Liquid Lightning

[HeadphoneAddict]

Just buy the BHSE and be done with it. You won't have to worry about anyone but the T2 DIYers having better gear and you'll also be able to stop complaining.

To these ears the 009/BH combo is hard to beat.

Well, to be honest the only music I tried with the BHSE and SR-009 at RMSF was Justin's copy of Dark Side of the Moon. But with that it simply sounded too bright for my tastes with the SR-009, and not full enough in the mids with the SR-007. I suppose tube rolling or a change in source and program material could fix a lot of that.

Again, if I was perfectly happy with the way my O2 Mk 1 are being driven, I wouldn't consider changing amps at all. But i'm happy with my amps with the SR-009 and HE-60.

I'll stop complaint now. Sorry.

[Torpedo]

DSOTM has suffered several remasters and some of them are certainly on the bright side of the sun. Maybe it's the source and recording to blame, not the amp-cans combo.

[kevin gilmore]

The sacd of dark side of the moon, as good as it is, should not be used

as a reference disc. Wish you were here is much better, but still there

are all sorts of flaws that are evident when you listen on good gear.

All of the analog productions discs (verve et all) are way better for

use as reference discs, as well as the recently recorded beethoven

piano sonatas discs.

[Dreadhead]

Even if he gets his shit together, he needs to consult someone else before naming his amps. I wouldn't want to buy an amp named Liquid Lightning, Liquid Fire or Exstata. Did he work for Hot Wheels previously, or what?

You're wrong (from his personal website):

Dr. Alexander Cavalli is a thought leader and authority on the Physics of Business and other strategic principles.

Edited December 9, 2011 by Dreadhead

[Torpedo]

What the hell is Physics of Business?

[Dreadhead]

I did some looking around after KG said he was a tenured Physics prof (not true as best I can tell, definitely not true now) and ran on his website. It's a fun read, business speak is there in spades:

http://www.alexandercavalli.com/

[kevin gilmore]

Alex told me he was a physics professor at a california university at CJ010.

I had no reason not to believe him. But the current stuff certainly makes

more sense given what he is doing, and i have a lot less respect for him now.

Also makes sense because alex has said that he designs strictly with a voltmeter

and does not have any of the standard test equipment one would expect a

decent audio designer to have access to.

Edited December 9, 2011 by kevin gilmore

[Spychedelic Whale]

This seminal work included the creation of the first Internet search engine, introduced in January 1994. Called EINet Galaxy, it became the model for every search engine (Yahoo, Infoseek, Excite, etc.) that followed

The father of google, respect

[spritzer]

So he basically has a BS in BS? Explains quite a bit...

[The Monkey]

"Thought leader" is one of the most despicable corporate-speak terms. That someone can use it about themselves seriously (and I've often heard it used as such) is one of the reasons this country's economy is in the fucking toilet and will be for a long time.

[Dreadhead]

The father of google, respect

Well he may be playing up his role but I did some reading and eiNet is/was legit (if very limited):

www.galaxy.com

Edited December 9, 2011 by Dreadhead

[Voltron]

For what it's worth, Larry, Justin's BHSE demos have always made me dislike the amp as overly bright with anything but the O2. The amp's original reason for being seemed to be to drive the O2s more forcefully and to make them sound more alive, brighter, and more forward than other amps. Between his source and the tubes he uses in the BHSE, I always think it sounds bright. And with the 009 that effect is going to be multiplied many times. My BHse with NOS Mullard xf2 tubes sounds fantastic with both the livelier 009 and SR-Omega and the O2. Not bright and not dull.

Now, this may be just pissing into the wind, but I'm going to take one shot. If you do sell the WES and whatever else you have in order to buy a new amp, then why would you go with an untried and untested Cavalli amp instead of a solid performer and known quantity like the BHSE? The Exstata disaster should be warning enough, but who knows how this new amp is going to perform in the long run. Just think about that SinglePower Square Wave you love to bitch about but can't listen to. Do you really want to be a guinea pig again? I, for one, don't want to hear about it if/when the LL bites the big one.

[Beefy]

......I still like my Exstata......

[Augsburger]

The sacd of dark side of the moon, as good as it is, should not be used

as a reference disc. Wish you were here is much better, but still there

are all sorts of flaws that are evident when you listen on good gear.

All of the analog productions discs (verve et all) are way better for

use as reference discs, as well as the recently recorded beethoven

piano sonatas discs.

/\ / \ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ this and I would add a few Ma Recording CD's to that list is well.

Al, as usual is dead ass right on this one, I would avoid giving any retailer a second chance after a failed "new product".

As my very own life coach and "thought leader" once said---- "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me"

[deepak]

x3. The BHSE is stable as a rock, a well proven design, etc etc

[johnwmclean]

......I still like my Exstata......

......I still like my EHHA......

[n_maher]

Why do I hear shit like 'Mellow greetings..." when I read Thought Leader. Fuck me I'd punch someone if they told me that as their job description.

[Grahame]

Nate, you need to Leverage your Synergies more proactively.

[spritzer]

Nothing wrong with liking either the Exstata or the EHHA but those designs are both highly compromised and I'd never consider them high end with those specs. The Exstata was in fact a failure IMO since it wasn't cheap, wasn't easy to build, it didn't outperform similarly priced Stax offerings and it wasn't readily available. These were all core values this "Volksamp" was supposed to fulfill but didn't. I do blame myself for some of this since I got fed up with Cavalli's "secret clan" methods and hiding away in hidden forums so I washed my hands of the whole affair. To some this may seem strange coming from "the Don of the Stax Mafia" but the Mafia is all about free flow of information. Not all of it is out in the open but then again not all of the members are forum members.

For what it's worth, Larry, Justin's BHSE demos have always made me dislike the amp as overly bright with anything but the O2. The amp's original reason for being seemed to be to drive the O2s more forcefully and to make them sound more alive, brighter, and more forward than other amps. Between his source and the tubes he uses in the BHSE, I always think it sounds bright. And with the 009 that effect is going to be multiplied many times. My BHse with NOS Mullard xf2 tubes sounds fantastic with both the livelier 009 and SR-Omega and the O2. Not bright and not dull.

Indeed... Justin.Get.Some.SED's!!!

[swt61]

Why do I hear shit like 'Mellow greetings..." when I read Thought Leader. Fuck me I'd punch someone if they told me that as their job description.

I'm worse. When I hear Thought Leader this guy comes to mind first...

[wink]

Joseph Goebbels..??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Goebbels

[Voltron]

Jim Jones, I believe. He had a lot of thoughts.

[guzziguy]

And a lot of Kool-Aid.

[swt61]

Jim Jones, I believe. He had a lot of thoughts.

Yep. My point was, he didn't start out as a paranoid, batshit crazy dictator. There was once a time in San Francisco when he was considered a thought leader. He did lots of charity work, and was a man of the people.

[HeadphoneAddict]

For what it's worth, Larry, Justin's BHSE demos have always made me dislike the amp as overly bright with anything but the O2. The amp's original reason for being seemed to be to drive the O2s more forcefully and to make them sound more alive, brighter, and more forward than other amps. Between his source and the tubes he uses in the BHSE, I always think it sounds bright. And with the 009 that effect is going to be multiplied many times. My BHse with NOS Mullard xf2 tubes sounds fantastic with both the livelier 009 and SR-Omega and the O2. Not bright and not dull.

Now, this may be just pissing into the wind, but I'm going to take one shot. If you do sell the WES and whatever else you have in order to buy a new amp, then why would you go with an untried and untested Cavalli amp instead of a solid performer and known quantity like the BHSE? The Exstata disaster should be warning enough, but who knows how this new amp is going to perform in the long run. Just think about that SinglePower Square Wave you love to bitch about but can't listen to. Do you really want to be a guinea pig again? I, for one, don't want to hear about it if/when the LL bites the big one.

Point taken. I find my SS eXStatA is only a little better than the HEV70 with my Pro bias phones, while my Hybrid was a bit better, but neither one is as good as the WES or KHSS. I pretty much only use it with my SR-Lambda and SR-5NB now, which sound very nice out of it but I could have had a used Stax amp for a lot less.

Aside from that, my hybrid amp had died once in March 2010, then had all the boards replaced with ones Bill stuffed, then the PSU died over the summer, so I had NoNoNoNoNoNo build another PSU and then the right channel died again. I recently bought a new set of stuffed hybrid amp boards (and entire PCB/BOM for a SS amp) but I'm afraid to install the new boards until I have done the PSU setup procedure on the PSU that NoNoNoNoNoNo built, to be sure it doesn't kill the amp again. Not very good luck with that one at all, although the SS amp has been running fine for over a year.

But, it's reliability and not sound that would be my main concern about being an early adopter of the LL, as I thought the the LL sounded very good. But so did the WES Mk2 and BHSE.

I'm going to dig out those Winged-C EL34 I bought from Deepak (at least I think I bought a quad from him) and try those in place of the Shugang 50 year treasure 6CA7. I'm also seriously contemplating the partial upgrade to WES Mk2 that Jack offered to me at a relatively low price. Something about improved inductors that give it better extension and transparency. Regardless, my WES was better than my old GES in direct comparisons, and I'd be happy to keep it now that I have the 009.