Asr

The Dark Knight 2-DVD Special Edition set and 2-CD Collector's Edition film soundtrack (pre-order)

You mean me an MOT? I've only bought most of HeadAmp's post-2005 amps (some more than once), I'm not really a dealer. Last I heard there were going to be new modules at some point in time, I guess Justin put those plans on hold for the indefinite future. But the GS-1/GS-X will be ready for new modules if Justin ever does return to those plans...

I for one would appreciate no further BHSE-related pics, I don't want to know what they'll look like until I actually get mine...

Almost all 2008 releases except for two... Bitter:Sweet - Drama (trip-hop/pop) Cannonball Adderley - Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (jazz) Duffy - Rockferry (soul/alt-rock) Julianne Hough - Julianne Hough (pop-country) Melody Gardot - Worrisome Heart (jazz) Natalia Clavier - Nectar (trip-hop) OneRepublic - Dreaming Out Loud (alt-rock) Shearwater - Rook (indie rock) Shelby Lynne - Just A Little Lovin' (alt-country/pop)

No, there is only the GS-1. If you like its features and form factor, you won't find anything else that'll compete. At some point Justin will also hopefully release new modules for it...

Having researched this subject recently myself, there's some criteria that needs to be considered before anything else, like: 1 - Is the DVD source a standard-def player or Blu-Ray player? (If it's Blu-Ray, the receiver should include TrueHD decoding especially if the speakers are hi-fi, which is totally unnecessary for standard-def.) HDMI should also be a consideration here if the DVD source has it - current receivers all have HDMI inputs & outputs, but if the DVD source doesn't have HDMI output, an HDMI-less receiver may be more practical (assuming lack of upgrade motivation for the DVDP). 2 - What are the speaker specs? The receiver should carry more than enough power for the speakers at their nominal impedance, especially important since some A/V vendors overstate the power output spec - Harmon/Kardon and Marantz are notably very conservative. 3 - Do they need video upscaling/processing? This isn't completely necessary since most HDTVs will do it internally (and some DVDPs also), but sometimes the quality will be better when the receiver does it. 4 - And kind of esoteric, but do they really need the functionality of an A/V receiver? An audio-only integrated amp can work just as well (and will probably sound better for the same money) if video functions aren't required.

No I don't worry about that, I'm not that neurotic. (aggh @ the annoying 15-min edit window) I don't think it sucks, it sounds perfectly respectable, it's just nowhere close to my sonic preferences (and the Plinius doesn't meet all my preferences either but it meets more than the Classe does). And in the world of subjective writing about audio, I know that other people (not on Head-Case but elsewhere) who might read what I write will either misinterpret or draw unintended conclusions. And have you ever seen me rip other people off when it comes to selling gear? Maybe you should STFU.

Incidentally, "QQQ" (the OP in the HF thread) is the name of a Chinese IM program.

Almost-Final Impression Well, it's been fun listening to the Classe but as nice as it sounds, I'm 99% positive that the Classe will be a short-term ownership, which will leave me defaulting to the Plinius. I'd go into specifics - I'd like to share, and I'm sure some people will want to know about it, but I won't disclose anything further at this time about how I hear the Classe sounds, because I foresee selling it, and writing my impressions may negatively affect a sale. I don't know yet for sure if I'll be selling it though as I don't have my finalized balanced dynamic rig yet and will wait until I do to determine whether or not to sell.

I figured as much before I read your post. The amp doesn't look like an authentic EC product, and though I've had very sparse dealings with Craig myself, I'm sure he would've mentioned a product like this before at one of the previous meets to someone who would've posted something here or on HF. He's never released a product without someone commenting somewhere about it beforehand. Also the way that HF-er posted about it looked really suspicious, and I'm pretty sure Craig really has absolutely no reason to make a small Zana Deux, especially when he already makes the Lunch Box/Pro. I find it kinda sad that so many people at HF actually believe the amp is an authentic EC product. Maybe if they put on their thinking caps they might realize it's not. On another note, I just visited the EC Web site and it looks like he's running a holiday special on Lunch Box Pro amps! Kinda tempted to pick one up myself...

Point duly taken morphsci. The unit reviewed was a loaner that Luminette received from Moon Audio, and very well could have had a bad tube or other tube issue. I didn't open the amp to check for anything. I did verify the noise I heard was from the tubes btw, as I heard it with the amp disconnected from the ICs, and the noise was static-like, not a hum or buzz. Luminette also reported hearing this tube noise btw.

A co-worker's dog that I just wanted to share: (they let us bring dogs if we want to)

We need to have a meet, because I'd like to try them too, and who wouldn't want to hear these on the BHSE?

If a moderator could fix this bolded part to change the period to a comma (in the AD2000 section), I'd appreciate it: Heh, well I'm only going to be writing 1 more kind-of-a-review on Head-Case, so you could say I'll be stopping that soon. These Woo Audio 6 and Shanling PH3000 ones were completely unplanned/unforeseen.

Intro As mentioned in my previous review of the Shanling PH3000, I'm really no longer writing reviews, but I recently had an opportunity to check out the Woo Audio 6. Thought I might as well write a review of this amp too while I was at it. Like the Shanling PH3000 review, this too was accelerated - all listening here was also done in 4 days, so this can be considered more of a mini-review than a full-length one. Associated Equipment Power cord: Black Sand Silver Reference MKV Digital source: Plinius CD-101 RCA interconnects: Analysis Plus Silver Oval Comparison amplifier: HeadAmp Gilmore Lite (used only as a reference point of contrast) Headphones: AKG K701 (re-cabled w/ SAA Equinox), Audio-Technica W5000 and AD2000 (both re-cabled w/ APureSound V3) Evaluation CD Tracks A Fine Frenzy - One Cell In The Sea - "The Minnow & The Trout" Alison Krauss & Union Station - New Favorite - "Let Me Touch You For Awhile", "The Lucky One" Alison Krauss & Union Station - So Long So Wrong - "Little Liza Jones" Porcupine Tree - In Absentia - "Blackest Eyes", "Trains", "Lips of Ashes" Priscilla Ahn - A Good Day - "Dream" Rachel Portman - Chocolat [OST] - "Main Titles" The Crystal Method - Tweekend - "Murder" (aka "You Know It's Hard") The Prodigy - The Fat of the Land - "Smack My Bitch Up" Vienna Teng - Dreaming Through The Noise - "Nothing Without You" Features, Operation, etc. The WA6 was heavier than expected - looks compact but with clearly substantive weight, primarily from the dual power transformers. Relatively nice-looking amp too, with a clean finish that can come in either silver or black. Not much in the way of features, but the amp does have an impedance selector switch that flips between 8-99 Ohms and 100-600 Ohms. I flipped the switch to 100-600 Ohms and plugged in my Audio-Technica AD2000 to check for noise - and found the tubes to be completely silent. Literally the only noise that could be discerned was a very low-level hum from the power transformers. The lack of tube noise was amazing, the WA6 is the first amp I've found to have absolutely no audible noise from the tubes. I neglected to check if the impedance selector switch actually changed the gain multiplier or just increased the output power. Sound - with K701 On Priscilla Ahn's "Dream," the WA6 placed Priscilla Ahn's voice closer than the Gilmore Lite did, for a more intimate presentation. The added prominence felt like a detraction though, and reduced the sense of overall depth to the soundstage. There didn't seem to be much air around the instruments. Treble was also not as sharp as the GL's, and not in a good way - there was a severely noticeable lack of razor-lined edges to the guitar strings. Dynamics also seemed to be a bit restrained compared to the GL, but the amp was still quite dynamic on its own. On A Fine Frenzy's "The Minnow & The Trout," and Vienna Teng's "Nothing Without You," the WA6 gave a softer tone to the piano keys than the GL, but it was still strong enough to convey proper dynamic range. It also gave a stronger lower-mid/mid-bass anchor that made the piano sound heavy and deep. Overall there was more fullness and body, and it was very fluid as well - long piano notes with strong decays, fleshed out very well. AKUS' "Let Me Touch You For Awhile" revealed some serious detractions though. The WA6 was a tad sluggish on the bass action and not really rhythmic enough. There wasn't enough "spring" to the guitar or mandolin notes either. Dynamic range also seemed to suffer here - the track overall felt too loud, with not enough contrast between softer and louder parts. And on "The Lucky One" also by AKUS, while the WA6 removed a sense of Alison's voice carrying on air, it did make her voice sound more luscious and sultry. It was also positioned more closely/intimately and much more fluid. As far as detractions here, the WA6 missed conveying the metallic overtones and pops on the steel guitar, and the ambient air and space also felt significantly reduced - enough that the sense of space felt more like an enclosed studio room as opposed to an open hall. The various instruments comprising the band were discretely positioned though and were easy to locate by ear. Porcupine Tree's "Blackest Eyes" went ok on the WA6 but not particularly great - the amp wasn't totally aggressive and dynamic on the opening overdriven guitars. It lacked a sense of brashness and intensity. It was still very dynamic though, and exuded its own confidence and power. It also separated the multiple guitars well to line up a convincing soundstage. Its presentation was also very direct - almost borderline in-your-face, but still a sense of some air around the band to not sound too suffocating. Sound - with W5000 Revisiting Priscilla Ahn's "Dream," the WA6 paired well with the W5000 - although a closer, more intimate presentation, the W5000's intrinsic soundstage created a good outward curve to the image - that may still be too intimate for some people. The track was highly fluid with the W5K but not overly so, with a bold mid-range and strong firm bass. The lack of treble on the guitar was even more noticeable with the W5000 than the K701 though. On Porcupine Tree's "Trains" and "Lips of Ashes," the most noticeable detraction was in treble extension, as it was audibly rolled off, but in spite of that, both tracks still sounded relatively good. The amp also gave more substance and body to the male vocals than the GL which was nice. Rachel Portman's "Main Titles" from Chocolat [OST] went very well with the W5000 - the amp organized the soundstage much better than the GL. The individual orchestra sections were placed more realistically with percussion & strings on the left, brass and woodwinds in the center and center-right. It wasn't exactly as wide a soundstage as the GL, but there seemed to be more discrete horizontal positions within the image. There was also a better sense of depth in relation between the violins and the flute, as the flute felt distinctly further away. Sound - with AD2000 On The Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up," the WA6/AD2000 pairing had its quirks. The GL had the clearer bass, as the WA6 felt a tad indistinct, even almost had what could be called generic-sounding bass. It was also less agile and didn't power through the bass as deftly. But it did pump up the >50Hz area for a nice added punch and boom that felt more satisfyingly deep. It didn't take much away from the AD2K's inherent speed - slightly less, but not too much that it made anything sound too slow. The Crystal Method's "Murder" went worse for the WA6. Bass on this track sinks to a lower level than The Prodigy track, and the WA6 struggled to deliver it, it just didn't sound low or deep as the GL does, which maintains clear control over the low bass current. TCM's "Over The Line" is another bass reference, and it was here where it was obvious that the WA6 amped up 50-70Hz more than the GL, and 30-50Hz less than the GL, as it simply conveyed more impact than it did rumble (and conversely, the GL conveyed more rumble than impact). There was audible bass roll-off on the WA6, approximately around 40Hz. The amp just didn't creep or ooze low bass. For a non-electronic test, both Vienna Teng and and Priscilla Ahn tracks were spun on the AD2000. The WA6 had the more realistic imaging than the GL. There was maybe less horizontal span than the GL but it was very integrated, very rounded, and very existential. The amp gave a proper impression of weight and realism to both voices and instruments. Conclusion The Woo Audio 6 is a solid tube amp all-around. I found it to have some key flaws but none really take away from what's essentially a very decent amp that can work well with different headphones. It may not really be optimal for the headphones I tried it with, but it works well enough and may very well be acceptable for listeners not as discerning as I was. Pics (click for larger)

Initial Impression There's no doubt in my mind that both the Plinius and Classe are supremely awesome sources. They both sound really good - amazing in fact. I can't really say which one I like better - they have some similarities, and differences of course, but they both have a sound that's very rewarding to listen to, in different ways. I'll highlight their differences and similiarities at some point in the future, but for now all I can say is that it's going to be complicated picking these apart. For all their differences (as few as they are), they're also kinda similar, and I can tell it's going to take a while to pinpoint exactly where they differ, and the Gilmore Lite won't be a sufficient tool either. Definitely going to need to use a higher-end amp that I have on order and expecting to have before the year is over. I had some anxiety about the Classe going in but so far it's living up to expectations. No sonic complaints yet - well a few, but I suspect they could be rectified by alternate cables (headphone, IC, or power cord).

And he's back! You missed this fall's first snow. Wasn't much tho, hopefully we'll get more soon. Enjoy the fuse btw.

I'm considering buying a quad of extra tubes for rolling in anticipation of my BHSE. What characteristics do I look for - just a matched quad of EL34? A quick eBay search turned up these, any of them will do? Anyone know what will come stock with the BHSE? Matched Quad of Tungsol EL34 B / 6CA7 tubes Tung sol - eBay (item 310100272607 end time Dec-13-08 08:25:18 PST) NOS Siemens EL34 Tubes Matched Quad (RFT, Telefunken) - eBay (item 150309740000 end time Nov-19-08 21:28:33 PST) EL34 EH -NEW Electro Harmonix Guitar AmpTubes 4 pc Quad - eBay (item 280286065168 end time Dec-16-08 00:02:15 PST)

Actual impressions to come later, only a pic for now. Plinius is less deep and slightly shorter, and the curves are sharper on it.

I've got Mike beat - I owned a KGSS for one day (sold it to fund my BHSE). Beat that! Never got to listen to it.

SAA Equinox, back when I owned 650s. Seems like ages ago. I'll never buy an SAA cable again, down with SAA and their deceptive marketing. Can anyone honestly believe the singular "Equinox" cable is "specifically formulated" for the Grado RS1, Senn HD650, AKG K701, et al? That is just an outright lie and blatantly deceptive marketing like that really turned me off. I don't care how good it sounds, the Equinox cable is snake oil.

A note I neglected to point out previously: the Shanling ran surprisingly cool for a tube amp. I suspect that it does not run in Class A.

Intro Some here may know I quit reviewing audio gear some time ago, which still holds - there were several reasons I gave that up but there are still a few components here and there that have piqued my curiosity. So when an opportunity to spend some time with the Shanling PH3000 came up recently, I jumped on it, and rather than keep my findings to myself, I thought I'd also write up an informal review since this amp isn't well-known. I want to add here that my listening with the Shanling was accelerated given the short span of time I had with it - only 4 days. Past reviews I've written were done over weeks (in some cases, even months) so this review should be considered more of a "mini-review," but lest that give the wrong idea, I did listen to the amp very critically in the short time I had it. And in mini-review tradition, I've made this review as brief and to-the-point as possible. My only comparison amp was the HeadAmp Gilmore Lite. Not a valid comparison given its very solid-statey sound, but the only way I used it was as a reference to hear how the Shanling differed, as I expected a contrast since the Shanling uses tubes. Associated Equipment Power cord: Black Sand Silver Reference MKV Digital source: Plinius CD-101 RCA interconnects: Analysis Plus Silver Oval Comparison amplifier: HeadAmp Gilmore Lite Headphones: AKG K701 (re-cabled w/ SAA Equinox), Audio-Technica W5000 and AD2000 (both re-cabled w/ APureSound V3) Evaluation CD Tracks A Fine Frenzy - One Cell In The Sea - "The Minnow & The Trout" Alison Krauss & Union Station - New Favorite - "Let Me Touch You For Awhile", "The Lucky One" Alison Krauss & Union Station - So Long So Wrong - "Little Liza Jones" Porcupine Tree - In Absentia - "Blackest Eyes", "Trains" Priscilla Ahn - A Good Day - "Dream" Rachel Portman - Chocolat [OST] - "Main Titles" The Crystal Method - Community Service - "Dude In The Moon [Luna Mix]" The Crystal Method - Tweekend - "Murder" (aka "You Know It's Hard") The Prodigy - The Fat of the Land - "Smack My Bitch Up" Vienna Teng - Dreaming Through The Noise - "1BR/1BA" Features, Operation, etc. The Shanling has a nice compact form factor and isn't too heavy either, which makes it quite transportable. Decent number of features, with two single-ended headphone jacks (on Neutrik TRS combo jacks), dual analog inputs, and pre-amp output. With no gain switch, I was expecting a low gain value - but that was clearly the wrong expectation because this amp has a high gain. It went from zero-point volume to certifiably loud with the AKG K701 at position 3 (note: my source has 2V analog output). Given the inefficiency of the K701, anything above position 3 is clearly for very inefficient headphones - as in, greater than 300 Ohms. The Shanling's tubes were extremely noisy - forget the Audio-Technica headphones that I own, I heard hiss even with the K701. Not only was the noise at a distracting level, it also modulated from a bit soft to outright loud. This amp is absolutely not for use with low-impedance headphones - they pick up the tube noise way too easily which takes away from the music (it is audible when music is playing). Sound - with K701 Priscilla Ahn's "Dream" from A Good Day consists of prominent female vocals with backing guitar strumming including other instruments. The Shanling gave a very smooth, drawn-out sound compared to the GL, which was clear, quick, and agile. Very fluid, lulling quality to Priscilla's vocals, with good proper z-axis depth. Relatively gentle emphasis on the mid-bass - not really deep, but firm and solid. The soundstage was quite expansive and open, with a very noticeable contour of the instrument positions - very solidly sweeping from left to right, including a discrete center point (that the Gilmore Lite tends to miss). However, there were serious detractions with the Shanling on this CD track compared to the Gilmore Lite, including a lack of pop and twang to the guitar strings, a lack of speed & agility, and a loss in overall clarity. Decays off notes were also slow and blurry (blurred into the next note). Porcupine Tree's "Blackest Eyes" from In Absentia is a moderately-driving prog rock track primarily based on overdriven guitars and male vocals. The Shanling was way too laid-back on this track, with a severe lack of dynamics and aggression, and no bite or snarl on the guitar thrashes. Its presentation was not immediate or direct, and it did not swell to meet volume surges. In its favor though, it did give a bigger spatial image, with a greater sense of air around the band plus more virtual horizontal space between the listener and band positions. A Fine Frenzy's "The Minnow & The Trout" from One Cell In The Sea consists of indie-style melodic female vocals over a heavy piano harmony - almost like a second voice to the track. The Shanling was sloppy on the piano key decays, blurring them into a mess - allowing them to run into the next key, and even each other (similar to what naturally happens when the piano's sustain pedal is intentionally held down to allow multiple note decays to converge). It did soften the upper treble though, making the piano notes sound less hard and harsh, and instead smoother and softer - but this also took away some of the dynamic range and intensity of the push action on the piano keys. Soundstage was nicely open and wide, putting both the piano and Alison Sudol's voice backwards. Alison Krauss & Union Station's "Let Me Touch You For Awhile" and "The Lucky One" both from New Favorite did not go well for the Shanling overall. It was too soft-sounding in terms of both volume and frequency balance (not enough treble tilt). It offered no intensity on volume spikes and was too slow - quick taps and plucks were only partially rendered, and edges of notes were neither precise nor clean. These two tracks also showed an inability to separate individual instruments and voices within the mix, there was a big loss in distinction between them. It also did not give a sense of breathing air in, around, or between instruments and voices. The main advantage of the Shanling on these tracks seemed to be its cohesive, intact imaging (even though not well-defined internally) with a good sense of z-axis displacement. There was no pop or twang to the banjo with the Shanling. Sound - with W5000 It was back to Priscilla Ahn's "Dream" with this headphone, and the most noticeable quality with this pairing was a large-scale smoothness and fluidity, way more than necessary. Mid-bass was not very clear either, and there was a loss in distinction of air moving behind the acoustic bass. On Porcupine Tree's "Trains", the most easily noticeable qualities were again detractions - too laid-back sounding, a loss in overall focus (not "sharp" enough), treble roll-off, indistinct layer delineation, and slow overall speed. There was a lack of insistence that contributed to feeling less energetic. Rachel Portman's "Main Titles" from the Chocolat [OST] film soundtrack revealed a very specific deficiency to the Shanling. It blended/blurred separate instruments at the same frequency, with a noticeable inability to cleanly identify their distinct positions and blurring their sound together. On the other hand, the Shanling's soundstage proved to be very complementary with the W5000 - it was wide and deep, with the orchestra not feeling too close. The various mid-range instruments were also quite sonorous and came out of the mix boldly, as the amp seemed to give them good compensation in the lower part of the mid-range. This track, coupled with Vienna Teng's "1BR/1BA" from Dreaming Through The Noise, consistently displayed the Shanling's shortcomings in attack (in treble and bass areas) and separation. "1BR/1BA" was an excellent example of where the Shanling did not complement the W5000 though, primarily due to rolling off the treble, being too slow, and taking away from the W5000's intrinsic ability to separate harmonic overtones from the rest of the spectrum. Sound - with AD2000 As the Audio-Technica AD2000 is primarily my bass and speed headphone, it made sense to use it to gauge those aspects. The Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up" from The Fat of the Land, though, instantly revealed grainy treble on the opening percussion notes. At least there was deep, powerful, supple bass though. Lots of power right at 40-60 Hz. No extra mid-bass punch and impact really, but more lower ooze and depth - just not quite that fast, as the Gilmore Lite was. Dastrix's "Dude In The Moon [Luna Mix]" from The Crystal Method's Community Service mix CD was another great stress-test, as this track carries both a heavy bass and treble presence simultaneously at various parts. These parts were not a problem for the Gilmore Lite, but the Shanling dullened the bass impacts and treble attack, taking away the speed and agility that should be there. The Shanling did do fairly well with The Crystal Method's "Murder" and "Over The Line" from Tweekend though. It added to the area of bass rumble with more quantity than the Gilmore Lite, and more heavy oppression on bass phases and rolls (even though it did drag out notes a bit and lost distinction and definition). It also laid into the bass pulse on "Over The Line" with more pressure, almost fat and heavy even. However, as nice as the bass power was, it just wasn't clean enough on the Shanling to allow hearing the rumble below the driving pulse, because the two elements are separate and should be heard separately, not converged. Conclusion The Shanling isn't bad - at no point did it really sound out-right terrible, but on the other hand nothing about it was really impressive. It mostly came across as a sonic underachiever in critical areas - but for $400, and considering its features, it may be a relatively reasonable amp solution. At the same price point though, the HeadAmp Gilmore Lite absolutely crushed it on sonic merit alone, even though the two amps are different types. That said, I suspect there are other low-cost tube amps that easily outperform it sonically, so I'd have to recommend skipping it. Also, if it wasn't clear already, I did not find the Shanling ultimately complementary with any of my three dynamic headphones. Pics (click for larger)

An anodized-aluminum sphere, to be used to senselessly beat unsuspecting enemies.

Geez, I want a meet at Dr. Gilmore's place! Those amps off an SACD Standard.... :drool: