SoundFreaq
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2005
- Posts
- 1,979
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- 150
He's got this unit now, taking for a test ride.
Indeed! And let me tell you - for those that heard the first prototype, this production unit exceeded my expectations of what was to come. This is a finely made and machined piece of kit. For example, the end caps don't just butt up to the main body extrusion, they fit around it with precision tolerance. I feel like I could throw this thing against a concrete wall a few times and it would be just fine. No, that doesn't mean it is too heavy - though the added weight of the battery unit adds some heft - but for those of you that saw the first prototype, you know it was whisper-light to begin with. The robust build is more inline with what you would expect performance-wise.
I was telling Alex that I have to keep reminding myself that I am not listening to a full-size desktop amp when listening to this portable. It's just so much of a powerhouse. But with the unity gain (vs. 3x) you can drive your sensitive IEMs no problem, with a dead-quite background. Throw in class A, fully discrete circuitry, a 15-hour (ish) runtime off batteries, and you have something quite exceptional not just for portable audio, but just headphone audio in general. This would serve most anyone well as a solid choice for office/travel - even home/bedside listening. And if you want more power for your orthos, the Liquid Carbon would fit the bill for a still-transportable solution.
For those of you that don't know if what I am writing is from the heart, let me tell you a little about how I came to work with Cavalli Audio. Alex doesn't know I am saying this, and he probably won't like it as he is such a modest person.
But, I found Dr. Alexander Cavalli's products after a months-long search for the best amplification made. I owned the best and most popular amps, and tried everything in solid state and tube designs. Months down this road, I found a Liquid Fire and obtained it. Well it was something special. It had a richness that I had never heard quite like that before, and I was eager to hear more. To make a long story short, I am a digital media producer by day and though Alex needed to be more well-known. So I offered to help out a little. So essentially, I work with Cavalli Audio because I determined his amps to be the best there was and that others should hear them too. And I firmly believe that today. I believe each amp he has built is a leader in its class. And this portable is certainly no exception. As with the Carbon and everything else. I am truly amazed each time I hear a new prototype or a fresh production unit - that he is able to pour in that Cavalli magic into each effort he produces. Sure, sometimes it may take a few extra minutes to get the product to market and into your hands, but it is well worth it. Keep in mind you are receiving a truly boutique, state-of-the-art, discrete audio component that was designed from the ground up to be the best there is. When producing something of this nature, there are inevitable timing uncertainties that are impossible to plan for - as all of the materials used in these amps are of top quality. There is no compromise. No matter the size of Cavalli product that works best for you, you can be assured you are getting top Cavalli quality in each and every amp. And that is why I work with him. I believe in his products 100%. I believe he makes the best headphone amplification on the planet, and I believe you should pay attention to what he is doing. It's that good.
Let me brag on the guy a little bit. If you have never googled Dr. Cavalli, I would encourage you to do so. He knows what he is doing. Among a long list of accomplishments, Dr. Cavalli has served as Chief Technology Officer, Advisor, and Chief Strategist at numerous tech companies, some of which he founded himself. Additionally he served as the Deputy Director of the IC2 Institute at The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Cavalli holds a PhD in Physics from Dartmouth College and a BS from Dickinson College. And his team is responsible for developing the first Virtual Private Network and operated as the Internet's first Certification Authority.
In the early nineties, Dr. Cavalli and his staff created the foundation for much of what is now recognized as the Internet - working with leading universities and corporations and supported by US government funding, the EINet project was designed to demonstrate electronic commerce. This work also included the creation of the first Internet search engine, introduced in '94. Called EINet Galaxy, it became the model for every search engine we are using today. Dr. Cavalli's team also developed the first commercial-quality web browsers that introduced many of the features found today in browsers such as Microsoft's.
The guy knows how to build the best amps around, and is doing it, and making them available to you. It's quite amazing, in my opinion
But The new unit is much more refined in appearance, and has a that elegant simplicity - classic of Cavalli amps. It feels solid and sturdy, ready for the rigors of the road. 
