# Monoprice Monolith THX 887 - Impressions Thread



## XERO1 (Sep 11, 2019)

It looks like the _second_ time's the charm for Monoprice and THX!

This is essentially Monoprice's clone of the Drop THX AAA 789 amp.

It retails for $399 and will launch on 10-27-2019.

More info as it becomes available....

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=39359

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...thx-887-balance-headphone-amp-new-champ.8942/


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## ls13coco

This is some healthy competition.


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## bryceu

If my RME ADI-2 DAC will fit better as a stack than it did with the 789 (1/2” too narrow), I’ll be happy 
Looks like a very promising piece according to Amir.


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## omegaorgun

Supposedly monoprice have an AK4499 in the works, The SDAC-B would be alright too.


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## dweekie

bryceu said:


> If my RME ADI-2 DAC will fit better as a stack than it did with the 789 (1/2” too narrow), I’ll be happy
> Looks like a very promising piece according to Amir.



Here's a picture from the review that appears to show a miniscule difference in width (and miniscule difference overall).


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## bryceu

dweekie said:


> Here's a picture from the review that appears to show a miniscule difference in width (and miniscule difference overall).


Yea that’s about exactly how much wider the ADI-2 is than the 789 so it will actually look right on top of the 887


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## Natarian

That's perhaps why they increased the size like that since they knew a lot of people are pairing their THX with the RME.


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## olinko

I hate that no EU-based company offers THX. The import fees are absolutely murderous 

Why does everything even approaching affordable have to be made and sold in the US...


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## jsmiller58

olinko said:


> I hate that no EU-based company offers THX. The import fees are absolutely murderous
> 
> Why does everything even approaching affordable have to be made and sold in the US...



Well, absolutely not to get political...  (a) I doubt any of these products are made in the US, (b) you need to raise your concerns with your appropriate governments...  the issue is the high import taxes, imposition of VAT, etc, that many in the world have to bear as a way of protecting local industries and raising revenue for social programs and general government activities.  Despite the breathless round the clock coverage on US news media, these taxes and fees/duties don’t exist to anywhere near the same extent in the US as most elsewhere in the world.  

A local importer can help you through whatever magic they have, but you still pay far higher price due to the aforementioned imposed taxes and fees.  But look at it on the bright side, you are helping pay for your and your fellow countrymen’s well being.


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## protoss

This is excellent news. There should be no reason for anyone to ever spend over $400 on an amplifer! Its next to foolishness to spend any higher than a THX 789/887.

All we need is a world class $400 Dac and its over.


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## ephrank

Will Monoprice take pre-order before Oct 27th?


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## greyscale75

According to ASR site, the actual date is November availability.


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## Wes S

protoss said:


> This is excellent news. There should be no reason for anyone to ever spend over $400 on an amplifer! Its next to foolishness to spend any higher than a THX 789/887.
> 
> All we need is a world class $400 Dac and its over.


Dang!  Bold statement.  Are both of those amps, really that good?  I think it might be time to try one.


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## protoss

Wes S said:


> Dang!  Bold statement.  Are both of those amps, really that good?  I think it might be time to try one.



Well yes. The reviews in video format and articles written on the THX-789 Is pretty much 99% accurate to the measurements that ASR guys release!!

Now ASR guys review the 887 amplifier and it's 2% better than the 789 !

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...thx-887-balance-headphone-amp-new-champ.8942/

And

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...easurements-of-massdrop-thx-aaa-789-amp.5001/

The facts are in!!


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## Wes S

Not a fan of ASR, so I will look elsewhere, for some reviews.  Thanks!


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## AltCtrl

How would this amp compare to something like the Matrix m-stage hpa-3b? (Both in same price range)


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## ttol

Looks like the THX craze is on- S.M.S.L. also coming out with their version of THX AAA 888:

https://twitter.com/SMSL_Official/status/1173879731063836672


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## olinko

ttol said:


> Looks like the THX craze is on- S.M.S.L. also coming out with their version of THX AAA 888:
> 
> https://twitter.com/SMSL_Official/status/1173879731063836672



Now we're talking. Looks like it's not balanced, but I'm sure it'll be much cheaper than the Monoprice.
Would go great with the SMSL SU-8


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## omegaorgun

SDAC-B is a fine little DAC.


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## XERO1 (Sep 18, 2019)

ttol said:


> Looks like the THX craze is on- S.M.S.L. also coming out with their version of THX AAA 888:
> 
> https://twitter.com/SMSL_Official/status/1173879731063836672


SMSL has also been teasing a SL500 since June.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-asia-smsl-will-bring-new-product-there.7732/

Not sure which one will come first, but it looks like the SP200 is actually a real product now.

These pics of it were posted on 9-9-2019.









I wonder if it will actually use the same THX AAA 888 modules that the $3000 Benchmark HPA4 uses or if it will use a cheaper implementation like the Drop and Monoprice amps use.

Things are definitely getting interesting!


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## protoss

XERO1 said:


> Things are definitely getting interesting



Guess we have to wait for ASR measurement to see if its any good... I am assuming it will be great. Crossing my fingers for a $399 price tag. Looks cheap but decent


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## bequietjk

Wow.  The headphone amp game in this price bracket is swelling up.


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## olinko

Anybody know when this will be available? It says it's out of stock
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=39359


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## MrPretty

olinko said:


> Anybody know when this will be available? It says it's out of stock
> https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=39359


Their page shows an ETA of 11/23/19, which should be true as long as the date doesn't slip.


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## olinko

MrPretty said:


> Their page shows an ETA of 11/23/19, which should be true as long as the date doesn't slip.


I'm embarrassed, don't know how I missed that.


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## MrPretty

olinko said:


> I'm embarrassed, don't know how I missed that.


Don't worry, it happens to everyone.


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## olinko

The SMSL SP200 is at $290. In my opinion, the price and the fact I won't have to import from the US makes this a winner.
Am thinking the SMSL SU-8 + SP200 will make for the ideal stack.
https://apos.audio/products/smsl-sp200-thx-headphone-amp?_pos=1&_sid=86705e6f6&_ss=r


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## Shane D

No 5 year warranty though.

Shane D


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## tylerfutrell (Oct 24, 2019)

Does anyone know if I can use this in Europe with a normal plug adapter, or if I would need a voltage stepper (like the previous Monolith 788)?
Website says: _Power supply: 24 VDC inline brick, universal input 100–240 VAC_ if that helps.


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## eeagle

tylerfutrell said:


> Does anyone know if I can use this in Europe with a normal plug adapter, or if I would need a voltage stepper (like the previous Monolith 788)?
> Website says: _Power supply: 24 VDC inline brick, universal input 100–240 VAC_ if that helps.


inline brick, universal input 100–240 VAC spec means it should be fine with a plug adapter, no need for a transformer.


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## tylerfutrell

eeagle said:


> inline brick, universal input 100–240 VAC spec means it should be fine with a plug adapter, no need for a transformer.


Thanks man.


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## lgcubana

ETA got updated, should be available today, 11/13/2019

Also, Details and Full Specs have been posted:
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=39359


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## bryceu

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=39359

As of 10am today, 11/13/2019, the Monoprice THX AAA 887 is showing as available.

Just purchased mine and order form says it will likely ship out today


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## forge457

with 6watts at 32ohms in balanced output to my m565 cans using a balanced cable over there continuous max listed of 4 watts would i blow them out or would they be ok ,an how load could i expect the output at 6watts to get in low gain before 12:00 on the volume dail ?


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## Shane D (Nov 13, 2019)

forge457 said:


> with 6watts at 32ohms in balanced output to my m565 cans using a balanced cable over there continuous max listed of 4 watts would i blow them out or would they be ok ,an how load could i expect the output at 6watts to get in low gain before 12:00 on the volume dail ?



I would think you would blow out your ears long before you would damage the headphones. Keep in mind that those ratings are at max volume in the highest gain.

Shane D


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## bryceu

Monoprice already shipped mine out today and is arriving tomorrow! 
That sure beats Massdrop’s system of reserving a shipping date 3+ months in the future.... Big plus one already for 887.


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## lgcubana

bryceu said:


> Monoprice already shipped mine out today and is arriving tomorrow!
> That sure beats Massdrop’s system of reserving a shipping date 3+ months in the future.... Big plus one already for 887.


So you're OK with depriving yourself of the Drop.com experience:
1. Give them your money
2. Wait for the original ETA
3. See Monprice product ships right away
4. Find out Drop closed and re-opened the initial drop. So now you can't cancel
5. Experience at least one manufacturing delay
6. 5 months later, your package arrives


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## bryceu

lgcubana said:


> So you're OK with depriving yourself of the Drop.com experience:
> 1. Give them your money
> 2. Wait for the original ETA
> 3. See Monprice product ships right away
> ...


Yea I already went through all that with the second wave of the 789, I’m good.


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## forge457

Shane D said:


> I would think you would blow out your ears long before you would damage the headphones. Keep in mind that those ratings are at max volume in the highest gain.
> 
> Shane D


thanks for that info i didnt know that tidbit about gain


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## Cat Music

Is there anyone who can tell me when it will be available on Amazon?


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## TJ Max

Mine arrived today.
Its 0.7" shorter than the 789, has bigger feet. And sounds about the same.


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## bryceu

TJ Max said:


> Mine arrived today.
> Its 0.7" shorter than the 789, has bigger feet. And sounds about the same.


Sounds about right. I think it’s a tad wider as well which will help it look better stacked with my RME. Mines at home but I’m at work till 7pm. Pretty fast shipping from Monoprice ..


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## Cat Music

I wonder why Monoprice decided not to include a Dac in the Monolith THX 887?


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## bryceu

Cat Music said:


> I wonder why Monoprice decided not to include a Dac in the Monolith THX 887?


Likely because they wanted to directly compete with the 789 from Massdrop. 
They might opt to add a DAC/AMP combo unit with THX AAA in the future, but they may already have one if I remember correctly.


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## TJ Max

Cat Music said:


> I wonder why Monoprice decided not to include a Dac in the Monolith THX 887?



They did that first with the 888
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24459


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## Cat Music

TJ Max said:


> They did that first with the 888
> https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24459


It is true, but with a THX 788 module, would it be interesting to see with the new THX 887, with a DAC 4497?


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## bryceu

I think most people buying the 887 or 789 are wanting a better quality DAC than usually come in a combo unit at the price range that the AMP is marketed to.


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## bryceu (Nov 14, 2019)

Just got home from work. Got the 887 out and plugged in to the RME ADI-2. Buttons feel solid, but the volume knob position indicator is VERY hard to see.  Sounds great, sounds like A+ solid state amplification. The 887 is really pushing the beryllium drivers of the Verite to provide some incredible punch and slam. Much bigger stage and more open than ADI-2 AMP portion. Very clean details and top notch resolution. Noticeably less organic than BHC+SB, and Mjolnir 2. Just about what I remember the 789 being, maybe a tad bit more body, although I did not own the Verite at the time that I had the 789.
I appreciate that the 887 has the little extra width to allow the RME to stack on top without spilling over the edge like it did on the 789. The 887 also stacks nicely under the Liquid Platinum. Will look into more detailed impressions with comparisons vs the ZDT Jr, Liquid Platinum, and Mj2 when I get more listening with the Verite/887 combo. But so far all is great.


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## MonoOno

How's the build quality? Anyone also have an Asgard 3 to compare?


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## bryceu (Nov 15, 2019)

MonoOno said:


> How's the build quality? Anyone also have an Asgard 3 to compare?


Build quality seems solid. It doesn’t feel cheap aside from the power button and input selector which are a bit underwhelming feeling. I listened to the Asgard 3 a few weeks back at the schiitr And I was not that impressed. I definitely would say the 887 is going to be cleaner and providing a much faster application of the vérité driver. In terms of build quality and feel though, the Asgard 3 will be hard to beat.


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## Shane D

bryceu said:


> Just got home from work. Got the 887 out and plugged in to the RME ADI-2. Buttons feel solid, but the volume knob position indicator is VERY hard to see.  Sounds great, sounds like A+ solid state amplification. The 887 is really pushing the beryllium drivers of the Verite to provide some incredible punch and slam. Much bigger stage and more open than ADI-2 AMP portion. Very clean details and top notch resolution. Noticeably less organic than BHC+SB, and Mjolnir 2. Just about what I remember the 789 being, maybe a tad bit more body, although I did not own the Verite at the time that I had the 789.
> I appreciate that the 887 has the little extra width to allow the RME to stack on top without spilling over the edge like it did on the 789. The 887 also stacks nicely under the Liquid Platinum. Will look into more detailed impressions with comparisons vs the ZDT Jr, Liquid Platinum, and Mj2 when I get more listening with the Verite/887 combo. But so far all is great.



MAN, you have a nice collection!

Shane D


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## Shane D

bryceu said:


> Build quality seems solid. It doesn’t feel cheap aside from the power button and input selector which are a bit underwhelming feeling. I listen to that has guard three a few weeks back at the schiitr And I was not that impressed. I definitely would say the 887 is going to be cleaner and providing a much faster application of the vérité driver. In terms of build quality and feel though, the Asgard 3 will be hard to beat.



It should be better for double the price.

Shane D


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## bryceu

Shane D said:


> MAN, you have a nice collection!
> 
> Shane D


Thanks. All the amps aren’t staying, was just trying to find what I liked best with the VO. I’ll likely be keeping only the 887 and then building another BHC+SB since I just sold the one I had.


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## Shane D

bryceu said:


> Thanks. All the amps aren’t staying, was just trying to find what I liked best with the VO. I’ll likely be keeping only the 887 and then building another BHC+SB since I just sold the one I had.



I am in the same boat. I have a Vali 2 which will eventually morph into a Lyr 3. I will likely move my Liquid Spark as I have an LCX. I think/hope I will be replacing my Burson Fun-Classic with my (on the way), 888, also known as the SP200.

Shane D

PS: I have a Koss E95X system arriving today or Monday and I will have to see if I like that. I will hopefully have all this figured by/after Christmas.


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## Shane D

bryceu said:


> Just got home from work. Got the 887 out and plugged in to the RME ADI-2. Buttons feel solid, but the volume knob position indicator is VERY hard to see.  Sounds great, sounds like A+ solid state amplification. The 887 is really pushing the beryllium drivers of the Verite to provide some incredible punch and slam. Much bigger stage and more open than ADI-2 AMP portion. Very clean details and top notch resolution. Noticeably less organic than BHC+SB, and Mjolnir 2. Just about what I remember the 789 being, maybe a tad bit more body, although I did not own the Verite at the time that I had the 789.
> I appreciate that the 887 has the little extra width to allow the RME to stack on top without spilling over the edge like it did on the 789. The 887 also stacks nicely under the Liquid Platinum. Will look into more detailed impressions with comparisons vs the ZDT Jr, Liquid Platinum, and Mj2 when I get more listening with the Verite/887 combo. But so far all is great.



I would be Really interested to see if you prefer the Liquid Platinum or the 887 and what kind of music you listen to. I wish there were local meets around here to compare all these wonderful toys. That would be an Amazing Saturday or Sunday!


Shane Delaney


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## bryceu

@Shane D I listen to 75% electronic music (all over the place, except rave/mainstream) and about 10% metal, 5% rock, 5% indie, 5% movie soundtrack.
I assume you're looking for a comparison of "sound quality performance." I've kind of come to discover that this "best performer idea" isn't really something that can be absolute and objective. For instance comparing the LP to the Mj2 to the BHC+SB to the ZDT Jr, it's more a game of trade-offs and finding which character traits are most important to you. I can appreciate one amp over the other if judging based on detail retrieval, and the opposite if judging on stage size or imaging... Many times I prefer one amp over the other on a song to song basis. It would probably be safe to argue that if you make the jump to an amp (or source, or headphone) in a completely different price bracket you will have less compromises in each area and more positives. 
Considering the price difference though, it's pretty easy to choose the 887 over the LP unless tube rolling is something that is a must have or you're specifically interested in having an amp that can change character profiles. The 887 also has an extremely low noise floor for IEMs, whereas the LP is NOT going to be your friend for sensitive IEMs. The 887 also has selectable gain which is a huge plus for anyone without a pre-amp as the gain is pretty high on the LP.


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## Shane D

bryceu said:


> @Shane D I listen to 75% electronic music (all over the place, except rave/mainstream) and about 10% metal, 5% rock, 5% indie, 5% movie soundtrack.
> I assume you're looking for a comparison of "sound quality performance." I've kind of come to discover that this "best performer idea" isn't really something that can be absolute and objective. For instance comparing the LP to the Mj2 to the BHC+SB to the ZDT Jr, it's more a game of trade-offs and finding which character traits are most important to you. I can appreciate one amp over the other if judging based on detail retrieval, and the opposite if judging on stage size or imaging... Many times I prefer one amp over the other on a song to song basis. It would probably be safe to argue that if you make the jump to an amp (or source, or headphone) in a completely different price bracket you will have less compromises in each area and more positives.
> Considering the price difference though, it's pretty easy to choose the 887 over the LP unless tube rolling is something that is a must have or you're specifically interested in having an amp that can change character profiles. The 887 also has an extremely low noise floor for IEMs, whereas the LP is NOT going to be your friend for sensitive IEMs. The 887 also has selectable gain which is a huge plus for anyone without a pre-amp as the gain is pretty high on the LP.



Too bad our tastes are so different. I understand you on there is no "best", as it it is just preference. My Beyerdynamic T5P.2's sound Great with my Cavalli amps VS my Vali 2 or Burson Fun-Classic. I am now finding that the amps can fit the headphones. My Grado's sound great with the Vali 2. And on it goes. I would love to try the Platinum. As far as the 887 goes, it seems that most of the THX comparisons coming out are pretty even, between the 789, 887 or 888. As they should be, except for minor features.

Shane D


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## bryceu

I'm starting to notice an undesirable mid-forward sound to the 887. It's not disproportional forward really, just very present without much engagement. This may be cause of the Verite tuning being revealed/exaggerated. 
The staging and instrument placement is also quite unique on the 887 after listening to all tube amps for the past month or so. Almost like the 887 doesn't know where to put stuff at times so it kinda just awkwardly guesses where it should go. Less cohesion compared to LP or Mj2.


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## bryceu (Nov 15, 2019)

@ Shane D Switching back to the Liquid Platinum after a couple hours on the 887;
It's obvious how much more 3D the LP is compared to the 887. The 887 stage is bigger in general, but the imaging and frontal depth is better on the LP. Cymbals have 3D texture that's more lifelike and produces a sound that is representative of an actual cymbal rather than the sound that a cymbal makes as with the 887.
On the other hand the 887 is much more linear than the LP (currently running Bugle Boy tubes) and 887 has more reach in the lower bass regions as well.
The 887 is also ridiculously fast.


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## Shane D

bryceu said:


> @ Shane D Switching back to the Liquid Platinum after a couple hours on the 887;
> It's obvious how much more 3D the LP is compared to the 887. The 887 stage is bigger in general, but the imaging and frontal depth is better on the LP. Cymbals have 3D texture that's more lifelike and produces a sound that is representative of an actual cymbal rather than the sound that a cymbal makes as with the 887.
> On the other hand the 887 is much more linear than the LP (currently running Bugle Boy tubes) and 887 has more reach in the lower bass regions as well.



I have become a big fan of the "Cavalli sound" with the LCX and the Liquid Spark.

I don't care for neutral anything. 
My 888 will be completely shaped by my Schiit Loki.
The Vali 2 (and Lyr 3) can by tuned via tubes.
The LCX certainly has its own sound.

I wonder how the Lyr3 would sound against the LP?

Please keep your thoughts coming.

Shane D


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## givemetacos

bryceu said:


> I'm starting to notice an undesirable mid-forward sound to the 887. It's not disproportional forward really, just very present without much engagement. This may be cause of the Verite tuning being revealed/exaggerated.
> The staging and instrument placement is also quite unique on the 887 after listening to all tube amps for the past month or so. Almost like the 887 doesn't know where to put stuff at times so it kinda just awkwardly guesses where it should go. Less cohesion compared to LP or Mj2.



How do you feel the 887 compares to RME's built-in head amp?


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## protoss




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## protoss (Nov 15, 2019)

Its not bad. Its the same sound as the THX789 and SMSL-888
It is extremely powerful. All my listening test was on gain switch 2 at the 10 o'clock position. This will power the Susvara and Abyss Pi on gain switch 3 if anyone wants to know.

This is overall measure the best out of all the affordable THX amps.

What dose that mean? Measure best? Not sure. Some say clean, neutral, purity to the masters. And others say boring, dull, sleepy. Not sure what camp I am at


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## vault108

It’s an amp, all it has to do is amplify the sound coming out of your DAC without adding distortion, noise, or alter the sound. More power is better.
I am jealous all you west coast people get them so fast and I have to wait till Tuesday.
I am also waiting for the new LP4499 in December.
My Burson C3 does not go well with my KGSShv Carbon due to added noise. Hopefully the 887 is clean.


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## bryceu

givemetacos said:


> How do you feel the 887 compares to RME's built-in head amp?


I'll start off that I think the RME is great, it suffers mostly from lack of bass authority, a claustrophobic stage, and flat soundstage.

The 887 stage is noticeably wider and more open staging, with a tad more frontal depth. 
887 has more air between instruments. Much more open sounding.
887 is more dynamic. 
887 has better sub-bass extension.
887 has less body.
887 has duller mids? (not enough liquid/body)? (need to discover what I'm actually experiencing here more)
RME can sometimes feel like it's providing more details/resolution because everything is closer to the forefront.
RME has more mid-bass hump.
887 has LOTS more power via XLR.


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## bryceu

Shane D said:


> I have become a big fan of the "Cavalli sound" with the LCX and the Liquid Spark.
> 
> I don't care for neutral anything.
> My 888 will be completely shaped by my Schiit Loki.
> ...


Lyr 3 to me suffered a good amount of detail roll-off (with stock tube). I noticed/felt this both at CanJam when I demo'd it and at the Schiitr when I demo'd it a second time. Lyr 3 is very powerful sounding however, lots of authority and body. 
LP is the more capable amp to me, more 3D stage, better detail retrieval. Haven't found the perfect tube for the LP yet though.


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## bryceu

protoss said:


>


That 16-braid cable is amazing.


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## bequietjk

That cable is insanity.


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## givemetacos

bryceu said:


> I'll start off that I think the RME is great, it suffers mostly from lack of bass authority, a claustrophobic stage, and flat soundstage.
> 
> The 887 stage is noticeably wider and more open staging, with a tad more frontal depth.
> 887 has more air between instruments. Much more open sounding.
> ...



Thanks for the detailed comparisons! I'm not a big solid state person and mostly go with tubes, but I also want to have a good solid state on hand when I can't be bothered to deal with tubes. Your impressions of RME are pretty in line with how I feel about it. I sort of just feel it is "fine". Nothing wrong with it, but I'm not drawn to it by any means. Sounds like the 887 is a worthy upgrade to pair with it. It also seems like it would be a good match with my planars since my tubes can't handle those. I was considering the 789 for a long time but got tired of the wait periods or price gouging that was going on. I'm glad Monoprice came up with a proper alternative.


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## Shane D

bryceu said:


> Lyr 3 to me suffered a good amount of detail roll-off (with stock tube). I noticed/felt this both at CanJam when I demo'd it and at the Schiitr when I demo'd it a second time. Lyr 3 is very powerful sounding however, lots of authority and body.
> LP is the more capable amp to me, more 3D stage, better detail retrieval. Haven't found the perfect tube for the LP yet though.



Thanks for the feedback. The LP looks cool, but it is way over 1K, landed in Canada. I might buy a used one some day though.

Shane D


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## Cat Music

vault108 said:


> It’s an amp, all it has to do is amplify the sound coming out of your DAC without adding distortion, noise, or alter the sound. More power is better.
> I am jealous all you west coast people get them so fast and I have to wait till Tuesday.
> I am also waiting for the new LP4499 in December.
> My Burson C3 does not go well with my KGSShv Carbon due to added noise. Hopefully the 887 is clean.


LP4499? You mean a Liquid Platinum with DAC AK 4499? And what will be presented this year?


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## bryceu

givemetacos said:


> Thanks for the detailed comparisons! I'm not a big solid state person and mostly go with tubes, but I also want to have a good solid state on hand when I can't be bothered to deal with tubes. Your impressions of RME are pretty in line with how I feel about it. I sort of just feel it is "fine". Nothing wrong with it, but I'm not drawn to it by any means. Sounds like the 887 is a worthy upgrade to pair with it. It also seems like it would be a good match with my planars since my tubes can't handle those. I was considering the 789 for a long time but got tired of the wait periods or price gouging that was going on. I'm glad Monoprice came up with a proper alternative.


I felt similarly about the 789 vs the RME (as I do about the 887 vs the RME), when I owned the 789. I wish I still had the 789 to be able to directly compare the 789 and 887 but I sold it awhile back to go with some tube amps at the time. It's definitely an upgrade, but I could probably forego the 887 and be 95% content with the RME if I had other things in my audio equipment wish list. My goal is to have one DAC (currently ADI-2), one well-performing SS amp (887 meeting this need), and one tube amp. I may keep the LP or I may buy a BHC+SB kit and build it for the enjoyment. The BHC+SB was a nice tube sound but I find the Mj2 and LP to have more depth than the BHC did, which is kind of the main reason I'm looking to own a tube amp in my setup.


----------



## givemetacos

bryceu said:


> I felt similarly about the 789 vs the RME (as I do about the 887 vs the RME), when I owned the 789. I wish I still had the 789 to be able to directly compare the 789 and 887 but I sold it awhile back to go with some tube amps at the time. It's definitely an upgrade, but I could probably forego the 887 and be 95% content with the RME if I had other things in my audio equipment wish list. My goal is to have one DAC (currently ADI-2), one well-performing SS amp (887 meeting this need), and one tube amp. I may keep the LP or I may buy a BHC+SB kit and build it for the enjoyment. The BHC+SB was a nice tube sound but I find the Mj2 and LP to have more depth than the BHC did, which is kind of the main reason I'm looking to own a tube amp in my setup.



Nice, it sounds like we have very similar goals and tastes. I too have Mimby, ZDT Jr, and JBL 305s. I also have a few ZMFs with Verite closed being my next one (I currently have a VC review unit). I've also heard LP, MJ2, and Crack+Speedball. All great amps in their own way. Oh and I'm also on the same quest to get one good DAC, solid state, and tube amp. If you are willing to spend a little more on a tube amp I can tell you that I just recently heard a DNA Starlett side-by-side with a DNA Stellaris as well as an Eddie Current Aficionado. For $2k, the Starlett is right up there with the best of tube amps and an excellent pairing with ZMFs. That is currently the tube amp I am targeting with a Glenn OTL being another contender. But the DNA being more readily available and built locally in socal is a huge plus.


----------



## protoss (Nov 17, 2019)

@bryceu

What gain setting are you using?

The 887 is ridiculously powerful that I permanently switch to gain 1 now. @ 12' clock position on gain 1 is still too much for me lol!

Maybe its my custom cables and Ares II dac on XLR is making it sound extremely loud. But damn...

HP: HD800 - lets just stick to this


----------



## bryceu

protoss said:


> @bryceu
> 
> What gain setting are you using?
> 
> ...


With the Verite open; Spotify at ~ 85% volume, PC volume 100%, RME ADI-2 @ -5db pre-amp, 887 gain 2 ~11-12oclock. 
If I had Spotify at 100% and RME at -0db, I’d probably have the 887 at 9-10oclock.


----------



## Marutks

How does Denafrips ARES 2 sound with Monolith THX 887?  better than delta-sigma DACs?


----------



## Propagandist

Weird question for you all regarding the 887:
Build quality is something that's important to me.  I'm wondering how the buttons (specifically the power button) feel on this thing.  Is it a pretty firm press?  Or does it feel flimsy?  

Trying to decide whether to go with the 887 or SP200.


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## vault108

Cat Music said:


> LP4499? You mean a Liquid Platinum with DAC AK 4499? And what will be presented this year?


Yes, the specs won't be available until a couple days before release. This DAC is supposedly a good pair with the 887.
It look like Monoprice just pushed back the release date of the DAC to end of December.


----------



## bryceu

Propagandist said:


> Weird question for you all regarding the 887:
> Build quality is something that's important to me.  I'm wondering how the buttons (specifically the power button) feel on this thing.  Is it a pretty firm press?  Or does it feel flimsy?
> 
> Trying to decide whether to go with the 887 or SP200.


More flimsy than firm. It’s not solid click feel either. Just kinda presses in and then it’s on.


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## protoss (Nov 18, 2019)

Marutks said:


> How does Denafrips ARES 2 sound with Monolith THX 887?  better than delta-sigma DACs?



I like it a lot. it smooths everything down. It gives a nice slight organic and natural sound. AKM/Sabre has better specs compare to any R2R dacs.

If you talking spec wise. The Ares II will be next to horrible to owning. Abysmal spec ratings.
But sound-wise I much prefer it to most to all AKM/Sabre chips. 

My preferences will be R2R Dacs , Tubes, Burr-Brown, Custom chips (Schiit multi-bits), than AKM and last Sabre. in that order. And sadly the last two chips are the best measure.. 



Propagandist said:


> (specifically the power button



Yes, this is the main question!

The power button is horrible. Its absolute rubbish. Loose, light and weak.  2/10
Everything else, like volume, gain switch, ecth is 10/10

The 887 vs 200 is a easy one. The 887 is the clear winner to all affordable THX amps. The specs has been shown and proven to be so.

Only the Benchmark THX $3000 is better than the Monoprice one as of writing this.


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## Propagandist

Thank you both for the responses!  Is there a little spring in there you can stretch out or replace to make it not so loose?  I know that's minor but gosh it would bug me.


----------



## eeagle

Propagandist said:


> Thank you both for the responses!  Is there a little spring in there you can stretch out or replace to make it not so loose?  I know that's minor but gosh it would bug me.


This type of power button is common in lots of audio and computer gear these days and not a reliability issue.  The button is there to provide a pulse to circuit that actually does the switching so is a non issue IMO.  My DROP + THX AAA™ 789 as well as most DROP black box equipment have this same type of switch.  Not worth trying to fix something that doesn't need fixing.


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## Cat Music

vault108 said:


> Yes, the specs won't be available until a couple days before release. This DAC is supposedly a good pair with the 887.
> It look like Monoprice just pushed back the release date of the DAC to end of December.


This gets interesting ... without a doubt the price will reach 1000 dollars


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## bryceu (Nov 19, 2019)

For those who had been asking about RME ADI-2 DAC AMP portion vs THX 887, after some further blind testing + listening sessions + comparing:
The performance/difference between the two is easily identifiable.

The RME has a tighter stage and more forward delivery. The 887 has a larger, wider, more expansive, stage that makes the amp feel more powerful. To summarize this thought; Powerful because the brain is hearing the same volume from a source that feels further away, which equates to a more powerful source creating the sound.
The RME has more engaging mids. My biggest complaint about the 887 is the dull mids, I believe this to be a result of the bigger stage and the mids feeling further away. The mids of the 887 also possess less body than those from the RME AMP. This can be translated as the 887 is actually cleaner, or alternatively, it's drier in the mids.
The RME has more prominent bass, while the 887 is more precise/tight. This again can make the 887 feel dry, now in the bass, because it is simply so clean. I don't think the bass performance of the RME is bad on its own measure, but the 887 is simply faster and cleaner.
The 887 does separation and layering better than the RME, easily. The RME can feel congested at times while the 887 feels open, airy, and individual instruments are easier to pick out.
The 887 emphasizes treble better than the RME, not by increased volume/brightness, but rather via air and speed.
Both amps offer excellent detail and resolution, the RME pushing details a little more forward (think Focal Elex/Clear), with the 887 favoring dynamic range due to its larger stage and ability to properly place instruments/sounds further away from the listener (think ZMF Auteur, HD800s).
Overall the RME feels like the more engaging amp, and the 887 feels like the more technically capable.

All listening/testing was done with ZMF Verite Cocobolo + Verite lambskin pads.


----------



## Cat Music

bryceu said:


> For those who had been asking about RME ADI-2 DAC AMP portion vs THX 887, after some further blind testing + listening sessions + comparing:
> The performance/difference between the two is easily identifiable.
> 
> The RME has a tighter stage and more forward delivery. The 887 has a larger, wider, more expansive, stage that makes the amp feel more powerful. To summarize this thought; Powerful because the brain is hearing the same volume from a source that feels further away, which equates to a more powerful source creating the sound.
> ...


taking into account the incredible price difference it is clear who is the winner!


----------



## bryceu

Incredible price difference perhaps, but you are getting far more than just an amp with the RME ADI-2 DAC. The total value of the RME is hardly derived from it's built in AMP, which is still a good amp.


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## Voxata (Nov 19, 2019)

PCB shots are up, only change is opamp from the 789.

*edit* some other minor changes as well. 

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...dphone-amp-new-champ.8942/page-30#post-270229


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## AltCtrl

Using this newly received THX 887 along with my chord 2qute and like what I'm hearing so far. Very clean sounding amp.

Does using higher gain settings degrade the sound in any way? I need to put it on gain 2 to get the volume I want with my beyerdynamic DT1990's.


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## bryceu

Using higher gains should not add any distortion as the 887 measures very clean throughout its range of power output. 

Generally I have heard you want to have volume pot around 12 o'clock when listening (whatever gain it takes to get around that mark), but I have never seen any proof that this improves anything.


----------



## bryceu

AltCtrl said:


> Using this newly received THX 887 along with my chord 2qute and like what I'm hearing so far. Very clean sounding amp.
> 
> Does using higher gain settings degrade the sound in any way? I need to put it on gain 2 to get the volume I want with my beyerdynamic DT1990's.


Can you give impressions on 887 vs Elise whenever you feel comfortable/settled into the 887?  Thanks!


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## ra990 (Nov 19, 2019)

Just got it in today, been listening from the Chord Qutest on my Ether 2...and immediately noticing a widening of the soundstage. Tiny details in the background and the sub-bass region are very clear, and the Ether 2 is reproducing them very well. This is compared to the Liquid Platinum with stock tubes. Looking forward to listening more, but it's sounding like an excellent match with the Qutest and the Ether 2.


----------



## Cat Music

So far no one has had the Monolith THX 887 and SP200 THX 888 to do an A / B test in sound quality ... this would be interesting, especially since they are in the same price range


----------



## vault108

Received my 887 and my only complaint is why can't they paint the volume indicator white or other color? I had a short test with the LPGT 4.4mm line out to XLR and Ether 2 connected with 4.4mm to XLR adapter. I like the sound best when output with the lowest line out voltage setting on the LPGT and let the 887 do the amplification. My setup is just temporary. I feel no heat at all during the test.


----------



## Cat Music

vault108 said:


> Received my 887 and my only complaint is why can't they paint the volume indicator white or other color? I had a short test with the LPGT 4.4mm line out to XLR and Ether 2 connected with 4.4mm to XLR adapter. I like the sound best when output with the lowest line out voltage setting on the LPGT and let the 887 do the amplification. My setup is just temporary. I feel no heat at all during the test.


nice combo


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## greyscale75

I just received a 887. Well packaged. But no manual. Sooo, I called Monoprice tech support and suggested a manual of some kind be posted on the product page. This helps the consumer as well as Monoprice.


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## vault108

I had a listen with the Solaris IEM to see if there are noises with the 889 when no audio is playing. On low gain up to 12 o’clock, the background noise is almost inaudible. You have to really listen for the really faint background noise. From 12 o’clock up, the background noise is gradually audible but not as bad as the Burson C3. You can’t listen to sensitive IEMs on it without loud background noise. I am using the LPGT as the sources and different sources will produce different results. On low gain from 9 o’clock to 10 o’clock, I consider this my max listening volume with the Solaris depending on my lineout voltages. I am quite happy with the 889.

Mine 889 doesn't come with a manual either, not that you needed it. This device is just play and play. It does come with a card telling you to visit their website for more info.


----------



## bryceu

vault108 said:


> Received my 887 and my only complaint is why can't they paint the volume indicator white or other color? I had a short test with the LPGT 4.4mm line out to XLR and Ether 2 connected with 4.4mm to XLR adapter. I like the sound best when output with the lowest line out voltage setting on the LPGT and let the 887 do the amplification. My setup is just temporary. I feel no heat at all during the test.


Agreed about the volume knob. Impossible to see even in a lit room when looking at it from an angle. The 887 runs remarkably cool, basically no heat from it at all. Are the Solaris more sensitive than Andromeda? I don't recall any background noise on my Massdrop 789 when I was using it with the Andromedas via the 3.5mm output of the 789, I'd be surprised that the 887 would produce background noise considering the measurements showing it to have a lower noise floor than the 789 and only bested by the RME ADI-2?

Also what pads are ythose on the Ether 2? They look like ZMF perf lambskin..


----------



## bequietjk

If its in a dark room, maybe put some type of glow in the dark sticker of some kind on it


----------



## Module

Hello guys. Can someone say me approx. weight of entire box THX 887 shipped in? Unfortunately Monoprice don't ship to my country, so I need to see how much will cost me using forwarding service. If it will be too much, I think I may get SMSL SP200, which is cheaper and have free EMS shipping.


----------



## wizzman121

vault108 said:


> Received my 887 and my only complaint is why can't they paint the volume indicator white or other color?





bryceu said:


> Agreed about the volume knob. Impossible to see even in a lit room when looking at it from an angle.


Problem solved:

 

This was just some careful work with an x-acto knife and some white electrical tape.  I have just started to listen to this amp (been using a Jotunheim) and wow this thing just sounds SO clean!  No sound distortion or bleeding anywhere.  I much prefer the aesthetics of this unit to the 789.  It is pretty slim.  The gain knob is plastic and the volume knob is metal.  While the volume knob has a solid smooth rotation I would prefer a little more resistance (huge difference here from the Jotunheim).  I had high expectations for the THX amp but wow I think it is actually exceeding them.  I was not expecting this big of a performance jump from the Jot.

Only weird issue I have noticed is that when i turn the gain knob from 1 to 2 there is a very audible clicking relay sound.  Has anyone else noticed this?


----------



## bryceu

wizzman121 said:


> Problem solved:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Volume knob is an easy fix, but regardless kinda silly Monoprice couldn't have thrown a white dot on there or something.

Digging the all black setup with the Topping and the Elex. Elex is probably the headphone I miss the most out of everything I've gotten rid of. At one point in time it was definitely my favorite piece of gear. Glad you're enjoying the 887 over the Jot. I agree it's quite an improvement. More linear response and definitely cleaner. 

Glad you're enjoying your setup. I'm definitely enjoying my RME + 887 + Verite Open combo more than anything I've owned in the past.


----------



## bryceu

Module said:


> Hello guys. Can someone say me approx. weight of entire box THX 887 shipped in? Unfortunately Monoprice don't ship to my country, so I need to see how much will cost me using forwarding service. If it will be too much, I think I may get SMSL SP200, which is cheaper and have free EMS shipping.


The original packaging for my 887 was huge, much larger outer box then needed. As far as weight it's at most an additional 2lbs from the weight of the unit itself if considering the power adapter and the box/packing materials. The 887's box dimensions are 12 x 15.5 x 3.5 inches.


----------



## vault108

bryceu said:


> Agreed about the volume knob. Impossible to see even in a lit room when looking at it from an angle. The 887 runs remarkably cool, basically no heat from it at all. Are the Solaris more sensitive than Andromeda? I don't recall any background noise on my Massdrop 789 when I was using it with the Andromedas via the 3.5mm output of the 789, I'd be surprised that the 887 would produce background noise considering the measurements showing it to have a lower noise floor than the 789 and only bested by the RME ADI-2?
> 
> Also what pads are ythose on the Ether 2? They look like ZMF perf lambskin..


They're Dekoni pads for Fostex. I was testing different Dekoni pads to see which one was more comfortable because the clamping pressure on the Ether 2 sucks and you can't adjust it without heating the nitinol headband to high temperature.


----------



## bryceu

vault108 said:


> They're Dekoni pads for Fostex. I was testing different Dekoni pads to see which one was more comfortable because the clamping pressure on the Ether 2 sucks and you can't adjust it without heating the nitinol headband to high temperature.


Yea I had the Ether 2s for a while, but ultimately head clamp was too much for me, among other things.


----------



## ra990

bryceu said:


> Yea I had the Ether 2s for a while, but ultimately head clamp was too much for me, among other things.


The new suede pads have made it one of the more comfortable headphones I've owned. They have larger earholes leading to less clamping pressure and the suede is breathable so I can wear it for a long time without feeling any heat building up.


----------



## adydula

Just got my 887 and have had about two hours listening with Focal Clears, T1's, and HD 600's.

First impression is clarity, openness, transparent and very, very quiet...absolutely an exceptional amp....TOTL for sure.

Sonically this amp will allow you to test your source material and source gear, dac's etc...easily, with a really good set of headphones.

Would purchase this again, no hesitation...

Alex


----------



## Joong

AAA 887 has smooth sounding with HD800S and M1060 through topping d50s


 .
Clarity and details are there and inviting.
Smoothness and clarity/detail are usually opposing each other, but here they are altogether.


----------



## adydula

I facilitate over at audiocircle and posted my experience to date with the Monoprice THX AAA 887:

"Well the surprise is out...and I am very happy that my wonderful wife got me this new amp for Christmas!!

Of course I had to open the box when it arrived today to make sure it was functional and I didnt have to return it for any possible defect. So far I have checked all the inputs and outputs for function. They all seem to work as designed, including the balanced and se jacks.

So why did I decide to get this particular amp, JohnR, one of the circles admins, started a thread about the THX AAA amps, and I really have not kept up with all the new technology out there, so as I was reading what Schitt has done to help solve the Class AB crossover distortion with their continuity implementation in the new ASGARD 3 and other amps, I learned that THX was working on this issue as well but with higher power speaker amps.

I watched and listened to a video with Laurie Fincham, who is Vice President of Audio Research at THX. He describes a 9 year process that led to this new THX AAA or Achromatic Audio Amplifier. In the video the focus is on the work of THX with Benchmark and the development of the Benchmark AHB2.
The neat thing about this gentleman to me is he is an audiophile, engineer, mucic lover and a musician. So the background is he speaks to the Class A amp classification as "big, expensive, beautiful , but hot"....this again was focused on large 2 channel amps, but the parallels are there for Class A headphone amps. There are a few Class A amps that you can almost fry an egg on!! (can you say Asgard 1).

So they didnt invent or re-invent the amplifier but as he states, they looked at the shortcomings, the physics, and developed a technology to deal with these. They have been working on this since 2006. The result is an amplifier that stays within a fraction of its low distortion right up to 1db of its full output. Distortion in the Benchark amp was about 100x lower than was seen with existing amps and the S/N ratio is much higher. Another interesting part was for them to measure this new technology it turned out to be very difficult, and they only felt they had the correct or accurate result when at least three engineers using three different sets of measuring equipment "got the same answers"....

So they claim this technology provides a "clear window to the music". The aim of keeping the signal clear and pure was the inspiration for the new technology, AAA or Achromatic Audio Amplifier". Achromatic means "without color". The proverbial straight wire with gain.

For more info on this you can Google THX and Laurie Finchman and oh by the way he played the string bass in a band for 17 years.

So this is the reason I bought this amp, its a technology leader and has some of the best measurements ever to date. The techie in me had to listen with this new amp and its technology for myself.

So how does this technology stack up for us headphone folks....one word:  "EXCEPTIONAL".

I have had only six+ hours with the amp, and it doesnt take me long to know this is a really special amp. The magic in short is THX measures the distortion as the signal crosses the Class AB + to "0" to - swings....and inverts this and re-injects it to cancel this crossover distortion..voila distortion gone (or negated). But there is more to this than just that..as always, great design and layout, power supply, low noise intergrated circuits or op amps....as the 9 year adventure evolved the quality of ICs and IC's designed and produced specifically for headphone audio amps appeared.

The sum of all these parts can make or break anypiece of gear and make it a stellar device or just another run of the mill device with all sorts of claims of audio nirvana.

New gear"itis" is always an issue, so I want to really be sure I am hearing what I think I am....so I brought over some friends and my most severe critic my wonderful "wife"....going back and forth eveyone liked the immediate "clarity" of the amp...comments like "gosh those guitars sound so clear, that drum sounds so much like a real drum...her voice is magnificant", "hand c;aps that sound like a human being made them"...and most of these folks were not audiophiles and think I am abit strange with all my audio stuff!! I did some blind AB switching and asked everyone which one is "better" to them and why, and then which one was more clear....all but one picked out the THX amp over the other (won't mention this one ...but its a favorite here)...

So my first impression is this amp is so dark, or quiet..total silence, you dont know its on, across all three gain settings with the volume turned up all the way. Its a brutally honest amp, it lets you hear how good or bad your source is, its all there....you can easily discern music quality, compression etc...the often over used "garbage in garbage out" is here in spades! (in my second listening session, hour 7 I am up at o'dark thirty when the ambient noise is very low....I do detect a very slight hiss at high gain with 55 ohm Clears at the extreme position of the volume knob...in what I call never, never land...the your going to ruin your hearing land).

If your into specs well, they are indeed very, very good. You can take a look at the monoprice site or the charts I posted below. These will make the measurebators out there grin from ear to ear....I might note there are (2) versions of this amp, one from Drop.com and this one from Monoprice. $399.

The battle for specs never seems to end, how low can you go and for what price (note the recent Schitt Magni Hersey $99 op amps). Well Monoprice went and outdid the Drop version by a small amount but enough for bragging rights!! :>) At least with the Monoprice they were available and didnt have to wait for the Drop etc...The folks at Monoprice indicate they looked at the competition and changed out many resistors, op amps to the 888 level and a few other things to glean a 2db advantage over the Drop version)..I know "crazy" but I like it....   :>)

Power, oh gosh, more than enough!! 16 ohms: 8800mw, 32 ohms: 6000 mw, 300 ohms: 700 mw...balanced. Less for SE. I used both no issue at all for low to high impedance T1's. Is there a difference between the two, to me not much if anything.

The unit has a soft on/off switch, no mechannical click, it starts a on/off sequence and the power led shines red then green then white. There is a mechanical push button switch for selecting balanced or SE inputs, so if you have a balanced dac your good to go. Three position gain switch, .66x, 2.0x, and 6.6x. 1 for IEM's, 2 for most headphones, 3 for those really hard to drive cans. The output impedance is less than 0.05 ohms! The freqyency response is ruler flat...really flat...crosstalk -127db at 300 ohms! This is the world of a distortionless amplifier....or so dang close its not funny...spectacular engineering IMO.

Absolutely no audible clicks or pops turning the amp on and off with the headphones plugged in. Headphone jacks are XLR 4 pin, standard 1/4 SE phone jack and the smaller 3.5mm SE. Very nice.

It weighs about 3.5 lbs, runs cool, hard to tell its on...class AB....there is a switch on the back that is a byass function or a switch that aftere 2 hours without an input signal the amp turns off, the bypass is there if you want to leave the amp on all the time etc. Build quality is good, the only small issue I have is the volume pot is small and I am wondering how well it will last over time, but the warranty from Monoprice is "3" years....with my useage I will find out within a years time. The low end tracking on this unit is spot on, listening this morning at low levels I can not detect any mis-tracking at low volume levels. I have had to replace a few pots in my DIY stuff over the years for scratchy and mistracking, my ODA and BH Crack. Low level listening is very nice as well.

So more on how does it "sound" or "not sound". I am trying not to be over-hyped but this unit is really that good...its a blanking really good amplifier, it "draws power to amplify the music signal without imparting any coloration or distortion"...this is a big claim, but it is the closest I have ever heard to this goal. Its alot like other experiences with other amps...you dont want to stop listening...but this is a new higher level. I would say this amp removes the "veil" once again...it allows your headphones to really shine according to their design. What do I mean by that...my Focal Clears I really love, now they shine even brighter...in that they are producing what the recording has in it and to the best capability of the headphone. Its like hey I just got a new set of headphones...my Beyer T1s' and HD600's never sounded so good. Live performances like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Live Anthology, Eva Cassidys, Live at Blues Alley, Sarah McLachlin, Fumbling Towards Ecasty, you can tell what the audience is doing, their reactions, just marvelous. The black background allow you to hear the drum swish's often overlooked or lost in a lesser amp. Patricia Barber has really well recorded and mastered stuff where she speaks and in between her diction you clearly hear the background instruments playing very subtley...and the room re-verberations. On early Beatles recordings its like your in the room with the "Boys"! Coupled with the Focal Clears its the best I have ever experienced and thats saying alot!!

This amp just makes everything else better for me.

At first one might think this amp is too thin, or bright, with no real weight, but as you play several tunes, you realize the tunes your playing are not perfect and vary all over the place, and the coloration of other amps does change the sound and the experience....this amp is brutally honest.

Some will love it and others will not...thats ok....this is about as far away from a soft tube amp as you can get. We can discuss that specs are important or not, do they make this amp as good as it sounds?? I honestly dont know, all I do know is as I listen to the music I am smiling alot...and this is good!

So what I am going to do is to start a comparison rotation and see how that goes...I also want to try out several dacs, for the first time I have an amp that will not get in the way and allow me to more objectively hear what the other pieces in the chain are doing or performing.

Right at this stage with now 6 hours of play, would I buy this again: Answer: YES.

Smiling again
Alex"


----------



## bryceu

adydula said:


> Just got my 887 and have had about two hours listening with Focal Clears, T1's, and HD 600's.
> 
> First impression is clarity, openness, transparent and very, very quiet...absolutely an exceptional amp....TOTL for sure.
> 
> ...



Just read your longer comment as well. I'm very pleased with my THX 887, paired with the Verite Open. I've had several other amps in hand to pair with the Verite and none can compete with the THX887 in its ability to cleanly resolve detail, its ruler flat tonality, and dead silent background (both when nothing is being fed into it and during playback). Some of the other amps I have do specific attributes better, but the traits that the 887 has keep bringing it back to me as a must keep solution for transparency and lack of any distortion. Really a great product (or more so technology).


----------



## Joong

Thx aaa might means the end of all audio amplifications


----------



## adydula

No, I dont think so....some people will still prefer softer more colored amps....I am not rushing out the door to sell my Bottlehead amps or other SS amps...but they will probably get less useage for me.

I spend a lot of time to listening with different amps to compare for myself, in my environment with my ears....others will have differing opinions for sure.

What this technology allows for or rather promotes is vendors re-looking at their stuff to compete and make better products...at least I hope!

Alex


----------



## bryceu

Yea I wouldn’t say the THX AAA amps are an end-all or total end-game type amp. While they do offer amazing technical performance, they can be a bit bland to listen to, the mids especially. The stage width and depth, although nicely sized, is a bit artificial sounding as well. The Mjolnir 2 or Liquid Platinum for example will get a more natural imaging and stage experience. While a purist might like the linear accomplishments of the THX technology, many will prefer a more engaging and musical experience of tube amps and even other SS amps. 
THX technology is definitely a keeper in my collection, but not going to be my sole solution.


----------



## adydula

Well for $399 they are pretty close to a TOTL amp IMO. The weakness are more cosmetic and low cost switches, knobs etc....to keep this performance the design kept the cost down, hence no fully balanced etc....the designer and others have commented on this and what was important to achieve such stellar measurements and results.

I think the imaging is absolutely superb....recording that have the left and right channels, then a vocalist in the middle, but offset from center comes out very well....a great soundstage, and this to me is not coming from the amp. but how the mics were placed in the recording venue or studio. This amp gets out of the way....its your headphones and source material that has more to do with soundstage than "this" amp. 

The bland comment comes from our experience of listening to lesser amps, that have distortion and coloration....IMO.

Great material comes thru as recording good or bad.

Crappy material is indeed crappy, give you that bland sound etc...

Music comes in all kinds of "quality" and a lot of it is indeed crap, compressed and poorly done again IMO.

This amp not only offers a great audio experience due to its technical design and parts...it just disappears.

Why are you selling your Mjolinir2 and Liquid Platinum if they are so good??

Alex


----------



## bryceu

With all things “audiophile,” it will always remain subjective. 

Your TOTL (end-game) isn’t going to always be someone else’s. 

Selling the Mj2 or LP because they both accomplish the same thing, keeping both isn’t necessary. As far as a preference between the two it’s pretty dead even. 

Both Mj2 and LP amps offer superior dynamics and more natural (accustomed to) sound versus the 887, so keeping one is in the cards.


----------



## adydula

Thats cool, the one thing we agree on is it is indeed "subjective" !


----------



## bryceu

Listening to the synths and all the other textured sounds in here via the RME ADI-2 > THX887 > Verite Open, is quite the experience...

The resolve of detail that the 887 is capable is simply remarkable when paired with the speed of the Verite. 

The dead silent background of the RME ADI-2 is really demonstrated well by the THX887.

Excellent pairing.


----------



## Majestyk (Dec 3, 2019)

Does this unit have vents?


----------



## Marutks

no vents, but THX887 doesn't get very hot


----------



## bryceu

Yea mine gives off almost no heat.


----------



## adydula

I have noticed with 55  ohm Focal Clears there is no audible hiss with gain positions 1 or 2, but with gain 3 there is hiss at the 2pm position....granted the high gain 3 position is meant for those
higher impedance headphones, just wondering if any of you have heard this?

With low impedance cans, 35 ohms I can hear this hiss in gain position 2 at 2 pm as well, but not in gain position 1.

Alex


----------



## BrainFood (Dec 3, 2019)

bryceu said:


> RME ADI-2 > THX887 > Verite Open, is quite the experience



What output level/ volume is your RME on, out of interest?


----------



## bryceu

adydula said:


> I have noticed with 55  ohm Focal Clears there is no audible hiss with gain positions 1 or 2, but with gain 3 there is hiss at the 2pm position....granted the high gain 3 position is meant for those
> higher impedance headphones, just wondering if any of you have heard this?
> 
> With low impedance cans, 35 ohms I can hear this hiss in gain position 2 at 2 pm as well, but not in gain position 1.
> ...



I haven’t experienced any hiss with mine, but I only have the 300ohm Verite at this time. However, when I owned the 789 I don’t remember getting any hiss on any gain. 



BrainFood said:


> What output level/ volume is your RME on, out of interest?


Usually I run the RME at -5.0db with the Mj2 and 887. This leaves me with gain 2 and volume between 10 to 12 o’clock on the 887. But I don’t have a particular reason for -5.0db. I would like to test the line voltage of the RME’s XLR at that volume but I’ve never got around to it.


----------



## adydula

With HD600 300 ohm or T1 600 ohm no audible hiss on any gain, use gain 3 for these.
Its only as the impedance gets lower that you hear the hiss at the higher gain positions of 2 and 3..

I think this is a design limitation and a corner case where its really what I call a "dont care"...
But being in software and hardware test for many years we go out of our way to test these corner cases and see what happens.

Alex


----------



## bryceu (Dec 3, 2019)

With the 789, I owned Clears (55ohm) and Ether 2 (16ohm), neither had any hiss on any gain from memory.

789 and 887 share nearly identical internals. Seems odd.


----------



## AndrewM888

bryceu said:


> With the 789, I owned Clears (55ohm) and Ether 2 (16ohm), neither had any hiss on any gain from memory.
> 
> 789 and 887 share nearly identical internals. Seems odd.


Monoprice desktop and Drop 789 have nearly identical low noise floor. 
In gain 3 position, both units have higher noise floor due to gain * (amp preamp noise)    +    gain * (upstream DAC noise). 
To lower the noise floor, use the lowest gain knob setting that still achieves the SPL you need at the headphone without running out of volume knob.


----------



## bryceu

To clarify; I do hear a hiss when I have the gain on 3 and the volume pot maxed out (with Verite).

I would be terrified of how loud any actual signal coming through would be at this amount of amplification considering loud listening levels are at gain 2 around 12o'clock.


----------



## Marutks

I use gain 1 on the 887 with Verite, volume pot around 10 o'clock.


----------



## bryceu

Yea, if I set my computer system output volume to 100%, Spotify to 100%, and the RME to 0.0db.... 

Gain 1, Volume knob at 10 to 12 o'clock max. 

I tend to keep Spotify volume around 90% cause I remembered seeing my system sound clipping sometimes in eAPO with everything set to 100%


----------



## adydula

I have listened to a second Monoprice 887 and it has the same hiss I hear with the first one...again this is not a real issue
in that effects the sonic character .....its just a corner case that I wanted to make sure this is normal with this amp.

With such low specs I as curious as to why I was hearing this hiss at extreme high volume positions of the vol pot.

Its only with lower impedance headphones on gain 2 and 3 at 2pm or higher volume knob position.

Andrews comment makes sense to use the lowest gain and the lowest vol position and you should never be aware of this anonomoly.

Alex

An excellent amp for the price, brings world class peformance down to an affordable level...


----------



## Celty

Having listened to my Monolith 887 for a month, paired with my SU-8 DAC, I really could not be happier. I have not found a single thing to complain about in terms of performance / sound. It just brings out the full potential of my current headphones, giving them all the clear, clean, accurate power they could ask for. The combination of totally silent noise floor and soaring dynamics capability is really something.

I'm really looking forward to hearing how the Auteur's sound when it arrives.


----------



## bryceu

Celty said:


> Having listened to my Monolith 887 for a month, paired with my SU-8 DAC, I really could not be happier. I have not found a single thing to complain about in terms of performance / sound. It just brings out the full potential of my current headphones, giving them all the clear, clean, accurate power they could ask for. The combination of totally silent noise floor and soaring dynamics capability is really something.
> 
> I'm really looking forward to hearing how the Auteur's sound when it arrives.


Awesome, enjoy your setup! Auteur will be very relaxed with 887


----------



## adydula

I just exchanged my THX AAA 887 with a different one. 

My concern was the hiss I was hearing at high volume levels with low impedance headphones.

Monoprice when asked this just offered to replace the unit...so I took the chance and did.

Monoprice's customer service to me was excellent...

That said the second unit has the exact same hiss, so this is indeed a trait of this amp.

That said it doesnt affect any listening with any headphone when used with the appropriate gain level.

Alex


----------



## bryceu

Monoprice is really good with exchanges, refunds, warranty, customer service etc, from my experiences as well.


----------



## adydula

Also with a 3 year warranty I feel much better than a 12month version from other vendors...


----------



## Marutks

adydula said:


> My concern was the hiss I was hearing at high volume levels with low impedance headphones.



I tried low impedance headphones and IEMs (shure 846) with the 887 amp.   There was no hiss whatsoever.


----------



## adydula

Did you check on all three gain settings at max volume with your music player paused?


----------



## Marutks

I am not worried about hiss that would be there if I max out volume.   It is far beyond listenable volume level.


----------



## adydula

Understand and agree, but did you hear any hiss at these extreme volume control position???


----------



## Marutks

yes,  with low impedance headphones,  HD515


----------



## Voxata

Hmm, I'll check a set of IEMs on my amp to see if I can hear any noise tonight.


----------



## adydula

Thanks...this is in no means a negative thing or takes anything away from this amp....but at least we know this is a trait of SS amps that there will always be some device noise at extremes especially when a load is being driven outside of the optimal gain setting.

If I use a 250 or 300 or 600 ohm headphone connected to the amp, there is no "noise" or "hiss". 

As one of the engineers from THX stated in this thread you need to use only the amount of gain to drive you headphones to reasonable listening levels....

This is an EXCELLENT amp and using the balanced output with Focal Clears is one of the best audio experiences I have ever heard
with headphones....

Alex


----------



## nishan99

Is it fully balanced from the input to the output? 

The 789 for example have a SE volume control, so any balanced signal is going to be converted to SE one then back to be balanced for the output stage. 

And how is the noise floor? my THX788 is noisy for IEMs.


----------



## Voxata

This unit is almost identical to the 789, except for that it has some upgraded components inside and a MUCH better build quality throughout. This is an SE amp, just like the 789 despite the balanced in and out connectors. It's an absolutely great sounding amp too.


----------



## adydula

From the designer:

"The THX 887 is actually internally a single-ended device and uses a dedicated balanced headphone output circuit. It doesn't matter whether you input a balanced or single-ended signal."
and
"The advantage of using the balanced output even with SE input is more power"...

I have found on 2 units now with low impedance cans or iems you need to use the lower gain setting and there is no hiss etc...if you crank up the gain to 2 or 3 level position AND use exterme volumes there will be
some hiss with nothing playing, but if you try to listen at these levels this will most likley "DAMAGE" you hearing!! Dont do this!! Not good at all!!

Alex


----------



## Celty

As a practical matter this amp is dead silent, when there is no source material being played, it is like the amp is turned off. In fact I am thankful for the little power led, it keeps me from having to guess if it is on or off.


----------



## adydula

The neat thing with the bypass switch on it shuts down in 2 hours oo no signal input all by itself!
Alex


----------



## MariusValentin

protoss said:


> This is excellent news. There should be no reason for anyone to ever spend over $400 on an amplifer! Its next to foolishness to spend any higher than a THX 789/887.
> 
> All we need is a world class $400 Dac and its over.


Amen


----------



## Voxata (Jan 20, 2020)

The amp is great, it has the best dynamic ability of any amp I've owned but I wouldn't go writing off all other amps. Synergy is king my friends, measurements are not.

As an example a friend and I sat down recently and found that the HE-560 sounds much better on a CMA600i than it does on the THX 887. More engaging, airy and the experience was quite enjoyable. The warmth of the amp really helped the sterility of the HE-560 and this combo was fantastic. The bass has more punch and meat to it and the 887's bass is so tight and controlled the engagement and euphoric sound was lost. My HD600 is the opposite and the 887 gets the subbass down lower on these cans than any amp I've heard before and the wicked clean nature pairs well with the 600. The 887 is the fastest amp I've ever heard and the 600 series lit up and performed with its warmer sound being fed such a clean signal.

This is a preference hobby, if you think one amp will sound the best on every headphone due to the fact it measures flat I highly suggest that you try out some more gear and find some great combos of your own. You might be surprised.


----------



## Marutks

> There should be no reason for anyone to ever spend over $400 on an amplifer!



I prefer sound of Burson C3 amp.  I am going to look into into some tube amps.


----------



## adydula (Jan 20, 2020)

There is nothing wrong with anyone wanting to spend more than $400.

I agree that there are some very nice amps in the $400 and less range, but there are many good amps above this price point.

Whether they provide any sonic improvement is debateable and will be until the end of time!!

Alex


----------



## MariusValentin

tylerfutrell said:


> Does anyone know if I can use this in Europe with a normal plug adapter, or if I would need a voltage stepper (like the previous Monolith 788)?
> Website says: _Power supply: 24 VDC inline brick, universal input 100–240 VAC_ if that helps.


If you're about to purchase this amp it will be available from www.monoprice.eu or www.monoproce.co.uk at the end of February. I have emailed them today.
Good news for everyone who lives in Europe.


----------



## Smoothstereo

I recently purchased the THX 887 and have been putting it thru its paces. I have mixed feelings about this amp. It seems to do most things technically well but have a few things that don't sound right to my ears.

There seems to be a slight veil in the overall presentation, like a smoothing effect. The soundstage placement of instruments is a little incoherent. There seems to be a lack of life or a soul to the music.

Has anyone bought the THX 887 and didn't like it enough to keep it and decided to move on to another amp? If so, I would like to know what amp have you moved on to and for what reasons.

Thanks.


----------



## Marutks

Smoothstereo said:


> There seems to be a lack of life or a soul to the music.



I agree with this ^^^.   Burson C3X sounds better to me.    I think a tube amplifier might be even better.  I have ordered ECP Audio T4 amp.


----------



## Marutks

If tubes are what gives a soul to the music then this will do it.


----------



## MariusValentin (Feb 15, 2020)

I have both violectric hpa 281 and the massdrop thx 789 which sounds the same as thx 887. Considering the price of these
"THX amps" is pointless comparing them with amps that cost 5 times more.
Believe me or not I prefer the thx 789 over the violectric. It sounds more cleaner and faster and is also more neutral. The hpa 281 has more body and it has a slight touch of warmth to the sound.


----------



## sennfan83261

Smoothstereo said:


> There seems to be a lack of life or a soul to the music.


Welcome to the world of solid states that are geared towards transparency and non-coloration to the sound.


----------



## Majestyk (Feb 15, 2020)

Smoothstereo said:


> I recently purchased the THX 887 and have been putting it thru its paces. I have mixed feelings about this amp. It seems to do most things technically well but have a few things that don't sound right to my ears.
> 
> There seems to be a slight veil in the overall presentation, like a smoothing effect. The soundstage placement of instruments is a little incoherent. There seems to be a lack of life or a soul to the music.
> 
> ...



I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. My solid state '77 vintage receiver is leaps and bounds better sounding. The 887 was very smoothed and dull sounding to me and I ended up selling it here on head-fi. (Hope the new owner feels differently). I read a post on the Massdrop 789 thread that stated the same thing about that amp and he said it sounded much better when warmed up for 9 hours.



sennfan83261 said:


> Welcome to the world of solid states that are geared towards transparency and non-coloration to the sound.



Yeah, but the 887 sounded very colored to me. Smooth is not neutral.


----------



## Marutks

I have moved to ECP Audio T4.  https://www.head-fi.org/threads/ecp...plifier-built-and-sold-by-beezaraudio.924736/
Verite cans sound better with T4. If you want better amp consider T4.


----------



## Celty

Majestyk said:


> I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. My solid state '77 vintage receiver is leaps and bounds better sounding. The 887 was very smoothed and dull sounding to me and I ended up selling it here on head-fi. (Hope the new owner feels differently). I read a post on the Massdrop 789 thread that stated the same thing about that amp and he said it sounded much better when warmed up for 9 hours.
> Yeah, but the 887 sounded very colored to me. Smooth is not neutral.


I have to wonder if your impressions of the 887 are skewed by what you are "used to". Most folk think (including me) that the 887 is very neutral, adding virtually nothing from source material. That is based both on subjective listening and the objective measurements of this amp. I am sure what you hear is true for you, which is of course all that matters for your individual listening preferences. 

BTW, neither the 789 nor the 887 require or benefit from a "warm up" period. It may be that person's ears that needed time to tune in and "acclimate".


----------



## stimuz

Celty said:


> I have to wonder if your impressions of the 887 are skewed by what you are "used to". Most folk think (including me) that the 887 is very neutral, adding virtually nothing from source material. That is based both on subjective listening and the objective measurements of this amp. I am sure what you hear is true for you, which is of course all that matters for your individual listening preferences.
> 
> BTW, neither the 789 nor the 887 require or benefit from a "warm up" period. It may be that person's ears that needed time to tune in and "acclimate".



Probably depends on the genre you listen to. I listen to primarily electronic music so I have absolutely no desire for a colored or modified sound, but I could see 70s stuff sounding off when fed through clean solid state amps.


----------



## OldDude04

I've enjoyed a bunch of different genres from this amp. I like the fact that the 887 doesn't color the music, it just gets out of the way in the wire with gain style of amp. If I want to add color, I can do that myself.


----------



## Celty

A new video review:


----------



## Spareribs (Feb 20, 2020)

I don’t have this amp but it looks excellent. Yes, a more expensive amp will probably give you a wider sound stage, more 3D and smoother tones but if you want accuracy and all the qualifications of a proper amp, this amp looks like it delivers well and will probably be satisfying most audiophiles and for the price of less than $500, it’s attractive.


----------



## SupperTime

I want superb resolution, detail and imaging, is this amp for me?


----------



## MariusValentin

You can't go wrong with this amp. It can power pretty much all the headphones in the world. 
3.7w in 50 Ohm. It sounds very clean and clear . No coloration to the sound ,extremely neutral and fast.
I prefer it over my violectric hpa281.


----------



## SupperTime

MariusValentin said:


> You can't go wrong with this amp. It can power pretty much all the headphones in the world.
> 3.7w in 50 Ohm. It sounds very clean and clear . No coloration to the sound ,extremely neutral and fast.
> I prefer it over my violectric hpa281.


What is the next step up from this? In terms of clarity and quietness?


----------



## Celty (Feb 20, 2020)

SupperTime said:


> What is the next step up from this? In terms of clarity and quietness?


Distortion levels are at or below -140 dB! SINAD (THD + N) matches the Benchmark HPA4 ($3000.00 to $3300.00). Signal to noise ratio at is 92 dB, beating the Benchmark HPA4 (88 dB which is still excellent), and neck and neck with the $1200.00  RME ADI-2 (93 dB).

The Benchmark HPA4 and RME ADI-2 are state of the art top tier products. That the Monolith 887 hangs in there at $400.00 is pretty amazing IMOP.


----------



## SupperTime

Celty said:


> Distortion levels are at or below -140 dB! SINAD (THD + N) matches the Benchmark HPA4 ($3000.00 to $3300.00). Signal to noise ratio at is 123 dB, beating the Benchmark HPA4 (88 dB which is still excellent), and neck and neck with the $1200.00  RME ADI-2 (93 dB).
> 
> The Benchmark HPA4 and RME ADI-2 are state of the art top tier products. That the Monolith 887 hangs in there at $400.00 is pretty amazing IMOP.


I have the rme adi-2 dac and love it.
What benefit could I get from adding one of these thx things to my stack?


----------



## alex50

SupperTime said:


> I have the rme adi-2 dac and love it.
> What benefit could I get from adding one of these thx things to my stack?



I believe the benefit would be the added power to drive difficult to drive headphones that the adi-2 may struggle with.  The ADI-2 lacks a balanced amplified output.


----------



## SupperTime

alex50 said:


> I believe the benefit would be the added power to drive difficult to drive headphones that the adi-2 may struggle with.  The ADI-2 lacks a balanced amplified output.


Any sonic difference in flavor?


----------



## alex50

SupperTime said:


> Any sonic difference in flavor?



Both devices are known for being transparent, so they shouldn't color the sound.  As you know, you can optionally use the PE and tone controls within the ADI-2 to adjust the sound curve to your preference.


----------



## phthora

Celty said:


> Distortion levels are at or below -140 dB! SINAD (THD + N) matches the Benchmark HPA4 ($3000.00 to $3300.00). Signal to noise ratio at is 123 dB, beating the Benchmark HPA4 (88 dB which is still excellent), and neck and neck with the $1200.00  RME ADI-2 (93 dB).
> 
> The Benchmark HPA4 and RME ADI-2 are state of the art top tier products. That the Monolith 887 hangs in there at $400.00 is pretty amazing IMOP.



You are conflating two different measurements. ASR measures the HPA4 at 119 db SINAD. The 88 db and 93 db numbers come from his 50 mv SNR measurement. It's incorrect to try to compare those two very different tests.

Not that I think ASR's measurements are worth a damn to begin with...


----------



## SupperTime (Feb 20, 2020)

Measuments confuse my Newby mind. Just want stuff to sound good. So far rme adi-2 is awesome I enjoy it over the benchmark 4. I wonder if the phonitor is good


----------



## Celty

phthora said:


> You are conflating two different measurements. ASR measures the HPA4 at 119 db SINAD. The 88 db and 93 db numbers come from his 50 mv SNR measurement. It's incorrect to try to compare those two very different tests.
> 
> Not that I think ASR's measurements are worth a damn to begin with...


Yea I was looking at the wrong numbers, corrected to "Signal to noise ratio at is 92 dB, beating the Benchmark HPA4 (88 dB which is still excellent), and neck and neck with the $1200.00 RME ADI-2 (93 dB)."
The outcome is still the same in terms of the 887's performance to price being excellent and punching far above it's weight with upper tier products.


----------



## phthora

Celty said:


> Yea I was looking at the wrong numbers, corrected to "Signal to noise ratio at is 92 dB, beating the Benchmark HPA4 (88 dB which is still excellent), and neck and neck with the $1200.00 RME ADI-2 (93 dB)."
> The outcome is still the same in terms of the 887's performance to price being excellent and punching far above it's weight with upper tier products.



We might quibble about measurements and exact numbers, but I don't doubt that this Monolith is competitive in terms of sound with _any _other amp. Massdrop's 789 already sounded close to the HPA4, the 887 could only be closer still.


----------



## SupperTime

phthora said:


> We might quibble about measurements and exact numbers, but I don't doubt that this Monolith is competitive in terms of sound with _any _other amp. Massdrop's 789 already sounded close to the HPA4, the 887 could only be closer still.


So what do I buy to improve my sound quality by a good margin? I got a rme adi-2 dac, I want to keep the DAC and add an amp. What do I gotta get to significantly improve my sound quality


----------



## phthora

SupperTime said:


> So what do I buy to improve my sound quality by a good margin? I got a rme adi-2 dac, I want to keep the DAC and add an amp. What do I gotta get to significantly improve my sound quality



If you are looking for cleaner, clearer, more transparent, less colored sound, then you just aren't going to find something that improves your chain by "a good margin" or "significantly." Sorry, my friend. Unfortunately, your gear is already awesome. You can squeeze out a bit better sound by going way up in price, but adding a 789 (can't speak to the 887) would be a relatively minor improvement in sound quality. The HPA4 is as good as amps get, IMO, but it's 3 grand and a lot of that cost is going to things other than sound. (Good things though like a 5-year warranty, impeccable build and QC consistency, amazing service, to name a few.) For maximizing price to performance, the Massdrop 789, Monolith 887, or SMSL SP200 will be the best bet. Poke around those threads, see which one suits you best and look into the non-sound features of each.


----------



## alex50

phthora said:


> ...For maximizing price to performance, the Massdrop 789, Monolith 887, or SMSL SP200 will be the best bet. Poke around those threads, see which one suits you best and look into the non-sound features of each.



Note that while the 789 and 887 are nearly identical in features and price, the SP200 lacks a pass-through output.  In addition, there seems to be a number of complaints about the volume control of the SP200.  It is however, a bit cheaper in price.


----------



## davesa

I have been really enjoying my Monoprice 887... and have enjoyed reading this thread and the reviews. I liked seeing pictures of the layout of the amp but keep wondering about those two empty spaces for capacitors by the power input ( C12 / C13 ). 

Looks like they might have been for filter caps? With the cases on these not being very tall did they just not add them? Seems like they could have put them horizontal.


----------



## Adamtl

I love mine! I use it to watch movies late at night with headphones because of the Dirac feature. It never really worked well with music, sounds better with the feature off, but after trying it with movies I find that it really helps to make it sound theatre like. Paired with my z1r it sounds brilliant


----------



## OldDude04

Adamtl said:


> I love mine! I use it to watch movies late at night with headphones because of the Dirac feature. It never really worked well with music, sounds better with the feature off, but after trying it with movies I find that it really helps to make it sound theatre like. Paired with my z1r it sounds brilliant



Are you talking about the Monoprice Monolith THX AAA 788 Dac/Amp combo? I only ask because this is the thread for the THX 887 Amp, a different device that doesn't have any DIRAC features due to it not having a built in DAC.


----------



## Adamtl

OldDude04 said:


> Are you talking about the Monoprice Monolith THX AAA 788 Dac/Amp combo? I only ask because this is the thread for the THX 887 Amp, a different device that doesn't have any DIRAC features due to it not having a built in DAC.



Oops! Yes that’s the one I have.


----------



## OldDude04

Adamtl said:


> Oops! Yes that’s the one I have.



All good bro. And welcome to the site!


----------



## ls13coco

I've been planning on going to the HPA-4 from my 789, but after my research it seems there really isn't enough difference in sound itself to warrant such a price jump.
So, here I am asking if anyone here has thoughts on the 887 vs 789 and if they could perceive any sound differences at all.
I'm okay with losing a bit of money selling the 789 for the 887 if it seems there might be the slightest improvement.

This will be paired primarily with Empyrean, Arya, k 712 pro and HD6xx and Airist R2R and Topping D90.
I have my colored sounding amp plans already, trying to keep clean as possible with my SS.


----------



## phthora

ls13coco said:


> I've been planning on going to the HPA-4 from my 789, but after my research it seems there really isn't enough difference in sound itself to warrant such a price jump.
> So, here I am asking if anyone here has thoughts on the 887 vs 789 and if they could perceive any sound differences at all.
> I'm okay with losing a bit of money selling the 789 for the 887 if it seems there might be the slightest improvement.
> 
> ...



To each his own. To me, the jump in price was well worth it. The HPA4 comes with a lot of more than just an increase in sound quality.


----------



## protoss (Mar 18, 2020)

After months with this small amp.

I found it to have a very small sound-stage and very narrow sounding. Bright and smooth. The smoothness will sound warm to people. And thats where the coloration I notice it has that some here alluded to. 

But i can not believe how narrow and small the sound-stage is sadly.


----------



## Celty (Mar 18, 2020)

Odd, not my experience with the 887 at all. That is with extensive listening with the ZMF Auteur, HD6XX, HE4XX, and even the Moondrop Starfield IEM. The 887 has been excellent with all.

Given the perfect frequency response curve (curve in this case being a ruler straight line) of this amp, describing it as "colored" would be rather misleading. If anything, the 887 is more like transparent glass. What goes in is what comes out. Very true to the source material and DAC, and drives your headphones with tons of power and an extremely low noise floor (as in dead silent).

The same goes for soundstage and imaging. It is faithful to both the recording and the native characteristics of the headphone being used.


----------



## protoss

Celty said:


> Odd, not my experience with the 877 at all. That is with extensive listening with the ZMF Auteur, HD6XX, HE4XX, and even the Moondrop Starfield IEM. The 887 has been excellent with all.
> 
> Given the perfect frequency response curve (curve in this case being a ruler straight line) of this amp, describing it as "colored" would be rather misleading. If anything, the 887 is more like transparent glass. What goes in is what comes out. Very true to the source material and DAC, and drives your headphones with tons of power and an extremely low noise floor (as in dead silent).
> 
> The same goes for soundstage and imaging. It is faithful to both the recording and the native characteristics of the headphone being used.




No problem with that. 887 is what it dose.

But I find it very narrow and having a very small soundstage. This is what I am noticing


----------



## OldDude04

Narrow and small is definitely not what I've experienced with the 887. I find the amp's stage to be quite wide when paired with my Emotiva DC-1 DAC.


----------



## angelus55

which amp and dac out of the following would you recommend?

i was interested in getting a asgard 3 with modi 3 dac, thx amp thx 887 with the modi 3 or 788 amp/dac combo, since i cant  seem to find any good priced balanced dac to go with the 887 to equal the  same price as the 788 thx combo if you think balanced is worth it, but i dont like the idea of buying new balanced cables for my headphones

i have the lcd2 classics and i might get the hd 800s later this year if i can save  enough for it if it matters

and i currently have the magni 3 amp that came out before the + and heresy models connected to my pc, and no dac


----------



## TJ Max (Apr 21, 2020)

angelus55 said:


> which amp and dac out of the following would you recommend?
> 
> i was interested in getting a asgard 3 with modi 3 dac, thx amp thx 887 with the modi 3 or 788 amp/dac combo, since i cant  seem to find any good priced balanced dac to go with the 887 to equal the  same price as the 788 thx combo if you think balanced is worth it, but i dont like the idea of buying new balanced cables for my headphones
> 
> ...




I use a 887 with a SMSL SU-8 for my desktop. I own a Modi 3 also and I can say that a 887 and Modi 3 combo will also be a good match. If balanced output is not a priority then I would suggest looking at a JDS Labs Atom and Modi 3 combo.


Its my opinion that the Magni 3 is not a good performer. I had channel imbalance issues and experienced distortion when the volume is >%70


----------



## omegaorgun (Apr 22, 2020)

angelus55 said:


> which amp and dac out of the following would you recommend?
> 
> i was interested in getting a asgard 3 with modi 3 dac, thx amp thx 887 with the modi 3 or 788 amp/dac combo, since i cant  seem to find any good priced balanced dac to go with the 887 to equal the  same price as the 788 thx combo if you think balanced is worth it, but i dont like the idea of buying new balanced cables for my headphones
> 
> ...



Its like a unicorn but my Matrix Audio HPA-3B is lovely. Especially with the right opamp. It has 3.8 watts @32 but double the power of a 789 @ 300600 ohms.

Burson v5i have a weird noise thing going on but I'm running opa1656 on mine.

EDIT: I have the 789 its very similar and a great amp and also had the 788.

I would say for convenience get the 788 but something like an SU-8 or SDAC-B with the 887/789 will yield better results and power.

There is only analog out from the 788 so that lovely internal DAC had limitations.

The 789 has dropped to $300 with massdrop branding. You could get it and the SDAC-B for $450 and even a DAC like the topping D-10 works good.


----------



## etroze86

I have a 887 on the way and will be pairing with the 788. I will let you guys know what I think of the combo and if I get a wild hair I will do a pairing with the modi 3 as well.


----------



## wizzman121

etroze86 said:


> I have a 887 on the way and will be pairing with the 788. I will let you guys know what I think of the combo and if I get a wild hair I will do a pairing with the modi 3 as well.


You already have a great amp/DAC combo the 788.  I am not sure you are going to realize any noticeable sound improvement with the 887.


----------



## etroze86

wizzman121 said:


> You already have a great amp/DAC combo the 788.  I am not sure you are going to realize any noticeable sound improvement with the 887.



I might not but I do want to try it with my Audeze CBs. They seem to enjoy power and I like to keep equipment at a lower volume level. What i think I may get is a wider sound than I have now and i don't expect more clarity as the 788 is the cleanest combo I've heard. The other thought I have is I live in Japan and have access to Fostex and playing with those balanced could be really fun.


----------



## OldDude04

etroze86 said:


> I might not but I do want to try it with my Audeze CBs. They seem to enjoy power and I like to keep equipment at a lower volume level. What i think I may get is a wider sound than I have now and i don't expect more clarity as the 788 is the cleanest combo I've heard. The other thought I have is I live in Japan and have access to Fostex and playing with those balanced could be really fun.



I have some Lawton Audio modded TH-X00's and running them balanced from my 887 sounds fantastic.


----------



## etroze86

OldDude04 said:


> I have some Lawton Audio modded TH-X00's and running them balanced from my 887 sounds fantastic.


I really want a set of 00s but idk if my gf would like me buying those when we are putting cash away to go to the US next year lol. I will own a pair before I leave Japan though 😁.


----------



## etroze86

It came today!!!!!


----------



## starmartyr

These look great together. Do you notice any difference in sound besides a bit more power though?


----------



## starmartyr

starmartyr said:


> These look great together. Do you notice any difference in sound besides a bit more power though?





etroze86 said:


> It came today!!!!!



Also will you mod the 788 for balanced out to the 887? It would be cool to add dirac and eq to the 887 via the 788 if desired. No need for something like the RME at that point maybe


----------



## etroze86

So far I haven't gotten to listen much, work has been really busy, but so far I like what I'm hearing. I don't think i'll mod the 788 as my RCAs work great for what I need. DIRAC works perfectly for the 887!!! The power is very welcome since DIRAC seems to push everything out and away from a persons head and softens it a bit to my ears.


----------



## cirodts

has anyone tried balanced output is unbalanced is there a difference in volume and also in sound quality?


----------



## etroze86

I've been breaking in my iSine 10s I just picked up on the SE output. I haven't gotten to run with balanced much but if it's anything like the 788 there will be an increase in volume. As for sound quality to me it'll depend on the cans you are using. My LCD2CBs love power and tend to open up more when I feed them more power. My Nighthawks are pretty easy to drive and don't scale as much when I go from SE'd to balances.....well I guess there does tend to be more bass on balanced with the NHs.


----------



## etroze86

Did a little testing tonight. Do not over driver the 788 as it sounds horrible once you get over 0 db on the dial.


----------



## ericr

etroze86 said:


> Did a little testing tonight. Do not over driver the 788 as it sounds horrible once you get over 0 db on the dial.



Looked at the pictures of the 887 on the Monoprice website and I didn't see any markings at the volume knob.  How can someone tell if they are "... over 0 db on the dial."?


----------



## OldDude04

ericr said:


> Looked at the pictures of the 887 on the Monoprice website and I didn't see any markings at the volume knob.  How can someone tell if they are "... over 0 db on the dial."?



There actually is an indicator on both the volume and gain knobs but they're really hard to see. So when I recently had to have mine replaced (Monoprice customer service was phenomenal), I took and put White-Out in the little indicator areas and then used a bit of Goo Gone on a paper towel and wiped off the excess. Before and after pics below.

Before:


After:


----------



## Infoseeker (Jun 12, 2020)

I agree with people calling this smooth and slight intimate in terms of soundstage.

Because they pair amazingly with the Seinhesser hd800s in my setup. Taming how distant they sound and the treble is alright.

That is using a Hugo 2 to the amp via RCA.


----------



## etroze86

ericr said:


> Looked at the pictures of the 887 on the Monoprice website and I didn't see any markings at the volume knob.  How can someone tell if they are "... over 0 db on the dial."?



The 887 has a small notch for indicating volume. I took a little white wood filler and filled it in to see it better. The 788 dac/amp has a volume indicator on the screen and that is what I meant when I stated don't go past 0 db on the 788. I have both these stacked together.


----------



## lalawilson168

Just got one on amazon as they are doing free shipping to where I live! 

It doesn't say on the amazon page (but it does on the monoprice page) am I safe to assume it's 110-240VAC compatible?


----------



## Traveler843

lalawilson168 said:


> Just got one on amazon as they are doing free shipping to where I live!
> 
> It doesn't say on the amazon page (but it does on the monoprice page) am I safe to assume it's 110-240VAC compatible?



Yes, the included AC adapter is 110-240 VAC.


----------



## Shroomalistic

do you guys think this would be a good replacement for my emotiva basx a-100.  I need something with power to drive my fostex t50 thunderpants mod.  only thing i have that can really drive them fully is the basx.  Plus it drives the lcd2pf great too.  but the space it takes on my desk is insane.  I want a good stack,  right now my chains are the monoprice 788 driving my basx and darkvoice but thats such a huge desk hog.  Would love to have more power in smaller formfactor.


----------



## etroze86

Does you 788 drive them? Single ended I think it wouldn't be a big improvement over the 788.


----------



## Shroomalistic

its does an ok job but the 887 has a lot more power then the 788 and mine likes to overheat protect when I crank it high too long, specially when its 110+ degrees in my garage.

the 788 its 3.1w at 32 ohms and the 887 is 6w,  while emotiva is 12w+ at 32ohms.  So double the 788 and half the emotiva but clean.


----------



## etroze86 (Oct 22, 2020)

Single ended you won't see 6w on the 887. So really if you're looking for that kind of power I'd probably say look at the Asgard 3. I have the 788/887 they do well balanced but really they weren't meant to be power houses single ended. If I'm perfectly honest I enjoy my JDS Labs EL ll amp more single ended than either THX offering.

Edit: 788 has 1.3w @32 ohms and 887 has 1.6w@32 ohms single ended. I think you wouldn't be thrilled with price to performance compared to other amps on the market.


----------



## Shroomalistic

everything i have is balanced except for my beyers,  sorry i should have stated that


----------



## Voxata

It should do just fine though. Monoprice usually has open bot 887's for pretty cheap too. Drop has the 789 for $299 though and if you sign up to email you get a $10 discount. For the price the 789 wins out.


----------



## etroze86

Shroomalistic said:


> everything i have is balanced except for my beyers,  sorry i should have stated that


Interesting, are you running speaker taps from your basx as balanced? 
In the case of running balanced yes it should work very well. I don't have insane hard to drive headphones so please take it with a grain of salt. What I do know is I can drive every one of mine on high gain and the knob is less than the 12 o'clock position. Where the 788 I'd be cranking it to -12 db sometimes, which isn't much headroom before distortion starts coming from it.


----------



## parrot5

Does a manual or spec sheet come with your 887? Mine doesn’t come with it, and I’m interested in the specs and what’s the optimal input level etc....


----------



## etroze86

parrot5 said:


> Does a manual or spec sheet come with your 887? Mine doesn’t come with it, and I’m interested in the specs and what’s the optimal input level etc....


Could use an o'scope to figure it out but I think the least expensive one I saw is like 80 bucks. With the 788 don't go past 0 db or you will get clipping and it's very noticeable. Also I believe of you run through the dac you won't have issues with source input.


----------



## Shroomalistic

etroze86 said:


> Interesting, are you running speaker taps from your basx as balanced?
> In the case of running balanced yes it should work very well. I don't have insane hard to drive headphones so please take it with a grain of salt. What I do know is I can drive every one of mine on high gain and the knob is less than the 12 o'clock position. Where the 788 I'd be cranking it to -12 db sometimes, which isn't much headroom before distortion starts coming from it.


I use a 1/4 to xlr adapter for the basx,  so its not balanced.  Just ment the headphone are.


----------



## wizzman121

The 887 is on sale for $330:

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=39359


----------



## equalspeace (Dec 11, 2020)

So impressed with this Monolith 887. I’m left stunned at the performance everytime I listen w the Sony MDR-M1ST. The sound is so full, clear and effortless - just hits it out of the park with any file I throw at it. The Drop 789 seems to get more attention but this badboy here is the ONE. Paired it with the DX7 Pro and this combo is absolutely fantastic!


----------



## Infoseeker (Dec 11, 2020)

For a solid state it sounds great with my Seinhesser Hd800s.

Does not emphasize any of the peakiness.


----------



## ezduzit2500

Hi all. I've been lurking on this thread, soaking in the impressions. I have a new Topping A90 that I'm not entirely sold on. I find it linear, powerful, and feature rich but it sometimes doesn't reproduce micro details and is missing some upper treble air and transparency. My basx a-100 has all the power, is effortless, and detailed from 20hz-20khz, but the soundstage is not as wide and it doesn't have the overall smoothness of the a90. I just bought an '887 to see if I can get the air, micro details, and soundstage back with ample power for my Hifiman Arya and other cans. How does the '887 stack up to the a-100? All are welcome to respond.


----------



## Traveler843

ezduzit2500 said:


> Hi all. I've been lurking on this thread, soaking in the impressions. I have a new Topping A90 that I'm not entirely sold on. I find it linear, powerful, and feature rich but it sometimes doesn't reproduce micro details and is missing some upper treble air and transparency. My basx a-100 has all the power, is effortless, and detailed from 20hz-20khz, but the soundstage is not as wide and it doesn't have the overall smoothness of the a90. I just bought an '887 to see if I can get the air, micro details, and soundstage back with ample power for my Hifiman Arya and other cans. How does the '887 stack up to the a-100? All are welcome to respond.



I have Arya cans, and HAD the Monolith 887 which I sold for the A90. I can't comment on 'air' or 'micro details', but I MUCH prefer the build quality on the A90 vs the 887. The 887 to me felt cheap, and I also got clipping with my SMSL M400 when set to max output. On the other hand, the A90 feels very solid, doesn't clip with my M400 and has plenty of power for my Arya headphones. If I was going to get a new amp I'd seriously look at the SMSL SP400, which JUST came out in the last couple of weeks.


----------



## ezduzit2500 (Dec 15, 2020)

Traveler843 said:


> I have Arya cans, and HAD the Monolith 887 which I sold for the A90. I can't comment on 'air' or 'micro details', but I MUCH prefer the build quality on the A90 vs the 887. The 887 to me felt cheap, and I also got clipping with my SMSL M400 when set to max output. On the other hand, the A90 feels very solid, doesn't clip with my M400 and has plenty of power for my Arya headphones. If I was going to get a new amp I'd seriously look at the SMSL SP400, which JUST came out in the last couple of weeks.


Thanks for the reply. Truthfully I've already ordered the '887 and it's supposed to be here tomorrow. The a90 does have good build quality. I switch between the a90 straight up balanced out and using it as a preamp to the a-100. A90 as a pre is solid IMO, making the a-100 soundstage expand and sound slightly smoother and more refined, while still retaining the effortlessness and control that the a-100's raw power provides. And the a-100 is more forward and has _explosiveness_, instruments sound alive and punchier with a90 as pre. Best of both worlds, IMO. I'm hoping the '887 is a mix between the two, LOL.


----------



## Infoseeker (Dec 15, 2020)

I find my 887 pretty nuetral. No major change to treble presentation unlike my warmer equipment.


----------



## wizzman121

Infoseeker said:


> I find my 887 pretty nuetral. No major change to treble presentation unlike my warmer equipment.


The 887 is a very neutral amp which is the main reason I keep it around.  I often use it when comparing headphones or DACs back to back.

I had the A90 for a short while and had a chance to compare it to the 887.  I am surprised so many people call it a neutral amp.  The A90 had a slightly warmer sound than the 887 and the slight bloom in the mid-bass was noticeable compared to the 887.  I don't mind a slightly warmer sound but while the 887 had a touch less bass, the bass on the 887 was noticeably tighter and more defined which I preferred.  Another difference between the two was the treble texture and soundstage.  The A90 definitely had more three-dimensional sound and a much better sense of space.  My only real complaint with the 887 (when comparing to other amps) is it is VERY two-dimensional sounding.  When you hear a more spacious-sounding amp like the A90 or Liquid Platinum ends up sounding like two walls of sound.  

On paper the A90 was perfect with all those awesome output jacks to boot but that slight bloominess of the bass and the absolutely awful volume pot were not things I could get over.  The volume pot has a very squishy feeling and it was quite difficult to make really precise volume adjustments as a result.  I ended up returning it.  I have a Headamp GS-X Mini coming tomorrow 

The 887 stacks really nicely with the D90 too:


----------



## ezduzit2500 (Dec 16, 2020)

Infoseeker said:


> I find my 887 pretty nuetral. No major change to treble presentation unlike my warmer equipment.





Infoseeker said:


> I find my 887 pretty nuetral. No major change to treble presentation unlike my warmer equipment.


I'm hoping that the '887 is as linear and as exciting to listen to as the a-100 is. A90 seems to be neutral-slightly warm up top. Of course the a-100 is class a-b, not op amp based. That may be the difference but I'm not passing judgment til I get the '887 in, run it in, and compare all three amps side by side. Either way, the a-100 is a stable keeper but I'm liking having the a90's versatility as HP amp and pre. I'd still be willing to give up the a90's preamp function if the '887 has more air up top...maybe. The combo of a90 as pre and a-100 as amp is better than a90 solo as HP amp, to me that is - a very exciting listening experience. A90 is really laid back and sort of _tame._


----------



## Infoseeker

wizzman121 said:


> The 887 is a very neutral amp which is the main reason I keep it around.  I often use it when comparing headphones or DACs back to back.
> 
> I had the A90 for a short while and had a chance to compare it to the 887.  I am surprised so many people call it a neutral amp.  The A90 had a slightly warmer sound than the 887 and the slight bloom in the mid-bass was noticeable compared to the 887.  I don't mind a slightly warmer sound but while the 887 had a touch less bass, the bass on the 887 was noticeably tighter and more defined which I preferred.  Another difference between the two was the treble texture and soundstage.  The A90 definitely had more three-dimensional sound and a much better sense of space.  My only real complaint with the 887 (when comparing to other amps) is it is VERY two-dimensional sounding.  When you hear a more spacious-sounding amp like the A90 or Liquid Platinum ends up sounding like two walls of sound.
> 
> ...



Yeah, headamps gear have this kind of tube-like quality representation them. It is really enjoyable,  but I always assumed that was objectively a bad thing and not something a solid state should have.


----------



## ezduzit2500

Infoseeker said:


> Yeah, headamps gear have this kind of tube-like quality representation them. It is really enjoyable,  but I always assumed that was objectively a bad thing and not something a solid state should have.


I've never heard any of their amps, as I've not been able (or willing) to pay the price of admission. That may change in the future though as I go deeper into the hobby. I compare everything to the a-100, as it's going to remain in active use on my desktop with cans and speakers. I just bought an SMSL su-9 a few months ago too, that's also staying for the near to mid future.


----------



## ezduzit2500 (Dec 16, 2020)

ezduzit2500 said:


> I've never heard any of their amps, as I've not been able (or willing) to pay the price of admission. That may change in the future though as I go deeper into the hobby. I compare everything to the a-100, as it's going to remain in active use on my desktop with cans and speakers. I just bought an SMSL su-9 a few months ago too, that's also staying for the near to mid future.


I guess I'm not up to the level of best of the best, I am looking for good bang for the buck and good value though...


----------



## Shroomalistic

Wife told me to order the 887 so I cant tell her no.   Will be here tuesday!  pretty excited for my new stack of 788/887  just need to source some good xlr balance cables so I can run it balanced off the 788.


----------



## Shroomalistic (Dec 22, 2020)

just did a quickie hook up to test,  sounds great,  not even close to the power of the a-100 but only need that much power with my thunderpants. T50's are sluts for power.  Its still enough to put the a-100 back in the box and clear some desk space.


----------



## Magic77

Can anyone comment how this amp sounds single ended. I don’t own balanced headphones at the moment, but maybe in the near future. Is it worth getting for single ended only. I know everyone says balanced blows away the single ended. Just curious since I’m considering getting this amp. Thanks


----------



## Shroomalistic

it sounds amazing single ended but if you want single look at the smsl sp200,  its has the most power output for single ended of all the thx amps i believe


----------



## Magic77

Shroomalistic said:


> it sounds amazing single ended but if you want single look at the smsl sp200,  its has the most power output for single ended of all the thx amps i believe


Thanks very much.That may be a better choice for me. Have to check it out.


----------



## Shroomalistic

man this whole time i thought the xlr on the back of the 788 were outputs,  nope!  I was hoping to run balanced out to the 887 from it.


----------



## Stereolab42

Umm... is this amp supposed to be generating audible signal with the volume control at 0 (as far counter-clockwise as it goes)? Because mine is. Tried both balanced and RCA inputs, multiple headphones, multiple gain selections. Guess I'll be returning it and trying another bargain THX AAA amp while I wait for my HPA4 to be built.


----------



## Infoseeker

Don't forget it is single-ended. What do you have setup upstream?


----------



## Stereolab42

Infoseeker said:


> Don't forget it is single-ended. What do you have setup upstream?


Schiit Gungnir MB for now, which has both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA outputs; I tried both into the 887. My Woo WA5 sitting right next to it is silent at volume 0, consuming the same RCA outputs from the Gungy.


----------



## Voxata

Stereolab42 said:


> Umm... is this amp supposed to be generating audible signal with the volume control at 0 (as far counter-clockwise as it goes)? Because mine is. Tried both balanced and RCA inputs, multiple headphones, multiple gain selections. Guess I'll be returning it and trying another bargain THX AAA amp while I wait for my HPA4 to be built.


No


----------



## Stereolab42

Voxata said:


> No



Apparently it's expected. I cross-shipped the return of the Monolith with a new Drop 789 one-day delivery. It's basically the same amp, and it does the same thing for me. I found more reports of this as well:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/mas...ifier-impressions-thread.873576/post-14623878

It's not a big deal since 99% of the time I'm just pausing the music or the video or muting PC volume when I want silence instead of turning the physical knob to 0, and even then, it's a minimal amount of bleed-through. But it's definitely a sign that you can't in fact get everything at a $300-400 price point, some compromises have to be made (apparently in the degree to which internal components were isolated from each other). Now if my HPA4 does this when it comes in, I'm going to raise hell...


----------



## skhan007

Just got through reading this thread and the 887 sounds like it would be a good match for my needs. I'm so glad to read user experiences pairing the 887 with the RME ADI-2. Thanks to @bryceu for sharing insights on this pairing, as well as settings to run the ADI-2 at -5dB into the 887. I'm currently using the ADI-2 headphone out to power my ZMF Auteur's and I think it sounds good, but many have stated that these headphones need more power to reach their potential. I'm willing to give it a go with the 887. 

Some have stated the sound stage is closed with the 887 and some have stated it's more open. I'm not sure what to expect, but my hope is that my experience will show that the pairing of the ADI-2 and 887 is an improvement over the ADI-2 on its own. Thoughts?


----------



## ezduzit2500 (Mar 31, 2021)

ezduzit2500 said:


> I'm hoping that the '887 is as linear and as exciting to listen to as the a-100 is. A90 seems to be neutral-slightly warm up top. Of course the a-100 is class a-b, not op amp based. That may be the difference but I'm not passing judgment til I get the '887 in, run it in, and compare all three amps side by side. Either way, the a-100 is a stable keeper but I'm liking having the a90's versatility as HP amp and pre. I'd still be willing to give up the a90's preamp function if the '887 has more air up top...maybe. The combo of a90 as pre and a-100 as amp is better than a90 solo as HP amp, to me that is - a very exciting listening experience. A90 is really laid back and sort of _tame._


Welp. To update those concerned. I got my '887 in, set it up, and compared it to a90. The '887 for me is a tad more linear than a90. What I mean is that from bottom to top seems to be a straight line. Less midbass bloom than what I hear with the a90 and more treble air and openness. The a90 _to me_ seems to have a more closed in top end. They both are on the dry side. This with the Hifiman Aryas. I sent both back though because I found a deal on a gently used Gustard H20 that does it all (HP amp and pre), that sounds better than both. Swapped out it's op amps for some Sparkos Labs and am now set for a while. Still curious getting some Sonic Imagery model 994 op amps though.


----------



## Voxata (Mar 31, 2021)

ezduzit2500 said:


> Welp. To update those concerned. I got my '887 in, set it up, and compared it to a90. The '887 for me is a tad more linear than a90. What I mean is that from bottom to top seems to be a straight line. Less midbass bloom than what I hear with the a90 and more treble air and openness. The a90 _to me_ seems to have a more closed in top end. They both are on the dry side. This with the Hifiman Aryas. I sent both back though because I found a deal on a gently used Gustard H20 that does it all (HP amp and pre), that sounds better than both. Swapped out it's op amps for some Sparkos Labs and am now set for a while. Still curious getting some Sonic Imagery model 994 op amps though.


The 887/A90 are very dry but linear and have poor quality pots. I had some unit variation that could be attributed to usage and pot quality deteriorating. I even had one go out in the A90. I'm very happy now with my Singxer SA-1.


----------



## ezduzit2500

Voxata said:


> The 887/A90 are very dry but linear and have poor quality pots. I had some unit variation that could be attributed to usage and pot quality deteriorating. I even had one go out in the A90. I'm very happy now with my Singxer SA-1.


Cool beans. I checked that out at Apos' website. Looks good. Is there an option to change out the op amps for different sound flavors? How's it for driving the he-6?


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## Voxata

I don't believe there are any opamps. It's fully discreet class a/b with optional DC couple mode. Measurement wise it's one of not the best out there, which is pretty wild since it's not a chip amp.


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## DeweyCH

Anyone ever open this up and try upgrading the caps like folks have done with the Liquid Platinum? I'm on a mod kick and this is just staring at me, tempting me.


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## Deolum

This amp is a joke. Drives my Susvara and my AKG K1000 as well as my IEMs. Many multi thousand bucks amps can't do that.


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## Cekootje

It’s currently on sale now in Europe so it’s only €285. That won me over, I just ordered one. I can’t wait to hear how it’ll make my Chord Qutest and Beyerdynamics 1990 sing!


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## Infoseeker

Cekootje said:


> It’s currently on sale now in Europe so it’s only €285. That won me over, I just ordered one. I can’t wait to hear how it’ll make my Chord Qutest and Beyerdynamics 1990 sing!



Very good pieces of gear, but your chain is all nuetral sources with a bright Beyer. You got an EQ preset going? Or maybe request a SolderDude Passive filter; therefore no need to EQ.


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## Cekootje

Infoseeker said:


> Very good pieces of gear, but your chain is all nuetral sources with a bright Beyer. You got an EQ preset going? Or maybe request a SolderDude Passive filter; therefore no need to EQ.


That’s true about the Beyer but that was one of the things I liked when I bought it. Maybe I’ll throw in a Schiit Loki someday if I find it too bright.


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## Cekootje

Well mine’s in now. I’ve listened to it a couple of days and I like it a lot! Great value for money and with the Qutest + Beyerdynamic.. nothing to complain! If anything I find the bass quite pronounced but that’s okay. Very pleasurable listening, very detailed but not fatiguingly so. Yup this puppy stays.


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## lpd2

Does this unit have any special sauce DAC input voltage requirements or does my 1.9v Liquid Spark cut it?


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## Infoseeker

lpd2 said:


> Does this unit have any special sauce DAC input voltage requirements or does my 1.9v Liquid Spark cut it?



The monoprice input impedance is 50kOhms. Which is an extra effort for them. So I imagine it's was also made to tolerate extra margin of Vrms input as well.

No idea though. I am not giving a direct answer.


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## lpd2

All good, can't wait to try mine out. Still haven't sent me a tracking email, ordered on halloween. They're usually pretty fast. Not a big deal. I can drive everything I have with present equip., just couldn't resist a measurably perfect balanced amp with ridiculous power for $250 (sale). Wasn't planning on getting a new amp and was only browsing monoprice to see if they had any new planars when I saw it. I guess I'm at the endgame for amps.


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## Kitarist

Cekootje said:


> It’s currently on sale now in Europe so it’s only €285. That won me over, I just ordered one. I can’t wait to hear how it’ll make my Chord Qutest and Beyerdynamics 1990 sing!


Where did you buy it?


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## Infoseeker

Cekootje said:


> It’s currently on sale now in Europe so it’s only €285. That won me over, I just ordered one. I can’t wait to hear how it’ll make my Chord Qutest and Beyerdynamics 1990 sing!



How did this work out? For my Chord Hugo 2, they are a very clarity focused synnergy. So I need to use the filters and crossfeed to make it more thicker and musical sounding.

I imagine you don't got that option with the Qutest with no filters & crossfeed.


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## Amish

I've owned this amp for 20 months now and it has been my main amp for all of my non-electrostatic cans. The entire time I have owned this amp I have never once sat back and said to myself, " This is it." I have owned amps that made me instantly smile and tap my foot but this amp never did that. It's a very neutral-sounding amp and it has plenty of power for any headphone I own. It produces a clean sound, and it's dead silent. That said, it's not a "fun" amp for me. I admit to liking a bit of color added. I actually compare the 887 to my old Bryston BHA-1 and in that regard, they perform very much like each other, SQ-wise. 

For what it is, and what it does, it's a fine amp at a very fine price point. I'll keep mine and continue to use it but when I want to _really_ enjoy my music, it gets powered down so I can power up one of my other amps.


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## JayL

I'm using this amp with a Topping D90SE, via XLR, and I only use IEMs, via a 2.5mm balanced 4pin xlr adapter, and low gain.

Should I set the D90SE to 4v or 5v?


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## Infoseeker (Jun 26, 2022)

Amish said:


> I've owned this amp for 20 months now and it has been my main amp for all of my non-electrostatic cans. The entire time I have owned this amp I have never once sat back and said to myself, " This is it." I have owned amps that made me instantly smile and tap my foot but this amp never did that. It's a very neutral-sounding amp and it has plenty of power for any headphone I own. It produces a clean sound, and it's dead silent. That said, it's not a "fun" amp for me. I admit to liking a bit of color added. I actually compare the 887 to my old Bryston BHA-1 and in that regard, they perform very much like each other, SQ-wise.
> 
> For what it is, and what it does, it's a fine amp at a very fine price point. I'll keep mine and continue to use it but when I want to _really_ enjoy my music, it gets powered down so I can power up one of my other amps.



Yeah, for the thx amps I suggest not getting a very nuetral-to-clinical dac like my Chord Hugo2.

Maybe one of the more funner/less clinical implementationa of AKM dacs to go with the THX.

kind of like that Fiio K9 Pro desktop dac/amp that uses a THX-implementation with an ak4499. I feel bad later for those that get the K9 Pro version using the ESS dacs when the ak4499 version runs out.

EDIT: Even better would be some of the warmer iFi sources like a Micro Black or an iFi Gryphon with xBass.


I am now using my Gustard a22 dac (ak4499) with my THX887 (and my FluxLab FA-10 amp). Or using the line-out of my ibasso DX300MAX SS dap to the THX887.


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## maakheru

Amish said:


> I've owned this amp for 20 months now and it has been my main amp for all of my non-electrostatic cans. The entire time I have owned this amp I have never once sat back and said to myself, " This is it." I have owned amps that made me instantly smile and tap my foot but this amp never did that. It's a very neutral-sounding amp and it has plenty of power for any headphone I own. It produces a clean sound, and it's dead silent. That said, it's not a "fun" amp for me. I admit to liking a bit of color added. I actually compare the 887 to my old Bryston BHA-1 and in that regard, they perform very much like each other, SQ-wise.
> 
> For what it is, and what it does, it's a fine amp at a very fine price point. I'll keep mine and continue to use it but when I want to _really_ enjoy my music, it gets powered down so I can power up one of my other amps.


I use the Ifi tube buffer to give me the smoothness and richness that helps me really enjoy this amp. Without the tube buffer, it can sound kind of clinical.


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## 860lacov

I bought recently Monolith 887.
The device is great, but I have a problem.
There is no grounding on the power supply.
The amplifier is connected to the DAC (Topping dx3pro+). DAC doesn't have grounding either. 

I use DAC+AMP with my laptop. I can't use the laptop on battery power because there is no grounding in this setup. The result is that I can hear constant buzz/hum noise in headphones (LCD2 Classic). Especially when I touch the metal screw on the ear cup.

I wanted to have this dac/amp combo to have possibility to use Bluetooth. But currently I'm forced to use a third device with grounding.


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## ezduzit2500 (Aug 21, 2022)

First make sure that your power cables are not running parallel or right next to your signal cables. Power cables provide power to your components, signal cables are RCA's, balanced interconnects, or USB cables that carry the music's signals. Either arrange the power and signal cables perpendicular to each other or separate them as well as you can (at least a foot). The worst you can do is have them in a rat's nest, tangled up, or all tied together running the same way. Also, look at the quality of your cables. Make sure they're quality_ triple _or _quad _shielded RCA or balanced cables (quad shielded RCA, twisted pair RCA, or balanced XLR cables are best). Cables can act like an antennae by picking up all sorts of noises if they're not well shielded. Make sure they're well constructed. Shop Monoprice or better and ditch the cheap included cables.


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## 860lacov

The Problem lays in something else.
I did tests.

Disconnected everything.

Connected only lcd2 and dx3pro+. Result was buzzing in headphones. And when I touch screws on ear pieces buzzing is louder.
No rca cable or anything.

I Connected dx3 rca to my PC trough rca - Jack cable. No buzzing at all.

I did the same test with 887.
887 (connected to power but not powered on with the button)
887+lcd = buzz
887 + lcd + dx3 (RCA) = buzz
Connected to pc or laptop with grounded power supply and buzz ends.


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## Frankw35

Hi--trying to get an answer to this question and whether I have a defective unit. Does the pass through continue to passthrough even with headphones plugged in? Seems like they should shut off. I sit about 3 feet away from some powered monitors, have them hooked up to passthrough, and they are drowning out the headphones to an extent. I may have wrongly assumed this had a feature it doesn't have--if so I may have to take it back and look for something else.


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## ezduzit2500

Frankw35 said:


> Hi--trying to get an answer to this question and whether I have a defective unit. Does the pass through continue to passthrough even with headphones plugged in? Seems like they should shut off. I sit about 3 feet away from some powered monitors, have them hooked up to passthrough, and they are drowning out the headphones to an extent. I may have wrongly assumed this had a feature it doesn't have--if so I may have to take it back and look for something else.


It is a simple pass-through and isn't switched nor is influenced by the volume pot. You'd need to get a passive preamp/source selector and run your RCA's/XLR's through it to toggle inputs/outputs. JDS Labs OL Switcher (the one I have) or a Schiit Sys are both good, IMO.


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## RingingEars

I was on the Monoprice site just now and noticed this amp is on sale so I snagged one and a couple XLR cables. I'll be pairing it with a Teac UD-301 I've had for a few years now. My hope is that this amps flatness(if I can call it that) paired with the rich tone of the Burr Browns in the Teac will pair well together for a decent mid-range stack.
I'll be using my stock Fostex t50s. I would like to get the Fostex balanced so I may have to send them off to modhouse.


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## DataTutashxia

Hi guys, will this amp do SE In -> XLR Out? Or it needs balanced input for balanced output?


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## OldDude04

DataTutashxia said:


> Hi guys, will this amp do SE In -> XLR Out? Or it needs balanced input for balanced output?



It will do SE in to XLR out.


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## DataTutashxia

Got it yesterday, had two good sessions. My previous stack was Modi MB -> Vali 2 -> Empyrean. Impressions from replacing Vali 2 with Monoprice THX 887 (SE out):
- noticeably clearer across the board
- hits a bit harder
- faster
- better imaging
- a bit thinner, but in a good way. I guess it's removed distortion more than anything else.. 
i don't have anything else to compare to, so I'm happy, especially for this price


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## Tatertots

The THX 887 is now on sale for $199.99 at Monoprice.  I purchased one at that price as I have been looking for a headphone amp.


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## tyk103

Just bought one to test it out and curious how it will sound with the JDS Element III as a DAC. Since it was meant to be a SE amp, I'm curious how it'll sound on my Focal Clears and HD6XX on just the 3.5mm.


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## OldDude04

tyk103 said:


> Just bought one to test it out and curious how it will sound with the JDS Element III as a DAC. Since it was meant to be a SE amp, I'm curious how it'll sound on my Focal Clears and HD6XX on just the 3.5mm.



Just a heads up, because the 887 isn't a fully discrete balanced amp, you can use the 4 Pin XLR headphone out on the front even with the non-balanced Element III as your DAC.


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