And one more thing.... the LB is currently sitting next to my Bryston BP6 which I use for headphones ALOT, though I still plug into the LB just as frequently. And maybe that proves that I can enjoy expensive stuff also as the Bryston is the best SS amplifier I have owned. The 2 amps are a sweet...

OK.... and 1) I REALLY want to try a Melos - along with Decware it is one of the few left on my "must try" list. 2) I am just relaying what I have heard (and kept!!). I would suggest people be open-minded to the LB II, especially as mine is decked out. I am not a huge believer in power...

OK, well put, great..... I had the LB II on my desk next to a series of amps that cost as much as $1200 (a Cary pre) and the LB was the best with my 600s w/ Cardas. The best solid state was the GS1 and a CI Audio. And if you like tubes, it was the LB II upgraded with expensive tubes as noted...

It is less than you want to spend, but the LunchBox II is the best I have heard, having sold the GS1 among many pricey amps I have traded through. With an upgraded power cord and some snazzy NOS Mullards it is the best amp for my Cardas 600s that I have tried.

My 501s have been recabled with the Fitz Black Clover and I am a firm believer in the 601 pad-mad over the 701 pad-mod. The 601s get you just enough added body and do not muddy up the sound the way the 701 pads do. Tubes are also perfect for the 501s and my choice (even over MUCH more expensive...

My daughters! (they are the 2 little ones in the video below) YouTube - Dara as "The Cowardly Lion" in the Wizard of Oz - 2003

Anyone have any news on this. I LOVE my LBII and would like to give this a shot with the tubes I have accumulated......

I just posted a thread in the vendor review section, but I am really thrilled about this find so I thought I would reference the review here.... http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f92/sw...7/#post4792849 No realtion, just a happy customer with great NOS Mullards in the house!

I am pretty excited about this. I have one on order from Northern Sound and Light and 2 cables waiting to be tried - A Zu and one silver DIY cable from another headfier.

Started with an Airhead. Now have a Cary Pre and a GS-1. Lots in the middle, but that is the beginning and end (so far?) of the tale.....

At that price, for that music, I would say HD580, defoamed, with a good used after-market cable.

x2 for what Earwicker said. And yes, there is a mid-range. Blue Jean Cable makes very good not-too-expensive cables. Several DIYers can also help you out if you post exactly what you need. Even Fleabay has some reliable cable offerings. And though they make reasonable sounding...

Cary 2002 preamp, especially with Sennheisers.... as close to perfect as I have heard.

I have had the 3 popular D-Denons and I think the 2000s are the sweet spot for value. I know it is a minoriuty view, but I actually prefer the lesser quantity of bass and like the 200s a bit more than the 5000s. And, imo, the 1000s are in a lower league as they offer less resolution, less...

Really good and useful review! As a former short-term owner of those Denons who also has a stock pair and also has a pair of recabled 580s I will just point out that the Woven-re-cabled Denons are much more articulate and somewhat brighter than a stock pair. The clarity of those denons is...