[size=medium]First off - Welcome to the thread!  [/size]
 
[size=medium]I hope you enjoy reading my comparison of the Ray Samuels Audio The Dark Star and the Cavalli Audio Liquid Fire.  Do feel free to comment and post any questions you have.  I will try my best to keep an eye on the thread and answer anything I am capable of answering.[/size]
 
[size=medium]Let me preface the review by outlining my intentions for the thread.  [/size]
 
[size=medium]You see, I thought it might make things more interesting for you readers, and more manageable for myself, if I broke this review down into two or three parts – breaking it down by “headphone used” seemed like a good way to do it...[/size]
 
[size=medium]Next, I figure I should summarize my overall impressions of these two amplifiers before getting down to the side-by-side showdown…  [/size]
 
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[size=medium]Up first, Ray Samuels Audio The Dark Star is a beautifully crafted amp, but an expensive one.  It has caused quite a stir here on the forum; saying it has had a polarizing effect would be putting it mildly.  Listening to the amp, however, all the questions of amplifier topology and chipsets seem to recede far from my thoughts.  The Dark Star is very powerful, but plays nicely with all headphones save for the most sensitive ones.  For example, it is quite possible to listen to the Denon D7000 with the Dark Star, but a faint hissing sound  can be heard when the music is paused.  Furthermore, the Dark Star has a stepped attenuator, making volume adjustment a “too little” or “too much” proposition for sensitive cans.  This choice of volume control may achieve better results in terms of stereo image, but makes for a more finicky experience.  For those looking into the Dark Star, try pairing it with a source with variable output, such as the Violectric V800 or Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2.[/size]
 
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[size=medium]Up next, the Cavalli Audio Liquid Fire, is also a beautifully crafted amp, but in some ways a bizarre one to behold.  Dr. Alex Cavalli lavished a lot of attention on this amp.  With its red volume knob, glass peek-a-boo panes, and its carefully  arranged ventilation holes, the Liquid Fire certainly stands out.  However, the over-abundance of LED lights, the bright “HAL 9000” power switch, and the painted (rather than anodized) case are unusual choices for sure.  The LF has a lot of gain, so Dr. Cavalli equipped the amp with two outputs, one that is “stepped down” for more sensitive cans.  In my experience with the LF, I find that the full-power #1 jack works best with most of my headphones.  And the #2 headphone jack works well with Denons, Ultrasones, and others. [/size]
 
[size=medium]I should also share this disclaimer – [/size]
[size=medium]The LF is single-ended and the DS is balanced.  Any headphone I own which is balanced will be listened to in balanced configuration from the Dark Star, but in single-ended configuration from the Liquid Fire.  If you find this comparison unfair or unjust to the Cavalli, then so be it.  However, in my estimation, I am simply using each amp in its most optimum mode, and getting the best it has to offer.[/size]
 
[size=medium]The source being used is the Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 being fed by the Audiophilleo1 USB-to-SPDIF converter.  Interconnects are WireWorld Silver Eclipse 6 and Gold Eclipse 6.[/size]
 
[size=medium]And now on with the show… 

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[size=medium]First up[/size][size=medium], a percussion piece by Jim Keltner, session drummer of immense notoriety.  This piece is called quite simply “Drum Improvisation”, and comes from the incredible FIM label, on their 32-bit mastered UltraHD sampler, The Producer’s Choice I.[/size]
 
[size=medium]The Dark Star and LCD-2 combo simply slays on this track.  The dynamic swing is incredible.  Yet there is a smoothness to the sound that keeps me listening past that first wow moment.  The treble is delicate and crystalline, and cymbal crashes have the realism of a wood stick striking a metal sheet.  The stereo image with the LCD-2 is narrow, however.  And the drum fills move across this narrower stereo spectrum.[/size]
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[size=medium]The Liquid Fire and LCD-2 combo is, in all honesty, a notch behind on this recording.  After matching volume levels with the DS, it was pretty evident that the Cavalli lacked the last few ticks of dynamic swing that the DS was able to achieve on this piece.  However, this track is no easy feat, as it progresses from the soft tinkle of a drum stick tapping a cymbal to a full-force slam of floor toms.  This real-life dynamic contrast was more evident on the DS, but I wouldn’t go as far as to call the Liquid Fire “polite” by contrast.[/size]
 
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[size=medium]Up next, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” by Nat King Cole, from his masterfully recorded 1957 album, Love Is The Thing.  This recording is a headphone listener’s delight, with its wide cinematic soundstage, lush strings, and that inimitable voice standing front and center.[/size]
 
[size=medium]The song is beautifully portrayed by both amps, but once again, I think the Dark Star comes out on top.  The DS has a slightly wider soundstage here, and is able to reach in and separate just a few more instruments from the mass of orchestration.  I can more clearly follow the pluck of a harp, for example, with the DS.  The LF sounds tonally a little darker here, which is pleasant to me.  But, the DS strikers me as the more correct presentation of this track.[/size]
 
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[size=medium]And, last but not least, “Poison and Wine” by The Civil Wars, a recording from last year that I have been enjoying very much.  For more information on The Civil Wars, click here.[/size]
 
[size=medium]With this track, a “pretty decently produced” recording from 2011, the Liquid Fire seemed to be the portrayal I favored more.  As the LF seemed to tame the slightly hot recording, and turn it into something marginally smoother and more seductive.  The Dark Star is more matter-of-fact in its presentation here, with a bit more emphasis on the lips and mouths of Joy Williams and John Paul White.  As the track is a bit Spartan (as is the whole album), there are no additional details being excavated here by either amp.  So this one is more of a sonic preference…[/size]
 
[size=medium]So, in wrapping up this first round of the shoot-out, I must say I am a bit surprised to see the Dark Star win best of three against the Liquid Fire.[/size]
 
[size=medium]If I’m being honest, I will admit that I don’t fully know how much of this comes down to driving the LCD-2 balanced, and with so much voltage at hand.  [/size]
 
[size=medium]What I do know is this – With an LCD-2 plugged in, The Dark Star can sail through larger dynamic contrasts with a bit more aplomb than the Liquid Fire.  So, if this is your headphone, and dynamics and impact are high up on your list of priorities, then you may want to audition the Dark Star.  If you are into a slightly more laid back presentation with the LCD-2, then the Liquid Fire brings many things to the table - enjoying vocals and small ensemble jazz are right up its alley…[/size]
 
[size=medium]Hope you enjoyed the read…  See you soon!!![/size]
 

[size=medium]And now, I present part 2, featuring the Beyerdynamic T1.[/size]
 
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[size=medium]The Beyerdynamic T1 is a headphone that showed tremendous potential when I first heard it, but also had its fair share of quirks.  Fortunately, I’ve always been able to hear past those prolem areas and appreciate the T1’s finer points.  Being able to pair the T1 with nicer sources, and amps such as the Dark Star and Liquid Fire, has revealed a great amount of its potential…  It truly deserves its flagship status.  So let’s see which amp makes these cans sing! [/size]
 
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[size=medium]Up first, I played a favorite by John Lee Hooker – “Shake It Baby”, from his classic It Serve You Right to Suffer.  Want to know the truth?  I fully expected to be struck by a difference here or there.  But, the track sounded virtually the same from both amps.  “Uh oh.  I’m in for a battle here.”  So, this song will just have to be a warm up round, then.  I’ll have to move on to something more complex and challenging for the amplifiers…[/size]
 
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[size=medium]Will Dead Can Dance help me out here?  I played “The Snake And The Moon,” a late-period DCD song, adorned with lots of studio trickery, percussion, and various effects.  These Mobile Fidelity mastered discs from just a few years ago are really something.  So surely this will sound different on the Dark Star and Liquid Fire, right?[/size]
 
[size=medium]Okay, here it is…  I’m starting to pick up on it...  The Cavalli is offering just an oh-so-slightly deeper presentation here.  Instruments in the front region sound just a touch further away in the soundstage…  However, [/size][size=medium]I thought I’d be picking up on some differences in the tonality of the two amps at this point.  But so far that is eluding me.  With the T1 plugged in, these amps are dueling it out, and the sound is just superb so far!  [/size]
 
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[size=medium]Up next, an old standby, the title track from Lay It Down by Cowboy Junkies.  Here, Alan Anton’s bass is omnipresent, always there laying down meaty notes that serve as the foundation of the song.  This album sounds as if it was written and constructed from the bottom up, so that Margo Timmins' voice would hover above the dark sound like an angelic thing…  and, as icing on the cake, some delicate cymbal work tops off the affair…[/size]
 
[size=medium]The Cavalli’s bass response is just on the lighter side for my taste with this track.  There’s more of a focus on the midrange, which is fine, but the bedrock of Anton’s bass isn’t 100% “there”.  Switching to the Dark Star, it’s more present and more pleasing.  Those beautiful notes and flourishes such as slides and hammer-ons.  Even in the very full chorus, it’s very easy to follow the bass melody, but at no point does it overwhelm or overshadow the other instruments.  [/size]
 
[size=medium]Having heard this Cowboy Junkies song many many times in my life, I have a pretty decent “feel” for when its done right.  Here, the Dark Star does it just a bit more right.  Perhaps this is what "added warmth" sounds like.  However, I've always felt that the T1 (my pair anyway) could use a nudge in the bass department.[/size]
 
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[size=medium]So, the first tonal difference is starting to show up between these two amps…  Let’s test that even more now.  With something rich, bright, and full-spectrum:  “Bitterblue” by Cat Stevens from his masterpiece Teaser and the Firecat.  With this song, the T1 has always shown its true colors – it’s a brightly tilted headphone, however subtle.[/size]
[size=medium]  [/size]
[size=medium]Okay, this is starting to make me scratch my head…  The Liquid Fire is definitely less bright here.  So, the midrange emphasis that I heard before with Cowboy Junkies is definitely the lower midrange, as the upper midrange acoustic guitar strumming is slightly more subdued from the Cavalli.  And rendered with a bit more zeal and zest by the Dark Star.[/size]
 
[size=medium]I definitely still hear the difference in bass quantity, but overall I think the Liquid Fire makes this song much more palatable.  There's an evenness to the sound.  Further listening reveals just the slightest differences in focus and imaging.  With the Liquid Fire, once again, yielding the slightest bit more separation.[/size]
 
[size=medium]Okay, so I think I know where this is headed now.  So I'll try to lay it out as I hear it:[/size]
[size=medium]The Liquid Fire sounds slightly softer in the treble, and slightly less full in the bass.  When compared with the Dark Star, of course.[/size]
[size=medium]Does the DS add the warmth and sparkle?  Or is the LF just missing it?[/size]
 
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[size=medium]So let's run one final test...  Charles Munch conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra, performing Ravel's Daphnis Et Chloe...[/size]
[size=medium]A good final piece to compare the two amps, as the sound of full orchestration gives me a stronger notion of the "rightness" of the sound.  And here, I feel like the LF gets it just a touch more "right".  It becomes just a bit clear listening to classical that the Dark Star's fuller sound is a "seasoning".  [/size]
 
[size=medium]Combine that with the slightest bit of added soundstage performance from the LF, and it looks like we have a winner.[/size]
 
[size=medium]I wish this were more cut and dry.  That one amp just slayed the other here.[/size]
[size=medium]But, that's not the case.  [/size]
[size=medium]I would prefer listening to the Dark Star with some of my records here and there - the ones where I want that added bit of warmth or sparkle.  And ones where soundstage performance is not tantamount to my enjoyment.[/size]
 
[size=medium]In closing, let me say that this was serious audio nirvana I was experiencing this morning while listening to both amps.[/size]
[size=medium]If you are reading this because you own the T1 and are dreaming about these two amps, then know this:  Either one will do, depending on your criteria.[/size]
[size=medium]If you are a rock listener, then the DS might be for you.  If you are a classical listener the LF is the way to go.[/size]
 
[size=medium]To my ears, the LF did a few things more right with a few more songs.  So, on this day, it wins...[/size]
 
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[size=medium][size=medium]And now, I present part 3, featuring the Sennheiser HD800.[/size][/size]
 
 
[size=medium][size=medium][/size][/size]
[size=medium]Let me lead off with a disclaimer – My HD800 is hard-wired with the Zeus 22 cable, and is Anaxilus modded.  So, YMMV.  [/size]
 
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[size=medium]First at bat, a Beatles tune, but one sung by Ringo Starr.  And, believe it or not, a personal favorite of mine.  Yes, perhaps an odd choice to some Lennon/McCartney purists, but this one, “What Goes On”, from the 2009 stereo remaster of Rubber Soul, gets my foot tapping every time.  [/size]
 
[size=medium]With both amps, simply outstanding.  But here, the Dark Star swings just a bit more, thanks to a touch of added bass weight and slightly better pace.  With both amps, the hallmarks of top-notch performance are there:   Vocals rendered superbly, instruments well-separated, inky black background.   Over to the left, Richard Starkey is drumming away.  And cleverly, his vocal is also panned to the left, as if he’s sitting behind the kit and singing away.  Lennon’s high-pitched vocal harmonies are isolated well, panned to the opposite channel.  With the Dark Star, the guitars skronk and snort with just a touch more menace than through the Liquid Fire, propelling the song forward…   Score one for the DS.[/size]
 
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[size=medium]Next, I chose a live track from Rory Gallagher’s 1972 Live! In Europe album, the smoldering “What in the World”.  Here, putting on the HD800s is like transporting yourself to the venue.  You can see Rory through the fog of cigarette smoke, Stratocaster slung over his shoulder, sweat-drenched hair flopping around his Irish face while he feels his way through the blues classic.  [/size]
 
[size=medium]Here, the Dark Star and Liquid Fire show some differences worth noting with the HD800.  First, the LF is ever so slightly brighter.  Starting in the vocal range, and extending upward, even capturing a bit more of the hiss from the analog recording.  It seems that with this track, the darker presentation of the DS masks a bit of detail around the vocal.  Sure, the DS has the slightly better bass of the two, but overall, the LF comes out on top here.  Score one for the LF. [/size]
 
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[size=medium]Next, arguably progressive rock’s “ground zero” album, In the Court of the Crimson King.  The magical “I Talk to the Wind” sounds like mana on the HD800s.  Greg Lake’s double-tracked vocals are very special here, each track imaged as a separate orb floating out in space; the nuances of each vocal add to the druggy, melancholic atmosphere.  The other idiosyncrasies of this late-sixties recording are all handled gracefully and honestly by the HD800s – the strangely diminutive kick drum, topped off by overly splashy cymbal sounds; the lovely and pastoral flute solo.  [/size]
 
[size=medium]Just as with the Rory Gallagher recording, the Dark Star pushes the vocal range back slightly, the Liquid Fire sounding just a touch more present in that region.  Same with the treble.  Though this isn’t the best sounding recording of cymbals by any stretch, the LF presents them honestly and without apology.  The Dark Star, on the other hand, sounds smoother through the treble, and easier to listen to.  But, one can’t fault the LF for telling it like it is.  Score two for the LF.[/size]
 
[size=medium]So…[/size]
 
[size=medium]I suppose I should share some final words.  Something that I’ve gained from this process.[/size]
 
[size=medium]If you have orthos, they crave lots of power - I think this is a known thing, sure.  [/size][size=medium]But, nevertheless, it's worth noting that the LCD-2 and HE-6 clearly respond to the power that the Dark Star has on tap.  [/size][size=medium]With dynamic headphones, however, especially revealing ones, the Liquid Fire comes out on top by a small margin.  It strikes me as more truthful, and presents a touch more detail and imaging.  Splitting hairs?  Perhaps.  [/size]
 
[size=medium]However, as one might expect, both these amps can serve as a one-stop shop for your headphone needs – the Dark Star playing well with all but the most sensitive headphones (Edition 8), and the Liquid Fire playing well with all but the most difficult headphones (HE-6).[/size]
 
[size=medium]I had a nice time writing this review.  Hope you guys enjoyed reading![/size]
[size=medium]Until next time!![/size]
[size=medium]The Wuss[/size]

Coming soon: K1000? Maybe?

Quote:

austin morrow said:

Coming soon: K1000? Maybe?

Click to expand...

Sure...  if someone wants to send me one. 

very nice comparison. it was definitely a good read.

Finally the long awaited shoot out between the DS and LF. Enjoyed reading your impressions and look forward to the rest of the comparisons.

Quote:

darknightdk said:

Finally the long awaited shoot out between the DS and LF. Enjoyed reading your impressions and look forward to the rest of the comparisons.

Click to expand...

+1
 
been really wanting to start comparing some of these really expensive amps to each other. usually its just a review and nothing more.

Well it's not as I hoped, but it's the way it goes. I suppose I was in a different boat when buying. For me there was a $600 difference in the 2 amps, and that instantly cemented an LF in my future. At $3250 vs $3500 it would be a tough decision though.
 
Gotta say I do with I could get my LF with all the Blue on the LL because it'd match the rest of my stuff better, but I can deal with it. Heck maybe I can convince Alex to sell me a blue knob and power button.
 
After having the LF in my home for 2 weeks I don't really see the problem with the red light. I see complaints all the time about it, but coming from the custom PC world...That's nothing.
 
I'm very excited to get my LF next week, and super excited to have it for years to come. Though I still wish I could rock it as a Preamp too. Tube Pres are too hard to come by (ones that look this good anyway). I don't feel like dropping another 4 grand anytime soon on a McIntosh Pre.

Congrats Brent; very good read without getting technical and losing thread of thought.

Thanks, guys!
More to come...  real soon... 

Quote:

thewuss said:

 
 
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Those feet you have under the LF, they aren't stock are they?

No. Those are aftermarket. I was just about to ask what they are, actually.

 
Quote:

obzilla said:

Those feet you have under the LF, they aren't stock are they?

Click to expand...

 
 

Vibrapods and cones.