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Just got Gilmore Lite: Impressions

post #1 of 17
10/3/05 at 2:39am
Thread Starter 
Well I have had the amp for a while, but no 1/4 inch to 1/8 adapter so couldn't use it. I finally tired it hooked up to my headphone out on my laptop, (no DAC yet) and my Sure E4c (no HF-1 yet). Already I do like it, but I assume it will improve a lot more with a external DAC and new phones instead of the E4's. So yeah all my impressions are based off that... The only amp I can compare it too is my evilfire cmoy.


The sound is nice, but very analytical. I have heard many comments that the Gilmore Lite sounds very "solid statey". If this means as I think it does, this is true. I notice much more detail than my cmoy and also better instrument seperation. The sounds is very nice, but I do sometimes find myself wishing for a warmer sound. The Glmore makes me E4c's sound a lot more like my old Ety ER4p's. The mids and highs are very detailed and clear, but the bass is a little lacking, most likely because of the crap radioshack cabels I just bought (gonna be buiding some of my own here soon) and also my headphone line out sucks.). Bass is probably not the amps fault. Foobar equilzer fixes this a little bit, but the bass then lacks some tightness and definition. Those are my quick impressions, Ill have to give some more when I get my home rig completed and get my cables built. Overall I like the sound though, it is a noticable imporvement over the cmoy, but I can easliy see myself moving to something else or eventually moving too a tube amp. Once I get some more DIY experience with cables I am prob going to build a millet hybrid.
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post #2 of 17
10/3/05 at 2:49am
congrats! there is just something intrinsic in the solid state amps i've heard that give off that signature, but with various degrees of the "transistory" feel. Pinkie was one of the few that didn't sound tubey, but not transistory either. It had the quickness that tubes find hard to reproduce, but not that sterile sound solid states can have. Argh I Miss Pinkie!
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post #3 of 17
4/26/06 at 2:20pm

Hi, gilmore Lite's user

Hi, gilmore Lite's user

I bring this thread back
and want to hear more comments about this short review
are you agree with this thread
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post #4 of 17
4/26/06 at 3:26pm
As you stated, you are using the headphone out on your laptop and admittedly crap cables. With a half way decent source and a decent IC the sound will be very different. Hook any amp up in this manner and you will likely get a colder sterile sound quality. The Lite is not inherently analytical IMO. I do, however, find the Lite to be unusually transparent for an amp at this price point. Transparency is not a plus with a harsh source and/ or cables. I would see if I could try the amp in someone elses more upscale setup for a more truthful evaluation.
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post #5 of 17
4/26/06 at 6:41pm
Would some Black Dragon ICs warm the sound up a bit?
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post #6 of 17
4/26/06 at 7:50pm
The top post is old, but I found the GL sounds best with old fashioned OFC copper interconnects... seems like it was tuned for it. Silver or even silver blends seem to give it an unpleasant edge. Also, for whatever its worth.. I don't know how much burn-in it needs but it sounds worlds better once its well warmed up for some reason.

If I listen to it right after plugging it in I'll grimace a touch, but once warmed it sounds great. I thought it was a mental thing at first but its been really consistent in that regard, even after owning it for many months I have the same reaction. Now I just leave mine turned on 100% of the time and its always from the get go. Still one of the most transparent amps that I've heard... by far the most transparent for the price point.
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post #7 of 17
5/15/06 at 6:03pm

That's Exactly What I've Heard: TRANSITORY!

Hi Head-Fier!

To my ears, the sonic signature of the GL is TRANSISTORY!

Adam
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post #8 of 17
5/15/06 at 6:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AdamCalifornia
Hi Head-Fier!

To my ears, the sonic signature of the GL is TRANSISTORY!

Adam
No. I used to have one and it performs exceptionally well with Sennheiser HD580's. The transistory sound could probably have been one of the equipment in the chain.
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post #9 of 17
5/15/06 at 6:34pm
Now, some on-topic discussion:

Quote:
Originally Posted by wakked1
Also, for whatever its worth.. I don't know how much burn-in it needs but it sounds worlds better once its well warmed up for some reason. If I listen to it right after plugging it in I'll grimace a touch, but once warmed it sounds great. I thought it was a mental thing at first but its been really consistent in that regard, even after owning it for many months I have the same reaction. Now I just leave mine turned on 100% of the time and its always from the get go.
I second this thought. When I got my Adcom CD player I noticed that things sounded much better after both components had been on for a bit. The GCD-750 has a class A output stage, and I suspect it does improve when it heats up. For curiosity's sake, I plugged my old DAC (a humble Edirol UA-5) into my GLite. In my experience, the Edirol (which has its own headphone jack, which isn't terribly good) doesn't change sound much and doesn't throw much heat. Conversely, the GLite makes a nice little handwarmer when it's at operating temperature. The point here is that the Gimore lite, and most class A equipment sounds significantly better after it's had time to warm up. How long this time is varies, of course.
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post #10 of 17
5/16/06 at 3:26pm
It's really a shame about the nay sayers.I agree with using copper interconnects and allowing it to warm up.
Also,swap out the caps for some Rubycons(220uf 35 volt) and hear the difference. It helps ! Some seem to forget this is a $300 amplifier..not $800 ! It's a great sounding unit for the money !
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post #11 of 17
5/16/06 at 4:18pm
Someone back me up on this if it resonates because my listen was under meet conditions and fairly short, but I thoughth the GLite I heard was very punchy sounding. Very dynamic and authoritative. I didn't notice any solid-state harshness the day I listened, but I wasn't familiar with the set-up. I did head a slight roll-off in the highs somewhat reminiscent of Shure E4 anf AKG K-601. I liked what I heard, though, it seemed to me an amp with cahones---all that heat has to be good for something, ehh?
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post #12 of 17
5/16/06 at 5:06pm
Kevin didn't call it the Dynamic for nothing Its since been defamed and labeled Dynalo But yes, I definitely agree with Tyll, the Lite is a fast punchy amp that otherwise gets out of the way and lets the source and headphone do their thing.

If what you hear isn't enjoyable thats one thing, but putting the blame on the Lite would a mistake.
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post #13 of 17
5/16/06 at 5:48pm
The Lite's a great amp.

Just because it is a relatively inexpensive amp, it does not mean it will sound its best with el-cheapo setups.

Use good cables, a good source, let it warm up and enjoy.
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post #14 of 17
5/16/06 at 11:16pm
I've deleted a number of the off topic posts. I've already deleted one of these Gilmore Lite bashing threads. I've left the posts that are on topic and possibly could benefit munkung who brought this thread back to life.
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post #15 of 17
5/17/06 at 3:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyll Hertsens
Someone back me up on this if it resonates because my listen was under meet conditions and fairly short, but I thoughth the GLite I heard was very punchy sounding. Very dynamic and authoritative. I didn't notice any solid-state harshness the day I listened, but I wasn't familiar with the set-up. I did head a slight roll-off in the highs somewhat reminiscent of Shure E4 anf AKG K-601. I liked what I heard, though, it seemed to me an amp with cahones---all that heat has to be good for something, ehh?
I'll back that up. Do you remember offhand whether it was powered by the wallwart or the DPS?
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