[UntilThen]

On the subject of Silke vs timE output transformers, both @Leicachamp and I agree that Silke sounded smoother, more refined and effortless.

 

[jonathan c]

I have 3 GZ34. Philips Miniwatt GZ34 metal base, Sittard GZ34 and Mullard GZ34 f33. Love them all. I find it hard to describe the sonic differences between various GZ34 but I know it's there.

… to paraphrase John Lennon: “…got to be good sounding ‘cause it’s so hard to hear…”

 

[g0ldl10n]

Hello,

Nice place where your Ultimate's have found and taken.
I am also happy for you that it arrived undamaged.

The Ultigreg is taking a break after his 12-hour shift.
And I also switched over to Feliks Euforia.
I will certainly keep both amplifiers - I know that already.
The Euforia still fills me with its character.
What I also noticed immediately, after listening to the Ultigreg with the Atrium before, the Euforia brings a certain refinement to the Atrium.
Here I am speaking purely on the personal side.
So don't misunderstand, I miss it a bit on the Ultigreg.
And I know that the Ultigreg is still some way off in terms of burn-in.
I can just hear that somehow.

The other side of what I suspect is the capacitor side here.
I can't say if it's because the Vcap simply performs better, it's still too early to say in comparison (but I suspect it is).
And also whether the technical topologies between the set and the Otl amplifier are the factor.
Fact, they both sound very good to me, even damn good.

When I listen to them and make a direct tete a tete comparison, I currently hear nuanced strengths between the two.
Something like the Euforia is a bit more forward in terms of presentation and information.
But the Ultigreg makes more steam in the lower level (but since it is still in the burn-in process, the comparison is still very unfair).
And it is only a pure surface perception of mine, I think.
That's the disadvantage of having multiple amps.
You have to be careful not to compare the two in a way where one was better for you before the new toy arrived.
The biggest challenge is to hear the strengths and weaknesses.
And whether you like it.
That's not easy at all, and when you get to the point where you don't know which amplifier you want to listen to today before you switch it on.
You are where you don't always want to be, but you have the variety and flexibility.

Apart from that, I have to say that there is still a lot I haven't heard from the Ultigreg in terms of its potential, and I have to say that too.
The other thing is the Ultimate is really where you start spending $1000s if you want to go further.
And it offers superb flexibility like no other amp.
And it's also still humanely priced in terms of tubes.
Even days later, I'm still blown away by the Ultimate.
For me, it's what I was looking for, and I'm looking forward to more hours with it.

Thank you for your honest opinions here.. definitely helpful!

I assume both amps are lovely sounding in their own right, and the qualities that shine for your individually between the two may be very different than what those qualities would be for someone else. We are in fact, discussing overall sound quality, which is about as subjective of a topic that there is.

 

[UntilThen]

… to paraphrase John Lennon: “…got to be good sounding ‘cause it’s so hard to hear…”

If Ultimate had use these rectifiers, it would have been more interesting. I would have expanded my collection then.

 

[Deleeh]

The Euforia has Tung sol 5998 and Sylvania 6v6 Vt 231 tubes in it.
On the Ultimate EZ80 Bel Kt66 Gec and Brimar Footscray.

Headphones Atrium alone, I also have Auteur and Audeze Lcd 2.
The Caldera was just a listening test yesterday, unfortunately I wasn't allowed to keep it for longer.
None of the headphones were quieter, I listened to them all at the volume that was appropriate for me.

I only did the Ultigreg Vs Euforia roughly with the Atrium to make that clear.
The first baptism of fire, so to speak.
Ultimate definitely has more slam and punch, Euforia goes in the direction of presenting more and going a bit deeper.

As I said, please don't misunderstand, first of all it was just a first listening impression.
Secondly, the Ultimate is not yet where it needs to be.
The first 100 hours are just over.
The Mundorf still needs some time to get there, I know that from the Vcap when it was installed. it was the same, the sound has changed dramatically from the beginning to the end.
So there is still a lot to do. (The others who have had the Ultimate for a while can confirm this).
It's all not fixed and the last thing, these are nuanced things that I've heard roughly.
It's less than you'd think, but it's audible if you pay attention.
Theoretically, an Ultimate with the Hd800 could give the same result as the Euforia with the Atrium, which is entirely possible.

On the other hand, the Ultimate is definitely superior to the Euforia, and the presentation effect is there in the Ultimate anyway.
Without wanting to give a rating,it would be a 4 out of 5.
What the Ultimate does extremely well is drive, its 3 watts are easily enough for everything.
The Euforia is limited in that respect.
I briefly listened to the Auteur and it was a completely different sound than the Euforia, more slam in the bass, less thin.
The leading edge was also a bit snottier which was deultich to hear on the Auteur Og.
I heard less of that in the Euforia.
As you can see everything is very nuanced when I give examples.
No clear effects of day and night.

What I meant by the $1000.
Once you have an Ultimate, you won't find anything better anytime soon.
(You don't want that anyway, )
You're more likely to spend more money than you should.
And where possible, you won't get where the Ultimate is.
I should have been a bit clearer here.
The Ultimate clearly beats the Mcintosh mha 200.
And probably the standard Euforia amplifier too, as mine is modded.
That's why both are on a par with each other for me, and at a very high level.

I would be sure that if I were to make a Vcap mod, the Ultimate would beat anything you would find on the commercial market.
Icon hp8,Euforia,Cayhin ha 3&6A,Woo Audio,Amp and sound.
And the Ultimate would still be better because of its great tube availability.

I will try to take a little more time in the future before opening my mouth when writing about such things.
Because it looks like it could be misunderstood by some.
To be clear, the Ultimate/Ultigreg is a very good amp.
I am very satisfied with it and it is also what I imagined and wanted.
If that were not the case, I would have had a different opinion.
I only say this for those who write to me personally.
Unfortunately, I don't have the time to answer everyone individually at the moment.
I also want to enjoy music.
Don't look for something that isn't there.
As Matt wrote, the Euforia was significantly more expensive with the mods than the Ultimate in the version it came in, and it sounds amazingly good.

And yes it was to be expected that amplifiers rarely sound the same.
You don't want that either.
It was clear that it would be better or less better here and there.

 

[UntilThen]

Finally the day I will be flying off. Enjoy your Ultimates. I will be looking in from time to time.

 

[Deleeh]

Something else I forgot to add.
Take the whole thing with a grain of salt.
Tube amps just need a lot more time to show where they are.
Sometimes only after several hundred hours.
That's why you shouldn't judge immediately, especially when I write something.
These are all subjective perceptions of mine, especially in the beginning.
My good friend who was there yesterday noticed the big stage opposite his Cayhin Ha 3A.
But since we were a bit short of time, even he didn't judge the Ultimate.
It was his subjective opinion.
And he also said that he would be able to say more about the Ultimate when he had it for a couple of weeks.
I'm trying to give you a bit of a picture of how the Ultimate compares to other devices on the table.
Like Matt did with his machines.

What's also important when you get an Ultimate, be patient at first.

Another note:
The tube combo Gec Kt66,Brimar Footscray on the Auteur Og comes through much better with the more neutral Auteur than with the Atrium.
The playfulness comes through better with the Auteur, which means the combo is a little too warm for warm headphones.
As you can see, I am learning that warm tubes work well with neutral headphones on the Ultimate.
I didn't know why my friend yesterday with the Atrium said go more neutral with the tubes.
Now I know.


Have a nice time @UntilThen and comes well back , .

 

[Zachik]

Finally the day I will be flying off. Enjoy your Ultimates. I will be looking in from time to time.

Have fun!!!

 

[UntilThen]

@Deleeh , with a custom build, it will be special. You specify what you want to the tube amp creator / designer. When you get it, it is stamped with your name. It is yours. The only one in the world. That is why it is special.

Tomas build Oblivion and Odyssey for me. Eric build Destiny and Ultimate for me. Glenn build GOTL for me. They are just special to me. My very own.

Thanks for the wishes. A party is planned for me tomorrow night when I landed. A drinking and eating party. You know the kind with Guinness stout, Tiger beer, whisky and local coconut alcohol. It will be a miracle if I still remember head-fi the next day.

 

[UntilThen]

Have fun!!!

Thanks Zachi ! I look forward to seeing your Super Black Ultimate when I return. ETA unknown at this point in time.

 

[g0ldl10n]

Something else I forgot to add.
Take the whole thing with a grain of salt.
Tube amps just need a lot more time to show where they are.
Sometimes only after several hundred hours.
That's why you shouldn't judge immediately, especially when I write something.
These are all subjective perceptions of mine, especially in the beginning.
My good friend who was there yesterday noticed the big stage opposite his Cayhin Ha 3A.
But since we were a bit short of time, even he didn't judge the Ultimate.
It was his subjective opinion.
And he also said that he would be able to say more about the Ultimate when he had it for a couple of weeks.
I'm trying to give you a bit of a picture of how the Ultimate compares to other devices on the table.
Like Matt did with his machines.

What's also important when you get an Ultimate, be patient at first.

Another note:
The tube combo Gec Kt66,Brimar Footscray on the Auteur Og comes through much better with the more neutral Auteur than with the Atrium.
The playfulness comes through better with the Auteur, which means the combo is a little too warm for warm headphones.
As you can see, I am learning that warm tubes work well with neutral headphones on the Ultimate.
I didn't know why my friend yesterday with the Atrium said go more neutral with the tubes.
Now I know.


Have a nice time @UntilThen and comes well back , .

I think its TOTALLY fine to have criticisms of ANY piece of audio gear... there isn't a piece of audio gear, no matter how "good" that has ZERO flaws.. point is, NOTHING is perfect.. I don't think you need to explain yourself for these current criticisms you have - maybe they clear up after burn-in, maybe they don't, but the entire atmosphere in this thread is a bit "intimidating" for one to share criticisms that they may have.

From what you have wrote, you haven't said anything terrible or anything.. IMHO and from my understanding, you have simply stated what you are currently experiencing, albeit the Ultimate still sounds really really good, and that you love it.. criticisms are part of this hobby especially when dealing with once again, an extremely subjective topic like sound quality.

Again, nothing is perfect, that's just life.. I am grateful when people post honest feedback/opinions.. nothing wrong with that and perfectly normal. You clearly still really enjoy the Ultimate, even before the entire burn-in period has been accounted for.. continue to share the changes that will occur over this period of time please!

 

[UntilThen]

This is coconut alcohol. You got to try it sometime.
https://asianinspirations.com.au/food-knowledge/toddy-coconut-alcohol/

 

[Deleeh]

Totally agree with you here.
At the moment, there is nothing I could criticise about the Ultigreg.
With the Auteur and the tube combination, it produces good fireworks.
With the Atrium, not so much.
Since I listened more with the Atrium, it was rather suboptimal to drive with the tube combination.
With the Auteur switched to Mundorf, there is definitely more music behind it.
So my first rough listening impression of Ultigreg vs Euforia is rather invalid because the whole thing shifts again.
The secret here is to find a tube combination that fits your headphones.
While this warm combination with the Auteur fits great and without fatigue.
You have to find something more neutral with the Atrium.
That's not a bad thing per se.
It took me too long to realise that.
So quickly it can cloud and falsify the subjective opinion.

I don't think I mentioned that you can use both outputs at the same time on the Ultimate if you have ordered XLR and 6.3 mm on the output.
This is a great way to compare headphones.
Just pay attention to the volume.
Eric mentioned it, I didn't dare but today I did.

The Ultimate is a masterpiece because it can do this without having to flick a switch.
Again, something you have to give this amp credit for.

 

[g0ldl10n]

Totally agree with you here.
At the moment, there is nothing I could criticise about the Ultigreg.
With the Auteur and the tube combination, it produces good fireworks.
With the Atrium, not so much.
Since I listened more with the Atrium, it was rather suboptimal to drive with the tube combination.
With the Auteur switched to Mundorf, there is definitely more music behind it.
So my first rough listening impression of Ultigreg vs Euforia is rather invalid because the whole thing shifts again.
The secret here is to find a tube combination that fits your headphones.
While this warm combination with the Auteur fits great and without fatigue.
You have to find something more neutral with the Atrium.
That's not a bad thing per se.
It took me too long to realise that.
So quickly it can cloud and falsify the subjective opinion.

I don't think I mentioned that you can use both outputs at the same time on the Ultimate if you have ordered XLR and 6.3 mm on the output.
This is a great way to compare headphones.
Just pay attention to the volume.
Eric mentioned it, I didn't dare but today I did.

The Ultimate is a masterpiece because it can do this without having to flick a switch.
Again, something you have to give this amp credit for.

You don't happen to have a pair of ZMF VC do you? I just got my pair in this week and they are extremely "reactive" (for lack of a better term) to different tubes, and the rolling for me has just begun with these - will be literal months before I can get through all of my tubes - have what some would consider a warehouse of tubes behind me, lol..

My other pair are Atrium Opens, which are great, but I believe I am going to end up liking these VC more, and definitely would be interested in your opinion in regards to them with this amp.

 

[jonathan c]

@Deleeh , with a custom build, it will be special. You specify what you want to the tube amp creator / designer. When you get it, it is stamped with your name. It is yours. The only one in the world. That is why it is special.

Tomas build Oblivion and Odyssey for me. Eric build Destiny and Ultimate for me. Glenn build GOTL for me. They are just special to me. My very own.

Thanks for the wishes. A party is planned for me tomorrow night when I landed. A drinking and eating party. You know the kind with Guinness stout, Tiger beer, whisky and local coconut alcohol. It will be a miracle if I still remember anything the next few days.

FTFY…[Reg. TM; © bcowen: 2021.]