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

  • Based on 225 reviews
Condition: Used - Very Good
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$500.00 Why this price?

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Availability: Only 1 left in stock, order soon!
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Arrives Nov 30 – Dec 3
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Features

  • The Worlds Most Linear Amplifier Announced At Ces 2018, The Drop + Thx Achromatic Audio Amplifier (Thx Aaa) 789 Is A Linear Bipolar Amplifier With Feed-Forward Error Correction
  • Fatigue-Free Listening Made In Collaboration With Thx Ltd , It Features The CompanyS Groundbreaking Thx Aaa And Feed-Forward Topology, Which Reduce Distortion By 20 To 40 Db For Realistic, Fatigue-Free Listening.
  • Thx Aaa Technology Capable Of Driving Any Headphones, Including High-Impedance, High-Current, And High-Sensitivity Types, The Thx Aaa 789 Amp Transmits The Original Audio In Its Purest Possible Form.
  • Additional Features Each Channel Of The Thx Aaa 789 Amp Is Equipped With A Low-Bias Class-Ab Main Amplifier And An Auxiliary Error-Correction Amplifier, The Former Providing The Majority Of The Power And The Latter Providing A Realtime Low-Power Error-Correction Signal.

Brand: DROP


Color: Black


Compatible Devices: Desktop


Material: Aluminum


Output Wattage: 6 Watts


Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 9.1 x 2.2 inches


Item Weight: 3.4 pounds


Item model number: DROP + THX AAA 789


Date First Available: September 23, 2019


Manufacturer: DROP


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Nov 30 – Dec 3

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Detailed Sound. Powerful. Feature-Rich.
The very favorable reviews in the audio media are what prompted this purchase. I have no regrets. Construction is solid. The XLR inputs provide a better signal from my Mark Levenson preamp via the required 25 foot cable. The 3 stages of gain and the smooth rotary volume knob make for precise volume settings. Three different headphone connectors are available. Before purchasing headphones, I listened to classical recordings via Quad electrostatic speakers, and I thought the sound was detailed while somewhat lacking in dynamics. What I now hear through my AKG702 headphones is greater detail, better dynamics and an immediacy not heard heard through my floor speakers. This is not a harsh, digital, analytical sound but simply more detailed information in a still very listenable manner . Another very nice headphone amp I own (but with only RCA inputs) sounds more "tubelike", pleasant and smooth but lacking in the detail provided by the 789. I much prefer to hear all the information in a recording. This headphone amp has exceeded my expectations and is a bargain at its price. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2020 by Classical Recording Collector

  • The sound, build, flexibility and value are superb.
I have a Schitt head amp and an Ayre Codex, but neither offers an XLR 4 pin headphone connection. Most of my headphones are terminated in 4 pin so I had to use adaptors for my other amps. That is a pain. I liked the looks of the 789 at first glance because, among its other features, it has an XLR headphone connection. Then i began to notice that some reviewers that I trust either had one on their desk or referred to the 789 in reviews of other products. I was curious. Given the price, I bought one. I still can't believe how quiet, transparent and resolving it is. Both the "balanced" and the RCA outputs provide stunning clarity. I love it. After 9 months, a few changes in interconnects and USB cables. I am literally amazed at the sound that I am getting. I think this is an incredible value. I took a USB cable that sounded a bit edgy in my main system, and it actually improved the sound of my desktop system, without a hint of the glare I had been hearing in my other system. This makes no sense to me, but it illustrates that character and tone can be affected by the wires you connect your dac with. Full disclosure, I should mention that I added and AudioQuest Powerquest 3 power conditioner, and it is probably a combination of the two items. The point is, it sounded good out of the box, but with a few tweeks it is even more enjoyable. Great buy. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2020 by Stanfx

  • FANTASTIC sound
I'm not going to say that this amp somehow changes the sound of music as if blessed by God's chorus of angels themselves. What it does, it does VERY well. I have a Cambridge Audio DACMagic Plus running to this with Amazon Basics balanced cables, and USB from my laptop. It is powering a pair of Sennheiser HD650 headphones, the modern equivalent of which is also available from Drop. I paid $400 for these headphones a decade ago, and I think they go for about $220 from Drop. I had previously used an integrated amp solution from Peachtree Audio, the Decco2 - also using USB from my computer. That Peachtree amp uses a (bypassable) tube input stage and class A headphone output. I was never really impressed by the sound of my headphones from that amp though...I mean, it sounded good, but it was missing something. I bought a $900 pair of Bowers & Wilkins P9 as a replacement...that's how much I thought was missing. But now, through this combo of Cambridge Audio DAC and Drop + THX AAA 789 headphone amp, I am really quite pleased with the sound! It sounds REALLY good. In fact, I think the Sennheisers sound BETTER in this combo than the B&W P9s (the reverse was true with the Peachtree)! That's right... $220 headphones now sound BETTER than a $900 pair, at least to me. This entire combo, Sennheiser HD6xx, Cambridge Audio DAC Magic Plus, and Drop + THX AAA 789, would cost about $900 today, or MUCH less than the $1400+ I paid for the Peachtree and Sennheiser combo a decade ago. That $900 could be reduced further by getting a less expensive, but still very high quality DAC, such as those from Topping, Schiit, and others, that can be had from $50-250+ (sky's the limit on DAC prices - up to tens of thousands of dollars...serously, though diminishing returns occurs the higher you go, as with all audio). This amp is a no brainer, if you ask me, and very highly recommended for those who demand high quality audio! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2020 by Curtis E. Creech Curtis E. Creech

  • Does exactly as claimed
I use this amp as my daily driver with Abyss Phi CC headphones -- super revealing and hard to drive. This amp performs admirably, and is my new benchmark to test all other amps against. It sounds way better than its price would suggest. I use balanced out exclusively to take advantage of its full 6w of power. It is totally clean sounding, very resolving, I'd say very close to 'neutral'. Conversely, it is not warm at all, in fact some say it's cold and clinical. I'd say its sound simply reflects everything else you have in the chain. I've tried numerous different cables and various tweaks upstream, and heard discernible differences every time I did. Just shows how revealing this little amp is. I'd say it's worth to own even as a secondary amp, but I'm using it as my primary and would have to justify spending 5-10x its cost for a 'better' amp. Not saying this is TOTL endgame, but surprisingly good in its own right. For $300? In this crazy $$$ headphone game? No brainer. Tip: If your existing gear tends toward bright or lean, this amp might exacerbate those traits. Also, I added Mapleshade 2" footers underneath and brass weights on top, which to my ears sounds much fuller and more to my liking. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2021 by Tholt922

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