[WarriorAnt]

Thanks for reminding me of Vcaps.  

 

[grokit]

Here's another relevant cross-quote from the New Jersey meet re the Apex Pinnacle amp and rev.2 as well:
 
"The LCD2's sounded awesome out of the Pinnacle, which as I discovered, is a pretty freaking bright amp, but heck, that's perfect for the dark LCD2's. That was a killer sound from that rig, probably the best in the meet.
 
By the way I never liked the LCD2's when I first heard them, I loved them at this meet and was told that there was a revision and something changed. Hooray! All I can say is that they sound nearly perfect now and I'd definitely buy a pair if I had the cash. I would say they are kind of like a more detailed Senn 600, with a flatter response and a dark sound thanks to slightly rolled off highs and a pleasant bump in the bass. These 'phones are a prime example of how a headphone can sound good without outrageously bumped up highs."
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/566003/new-jersey-meet-aug-6-2011-post-pics-impressions-here/45#post_7667977

 

[WarriorAnt]

So the Pinnacle which runs $10,000 is a "pretty freaking bright amp"?    Should I read on?  

 

[grokit]

Perhaps it depends on how it's tubed

?
 
Much more here:
 
First, as expected, the Pinnacle does all the conventional “amp things” perfectly - awesome, beautiful, lush, generous tonality - and amazing air, by which I don’t mean treble-tilted, but more a reminder that music moves air, and that in fact most of the air is moved down in the bass regions, and that the bass is where true airiness should be found.
 

 

[Wedge]

I don't think the Pinnacle is a bright amp, but that is really just my take.

 

[RedBull]

Quote:

Well, the Stacker is also a hybrid but is a completely different beast than the Liquid Fire...or the Lyr for that matter.  And yes, I listened to a Lyr for a little bit at a local meet.  It was stock, if I recall correctly, and there's a lot of people posting about how improvements can be made with tube rolling.  That being said, I preferred the Stacker.  The Lyr definitely impressed me with weight of sound at its price point, but it didn't strike me as my cup o' tea.

As for Stacker "vs" Lyr, are you referring to Lyr sounds heavier than Stacker or?  could you share more opinion about the comparison?

 

[Skylab]

warriorAnt, the Trafomatic can be preamp or headphone amp, but won't drive speakers. Indeed, the Mini Torii can drive speakers used near field very nicely, as long as they are fairly efficient.

 

[Equus]

Quote:

As for Stacker "vs" Lyr, are you referring to Lyr sounds heavier than Stacker or?  could you share more opinion about the comparison?

I personally liked the mid ranges, and in particular, the vocals in terms of weight and tone on the Stacker versus the Lyr with stock tubes.
 
Given that the Lyr had stock tubes and was not using the same source as the Stacker, please take this with a big hulking grain of salt.  If there's a Lyr at the Seattle meet, maybe I'll see if I can kidnap it for a little while and put it in my rig to see what happens.

 

[WarriorAnt]

Quote:

warriorAnt, the Trafomatic can be preamp or headphone amp, but won't drive speakers. Indeed, the Mini Torii can drive speakers used near field very nicely, as long as they are fairly efficient.

The mini torii is back on my radar, I have a small set of high end Mirage speakers that I was looking for an integrated tube amp to run them.  Gave the Jolida JD-202A a look then remembered the Mini Torii could probably do the job and run the LCD's as well.  I have a lot of respect for Steve Deckert and you can't beat a lifetime warranty on a piece of gear.  Ergonomically I'm wondering about the way the power cord sits and attaches to the back of the unit.  Is it in the way or a problem? I just wish it came straight out the back, same with the inputs.  

 

[Clayton SF]

Quote:

Ergonomically I'm wondering about the way the power cord sits and attaches to the back of the unit.  Is it in the way or a problem? I just wish it came straight out the back, same with the inputs.  

Absolutely no problem. In fact it is better for the heavy-weight power cords. I actually prefer the ICs and power cords shooting straight up instead of jutting into the wall. Here is a photo with the IC and power cords attached to the amps.
 

 

[WarriorAnt]

Quote:

Absolutely no problem. In fact it is better for the heavy-weight power cords. I actually prefer the ICs and power cords shooting straight up instead of jutting into the wall. Here is a photo with the IC and power cords attached to the amps.
 

What volume pot did you get?  Standard or stepped.
 

 

[Clayton SF]

Standard pot. I do love the feel of a stepped pot but not for $200 more. I have 2 hp amps with stepped pots: WA22 and WA2. The WA2 has a Goldpoint and the WA22 has a DACT. I like the feel of the GP and also the DACT is not as quiet as the GP. Static between clicks. It clears up when I blow air into the pot it but I've got to open the amp up to do that.

 

[RedBull]

Quote:

I personally liked the mid ranges, and in particular, the vocals in terms of weight and tone on the Stacker versus the Lyr with stock tubes.
 
Given that the Lyr had stock tubes and was not using the same source as the Stacker, please take this with a big hulking grain of salt.  If there's a Lyr at the Seattle meet, maybe I'll see if I can kidnap it for a little while and put it in my rig to see what happens.

Thanks Equus, I understand that likely the most I can hear for now, but that's quite helpful already.

 

[Equus]

^^^ No problem!  We're only a week and a half from the Seattle meet, after which folks can probably have more impressions.  Lots of cool toys!

 

[KingStyles]

 
Quote:

^^^ No problem!  We're only a week and a half from the Seattle meet, after which folks can probably have more impressions.  Lots of cool toys!

Oh boy....there is going to be toys?