Bathys is far better in DAC mode, in one very specific circumstance on the iPhone: When listening to Qobuz. It sounds a bit better on Apple Music and Tidal, but a lot better on Qobuz in Hi Rez mode. It is not close.

Jack said that nothing is set in stone at this point, but he's thinking ~$1,500.  He also said that the sonic benchmark for the amp is the WA6 - which I can confirm is an accurate comparison.   Also, I asked if the screws holding down the window would be flush in the final version, since those...

I tried this out at the Montreal Audio Show...it is fantastic.  Very similar sounding to the WA6SE that I use - and to test that out, I listened at the show through LCD3's to both the 6SE and the 8 using my iPhone as a source. I can confirm that the WA8 powered the LCD3 absolutely flawlessly...

A followup...I'm listening now through my Mac Mini, and it sounds much better than it did from my Macbook Pro - it has as much kick as the iPod direct, and HiRez is sounding better - in fact the whole thing seems a bit smoother than the iPod, so the sound is a slight upgrade over the iPod now...

No, I'm using a Mac...that's what's confusing me!  But hopefully I'll get a chance to try it out with my Mac Mini desktop system tomorrow (been too busy today), to determine whether it's a problem with my laptop or with the HiFiM8.

I received my HiFiM8 today, and am finally giving it a listen 7 months after ordering...it was worth the wait!  So far, I've tried 2 configurations:   1)  USB out of my MacBook Pro, which is SSD equipped, using iTunes via BitPerfect   2)  iPod Classic, hooked up the "normal" way.   I'm not...

Am running 6EM7 and 596, they sound great and function perfectly so far.

My opinion...I wouldn't go for a WA22, as good as it is. I would go straight for the top and do a WA5LE. That one has the potential to replace both of your amps and be an improvement on both and it won't require a change in your ecosystem to maximize a balanced setup. The other alternative is...

Put in my order last week...am looking forward to hearing using it with my laptop and idevices around the house on my LCD3's, and on the go with my portable cans (which sound depresingly awful compared to LCD3's...which I guess makes sense...).  It sounded awesome with LCD's at RMAF - mind you...

Quote: The 6SE is the most powerful Woo amp for low impedance cans like the LCD's.  The 22 is just a hair less powerful, to the point where character differences explain the sonic differences more than drive capabilities.  But...if you're running it single-ended, then a 22 isn't much better...

That opinion (much better written than mine!) matches exactly my experience with the Conductor. Its good to see that others have noticed it too! Perhaps there are some parts upgraded in the more $$ Conductor vs the Soloist? Perhaps it's just biased better?

Agreed that the Conductor is likely a bit better than the Soloist as an amp, but I have heard pretty significant differences in the past due to cables, power cords, power conditioners etc, so I don't have enough data to conclusively state that I prefer the Conductor to the Soloist. But it would...

That's hard to say. Either the Conductor's amp section is in fact different from the Soloist's, or the interconnect added to the chain significantly detracted from the sound. Generally, a longer signal chain with the same basic hardware doesn't sound as good. It was a pretty clear...

Quote: I haven't heard the Taboo at all, but have heard both the Soloist and Bryston, though in different circumstances.  What I did is hear both of them shortly after hearing a Woo WA22.   I heard the Soloist and WA22 at RMAF with LCD-3's - and thought that both sounded excellent...

A quick update on the WA6-se that I purchased a few weeks back - the tubes that I ordered from Jack when buying the amp arrived last week.  I have to say - 596 + 6GL7 (with Woo adapters) sounds absolutely fantastic with my LCD's, just a stunning improvement over the (already very good) stock...