First off, thank you Todd for your generosity with this lending program.
I am very thankful for the chance to audition this amp in my home with my own music and equipment over over a week. I'd previously heard this amp briefly at the Chi-Unifi meet with my UM2s and another head-fiers IMOD.
This opportunity allowed me to take time for more careful listening and develop some more in-depth impressions across a range of music. This is my first formal review so please feel free to give me suggestions how to my improve future reviews.
These are my impressions using my Headamp Pico DAC feeding lossless files to the TTVJ amp. My main comparison is with the Pico dac/amp combo. Below are some pics and my impressions...
TTVJ Millet Hybrid
using PK3
When You Say Nothing at All – Alison Krauss
-Vocals more lush, warm, less airy
-Bass tuneful, a bit loose
-Midrange instruments and voices more lush and forward, organic sounding
-less twang (slower attack) on guitars but nice snap on the snare
Colors – Amos Lee
-Bass a bit boomy and loose
-Voice and guitar very round, smooth sounding
-No harshness across spectrum
-Really enjoy the vocal harmony where the ladies voices surround you
Morricone: Gabriel's Oboe – Yo-Yo Ma
-Less detailed, smoother sound so sounds of bow on strings is hidden
-Strings all blend together, less separation lending to sound like fewer instruments
-lowest notes hidden
-cello tone is not quite right, a bit nasal?
The Luckiest – Ben Folds
-Piano very organic and full-sounding, especially middle range notes
-vocals forward and very realistic (reverb adds air to voice)
-Strings overpower piano and vocals somewhat during the parts that build up in intensity
District Sleeps Alone Tonight – Postal Service
-Long sustain on voices brought forward and so more apparent
-Drum hits less tight, less deep
-Very engaging, musical sound overall
-Electronic drum hits less harsh
-Midrange focus so almost changes the dynamic of the song
Lenny – Stevie Ray Vaughan
Warm, tubey guitar goodness
soulful bass and guitars playing together
Drums have a nice punch and snap
It Never Entered My Mind – Miles Davis
Trumpet exhibits little to no harshness at all, very smooth sounding
bass and drums are a bit more forward, piano sounds very real, though extreme low and high notes sound a tad cut off
Black Dog Live - Led Zeppelin
Whoo! Rockin tubey guitar! Forward and crunchy with great, warm distortion tone
Robert Plant's vocals come alive
Drums splashy and rockin, could use a tad more punch though
Bass a bit drowned out by guitar, but that's most rock, right?
Side note: I also heard the pinging/ringing when I touched the amp (unplugged or plugged in my headphones).
Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this amp. It's midrange really is magical and gives such a lush, warm, yet detailed performance that engages the listener. Instruments gain an organic sound to them, less produced (not sure if that makes sense)? Not the best extension but you can sometimes get lost in the music and these details may not matter quite so much. I also tried my HD600 (cardas-cable) and I must admit the TTVJ PMH has plenty of oomph to it, enabling it to drive full-sized cans well (better than my pico). Some songs sounded better on the HD600 than my PK3 (ie Gabriel's Oboe) and also the other way around. Soundstage very good, not quite as deep as the pico but still very palpable. I must say acoustic and electric guitars really sing on this amp. Voices also stand out in the mix, which depending on the singer, can be a nice feature.