek - Dave, I will definitely be looking forward to your full review and detailed comparisons to Gilmore Lite Mk2 (and others). 
From the photo, I guess I recognize Cascade being used? Which other cans have you tried it with? Do you have AEONs, HEXv2, and/or Ether Flow?


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## Hansotek

tim0chan said:


> How is the gain? Low enough for use with iems?



Yes. I can run the notoriously sensitive Andromeda on it and background is only barely noticeable until you turn it way up (with no music playing). You can’t hear it with music playing until you’re at ear-splitting levels that you really should not be listening at. The Westone W60s are closer to normal sensitivity-wise and you can’t hear the background at all (even over silence) until you get to really unlistenable levels on the volume dial.


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## Hansotek

Zachik said:


> @Hansotek - Dave, I will definitely be looking forward to your full review and detailed comparisons to Gilmore Lite Mk2 (and others).
> From the photo, I guess I recognize Cascade being used? Which other cans have you tried it with? Do you have AEONs, HEXv2, and/or Ether Flow?



Cascade, Atticus, Auteur, HD600, HD800, HE500, ÆON Flow Open, Andromeda, W60, Vega... I also heard the original portable version with the HE1000 on several occasions- this one sounds the same and has higher voltage rails, so it should be as good or better. 

When I first heard it with the HE1000 at RMAF a couple of years ago, I was absolutely blown away. I told Alex it would be funny if he put the amp in a huge chassis and had people listen to it and then opened up the chassis to show this little tiny amplifier inside. It has a big, lively stage and big, full bass, which little amps never have, so it would definitely fool a lot of people.


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## Zachik

Hansotek said:


> Cascade, Atticus, Auteur, HD600, HD800, HE500, ÆON Flow Open, Andromeda, W60, Vega... I also heard the original portable version with the HE1000 on several occasions- this one sounds the same and has higher voltage rails, so it should be as good or better.


Oh - forgot Atticus and HD600... Great, several of my favorite cans are listed, so your review should be very relevant for me!!!
When do you expect to release the full review? I cannot wait...


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## Hansotek

Zachik said:


> Oh - forgot Atticus and HD600... Great, several of my favorite cans are listed, so your review should be very relevant for me!!!
> When do you expect to release the full review? I cannot wait...



Hopefully the end of this month. Worst case, end of next month. I've got to get the Liquid Platinum review and the Cayin HA300 out the door, as well.


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## Hansotek

Just purchased a Magni 3 for a more in-depth comparison, for those who were looking.


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## XERO1

Hansotek said:


> Just purchased a Magni 3 for a more in-depth comparison, for those who were looking.


Me too.  Can’t wait for your ‘thoughts’.


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## tim0chan

Monoprice is seriously taking their time with this release


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## ZJee

Hansotek said:


> Cascade, Atticus, Auteur, HD600, HD800, HE500, ÆON Flow Open, Andromeda, W60, Vega... I also heard the original portable version with the HE1000 on several occasions- this one sounds the same and has higher voltage rails, so it should be as good or better.
> 
> When I first heard it with the HE1000 at RMAF a couple of years ago, I was absolutely blown away. I told Alex it would be funny if he put the amp in a huge chassis and had people listen to it and then opened up the chassis to show this little tiny amplifier inside. It has a big, lively stage and big, full bass, which little amps never have, so it would definitely fool a lot of people.


Id love to know how this guy plays with the auteur. I have an eikon id love love to use this with from time to time and i want to make sure id not be holding it back in any way by doing so. I already use my eikon through the amp of my M9XX and im plenty happy with it. I figure this is likely in a similar league but with a warmer tilt, though youre the one with the amp.


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## Hansotek

ZJee said:


> Id love to know how this guy plays with the auteur. I have an eikon id love love to use this with from time to time and i want to make sure id not be holding it back in any way by doing so. I already use my eikon through the amp of my M9XX and im plenty happy with it. I figure this is likely in a similar league but with a warmer tilt, though youre the one with the amp.


It plays really well with the auteur. I am using that as one of the main headphones in my review, so you can count on my observations applying there.


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## Hansotek

Hey guys, here is my review for the Liquid Spark!!

http://enjoythemusic.com/magazine/e...h_Liquid_Spark_Headphone_Amplifier_Review.htm


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## Zachik

@Hansotek Dave - great flood of very very well written reviews! (as always... )


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## FangJoker

Hansotek said:


> Hey guys, here is my review for the Liquid Spark!!
> 
> http://enjoythemusic.com/magazine/e...h_Liquid_Spark_Headphone_Amplifier_Review.htm



I liked the review so much that I'll buy one of these. I don't know where I'll put it, but I'll find a place for it somewhere. Maybe it'll tone down the harshness I have with the hugo 2.


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## Odin412

I heard a prototype of the Liquid Spark at an event at The Source AV a while back and I really liked it. I especially remember the punchy bass for such a small amp. I didn't need a portable amp at that time so I mentally shelved it, but now that it's morphed into a small desktop amp I'll probably buy one. I remember that the prototype sounded really good with the MrSpeakers Aeon Flow Closed.


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## Roscoeiii

Great review. How's the pairing with your Senn HD600? 

If they play well together what a great sounding starter combo the Spark and 6XX could be...


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## Zachik

vegasf1 said:


> I liked the review so much that I'll buy one of these. I don't know where I'll put it, but I'll find a place for it somewhere. Maybe it'll tone down the harshness I have with the hugo 2.


Yeah - I do not need yet another amp, but for $99 - I will get it for sure!
This is the ideal price point for "I do not need it, but will buy it anyhow"


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## Hansotek

Zachik said:


> Yeah - I do not need yet another amp, but for $99 - I will get it for sure!
> This is the ideal price point for "I do not need it, but will buy it anyhow"



I’m 100% in the same camp, lol!


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## Hansotek

Roscoeiii said:


> Great review. How's the pairing with your Senn HD600?
> 
> If they play well together what a great sounding starter combo the Spark and 6XX could be...



Really, really good with 300 ohm headphones like the Sennheiser and the ZMF dynamics. I agree, that is an awesome starter combo.


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## Hansotek

Odin412 said:


> I heard a prototype of the Liquid Spark at an event at The Source AV a while back and I really liked it. I especially remember the punchy bass for such a small amp. I didn't need a portable amp at that time so I mentally shelved it, but now that it's morphed into a small desktop amp I'll probably buy one. I remember that the prototype sounded really good with the MrSpeakers Aeon Flow Closed.



Yeah, the AEON and Cascade both work very well with it. Combined with the chilled out mids, punchy bass and small size, I loved it for a small desktop amp at work. Doesn’t get in the way. Perfect sound for background tunes. Great synergy with my favorite office headphones.


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## Roscoeiii

Hansotek said:


> Really, really good with 300 ohm headphones like the Sennheiser and the ZMF dynamics. I agree, that is an awesome starter combo.



Always a good sign when an amp can pair well with both hard-to-drive planars and high impedance cans. At least for those of us who want to keep our amp collections to a minimum.

I'll be interested to compare the Spark with the amp section of the iDSD Micro BL  (which has an analog input...)


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## Luckbad

I have a Liquid Spark in house now for review. This is a completely new unit so it's not burned in at all. That means no comments for a while.

I'll also give it a go with a linear power supply (which nobody should even be considering for a $99 amp, but I have one that'll work so I have to try it!).


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## t4t3r

Very interested in more reviews of this little guy. Have been looking off and on for something with this combination of size and power to use at the office.


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## thanks4alltheFish

What dac would be recommended for something like this?


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## Hansotek

thanks4alltheFish said:


> What dac would be recommended for something like this?



Whatever you want. I used it with a pretty wide variety of DACs: iFi xDSD & iDSD Black Label, Shanling M0, Fiio X5 III, Hugo 2, Yggy... and I guess the AK380, if you count the prototype stage.


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## Roscoeiii

Hansotek said:


> Whatever you want. I used it with a pretty wide variety of DACs: iFi xDSD & iDSD Black Label, Shanling M0, Fiio X5 III, Hugo 2, Yggy... and I guess the AK380, if you count the prototype stage.


Feel this will be an upgrade over the iDSD Micro BL amp section? Or how would those compare?


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## Hansotek (Sep 30, 2018)

Roscoeiii said:


> Feel this will be an upgrade over the iDSD Micro BL amp section? Or how would those compare?



I didn’t compare them from a technical standpoint, though I really should have in retrospect. I would say the Spark is warmer - probably closer overall to the iDSD’s sound with the bass boost on than off. The Spark has a much better midrange & overall musicality. The iDSD’s amp always kinda leaves me wanting on non-IEMs. Spark does not. Mids On iDSD BL amp are slightly wonky and unnatural as headphones get more demanding, IMO. The Black Label amp is quieter w/ built-in IEMatch.

The DAC on the Black Label is a great match for the Spark- that ended up being my go-to setup: iDSD BL -> Spark-> Cascade. That DAC is a monster on that little thing. Probably my favorite sub $600 DAC. Sweet chip. First 6 bits R2R. Does MQA and DSD. Love the warm, impactful balance on it. Great naturalness. Amp is pretty good - definitely capable and dead quiet - but the DAC makes it one of my favorite mid-priced pieces.


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## thanks4alltheFish

Hansotek said:


> I didn’t compare them from a technical standpoint, though I really should have in retrospect. I would say the Spark is warmer - probably closer overall to the iDSD’s sound with the bass boost on than off. The Spark has a much better midrange & overall musicality. The iDSD’s amp always kinda leaves me wanting on non-IEMs. Spark does not. Mids On iDSD BL amp are slightly wonky and unnatural as headphones get more demanding, IMO. The Black Label amp is quieter w/ built-in IEMatch.
> 
> The DAC on the Black Label is a great match for the Spark- that ended up being my go-to setup: iDSD BL -> Spark-> Cascade. That DAC is a monster on that little thing. Probably my favorite sub $600 DAC. Sweet chip. First 6 bits R2R. Does MQA and DSD. Love the warm, impactful balance on it. Great naturalness. Amp is pretty good - definitely capable and dead quiet - but the DAC makes it one of my favorite mid-priced pieces.



Thanks for the reply...this was helpful


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## sahmen

The ETA of the Liquid Spark is 10/14/2018, i.e. less than 2 weeks from now.  i wonder how long it's been there, and whether it will recede like that of the Liquid Platinum... I hope not.


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## thanks4alltheFish

sahmen said:


> The ETA of the Liquid Spark is 10/14/2018, i.e. less than 2 weeks from now.  i wonder how long it's been there, and whether it will recede like that of the Liquid Platinum... I hope not.



What do you mean by recede? Are there issues with the Liquid Platinum, or do they just sell out quickly?


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## sahmen

thanks4alltheFish said:


> What do you mean by recede? Are there issues with the Liquid Platinum, or do they just sell out quickly?



I mean that the Liquid Platinum's ETA date keeps getting postponed. Now it has moved to 11/2/2018, after repeatedly jumping from one October '18 ETA date to another.


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## thanks4alltheFish

sahmen said:


> I mean that the Liquid Platinum's ETA date keeps getting postponed. Now it has moved to 11/2/2018, after repeatedly jumping from one October '18 ETA date to another.



Ah, I see. I'm with you then, hopefully we see it hit* the shelves in a couple weeks.


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## Luckbad

I've been using the Liquid Spark for a few days now and it's an excellent little amp. At $99 it's a no-brainer.

It still isn't 100% broken in (still under 100 hours), but it's been an outstanding piece of kit.

I did decide to check it out with a linear power supply and things are slightly better, but it's not the type of amp that absolutely begs for one.

I'll do more critical listening soon since the break-in period is almost over.

One surprise to me is that its low volume balance isn't wildly terrible. Initially, I was going to recommend against it for sensitive IEMs simply because the volume at 9 o'clock is quite loud even with my customs (Future Sonics MG5 HX).

However, dropping the volume further doesn't start causing channel imbalance until well below where I'd expect, and it can get down to listenable volume.

That being said, I like a little more play in the volume and like to use either Harrison Labs RCA attenuators or my Garage1217 attenuator.

The noise floor is low enough that you don't really need the latter (or an iFi iEMatch, for example).


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## Roscoeiii

Luckbad said:


> I've been using the Liquid Spark for a few days now and it's an excellent little amp. At $99 it's a no-brainer.
> 
> It still isn't 100% broken in (still under 100 hours), but it's been an outstanding piece of kit.
> 
> ...


 
Wow. All of the above I consider very encouraging!


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## Zachik

Roscoeiii said:


> Wow. All of the above I consider very encouraging!


With a statement like "At $99 it's a no-brainer" - I would say "encouraging" is an understatement...


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## sahmen

Luckbad said:


> I've been using the Liquid Spark for a few days now and it's an excellent little amp. At $99 it's a no-brainer.
> 
> It still isn't 100% broken in (still under 100 hours), but it's been an outstanding piece of kit.
> 
> ...


This sounds cool! Very very very cool!


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## tim0chan

sahmen said:


> This sounds cool! Very very very cool!


But it runs warm and is a hot deal xD


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## Astonish

These are in stock right now, just a heads up


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## Rattle

Spark ordered ! now to save up for the platinum...


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## thanks4alltheFish

Astonish said:


> These are in stock right now, just a heads up



Just picked one up. Should have it in a couple days.


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## FangJoker

I just ordered one. If I don't like it, I'll give it to a friend. I know a few guys that want to get into audio, but don't want to spend too much early on this journey and this would be a great amp for them to try.


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## Astonish

thanks4alltheFish said:


> Just picked one up. Should have it in a couple days.



Same lol


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## leeperry

any internal pics yet?


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## smallcaps

Also pulled the trigger. International shipping was $56 USD (!!!) Via DHL.


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## sahmen

I just snagged one, although I also have a confession to make :  I really don't know where or how I am going to use it.  I already have the Liquid Carbon v1, among other amps, and I am waiting eagerly for the Liquid Platinum, which I am surely going to buy too...  So you could safely say I really do not need the Spark... However, I just could not resist it at this price, for some reason, and have treated it as if it is a mush-have...

Call this a weird kind of compliment I am paying to the Spark, almost in spite of myself...  Not that it is not a great value, as an amp, but that is really not the point. This is indeed a strange hobby...


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## antdroid

sahmen said:


> I just snagged one, although I also have a confession to make :  I really don't know where or how I am going to use it.  I already have the Liquid Carbon v1, among other amps, and I am waiting eagerly for the Liquid Platinum, which I am surely going to buy too...  So you could safely say I really do not need the Spark... However, I just could not resist it at this price, for some reason, and have treated it as if it is a mush-have...
> 
> Call this a weird kind of compliment I am paying to the Spark, almost in spite of myself...  Not that it is not a great value, as an amp, but that is really not the point. This is indeed a strange hobby...



Haha. I have mine in the cart and wondering why the heck I am even considering it. I have amps in every room already, and even 1 at work and a highly capable DAP, so really have no justification to considering this.... but I still kind of want it. Because the price tag is right.


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## smallcaps

antdroid said:


> Haha. I have mine in the cart and wondering why the heck I am even considering it. I have amps in every room already, and even 1 at work and a highly capable DAP, so really have no justification to considering this.... but I still kind of want it. Because the price tag is right.


After picking up the Spark I realized I needed a DAC to pair with it, so off to Massdrop for an SDAC. My 2nd washroom still needs a setup, I tell myself.


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## sahmen

antdroid said:


> Haha. I have mine in the cart and wondering why the heck I am even considering it. I have amps in every room already, and even 1 at work and a highly capable DAP, so really have no justification to considering this.... but I still kind of want it. Because the price tag is right.



Well, may you have more discipline and self-control than I did, that is if that is what you really want .


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## hans030390

_I dropped this review in the actual gear section, but figured I'd post it here for convenience as well. Alex Cavalli contacted me directly and asked if I'd like to test and review a production-grade Liquid Spark prior to release, which I was happy to do.
_
It’s a good day for anyone with an interest in inexpensive headphone amps! The Liquid Spark, currently available through Monoprice for a penny shy of $100, occupies the same market space as the Schiit Magni 3. I found the Magni 3 to be a great sounding amplifier, and it really set the bar for amps in its price range. I’m happy to say the Liquid Spark is a worthy competitor. (TL;DR at bottom.)

The amps seem near identical in form and function. Both are solid state, have pre-outs, have a gain switch, are of a similar size, and utilize an external power supply. I had no issues driving my HD650 with ease on both amps, so they both have plenty of power to spare for about anything you might toss at them.

That the two products basically do the exact same thing on a functional level is good, because it makes the review easy by allowing me to only focus on sound quality.

If I had to generalize right off the bat, I’d say the Liquid Spark sounds a little more like a good tube amp, while still clearly not being a tube amp, whereas the Magni 3 sounds a little more like a good solid state amp. That said, they sound more similar than not, especially if you take a step back and hear their similar tone and presentation in a broad scope: slight warmth, agreeable treble, but close enough to neutral to not necessarily be called colored.

The Liquid Spark has a more spacious, layered sound and gives the midrange more room to breathe as it wishes. It’s a little more laid-back sounding. Again, not too unlike a good tube amp here. The Magni 3 retains a common characteristic I hear from many Schiit amps in that it’s rather forward sounding and a little two-dimensional at times.

However, the Magni 3 does benefit from its forward nature in that it’s a more dynamic and engaging sounding amp. While I’m likely to give the nod to the Liquid Spark for micro-dynamics and nuances, the Magni 3 excels with a sense of muscle. That’s not to say the Liquid Spark isn’t dynamic. It drives the HD650 without making it sound lean or strained, so it has plenty of weight to throw around on its own.

Interestingly enough, I find the Liquid Spark to have slightly cleaner, tighter sounding bass. It took me a while to get over the Magni 3 sounding more powerful in the low end, a main contributor to a sense of macro-dynamics, but inevitably the lower octaves on the Magni 3 started to sound a tiny bit rounded and bloomy in comparison. Still, both have that characteristically clean low-end as you’d hope to find in a good solid-state amp, so I’m splitting hairs here.

Circling back to my comments on the midrange, that’s where I really found the Liquid Spark to do what it does best. The Magni 3’s midrange and treble response can at times sound a bit strained or have the slightest sheen to it, despite being an overall warmer and very agreeable sounding amp. This is the sort of quality you really only notice in direct comparisons, so it’s subtle. The Liquid Spark, on the other hand, has more of an organic ease to the sound, giving everything a natural tone, timbre, and plenty of space to ebb and flow naturally. It has a more natural sense of space, captures reverb a bit better, and sounds a little more graceful overall.

It’s that quality, along with the spacious, airy nature of the Liquid Spark, which reminds me more of a good tube amp. The downside is one might find the midrange and treble to be a bit softer or bloomier sounding than they would like. Nonetheless, I found the amp to never lose details and nuances, as its overall resolution was quite good and at least as good, if not slightly better, than the Magni 3.

If I had to nitpick in one other, related area, it’s that the Liquid Spark’s airy sort of nature can at time give the sense that its background isn’t as clear or black as it should be. The Magni 3 does well in this regard. Though it would up the cost dramatically, perhaps the Spark would benefit from a LPSU?

Overall, the Magni 3’s characteristics are a little more brute-force-like. This plays into its strengths (power, macro-dynamics, engagement, clarity, sharpness) but also its weaknesses (a little too forward, slightly bloomy bass, slightly strained mids and treble in specific use cases).

The Liquid Spark seems internally work with more ease and less intense focus. Again, its strengths are the tube-like midrange and treble performance, clean bass, spaciousness, nuance, and so on. But those wishing for an incredibly sharp and focused sounding amp may want to look elsewhere.

Personally, I’m a little fonder of the Liquid Spark’s presentation. It strikes a really nice balance across the board to my ears. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s outright better than the Magni 3, because tastes will play a big role here. Simply put, they’re both excellent amps with an insanely low price point. I’m still amazed at the sound quality both amps offer given their price relative to common offerings from even a few years back. Take your pick, and either will suit you well!

TL;DR

- Comparing to Magni 3, since they basically occupy the exact same space in market (price, function, etc.).

- Spark is a little more tube-like, with a more spacious, layered sound, liquid mids and treble, and a more graceful sound overall. Better micro-dynamics. But some may find its mids and treble just a hair too soft.

- Magni 3 tends to brute-force the sound more, being more forward, aggressive, having greater macro-dynamics, but also has the benefits of sounding more focused, sharper, clearer, and having a blacker background. But it does sound a little strained compared to the Spark.

- Both have similar overall tone, i.e. slightly warm, agreeable, but not too far off neutral.

- Magni 3 may have slightly more rounded bass.

- Both are a steal at $100. Just pick what suits your preferences best.

- Spark may benefit from LPSU, but you’re looking at a significant price bump then.


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## Luckbad

Glad my ears haven't failed me. @hans030390 knows what the crap he's talking about.

I've tried the Liquid Spark with a linear power supply and it does indeed improve everything marginally, as one would expect.

I have not yet tried my atomicbob Noise Nuke, mostly because I don't own this Spark and don't want to introduce it to that variable.

The performance of the Liquid Spark at the price point has me very eagerly awaiting the Liquid Platinum.


----------



## alphanumerix1

smallcaps said:


> Also pulled the trigger. International shipping was $56 USD (!!!) Via DHL.



Yeah its $65usd for Australia! Why is there only one option! Thats so expensive. I shudder to think how much shipping the liquid platinum will be


----------



## Jthompson300

For those who have been using this already and have commented on noise, I am having a very hard time finding a decent budget amp JUST for my Audeze LCD-XC that has a black background and was wondering if you thought this amp is a good match. 

Of the amps that I have the Ifi micro Ican SE is pitch black but lacks on the musicality side of things and just seems hollow. If I go to the Burson soloist SL MK2 the buzzing drives me crazy on low level listening(in low or high gain) but sounds so much better than the Ifi when the buzzing is not noticeable. 

Any advice you can offer I would appreciate.


----------



## Wildcatsare1

Jthompson300 said:


> For those who have been using this already and have commented on noise, I am having a very hard time finding a decent budget amp JUST for my Audeze LCD-XC that has a black background and was wondering if you thought this amp is a good match.
> 
> Of the amps that I have the Ifi micro Ican SE is pitch black but lacks on the musicality side of things and just seems hollow. If I go to the Burson soloist SL MK2 the buzzing drives me crazy on low level listening(in low or high gain) but sounds so much better than the Ifi when the buzzing is not noticeable.
> 
> Any advice you can offer I would appreciate.



I’m in total agreement, I haven’t found an ifi Amp that I didn’t find lifeless and flat, devoid of soul. While I haven’t heard the Spark or Platnum, I can say with confidence that I haven’t heard a Cavalli Amp that lacked soul.


----------



## leeperry

All this FOTM-prone freebies rave feedback is quite nice but still useless without internal pics


----------



## Hansotek

Here’s what’s under the hood.


----------



## antdroid

sahmen said:


> Well, may you have more discipline and self-control than I did, that is if that is what you really want .



As a follow-up... Nope. No self control. None at all.

Will be listening to a new amp early next week.


----------



## muckyfingers

Hansotek said:


> Here’s what’s under the hood.



Could you take a picture of it next to or on top of the Liquid Carbon? Fully cased of course, I’m trying to gauge the overall size of it.


----------



## Hansotek

69mustang said:


> Could you take a picture of it next to or on top of the Liquid Carbon? Fully cased of course, I’m trying to gauge the overall size of it.



Sorry, I had to send it off to the next reviewer.


----------



## leeperry

Hansotek said:


> Here’s what’s under the hood.


Awesome, thanks! Any chance for macros please? Just to know what we're buying, especially those opamps


----------



## muckyfingers

Oh, well I’m sure someone will post a pic sooner or later. Or I’ll probably pick one up before then.


----------



## Hansotek

leeperry said:


> Awesome, thanks! Any chance for macros please? Just to know what we're buying, especially those opamps



Sorry, I don’t have this board anymore. These pics are from a few months ago.


----------



## smallcaps

Updated product page with more details


----------



## Odin412

Well look what the friendly UPS driver dropped off earlier today:


----------



## smallcaps

@Odin412 you tease! Come on, let's go! Impressions?


----------



## GenEricOne

hans030390 said:


> _I dropped this review in the actual gear section, but figured I'd post it here for convenience as well. Alex Cavalli contacted me directly and asked if I'd like to test and review a production-grade Liquid Spark prior to release, which I was happy to do.
> _
> It’s a good day for anyone with an interest in inexpensive headphone amps! The Liquid Spark, currently available through Monoprice for a penny shy of $100, occupies the same market space as the Schiit Magni 3. I found the Magni 3 to be a great sounding amplifier, and it really set the bar for amps in its price range. I’m happy to say the Liquid Spark is a worthy competitor. (TL;DR at bottom.)
> 
> ...


I've been using my Spark and comparing it to my Magni 3 since I got it earlier today and my observations are almost completely in line with this. Only difference is, I'm not sure I heard the same strain from the Magni 3, if anything there was more from the Spark (but only a weird incident with the M1060C, see below).

I tested it on my modded TH-X00 PH, Dekoni Blues, Monoprice M1060C, and HD6XX. I'm not sure there was much difference between the Spark and the Magni 3 on the TH-X00, but the other three headphones more clearly differentiated the amps. The HD6XX especially so.

Both are good pairings with all the headphones, just different tastes.

There was a brief issue I had with the M1060C, where it sounded really strained and anemic for a 15min period on the Spark and then went away after a session back on the Magni 3. Maybe I didn't plug it in all the way? Hopefully it was user error.

Super minor usability nitpick about the Spark, but the gain switch basically useless, just +3dB. I don't have any IEMs or particularly sensitive headphones, nor did I use any headphones that required turning the knob past 12 o'clock on low gain, so I don't ever have a need to switch to or from either mode and can't really tell any differences.

Listening chain setup: Apple Music > Eitr > Mimby > Loki (bypass mode) > Y adapter > Magni 3 and Spark. 

Really liking the Spark and excited to use it more going forward. Will be bringing to work where it will replace my Fulla 2 (will probably pair it with my now-unused D50).


----------



## smallcaps (Oct 5, 2018)

GenEricOne said:


> I've been using my Spark and comparing it to my Magni 3 since I got it earlier today and my observations are almost completely in line with this. Only difference is, I'm not sure I heard the same strain from the Magni 3, if anything there was more from the Spark (but only a weird incident with the M1060C, see below).
> 
> I tested it on my modded TH-X00 PH, Dekoni Blues, Monoprice M1060C, and HD6XX. I'm not sure there was much difference between the Spark and the Magni 3 on the TH-X00, but the other three headphones more clearly differentiated the amps. The HD6XX especially so.
> 
> ...


I didn't notice where the gain switch was located. Is it built into the volume pot? Thanks for sharing your impressions.

Edit: or is it that button on the front? I might have mistaken it for the pre-amp function...


----------



## GenEricOne

smallcaps said:


> I didn't notice where the gain switch was located. Is it built into the volume pot? Thanks for sharing your impressions.
> 
> Edit: or is it that button on the front? I might have mistaken it for the pre-amp function...


Yep, the button on the front that isn't the power button.


----------



## Jthompson300 (Oct 6, 2018)

I went ahead and bought this, fingers crossed that it is super low noise because the 20 ohm impedance is really unforgiving when trying to go for high current with the Audeze LCD-Xc (My noisy Burson Soloist MK2 is on high gain and at 10 o’clock right now, goes to 12 when listening to stuff like old school jazz music on DSD 256 and that is comfortable. I am not hard of hearing, I don’t know, sometimes math just doesn’t work out and Audeze has their recomended min watt for a reason.)

If anything I have cables that I have used maybe twice and they cost more than this amp so nothing lost I guess.

 Shame that there are no places where I live  to audition amps, hopefully I can stop my search here for now until I decide to go for a one amp for all set up and spend real money.


----------



## Odin412

smallcaps said:


> @Odin412 you tease! Come on, let's go! Impressions?



No problem – here are my first impressions. Please note that Cavalli recommends 100 hours of burn-in and my amp has only 4 so far, so things may change.

First, the amp feels solid and well made. The volume knob has a nice buttery feel to it. The switches and headphone jack are good but don’t have the same satisfying ‘click’ to them as on the original Liquid Carbon, but that amp costs 7x more so it’s not a fair comparison. The Liquid Spark runs warm to the touch, but it’s not hot.

So how does it sound? In short, like Cavalli amp – wonderful! I’m using the Schiit Bifrost Multibit DAC and the MrSpeakers Aeon Flow Closed headphone, which incidentally was the headphone I used when I first heard the Liquid Spark prototype. Let’s skip the usual audiophile test tracks today. Let’s not take five with the girls of Ipanema and don't worry whether Keith stays or goes.

First up, On Air (Lemon 8 Remix) by Son Kite. An MP3 file – heresy! The trademark Cavalli midrange is here and the bass is surprisingly deep and juicy for such a small amp. The treble is smooth but maybe a little grainy – remember, only 4 out of 100 recommended hours so far (and MP3 doesn't help). Next, Video Games by Lana Del Rey. I love her sultry voice and I always wonder what this song is really about, although I suspect it’s not really about video games. Ah, the Cavalli midrange. So lifelike and, well, liquid. Next, some blues: Tramp by Buddy Guy. The distorted guitars can sound screechy on some systems, but not here. Moving on to Stockings by Suzanne Vega. This track has a really deep bass line, which the Liquid Spark renders really well. This is a very good-sounding and enjoyable amplifier.

I have attached a picture to compare the size next to the original Liquid Carbon. The Liquid Spark is a bit narrower and not as deep. Is the Liquid Spark as good as the Liquid Carbon? No, of course not. The Liquid Carbon has even deeper, juicier bass, more full-bodied midrange and a smoother treble, but it’s 7x the price so that’s to be expected.

In summary, if you’ve heard about the legendary Cavalli sound and want to find out for yourself what that sounds like, you owe yourself to try the Liquid Spark. At $99 it’s a steal, but be warned: If you like the Cavalli sound (like me), you’ll want more, so your wallet may not be as happy. BTW, now I realize the logic behind Monoprice offering the Liquid Spark and the Liquid Platinum: The Liquid Spark is the gateway drug to the Cavalli universe, and an inviting gateway it is.


----------



## smallcaps

Odin412 said:


> No problem – here are my first impressions. Please note that Cavalli recommends 100 hours of burn-in and my amp has only 4 so far, so things may change.
> 
> First, the amp feels solid and well made. The volume knob has a nice buttery feel to it. The switches and headphone jack are good but don’t have the same satisfying ‘click’ to them as on the original Liquid Carbon, but that amp costs 7x more so it’s not a fair comparison. The Liquid Spark runs warm to the touch, but it’s not hot.
> 
> ...


Very much appreciate your impressions. Thank you for sharing. For a first listen cold and before burn-in, this sounds quite promising. Can't wait to get my copy and curious how the sound will evolve after a few more hours of heating. I'll be using it with a delta sigma and hope it performs as smoothly.


----------



## dBel84

leeperry said:


> Awesome, thanks! Any chance for macros please? Just to know what we're buying, especially those opamps


Opamps are irrelevant, they are control servo only. This amp is discrete front to back. 
.. dB


----------



## FangJoker

My friend wants to know if the liquid spark and the mimby would be better than the chord mojo. He plans on using this with his macbook. I have no experience with the mojo or mimby, but I figure someone here would be able to give him a better answer than me. I also don't know which dac I want to pair this up with too. I was thinking of pairing this with the airist r2r dac when it's released unless people really like this with the mimby. There's always people that will sell something right after they get it from massdrop.


----------



## dBel84

Measurements published by BobS

_*"Reference levels :*
+9 dBu 300R 16.00 mW - 110 dBSPL @ 98dB/mW
0 dBu 300R 2.00 mW - 101 dBSPL @ 98dB/mW
-10 dBu 300R 0.20 mW - 91 dBSPL @ 98dB/mW
-20 dBu 300R 0.02 mW - 81 dBSPL @ 98dB/mW

+9 dBu 30R 160.00 mW - 110 dBSPL @ 89dB/mW
0 dBu 30R 20.00 mW - 102 dBSPL @ 89dB/mW
-10 dBu 30R 2.00 mW - 92 dBSPL @ 89dB/mW
-20 dBu 30R 0.20 mW - 82 dBSPL @ 89dB/mW

*Reference data on two headphones:*
HD 650 impedance 300R, sensitivity 98 dB/mW
HE-500 impedance 38R, sensitivity 89 dB/mW

*Highlights*
Square wave response is very near that of the Liquid Crimson.
Bandwidth is extraordinary for an amp at this price: DC to > 1.5 MHz
Well done Dr. Cavalli!"_

Not the reason it sounds great but it sure doesn't hurt..dB


----------



## smallcaps

dBel84 said:


> Measurements published by BobS
> 
> _*"Reference levels :*
> +9 dBu 300R 16.00 mW - 110 dBSPL @ 98dB/mW
> ...


Wow these numbers are actually impressive for a $100 amp. These plus the impressions so far are promising. Of course who knows until we get to listen, but this may give the Magni a run for its money. Just wish Monoprice didn't gouge eyeballs for international shipping. This will most certainly slow down its adoption internationally.

Any entrepreneuring resellers want to group buy? I can facilitate Asian and Oceanic distribution...


----------



## smallcaps

Shipping to Singapore was fast! Better be for $56...


----------



## rayliam80

I just put in my order awhile ago. I'll be looking forward to pairing this with my iFi iDSD Nano BL.


----------



## smallcaps

Showed my wife and she said it was tiny. I then asked her about what she thought of the amp and she said "meh".


----------



## sahmen

smallcaps said:


> Showed my wife and she said it was tiny. I then asked her about what she thought of the amp and she said "meh".



Okay but what about your own impressions, so far, if you have had some time to listen to the unit?


----------



## smallcaps

sahmen said:


> Okay but what about your own impressions, so far, if you have had some time to listen to the unit?


Quite satisfied with the sound so far, but it's only been about 7h. Been A/B testing it against my friend's Magni 3. Compared to the Magni, it's a bit more spacious and not as forward as the Magni. The spark also has some considerable bass thump and texture. Will share more after burn-in, both in the amp and in my brain.


----------



## Nlago

Anybody have any opinions on how the HD58x's sound with this amp? Recently got interested in headphones and so far have been running the 58x's without an amp, curious as to whether I would see any benefit with the liquid spark.


----------



## antdroid

Just unboxed. Some photos. Nice simple design.


----------



## b0ssMax

Can someone please post dimensions of the box each unit was shipped in?

Thank you.


----------



## heliosphann

I swear, Monoprice shipped mine on the back of a box turtle.


----------



## antdroid

mrmax said:


> Can someone please post dimensions of the box each unit was shipped in?
> 
> Thank you.



The shipping box was really large for how small the actual packaging is. I think I recycled mine already unfortunately.


----------



## GenEricOne

Agreed shipping box was really large compared to product box. Just measured mine.

Shipping box: 22x10x5 inches
Product box: 11x7x3 inches


----------



## b0ssMax

Thank you antdroid and GenEricOne.


----------



## Hyp0xia

My unit came with a broken preamp. I only get audio out of the right speaker but not the left. Aside from that, I really like the product. I'm hoping to get a replacement. Others might want to check their preamp section as well just to be safe.


----------



## antdroid (Oct 11, 2018)

My impulsive purchase of the LS is turning out pretty good. I am enjoying it as a small little amp to use at work. I had previously had a SMSL VMV VA2 and a Schiit Magni 2 at work but sold both and just stuck with my Onkyo DP-S1 DAP for work use. After using just that and then using it plugged into the LS, the warm, rich, and smooth sound was very audibly apparent. It makes the Onkyo, which uses dual ESS chain, sound very lean in comparison.

I have been primarily listening to it using the Audeze Sine headphones since they are my closed backs of choice for work, but did also try using them with the BGVP DMG and currently trying it out with the Focal Elex. I am really enjoying this change of pace sound from my usual fare of the Onkyo DAP and the Topping DX7, which to me, share the same sound profile with the DX7 having significantly more power/headroom.

I had built the Starving Student Tube Hybrid to pair with the DX7 as a way to smooth out the sound for the HE560/Elex I have but this Liquid Spark is doing a heck of a job so far for $100. I have the Massdrop Cavalli Tube Hybrid downstairs but haven’t listened to them side-by-side yet. Maybe that’s my next thing to do this weekend.

I did notice that the Spark was pretty treble harsh out of the box but I don’t notice that anymore at all after letting it warm up for a couple of hours.


----------



## smallcaps

*Budget Multi-IO Desktop Stack*

Littlebear One
Monolith Cavalli Liquid Spark
Fiio Q1 Mk2 (DAC mode)


----------



## MrPretty

My Spark arrived today, along with 14 other sparks. Monoprice accidentally sent me one case instead of just one amp, though they realized this not long after shipping it and let me know I would be receiving a few more than I ordered.


----------



## trellus

@MrPretty that's hilarious!   They did something similar to me about a year ago with the MP30 in-ear headphones, except they apparently didn't catch it and I had to contact them to get the excess sent back to them.  This is even more extreme!


----------



## Astonish (Nov 28, 2018)

MrPretty said:


> My Spark arrived today, along with 14 other sparks. Monoprice accidentally sent me one case instead of just one amp, though they realized this not long after shipping it and let me know I would be receiving a few more than I ordered.



 lol


----------



## Astonish

Also in terms of sound I'm hearing a lot of static or buzzing noise on my amp. I had the same problem with the Cavalli tube hybrid and it's not just random it's the same parts of songs (most parts unfortunately) so I need to figure out what the deal is. I thought it was a faulty tube in the hybrid, but since this is a solid state it can't be that. Is anyone else hearing it?

Since they sent me multiple amps, I've tried two of them with the same static sound. Using a monoprice dac....maybe it's the rca cable? But the fact that it can be reproduced makes me think it's the amp, but theres no way its suppose to sound like this


----------



## Rattle (Oct 12, 2018)

Damn, mine came in today but I only got one ! So far listened to Zappa Zoot Allures, Apostrophe, Alice In Chains Rainier fog and Uncle Acid Wasteland.
All 16bit flac mimby>spark>HD6xx ... wonderful little amp so far could easily demand much more for it. I am in love with valhalla 2 and have been addicted to it since may with mimby and 600/6xx and spark is no slouch in comparison. I have not detected any buzzing or weirdness at all. I can't detect any channel imbalance or static from the volume either. It's being fed from a Saga as I have my valhalla 2 in the other output, I figured i'd do a comparison later after it broke in. I have Saga volume maxed out and I have mimby/oppo 103/lounge audio phono preamp as inputs only time I get any noise is when its on the phono stage which is just hiss. My digital sources have no noise at all with spark volume maxed. I'm using BJ cables nothing fancy.


----------



## antdroid

Astonish said:


> Also in terms of sound I'm hearing a lot of static or buzzing noise on my amp. I had the same problem with the Cavalli tube hybrid and it's not just random it's the same parts of songs (most parts unfortunately) so I need to figure out what the deal is. I thought it was a faulty tube in the hybrid, but since this is a solid state it can't be that. Is anyone else hearing it?
> 
> Since they sent me multiple amps, I've tried two of them with the same static sound. Using a monoprice dac....maybe it's the rca cable? But the fact that it can be reproduced makes me think it's the amp, but theres no way its suppose to sound like this



Well you have 13 extra amps to try.... 

I do not have any static issues with mine. Could be your cable or if it's bad part of a specific song, are you sure your recording is not just bad?

I use monoprice RCA cables (the really thick short ones). I have not had issues on either my MCTH or the LS.


----------



## Astonish (Oct 12, 2018)

antdroid said:


> Well you have 13 extra amps to try....
> 
> I do not have any static issues with mine. Could be your cable or if it's bad part of a specific song, are you sure your recording is not just bad?
> 
> I use monoprice RCA cables (the really thick short ones). I have not had issues on either my MCTH or the LS.



haha I don't want to run through all of them trying, since it's been the same problem on three I'm going to guess the issue is something else.

And yea I'm going to buy a new cable I guess. Yea, the recording is fine, I'm using spotify extreme and have listened to the tracks many times on other amps, so I'm not sure. I sold my cht because of the static and now it's there again on the spark, but no one else having the issue with it, so I guess it has to be the cable

edit: just ordered a shorter rca cable like you mentioned off amazon, will try that. Might be it because my other amp is an amp/dac all in one so it doesn't use the cable


----------



## muckyfingers

Astonish said:


> Also in terms of sound I'm hearing a lot of static or buzzing noise on my amp. I had the same problem with the Cavalli tube hybrid and it's not just random it's the same parts of songs (most parts unfortunately) so I need to figure out what the deal is. I thought it was a faulty tube in the hybrid, but since this is a solid state it can't be that. Is anyone else hearing it?
> 
> Since they sent me multiple amps, I've tried two of them with the same static sound. Using a monoprice dac....maybe it's the rca cable? But the fact that it can be reproduced makes me think it's the amp, but theres no way its suppose to sound like this



Have you tried bypassing the DAC and just plugging the amp straight into the PC, just to rule out the DAC?


----------



## atomicbob

Liquid Spark Technical Measurements now up:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/monoprice-cavalli-liquid-spark-technical-measurements.890981/


----------



## Astonish (Nov 28, 2018)

69mustang said:


> Have you tried bypassing the DAC and just plugging the amp straight into the PC, just to rule out the DAC?



............


----------



## tim0chan

Astonish said:


> I plugged in a third one and it seems to be working as intended. Good thing they sent 15 amps


Lmao U gonna give them the rest back?


----------



## Astonish

tim0chan said:


> Lmao U gonna give them the rest back?



yea, I'm gonna give them back... But first I'm gonna make sure I call them because I've been trying to get the cracked wood fixed on my m1060s for mad long, but they don't answer....yet they **** up an order and they send you out a return label real quick, weird huh?

Even so, I still believe in being a good person


----------



## Hyp0xia (Oct 16, 2018)

Well, my Spark has suddenly developed a buzzing sound as well, though mine is persistent. This is on top of the faulty preamplifier output.


----------



## muckyfingers

Just got mine today, it's much smaller than I thought it would be. Its footprint is about that of a CD case and it is just under 4 CD cases tall. It sounds fantastic and powers my headphones with ease.


----------



## Astonish

Hyp0xia said:


> Well, my Spark has suddenly developed a buzzing sound as well, though mine is persistent. This is on top of the faulty preamplifier output. To make matters worse, Monoprice seems to have no record of my purchase attached to my account and they have not bothered to respond to either of my two support requests. I'm thinking this will be my last Monoprice purchase.



The one I said works as intended still has the buzz during certain notes. It sound like harmonic distortion like fret buzz on a guitar is that how yours sound? I had the same problem on the cht so idk if it’s like a thing with these or what.

I can give you guys a track to try out and see if you use Spotify look up Haley Reinhardt - can’t help falling in love righ

Right at the 35 second mark there is a prominent buzzing during the word i she sings like if you can’t hear the buzzing there than idk. It was the same on every amp even the cht and it happens on many other songs certain notes usually higher notes


----------



## trellus

Astonish said:


> The one I said works as intended still has the buzz during certain notes. It sound like harmonic distortion like fret buzz on a guitar is that how yours sound? I had the same problem on the cht so idk if it’s like a thing with these or what.
> 
> I can give you guys a track to try out and see if you use Spotify look up Haley Reinhardt - can’t help falling in love righ
> 
> Right at the 35 second mark there is a prominent buzzing during the word i she sings like if you can’t hear the buzzing there than idk. It was the same on every amp even the cht and it happens on many other songs certain notes usually higher notes



Weird, I played that very song and that very segment several times on Spotify through my Yulong U100 DAC/amp, both directly through the headphone out and then to the Bravo Audio Ocean hybrid tube amp from the U100, over both HD 650 and K712 Pro headphones and I couldn’t hear any buzzing there during the “I” vocalization.

I don’t have the Spark, though, unfortunately, for comparison.


----------



## Rhamnetin

Hyp0xia said:


> Well, my Spark has suddenly developed a buzzing sound as well, though mine is persistent. This is on top of the faulty preamplifier output. To make matters worse, Monoprice seems to have no record of my purchase attached to my account and they have not bothered to respond to either of my two support requests. I'm thinking this will be my last Monoprice purchase.



I'm considering buying one just to open it up and find out its faults, since every Cavalli amp is full of them. And with all the people having issues, this seems like it'll be helpful.


----------



## Hansotek

Hyp0xia said:


> Well, my Spark has suddenly developed a buzzing sound as well, though mine is persistent. This is on top of the faulty preamplifier output. To make matters worse, Monoprice seems to have no record of my purchase attached to my account and they have not bothered to respond to either of my two support requests. I'm thinking this will be my last Monoprice purchase.



How long has it been since you contacted them?


----------



## rayliam80

My Liquid Spark arrived yesterday. It's the first desktop non-usb powered headphone amp I've owned. I'm pairing it with my iFi iDSD Nano BL. I considered the Spark a bit of a splurge mainly just so I could have something decent to power my DT900 Pro 250ohm headphones. The mids of the DT990 Pro seem to breathe a little easier now, vocals feel more prominent, and there's more dynamic range and separation happening. Nine to eleven o'clock on the potentiometer provides adequate listening levels on high gain for these headphones (versus twelve to six on my other devices I've used). My ATH-50X also seems to take on a fuller character as well and feels more pleasurable to listen to. 

IEMs, as expected, not very much play in the volume knob from barely on to decent listening level (without channel imbalance). High gain increases the bass and overall makes any IEM sound bigger and more aggressive. Low gain makes them feel more airy and spacious with just a little bit more leeway in volume difference. Using my Ibasso IT01 to compare the Nano's direct port output and the low gain output on the Spark while matching the volume to the best of my abilities, I'm hearing slightly better dynamic range on the Spark. The Spark sounds less congested. Bass frequencies are slightly more boomy with the iFi. The IT01 plugged into the iEMatch port helps to bring the dynamic range closer to the Spark but the bass handling is the same. Both devices are great and it's nice to have the option at my desk with the Spark as well as having the portability of the Nano.


----------



## Hyp0xia (Oct 16, 2018)

deleted


----------



## rayliam80

Astonish said:


> The one I said works as intended still has the buzz during certain notes. It sound like harmonic distortion like fret buzz on a guitar is that how yours sound? I had the same problem on the cht so idk if it’s like a thing with these or what.
> 
> I can give you guys a track to try out and see if you use Spotify look up Haley Reinhardt - can’t help falling in love righ
> 
> Right at the 35 second mark there is a prominent buzzing during the word i she sings like if you can’t hear the buzzing there than idk. It was the same on every amp even the cht and it happens on many other songs certain notes usually higher notes



I compared the track on Spotify. I hear a touch of static/click when she says "Shall I stay" but I hear the static/click also on my iFi Nano. I'm using the Spotify app on my Macbook.


----------



## Hansotek

Hyp0xia said:


> Since the first request, maybe three days or so. I think there's still a strong chance they could get back to me after the weekend, but, in my mind, a company that takes that much time to respond to a customer support request is a company that doesn't give a damn about its customers.



Ping me if it goes more than a week.


----------



## Rattle

So guys the "pre outs" can I run the spark to my vidar amp without worry of breaking things ? Using volume on spark and either gain position ?


----------



## sahmen (Oct 16, 2018)

It is amazing (or maybe not so amazing) how similar in tonality and other areas the sound signature of the Spark is to that of the Liquid Carbon v1. The Liquid Carbon does have a tad more energy, detail, air, extension at both ends, and bass heft, (with volume dial set at the approx. 9 o'clock position on both units)... I do not know how much the differences arise from the balanced circuitry of the carbon (Later, I shall connect to the carbon in SE mode and see what that does to those differences)... While the differences should ultimately not be that surprising, given the price points, it is the similarities that I am finding most striking,

For a <$100 little amp, the Spark really delivers in Spades, and that is impressive.  It has tripled my curiosity about the Liquid Platinum, and what differences it, too, is going to bring to the table, relative to both the Spark and Carbon.

FWIW, the spark sounds pretty clean (as does the Carbon), and I do not detect any noise, in the form of a hiss, hum or static... It is as clean as a whistle.  So far I have been doing all listening and comparisons with the Hifiman He-1000.


----------



## antdroid

Just wanted to report, I finally tried my preamp out to my desktop speakers (Kanto Yu2 Bamboo) and no issues so far. No static or channel issues.


----------



## heliosphann

Astonish said:


> The one I said works as intended still has the buzz during certain notes. It sound like harmonic distortion like fret buzz on a guitar is that how yours sound? I had the same problem on the cht so idk if it’s like a thing with these or what.
> 
> I can give you guys a track to try out and see if you use Spotify look up Haley Reinhardt - can’t help falling in love righ
> 
> Right at the 35 second mark there is a prominent buzzing during the word i she sings like if you can’t hear the buzzing there than idk. It was the same on every amp even the cht and it happens on many other songs certain notes usually higher notes



Just tried that track on Tidal with my Spark and HD600. Sounded great, no buzzing. Maybe it's something else in your chain is contributing to the buzzing if it's also doing this on your CTH.



sahmen said:


> It is amazing (or maybe not so amazing) how similar in tonality and other areas the sound signature of the Spark is to that of the Liquid Carbon v1. The Liquid Carbon does have a tad more energy, detail, air, extension at both end, and bass heft, (with volume dial set at the approx. 9 o'clock position on both units)... I do not know how much the differences arise from the balanced circuitry of the carbon (Later, I shall connect to the carbon in SE mode and see what does to thos difference)... While the differences should ultimately not be that surprising, given the price points, it is the similarities that I am finding most striking,
> 
> For a <$100 little amp, the Spark really delivers in Spades, and that is impressive.  It has tripled my curiosity about the Liquid Platinum, and what differences it, too, is going to bring to the table, relative to both the Spark and Carbon).
> 
> FWIW, the spark sounds pretty clean (as does the Carbon), and I do not detect any noise, in the form of a hiss, hum or static... It is as clean as a whistle.  So far I have been doing all listening and comparisons with the Hifiman He-1000.



I'll bust out my HEK and also compare the Spark with the LCv1 when I have a chance. If anything Alex has been able to translate the Cavalli house sound thought their line-up very consistently. When I had a Liquid Crimson, I A/B'd it to the Liquid Carbon v1 and although the Crimson was technically superior in most areas, the LCv1 sounded very similar tonally.


----------



## Astonish

Damn that’s weird some people aren’t hearing any buzzing and some are and one member even heard it on a different amp altogether. Makes it hard to tell if it’s a defect or the amp bringing out a flaw in the recording, either way it doesn’t sound good to listen to. I have new rca cables coming tomorrow so will try those. Thanks for the replies all


----------



## GearMe

sahmen said:


> ...For a <$100 little amp, the Spark really delivers in Spades, and that is impressive.  It has tripled my curiosity about the Liquid Platinum, and what differences it, too, is going to bring to the table, relative to both the Spark and Carbon).
> 
> FWIW, the spark sounds pretty clean (as does the Carbon), and I do not detect any noise, in the form of a hiss, hum or static... It is as clean as a whistle.  So far I have been doing all listening and comparisons with the Hifiman He-1000.



Agreed, nice amp...great value!  No noise issues.  Haven't tried the pre-outs yet.


----------



## sahmen

heliosphann said:


> Just tried that track on Tidal with my Spark and HD600. Sounded great, no buzzing. Maybe it's something else in your chain is contributing to the buzzing if it's also doing this on your CTH.
> 
> 
> 
> I'll bust out my HEK and also compare the Spark with the LCv1 when I have a chance. If anything Alex has been able to translate the Cavalli house sound thought their line-up very consistently. When I had a Liquid Crimson, I A/B'd it to the Liquid Carbon v1 and although the Crimson was technically superior in most areas, the LCv1 sounded very similar tonally.



I would certainly be interested in hearing about how your Spark and LCv1 head-to-head goes.


----------



## tim0chan

Astonish said:


> yea, I'm gonna give them back... But first I'm gonna make sure I call them because I've been trying to get the cracked wood fixed on my m1060s for mad long, but they don't answer....yet they **** up an order and they send you out a return label real quick, weird huh?
> 
> Even so, I still believe in being a good person





Hyp0xia said:


> Well, my Spark has suddenly developed a buzzing sound as well, though mine is persistent. This is on top of the faulty preamplifier output. To make matters worse, Monoprice seems to have no record of my purchase attached to my account and they have not bothered to respond to either of my two support requests. I'm thinking this will be my last Monoprice purchase.


@Astonish you should send some to @Hyp0xia


----------



## Astonish

tim0chan said:


> @Astonish you should send some to @Hyp0xia



Yea, I don't think it works that way. They will charge if you don't send them back


----------



## DRHamp

I have just over 50 hours on the Spark, listening primarily through pre outs to Vanatoo Transparent Zero speakers.  It has been really clean with no noise, static or buzz.  Listened to the Haley Reinhardt track on Tidal and heard no buzz.  I've also given it a good listen with my Aeon Flow closed and am very impressed with this $100 amp.  Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones, but I'm very happy with the purchase


----------



## Rattle

Spark has been flawless for me. It's extremely quiet runs barely warm and seems to go into standby or something with volume down all the way ? It's cool when I come back but warm if I don't turn it down all the way for a couple hours, tried a couple times with same results so it seems like it's in standby or something. Can anyone comment or know for sure ? Not important but cool non the less 

 I've had it on about 30 hours since Friday and about 8 hours listening on HD600 and HD6xx. Did some back and forth with Valhalla 2 on Zappa and Fleetwood Mac and it really is amazing for being so little of a footprint.


----------



## fljoe

Can someone please recommend a DAC to go with this Liquid Spark headphone amp. Need to use it with my Dell XPS15 laptop. Would prefer the DAC somewhere in the $100 range please. Thanks!


----------



## smallcaps

fljoe said:


> Can someone please recommend a DAC to go with this Liquid Spark headphone amp. Need to use it with my Dell XPS15 laptop. Would prefer the DAC somewhere in the $100 range please. Thanks!


Topping D10, Grace SDAC are a couple off the top of my head you can take a look at.


----------



## Zachik

fljoe said:


> Can someone please recommend a DAC to go with this Liquid Spark headphone amp. Need to use it with my Dell XPS15 laptop. Would prefer the DAC somewhere in the $100 range please. Thanks!


Schiit Modi 3 for $99 is pretty good entry level DAC. The previous generation (Modi 2) was my very first desktop DAC


----------



## Odin412

Another tidbit of info: Yesterday I decided to try my Focal Elear with the new Liquid Spark and to my ears that is a combo that has great synergy.


----------



## Wildcatsare1

My Spark is still burning in, but it is pitch black, music arising out of the darkness, no buzzing, rattling or sonic garbage. I gave it a go with my Focal Clear, think they may be quite synergistic.


----------



## amnesiac75 (Oct 16, 2018)

I’m only 3 hours into the liquid spark paired up with schiit uberfrost and the sound so far is the best I’ve heard in this price range I’m sure break in will only make it better even if it’s only getting used to the sound signature. I’ve gone back and forth with high/low gain with my sennheiser hd600 and I’m still not sure which sounds better but I do know that at least for now the schiit Asgard 2 has an edge at higher volume but that’s always the case imo with more expensive amps. I can’t do a direct comparison to the magni or magni 2u since I haven’t owned them in years but I do know the gap between the entry and mid level is much closer with the liquid spark.


----------



## Hyp0xia

I'm apparently an idiot. I didn't realize I somehow have two Monoprice accounts, which is why I haven't been receiving a response from Monoprice and also why my purchase wasn't appearing under one of those accounts. To be fair to Monoprice, I'll have to delete some of my comments above. My unit is still defective, but I was able to get my RMA request resolved.


----------



## trellus

Hyp0xia said:


> I'm apparently an idiot. I didn't realize I somehow have two Monoprice accounts, which is why I haven't been receiving a response from Monoprice and also why my purchase wasn't appearing under one of those accounts. To be fair to Monoprice, I'll have to delete some of my comments above. My unit is still defective, but I was able to get my RMA request resolved.



Thanks for the update, that’s a relief in a way... and I feel your pain, I did the same thing with NewEgg accidentally and couldn’t figure out why my order had vanished until I realized I inadvertently had created two accounts with them.


----------



## smallcaps

Curious if anyone has tried a linear PSU? Wonder if sound improves as well as which PSU you used.


----------



## Jthompson300 (Oct 16, 2018)

So I got my spark today. It’s still warming up so to speak, only been using it for about a hour and a half.

        I have a feeling I got one of the bad units that creates the static/hissing on certain songs(maybe a combination of frequencies?), I changed headphones to rule that out and I also listened to the music straight without the amp to rule that out. I did notice the treble was harsh out of the box so for now I won’t pass judgement as I remember one other here mentioned this was their experience until it warmed up for a day.

Aside from the few songs that cause this static noise so far I am impressed for the price and size of this amp. When paired to my Audeze LCD-XC the amp is dead quiet, sounds great and overall is a good pair for the budget amp route, again, except for the amp’s random static noise on certain songs. I guess I will see what happens after I run it for 5 hours and hope it clears up.


----------



## Jthompson300

So after letting the amp warm up and get a few hours under its belt all is well, no more static, harshness in the treble is much less (still not thrilled with it but I think that’s going to be subjective to what you are driving) and I am hopefull all with smooth out around the 50 hour mark. 

     So far I am really enjoying this amp with the Audeze LCD-XC (The reason I bought it for in the first place). Dead quiet, great mids, the bass is surprisingly full for what I was expecting and is doing the job of what my more powerful amps can do but much quieter noise floor. For the price I can’t complain too much and to be honest it is already better for my XC than my Burson so overall a great buy for something that I would have spent on a dinner out with the wife anyway. 

Time to burn it in, change sources, use it as a pre amp and play around!


----------



## dBel84

I have a sneaky feeling you might be hearing your LCDX's for the first time. I like them but they have a peak frequency in the highs 




 


Combine that with an amp that is essentially flat across the frequency response and you begin to hear things as they truly are. 

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/monoprice-cavalli-liquid-spark-technical-measurements.890981/

These are the measurements for the spark, pretty amazing for a discrete amp at any cost, 

This is the double edged sword of accurate gear, crappy recordings are unbearably obvious and any quirk in a piece of gear is highlighted.  I like the Lcdx, but prefer it modded. 

Have been listening to the spark for a few weeks and it has not ceased to amaze me what it can do. 

.. dB


----------



## Rattle

Spark is a fun amp ! I know my Valhalla 2 is better but the spark sounds so good with HD600 and mimby. Mid-range goodness.


----------



## rayout7

How does this compare with the CTH? Is it worth purchasing if you own a CTH?


----------



## antdroid

rayout7 said:


> How does this compare with the CTH? Is it worth purchasing if you own a CTH?



I listened to both side by side last weekend. The CTH, to me, sounded wider, slightly more lean and more detailed. It's very, very subtle of course, just like how most amps/dac subtleties are. I find both very impressive for their price points. I've been using the Spark more often than I thought lately.


----------



## sahmen

rayout7 said:


> How does this compare with the CTH? Is it worth purchasing if you own a CTH?


Can't answer that, because I have never heard the CTH.  However, I purchased it anyway, even though I already had the Liquid Carbon v1, which I love very much. In the end, the decision depends on you, and  If you really don't want to get the Spark, then don't listen to me... I am a bad influence.  Especially since I have not regretted buying the Spark... For $99.99, it seemed like a no-brainer, and it turns out, It actually is, I have found.


----------



## Hansotek

rayout7 said:


> How does this compare with the CTH? Is it worth purchasing if you own a CTH?


 
They definitely sound different. Based on different circuit designs. CTH is very light, airy and spacious. Spark is more dense, weighty, bassy and fun sounding. Both very enjoyable to listen to.


----------



## elira

I've had the liquid spark for a couple of days (like literally two). My unit works fine, nothing wrong with it. It gets warm, warmer than my Jotunheim. Overall I think it's an amazing amp for the price. The build quality is good, at least in the exterior. Of all amps I have the sound signature is similar to the one of the PS Audio GCHA, I think this is an amazing deal at $100. 

My audio chain is Audio GD R2R-1 -> Jotunheim (XLR input, RCA output) -> Liquid Spark.


----------



## smallcaps

I've been using it consistently for over a week now. It's definitely colored for an amp and would probably not measure so well on the bench (just a guess). However it's very pleasing and easy to listen to. I currently have it exclusively hooked up to my SDAC. It's a sweet sounding combo and stacks quite neatly. Perfect for the office, when I'm not criticality listening. Waiting for my SU-8 to arrive to see if the famed ESS hump does anything for the LS. Overall I'm pretty happy with the LS but I think equipment pairing will be critical. I wouldn't go for it as a first amp, and would probably look for something more transparent.


----------



## Baten

elira said:


> I've had the liquid spark for a couple of days (like literally two). My unit works fine, nothing wrong with it. It gets warm, warmer than my Jotunheim. Overall I think it's an amazing amp for the price. The build quality is good, at least in the exterior. Of all amps I have the sound signature is similar to the one of the PS Audio GCHA, I think this is an amazing deal at $100.
> 
> My audio chain is Audio GD R2R-1 -> Jotunheim (XLR input, RCA output) -> Liquid Spark.



Wait what Jotunheim into Liquid spark?


----------



## GearMe

Baten said:


> Wait what Jotunheim into Liquid spark?



Pre Out...I'm guessing


----------



## Baten

GearMe said:


> Pre Out...I'm guessing



Yeah absolutely it just seems hilarious to go balanced R2R-1>Jot and then single ended to liquid spark. R2R-1>Liquid spark via RCA makes more sense to me lol, it's a single ended device


----------



## GearMe

yep...unless he's already using the RCA outs on the R2R-1 for something else?


----------



## elira

GearMe said:


> yep...unless he's already using the RCA outs on the R2R-1 for something else?


It was easier to connect it to the Jotunheim pre outs.


----------



## dBel84

smallcaps said:


> I've been using it consistently for over a week now. It's definitely colored for an amp and would probably not measure so well on the bench (just a guess).



You may have missed my above link but here are the measurements . It is incredible, probably what a true high end amp should look like, very little noise floor. Flat frequency response and near perfect square waves. 
.. dB


----------



## smallcaps (Oct 25, 2018)

dBel84 said:


> You may have missed my above link but here are the measurements . It is incredible, probably what a true high end amp should look like, very little noise floor. Flat frequency response and near perfect square waves.
> .. dB


Thanks for the pointer and apologies for missing it. Sometimes I find myself blasting through threads and have trouble retaining everything!

The measurements are great and thank you for sharing them. Looking forward to seeing how the LS fairs on the ASR bench to compare data. So far from the measurements taken, the LS looks to be a winner. Wonder how the Platinum is going to hold up and excited to hear it.


----------



## Goatsandmonkeys

Sorry if this is a total noob question but does this amp color the sound to the pre amp output or does it purely eork as a volume knob? I’m thinking of wiring a DAC to this and sending the orevout to a power amp for my living room. I’d have both headphones and speakers. Would something like that work?


----------



## Astonish

Wow guys, it was the dac causing the distortion sound on notes all all along.

After trying two sets of rca cables, I got a rca to 3.5mm and plugged it straight into my pc and the buzzing notes are gone. Weird because the dac is a amp/dac all in one and when I use it like that it's fine with the built in amp, but when plugged into external amps it has static problems, maybe it's the rca connection port.


----------



## sahmen

Astonish said:


> Wow guys, it was the dac causing the distortion sound on notes all all along.
> 
> After trying two sets of rca cables, I got a rca to 3.5mm and plugged it straight into my pc and the buzzing notes are gone. Weird because the dac is a amp/dac all in one and when I use it like that it's fine with the built in amp, but when plugged into external amps it has static problems, maybe it's the rca connection port.



Could it also be related to the double amping and its complications? Maybe?


----------



## smallcaps

Astonish said:


> Wow guys, it was the dac causing the distortion sound on notes all all along.
> 
> After trying two sets of rca cables, I got a rca to 3.5mm and plugged it straight into my pc and the buzzing notes are gone. Weird because the dac is a amp/dac all in one and when I use it like that it's fine with the built in amp, but when plugged into external amps it has static problems, maybe it's the rca connection port.


Might be an issue of line out mode vs pre-amp mode...


----------



## Astonish (Oct 26, 2018)

smallcaps said:


> Might be an issue of line out mode vs pre-amp mode...



I meant a problem with the monoprice amp/dac combos port just to clarify. Since it was the same problem with numerous amps and that was the constant factor.

edit: grabbed an sdac to go with it


----------



## Jthompson300 (Oct 26, 2018)

dBel84 said:


> I have a sneaky feeling you might be hearing your LCDX's for the first time. I like them but they have a peak frequency in the highs
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Oddly enough this was my response to Monoprice when they contacted me regarding my post here. The double edge sword is worse because I am using an Astell & Kern Kann to the Spark to my LCD-XC, all very competent gear and very direct but as I told the rep from Monoprice not all plays well with the XC and it is very easy to see what will and won’t be a good pair with it. When using my Mac and Audirvana or Amarra through my Oppo HA-2 the treble is no issue at all.

I hope that no one misunderstood my post and that it was taken for what it was which was my opinion of the Spark and the Audeze LCD-XC. In the end I can still say that I am happy with the Spark and XC for all of the positives and more than anything I am now looking for a different DAP. The issue in my link is not the Spark, in fact someone wanted to buy my IFi Ican micro SE that I am selling on this website to use with their XC and I told them not to buy my IFi and buy the Spark. Honestly until I bite the bullet and get the McIntosh headphone amp($4,000) I am going to stick with the Spark.


----------



## muckyfingers (Oct 27, 2018)

Astonish said:


> Wow guys, it was the dac causing the distortion sound on notes all all along.
> 
> After trying two sets of rca cables, I got a rca to 3.5mm and plugged it straight into my pc and the buzzing notes are gone. Weird because the dac is a amp/dac all in one and when I use it like that it's fine with the built in amp, but when plugged into external amps it has static problems, maybe it's the rca connection port.



Boom! Called it. 

Seriously, glad you figured it out. Sometimes trying to get rid of any sort audio “gremlins” can drive you up the wall.


----------



## maakheru

I returned mine after a few days. Even after burning in for about 50 hours, it still sounded like pillows were preventing the music from coming through. Absolutely no treble at all, it even made my ultrasone 780s sound dark. After reading the positive reviews, I am now convinced mine was defective. But I don't want to have to order again and possibly return again on my dime.


----------



## Jthompson300

So another set of cans that the spark and my Kann might not work with is the Focal Elegia. The treble is still a touch too high. Now it could very well be my AK Kann but when running balanced out to the Elegia and in high gain direct from the Kann I don’t have the treble bothering my ears, in fact I prefer direct from the Kann. 

With my XC I could say well the Kann nor the Oppo-HA2 could really drive them direct (even with my Dragon balanced cable from moon audio running direct from the Kann) but with the Focal Elegia I don’t have those reservations. 

     I see the graphs and the measurements but I still feel like the spark is treble heavy. I can understand that I am using garbage in with Rebecca Pidgeon Spanish Harlem at DSD 5.6 but I never had had this problem before using that song as a semi benchmark. 

Is anyone else feeling like the treble is taking center stage with the spark?


----------



## all thumbs (Nov 4, 2018)

Pretty sure my Spark has a short. I'm getting a full volume distortion hum unless it is sitting exactly right with the power chord seeming to be the bad connection. I'll be contacting them tomorrow or Tuesday about a replacement.

Edit to add that I love that I'm a new Head-fier based on post count but a member since 2011.


----------



## tim0chan

all thumbs said:


> Pretty sure my Spark has a short. I'm getting a full volume distortion hum unless it is sitting exactly right with the power chord seeming to be the bad connection. I'll be contacting them tomorrow or Tuesday about a replacement.
> 
> Edit to add that I love that I'm a new Head-fier based on post count but a member since 2011.


you dont post enough, thats why


----------



## all thumbs

tim0chan said:


> you dont post enough, thats why


I post exactly the right amount for me. I'm aware of why, I just think it's funny. 

I'll try to let everyone know the results of my customer service call once I make it


----------



## Rattle

Can the pre outs on the spark be used to chain another headphone amp like on the lcx?


----------



## runeight

Rattle said:


> Can the pre outs on the spark be used to chain another headphone amp like on the lcx?



They are not intended for that, but you can certainly try. Keep in mind that the the preamp outs are disconnected when headphones are plugged in.


----------



## Rattle

runeight said:


> They are not intended for that, but you can certainly try. Keep in mind that the the preamp outs are disconnected when headphones are plugged in.



Thanks for the info, are they not wired the same as the LCX or MCTH ? I understand it's a less expensive amp so it's unfair to expect features. Just curious as I have 2 amps and enjoy them both. I will try it next time I sit down for a listen.


----------



## elira

Rattle said:


> Can the pre outs on the spark be used to chain another headphone amp like on the lcx?


Yes, but every time you add a component in the middle of the signal path there’s some degradation of the signal. I would recommend using an RCA splitter instead, but that also can affect the signal. Try and see what works better for you. In most cases the degradation is not noticeable for RCA splitters, and using the amp pre out may add some coloration to the sound (this may be good or bad depending on your preferences).


----------



## runeight

Rattle said:


> Thanks for the info, are they not wired the same as the LCX or MCTH ? I understand it's a less expensive amp so it's unfair to expect features. Just curious as I have 2 amps and enjoy them both. I will try it next time I sit down for a listen.



They are not wired same as LCX or CTH. In those amps the input jacks and the loop out jacks are wired directly together.

In the Spark, the preamp out comes from the headphone output so that it is controlled by the vol pot. So you are adding an entire headphone amp between your source and the other amplifier. It might work and you can try, but it might not give the best results. It's really not an intended use.


----------



## Baten

@runeight exactly. Would likely have a bad effect on sound but why knows, can always try i guess


----------



## lantian

A fantastic amp, pairs incredibly well with my sennheiser hd 540 RG 600ohm.


----------



## legion1capone

Just put my order in for an SDAC and liquid spark. Can't wait to compare them to my other gear. This hobby is a rabbit hole that never ends lmao. I hope I don't have an issue with my unit. We will see. Thanks for everyone's reviews and comparisons. This place is awesome!


----------



## antdroid

legion1capone said:


> Just put my order in for an SDAC and liquid spark. Can't wait to compare them to my other gear. This hobby is a rabbit hole that never ends lmao. I hope I don't have an issue with my unit. We will see. Thanks for everyone's reviews and comparisons. This place is awesome!



Not awesome to your wallet.


----------



## smallcaps

legion1capone said:


> Just put my order in for an SDAC and liquid spark. Can't wait to compare them to my other gear. This hobby is a rabbit hole that never ends lmao. I hope I don't have an issue with my unit. We will see. Thanks for everyone's reviews and comparisons. This place is awesome!


I have the same setup for my office and I love it. Pushing HD580s and it's a very easy listen.


----------



## legion1capone

LOL considering not a month ago I ordered the Aune XP1 (X2)  and X7S this is a fairly cheap purchase. Like so many I'm wanting to find the best deals for the money. I had a magni 2U and at the time of coarse it was the best thing I had heard, until I started upgrading and hearing the differences between DAC's, amps and headphones. I do believe schiit makes good gear which I will purchase but with the headphones I have, I seem to be a bit treble sensitive. Once I heard a more layed back but detailed sound of the ZMF classics on my X7S and being able to understand the descriptions people give of gear; I feel I'm finally able to make semi educated purchases lol. At least I hope I'm right bahaha I'm also curious to see how the SDAC compares to my aune X1S.



antdroid said:


> Not awesome to your wallet.


----------



## cprime

Another affordable/tempting choice for me to consider...


----------



## legion1capone (Nov 12, 2018)

Has anyone compared this to the JDS labs EL amp?

JDS EL Amp
*AMPLIFIER PERFORMANCE*

Frequency Response 20Hz-20kHz+/- 0.1dB
THD+N 1kHz, 150 Ω0.0009%
IMD CCIF 19/20kHz 150 Ω0.0004%
IMD SMPTE 150 Ω0.0005%
Noise, A-Weighted-108 dBu
Crosstalk @ 150 Ω-67 dB
Output Impedance0.1 Ω
Channel Balance+/- 0.56 dB
Max Continuous Output, 600Ω140 mW (9.4VRMS)
Max Continuous Output, 150Ω505 mW
Max Continuous Output, 32Ω1.1 W
Peak Output Power, 32Ω1.5W
Monoprice liquid Spark
https://downloads.monoprice.com/files/specsheets/33304_Specsheet_181025.pdf

Sorry It's a PDF and I can't copy and paste the info for side by side comparison.


----------



## legion1capone (Nov 15, 2018)

I received my Liquid Spark last night and have given it an initial listen today. I can't wait to hear how this sound evolves as it breaks in. So far so good though. It is an excellent amp for powering my planar magnetics (he400i and ZMF classics). It produces such a natural and slightly wider soundstage than the Aune X7S+XP1 ($250), while also improving imaging quite a bit! There is also a bit of depth to the soundstage. It seems to do a better job of allowing you to hear the environment that the singer is in which I love! The micro details that I am hearing in songs that I have listened to thousands of times are catching me off guard and I'm loving every minute of it. Much more detail than the X7S. I find strings and womans vocals to have such a sweet intoxicating sound, slightly more intimate and forward compared to the X7S. Which is exactly what I prefer. The slam and punch in the lower registers are fantastic! When people are snapping their fingers or the drummer gives a nice rim shot, man it makes me smile! I do notice the X7S is smoother sounding and has a bit more sub bass, but I have a feeling the Spark with smooth out and the bass will round out a bit more once I run a few more hours through her. I honestly can't believe you can get such a musical sounding amp for the price. It powers my Classics with ease! I can easily without question recommend this amp to a beginner or long term audiophile! This is a damn good amp. I hope they decide to make a balanced version of this, though I doubt it. I want to compare it to my magni 2 U and see how it differs myself, but after purchasing a few amps now I am just not a fan of the schiit amps. The highs kill me and just doesn't enthrall me into the music like this does. Analytical be damned lol! I want to be captivated by the emotion in the music. This definitely does that.


----------



## Burgerbassist

Hansotek said:


> I didn’t compare them from a technical standpoint, though I really should have in retrospect. I would say the Spark is warmer - probably closer overall to the iDSD’s sound with the bass boost on than off. The Spark has a much better midrange & overall musicality. The iDSD’s amp always kinda leaves me wanting on non-IEMs. Spark does not. Mids On iDSD BL amp are slightly wonky and unnatural as headphones get more demanding, IMO. The Black Label amp is quieter w/ built-in IEMatch.
> 
> The DAC on the Black Label is a great match for the Spark- that ended up being my go-to setup: iDSD BL -> Spark-> Cascade. That DAC is a monster on that little thing. Probably my favorite sub $600 DAC. Sweet chip. First 6 bits R2R. Does MQA and DSD. Love the warm, impactful balance on it. Great naturalness. Amp is pretty good - definitely capable and dead quiet - but the DAC makes it one of my favorite mid-priced pieces.



@Hansotek any thoughts on the ALO Continental V5 vs the Liquid Spark?  I've got a pair of Cascades that can get a bit too wooly when plugged directly into my phone (LG V35), and I thought a dedicated amp might do them some good.  I'm a sucker for tubes, but the Liquid Spark almost sounds too good to pass up.  The CV5 can be had new for $399 right now, so it's a bit more, but it seems like a good piece of gear, particularly for on-the-go.  If the Spark sounds that much better, though, I may just go that way.  I'd be going iDSD BL -> amp -> Cascade, and I'd also be using Lyra II's out of whichever I get sometimes, too.

Thanks!


----------



## Hansotek

Burgerbassist said:


> @Hansotek any thoughts on the ALO Continental V5 vs the Liquid Spark?  I've got a pair of Cascades that can get a bit too wooly when plugged directly into my phone (LG V35), and I thought a dedicated amp might do them some good.  I'm a sucker for tubes, but the Liquid Spark almost sounds too good to pass up.  The CV5 can be had new for $399 right now, so it's a bit more, but it seems like a good piece of gear, particularly for on-the-go.  If the Spark sounds that much better, though, I may just go that way.  I'd be going iDSD BL -> amp -> Cascade, and I'd also be using Lyra II's out of whichever I get sometimes, too.
> 
> Thanks!



I have not compared the Continental V5 to the Spark, no. I will say, I love the sound of the iDSD BL > Spark > Cascade chain. Great synergy. I remember the first time I heard the CV5 thinking that I would be interested to know how it compares to the Spark, since they were both slotted to be portables at the time. So maybe get both and tell me how that comparison sounds? Scope out the return policies on them. Seems like a low-risk experiment, as you should be able to recoup costs via return or second-hand sale.


----------



## Burgerbassist

Hansotek said:


> I have not compared the Continental V5 to the Spark, no. I will say, I love the sound of the iDSD BL > Spark > Cascade chain. Great synergy. I remember the first time I heard the CV5 thinking that I would be interested to know how it compares to the Spark, since they were both slotted to be portables at the time. So maybe get both and tell me how that comparison sounds? Scope out the return policies on them. Seems like a low-risk experiment, as you should be able to recoup costs via return or second-hand sale.



Thanks.  I think that's exactly what I'll do.  The CV5 doesn't seem to be a super popular amp, so I'm not expecting people to be waiting with bated breath for the comparison, but once I receive both, I'll take some notes and spend some time with them both, and then update here.


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## CAMSHAFT

Currently I am running MacBook Pro> Audirvana+ > Tidal > Reveal Plugin > Supra Optical > Mojo > Cheapie 3.5 to RCA > Liquid Spark > PlusSound Cables > iSine 20
Previously I was running the same setup without the Spark. So far I like what I hear. Its only burned in 48 hours so far. I believe Alex recommends 100. 

I noticed the bass impact and coherency of the bass improved. One thing though the stage and overall holography greatly increased however, I felt like it happened to everything and it feels a bit artificial. In some cases I feel like I am getting a sense of space effect where I was previously not getting it. Its hard to believe that increasing power would create this (but it has) with the same DAC just more power. Am I smoking crack?


----------



## Hansotek

CAMSHAFT said:


> Currently I am running MacBook Pro> Audirvana+ > Tidal > Reveal Plugin > Supra Optical > Mojo > Cheapie 3.5 to RCA > Liquid Spark > PlusSound Cables > iSine 20
> Previously I was running the same setup without the Spark. So far I like what I hear. Its only burned in 48 hours so far. I believe Alex recommends 100.
> 
> I noticed the bass impact and coherency of the bass improved. One thing though the stage and overall holography greatly increased however, I felt like it happened to everything and it feels a bit artificial. In some cases I feel like I am getting a sense of space effect where I was previously not getting it. Its hard to believe that increasing power would create this (but it has) with the same DAC just more power. Am I smoking crack?



Did you try turning off the Audeze plugin?


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## legion1capone

Your spot on with what you hear. I can hear backup singers more clearly, which is awesome! I love these small nuances and details. I also find myself hearing vocal reflections, as in the singers voice in the room it was recorded in. Which is very cool especially in live recordings. I would not describe it as artificial though. I have noticed when switching dac's that the tonality and natural sound that I get from my current setup X1S+XP1 and liquid spark does change. Is the Mojo described as natural sounding? If memory serves me correctly it is more of an analytical sound..? I have not heard it. 




CAMSHAFT said:


> Currently I am running MacBook Pro> Audirvana+ > Tidal > Reveal Plugin > Supra Optical > Mojo > Cheapie 3.5 to RCA > Liquid Spark > PlusSound Cables > iSine 20
> Previously I was running the same setup without the Spark. So far I like what I hear. Its only burned in 48 hours so far. I believe Alex recommends 100.
> 
> I noticed the bass impact and coherency of the bass improved. One thing though the stage and overall holography greatly increased however, I felt like it happened to everything and it feels a bit artificial. In some cases I feel like I am getting a sense of space effect where I was previously not getting it. Its hard to believe that increasing power would create this (but it has) with the same DAC just more power. Am I smoking crack?


----------



## Hansotek

legion1capone said:


> Your spot on with what you hear. I can hear backup singers more clearly, which is awesome! I love these small nuances and details. I also find myself hearing vocal reflections, as in the singers voice in the room it was recorded in. Which is very cool especially in live recordings. I would not describe it as artificial though. I have noticed when switching dac's that the tonality and natural sound that I get from my current setup X1S+XP1 and liquid spark does change. Is the Mojo described as natural sounding? If memory serves me correctly it is more of an analytical sound..? I have not heard it.



Mojo is just very slightly warm. Definitely not analytical sounding. Also picks up a lot of those ambient room cues very clearly.


----------



## CAMSHAFT

Hansotek said:


> Did you try turning off the Audeze plugin?



I did, its not the cause.  I notice the effect a lot more on Eric Clapton's Unplugged album. Most specifically with his guitar in "Tears in Heaven".


----------



## CAMSHAFT

legion1capone said:


> Your spot on with what you hear. I can hear backup singers more clearly, which is awesome! I love these small nuances and details. I also find myself hearing vocal reflections, as in the singers voice in the room it was recorded in. Which is very cool especially in live recordings. I would not describe it as artificial though. I have noticed when switching dac's that the tonality and natural sound that I get from my current setup X1S+XP1 and liquid spark does change. Is the Mojo described as natural sounding? If memory serves me correctly it is more of an analytical sound..? I have not heard it.



Then I am not sure it was in the original recording.  Its hard to believe the mojo would not have extracted and present all of the info from the original recording.


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## CAMSHAFT

So, I think the issue has been rectified. The "hollowness" seems to be gone. I am waiting for the kids to go to bed to fully analyze the results.  I believe it was the connection/adaptor chain that I have going on.  I am connecting 2.5mm balanced to a 3.5mm adapter to another 1/4" adapter into the amp.  I tried another 1/4" adapter and I think I am good. I think the connection was not solid and therefore not sending all of the information to my ears.


----------



## runeight

CAMSHAFT said:


> So, I think the issue has been rectified. The "hollowness" seems to be gone. I am waiting for the kids to go to bed to fully analyze the results.  I believe it was the connection/adaptor chain that I have going on.  I am connecting 2.5mm balanced to a 3.5mm adapter to another 1/4" adapter into the amp.  I tried another 1/4" adapter and I think I am good. I think the connection was not solid and therefore not sending all of the information to my ears.



Be careful that your adapter chain is not shorting the outputs somehow.


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## CAMSHAFT

runeight said:


> Be careful that your adapter chain is not shorting the outputs somehow.



Yeah I think that was what was happening. It isn't happening anymore.


----------



## avitron142

Anyone try this with the K7XX? Curious as to whether it pairs well like other "tube" amps.


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## all thumbs (Dec 10, 2018)

On my third Spark. This one finally works well with no electrical issues. Customer service experience could have been better. If you have to make a return, hurry, or you will have issues if the replacement is also bad. I had to buy the third one outright as an advanced return for the replacement to be returned against.

Overall, sound is very good compared to my LG V30, V40, and two older ALO amps, the National and International+. No negatives so far, but I've only used it for about an hour with my HD-6XX. Will try my HE-400, D2000 (wood cups) and Isine10s and check back in.


----------



## SDBiotek

CAMSHAFT said:


> So, I think the issue has been rectified. The "hollowness" seems to be gone. I am waiting for the kids to go to bed to fully analyze the results.  I believe it was the connection/adaptor chain that I have going on.  I am connecting 2.5mm balanced to a 3.5mm adapter to another 1/4" adapter into the amp.  I tried another 1/4" adapter and I think I am good. I think the connection was not solid and therefore not sending all of the information to my ears.


Never try hooking up a balanced souce to a single ended input on the amp. As @runeight stated, you will likely short the grounds in your chain, and you will mess up yet another amp.


----------



## rollinbr

CAMSHAFT said:


> I am connecting 2.5mm balanced to a 3.5mm adapter to another 1/4" adapter into the amp.  I tried another 1/4" adapter and I think I am good. I think the connection was not solid and therefore not sending all of the information to my ears.





SDBiotek said:


> Never try hooking up a balanced souce to a single ended input on the amp. As @runeight stated, you will likely short the grounds in your chain, and you will mess up yet another amp.



When going from headphones or IEMs that have a balanced connector at the end, one can connect to an SE adapter that plugs into the SE output on the amp. You NEVER want to go from an SE connector at the end of the headphones or IEMs into a balanced adapter then into the balanced output on the amp. That will damage the amp.


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## legion1capone

I let my buddy borrow my Aune x1s acting as dac and my liquid spark to power his K7xx. His comment to me when I asked him how it was, " I now know what my headphones can sound like." He was using a modi 2u andagni 3 before. He really really liked it. He was really impressed and thought it was quite a step up from his current setup.


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## lantian

In my case liquid spark is quite a step up aswell, now that it has been burned in more or less it sounds fantastic with my 600ohm cans. My previous magni 3 could not even power them properly not to mention sound good. It could handle my 300ohm cans but not theway that this does. All my headphones sound fantastic.  Could not be happier with my purchase.


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## GearMe

Have the Spark and the Magni 3...

Surprised there's a difference in the ability of the Spark to drive 600 ohm cans compared to the Magni 3.  Thought I'd read they were pretty much equally powerful.

I typically use my 600 ohm cans on an OTL amp but will have to try them on these two...


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## Sharpty

Hello everyone, I've been lurking for almost 10 years on this forum but just now decided to make an account. 

My good friend recently rekindled my interest in headphones and this amp has me curious. So I ordered one and am currently waiting on my early Christmas present.

I notice it says that there are no caps in the signal path, has anyone measured for DC on the output?? 

I'm guessing that can be adjusted with the trim pots, but correct me if I'm wrong.


----------



## runeight

Sharpty said:


> Hello everyone, I've been lurking for almost 10 years on this forum but just now decided to make an account.
> 
> My good friend recently rekindled my interest in headphones and this amp has me curious. So I ordered one and am currently waiting on my early Christmas present.
> 
> ...



It is auto adjusted and under normal conditions keeps the DC at the output very low. There is also a detector that disconnects headphones if it senses that the average DC at the output goes above a certain threshold.


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## Sharpty (Dec 13, 2018)

Thanks for the quick response @runeight , seems like a well thought out design indeed.

Do you think pairing the Liquid spark with a linear PSU would offer any real world advantage in audio quality over the standard SMPS?


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## runeight

Sharpty said:


> Thanks for the quick response @runeight , seems like a well thought out design indeed.
> 
> Do you think pairing the Liquid spark with a linear PSU would offer any real world advantage in audio quality over the standard SMPS?



I don't think LPSs help a lot. The noise floor is pretty low on the Spark and the SMPS has plenty of juice. IIRC the noise floor is about -115db A weighted. Don't quote me on this though bc I should look it up. 

Also, as per comments on the Platinum thread certain LPSs can pose risks to the carefully matched design of all the pieces of the system.


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## atomicbob

Liquid Spark residual noise measures as follows:

-115 dBu  A weighted (standard used by most manufacturers - attenuates 1/f noise and mains noise)
-107 dBu  unweighted (includes 1/f noise and mains noise)

Most manufacturers prefer to report A weighting. Liquid Spark with supplied SMPS does quite well with the unweighted measurement and outstanding with A weighted.


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## Sharpty (Dec 13, 2018)

Thanks for the detailed measurements @atomicbob , looks very promising.

Does the standard SMPS have a ferrite at the end of the cable?  If not I'd be curious to see if one would have any effect. Probably depends more on environment as to whether a ferrite would have a positive effect, and seeing as the HF noise floor is very low it would probably be very minimal anyway.

Sure wish I had an audio analyzer to play with


----------



## runeight

Sharpty said:


> Thanks for the detailed measurements @atomicbob , looks very promising.
> 
> Does the standard SMPS have a ferrite at the end of the cable?  If not I'd be curious to see if one would have any effect. Probably depends more on environment as to whether a ferrite would have a positive effect, and seeing as the HF noise floor is very low it would probably be very minimal anyway.



It does not.


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## atomicbob

Sharpty said:


> Thanks for the detailed measurements @atomicbob
> 
> Sure wish I had an audio analyzer to play with


There are some lower cost options available:

Quantasylum QA401
https://quantasylum.com/products/qa401-audio-analyzer
While this doesn't have the noise floor or advanced level SW measurement sets, it does well enough for most standard amplifier measurements. I have one in my lab that I use from time to time.

RME ADI-2 Pro + HpW-Works
http://www.rme-audio.de/en/products/adi_2-pro.php
https://www.hpw-works.com/
With some cleverness one can achieve close to the measurement capabilities of the major players, Avermetrics, Audio Precision, Prism Sound, Rhode & Schwarz, etc.
And it is a damn fine DAC for recreational use.


----------



## Sharpty

atomicbob said:


> There are some lower cost options available:
> 
> Quantasylum QA401
> https://quantasylum.com/products/qa401-audio-analyzer
> ...



Thanks for the links, the QA401 is much more affordable than I assumed an analyzer would be. Although I can't justify the price currently, and especially not the price of the RME  
Right now I just have a couple budget USB recording interfaces (Steinberg UR22 MKII, Tascam US-2x2) that I use as a DAC for some JBL monitors. The line Inputs are clean enough for recording but don't have enough headroom for measurements


----------



## mushin1989

Does anyone happen to have any experience with whether this amp edges out the Atom with regard to driving planar magnetics like the T50 RP? I know there's a lot of stuff to consider like current and such. Wondering if anyone has compared their performance.


----------



## lantian (Dec 15, 2018)

Does someone know the polarity of the dc barrel plug used on liquid spark or perhaps could measure it with a voltmeter, would appreciate it a lot.
Never mind, found the symbol on stock psu.


----------



## avitron142

Has anyone compared these to the Vali 2? I've seen them against the Magni 3 but perhaps the Vali is a more comparable option.


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## Sharpty (Jun 25, 2022)

Thought I would take some nudes in case anyone was lookin 




 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Btw, does anyone know the max signal input voltage for this thing? I'm using the line out from a USB recording interface and it seems pretty hot. Just want to make sure i'm not overpowering anything.


----------



## dBel84

mushin1989 said:


> Does anyone happen to have any experience with whether this amp edges out the Atom with regard to driving planar magnetics like the T50 RP? I know there's a lot of stuff to consider like current and such. Wondering if anyone has compared their performance.



I use modded T50RP with this amp frequently (along with other orthos) and it has no trouble at all driving them well. 

Truly amazing amount of goodness in this small package. 

.. dB


----------



## avitron142

I guess another question... anyone user these with the HE400S?

If there's anyone in the NYC area that'd be willing to loan me one for a day or two, I can do impressions vs the Aune B1 and the like.


----------



## JazzVinyl

My Liquid Spark arrived today.  Seems to function properly. I will spend a few days with it, before commenting on it's sonic attributes.


----------



## lantian

How would I go about grounding the liquid spark, if the source is a fiio x7 mk2? Can I just connect the rca ground to ground line in my house?


----------



## runeight

lantian said:


> How would I go about grounding the liquid spark, if the source is a fiio x7 mk2? Can I just connect the rca ground to ground line in my house?



Are you having ground noise issues? IIRC the Filo is a portable unit without its own AC receptacle ground. If this is the case and only the headphones are connected to the Spark, then there shouldn't be a need to literally earth ground the system.


----------



## Sharpty

lantian said:


> How would I go about grounding the liquid spark, if the source is a fiio x7 mk2? Can I just connect the rca ground to ground line in my house?



The amp shares ground with the source, but is floated from the power supply if I understand correctly. Are you having any noise issues with your floating ground? I assume you could ground it to earth but if there's no noise there's no point


----------



## lantian

runeight said:


> Are you having ground noise issues? IIRC the Filo is a portable unit without its own AC receptacle ground. If this is the case and only the headphones are connected to the Spark, then there shouldn't be a need to literally earth ground the system.





Sharpty said:


> The amp shares ground with the source, but is floated from the power supply if I understand correctly. Are you having any noise issues with your floating ground? I assume you could ground it to earth but if there's no noise there's no point



Thank you, No no noise issues, was just beginning to wonder if it needs any grounding, since as far as I see it has none in my current setup that is Fiiox7 mk2 line out to rca to liquid spark to headphones. So basically I need not think about it unless I get some noise issues?


----------



## elira

lantian said:


> So basically I need not think about it unless I get some noise issues?


If it ain't broke, don't fix it.


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## Sharpty (Dec 19, 2018)

lantian said:


> Thank you, No no noise issues, was just beginning to wonder if it needs any grounding, since as far as I see it has none in my current setup that is Fiiox7 mk2 line out to rca to liquid spark to headphones. So basically I need not think about it unless I get some noise issues?



Yep, there's nothing wrong with a floating/self referenced ground, it has many advantages actually. You also run the risk of introducing noise by attaching it to earth. Battery powered and floating ground is arguably the best case scenario for low noise power.


----------



## Zachik

elira said:


> If it ain't broke, don't fix it.


Good advice in general, but audiophile do not operate according to this one...


----------



## Sharpty

Zachik said:


> Good advice in general, but audiophile do not operate according to this one...



If it ain't broke, fix it till it is.


Then fix it some more.


----------



## lantian

Thank you for all the input


----------



## sacd lover

I have had my Spark since the end of November. I absolutely love this amp. I have a heavily modded Doge 6210 tube amp, Millet Max, and a custom DIY 7n7 transformer coupled tube amp lying around here and I definitely like the Spark the best. What people say about the punchy bass, superb mids and the smooth treble  .... and the overall coherency are spot on. I was going to buy the Massdrop DV 336 SE but I cancelled because I did not think the DV plus the 6xx will better the Spark with the M1060/58x. I have had that combo before and I do  not remember them being anywhere near as enjoyable. So, I bought a second Spark for work.  

I tried the MP M1060 headphones and the Sennheiser HD58x, Senn 6XX and my assorted Alessandro headphones with the above amps and kept rotating. I always enjoyed the Spark the most. I also absolutely love the M1060's and the Spark plays like it was made for them. The Senn 58x are also extremely A+ good with the Spark. My Alessandro's sound as good as always on the Spark.... which is great.

I have been away from headphones for several years and I could not believe all the new companies and choices. But, actually my end game seems settled already. Buy a Spark and a M1060 plus a Senn 58x and just listen to music. I think about the Massdrop CHT and the CLC amps but I find the music so very satisfying, as is, why bother? I know of no other headphone that  IMO, can beat the M1060 without spending a fortune. Ditto for the Liquid Spark.


----------



## avitron142

sacd lover said:


> I have had my Spark since the end of November. I absolutely love this amp. I have a heavily modded Doge 6210 tube amp, Millet Max, and a custom DIY 7n7 transformer coupled tube amp lying around here and I definitely like the Spark the best. What people say about the punchy bass, superb mids and the smooth treble  .... and the overall coherency are spot on. I was going to buy the Massdrop DV 336 SE but I cancelled because I did not think the DV plus the 6xx will better the Spark with the M1060/58x. I have had that combo before and I do  not remember them being anywhere near as enjoyable. So, I bought a second Spark for work.
> 
> I tried the MP M1060 headphones and the Sennheiser HD58x, Senn 6XX and my assorted Alessandro headphones with the above amps and kept rotating. I always enjoyed the Spark the most. I also absolutely love the M1060's and the Spark plays like it was made for them. The Senn 58x are also extremely A+ good with the Spark. My Alessandro's sound as good as always on the Spark.... which is great.
> 
> I have been away from headphones for several years and I could not believe all the new companies and choices. But, actually my end game seems settled already. Buy a Spark and a M1060 plus a Senn 58x and just listen to music. I think about the Massdrop CHT and the CLC amps but I find the music so very satisfying, as is, why bother? I know of no other headphone that  IMO, can beat the M1060 without spending a fortune. Ditto for the Liquid Spark.



Would this just be the difference between a solid state and tube amp? Or do they sound similar, just the Spark better?


----------



## sacd lover (Dec 20, 2018)

Could you clarify your question a little more?  My reply may answer your question or maybe not?

The Spark sounds better. The hybrid amps are not what I consider a tube amp. Hybrids have a SS output stage driving the headphones. So, they run into the same power limitations with high impedance headphones that any SS amp does. The tube adds a little character but does not make a hybrid better at driving a 300 ohm senn 650. The other tube amps are transformer coupled and one has a tap for high impedance headphones and they sound really good with all my phones. But the Spark does everything right per my preferences = more musical and enjoyable. All the other amps I still have, except the Millet max, were much more expensive and if I remember correctly  even Millet Max's were 2-3 times the Spark's cost unless they were DIY builds.

I have had so many really good sounding tube headphone amps over the years .... Singlepower PPX3/ MPX3 /Extreme,/ SLAM, DV 336, Eddie Current, heavily modded Doge 6210, Cavalli hybrid built by dbel84 (most amazing hybrid amo I ever owned amp but best with lower impedances) and a bunch of Millet Max types. A good sounding amp just sounds right and the Spark sounds very right.

The Spark is the best sounding pure SS amp I can remember hearing. I have had the Gilmore amps (probably my favorite SS but still a touch sibilant/ much more expensive) and many others I soon dismissed in favor of the tube or hybrid amps. The Spark is a great listen. I have not heard the more expensive Cavalli liquid carbon  but I do not care enough to buy one because the Spark is so good. For pure musical enjoyment the Cavalli  Spark with the headphones I mentioned is as good sounding and enjoyable as anything I have owned. For $99 this amp is crazy good.

One more thing .... the Spark is the only SS amp I have ever preferred to use over my tube amps for any length of time. This little amp shocks you how right it sounds.


----------



## dBel84

Great to hear your favorable impressions E. I would echo that this amp is "crazy good" , I have actually been deferring to using mine which sits on top of a much more expensive amp..dB


----------



## sacd lover

dbel84 how are you? Nice to see a friend still around.

I hate how this summation sounds so hyped and over the top. But, I am so shocked how good this amp sounds. I am shocked how good the M1060 planar headphone sounds with this amp and how much I like the hd58x with the Spark. I am one who usually can not leave well enough alone. But this amp is so enjoyable I can not imagine liking something better. This amp has a signature sound  I love plus an intangible  coherency consistent from sub bass to the highest treble that is unmatched. Now If I bought a CLC or CTH or the Liquid Platinum I should get better sound but I doubt I get more enjoyment.


----------



## avitron142

sacd lover said:


> Could you clarify your question a little more?  My reply may answer your question or maybe not?
> 
> The Spark sounds better. The hybrid amps are not what I consider a tube amp. Hybrids have a SS output stage driving the headphones. So, they run into the same power limitations with high impedance headphones that any SS amp does. The tube adds a little character but does not make a hybrid better at driving a 300 ohm senn 650. The other tube amps are transformer coupled and one has a tap for high impedance headphones and they sound really good with all my phones. But the Spark does everything right per my preferences = more musical and enjoyable. All the other amps I still have, except the Millet max, were much more expensive and if I remember correctly  even Millet Max's were 2-3 times the Spark's cost unless they were DIY builds.
> 
> ...



Wow, thank you! I definitely don't have the extensive listening experience you do  All I was referring to was that some people like SS (Magni ex) more than hybrids (Vali ex). But with the ount of amps you've owned, it's definitely not that beginner difference - looks like the Spark is just that good to hold it's own against all the others.

Yeah, I feel the same way about enjoyment. Sometimes I get a really good setup, just to find that I don't... really like the combination all that much. Can I say exactly why? Not really. But even though the detail is there, the soundstage is there, etc the enjoyment isn't. I'll definitely keep an eye out for a used Spark to drive my 400S/K7XX.

Thanks!


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## sacd lover (Dec 20, 2018)

https://s79.photobucket.com/user/6bx7gt/media/076.jpg.html

The Spark does not sound as good as the Cavalli hybrid amp on the left in the picture but the Spark is equally enjoyable and about a tenth of the cost.

EDIT: But that is with Tung Sol black glass round plate 12sn7's and my favorite 5u4g rectifier tube and Alessandro MS-2's. Change the tubes to say Raytheon or Hytron 12sn7's and not nearly as good with the Alessandro's. The Spark always sounds top notch.


----------



## JazzVinyl

Spark makes my HD-580's sing beautifully.  It is more dynamic and sharp than I am used to.  It is a "front row" amp, where it is keen to feature bold dynamics.  My other SS Amps are more "10th row" and the dynamics are not as pronounced.  Lots of details and it has a surprising 'deep throated' bass note.   Also really like the preamp function.  That is really convenient for me, as I keep powered speakers near, for times when I do not want to headphone.  Just unplug phones and we're sending signal to the speakers..works out perfectly for my setup.

Sound quality is outstanding, quite a bargain for its modest price tag.


----------



## Shane D

all thumbs said:


> On my third Spark. This one finally works well with no electrical issues. Customer service experience could have been better. If you have to make a return, hurry, or you will have issues if the replacement is also bad. I had to buy the third one outright as an advanced return for the replacement to be returned against.
> 
> Overall, sound is very good compared to my LG V30, V40, and two older ALO amps, the National and International+. No negatives so far, but I've only used it for about an hour with my HD-6XX. Will try my HE-400, D2000 (wood cups) and Isine10s and check back in.



A little off topic, but what do you think of your LG V30 vs the LG V40?
My V30 is my out and about DAP.

Shane D


----------



## Shane D

Has anybody tried this with a M1060C yet? Or the HiFiman HE4XX's?

I don't think I need the power of an amp as I never max out my DAP, but was wondering what the Spark might add to the sound. Also wondering if it would add some bass to my Grado's?

Shane D


----------



## Sharpty (Dec 23, 2018)

Shane D said:


> Also wondering if it would add some bass to my Grado's?
> 
> Shane D


I doubt anything will add bass to your Grados since any good amp will have a perfectly flat frequency response. It might improve transient response as it's a very fast and low impedance amp. I'd try to find a response graph for the Grados and play with an EQ if I wanted extended bass


----------



## Shane D

Sharpty said:


> I doubt anything will add bass to your Grados since any good amp will have a perfectly flat frequency response. It might improve transient response as it's a very fast amp. I'd try to find a response graph for the Grados and play with an EQ if I wanted extended bass



Yes I do EQ. I have read many reports of the Spark having good strong bass and wondered if it might add to the Grado's.

Shane D


----------



## Sharpty (Dec 23, 2018)

Shane D said:


> Yes I do EQ. I have read many reports of the Spark having good strong bass and wondered if it might add to the Grado's.
> 
> Shane D


It's definitely very clean and controlled bass, sub bass was a big improvement when I switched from a USB DAC/ADC integrated headphone amp. It Is accurate to well below what you can hear and what your headphones can reproduce. More than enough power to drive pretty much any headphone. Also dead silent


----------



## Shane D

Sharpty said:


> It's definitely very clean and controlled bass, sub bass was a big improvement when I switched from a USB DAC/ADC integrated headphone amp. It Is accurate to well below what you can hear and what your headphones can reproduce. More than enough power to drive pretty much any headphone.



Yes, that aligns with the rest of comments. Have you used any of the headphones I asked about with it?

Shane D


----------



## Sharpty

Shane D said:


> Yes, that aligns with the rest of comments. Have you used any of the headphones I asked about with it?
> 
> Shane D


nope, sorry


----------



## sacd lover

Shane D said:


> Has anybody tried this with a M1060C yet? Or the HiFiman HE4XX's?
> 
> I don't think I need the power of an amp as I never max out my DAP, but was wondering what the Spark might add to the sound. Also wondering if it would add some bass to my Grado's?
> 
> Shane D



I tried the M1060C with the Spark but I did not like the headphone.  The Spark seemed to drive headphone fine ... tha bass was very powerful and I did use much of the volume control even on low gain. The M1060C has some sort of upper midrange peak that makes the vocals sound wonky. If you had an EQ that could address the peak the headphone would probably sound excellent.


----------



## Shane D

sacd lover said:


> I tried the M1060C with the Spark but I did not like the headphone.  The Spark seemed to drive headphone fine ... tha bass was very powerful and I did use much of the volume control even on low gain. The M1060C has some sort of upper midrange peak that makes the vocals sound wonky. If you had an EQ that could address the peak the headphone would probably sound excellent.



Interesting. Thanks for the reply.
Monoprice had a really good Black Friday sale ($199.00 for M1060's). I figured that if nothing else outstanding shows up, I was always curious about the M1060's and now the M1060C's.

Also, that little Liquid Spark sounds like a keeper.

Shane D


----------



## all thumbs

Shane D said:


> A little off topic, but what do you think of your LG V30 vs the LG V40?
> My V30 is my out and about DAP.
> 
> Shane D


I mostly bought the V40 because the DAC was tuned by a different company and they included EQ. I just got Audeze ISine10s and most people not using the Cipher cable with them use EQ. I didn't want to root and use V4A (for reasons).

Overall I find it similar in power output for higher ohm headphones and the sound quality is comparable. The tuning is noticably different but I wouldn't say it is better or worse, just different.

They still didn't include a manual way to change to the high ohm output levels.


----------



## Shane D

I find that my LG V30 automatically goes into Hifi with pretty much anything. I think it's a great phone for music. I never use it for music at home just on the move. I am on a two year plan and will buy a V40/V50 next fall.

Thanks for the reply.

Shane D


----------



## JazzVinyl

Merry Christmas everyone.  

I am trying a combo, I really like.  DAC->ECC88 Tube Buffer->Liquid Spark...


----------



## avitron142

JazzVinyl said:


> Merry Christmas everyone.
> 
> I am trying a combo, I really like.  DAC->ECC88 Tube Buffer->Liquid Spark...



Love the build of that! Where did you buy it?

Would it be correct to assume that the tube buffer gives the signal a tube-like sound going into the amp? Not sure what the difference would be between providing the buffer before vs after amp.


----------



## JazzVinyl

avitron142 said:


> Love the build of that! Where did you buy it?
> 
> Would it be correct to assume that the tube buffer gives the signal a tube-like sound going into the amp? Not sure what the difference would be between providing the buffer before vs after amp.



That famous auction site:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1set-ECC88...r-MUSICAL-FIDELITY-X10d-PCB-kits/191627380550

It comes minus the tubes and minus the power supply.  The power needed is 12 volts of AC.  Most devices wants 12 volts of DC, but not this one, you must supply 12 volts AC to the power input jack,  I bought a transformer and case for the transformer and made my own power supply.

The tubes are vintage Amperex orange globe ECC88's (actually made by Philips).  All total, for tubes and DIY power supply, it ran about $120.00 USD.

And yes, the tube buffer provides zero "gain" your just running the input signal through the glass valves to add that tube flavor, then on to Spark.

My impression is very favorable. Thickens the mids, bass still powerful but less "subsonic" and it smooths the treble...

Like it!!

Have not heard Liquid Platinum, but maybe this gets you close...on a budget?


----------



## avitron142

JazzVinyl said:


> That famous auction site:
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/1set-ECC88...r-MUSICAL-FIDELITY-X10d-PCB-kits/191627380550
> 
> It comes minus the tubes and minus the power supply.  The power needed is 12 volts of AC.  Most devices wants 12 volts of DC, but not this one, you must supply 12 volts AC to the power input jack,  I bought a transformer and case for the transformer and made my own power supply.
> ...



Wow! That's a bit more than I expected haha. Any reason you chose this route over getting a dedicated tube amp?

I'll focus on getting the Spark first... just waiting for a sale on the site - MP offers free shipping there, and it's likely easier to get a promo too.


----------



## JazzVinyl

avitron142 said:


> Wow! That's a bit more than I expected haha. Any reason you chose this route over getting a dedicated tube amp?
> 
> I'll focus on getting the Spark first... just waiting for a sale on the site - MP offers free shipping there, and it's likely easier to get a promo too.



I have several 'real' Tube Amps, too.

The Liquid Spark is perfectly nice, by itself, you will almost certainly be pleased with it.


----------



## avitron142

I just ordered one, what have I done... 

Impressions will come as soon as I receive it.


----------



## billbishere

Got my D10 today to go with my Liquid Spark.  I replaced a Fiio 10k using DAC only feeding the spark.  It is a nice Audiable upgrade over the 10k.


----------



## Sharpty

billbishere said:


> Got my D10 today to go with my Liquid Spark.  I replaced a Fiio 10k using DAC only feeding the spark.  It is a nice Audiable upgrade over the 10k.



It sure would be sweet if Monoprice released a matching dac to truly compete with the schiit stack


----------



## billbishere

Sharpty said:


> It sure would be sweet if Monoprice released a matching dac to truly compete with the schiit stack


Yes, that would be cool.  Maybe we will see it this year. I am really liking the sound of this combo tho!


----------



## waynes world

I have an SDAC. I was looking into the JDS Atom, but my friend got me looking into the Spark. This review says a lot about the Spark that I like:
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazi...h_Liquid_Spark_Headphone_Amplifier_Review.htm

I haven't yet had time to read through this thread (I will do so later), but if anyone has any praise or complaints for their SDAC + Spark pairing, please let me know.

Also, I'm in Canada and I can get the Spark from amazon.ca for for $195CAD total (after taxes) and I'm sure it's worth it. Having said that, does the Spark ever go on sale? Does anyone in Canada knows of a place to get it for less?

Thanks!


----------



## waynes world

waynes world said:


> I have an SDAC. I was looking into the JDS Atom, but my friend got me looking into the Spark. This review says a lot about the Spark that I like:
> http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazi...h_Liquid_Spark_Headphone_Amplifier_Review.htm
> 
> I haven't yet had time to read through this thread (I will do so later), but if anyone has any praise or complaints for their SDAC + Spark pairing, please let me know.
> ...



I broke down. Found it for a few bucks less somewhere else. Can't wait to get it!


----------



## Shroomalistic

I just pulled the plug on the spark also, should be here Thursday. I wanted something with more power then my o2 to drive my t50rp mkIII and argons when I get them.  Pairing it with my fiio k3 which is a pretty awesome dac.


----------



## billbishere

Shroomalistic said:


> I just pulled the plug on the spark also, should be here Thursday. I wanted something with more power then my o2 to drive my t50rp mkIII and argons when I get them.  Pairing it with my fiio k3 which is a pretty awesome dac.



Congrats - let us know how it turns out!  I LOVE mine.  I recently got past the 150 hours they recommend before judging the sound signature.  I am still a little taken back by the recommendation but, I can't really tell much of a change.  If at all.  But I loved it straight out the box tho!


----------



## waynes world

I am loving the Liquid Spark off of the Massdrop Grace SDAC. Brings new life to my gear, and in some cases, just blows my mind how good it sounds (ie with Nighthawks and 1more H1707's).

Between the SDAC+Liquid Spark for desktop needs, and the Radsone ES100 for portable needs, I'm about as content as I have ever been in this hobby


----------



## Shroomalistic

I haven't got the full 150 hours on it yet  but I love it so far.  My O2 was just lacking the power needed to drive most of my cans the way I think they should.  K7xx, HE4xx and m1060c's all had big improvements with the extra power and sound great.  The biggest improvement is with my t50rp's.  Huge difference in power and sound.   No real negatives so far and paired with my fiio k3,  its a great combo. Cant wait to get my Argons and see how they run with it.


----------



## waynes world

Shroomalistic said:


> I haven't got the full 150 hours on it yet  but I love it so far.  My O2 was just lacking the power needed to drive most of my cans the way I think they should.  K7xx, HE4xx and m1060c's all had big improvements with the extra power and sound great.  The biggest improvement is with my t50rp's.  Huge difference in power and sound.   No real negatives so far and paired with my fiio k3,  its a great combo. Cant wait to get my Argons and see how they run with it.



Yeah, I have a pair of nicely modified T50RP's, and you are right, the Spark drives them very nicely and they sound awesome. And other orthos that I have like the Yamaha HP-50A really come to life as well. Basically, everything sounds great off of the Spark.


----------



## wje (Jan 29, 2019)

avitron142 said:


> I guess another question... anyone user these with the HE400S?



I received the Liquid Spark last week.  Using the DAC in the Fulla 2 at the moment with the HE-400s headphones.  It's quite a good combination.  Then again, I've been running several combinations over the past few weeks. Massdrop LCX, Schiit Jotunheim along with the HE-400s, HE-560, HD-6xx, HD-58x, as well as the Focal Elear.  The Liquid Spark does not disappoint.  After taking a break from the headphone scene for a few years, I can't believe all the developments that have happened and so many products are well within the reach (financially) for many to now afford good gear.​


----------



## atomicbob

A reminder that for those of you enjoying the Liquid Spark, an amazing amp with bandwidth from DC to > 1.5 MHz, technical measurements may be found here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/monoprice-cavalli-liquid-spark-technical-measurements.890981


----------



## Zachik

I wish Monoprice had a version with a decent DAC... I am currently using the Monoprice desktop headphone amp (Product # 11567) as my "work setup" driving Sennheiser HD569 out of my laptop. The Liquid Spark (with a decent DAC built-in) would be a nice upgrade!
I know there are plenty good DACs around, but I want it to be a "single box solution" - USB in, headphone out. Office open-space friendly...


----------



## wje

Zachik said:


> I wish Monoprice had a version with a decent DAC... I am currently using the Monoprice desktop headphone amp (Product # 11567) as my "work setup" driving Sennheiser HD569 out of my laptop. The Liquid Spark (with a decent DAC built-in) would be a nice upgrade!
> I know there are plenty good DACs around, but I want it to be a "single box solution" - USB in, headphone out. Office open-space friendly...



I'm sure many are in agreement with you.  Being you have the HD569, they don't appear (on paper) to be too hard to drive.  Have you considered the Schiit Fulla 2?  I realize this is the Liquid Spark thread, but thought I'd suggest a "desktop-friendly" all in one simple solution for use in a work environment.  I don't use my mine to drive full-sized headphones, but rather my Focal Sphear ear-buds.

Though, being that Massdrop has also a relationship with Dr. Cavalli, maybe, they'd consider a Liquid Spark / Grace SDAC combination in one package?  The have the O2 amp / SDAC combo, but the Liquid Spark (IMO) is more capable than the O2 amp from both a sound and power perspective.


----------



## Zachik

wje said:


> Have you considered the Schiit Fulla 2?


I have (somewhere) the original Fulla... Those are not even playing in the same league... I would rather stick with the Monoprice desktop DAC/Amp!



wje said:


> Though, being that Massdrop has also a relationship with Dr. Cavalli, maybe, they'd consider a Liquid Spark / Grace SDAC combination in one package?


That would be awesome!  Exactly the kind of product I am hoping for, and for many many new audiophiles - that could be the 1st introduction into the hobby.


----------



## wje

Zachik said:


> I have (somewhere) the original Fulla... Those are not even playing in the same league... I would rather stick with the Monoprice desktop DAC/Amp!



At the moment, I'm using the DAC portion from the Schiit Fulla 2 paired with my Liquid Spark and it performs well.  I have a picture of the stack a few posts up.


----------



## Zachik

wje said:


> At the moment, I'm using the DAC portion from the Schiit Fulla 2 paired with my Liquid Spark and it performs well.  I have a picture of the stack a few posts up.


Saw your photo. I was looking for single DAC/Amp to replace my Monoprice Desktop one that I currently use. My original comment was Liquid Spark with decent DAC (in single case) would be ideal for my office setup


----------



## wje

Zachik said:


> Saw your photo. I was looking for single DAC/Amp to replace my Monoprice Desktop one that I currently use. My original comment was Liquid Spark with decent DAC (in single case) would be ideal for my office setup



The Massrop Liquid Carbon X is a nice rig, if you have the space for it.  Cavalli sound paired with the Grace SDAC.  $379 (new) but you can find it for about $300 used.  I love mine.


----------



## Zachik

Already got the LCX (from first drop, before the SDAC combo was announced)... too big for me (for office use)


----------



## billbishere

waynes world said:


> I am loving the Liquid Spark off of the Massdrop Grace SDAC. Brings new life to my gear, and in some cases, just blows my mind how good it sounds (ie with Nighthawks and 1more H1707's).
> 
> Between the SDAC+Liquid Spark for desktop needs, and the Radsone ES100 for portable needs, I'm about as content as I have ever been in this hobby


THat is pretty much my setup except I have the Topping D10....  I actually considered the SDAC but went with the topping mostly because of the screen.


----------



## i20bot

Man, the HD58X and Spark is a great pairing.  Got the Spark couple weeks ago but had my 58X put away.  Finally took it out to test them on the Spark.  It smooths them out.  Sounds more effortless and silky.  HD580 is a little more veiled than the 58X.  Haven't taken my HD650 out to try on the Spark yet but I'm guessing they'll be more like the 580.  My previous amp was a Project Horizon and with that amp I liked the 580 better.  But the Spark makes the 58X sound better than that.  My Project Horizon was starting to make a lot of noise so I said to hell with it.


----------



## foubarre

My current music setup at work is Spotify HQ/MacBook/Dragonfly red/ Ety ER4XR | Zu modded HD280 Senn; I was fairly happy with it but just impulse bought the Liquid Spark hoping to take it to the next level.
The device quality is amazing for the price but while music indeeds sounds much better to me by most criteria (bass, soundstage, details, tone), the lack of "percussion" / "attack" is a showstopper: e.g. snare drums / cymbals impacts sound too soft, vibraphone & piano don't cut through enough. 
I get that impact listening to DF Red directly; with the Spark in between, sound is more beautiful but it doesn't make me want to get up and dance anymore. 
I'm on the fence about returning it, is there anything I can do or check to improve impact? (I'm close to 50h break in time, using slightly above cheapo grade monoprice premium jack/RCA cable, DF as preamp with output levels maxed)
I'm not very familiar with audiophile reviews jargon but reading Liquid Spark reviews in hindsight, is this what is being described as "tube like", "warm", "soft", "cozy", "polite"? If so I guess I should rather try Schiit's Magni 3?
Are there any objective measurements in gear reviews corresponding to this?
- thanks


----------



## lantian

Hey, does anyone know what's the max input voltage, before it starts clipping. Is it possible to measure it without oscilloscope. Or better yet someone already have measured it. Sure it can handle 2vrms no problem, but would 3vrms or more be an issue?


----------



## lantian

Hey, does anyone know what's the max input voltage, before it starts clipping. Is it possible to measure it without oscilloscope. Or better yet someone already have measured it. Sure it can handle 2vrms no problem, but would 3vrms or more be an issue?


----------



## runeight

lantian said:


> Hey, does anyone know what's the max input voltage, before it starts clipping. Is it possible to measure it without oscilloscope. Or better yet someone already have measured it. Sure it can handle 2vrms no problem, but would 3vrms or more be an issue?



The only limitation (for the normal range of sources) will be how much range you'll have on the volume rotation. Obviously, the higher the input voltage and the more sensitive the headphones the less range there will be after liftoff.


----------



## lantian

runeight said:


> The only limitation (for the normal range of sources) will be how much range you'll have on the volume rotation. Obviously, the higher the input voltage and the more sensitive the headphones the less range there will be after liftoff.



Thank you.
It seems to be working great with 3vrm from ibasso dx200, sounds fantastic. Jut wanted to check since most dac's have around 2vrm's on rca outputs and this has 3vrms.


----------



## runeight

foubarre said:


> My current music setup at work is Spotify HQ/MacBook/Dragonfly red/ Ety ER4XR | Zu modded HD280 Senn; I was fairly happy with it but just impulse bought the Liquid Spark hoping to take it to the next level.
> The device quality is amazing for the price but while music indeeds sounds much better to me by most criteria (bass, soundstage, details, tone), the lack of "percussion" / "attack" is a showstopper: e.g. snare drums / cymbals impacts sound too soft, vibraphone & piano don't cut through enough.
> I get that impact listening to DF Red directly; with the Spark in between, sound is more beautiful but it doesn't make me want to get up and dance anymore.
> I'm on the fence about returning it, is there anything I can do or check to improve impact? (I'm close to 50h break in time, using slightly above cheapo grade monoprice premium jack/RCA cable, DF as preamp with output levels maxed)
> ...



There are measurements here:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/monoprice-cavalli-liquid-spark-technical-measurements.890981


----------



## Arctairix

I'm fairly new to the headphone scene so I purchased both the Magni and the Liquid Spark paired with a Modi DAC see which one I liked more with my LCD-2Cs. They sound great in their own way, overall the Spark feels more natural and smooth and the Magni has a more in your face sound. They are both fantastic amps at this price point, and as most mentioned, you can't go wrong with either. I can't decide so I might end up keeping both


----------



## davidmthekidd

Anyone paired the Liquid Spark with the Hifiman Sundara? I bought the Sundara for $279 at Canjam NYC, wondering if this headphone would pair well with the LS.


----------



## davidmthekidd

I went for them,

Just got my Liquid Spark, so far so good, Only burn them in for about 10 hours, paired with my Hifiman Sundara for Vinyl listening only,



 I will write about my impressions within a few days.


----------



## waynes world

Btw, if you are in Canada, the Spark is going for $140.43 CAD at amazon.ca at the moment:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07JW7NSXT...sc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&tag=vglnk-ca-c70-20

That's a damn fine deal for us canucks (the cheapest I could find a few months ago was $25 more than this).


----------



## xRaptorxPunisher

This is hands down one of the best amps I’ve ever heard for enjoyment in any price range. I’ve been listening to this more than my Eddie Current Black window. So many overpriced gear out there like the Chord gear and there’s an absolute banger at £100.


----------



## atomd

davidmthekidd said:


> I went for them,
> 
> Just got my Liquid Spark, so far so good, Only burn them in for about 10 hours, paired with my Hifiman Sundara for Vinyl listening only,
> I will write about my impressions within a few days.



The real question: Does is sound better with pimp cup in hand or without pimp cup in hand? =)


----------



## Spareribs

Looks good. A man who owns a good amp and record player is a man of sophistication.


----------



## blackdragon87

waynes world said:


> Btw, if you are in Canada, the Spark is going for $140.43 CAD at amazon.ca at the moment:
> 
> https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07JW7NSXT...sc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&tag=vglnk-ca-c70-20
> 
> That's a damn fine deal for us canucks (the cheapest I could find a few months ago was $25 more than this).



Wish I would have seen this earlier that is a great deal. 

Might have to pay the full price now for one because it seems like its no longer at 140 unless i can find a used one in tbe market place

Want to try this amp with my Lcd2 classics


----------



## waynes world

blackdragon87 said:


> Wish I would have seen this earlier that is a great deal.
> 
> Might have to pay the full price now for one because it seems like its no longer at 140 unless i can find a used one in tbe market place
> 
> Want to try this amp with my Lcd2 classics



I got it at newegg.ca for $182.88 total, which was less than the amazon.ca total at the time (when shipping/taxes/duty was taken into the equation). I am very satisfied with it for that price (but I wouldn't have complained to have gotten it for that sale price!).


----------



## stellarelephant (Mar 11, 2019)

Very happy with my Liquid Spark.

@rayliam80 briefly mentioned the differences in sound between high and low gain earlier in this thread. I have to agree with him. Low gain sounds hefty, spacious, and relaxed--mids are liquid and the stage is deep.  High gain is faster, with more incisive treble and quicker bass dynamics, for a more forward "front row" type of soundstaging.

I like them both, but I prefer the low gain for its slight warmth and the deep gaze it gives into the midrange.  I switch to high gain only when I want to make my T50RP play extra loudly for quiet recordings.

I have to say, this thing has unexpectedly turned out to be an amazing preamp as well. Gives my speaker system sweeter tone and punchier dynamics.  I think Cavalli nailed the tuning.  It is nearly transparent, and yet it can add some extra depth and "meat on the bones" to my squeaky clean Class D amp.


----------



## pcdubc

Eyeing the Liquid Spark for my first ever amp. Considering the Atom as well, which is said to have better on-paper measurements, but comes at a 13USD premium due to shipping.

Would love people’s thoughts, thanks!


----------



## Shroomalistic

I went from an objective 2 to the spark and it was huge difference.  I plan on holding on to mine for a while.  It’s got power to run argons and it sounds great.  It’s built great,  very solid.  Well worth the price,  should cost more when compared to other amps


----------



## atomd

Used mine last night and noticed it now has some issues. Static when turning the volume knob and hissing/light static at higher volume levels.....levels I wouldn't have it turned up to . Doesn't seem noticeable at normal levels which is at least good. Not a dealbreaker at this point but not super impressive either.


----------



## dBel84

Don't assume that you are hearing the amp noise floor. Ground the inputs and repeat. If you don't hear it this time round, the noise is coming from the source. 

With that said, if I use sensitive headphones with almost any amp and turn it up to max, there is a low level white noise from the power supply, this is true on power amps too. 

Rectifiers switching on and off induce noise into the audio band, smps switching is supersonic but anything that takes AC and converts it to DC will induce some level of noise. We just hope that it is in the micro volt range so as not to impact the obsession of music reproduction.

If this noise originates in the source, it gets amplified, which is why we can sometimes hear it when we crank up the amp beyond normal listening levels. 

..dB


----------



## atomd (Mar 17, 2019)

It makes this noise when moving the volume pot above say 50% while turning it and then the less noticeable (lower volume) but continuous noise begins when leaving the volume 70% and above. Switching just the amp out to a different amp with everything else the same makes this problem disappear.


----------



## blackdragon87

xRaptorxPunisher said:


> This is hands down one of the best amps I’ve ever heard for enjoyment in any price range. I’ve been listening to this more than my Eddie Current Black window. So many overpriced gear out there like the Chord gear and there’s an absolute banger at £100.



posts like these make me look forward to receiving mine in the next week or so =)


----------



## atomd

Now mine won't even turn on. Only got to use it for a few hours. Not super impressed.


----------



## runeight

atomd said:


> Now mine won't even turn on. Only got to use it for a few hours. Not super impressed.


 
Hi. Just for my own edification, what exactly is it doing? Does the red light not come on when you push in the power button? Or does it turn on but not connect to the headphones?


----------



## atomd

runeight said:


> Hi. Just for my own edification, what exactly is it doing? Does the red light not come on when you push in the power button? Or does it turn on but not connect to the headphones?



Red light doesn't come on. Power supply works properly. It had other problems before it quit though. I mentioned that issue in this thread too. It's under warranty of course but what a pain.


----------



## runeight

atomd said:


> Red light doesn't come on. Power supply works properly. It had other problems before it quit though. I mentioned that issue in this thread too. It's under warranty of course but what a pain.



Yeah, that just sounds like a defective unit. So far as I know there have been a few, but not that many of them. It is a pain though. I know.


----------



## Wildcatsare1

runeight said:


> Yeah, that just sounds like a defective unit. So far as I know there have been a few, but not that many of them. It is a pain though. I know.



Dr. Cavalli, I’ve managed to lose my powe supply, do you know a source for replacement? Thx!


----------



## runeight

Wildcatsare1 said:


> Dr. Cavalli, I’ve managed to lose my powe supply, do you know a source for replacement? Thx!



Not in the US that I know about. Maybe MP can put you in touch with US manuf office to get a new one??


----------



## Wildcatsare1

runeight said:


> Not in the US that I know about. Maybe MP can put you in touch with US manuf office to get a new one??



Thanks, I’ll contact MP.


----------



## GearMe

FYI -- have been listening to Beyer DT880s using this amp on shuffle;  so a wide variety of music...nice!

Not sure what prompted me to do so as I usually listen to Beyers and Senns on OTL amp but glad I did


----------



## tim0chan

Just got mine this weekend and I love it already. Drives my hd6xxs well and also iems without problem. Leaving it to burn in this week b4 checking in next weekend


----------



## waynes world (Apr 1, 2019)

tim0chan said:


> Just got mine this weekend and I love it already. Drives my hd6xxs well and also iems without problem. Leaving it to burn in this week b4 checking in next weekend



Excellent. I'm no amp expert, but I have been continually VERY HAPPY with the spark (combined with the Grace SDAC). Based on what I read, my expectations were high, but the spark has lived up to those expectations (which is a bit rare in this hobby lol). The SDAC & Spark for desktop, combined with the Radsone ES100 for mobility, has very much satisfied my needs.


----------



## blackdragon87

mine is being delivered today, looking forward to trying it with my lcd 2c


----------



## fuhransahis

Anyone able to compare this to the Loxjie P20 as far as sound sig?


----------



## stimuz

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-lis...d_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=used&m=A2L77EE7U53NWQ

you're welcome. probably only one though.


----------



## PlantsmanTX

pcdubc said:


> Eyeing the Liquid Spark for my first ever amp. Considering the Atom as well, which is said to have better on-paper measurements, but comes at a 13USD premium due to shipping.
> 
> Would love people’s thoughts, thanks!


Monoprice doesn't charge for shipping, but they do charge a sales tax- they charge a sales tax where I live, anyway.


----------



## blackdragon87

Really pleased with this amp. Got it for 145 cdn so can't beat it for that price in my opinion


----------



## stimuz

PlantsmanTX said:


> Monoprice doesn't charge for shipping, but they do charge a sales tax- they charge a sales tax where I live, anyway.



Depends where you live. I get charged minimum $12~ for shipping. I try my best to get their stuff from amazon but it usually takes a while to show up there.


----------



## GearMe

HE400i...nice!


----------



## tim0chan

GearMe said:


> HE400i...nice!


Time to resurrect mine


----------



## runeight (Apr 16, 2019)

Sorry, wrong thread.


----------



## atomd

I Sent back my defective spark to monoprice. They were a little slow to get me an rma # but they did send a shipping label which is nice. So I got my replacement and right out of the box the power cord was defective and unusable. One connector on the plug side is seated too deep and won't make a connection. Luckily I had more power cables on hand that work with it. Also, why are the buttons so crooked on these? My defective one had crooked buttons but the new one is even worse. 

I get it..it's a $100 amp so I shouldn't expect perfection but c'mon now. I have/had plenty of other amps in that price range that were built better and actually usable out of the box. I did a quick test and at least the new one is functional. I'll have to spend some time listening to it before I completely cast judgement but I'm not impressed with their qc at all. I was considering one of their higher end amps but I'm skeptical after seeing these.


----------



## PlantsmanTX

Even though it's mostly overkill for me right now, I bought this. I've had if for about a week and a half. A few days ago, I turned it up a bit past 12 o'clock, and got severe distortion in the right channel. I thought my earphones were the problem, but when I tried others, the same thing happened. The distortion didn't kick in at the same point every time, but it always happened at some point, and always in the right channel only. I left it alone until this morning, when I tried it again. At some point, I had earphones with a right angle connector plugged into the amp. The strain relief was pointing upward, and just fiddling, I moved it so the strain relief pointed to the side, and the distortion disappeared. I tried other earphones and the one headphone I have, and...no distortion. I'm still inclined to have it exchanged, but I wonder if anyone else has experienced this _and_ knows what caused it.


----------



## waynes world

PlantsmanTX said:


> Even though it's mostly overkill for me right now, I bought this. I've had if for about a week and a half. A few days ago, I turned it up a bit past 12 o'clock, and got severe distortion in the right channel. I thought my earphones were the problem, but when I tried others, the same thing happened. The distortion didn't kick in at the same point every time, but it always happened at some point, and always in the right channel only. I left it alone until this morning, when I tried it again. At some point, I had earphones with a right angle connector plugged into the amp. The strain relief was pointing upward, and just fiddling, I moved it so the strain relief pointed to the side, and the distortion disappeared. I tried other earphones and the one headphone I have, and...no distortion. I'm still inclined to have it exchanged, but I wonder if anyone else has experienced this _and_ knows what caused it.



Fwiw, I was using a few different 3.5mm mail to 6.35mm female adaptors that I had lying around, and I was having similar issues. I then bought a new set here, and I haven't had any issues since.


----------



## PlantsmanTX

waynes world said:


> Fwiw, I was using a few different 3.5mm mail to 6.35mm female adaptors that I had lying around, and I was having similar issues. I then bought a new set here, and I haven't had any issues since.


Thanks for that info, I appreciate it. Can you describe the issues you had with it? The distortion started up again a couple of days later, so I requested a return authorization.


----------



## waynes world

PlantsmanTX said:


> Thanks for that info, I appreciate it. Can you describe the issues you had with it? The distortion started up again a couple of days later, so I requested a return authorization.



This was mainly what my issue was with various headphones/cables:



> At some point, I had earphones with a right angle connector plugged into the amp. The strain relief was pointing upward, and just fiddling, I moved it so the strain relief pointed to the side, and the distortion disappeared.



Mainly sound slightly distorted and being cut out, like you get with bad connection, or broken input jacks. I'm not sure I was experiencing "severe distortion" though, so the return may have been warranted. 

Are you getting a replacement?


----------



## PlantsmanTX

waynes world said:


> This was mainly what my issue was with various headphones/cables:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The distortion I experienced was something like a really bad PA system, and then some, LOL. Yes, I'm getting a replacement.


----------



## superfrognyc

I bought both Monoprice Cavalli units the Liquid Spark and Liquid Platinum, they both sound wonderful that "Cavalli" sound is very addictive! 
Sadly after a couple of days, I started to have multiple problems with the Liquid Spark intermittently I have sometime mono sound, some noise/static with some files, and the unit just goes off and back on a few time. I have returned the unit to Amazon and I hope the new one will be trouble free. 
As for the Platinum, I just experienced sparks when I connected the power adapter to the unit I sincerely hope this is nothing  I going to read more about this on Head-fi forum and see if there cause for concern.

So far the sound of both units is fabulous but the manufacturing from Monoprice might be a problem, we shall see.


----------



## Rattle

superfrognyc said:


> I bought both Monoprice Cavalli units the Liquid Spark and Liquid Platinum, they both sound wonderful that "Cavalli" sound is very addictive!
> Sadly after a couple of days, I started to have multiple problems with the Liquid Spark intermittently I have sometime mono sound, some noise/static with some files, and the unit just goes off and back on a few time. I have returned the unit to Amazon and I hope the new one will be trouble free.
> As for the Platinum, I just experienced sparks when I connected the power adapter to the unit I sincerely hope this is nothing  I going to read more about this on Head-fi forum and see if there cause for concern.
> 
> So far the sound of both units is fabulous but the manufacturing from Monoprice might be a problem, we shall see.



Did you have the smps plugged in when you plugged the amp end into the amp ? Always make sure there's no power going through an smps when you plug it into the amp.


----------



## superfrognyc

Rattle said:


> Did you have the smps plugged in when you plugged the amp end into the amp ? Always make sure there's no power going through an smps when you plug it into the amp.



I'm not sure, but I might have done exactly that  
From now on I will make sure the smps is not plugged to the wall before I connect it to the Platinum. 
Thanks!


----------



## Rattle

superfrognyc said:


> I'm not sure, but I might have done exactly that
> From now on I will make sure the smps is not plugged to the wall before I connect it to the Platinum.
> Thanks!



Your welcome, hope it's ok sorry if it's not. Browse this thread @runeight and @atomicbob have posted extensively on the do's and don'ts of the amp. Particularly when it comes to power and LPS situations.


----------



## superfrognyc

Rattle said:


> Your welcome, hope it's ok sorry if it's not. Browse this thread @runeight and @atomicbob have posted extensively on the do's and don'ts of the amp. Particularly when it comes to power and LPS situations.



I will, thanks again!


----------



## GearMe

Hadn't really tried iems on this amp.

Listened to several different pairs -- UE900s, IE80, RHA-t20, 1More Triple, Sony XB90EX, Havi B3 Pro 1, Shure SE215, Nuforce Primo 8, Fiio EX-1, TFZ S2, etc...works very well with a variety of them from dynamic to hybrid to multi-BA.  

Quite pleased with this little amp!


----------



## superfrognyc

GearMe said:


> Hadn't really tried iems on this amp.
> 
> Listened to several different pairs -- UE900s, IE80, RHA-t20, 1More Triple, Sony XB90EX, Havi B3 Pro 1, Shure SE215, Nuforce Primo 8, Fiio EX-1, TFZ S2, etc...works very well with a variety of them from dynamic to hybrid to multi-BA.
> 
> Quite pleased with this little amp!



I like it too the new unit is on its way hopefully I won't have any problem with this one I really want to keep the Spark as my "portable" unit!


----------



## Sgt. Ear Ache

Just pulled the plug on a Spark.  Ordered from Amazon.ca for $165cdn all in.  I had been looking at the Magni3 as well but it was going to cost me more than $200cdn.  I plan to use my Fiio E10k as the dac in my little chain and I'll be driving my 400i's with it.  I think the 400i's sound fantastic just from the E10k, but $165 canadian dollars is a small enough hit for me to check out what some real amping might do for them...


----------



## superfrognyc

Sgt. Ear Ache said:


> Just pulled the plug on a Spark.  Ordered from Amazon.ca for $165cdn all in.  I had been looking at the Magni3 as well but it was going to cost me more than $200cdn.  I plan to use my Fiio E10k as the dac in my little chain and I'll be driving my 400i's with it.  I think the 400i's sound fantastic just from the E10k, but $165 canadian dollars is a small enough hit for me to check out what some real amping might do for them...



I had the 400i for a couple of days, loved the look and feel of the unit and the sound was clear and dynamic but too cold and sterile for me (not to mention it was fatiguing after a while)


----------



## Sgt. Ear Ache

superfrognyc said:


> I had the 400i for a couple of days, loved the look and feel of the unit and the sound was clear and dynamic but too cold and sterile for me (not to mention it was fatiguing after a while)



I don’t find them to be any of cold, sterile or fatiguing at all.  They sound amazing afaic. But, to each his own! Lol...


----------



## superfrognyc

Using Elex and LCD-X I found the 400i to be very revealing and powerful but at the end of the day, I still prefer the more mellow/darker sound from the Cavalli units (Spark and Platinum).
To each his own indeed!


----------



## Sgt. Ear Ache

superfrognyc said:


> Using Elex and LCD-X I found the 400i to be very revealing and powerful but at the end of the day, I still prefer the more mellow/darker sound from the Cavalli units (Spark and Platinum).
> To each his own indeed!



Oh sorry, I'm talking about the HE-400i headphones...


----------



## superfrognyc

Sgt. Ear Ache said:


> Oh sorry, I'm talking about the HE-400i headphones...



LoL my bad I was talking about the Questyle 400i headphone amp/dac.


----------



## superfrognyc

Sgt. Ear Ache said:


> Oh sorry, I'm talking about the HE-400i headphones...



I have never tried hifiman headphone I was tempted by the Jade II system but I saw on youtube a bad review so not so sure anymore...


----------



## superfrognyc

Sgt. Ear Ache said:


> Oh sorry, I'm talking about the HE-400i headphones...



There is a version of your Hifiman HE-400i on Massdrop, but at $180 it's as expensive as the regular HE-400i 

https://drop.com/buy/massdrop-x-hifiman-he4xx-planar-magnetic-headphones


----------



## tim0chan

The 400i is slated to be discontinued with the release of the sundara.
The 4xx in the other hand is also not quite as 400i when you look at the internals, it's closer to a 400. Tbh I prefer the 4xx sound but the headband is horrendous


----------



## superfrognyc

tim0chan said:


> The 400i is slated to be discontinued with the release of the sundara.
> The 4xx in the other hand is also not quite as 400i when you look at the internals, it's closer to a 400. Tbh I prefer the 4xx sound but the headband is horrendous



Don't get me started on headbands! I had the first version of the Audeze LDC-X that headband was a torture device the new version is better but still no first prize for comfort. The only headband I found to be very comfortable was Mr Speaker Aeon series headphone designers should all copy that design.


----------



## superfrognyc

tim0chan said:


> The 400i is slated to be discontinued with the release of the sundara.
> The 4xx in the other hand is also not quite as 400i when you look at the internals, it's closer to a 400. Tbh I prefer the 4xx sound but the headband is horrendous



Also, I found the Sundara to be very unattractive plain industrial looking headphone I thought the 400 series was better looking, I will soon try the HIFIMAN brand but Sundara won't be it.


----------



## Sgt. Ear Ache

the current price for the 400i is a pretty sweet deal.  I paid $349 cdn about 18 months ago.  Now they are $250cdn.  They sound awesome...but the yokes suck.  When mine snapped (which is very common) Hifiman sent me new ones and I think they were the reinforced version.  they seem to be holding up nicely...


----------



## superfrognyc

Sgt. Ear Ache said:


> the current price for the 400i is a pretty sweet deal.  I paid $349 cdn about 18 months ago.  Now they are $250cdn.  They sound awesome...but the yokes suck.  When mine snapped (which is very common) Hifiman sent me new ones and I think they were the reinforced version.  they seem to be holding up nicely...



I was tempted by the 400i on Amazon $180 but I have too many gears right now my gf think I have gone crazy


----------



## FiLoh

Sgt. Ear Ache said:


> the current price for the 400i is a pretty sweet deal.  I paid $349 cdn about 18 months ago.  Now they are $250cdn.  They sound awesome...but the yokes suck.  When mine snapped (which is very common) Hifiman sent me new ones and I think they were the reinforced version.  they seem to be holding up nicely...




I've also seen a few of the 400i's and 400s' go for as low as 100 used, and one local sale that was $80!


----------



## muckyfingers

Just wanted to say that this amp sounds wonderful and drives my LCD-3F and Aeon Flow Open headphones with plenty of power to spare.


----------



## superfrognyc

69mustang said:


> Just wanted to say that this amp sounds wonderful and drives my LCD-3F and Aeon Flow Open headphones with plenty of power to spare.



The Questyle 400i?


----------



## superfrognyc

gitcommit said:


> I've also seen a few of the 400i's and 400s' go for as low as 100 used, and one local sale that was $80!



Damn at that price I might buy one


----------



## muckyfingers (May 11, 2019)

superfrognyc said:


> The Questyle 400i?




My apologies, I should have been more specific, the Liquid Spark is what I’m referring too. It’s a wonderful little amp.


----------



## superfrognyc

69mustang said:


> My apologies, I should have been more specific, the Liquid Spark is what I’m referring too. It’s a wonderful little amp.



Best amp for under $500! I'm comparing it right now with its older big brother Liquid Carbon ($599) and it's surprisingly close!


----------



## Zachik

superfrognyc said:


> Best amp for under $500! I'm comparing it right now with its older big brother Liquid Carbon ($599) and it's surprisingly close!


Some people prefer the $100 JDS Labs Atom over it...
For what it's worth:
1. I have auditioned both at RMAF, and liked both very much. What great times to be in, when $100 amp can be so awesome!!
2. The JDS labs guys (@theotherjude and co.) are awesome, despite being Blues fans...   (the NHL team, not the music genre...)
3. Personally, I wish one (or both) would come up with a DAC/Amp version, which would become my work setup.


----------



## superfrognyc

Zachik said:


> Some people prefer the $100 JDS Labs Atom over it...
> For what it's worth:
> 1. I have auditioned both at RMAF, and liked both very much. What great times to be in, when $100 amp can be so awesome!!
> 2. The JDS labs guys (@theotherjude and co.) are awesome, despite being Blues fans...   (the NHL team, not the music genre...)
> 3. Personally, I wish one (or both) would come up with a DAC/Amp version, which would become my work setup.



I agree with you about the need for a one box solution a amp/dac combo using Cavalli amp design and a dac designer like SMSL or another affordable dac manufacturer (common Monoprice!)


----------



## gargani

When using the preamp output to drive powered speakers, is the amp in the speakers being bypassed? Or is the liquid spark feeding the power amp in the speakers? Or am I misunderstanding what powered speakers are?
I don't own powered speakers.


----------



## PlantsmanTX

gargani said:


> When using the preamp output to drive powered speakers, is the amp in the speakers being bypassed? Or is the liquid spark feeding the power amp in the speakers? Or am I misunderstanding what powered speakers are?
> I don't own powered speakers.


It's feeding the power amp in the speaker.


----------



## gargani

PlantsmanTX said:


> It's feeding the power amp in the speaker.


Okay, thanks


----------



## mafyou12

Wondering about this preamp stuff myself.... I have a class T amp (Amptastic Mini-1) that can be put into a "power amp mode", bypassing its volume knob. Would this be appropriate for hooking up to the Liquid Spark to control my speaker volume? Not sure how this relatively low-power speaker amp in such a mode (with passive speakers of course) really differs from "powered speakers" (which are basically passive speakers with a built-in amp, right?).


----------



## gargani

mafyou12 said:


> Wondering about this preamp stuff myself.... I have a class T amp (Amptastic Mini-1) that can be put into a "power amp mode", bypassing its volume knob. Would this be appropriate for hooking up to the Liquid Spark to control my speaker volume? Not sure how this relatively low-power speaker amp in such a mode (with passive speakers of course) really differs from "powered speakers" (which are basically passive speakers with a built-in amp, right?).


According to the description of the magni 3 on amazon; you can use the magni 3 with a stand-alone power amp.
Active speakers have a built in or onboard power amp, but you just don't see it; and that amp is designed specifically for the speakers.
So you should be able to use the volume controlled pre amp outputs on the magni with your amp. In theory, at least.
How it willl sound, you just have to try it.


----------



## mafyou12

Thanks I'll give it a go soon. I was confused regarding the Amptastic because I see talk online of using it with a "passive preamp"... But some powered as well it seems.

I'll have to try and remember the skiing signature and volume power before hailing it apart and changing the jumper. Not ideal A/B'ing... But I'm interested to see how the Spark might change things


----------



## mafyou12

*sound signature. Can't seem to used Edit on phone..whoops


----------



## mafyou12

Well crap... Very nice improvement. Would never want to put the Spark's knob above 12 (low gain) when doing preamp out, unless I'm playing some real quiet vinyl. Loads of power. Bass is improved to my ears.

Speakers are PSB Image 2B fwiw. They're efficient and nicely matched to the Amptastic on its own. The Spark takes it all up a notch. Plus I can put away the RCA switch I had between headphone and speaker amps.

If anyone thinks I'm going to do some damage, please chime in


----------



## Wheel Hoss

Can anyone who has both the LS and the Cavalli Tube Hybrid comment on their differences, especially with 650-type cans?

Thanks.


----------



## Hansotek

Wheel Hoss said:


> Can anyone who has both the LS and the Cavalli Tube Hybrid comment on their differences, especially with 650-type cans?
> 
> Thanks.



The Spark has a little warmer tilt and is slightly more intimate relative to the CTH, whereas the CTH is a little bit more linear, clean and neutral with a little larger stage. They are both super fun amps that sound really, really good at the end of the day.


----------



## Wheel Hoss

Hansotek said:


> The Spark has a little warmer tilt and is slightly more intimate relative to the CTH, whereas the CTH is a little bit more linear, clean and neutral with a little larger stage. They are both super fun amps that sound really, really good at the end of the day.



Hey thanks. Found your review of the Spark comparing it to the other Cavalli amps. 

For my Atticus, I want more air and space (museum?), so the CTH sounds better. But will probably pick up the Spark later on, too. 

One other dilemma: one poster said the CTH wouldn’t really bring out the best in the Atticus and I would need the Liquid Platinum. But another equally experienced user said he enjoys his ZMF cans with the Spark as much as any of his amps including ones that cost 50 times as much. 

Any thoughts? If I get the CTH will I have buyer’s remorse and upgrade to the LP (and a balanced cable and a balanced DAC . . . see where this is heading?)? I just want to buy the CTH and be done. I don’t have tons of time to listen to music atm and I have a move coming up. $250 for CTH (Mojo for DAC and OFC ZMF cable) vs $2,000+ for LP + RME ADI-2 + cable. Is the second setup really ten times better?


----------



## Hansotek

Wheel Hoss said:


> Hey thanks. Found your review of the Spark comparing it to the other Cavalli amps.
> 
> For my Atticus, I want more air and space (museum?), so the CTH sounds better. But will probably pick up the Spark later on, too.
> 
> ...



Well, first off... on the Platinum, you can absolutely use the Mojo. The Platinum has a phase splitter, so you can use a single ended source, Platinum will split into positive and negative phases and you can still get the full benefits of the balanced output. You don’t have to necessarily buy a new DAC, if you don’t want to. I also think having a source with adjustable volume (like mojo) is a good thing, because it negates the Platinum’s “hot” input. You’ll never have to worry about headroom.

None of those posters are wrong. The Atticus does scale nicely, and it does sound very, very good with all 3 amps. I’ve done extensive listening with Atty on all 3, no matter which one you pick, it’s going to sound great. I absolutely agree with the poster who said he enjoyed the spark as much as amps that cost 50x as much - I’ve literally had it on the table with 2 $5k amps before, and it is every bit as enjoyable. It doesn’t mean it can necessarily do everything they do - but when you’re listening on it, you forget which amp you’re plugged into pretty quickly. The tonality of the Spark is so good, it doesn’t matter. 

That being said, I’d be BSing you if I didn’t tell you the Platinum is the best of the 3. It is simply a superior amp. It does things on a technical level the others cannot. It has more heft, a bigger stage, etc. I owned one when it was called the Liquid Crimson and it cost $3k, and it was a steal at that price too. So yeah, the Platinum will get the most out of it of the three.

In my experience, you save the most money by biting the bullet and getting the thing you REALLY want. Otherwise, you may end up wasting a bunch of other money buying filler, hoping you can get what you want for cheaper. In the end, you could have bought that first thing you really wanted twice over. So think about what will ultimately make you happiest.


----------



## Wheel Hoss

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I’ve had my eye on the Platty for a while, so I think you were the proverbial straw on my proverbial camel’s back. 

Problem is I’m moving soon and need to save. CTH was more than I wanted to spend until after I get settled. So that makes it easy. I’ll get a $99 starter amp to tide me over. 

I’m thinking the Liquid Spark. Alex/Wildcat listens to his over many TOTL setups for ZMF cans. LS over the JDS Atom? Atom appeal to me for possibly more air, but the LS seems to have that magic Cavalli tone. 

Help me one more time brother?


----------



## Hansotek

Wheel Hoss said:


> Thanks for the thoughtful reply. I’ve had my eye on the Platty for a while, so I think you were the proverbial straw on my proverbial camel’s back.
> 
> Problem is I’m moving soon and need to save. CTH was more than I wanted to spend until after I get settled. So that makes it easy. I’ll get a $99 starter amp to tide me over.
> 
> ...



I’d go for the Cavalli tone, personally on the Atticus. The Atom is incredible though, and I might pick that one for a different headphone, depending on the tonality I wanted.


----------



## Wheel Hoss

Using my Mojo as DAC for Spark

At 1.9 volts (Line Out minus 4 presses down), Mojo caused the Spark to go into safety mode and was distorted

Turned it down and issues stopped

This wasn’t even at the recommended Line Out level (3 volts)

Any idea what is happening? I know I can just play the Mojo at a lower level, but I’ve used the Mojo as a DAC for my Samsung DA-750 just fine.


----------



## PlantsmanTX

Wheel Hoss said:


> Using my Mojo as DAC for Spark
> 
> At 1.9 volts (Line Out minus 4 presses down), Mojo caused the Spark to go into safety mode and was distorted
> 
> ...



The first unit I had went into safety mode just once, but it had a persistent problem with distortion in one channel. I'm pretty sure it didn't have anything to do with the dac. I sent it back, and haven't had any problems with the replacement.


----------



## marcusd

We bought a sample from Monoprice for one of our team a while back. He ended up reviewing it and seemed quite pleased with the performance for $99.

https://headfonics.com/2019/07/monoprice-monolith-liquid-spark-review/


----------



## N3v3rmind

I´m thinking about getting one. Can someone who ownes the spark already please have a look at the power supply if its also designed for handling 230V? i´ll guess there should be a sticker underneath.

Thanks!
Dan


----------



## genck (Jul 6, 2019)

N3v3rmind said:


> I´m thinking about getting one. Can someone who ownes the spark already please have a look at the power supply if its also designed for handling 230V? i´ll guess there should be a sticker underneath.
> 
> Thanks!
> Dan


It has a DC input, you just need an adapter for the included power supply.
edit: maybe that was confusing, the answer is no. You need a wall adapter.


----------



## blackdragon87

this is probaly one of my best audio purchases to date. fantastic unit, given its asking price


----------



## john57 (Aug 15, 2019)

I like mine very well. It has a long turn on delay with no power supply thump noise and I have it connected to my Focal shape twin monitors. I can put in headphones and it will disconnect the monitor output. No loud noise at power off even. Smooth volume control.   Outstanding quality and power for the price. Does runs quite warm.


----------



## Astonish

Hey guys, could anyone link me or direct me to where I can find a replacement power supply that will work with the spark? Doesn't have to be first party, just need something to get my spark working again. Monoprice was no help when asking (they didn't asnwer lol)

Thanks


----------



## PlantsmanTX

Astonish said:


> Hey guys, could anyone link me or direct me to where I can find a replacement power supply that will work with the spark? Doesn't have to be first party, just need something to get my spark working again. Monoprice was no help when asking (they didn't asnwer lol)
> 
> Thanks


From the Monoprice site: "It uses dual 18V filtered power supply rails to produce wide voltage swings for additional headroom".


----------



## wushuliu

Sharpty said:


> Thought I would take some nudes in case anyone was lookin NSFW
> 
> First listening impressions; Very articulate/ controlled bass. Notice an immediate difference coming from my USB audio interface, the transients are the most noticeable especially with challenging electronic music. When listening to square/ triangle/ sawtooth synths the improvement is night and day. Granted the headphone out from my USB interface is just mehh and my HD 25 SP-II phones still leave something to be desired. Overall though, there's nothing bad I can say about the Liquid Spark at the moment. To the people who say this thing is bright or fatiguing, I can almost guarantee that it's your headphones, not the amp.  The Liquid Spark is definitely the strongest link in my chain right now. Just need to get some open backs and see what this thing can really do.



Hm, looks like a somewhat similar approach as the Asgard 3...


----------



## wushuliu

Astonish said:


> Hey guys, could anyone link me or direct me to where I can find a replacement power supply that will work with the spark? Doesn't have to be first party, just need something to get my spark working again. Monoprice was no help when asking (they didn't asnwer lol)
> 
> Thanks



You need a 36v 1.25A power supply. You can try a cheap something like this. Or for better reliability, this MeanWell.


----------



## Shane D (Sep 13, 2019)

Looks like I will soon be a Spark owner. I went to Monoprice to get more info on the new Cavalli THX amp. While I was on there I saw open box Sparks for $80.00. I thought, Awesome! I don't care about a mark or scratch.

I later realized that I hadn't seen anything about the warranty. I contacted them and asked about the warranty on the Spark open box. I was assuming one year. Nope. It is 30 days for refund and 90 days for a replacement. 

I called Monoprice less than an hour after my order was placed (50 minutes). You can NOT cancel an order once it is placed. I spoke to a lady at 1:20PM (their time). She said she would send an email to the warehouse, but she was not hopeful. Checked with them this morning and it is indeed on it's way. And DHL can not be refused, which I guess means that it will be dropped at my door.

While I am curious about the Spark, I would never buy an electronic good with a 90 day warranty, unless it was used or refurbished.

Live and learn. It does dampen my taste for Monoprice going forward. Hopefully it sounds great and I don't have any problems in the first year.

Shane D


----------



## billbishere

Mine is a year in December of daily use, it's on pretty much 24/7 as I usually forget to power it off.  It does get warmer to the touch more than I would like but, fingers crossed so far so good with mine.  I looove it as my amp.  Only upgrade I would consider is a amp with balanced output.  Otherwise there is nothing I would upgrade too with standard outs.


----------



## Shane D

billbishere said:


> Mine is a year in December of daily use, it's on pretty much 24/7 as I usually forget to power it off.  It does get warmer to the touch more than I would like but, fingers crossed so far so good with mine.  I looove it as my amp.  Only upgrade I would consider is a amp with balanced output.  Otherwise there is nothing I would upgrade too with standard outs.



Thanks for the feedback! I have been curious about this unit for several months. I recently bought a Cavalli LCX from MassDrop and love it. That is my balanced amp and my Burson Fun-Classic is my SE amp. I have been thinking about trying out an Atom/Spark to see how they measure up.

Before I bought this I was looking hard at an Asgard 3 and wondered if it might replace my Burson. Also, the new Cavalli amps are pretty exciting. The THX AAA 887 measure just a tiny bit better than the MassDrop 789, will have better availability AND has a five year warranty.

Great time to be a music lover!

Shane D


----------



## jumpa

i`ve got MLS for a week with my HE500 and i like it it so much - it`s a great match IMHO


----------



## JazzVinyl (Sep 20, 2019)

The Liquid Spark has grown on me, in nearly a year of ownership.   Wasn’t in love with it when using a pair of Senn HD580’s, but it does seem to happier with a pair of Senn 6xx.

I use an ECC88 ‘tube buffer’ between an iPure and the Spark. 

Very impressive details, dynamics and stage. 

The only thing I didn’t like was the 3 wall warts (one for Spark, one for iPure and another larger supply for the tube buffer) and the ‘tangle of cords’.  

Broke out the table saw and some scrap 3/4 inch MDF and made a box to house all the power supplies and to untangle the cords.   Also added a ‘marker strip’ on Spark’s volume knob.  

   

Happy with this as a little ‘system’ now. 

Going to paint the box a pewter grey, next.  Maybe add a hanger on the side of the box to hold the Senn 6xx...

Cheers...


----------



## MisterMudd

JazzVinyl said:


> The Liquid Spark has grown on me, in nearly a year of ownership.   Wasn’t in love with it when using a pair of Senn HD580’s, but it does seem to happier with a pair of Senn 6xx.
> 
> I use an ECC88 ‘tube buffer’ between an iPure and the Spark.
> 
> ...


Nice work man!


----------



## Shane D

My Spark is in town and due to be delivered on Monday. Very pumped!

Wonder if it will be similar to the LCX?

Shane D


----------



## JazzVinyl

MisterMudd said:


> Nice work man!



Thanks, MM


----------



## JazzVinyl

Shane D said:


> My Spark is in town and due to be delivered on Monday. Very pumped!
> Wonder if it will be similar to the LCX?



Congrats Shane!  It is a really nice amp.  Feed it some well recorded music...and enjoy!


----------



## buke9

Shane D said:


> My Spark is in town and due to be delivered on Monday. Very pumped!
> 
> Wonder if it will be similar to the LCX?
> 
> Shane D


Don’t know about the LCX but I do hav a original Carbon and they share the similar Cavalli sound that has that bit of warmth to it but I do think the LC is a lot better amp in many ways but for $99 the Spark is really hard to beat its a great little amp.


----------



## Shane D (Oct 12, 2019)

buke9 said:


> Don’t know about the LCX but I do hav a original Carbon and they share the similar Cavalli sound that has that bit of warmth to it but I do think the LC is a lot better amp in many ways but for $99 the Spark is really hard to beat its a great little amp.



It will be hard to compare as one is balanced and one is SE. I don't listen loud so the Spark probably has enough power. To be a little more accurate I will volume match with my little cheapie decible meter.
Even more curious how it compares to the Burson Fun-Classic.

Man, I wish I had it today!

Shane D


----------



## Shane D

JazzVinyl said:


> Congrats Shane!  It is a really nice amp.  Feed it some well recorded music...and enjoy!



I have a pretty broad selection ranging from the 1940's (Miles Davis) to last week. Rock, pop, jazz and blues. MP3, AAC and ALAC. I'll try with the clearest stuff first and then work back to 60/'s70's rock, Motown and assorted oldies/compilations.

Pretty psyched!

Shane D


----------



## Shane D

Got my Spark today and it sounds pretty good.

LOTS of power for me. Using my Beyerdynamic T5p.2's, I can't get past 9:00 in low gain. 

With lesser, older stuff it wasn't sounding great. I then put on Florence and the Machine and it sounds nice and clear.

Over the next few weeks I am curious to compare it against my Burson Fun-Classic in SE and against it's distant uncle in the MassDrop LCX in SE vs Balanced (volume matched of course).

So far though, I am very impressed. Especially as an open box for $80.00. Of course I am still in the shiny new toy phase.

Shane D


----------



## Shane D (Oct 23, 2019)

Sitting here for last few hours comparing the LCX (balanced) against the Spark (SE). I have volume matched the amps using my little cheapie decibel meter.

Talk about the law of diminishing returns! The LCX has a touch more bass when it booms, a touch more detail with the instruments and a bit better midrange, but boy is it close.

If I was going to compare, I would say the LCX is a 10 and the Spark is a 9. But with someone having more technical skills than me, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't more like 10 to 9.1, or 10 to 9.2. The differences are very subtle.

I left the cables plugged into each amp. I just switched back forth with the 3.5mm jacks on my Beyerdynamic T5p.2's. Took less than 5 seconds to switch back and forth. Source was ZX300 DAP through an SMSL SU-8 DAC. I would replay the songs through each amp. Sometimes I changed over in mid song (my DAP plays both outputs at once, so both are always on).

Comparing against the Burson Fun-Classic will be a lot trickier unless I get some RCA splitters.

I doubt that I will keep the Spark, as I already have the LCX. But, if you do not have an amp, you should consider starting with this. If you turn out to like the Cavilli sound and I do, it is great value. Supposedly the JDS Atom is a much better amp, technically.

For those of you that already own it, upgrading would be a very tough call for me. If you look at $109.99 (mine were open box for $80.00!!) vs $300.00, that is crazy. It is not three times better or even close to being twice as good. If you have money to spare and every incremental gain is worth it, go for it.

If you have a good DAP (or any good source), one quality pair of headphones then this would give you a great little set-up on a budget. One caveat: I don't listen loud and I don't have any hard to drive phones. If you do, my words are probably meaningless.
YMMV.

I am much more impressed with this little cheapie than I thought I would be. Great time to be getting into the hobby!

Shane D


----------



## buke9

The Liquid Carbon will run the Abyss the Spark not so much ; )


----------



## Shane D

buke9 said:


> The Liquid Carbon will run the Abyss the Spark not so much ; )



What are the specs on the Abyss? Is it a hard to drive product? All of my stuff is easy to drive AND I don't listen loud.

Shane D


----------



## buke9

Shane D said:


> What are the specs on the Abyss? Is it a hard to drive product? All of my stuff is easy to drive AND I don't listen loud.
> 
> Shane D


47 ohms 88 dB/mW not real easy to drive.


----------



## Shane D

buke9 said:


> 47 ohms 88 dB/mW not real easy to drive.



It will never be a problem for me as I could never afford them.

Shane D


----------



## Shane D

Another great match for the Liquid Spark: The Meze 99 Classic's. These headphones really don't need amping, but the Spark seems to bring a little bit more out. 
A smoother, cleaner sound than with the Shure 1540's, IMO.

I think the LCX is better in every way, but this is one hell of an amp!

Shane D

PS: It also matched very nicely with my Grado GH2's.


----------



## SigmaOrionis (Oct 12, 2019)

Could someone test something for me?

With your Liquid Spark plugged in but powered off do you hear a hum through your headphones when you plug them in? 

The hum is only there while you’re plugging the headphones in it’s not constant.  Sounds like plugging in a guitar.

Seems odd that it would do this powered off.  I’m using an Oppo HA2 SE as a DAC so obviously it’s not grounded.

Other than this one oddity I love the amp and don’t want to return it if this is normal.

Thanks.


----------



## runeight

SigmaOrionis said:


> Could someone test something for me?
> 
> With your Liquid Spark plugged in but powered off do you hear a hum through your headphones when you plug them in?
> 
> ...



Whether normal or not depends partly on the rest of the system. Does it hum during normal operation playing music?? Does it hum when the amp is on and you plug in the headphones??

If it only hums when plugging in the headphones when the amp is off then it's probably a grounding issues that is resolved when the plug is fully inserted.


----------



## SigmaOrionis (Oct 13, 2019)

It doesn’t hum when it’s on whether music is playing or not.  It’s a very quiet amp.

It doesn’t hum when it’s off either once the plug is fully inserted.  It only does it while you’re inserting the plug.

Thanks for responding

I just did some further testing.

It does hum with the plug in but not until around two o’clock on the pot.  I usually listen at around 10 o’clock.

If it’s a grounding issue because of floating ground on amp and non grounded source is there any danger to my headphones or myself?

Under normal operation it sounds great.


----------



## runeight

SigmaOrionis said:


> It doesn’t hum when it’s on whether music is playing or not.  It’s a very quiet amp.
> 
> It doesn’t hum when it’s off either once the plug is fully inserted.  It only does it while you’re inserting the plug.
> 
> ...



Since both devices are floating and not connected to any external ground such as the AC ground, I would expect no issues with headphones. You shouldn't have any ground hum though even at 2 on the dial. Cable perhaps?? Or something coming from the source?

OTOH, if you're good the way it is no need........


----------



## Shane D (Oct 20, 2019)

Did a little comparison of the Liquid Spark against a new acquisition, a used Schiit Vali 2. Here is a cut and paste from the Vali 2 thread:

"Did some back and forth today.
ZX300 DAP feeding SMSL SU-8 DAC
RCA Y cable out feeding Vali 2 and Liquid Spark. Amps were volume matched to less than half a decible.

Both sounded very good, but different. My impression was:
1) The Vali 2 was really pushing the vocals out front, which I really enjoyed. Good full sound, with the vocals dominant.

I was playing about 10 songs from Florence and the Machine that I know very well (about 7 ALAC and 3 AAC). I was even changing the jack in the middle of songs. It was intense A-B testing, for me.

Once I started using the Liquid Spark the difference was noticeable. Mostly, the added bass. Very nice. With the rest of the music though it all sounded very "even". What I mean by that is that every instrument, including vocals, sounded like it was the exact same distance from me with the exact same volume and prominence. Not sure how to explain it, except that it seemed more balanced. You could hear, clearly, whatever instrument you wanted to concentrate on. Nothing was dominant, but the bass on certain songs kicked in with authority.

Two different sounds, but I liked both very much. If I had to decide which one to keep, I would be screwed. This may change when Jazz, Blues and varied Rock are tossed into the mix.

Now I am listening to the Westinghouse tube. Sounds pretty similar. I am not sure how much difference I will hear between tubes.

Still feeling pretty good about this purchase."

Shane D

PS: Forgot to mention - headphones used were Grado GH2's.


----------



## moriez

@runeight or others,

Probably yes but to make sure, the LS can be plugged in anywhere with regard to voltage?


----------



## dematted (Dec 12, 2019)

I just received this amp. I'm using a Focal Elex and Modi 2 dac. Here are my initial impressions, comparing it to the other two amps I've heard my Focal Elex plugged into, the JDS atom and Magni 3:

1. There's no denying it: this amp has a somewhat recessed treble, at least compared to the JDS Atom and Magni 3. However, this doesn't really bother me. The treble that's there sounds really, really nice, and has a grain-free timbre to it that the Atom completely lacks.
2. There's a much better sense of space and imaging than on the Magni 3. The Atom probably pulls to a draw here.
3. Some people have said this isn't a forward amp. I disagree. Compared to the Magni 3, it lacks some upper-mid energy, but it is overall a pretty aggressive sound.
4. In terms of vocals, 'musicality', and the 'weight' and 'body' of the sound, this amp absolutely demolishes the JDS atom. I cannot imagine any reason to listen to the Atom after hearing this amp, save for some classical string music. Otherwise, the sound coming out of this amp is just fuller and more enjoyable (in every sense of the word) than what comes out of the Atom. The Magni 3 doesn't trail as much in these regards, but the Liquid Spark still beats it out, I think.
5. This amp has somewhat less 'slam' and overall Macrodynamics than the Magni 3, and, to a lesser extent, the Atom. That means that on more aggressive music, the Magni 3 might be preferred.

In terms of listening enjoyability, I would say this amp is better for most things than the Magni 3 (not plus). The Magni 3 does exceed in certain genres, though. As for the Atom - I don't think that amp really belongs on the same list as the Magni 3 and Liquid Spark. The Atom sounds (to me at least) utterly sterile and boring, putting out a 'thin' sound that is the antithesis of what the Liquid Spark gives you.

Oh - and this this is worth it just for the volume knob. What a great knob!


----------



## blackdragon87

dematted said:


> e to it that the Atom completely lacks.
> 2. There's a much better s





dematted said:


> I just received this amp. I'm using a Focal Elex and Modi 2 dac. Here are my initial impressions, comparing it to the other two amps I've heard my Focal Elex plugged into, the JDS atom and Magni 3:
> 
> 1. There's no denying it: this amp has a somewhat recessed treble, at least compared to the JDS Atom and Magni 3. However, this doesn't really bother me. The treble that's there sounds really, really nice, and has a grain-free timbre to it that the Atom completely lacks.
> 2. There's a much better sense of space and imaging than on the Magni 3. The Atom probably pulls to a draw here.
> ...



would def agree. the spark is one of the best audio purchases i have made for its price since becoming interested in this hobby


----------



## billbishere

I have no complaints.  Tho I have been inching to try something new as I just upgraded my dac to a D50s.  I am thinking of the Massdrop CTH.


----------



## smy1 (Jan 8, 2020)

deleted


----------



## Kane Williams

Does anyone have an idea when the Liquid Spark DAC (DAC only - $99) will be released?


----------



## tim0chan

Kane Williams said:


> Does anyone have an idea when the Liquid Spark DAC (DAC only - $99) will be released?


Looks to be mid March if we go by the website and of course the delays


----------



## blackdragon87

Kane Williams said:


> Does anyone have an idea when the Liquid Spark DAC (DAC only - $99) will be released?



that does look interesting. anticipating its release


----------



## Coffee Music (Feb 3, 2020)

davidmthekidd said:


> I went for them,
> 
> Just got my Liquid Spark, so far so good, Only burn them in for about 10 hours, paired with my Hifiman Sundara for Vinyl listening only,
> I will write about my impressions within a few days.


I don't think I saw your sundara/spark impression. I'm very curious for your thoughts as I have the Sundara and think it's a very special headphone. I ask because I'm planning to buy a spark as well.


----------



## tim0chan

Coffee Music said:


> I don't think I saw your sundara/spark impression. I'm very curious for your thoughts as I have the Sundara and think it's a very special headphone. I ask because I'm planning to buy a spark as well.


I used the hifiman he400i with the spark for almost a year and I can say that they pair very well. Keep in mind that the sundara is miles ahead of the 400i in terms of technicalities and smoothness and thus will be more revealing of amp pairing. I found this combo to balance out the he400i's tendency to sound slightly harsh on slightly poorly mastered tracks and provide a more enjoyable listen overall as compared to the JDS atom and smsl sp200.


----------



## Coffee Music

tim0chan said:


> I used the hifiman he400i with the spark for almost a year and I can say that they pair very well. Keep in mind that the sundara is miles ahead of the 400i in terms of technicalities and smoothness and thus will be more revealing of amp pairing. I found this combo to balance out the he400i's tendency to sound slightly harsh on slightly poorly mastered tracks and provide a more enjoyable listen overall as compared to the JDS atom and smsl sp200.


Thanks for your input. Exactly what I was looking for. The Sundara can sound a bit too bright for me at times. Seems like the Spark can tame it a bit.


----------



## davidmthekidd

Coffee Music said:


> I don't think I saw your sundara/spark impression. I'm very curious for your thoughts as I have the Sundara and think it's a very special headphone. I ask because I'm planning to buy a spark as well.



The Spark and sundara pair very well,  a must.


----------



## Coffee Music

davidmthekidd said:


> The Spark and sundara pair very well,  a must.


Dang. Real glad to hear that!


----------



## jumpa

Also matches well with Hifiman HE500- nice little amp)


----------



## tim0chan

jumpa said:


> Also matches well with Hifiman HE500- nice little amp)


Matches well with anything that needs some taming (bright/overly aggressive). I found it to be too much of a good thing when paired with darker HP's like zmf aeolus, audeze lcd2, audioquest nightowl


----------



## wolfxomg (Mar 1, 2020)

Greetings fellow Head-Fiers

Very late to the party so apologies, I bought the Spark during Christmas after a lot of debating myself on the Chi-Fi setups like Topping and SMSL (DAC/AMPs, lots of QC issues from OLED to going dead and other issues plus output impedance etc. to even subjective ESS tuning being too harsh) and then JDS Atom, Magni and finally settled on this due to my gear HD6XX and Triple Driver Heavy low end IEMs at low sensitivity, mostly wanted a warm sound not brighter one plus has plenty of power to help the Senns and one looks good, classy and usage must be simple. I ended up getting this little powerhouse, the switches on the front, not bright led vs Magni 3 plus the volume pot being superb as mentioned all over, also automatic Pre-Amp for my Stereo powered speaker system.

Was very happy with the purchase. However had some unusual volume pot on one of the unit and returned it to Amazon (The curvature wasn't that perfect and the paint job as well more rougher as I had another unit which came early because Amazon missed the package) now that's out of the way.

I forgot to ask you fellas about the AMP's main part. The power on, off, do you guys hear a pop(s) while powering up and powering down ? I used to get it powered down too, but then I moved the power brick from the Tripplite strip to a wall socket and it went away, but I cannot get this power up one gone. So as a mitigation in order to avoid damage, I first power-up the AMP, (Modi 3 gets turned on coz no switch), so then I power up the speakers (They have a remote) and if I'm using the IEMs or my Senn cans I would just wait until this powers up it avoids that annoying pop altogether.

Thanks, So far very happy. As a desktop system this does the job very well for my Foobar setup.

And @SigmaOrionis , I just tested it with my IEMs - my AMP is always plugged in (since it's connected to a wall socket) but turned off when not in use, so with that and Modi 3 plugged in and PC running, I tried to look for that hum or such, I don't hear any hum.


----------



## PlantsmanTX

wolfxomg said:


> Greetings fellow Head-Fiers
> 
> Very late to the party so apologies, I bought the Spark during Christmas after a lot of debating myself on the Chi-Fi setups like Topping and SMSL (DAC/AMPs, lots of QC issues from OLED to going dead and other issues plus output impedance etc. to even subjective ESS tuning being too harsh) and then JDS Atom, Magni and finally settled on this due to my gear HD6XX and Triple Driver Heavy low end IEMs at low sensitivity, mostly wanted a warm sound not brighter one plus has plenty of power to help the Senns and one looks good, classy and usage must be simple. I ended up getting this little powerhouse, the switches on the front, not bright led vs Magni 3 plus the volume pot being superb as mentioned all over, also automatic Pre-Amp for my Stereo powered speaker system.
> 
> ...


The only noise I hear is the click when the LED goes from red to white.


----------



## GearMe

PlantsmanTX said:


> The only noise I hear is the click when the LED goes from red to white.



Same here


----------



## Brandon005

Hi all, first time poster here. Recently picked up some new gear including a pair of audeze lcd 2C as well as the liquid spark. I’m having some trouble with hum in the headphones when I plug into the amp even without any sources plugged in. It seems to be some kind of grounding issue since the noise disappears if I touch the amplifier and depending on where I have the power source plugged in it gets better or worse.

At the moment, I’m considering trying an ebtech hum eliminator or someone also suggested to me to try a ups (uninterrupted power supply) to power the spark.

Any advice is much appreciated!

Thanks


----------



## Shane D

Brandon005 said:


> Hi all, first time poster here. Recently picked up some new gear including a pair of audeze lcd 2C as well as the liquid spark. I’m having some trouble with hum in the headphones when I plug into the amp even without any sources plugged in. It seems to be some kind of grounding issue since the noise disappears if I touch the amplifier and depending on where I have the power source plugged in it gets better or worse.
> 
> At the moment, I’m considering trying an ebtech hum eliminator or someone also suggested to me to try a ups (uninterrupted power supply) to power the spark.
> 
> ...



Welcome to Head-Fi from another Canuck. Those LCD2 C's seems interesting. I love my Liquid Spark. I bought an open box for $80.00US. I am sure someone more knowledgable will tune in with a solution. Mine is quiet, but I run DAP to DAC to LS.

Shane D


----------



## Brandon005

Shane D said:


> Welcome to Head-Fi from another Canuck. Those LCD2 C's seems interesting. I love my Liquid Spark. I bought an open box for $80.00US. I am sure someone more knowledgable will tune in with a solution. Mine is quiet, but I run DAP to DAC to LS.
> 
> Shane D



Thanks for the welcome Shane.

As it turns out, I picked up a UPS with surge protection and EMI/RFI filtration and plugging my system into that I believe has solved my problem. Background on my headphones is now dead quiet.

I listen mainly to vinyl on my setup and was a very happy camper tonight when I listened to a few sides with no hum.


----------



## Shane D

Brandon005 said:


> Thanks for the welcome Shane.
> 
> As it turns out, I picked up a UPS with surge protection and EMI/RFI filtration and plugging my system into that I believe has solved my problem. Background on my headphones is now dead quiet.
> 
> I listen mainly to vinyl on my setup and was a very happy camper tonight when I listened to a few sides with no hum.



It really is a great little amp. What do you think about the LCD2 Classic's?


----------



## Brandon005 (Mar 7, 2020)

Shane D said:


> It really is a great little amp. What do you think about the LCD2 Classic's?



I enjoy them a lot. A lot different from the Sennheiser 598 which were my main HP before. The 2C’s sound for me is very full and smooth while still retaining excellent clarity. I find them great for rock/pop.

Occasionally, depending on the music, the presentation can come across as a slightly dull and lacking some texture. I wonder if a higher end amp would bring a bit more resolution and sparkle to the sound. 

As for comfort, they are good but no candle to Sennheisers!


----------



## Shane D (Mar 30, 2020)

Brandon005 said:


> I enjoy them a lot. A lot different from the Sennheiser 598 which were my main HP before. The 2C’s sound for me is very full and smooth while still retaining excellent clarity. I find them great for rock/pop.
> 
> Occasionally, depending on the music, the presentation can come across as a slightly dull and lacking some texture. I wonder if a higher end amp would bring a bit more resolution and sparkle to the sound.
> 
> As for comfort, they are good but no candle to Sennheisers!



I tried the LCD2's a few years ago and found them boring, but I have been hearing a lot of good stuff about the LCD2 Classic's. Brands like Audeze ands Sennheiser really do scale well with better gear. I am not a huge fan of either brand but they can do some amazing stuff. I almost bought an open box LCD1 just to check it out, then I backed off. If I am really going to try the brand out I need to at least go a bit higher up the tree. 

As of right now I prefer the HD58X's over the HD600 (currently own) and the HD6XX's (owned a few years ago and they were the most comfortable headphone I ever owned until recently). But they say the higher end Senn's really sing with a tube amp.

*Just a quick edit*: I got a tube amp and it really does elevate the HD600's. It cost me six times what the LS cost and is a much better amp. But it is NOT six times better. It just excels at all the stuff the LS does. For the price, you can not beat this amp.


----------



## Jimmyblues1959 (Mar 28, 2020)

PlantsmanTX said:


> The only noise I hear is the click when the LED goes from red to white.



Same here.  Just a click when the pilot light on the Liquid Spark goes from red to white.


----------



## ginetto61 (Apr 7, 2020)

i wonder if *a different DC power supply *can provide any improvement in sound 






I have seen some noise spectra in the web showing residual power supply noise.
I had a similar issue with a 12VDC smsp feeding a dac ... a change of the psu solved the problem


----------



## Jimmyblues1959

For what it's worth, I've read of a few LS owners trying upgraded power supplies.  The general consensus is that it's a marginal improvement and that the stock power supply is more than adequate.


----------



## ginetto61

Jimmyblues1959 said:


> For what it's worth, I've read of a few LS owners trying upgraded power supplies.
> The general consensus is that it's a marginal improvement and that the stock power supply is more than adequate.



Thanks !  perfect |


----------



## KCXT

Picked up one of these to try along with a THX 789 but also against my Emotiva A-100. Little later this n the game but with prices coming down as they are the gap between this and the THX amps isn't what it used to be. Great time to be in this hobby.


----------



## KCXT (May 22, 2020)

The Spark arrived today - solid little unit for $100. Feels of good quality and the knob has a solid feel and turns smoothly, though the buttons feel 'OK' and not as premium. Nothing else to say here that hasn't been said a number of times elsewhere. Definitely runs warm, much warmer than my Emotiva.

Have had a chance to compare with the A-100 in stock mode, so the full 220-ohm output impedance (no jumpers). Listening through my DT 1990s with analytical pads. My source is an LG V30 (Slow Quad DAC setting, no EQ) outputting Spotify Premium HQ downloaded tracks via the headphone jack into RCA, so the LG Quad DAC is doing the conversion. Wide range of songs from Cake, Metallica, In This Moment, various rap artists, the Eagles, A Perfect Circle, and some Beethoven String Quartet recordings that I enjoy. Environment is my pretty-quiet office and I find myself listening on low gain at about 2:00 on the dial with the LG at 70/75 on its volume, which overall is a pretty solid volume level. No signs of stress pushing these headphones.

There's a post from someone at Emotiva floating around here that states they went with the 220 ohm to emulate old-school headphone output sound of past stereos and I can understand that vibe. Right off the bat the Liquid Spark bass is tighter and the treble a bit crisper than the Emotiva (mids are very comparable), maybe a touch less sibilant than the Emotiva but that could definitely be in my head. Output impedance difference could be contributing to tonal difference since plugging the 1990s directly into my V30 gets me a sound pretty much matching the Liquid Spark and I perceive no bass bloat when using the Emotiva as a speaker amp with the JBL Studio 530s on my desk.

I heard some very soft background hi-hat counts in the intro of Forever by Kid Rock that I'd never heard before along with someone (Gwen?) smacking their lips ever so slightly at the 6-second mark of Hella Good. Could be the amp, could be me, could be both, who knows, but I'll give it a listen again when I go back to the Emotiva and see if they're perceptible. Dynamics and detail are great, evidenced by the various string quartet recordings.

Soundstage is a bit smaller than the Emotiva and a song or two sounded more 'processed' but for the most part things sound great. I'll say that for imaging it's really interesting hearing the quartet performers breathe during quiet moments as it imparts a sense of their exact location. Those breaths do sound like they're coming from 'above' my perception of the instrument sources and closer to the mics so I'd say imaging is more than satisfactory.

No huge faults thus far with this $100 amp and I'll post again after the 789 arrives.


----------



## KCXT (May 22, 2020)

I've been comparing the 789 with the Liquid Spark and A-100 for the last week. Sources/chain have been the same as above and my primary is the DT-1990, but my ATH-A900Xs and DT-990 Pros have gotten some good run as well.

Overall the Liquid Spark is a great unit and has gone toe-to-toe with the THX on most songs. Overall the mids are perhaps a bit more forward and soundstage a bit narrower, but it's only largely noticeable on certain songs with no clear rhyme or reason (eg not genre-specific, artist-specific, etc). For most content I'm playing things are nearly indistinguishable from one to the other or with only a nominal change in mids/soundstage. One thing I'll note though is that the preamp outs are not straight passthrough like the 789 - the signal does run through the gain structure, if not the entire amplifier section, so does color the sound for anything down the chain. Some might not care but it was something I listened for and I felt I could perceive a change in my speakers (JBL 530s) when the Emotiva speaker amp was fed post-Spark vs the super-clean sound the A-100 puts out when fed direct from my source. I also found at times that it felt like the Spark maybe gave a bit more headroom to my DT1990s vs the THX, even in lower-gain mode. Both had plenty of juice though and I'm not saying that definitively and sure not backing it up with any measurements, just a general feeling.

While the Spark and THX sound very similar to me they're both different flavors than the Emotiva. As I noted in my first post the A-100's stock headphone sound is, per Emotiva, meant to be rounder and more 'old school'. The bass is bigger than either the Spark or THX but it's also a bit warmer across the spectrum; for example, the quiet hi-hats in the the 'Forever' intro that I mention in my first post are not audible when using the A-100 but they're definitely there with the Spark and 789. I'd say that either the Spark or THX make a great complement to the A-100 and I'll likely run one of them along with the A-100 for variety since the A-100 will remain as my speaker amp.

I'd say that, on average, the Spark gives at least 90% of the performance at 1/3 the cost of the THX while the Emotiva is a bit of a different thing entirely (stock, not with the jumpers in). The Spark is a fantastic value and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.


----------



## ronnco

KCXT said:


> I've been comparing the 789 with the Liquid Spark and A-100 for the last week. Sources/chain have been the same as above and my primary is the DT-1990, but my ATH-A900Xs and DT-990 Pros have gotten some good run as well.
> 
> Overall the Liquid Spark is a great unit and has gone toe-to-toe with the THX on most songs. Overall the mids are perhaps a bit more forward and soundstage a bit narrower, but it's only largely noticeable on certain songs with no clear rhyme or reason (eg not genre-specific, artist-specific, etc). For most content I'm playing things are nearly indistinguishable from one to the other or with only a nominal change in mids/soundstage. One thing I'll note though is that the preamp outs are not straight passthrough like the 789 - the signal does run through the gain structure, if not the entire amplifier section, so does color the sound for anything down the chain. Some might not care but it was something I listened for and I felt I could perceive a change in my speakers (JBL 530s) when the Emotiva speaker amp was fed post-Spark vs the super-clean sound the A-100 puts out when fed direct from my source. I also found at times that it felt like the Spark maybe gave a bit more headroom to my DT1990s vs the THX, even in lower-gain mode. Both had plenty of juice though and I'm not saying that definitively and sure not backing it up with any measurements, just a general feeling.
> 
> ...


----------



## ronnco

Heads up! You can get the Liquid Spark today for about $80 with free shipping from Monoprice. Discount code Liquid20.


----------



## KCXT

ronnco said:


> Heads up! You can get the Liquid Spark today for about $80 with free shipping from Monoprice. Discount code Liquid20.



Nice! A smoking deal indeed.


----------



## crippledchicken

ronnco said:


> Heads up! You can get the Liquid Spark today for about $80 with free shipping from Monoprice. Discount code Liquid20.


I ordered one Saturday for $79.99 with promo code and free shipping. My first, headphone amp ever but I figured at that price I'd give it a go!


----------



## big45-70

I've been looking to pick up another power supply.  I travel often and have been taking my spark with me because of its compact size,  the only issue is I have to mess with my pc's cable management every time I go I take it.  Anyone have any luck tracking down a second power supply for the spark?


----------



## SLCanhead (Jun 20, 2020)

It's been a while since I have been around these parts, but I was recently looking for some open headphones for my guitar/bass modeler. My custom IEMs sound good but can be a bit too isolating/closed in and are not as much a "fun" listen - great for their purpose though. Not to mention, I don't mind having a nice set of full size cans for general listening when speakers are too disruptive. I picked up the Sennheiser HD 58x - sound great through all my sources, being relatively easy to drive. Then, I found this thread and now...

laptop (Equalizer APO) -> iBasso D7 (DAC) -> Liquid Spark -> Sennheiser HD 58x or Emotiva Airmotiv 4/NHT super 8 sub

Yeah, I think I can get used to this...great pairing with the 58x as mentioned. Nice preamp for my speakers as well.

The equalizer with a bass bump at around 40/60/80 and just a slight roll off at 10k and 16k sets things off to my ears.

I think I am all set. Thanks all...


----------



## Sharpty (Jun 20, 2020)

SLCanhead said:


> The equalizer with a bass bump at around 40/60/80 and just a slight roll off at 10k and 16k sets things off to my ears.




I highly recommend checking out BlueSpartan's custom EQ profile for the 58X. For a while I was using the automatically generated EQ profile from AutoEQ on Github, then I came across BlueSpartan's EQ and now I can't listen to the 58X without it.

Here's the profile, you might have to change the file extension from .txt to .peace before you drop it in your EQ APO config folder. You will need to turn down the preamp gain to -5.3dB to avoid clipping.


----------



## Sharpty

big45-70 said:


> I've been looking to pick up another power supply.  I travel often and have been taking my spark with me because of its compact size,  the only issue is I have to mess with my pc's cable management every time I go I take it.  Anyone have any luck tracking down a second power supply for the spark?



The stock PSU is 36V 1.25A, which is more power than the LS will ever use. You'll be fine with a 36V 1A power supply. It uses a 5.5mm jack which is the most common size, you can find lots of them on amazon. I would avoid the absolute cheapest ones, because not all SMPS are created equal, some have more or less filtering. If you can find one with a 3 prong (grounded) AC cable, that's what I would probably go for, altho it's not necessary.


----------



## Shane D

The Spark and the HD58X's are just about the best values in head-fi. Add in a cheapie DAC (D10, D30, E30, etc.) and you have a Great economy system!

Too bad the general public doesn't know how "cheaply" you can get into a quality head-fi system.


----------



## Aradea

Subbed


----------



## tim0chan

Aradea said:


> Subbed


You can just press the "watch this thread button" instead of unnecessarily spamming


----------



## wolfxomg

Sharpty said:


> The stock PSU is 36V 1.25A, which is more power than the LS will ever use. You'll be fine with a 36V 1A power supply. It uses a 5.5mm jack which is the most common size, you can find lots of them on amazon. I would avoid the absolute cheapest ones, because not all SMPS are created equal, some have more or less filtering. If you can find one with a 3 prong (grounded) AC cable, that's what I would probably go for, altho it's not necessary.



Thanks for your suggestion.

I tried this PSU from Amzn, to get the Power Up slight pop (tried without DAC, no input and it still outputs that pop to the IEMs and Speakers, Preamp) and no dice, it even made the power off also pop, It's past return window by the time I noticed all this.


----------



## Jimmyblues1959

wolfxomg said:


> Thanks for your suggestion.
> 
> I tried this PSU from Amzn, to get the Power Up slight pop (tried without DAC, no input and it still outputs that pop to the IEMs and Speakers, Preamp) and no dice, it even made the power off also pop, It's past return window by the time I noticed all this.



I've been using my Liquid Spark for over a year with the stock power supply and it has been more than satisfactory.


----------



## buke9

Jimmyblues1959 said:


> I've been using my Liquid Spark for over a year with the stock power supply and it has been more than satisfactory.


Don’t use mine a lot but the stock PSU is solid.


----------



## Shane D

The Liquid Spark DAC is now available


----------



## CKgood55

any one used HiFiman HE4XX or HE400i with Liquid Spark  AMP ? how is the performance?


----------



## big45-70

CKgood55 said:


> any one used HiFiman HE4XX or HE400i with Liquid Spark  AMP ? how is the performance?


 yup I use it with me OG 400i's.  The spark has plenty of power for them.


----------



## Jimmyblues1959

CKgood55 said:


> any one used HiFiman HE4XX or HE400i with Liquid Spark  AMP ? how is the performance?




I use a Liquid Spark with a pair of Hifiman HE 4XX and they're a great match.   The LS has plenty of power to drive them.


----------



## GearMe

big45-70 said:


> yup I use it with me OG 400i's.  The spark has plenty of power for them.



Ditto...was just listening to this combo the other day (w/LS DAC) and no issues with powering them.  Nice little setup for ~$200!


----------



## Magic77

My Liquid Spark blew out yesterday. It was working great for a very long time. I turned it on and the power led was going on and off very rapidly. Then smoke started coming out from the back of the amp. Has anyone ever had this happen to them? Thanks for any replies.


----------



## Jimmyblues1959 (Oct 29, 2020)

Magic77 said:


> My Liquid Spark blew out yesterday. It was working great for a very long time. I turned it on and the power led was going on and off very rapidly. Then smoke started coming out from the back of the amp. Has anyone ever had this happen to them? Thanks for any replies.



Sorry to hear about that.  I have several headphone amplifiers so none of them gets used that often, including the Liquid Spark.  I have rotated it in and out of my system over the past few years, however, never used it as a daily driver.

So far it's been working fine, but your experience concerns me.  Do you leave it on all the time?  Also, how efficient are your headphones? And what impedance are they?  I use the LS to drive my planar magnetics  (35 and 50 ohms) and it does a good job.


----------



## gargani

Jimmyblues1959 said:


> Sorry to hear about that.  I have several headphone amplifiers so none of them gets used that often, including the Liquid Spark.  I have rotated it in and out of my system over the past few years, however, never used it as a daily driver.
> 
> So far it's been working fine, but your experience concerns me.  Do you leave it on all the time?  Also, how efficient are your headphones? And what impedance are they?  I use the LS to drive my planar magnetics  (35 and 50 ohms) and it does a good job.


Same here, I don't use it on a daily basis and It's been fine.
Someone told me you should turn off any amp when not in use because it extends the life of the capacitors.


----------



## Magic77

Jimmyblues1959 said:


> Sorry to hear about that.  I have several headphone amplifiers so none of them gets used that often, including the Liquid Spark.  I have rotated it in and out of my system over the past few years, however, never used it as a daily driver.
> 
> So far it's been working fine, but your experience concerns me.  Do you leave it on all the time?  Also, how efficient are your headphones? And what impedance are they?  I use the LS to drive my planar magnetics  (35 and 50 ohms) and it does a good job.


No, I always turn the amp off when not in use. I was using the ATH-M70x headphones, I believe they are 35ohms. Never had an issue before using these headphones.


----------



## Magic77

gargani said:


> Same here, I don't use it on a daily basis and It's been fine.
> Someone told me you should turn off any amp when not in use because it extends the life of the capacitors.


I always turn the amp off when not in use. Guess this may just be a throwaway at this point. I don’t have a receipt and I’m sure it’s not worth repairing being the amp is only $99.


----------



## PlantsmanTX

Magic77 said:


> I always turn the amp off when not in use. Guess this may just be a throwaway at this point. I don’t have a receipt and I’m sure it’s not worth repairing being the amp is only $99.


There's a record of the purchase in your account on their website. They advertise a 3 year replacement warranty. Hold 'em to it.


----------



## Magic77

PlantsmanTX said:


> There's a record of the purchase in your account on their website. They advertise a 3 year replacement warranty. Hold 'em to it.


Yes, I took care of it today. Contacted Monoprice and they will be replacing it with a new one. Just have to send back the defective unit. They also sent me a prepaid FedEx shipping label.


----------



## Jimmyblues1959

Magic77 said:


> Yes, I took care of it today. Contacted Monoprice and they will be replacing it with a new one. Just have to send back the defective unit. They also sent me a prepaid FedEx shipping label.



Glad to hear that Monoprice is standing behind their product.   Best of luck!  😊


----------



## LordZero

Where can I buy this in Europe?


----------



## Magic77

Liquid Spark right now is only $89.99 at Monoprice.com brand new.


----------



## gooeyrich

DAC available for anyone looking to complete a stack:

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=38965


----------



## drmmr

I’ve had my Spark for quite awhile now and I couldn’t be happier with it, but recently I’ve been looking for a proper upgrade to it. Based on what I’ve seen earlier in this thread, the OG Liquid Carbon is everything the Spark is and more, so that looks appealing. My question is, would it make more sense to upgrade to a used Carbon or a new Liquid Platinum? Which will have more of a similar sound to the Spark?


----------



## Zachik

drmmr said:


> I’ve had my Spark for quite awhile now and I couldn’t be happier with it, but recently I’ve been looking for a proper upgrade to it. Based on what I’ve seen earlier in this thread, the OG Liquid Carbon is everything the Spark is and more, so that looks appealing. My question is, would it make more sense to upgrade to a used Carbon or a new Liquid Platinum? Which will have more of a similar sound to the Spark?


Probably a used GLmk2 (https://www.headamp.com/products/gilmore-lite-mk2) is a better bang for your buck upgrade than those 2 options.
You can pickup a used one for $250-ish. Awesome amp!!


----------



## Shane D

drmmr said:


> I’ve had my Spark for quite awhile now and I couldn’t be happier with it, but recently I’ve been looking for a proper upgrade to it. Based on what I’ve seen earlier in this thread, the OG Liquid Carbon is everything the Spark is and more, so that looks appealing. My question is, would it make more sense to upgrade to a used Carbon or a new Liquid Platinum? Which will have more of a similar sound to the Spark?



I found the Liquid Platinum a great upgrade from the Spark. I was very happy at $599.00, but they dropped to as low as $399.99. 
Only downside is the high gain. If you use really efficient headphones or IEM's you won't have much volume range to play with.


----------



## drmmr

Zachik said:


> Probably a used GLmk2 (https://www.headamp.com/products/gilmore-lite-mk2) is a better bang for your buck upgrade than those 2 options.
> You can pickup a used one for $250-ish. Awesome amp!!


I haven’t read much into that amp but I’ve definitely heard great things about it. Does it keep the same warmth and lush feeling sound of the Spark? I’m not super deep into this hobby yet, but I know for sure neutrality is not my cup of tea lol


Shane D said:


> I found the Liquid Platinum a great upgrade from the Spark. I was very happy at $599.00, but they dropped to as low as $399.99.
> Only downside is the high gain. If you use really efficient headphones or IEM's you won't have much volume range to play with.


I was super close to picking one up when they dropped to $400 but I decided to hold off until I could seek out alternatives. My only concern with this is getting too deep into tube rolling... I don’t need something else to dump money into!


----------



## Zachik

drmmr said:


> Does it keep the same warmth and lush feeling sound of the Spark?


IMHO, Yes!


----------



## drmmr

Zachik said:


> IMHO, Yes!


Good to know, I’ll definitely check it out


----------



## lastsd (Jan 7, 2021)

Reading about Topping L30 failing and taking the headphone with it, I wanted to make sure similar things didn't occur with Liquid Spark Amp.
From brief search, I couldn't find anything like that for Liquid Spark Amp and the product have been out longer.

I don't have L30 but I do have Topping D10s DAC. So for no reported issue but it's a product with short history and not very popular so probably not as many units out there.
I wonder if I should switch the DAC to something else with longer history like Schitt Modi.

I do understand for any product there is certain percentage that will fail and not all failure are reported online.


----------



## Magic77

lastsd said:


> Reading about Topping L30 failing and taking the headphone with it, I wanted to make sure similar things didn't occur with Liquid Spark Amp.
> From brief search, I couldn't find anything like that for Liquid Spark Amp and the product have been out longer.
> 
> I don't have L30 but I do have Topping D10s amp. So for no reported issue but it's a product with short history and not very popular so probably not as many units out there.
> ...


You really can’t go wrong with the Liquid Spark. It has a very good reputation and is very reliable. I really like mine.


----------



## GearMe

lastsd said:


> Reading about Topping L30 failing and taking the headphone with it, I wanted to make sure similar things didn't occur with Liquid Spark Amp.
> From brief search, I couldn't find anything like that for Liquid Spark Amp and the product have been out longer.
> 
> I don't have L30 but I do have Topping D10s amp. So for no reported issue but it's a product with short history and not very popular so probably not as many units out there.
> ...


FWIW...I picked up the Liquid Spark DAC when it became available and it's been working fine as well.  Have owned a Modi/Magni stack in the past and liked them too!


----------



## Jimmyblues1959 (Feb 5, 2021)

fuhransahis said:


> Anyone able to compare this to the Loxjie P20 as far as sound sig?




I think both Liquid Spark and Loxjie P20 offer exceptional performance for the money.  IMHO the Liquid Spark has a bit more control over the bass, while the P20 is a bit more transparent (particularly in the midrange).

Both amps sound great with my planar magnetics, and run them effortlessly.   It's amazing how much headphone sound quality wise) you can purchase for $100 these days.

I was also interested in seeing if the Cavalli Liquid Platinum was a significant
step up from the Liquid Spark, so when Monoprice had a sale on the LP
for $399.99 I decided to purchase one.

The LP is definitely on another level sonically, however, still manages to
maintain the Cavalli house sound that I like so much with the Liquid
Spark.   The LS could definitely be an endgame amp for many people.


----------



## JazzVinyl

lastsd said:


> Reading about Topping L30 failing and taking the headphone with it, I wanted to make sure similar things didn't occur with Liquid Spark Amp.
> From brief search, I couldn't find anything like that for Liquid Spark Amp and the product have been out longer.
> 
> I don't have L30 but I do have Topping D10s DAC. So for no reported issue but it's a product with short history and not very popular so probably not as many units out there.
> ...



Mine "blew up" with light use after 2 years.  But, I have heard that unplugging and plugging it in without turning the amp off first, may have caused this.  I was definitely rearranging the setup and may have done just that.

To be safe...never plug in the power supply with the amp already on.  
Plug the power supply in while the amp is off first, then attach to the power supply to the AC mains.

Probably would last a long long time if you remember this tip.

Cheers!

P.S. - my "preamp section" still works dandy, but the amp has drastic distortion.


----------



## Jimmyblues1959 (Feb 5, 2021)

JazzVinyl said:


> Mine "blew up" with light use after 2 years.  But, I have heard that unplugging and plugging it in without turning the amp off first, may have caused this.  I was definitely rearranging the setup and may have done just that.
> 
> To be safe...never plug in the power supply with the amp already on.
> Plug the power supply in while the amp is off first, then attach to the power supply to the AC mains.
> ...




Dr. Cavalli is very specific about making sure that the LP 's power input is plugged into the amp before the amp is plugged into a wall socket.  Also, that the volume is all the way down before plugging or unplugging your headphones. 

This also applies to the Liquid Spark.

 He was also very specific about not shorting the balanced output of the LP which could damage both the amp and headphones connected to the output.

Had been demoing a DNA Starlett for the past month (a superb headphone amp for the money), yet was pleasantly surprised at how well the Liquid Platinum compared to the Starlett.

IMHO the Starlett is better in every way as it should be given the price difference.  Yet, the LP was surprisingly good.  Especially at its $399.99 on sale price.

Have now had my LP for over a month  and continue to be impressed by its sound quality.😊


----------



## JazzVinyl

Jimmyblues1959 said:


> Dr. Cavalli is very specific about making sure that the LP 's power input is plugged into the amp before the
> amp is plugged into a wall socket.  Also, that the volume is all the way down before plugging or unplugging
> your headphones.  He was also very specific about not shorting the balanced output of the LP which
> could damage both the amp and headphones connected to the output.
> ...



Glad it is well known not to do these thing   

I can testify bad things will happen if you do not heed the advice.

.


----------



## wolfxomg (Feb 6, 2021)

I was still having that old pop when Amp is turned on I avoided that issue by powering my amp first then speakers getting turned on (preamp) when using the line out, I just wait for the led to white and then plug in. It's an isolated case as many here didn't have that issue. So I was looking at what alternatives we have, esp having it in a "single package" that's what I was actually looking for however I have no other audio gear or setup to put my existing stack / gear to use, can't just throw them away lol, they work SUPERB and sound fantastic for Movies, Games, Music and everything !!

I found  _Monoprice Desktop Balanced Headphone Amplifier and DAC with THX AAA Technology (Dual AKM 4493 DACs & Dual AAA-788 Modules).  _I was really interested in upgrading to that since it also has Preamps which are very important for me. It was really end game of the end game despite being 2x the cost of existing stack that I have, but sadly it has an issue with how the volume operates, it's not quick like Spark. That killed it for me sadly, ..Also FYI to quote from ASR forums.

_"The display looks a bit grainy to my eyes but it does the job.  What doesn't is the volume control.  It is digital which is fine.  Not so fine is that it runs way behind the volume knob if you turn it quickly. You can literally take your hand off and watch it keep going for a few seconds.  And it is not just the display: the volume adjusts in sync with it meaning if you play something quite loud, it may take a while to get the volume down.  The logic for this needs to be modified in the firmware to skip values when the knob is turned quickly (i.e. have acceleration)"_

Maybe Monoprice might release a v2 with remote and fixing that issue.


----------



## tim0chan

wolfxomg said:


> I was still having that old pop when Amp is turned on I avoided that issue by powering my amp first then speakers getting turned on (preamp) when using the line out, I just wait for the led to white and then plug in. It's an isolated case as many here didn't have that issue. So I was looking at what alternatives we have, esp having it in a "single package" that's what I was actually looking for however I have no other audio gear or setup to put my existing stack / gear to use, can't just throw them away lol, they work SUPERB and sound fantastic for Movies, Games, Music and everything !!
> 
> I found  _Monoprice Desktop Balanced Headphone Amplifier and DAC with THX AAA Technology (Dual AKM 4493 DACs & Dual AAA-788 Modules).  _I was really interested in upgrading to that since it also has Preamps which are very important for me. It was really end game of the end game despite being 2x the cost of existing stack that I have, but sadly it has an issue with how the volume operates, it's not quick like Spark. That killed it for me sadly, ..Also FYI to quote from ASR forums.
> 
> ...


the sound of that amp is really different imo, its much brighter and has weaker dynamics. If you have bright headphones, the difference will be amplified


----------



## CB7FB8KgYh24E (Mar 8, 2021)

Is this thread just for the amp, or the DAC as well? I noticed they released a new or refreshed DAC by the same name, around October 2020. Anyone used it and compared it to the Modi 3+?

For example I originally bought the Modi 3+ and Magni 3+, but the higher notes made my ears hurt. I thought I'd try LS amp and I love it! It rounded off the painful notes and everything sounds a lot better now, deep bass rumble too. So I will definitely be returning the Magni 3+ in favor of the LS amp.

But will there be a similar tonal difference in the dacs between the LS dac AKM AK4493EQ and the Modi 3+s AKM AK4490? Or in any other aspect of the DACs that would modify the sound like the amps did? Would it be worth to return the Modi 3+? I'd do it if you believe there will be a sound difference. And I'd having a matching dac and amp again 

Here is a link to the Monolith DAC https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=38965


----------



## Shane D (Mar 8, 2021)

CB7FB8KgYh24E said:


> Is this thread just for the amp, or the DAC as well? I noticed they released a new or refreshed DAC by the same name, around October 2020. Anyone used it and compared it to the Modi 3+?
> 
> For example I originally bought the Modi 3+ and Magni 3+, but the higher notes made my ears hurt. I thought I'd try LS amp and I love it! It rounded off the painful notes and everything sounds a lot better now, deep bass rumble too. So I will definitely be returning the Magni 3+ in favor of the LS amp.
> 
> ...


I haven't heard the Magni/Modi combo, but I do own the Liquid Spark. I think the Liquid Sparks would be a nicer stack that the Schiit combo.
I am not a Schiit hater. I recently bought a Bifrost 2 and I love my Loki, but the Schiit amps don't move me. I had a Vali 2 and moved it along, but I hear great things about the Asgard 3.

Full disclosure: I LOVE my Liquid Spark and Liquid Platinum. I even enjoyed the Drop Liquid Carbon X. So, I am a Cavalli fan boy.


----------



## CB7FB8KgYh24E

Shane D said:


> I haven't heard the Magni/Modi combo, but I do own the Liquid Spark. I think the Liquid Sparks would be a nicer stack that the Schiit combo.
> I am not a Schiit hater. I recently bought a Bifrost 2 and I love my Loki, but the Schiit amps don't move me. I had a Vali 2 and moved it along, but I hear great things about the Asgard 3.
> 
> Full disclosure: I LOVE my Liquid Spark and Liquid Platinum. I even enjoyed the Drop Liquid Carbon X. So, I am a Cavalli fan boy.


You're saying you liked the LS more than the Vali 2? Because I've been thinking of checking that one out too. if you think the LS amp sounded better, I may as well not bother with the Vali, esp since one review mentioned it still sounds very analytical despite having a tube.

What did you like more about the LS amp compared to the Vali?


----------



## Jimmyblues1959 (Mar 8, 2021)

Shane D said:


> I haven't heard the Magni/Modi combo, but I do own the Liquid Spark. I think the Liquid Sparks would be a nicer stack that the Schiit combo.
> I am not a Schiit hater. I recently bought a Bifrost 2 and I love my Loki, but the Schiit amps don't move me. I had a Vali 2 and moved it along, but I hear great things about the Asgard 3.
> 
> Full disclosure: I LOVE my Liquid Spark and Liquid Platinum. I even enjoyed the Drop Liquid Carbon X. So, I am a Cavalli fan boy.



Have to agree.   I have an A3,  Liquid Platinum and Liquid Spark, and IMHO they are all outstanding headphone amp's  at
their respective prices.   I like the original Magni 3 which I have had for over three years.  However, it can be easily overdriven
with inefficient headphones that need lots of voltage like the HD600 and HD6XX, and gets harsh sounding when it is. 

I do find that it works surprisingly well with my Hifiman HE4XX and Fostex T50RP MK3, both of which require lots of current (which the Magni 3 delivers).

Regarding the Schiit Vali 2, it was recently replaced by the Vali 2+,  which is reported to have a very different sound
then the Vali 2.  Schiit offers a 15 day trial period, so you can test the Vali 2+ to see if it suits you.  Monoprice also
offers a trial period (30 days?), so you may be able to compare both the Liquid Spark and Vali 2+ and then choose the amp you like best.


----------



## Shane D (Mar 8, 2021)

CB7FB8KgYh24E said:


> You're saying you liked the LS more than the Vali 2? Because I've been thinking of checking that one out too. if you think the LS amp sounded better, I may as well not bother with the Vali, esp since one review mentioned it still sounds very analytical despite having a tube.
> 
> What did you like more about the LS amp compared to the Vali?


I found the Vali 2 very loud and clear, but not the least bit tubey. I found it very flat and neutral. When I first heard it, I immediately thought soild state for some reason. It was a used unit and came with several tubes. I played around and liked it fine, but never loved it.

The Liquid Spark, to me, has a fuller, more fun sound and I enjoyed it with many headphones. I bought an open box and it cost me about $150.00Cdn., landed. 
It has since cost me MUCH more money to get amps that were noticeably better than my little Spark.


----------



## CB7FB8KgYh24E (Mar 8, 2021)

Shane D said:


> I found the Vali 2 very loud and clear, but not the least bit tubey. I found it very flat and neutral. When I first heard it, I immediately thought soild state for some reason. It was a used unit and came with several tubes. I played around and liked it fine, but never loved it.
> 
> The Liquid Spark, to me, has a fuller, more fun sound and I enjoyed it with many headphones. I bought an open box and it cost me about $150.00Cdn., landed.
> It has since cost me MUCH more money to get amps that were noticeably better than my little Spark.


Good to know! If you say it still sounded clear then I'm definitely not interested in it. I will stick with the LS and I suppose get the LS DAC to match it, and return the Modi?

Which LS do you mean cost you $150 open box? Because LS Spark is a mere $99 (equiv $125cdn) brand new in the US


----------



## CB7FB8KgYh24E (Mar 8, 2021)

Jimmyblues1959 said:


> Have to agree.   I have an A3,  Liquid Platinum and Liquid Spark, and IMHO they are all outstanding headphone amp's  at
> their respective prices.   I like the original Magni 3 which I have had for over three years.  However, it can be easily overdriven
> with inefficient headphones that need lots of voltage like the HD600 and HD6XX, and gets harsh sounding when it is.
> 
> ...


Schiit offers 15 day trial but:
1. it cost $20 to ship to Illinois from CA. I've never had shipping that expensive in the US before from a business.
2. You must pay 15% restocking fee (so $23 in the case of the Vali 2+)
3. you must pay shipping back (another $10-20)

That's a pretty expensive trial period tbh. It was my initial plan until I realized it basically doesn't make sense to return gear to JDS and Schiit.

Side note: I find it ___ that Schiit upcharges $20 (maybe more) on their Amazon listings. For example their Modi's and Magni's are $119/each on Amazon, when sold by Schiit - with "Free shipping" aka same price as if bought from their site for $99 and paid $20 shipping like they made me pay. So seems the real cost of their entry level dacs and amps is really $120.


----------



## Shane D (Mar 9, 2021)

CB7FB8KgYh24E said:


> Good to know! If you say it still sounded clear then I'm definitely not interested in it. I will stick with the LS and I suppose get the LS DAC to match it, and return the Modi?
> 
> Which LS do you mean cost you $150 open box? Because LS Spark is a mere $99 (equiv $125cdn) brand new in the US


For me it was $80.00US, plus shipping to Canada, plus exchange rate and then you have to add 15% sales tax.
We have to be WAY more dedicated in Canada.


----------



## Shane D (Mar 8, 2021)

CB7FB8KgYh24E said:


> Schiit offers 15 day trial but:
> 1. it cost $20 to ship to Illinois from CA. I've never had shipping that expensive in the US before from a business.
> 2. You must pay 15% restocking fee (so $23 in the case of the Vali 2+)
> 3. you must pay shipping back (another $10-20)
> ...


That was my experience with the Bifrost 2. Return was not an option with shipping and restocking fees. Also there is the tax issue as I paid that to the courier, separately.
If I had tried to return, I would have lost $300.00 and selling in Canada I still would have lost $200.00.
My landed cost up here was $1,135.00, all in. I found it slightly better than my SMSL SU-8, but not to the tune of that kind of money.
Live and learn.


----------



## CB7FB8KgYh24E

Well, just placed an order for the LS DAC. At least Monoprice doesn't have a restocking fee, and free shipping (at least for us lucky people in the US). So will compare it to the Modi 3+


----------



## CB7FB8KgYh24E (Mar 13, 2021)

CB7FB8KgYh24E said:


> Well, just placed an order for the LS DAC. At least Monoprice doesn't have a restocking fee, and free shipping (at least for us lucky people in the US). So will compare it to the Modi 3+


Got it. Unfortunately, unlike the LS amp happilly replacing the Magni 3+, the LS DAC on the other hand is quite a downgrade to in resolution and clarity and bass and noise floor when compared to the Modi 3+. It also responds a lot worse to my Loki EQ for some reason (increasing any dial makes it sound muddy and worse, unlike with the Modi 3+)

So for my headphones and my ears, Modi 3+ and LS amp is a great combo.


----------



## Shane D

CB7FB8KgYh24E said:


> Got it. Unfortunately, unlike the LS amp happilly replacing the Magni 3+, the LS DAC on the other hand is quite a downgrade to in resolution and clarity and bass and noise floor when compared to the Modi 3+. It also responds a lot worse to my Loki EQ for some reason (increasing any dial makes it sound muddy and worse, unlike with the Modi 3+)
> 
> So for my headphones and my ears, Modi 3+ and LS amp is a great combo.


Sorry to hear that. I was hoping it would be a perfect match for the amp.


----------



## julianlopez85

Hi Guys wanted to ask, i recently purchased the modi multibit and paired it with the liquid spark and i find that the combination can get pretty harsh...this normally happens when the songs peak like vocals hitting highs and guitar solos and makes it uncomfortable to unbearable...now granted this was all done using tidal and when i compared the same song in musicbee using wasapi, the harshness is kinda tamed up....so my question is the LS doing this cause of the roll off in the top end or is this purely a tidal issue etc....i like the sound of this amp has an element of old schoolness to it which i like but if the amp is causing the issue then i might have to consider something else...hopefully some of you with the modi multibit can help...i'm connected to my pc via usb


----------



## tamleo

julianlopez85 said:


> Hi Guys wanted to ask, i recently purchased the modi multibit and paired it with the liquid spark and i find that the combination can get pretty harsh...this normally happens when the songs peak like vocals hitting highs and guitar solos and makes it uncomfortable to unbearable...now granted this was all done using tidal and when i compared the same song in musicbee using wasapi, the harshness is kinda tamed up....so my question is the LS doing this cause of the roll off in the top end or is this purely a tidal issue etc....i like the sound of this amp has an element of old schoolness to it which i like but if the amp is causing the issue then i might have to consider something else...hopefully some of you with the modi multibit can help...i'm connected to my pc via usb


Use your Modi Multibit via spdif coaxial. The Modi Multibit distorts like crazy ( especially in the high frequencies) via usb connection. And don't plug schiit products into power strips


----------



## julianlopez85

tamleo said:


> Use your Modi Multibit via spdif coaxial. The Modi Multibit distorts like crazy ( especially in the high frequencies) via usb connection. And don't plug schiit products into power strips


Hey thank you so much appreciate the advice...my pc doesn't have coax so is optical sufficient?


----------



## tamleo

julianlopez85 said:


> Hey thank you so much appreciate the advice...my pc doesn't have coax so is optical sufficient?


I tried to connect my Modi Multibit via optical on my tv and pc many times but it never worked. It was weird and I didn't know why..


----------



## julianlopez85

tamleo said:


> I tried to connect my Modi Multibit via optical on my tv and pc many times but it never worked. It was weird and I didn't know why..


oh sorry to hear...mine seems to be fine...so far i can't differentiate between the two at this point...maybe more listening tests might do the trick


----------



## tamleo

julianlopez85 said:


> oh sorry to hear...mine seems to be fine...so far i can't differentiate between the two at this point...maybe more listening tests might do the trick


Hehe i am planning buying the liquid spark as well to replace my magni3. Hope the harshness goes away on your combo using the optical port. Many said the optical connection has high jitters so it may sound any better compared to the usb..


----------



## CB7FB8KgYh24E (Mar 15, 2021)

julianlopez85 said:


> Hi Guys wanted to ask, i recently purchased the modi multibit and paired it with the liquid spark and i find that the combination can get pretty harsh...this normally happens when the songs peak like vocals hitting highs and guitar solos and makes it uncomfortable to unbearable...now granted this was all done using tidal and when i compared the same song in musicbee using wasapi, the harshness is kinda tamed up....so my question is the LS doing this cause of the roll off in the top end or is this purely a tidal issue etc....i like the sound of this amp has an element of old schoolness to it which i like but if the amp is causing the issue then i might have to consider something else...hopefully some of you with the modi multibit can help...i'm connected to my pc via usb


What you're describing is what I was experiencing with Modi 3+ and Magni 3+. Once I swapped out the Magni 3+ for the LS amp, the "high-harshness" is more or less gone, but still present at times.

Maybe this is a Schiit thing? Their sound signature? I find when it happens, reducing the high-mid and high slider on Loki EQ (but you could probably use any software EQ as well) helps reduce/remove the harshness, too (at the expense of detail perhaps)

My ears are more sensitive than others to high frequency sounds. Maybe yours are as well


----------



## julianlopez85

CB7FB8KgYh24E said:


> What you're describing is what I was experiencing with Modi 3+ and Magni 3+. Once I swapped out the Magni 3+ for the LS amp, the "high-harshness" is more or less gone, but still present at times.
> 
> Maybe this is a Schiit thing? Their sound signature? I find when it happens, reducing the high-mid and high slider on Loki EQ (but you could probably use any software EQ as well) helps reduce/remove the harshness, too (at the expense of detail perhaps)
> 
> My ears are more sensitive than others to high frequency sounds. Maybe yours are as well


hey yes you're actualyl right the LS amp is smooth i think i've managed to figure out the reason for this but since i'm a noob, i may have not really realise this but here goes....any headphones i put in low gain when i turn the volume up to about 1 O'clock, it gets harsh and i described earlier...but here's the think since then if i'm on headphones, i keep it in high gain and around 9-10 o'clock and they're fine no issues whatsoever just a thick and lucious presentation and if i'm on iems i will use low gain...i'm waiting on a optical toslink cable to compare it to USB but i think that might be my choice of connection since it's basically the cleanest and cheapest option available( my pc doesn't have coax so either usb or optical)...for me to use usb i might have to get something like and eitr or raspberry pi with either the digiberry or allo hats which would boost cost upwards...so at this time i'm happy to use optical since the ports are all there and the cost to me is that of a new cable....


----------



## CB7FB8KgYh24E (Mar 15, 2021)

julianlopez85 said:


> hey yes you're actualyl right the LS amp is smooth i think i've managed to figure out the reason for this but since i'm a noob, i may have not really realise this but here goes....any headphones i put in low gain when i turn the volume up to about 1 O'clock, it gets harsh and i described earlier...but here's the think since then if i'm on headphones, i keep it in high gain and around 9-10 o'clock and they're fine no issues whatsoever just a thick and lucious presentation and if i'm on iems i will use low gain...i'm waiting on a optical toslink cable to compare it to USB but i think that might be my choice of connection since it's basically the cleanest and cheapest option available( my pc doesn't have coax so either usb or optical)...for me to use usb i might have to get something like and eitr or raspberry pi with either the digiberry or allo hats which would boost cost upwards...so at this time i'm happy to use optical since the ports are all there and the cost to me is that of a new cable....


I recently also found that I have better control of the sound levels and more able to pinpoint where I want sound to be, if I turned my Windows volume levels. I currently have Windows volume at 45% and I find I'm much happier and have better audio control than when it was at 100% in Windows.

Basically instead of the 8AM-11AM on the dial only being usable, now I can use 8AM-5PM comfortably and with a lot of control in between

ps just wondering, what kind of computer do you have that you have optical connection in it? And FWIW I'm using USB on the Modi 3+, to my PC, and happy with it. Haven't noticed distortions or anything of the sort.


----------



## julianlopez85

CB7FB8KgYh24E said:


> I recently also found that I have better control of the sound levels and more able to pinpoint where I want sound to be, if I turned my Windows volume levels. I currently have Windows volume at 45% and I find I'm much happier and have better audio control than when it was at 100% in Windows.
> 
> Basically instead of the 8AM-11AM on the dial only being usable, now I can use 8AM-5PM comfortably and with a lot of control in between
> 
> ps just wondering, what kind of computer do you have that you have optical connection in it? And FWIW I'm using USB on the Modi 3+, to my PC, and happy with it. Haven't noticed distortions or anything of the sort.


ok so i'm not sure if cranking the volume dial is the way to go....i generally keep everything software side (i.e windows 10 & vlc, tidal) at 100% always and control the dial on the amp..this allows the dac to receive the full signal source with the dynamic range and you can just adjust the volume on the amp...i have a desktop but my mobo has optical out so yea...i think usb is fine...the mimby's USB is supposedly iffy so most people use a reclocker of some sort like the eitr, but i'm not sure about the modi 3+...if i remember corrrectly they've changed it to micro usb but not sure if it's a newer usb module in there...so basically it boils down to implementation for example if you buy the bifrost, you wouldn't worry too much about usb implementation cause schiit used their unison tech in there which is a better usb module if you're on a tight budget like me, look at the cheapest alternative that your pc offers (like optical or coax) and possibly use that as a source to carry the signal


----------



## CB7FB8KgYh24E

julianlopez85 said:


> ok so i'm not sure if cranking the volume dial is the way to go....i generally keep everything software side (i.e windows 10 & vlc, tidal) at 100% always and control the dial on the amp..this allows the dac to receive the full signal source with the dynamic range and you can just adjust the volume on the amp...i have a desktop but my mobo has optical out so yea...i think usb is fine...the mimby's USB is supposedly iffy so most people use a reclocker of some sort like the eitr, but i'm not sure about the modi 3+...if i remember corrrectly they've changed it to micro usb but not sure if it's a newer usb module in there...so basically it boils down to implementation for example if you buy the bifrost, you wouldn't worry too much about usb implementation cause schiit used their unison tech in there which is a better usb module if you're on a tight budget like me, look at the cheapest alternative that your pc offers (like optical or coax) and possibly use that as a source to carry the signal


Hmm interesting info. I do still find setting it at 45% in Windows in my case allows me to enjoy my setup more, with finer tuning. But I can see your point about "full signal". Can anyone else chime in/confirm 100% in Windows and apps is usually the best practice?


----------



## Shane D

CB7FB8KgYh24E said:


> Hmm interesting info. I do still find setting it at 45% in Windows in my case allows me to enjoy my setup more, with finer tuning. But I can see your point about "full signal". Can anyone else chime in/confirm 100% in Windows and apps is usually the best practice?


I can't do that in my system. I guess I have too many efficient headphones. My DAC is a Bifrost 2 which doesn't allow volume control. I have to keep the Windows volume at about 20% to have a decent range on my amps.


----------



## julianlopez85

Shane D said:


> I can't do that in my system. I guess I have too many efficient headphones. My DAC is a Bifrost 2 which doesn't allow volume control. I have to keep the Windows volume at about 20% to have a decent range on my amps.


the mimby doesn't have volume control as well but it seems to be ok for with everything at 100%...i normally adjust the volume dial to get the sound where i want it to be


----------



## Shane D

julianlopez85 said:


> the mimby doesn't have volume control as well but it seems to be ok for with everything at 100%...i normally adjust the volume dial to get the sound where i want it to be


Are you a really loud listener? I am not and my amps have a lot of power. If I want to have any range at all on my amp knobs I need to keep Windows at about 20%.

And I Really enjoy the sound of my system. Of course I had to make lots of "bad" purchases to get to this point.


----------



## julianlopez85

Shane D said:


> Are you a really loud listener? I am not and my amps have a lot of power. If I want to have any range at all on my amp knobs I need to keep Windows at about 20%.
> 
> And I Really enjoy the sound of my system. Of course I had to make lots of "bad" purchases to get to this point.


no not at all my levels are basically average...my liquid spark sit around 9-10 O'clock on the high gain so it's not too loud or anything


----------



## Jimmyblues1959 (Mar 20, 2021)

julianlopez85 said:


> Hi Guys wanted to ask, i recently purchased the modi multibit and paired it with the liquid spark and i find that the combination can get pretty harsh...this normally happens when the songs peak like vocals hitting highs and guitar solos and makes it uncomfortable to unbearable...now granted this was all done using tidal and when i compared the same song in musicbee using wasapi, the harshness is kinda tamed up....so my question is the LS doing this cause of the roll off in the top end or is this purely a tidal issue etc....i like the sound of this amp has an element of old schoolness to it which i like but if the amp is causing the issue then i might have to consider something else...hopefully some of you with the modi multibit can help...i'm connected to my pc via usb



The USB input on earlier Schiit Dacs was not well implemented (lots of distortion).  That's why the company came out with the EITR, which is a USB to S/PDIF bridge.  The EITR is used to bypass the USB input on a DAC. The USB port on your computer connects to the USB input on the EITR  and the coaxial output of the EITR connects to the coaxial input on your D/A converter. The EITR is also useful as a USB to S/PDIF bridge with older D/A converters that do not have a USB input. This way you can still use one of these older dacs with your computer.

You may want to see if you can find a used EITR for sale.  Or keep a lookout on Schiit's Website for an EITR on close out.
They do show up from time to time.  There are also other USB to S/PDIF bridges from other manufacturers such as Gustard, if you can't find an EITR.

Best of luck.  😊


----------



## blueninjasix

Mine's for sale here - I've just upgraded to the Jot2
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Liquid-Spark-headphone-amplifier-by-Alex-Cavalli/133701185828


----------



## tamleo

blueninjasix said:


> Mine's for sale here - I've just upgraded to the Jot2
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Liquid-Spark-headphone-amplifier-by-Alex-Cavalli/133701185828


Hi. Is the Jot 2 $300 better? tks


----------



## blueninjasix

tamleo said:


> Hi. Is the Jot 2 $300 better? tks


I'll let you know when it arrives


----------



## MarkJohny3 (Apr 13, 2021)

Is this amp available somewhere in Europe? I saw it only in a french shop online. Or does Monoprice ship to Europe like Drop? I guess not?!


----------



## zato23

MarkJohny3 said:


> Is this amp available somewhere in Europe? I saw it only in a french shop online. Or does Monoprice ship to Europe like Drop? I guess not?!


I bought from ebay store
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Monolith-L...Alex-Cavalli-With-RCA-Input-Sing/124594752224

shipped from Netherlands


----------



## MarkJohny3

So this ss amp has a bit tube like sound as far as I read? I am looking for a good cheap amp to handle my Sennheiser 6XX politely but with great detail. Most systems I tried make de 6XX sound harsh and very fatiguing in upper midrange. So after reading this thread I concluded this amp is very smooth , slightly warm and slightly laid back in upper mid but still retaining good detail in treble. I think it is what I am looking for. So for people who uses it with cans from Senn 6** series, does they sound smoother and more relaxed with LS than with similar prices amps like atom or magni right?


----------



## tim0chan

MarkJohny3 said:


> So this ss amp has a bit tube like sound as far as I read? I am looking for a good cheap amp to handle my Sennheiser 6XX politely but with great detail. Most systems I tried make de 6XX sound harsh and very fatiguing in upper midrange. So after reading this thread I concluded this amp is very smooth , slightly warm and slightly laid back in upper mid but still retaining good detail in treble. I think it is what I am looking for. So for people who uses it with cans from Senn 6** series, does they sound smoother and more relaxed with LS than with similar prices amps like atom or magni right?


Yes, that was my impression when I owned it


----------



## PlantsmanTX

zato23 said:


> I bought from ebay store
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Monolith-L...Alex-Cavalli-With-RCA-Input-Sing/124594752224
> 
> shipped from Netherlands


It looks as if they've closed their European Ebay store.


----------



## Tonza (Apr 16, 2021)

Sorry for a silly question but just to make sure. Can I use this kind of cable with the liquid spark power brick in EU instead of an adapter from US plug to EU? https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Hama-Power-Cord-2-5-Black/dp/B0002W697E

I don’t have Liquid Spark yet but ordered one so need to get an adapter or a cord.


----------



## PlantsmanTX

Tonza said:


> Sorry for a silly question but just to make sure. Can I use this kind of cable with the liquid spark power brick in EU instead of an adapter from US plug to EU? https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Hama-Power-Cord-2-5-Black/dp/B0002W697E
> 
> I don’t have Liquid Spark yet but ordered one so need to get an adapter or a cord.


I have no idea. It might be a good idea to go to the Liquid Spark pages at Monoprice and Amazon U.S. and ask that question so (hopefully) someone from Monoprice can answer it.


----------



## MarkJohny3

PlantsmanTX said:


> It looks as if they've closed their European Ebay store.


Oh didn't expect that and didn't order yet :\ .


----------



## PlantsmanTX

Tonza said:


> Sorry for a silly question but just to make sure. Can I use this kind of cable with the liquid spark power brick in EU instead of an adapter from US plug to EU? https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Hama-Power-Cord-2-5-Black/dp/B0002W697E
> 
> I don’t have Liquid Spark yet but ordered one so need to get an adapter or a cord.


This is what the manual says:


----------



## tim440

I'd like to know the answer to that too. I'd much rather be able to just change the cable than have to use an adapter.

This is a reply to Tonza's post above.


----------



## tim0chan

Tonza said:


> Sorry for a silly question but just to make sure. Can I use this kind of cable with the liquid spark power brick in EU instead of an adapter from US plug to EU? https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Hama-Power-Cord-2-5-Black/dp/B0002W697E
> 
> I don’t have Liquid Spark yet but ordered one so need to get an adapter or a cord.


You can use that cable.


----------



## julianlopez85

I'm in Malaysia and we have the same plug type as the UK, so far my LS is with it's original US plug and i'm using a universal travel adapter to connect it at the power source....so far no issues, no cut outs nothing pretty solid i must say...might be worth looking for now while you get the right plug type for the LS....you wouldn't want to make a mistake that could potentially cost you your amp


----------



## Tonza (Apr 23, 2021)

I received the LS and it works with EU C7 cord to the PSU. However, unfortunately the Spark has channel imbalance starting from 9 o'clock which is most apparent until 10 or 10:30 on the volume pot. This is where my Clear is at my normal listening levels. Also Im not sure is the balance perfect after 10:30. On Arya, it seems to be okay at 11 or so. I think I have to return it to Amazon and try some other amp next. Maybe something I don't have to order overseas. (basically only Zen Can in the price range or some Topping/SMSL stuff)


----------



## PlantsmanTX

Tonza said:


> I received the LS and it works with EU C7 cord to the PSU. However, unfortunately the Spark has channel imbalance starting from 9 o'clock which is most apparent until 10 or 10:30 on the volume pot. This is where my Clear is at my normal listening levels. Also Im not sure is the balance perfect after 10:30. On Arya, it seems to be okay at 11 or so. I think I have to return it to Amazon and try some other amp next. Maybe something I don't have to order overseas. (basically only Zen Can in the price range or some Topping/SMSL stuff)


Ah, well.


----------



## d8n0g

Has anyone paired this with the sennheiser hd560s?


----------



## Hyde00

So I'm coming from Dragonfly Red then later on Modi Multibit + Project Polaris / Vali 2+ (also tried Asgard 3).

But only Dragonfly Red give me enough bass slam and aggressive enough for rock. Just not as high resolution as other combo.

The other amps are better with acoustic songs but doesn't give me enough slam and rumble (I guess Dragonfly Red is not neutral while the other amps try to be neutral).

Do you guys know if Modi Multibit + Liquid Spark would give me what I'm looking for? (Dynamic punch and low end rumble)

Headphone is Denon D2000, which I find it funny that usually this is super bassy headphone but in this case it felt a bit polite LOL.


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## julianlopez85

Hyde00 said:


> So I'm coming from Dragonfly Red then later on Modi Multibit + Project Polaris / Vali 2+ (also tried Asgard 3).
> 
> But only Dragonfly Red give me enough bass slam and aggressive enough for rock. Just not as high resolution as other combo.
> 
> ...


Hey man so i have the mimby and the ls amp but i dunno if the slam here is what you're looking for....so far for me the only units that gave some killer slams are Aune's X1s pro combo and audio GD nfb 11.38...the audio gd has some killer slam but YMMV....see if you can try an unit out first before purchasing


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## Hyde00

julianlopez85 said:


> Hey man so i have the mimby and the ls amp but i dunno if the slam here is what you're looking for....so far for me the only units that gave some killer slams are Aune's X1s pro combo and audio GD nfb 11.38...the audio gd has some killer slam but YMMV....see if you can try an unit out first before purchasing


Heyyy thanks for the response!

Ahhhh I see, I guess at this point I don't know if Mimby is too neutral or if Vali 2+ / Project Polaris is too neutral or Dragonfly Red too coloured LOL.

I almost wonder if I should just get a Loki and EQ the sub bass up and call it a day.

But otherwise would you say in general is Mimby + Liquid Spark a good combo?  (Aside from the ridiculous bass requirement that I'm looking for)


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## julianlopez85

Hyde00 said:


> Heyyy thanks for the response!
> 
> Ahhhh I see, I guess at this point I don't know if Mimby is too neutral or if Vali 2+ / Project Polaris is too neutral or Dragonfly Red too coloured LOL.
> 
> ...


Personally i think the mimby and the LS is fantastic...i really enjoy the mimby now....i don't see me changing anything soon as long as they're workin fine then they'll stay the way they are


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## MarkJohny3

I ordered LS with Modi 3 , hope to find that smooth sound compared to the cold, analytical or forward sound of most SS stacks.


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## julianlopez85

MarkJohny3 said:


> I ordered LS with Modi 3 , hope to find that smooth sound compared to the cold, analytical or forward sound of most SS stacks.


Nice man...let us know how you find the combo when you get it


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## Hyde00

julianlopez85 said:


> Personally i think the mimby and the LS is fantastic...i really enjoy the mimby now....i don't see me changing anything soon as long as they're workin fine then they'll stay the way they are


lol ok good to know that Mimby + Liquid Spark worked out for you.  I think for me since I already have Project Polaris so I'm debating to either go:

Mimby + Liquid Spark
or
Mimby + Project Polaris + Loki (to EQ up subbass)

I think would be cheaper for me to get Liquid Spark since I can get it from Amazon though I guess I won't really know which is better until I try both sighhhhhh.........

I'll let the thoughts stew a bit tonight LOL.


MarkJohny3 said:


> I ordered LS with Modi 3 , hope to find that smooth sound compared to the cold, analytical or forward sound of most SS stacks.


Congrats!  Hope you get it soon!

If for whatever reason you find Modi 3 is not warm enough then you could take advantage of Schiit's 15 days return policy and upgrade to the Modi Multibit.  Then they won't charge you restocking fee.  The Modi Multibit which is even warmer, but try it as is first lol.


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## Jimmyblues1959

Hyde00 said:


> lol ok good to know that Mimby + Liquid Spark worked out for you.  I think for me since I already have Project Polaris so I'm debating to either go:
> 
> Mimby + Liquid Spark
> or
> ...



Or a Schiit Modius.  😁


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## Hyde00

julianlopez85 said:


> Personally i think the mimby and the LS is fantastic...i really enjoy the mimby now....i don't see me changing anything soon as long as they're workin fine then they'll stay the way they are


Curiosity got the best of me and I ordered one, let's see how this goes LOL.

The user comment from Amazon really got my curiosity.  This guy who already owns Project Polaris proceeded to buy 2 Liquid Spark since he liked it so much.  I currently own Project Polaris (and Mimby) so I'll see what happens.


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## Hyde00

I got my Liquid Spark!!!

First impression is good, tonality actually surprisingly close to the Dragonfly Red that I'm trying to upgrade from.  Although Dragonfly Red is a bit more v shaped while Liquid Spark is a little bit more mid forward but otherwise fairly close.  They each do different stuff a tiny bit better and tiny bit worse relatively to each other.

Though I do have a few questions now.  Do burn in effect sound much?  Manufacturer recommend 100 hours burn in should I keep letting it burn in before judging it pre-maturely?

Also first impression is that...... hmmmm......... how should I put it.  Everything sounds right and sounds good but also nothing really stands out if that makes sense?  Is that just the nature of the amp?  What I mean is that, the treble is pretty good, but not the best I've heard, mid is pretty good, but also not the best I've heard, bass too........etc......

Like for example my Vali 2+ is really good at treble and separation but lacking impact, my Project Polaris is very good mid range detail and bass impact but lacks sub bass and treble detail.  Liquid Spark is very good at everything but not the best at anything LOL (if that makes sense).

Should I just be patient and let it burn in and also letting my brain adjust to it?  Initial thought is that like I said tonality is very close to Dragonfly Red and technicality is a tiny tiny bit better than Dragonfly Red, so do I really need 2 amps sounding so close to each other?  Or should I just return it and get something more different to complement each other?

Though I know I just got it that's kind of why I'm asking to see what are you guys' long term impression.  Anything would be helpful, thanks!


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## tamleo

Hyde00 said:


> I got my Liquid Spark!!!
> 
> First impression is good, tonality actually surprisingly close to the Dragonfly Red that I'm trying to upgrade from.  Although Dragonfly Red is a bit more v shaped while Liquid Spark is a little bit more mid forward but otherwise fairly close.  They each do different stuff a tiny bit better and tiny bit worse relatively to each other.
> 
> ...


There is no fatal downside in the sound at the price point of an amp is quite spectacular, isn't it?


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## Hyde00

tamleo said:


> There is no fatal downside in the sound at the price point of an amp is quite spectacular, isn't it?


Oh yeah definitely agree.

Usually most amps (headphone too) it generally goes like "this is amazing if only it doesn't have this minor issue......".  Liquid Spark is very good all around, the build and finish is great too.

I'll keep listening through out today and update my impression as it goes lol.


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## PlantsmanTX

Hyde00 said:


> I got my Liquid Spark!!!
> 
> First impression is good, tonality actually surprisingly close to the Dragonfly Red that I'm trying to upgrade from.  Although Dragonfly Red is a bit more v shaped while Liquid Spark is a little bit more mid forward but otherwise fairly close.  They each do different stuff a tiny bit better and tiny bit worse relatively to each other.
> 
> ...


As I remember, I didn't notice any difference after 100 hours.


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## exe163

I was wondering if the pre-amp RCA output is the same as front 1/4"? Can I plug in my headphones to a RCA converted port and get the same output and sound?


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## PlantsmanTX (Jul 16, 2021)

exe163 said:


> I was wondering if the pre-amp RCA output is the same as front 1/4"? Can I plug in my headphones to a RCA converted port and get the same output and sound?


Interesting question. I've never tried it. I searched the Liquid Spark thread on ASR for "preamp", and someone wrote "I think its volume changes with the volume knob. I actually tried RCA output. The sound *seems* different too". I don't know what they mean by "different", but I'm assuming it didn't damage the headphones.

Edit: Here's Amir's answer to him. If I'm reading this right, he says the RCA output goes above 8 volts.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...d-spark-headphone-amp.5224/page-2#post-115921


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## Hyde00

exe163 said:


> I was wondering if the pre-amp RCA output is the same as front 1/4"? Can I plug in my headphones to a RCA converted port and get the same output and sound?


Uh I'm not expert in this but........ to my understanding that RCA output typically is consider as line level output which has higher impedance and some other difference compare to the headphone out.  Generally speaking line level output will not be loud enough to drive your headphone.  Again I'm not expert in this so I can't explain it any better LOL.

Now the question is......... is pre-amp RCA out similar to RCA out in concept???  That I'm not too sure.

Though why would you want to plug into the pre-amp RCA?  Is it because you want to have 2 headphone jack?


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## exe163 (Jul 16, 2021)

Hyde00 said:


> Uh I'm not expert in this but........ to my understanding that RCA output typically is consider as line level output which has higher impedance and some other difference compare to the headphone out.  Generally speaking line level output will not be loud enough to drive your headphone.  Again I'm not expert in this so I can't explain it any better LOL.
> 
> Now the question is......... is pre-amp RCA out similar to RCA out in concept???  That I'm not too sure.
> 
> Though why would you want to plug into the pre-amp RCA?  Is it because you want to have 2 headphone jack?


I was planning build a small device that joins headphone and mic signals together into a single TRRS so that I can connect to my Macbook directly via one cable. I can use the front headphone jack (semi-permenantly attached to this "box") and that's one way. But if I can free up the front headphone jack, it would both look better and allow me to quickly plugin another headphone through the 1/4" jack.

Audio path: Macbook Pro source (3.5mm) -> "box" -> LS amp -> "box" -> TRRS HD 6XX
Mic path: Macbook Pro source (same 3.5mm) -> "box" -> TRRS HD 6XX

I tried using the pre-amp out for my headphone as I happened to have all the adapters. It sounded a bit quieter. Not sure if this is because of the crappy and long RCA wires I have or pre-amp is less powerful. But I was able to control volume with the same knob. Will there be adverse effects still if I "upgrade" my wires to something shorter and use that to drive my 6XX? I am more afraid of distortion and not enough current powering the headphones given the same loudness.




PlantsmanTX said:


> Interesting question. I've never tried it. I searched the Liquid Spark thread on ASR for "preamp", and someone wrote "I think its volume changes with the volume knob. I actually tried RCA output. The sound *seems* different too". I don't know what they mean by "different", but I'm assuming it didn't damage the headphones.
> 
> Edit: Here's Amir's answer to him. If I'm reading this right, he says the RCA output goes above 8 volts.
> 
> https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...d-spark-headphone-amp.5224/page-2#post-115921


If I am understanding this correctly, the max V output is close to the rated headphone jack output of around 9V. So the pre-out has a similar max amplification as the main headphone out. My subjective volume level seems to match this observation. 
https://downloads.monoprice.com/files/specsheets/33304_Specsheet_181025.pdf


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## bru87tr

big45-70 said:


> I've been looking to pick up another power supply.  I travel often and have been taking my spark with me because of its compact size,  the only issue is I have to mess with my pc's cable management every time I go I take it.  Anyone have any luck tracking down a second power supply for the spark?


I know this is an old post, but I found the exact power supply on ebay or amazon. Can't remember but will check my orders. It was cheap like $10 and the same exact one that came with the Liquid spark.


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## bru87tr (Jul 24, 2021)

Sorry, brain fart.

was thinking of my preamp.


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## jackdanyal

Did anybody compared LS with Aune X7s? I use LS for a while and really like it with my Fostex T60rp, but thinking about upgrading. I tried Monolith THX 887 but didn't like the sound. it was too clinical and neutral. and also it's quite terrible to have "balanced" amp which can't give a full potential with balanced dac (sound clipping on 3rd gain when input voltage is more than 2vrms). And thinking about Aune X7s. I really like the astetic view of Aune products and hear quite positive things about their architecture. I know about high output impedance, it's not a problem with Fostex. But would it be a noticable upgrade over LS (or maybe downgrade?). Do anybody has both of them and can describe the differences between them?


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## bru87tr

I also have the LS with T60’s. Good combo!


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