[DarthUnnamed]

Quote:

Darth:
 
This:
 
http://shop.emotiva.com/collections/processors/products/xda2
 
plus this:
 
http://www.tbisound.com/dsp_products_millenia.asp
 
+ a resistor box that you could build yourself for ~$50 or buy from TBI for $100 gets you a sweet-sounding system for under $1K (at least until this weekend when the Emotiva sale is over). 
 
I just did a comparison vs. MJ (check out the speaker amp thread) and while the Schiit was a detail monster, the TBI was almost as detailed and much better sounding.
 
Edit:
 
And all of that equipment has a 30-day trial period, so if you don't like it, you send it back, no restocking fee, no questions asked.

Can't order atm (in a foreign country until august 13th) but even after the sale it'll be at my budget, so i'll consider it. 
 
Does anyone else have experience with them?

 

[Solude]

My experience with top level speaker amps and headphones have been lackluster.  HE-6 is likely an exception but for the LCD-3 $3000 speakers amps got smashed by $1000 headphone amps.

 

[Gary in MD]

Darth:
 
Search for the TBI and you'll find a smattering of users, all positive opinions as far as I've seen.  But everybody's brain is different, and the only risk to you is shipping costs (the Millenia is tiny though... can't cost more than $15 to ship it back).  The discussion on the speaker amp thread starts here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/649107/speaker-amps-for-headphones/195
 
It's mostly my inputs, and I think one or two others, but as more people try it, I'm thinking there will be more converts.
 
I directly compared it (SPL matched, even, though just using a phone app) to the MJ, the Soloist/Conductor, the Emotiva Mini-X and my old Adcom pre-amp.  In my brain it soundly trounced all of them for $600 including the magic resistor box, plus you'll have to have a speaker tap.  I got my speaker tap for $50, XLR terminated, and I'm using the balanced cables that came with the LCD-3s.  If you try it, and are getting the resistor box from TBI as well, be sure to tell Jan Plummer what type of tap you will be using, since SE and balanced use different circuits in the box.
 
Note that I still have two more comparisons to do and write up in that thread:  The Odyssey Cyclops speaker amp ($1295) vs. the Millenia, and a comparison of two different resistor boxes, one with 50-cent resistors, one with $5 resistors, just to see if I can hear a difference.  That will be a true blind test, as the only person who knows what's in the boxes is Jan Plummer.
 
I've had the Cyclops for a week now, and should get the resistor boxes today.  They are replacements for one that was set up for SE (I didn't tell Jan what my setup was initially, and he assumed SE).  I can tell you that this is going to be one tough competition, as both are really great amps -- both significantly better than the head-amps I tried.  When I'm done I'll post my detailed thoughts in the speaker amp thread, and a brief synopsis here.

 

[DarthUnnamed]

so much work, jeez 

 
But i don't know, i really just want the simple, amp and dac set up without all this extra stuff. I'm thinking possible just Mjolnir/Bifrost, no muss no fuss really. Ugh, i hate amps....adding that extra layer of stuff to think about

 

[citraian]

I think we've all heard soundcards by this point  If you want to use an external soundcard at least go to the pro market, not the hype and casing route.  Not bad for $200 but at $900?  No, just no.

I think you shouldn't talk about this component unless you heard it.
It's miles ahead of a soundcard and it's pretty good. Better than the Burson 160D. If you don't believe me ask DarKu who reviewed them or see the 6moons review which stated that this might be the combo to buy for 1000$.

 

[Solude]

If the Asus makes you happy, more power to you.

 

[Solude]

I'll add, Inner Fidelity said the Asus was terrible with the LCD-2 so thinking it would somehow come around for the LCD-3, risky.  Seems pretty consistent that it is more suited to high impedance though I still consider it poor value.

 

[citraian]

I had the Essence One (not Muses) with LCD-2 and it sounded great. I have a Conductor with LCD-3s right now so it's not about what makes me happy. It's about one piece of equipment that received great reviews from a lot of respectable sites.

 

[HFoletto]

Solude, If you don't mind me asking, is the GS-X the only amp you really like with the LCD-3?
Please, discard Liquid Gold and those ultra expensive amps.
Thank you.

 

[Solude]

Discard the LAu?  Already done
 
I like the Burson Soloist, Apex Peak and HeadAmp GS-X mk2 with the LCD-3.  By extension if you can find a GS-1 with mk2 modules, also good.  I'll take a B22 if I have to but otherwise the other options I've had were lacking somewhere.  The other great choice if you can deal with rolled bottom end, Trafomatic Head One, at used pricing anyway.

 

[Gary in MD]

Quote:

so much work, jeez 

 
But i don't know, i really just want the simple, amp and dac set up without all this extra stuff. I'm thinking possible just Mjolnir/Bifrost, no muss no fuss really. Ugh, i hate amps....adding that extra layer of stuff to think about

It's really not much work.  Buy DAC from Emo, buy Amp and resistor box from TBI,  PM me for name of somebody who will make you a speaker tap. 
 
Upon receipt of hardware, attach DAC to computer using USB, optical, or coax.  Attach amp to DAC using RCA cords (you'd have to do these steps with the Schiit stack as well). 
 
Next comes what you call "extra" and "work"  Attach resistor box to amp speaker outs using speaker wire of desired length (note, you can get fancy by buying banana plugs for the speaker wire... or not).  Attach speaker tap to resistor box (my tap has combo spade/banana plugs... pretty easy attachment) .  Attach proper HP cable (probably balanced) to LCD-3 (you'd have to do that with MJ too).  Plug headphone cable into speaker tap as you would into MJ.  Plug DAC and amp into power source (including batteries for Millenia if desired).  Turn on DAC and amp.  Play music.  Enjoy.
 
See, really not so hard if you are capable of attaching speaker wire to binding posts.  The added steps take <5 minutes, including measuring and cutting the speaker wire and stripping the ends.  Maybe a minute or so more if you attach banana plugs, but that saves you time later if you want to disconnect and reconnect regularly (no real need, unless you are comparing 5 or more amps in a 3-week period).
 
And there is no issue with overloading the LCDs, since the power out of the resistor box is well within what the headphones can handle, even if you max out the amp.  Which you wouldn't do, since you'd blow out your eardrums before you blew out the cans.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

Discard the LAu?  Already done
 

 

 

[HFoletto]

Quote:

Discard the LAu?  Already done
 
I like the Burson Soloist, Apex Peak and HeadAmp GS-X mk2 with the LCD-3.  By extension if you can find a GS-1 with mk2 modules, also good.  I'll take a B22 if I have to but otherwise the other options I've had were lacking somewhere.  The other great choice if you can deal with rolled bottom end, Trafomatic Head One, at used pricing anyway.

What's LAu? 

My GS-1 have the Dynalo+ modules
At this moment, I think the GS-1 is better or at least quite in the same place of the Soloist, however I may be wrong, I never heard 'em.
That Apex Peak, can you talk a little bit about it? Do you recommend the Volcano power suply for it as well?
Is the GS-X better than all those amps? I mean, the GS-X just lose to what? Liquid Glass and those hell expensive ones?

Thank you again.

 

[preproman]

Quote:

What's LAu? 

My GS-1 have the Dynalo+ modules
At this moment, I think the GS-1 is better or at least quite in the same place of the Soloist, however I may be wrong, I never heard 'em.
That Apex Peak, can you talk a little bit about it? Do you recommend the Volcano power suply for it as well?
Is the GS-X better than all those amps? I mean, the GS-X just lose to what? Liquid Glass and those hell expensive ones?

Thank you again.

 
LAu = Liquid Gold

 

[HFoletto]

Quote:

 
LAu = Liquid Gold

I became confused for a while (Au?) but then
 
 
LG is for Liquid Glass, so, it makes a lot of sense now. Thank you.