[DanDan]

I've recently received the second version of the Gilmore class A
headphone amp & coupled with Sennheiser HD-600 headphones, the
performance is ultra clean & transparent.
The sound stage: voluminous, imaging: extremely detailed, frequency
response: very wide, dynamic range: huge with amazing amounts of
headroom, noise floor: inaudible. I've heard harmonic content previously unheard off the same CD's. Even when driving the amp hard there is no audible distortion. The V2's look & functionality have also been improved with twin output jacks, a single housing & power cord. I would recommend this headphone amp to anyone in the market for such an item: it delivers the most bang for the buck of any headphone amp on the market.
Sincerely,
Dan Dan

 

[radrd]

I'm loving my Gilmore V2 amp as well, but seriously...

Quote:

I would recommend this headphone amp to anyone in the market for such an item: it delivers the most bang for the buck of any headphone amp on the market.

Have you heard every amp on the market?

 

[sacd lover]

Have you tried the v2 as a preamp? My v1 is ridiculously good for the money as a pre.

 

[Audio-Me]

sacd lover - which other pre amps have you tried in your system? The main interest I have in the gilmore dynamic is for preamp duty.

 

[sacd lover]

I have owned an audible illusions model 2d, mccormack micro line drive, adcom gfp-750(qc trouble/ returned), mccormack tlc-1(current) and the gilmore v1. The AI was very beautiful sounding being full, rich yet very dymamic. The trouble was it was noisy and the gain never matched left/right. It drove me crazy with those dual volume controls and it broke repeatedly. The mccormacks are excellent in passive but they sound to edgy with gain. The tlc-1 is better being unity gain but you can hear the deterioration clearly vs passive. If you dont need gain the mccormacks are hard to beat. But, the mccormacks are not very dynamic and the bass is soft and lean. The overall sound of the mccormacks is smooth and very resolving with no noise, edge or treble grain in passive mode.
Enter the gilmore v1; I didnt use it as a pre for a long time. I had tried my headroom moh as a pre, and it was clearly inferior to any of my other preamps, past or present. So, I figured the gilmore would be the same. One day I decided to give it a listen, and I was completely stunned. The v1 was awesome as a pre. The bass was the best I have ever heard it. The midrange was natural on vocals but harmonically fleshed out, particularly rythym guitar, which I always enjoy, but struggle to hear on every pre I have ever owned or auditioned but the tubed AI. The treble was the real surprise with extension and delicacy when called for, but no grain, edge, shrillness or thiness. Dynamics were explosive on high level transients and the microdynamics propelled the music along like a mother trying to get her kids by a candy counter.
Coherence was the final piece of the puzzel as the none of these wonderful qualities stood out unnaturally. Everything just joined together to give me the best sound I have ever had in my system.
I vote with my wallet and I have a v2 on the way for my office and a v2 se on the way to be the preamp in my main system. I even configured the v2 as a preamp with a gain switch and mono switch, in case I ever have a second speaker or home theater setup. The gilmore is a great preamp period, but for the money its outstanding.
I know I am raving but I still feel this way. I cant wait to hear the v2se. I brought an Audio Research tube pre home last month when I was in Columbus, Ohio for a meeting. I kept it through the weekend and I much preferred the gilmore v1. The gilmore is one fine preamp. I would get a gain switch added to make sure it doesnt have to much gain. I also configured mine so I had 1 input/1 active output /1 passive output for system flexibility. I always use one source so thats not an issue with me. You might even want the v2se as its not that much more, and it has 6 in/outs, a gain switch is now standard and you will be able to get a Dact gain switch, the dact volume control is standard and the v2 se has a caps upgrade over the v2, also standard. Well I think that answers your question, if you have any more give me a pm.

 

[BoyElroy]

I've owned the McCormack ALD-1 preamp and I agree with SACD on the soft bass that seems to characterize the McCormack "house sound" for its preamps. Mind you, the McCormack power amps are a whole different story, but their premps tend to have a pretty transparent but thin and wispy air about them.

OTOH, my DIY balanced bridge Gilmore with stepped attenuator is easily the best sounding preamp I've ever heard, bar none. Like SACD says, the bass is firm and tight, the mids are full and the high end is amazingly clear and airy. I run my Gilmore unit more as a line level preamp than as a headphone amp now and I still shake my head at it's ability to throw a wide, wide soundstage with excellent detail and resolution.

I sometimes run my Gilmore in passive mode, bypassing the gain stage altogether and putting only the DACT stepped attenuator in the signal path (this works well with my McCormack DNA1 dlxe amp because of it's relatively high input impedance). I was surprised by how little difference there was in terms of overall transparency between the passive and active modes. Of course, in terms of bass and midrange, there is a tremendous difference between the two modes, but in terms of purity of signal, the Gilmore gain stage is remarkably neutral and clean.

IIRC, Kevin Gilmore once said that while the Gilmore circuit is an excellent headphone amp, he believes that it makes an even better sounding class A line level preamp.

BTW, I also much prefer my Gilmore preamp to my Audio Research LS3BR line level preamp. In fact, there's no contest between the two units. Pretty amazing...

 

[sacd lover]

Boy Elroy, thanks for the input on using the dact stepped attenuator with the passive mode. I had trouble with the high output of my modded 555es with the v1; it sounded wonderful, but I could barely open the volume control. The v2se I will have coming has a passive output standard. I really want to use it in active mode, so I had a dact gain control added with the first step being 0.5 db of gain. This should resolve the mismatch. However, if it doesnt, its nice to hear the dact and the passive mode sound excellent as well.
Like you I continue to amazed how good the gilmore is as a pre. I had an Audio Research LS7 in for audition, as I have always liked that pre, and the gilmore just had so much more bass power and dynamics. Furthermore , the gilmore did not exhibit an upper midrange brightness clearly present on the AR LS7. The AR sounded slow but bright compared to the gilmore; no contest.
So for you guys looking for a solid state preamp here is the place to start. You get a first class pre and the headamp almost seems like the bonus.

 

[tom hankins]

Thanks for the info on the Gilmore as a pre-amp. My brother is putting together a small system for his bedroom and I'll pass this info on to him. He bought my Rega Jupiter and has the Mccormack DNA 125 amp but needs a preamp to go with it.

 

[sacd lover]

Tom, that would be a sweet little system with the gilmore. I would get the gain switch option using the mcormack amp though. The mccormacks have a 100k ohm input impedence and it only requires about 1 volt or so for full output. Lower gain options would help insure the system would match and give him flexibility for future system changes. I went with 1/3.3/7.5 with mine.

 

[tom hankins]

sacd lover

o you have the gain switch built on your V1 or does antness only do this on the SE amps? I think for a couple hundred extra dollars the SE model would be the way for him to go. Your thoughts? He will never have more than one source hooked up to the preamp.

 

[BoyElroy]

Quote:

You get a first class pre and the headamp almost seems like the bonus

Greetings SACD--

This is pretty much how I view my Gilmore now! I tend to use the Gilmore in passive mode late at night when I don't want to bother the neighbors and also to play back certain choral, chamber and acoustic works. When I want a more full and dynamic sound, I'll switch to active mode and start shaking the furniture and scaring the cats.


And Hello to Tom Hankins--

FWIW, I would definitely say the extra money for the DACT attenuator is worth it. The idea of sending an audio signal through the plastic conductive film in a "standard" pot sends shivers up my spine. Replacing the plastic film with discrete resistors is the way to go!

 

[sacd lover]

First, I dont have a gain switch on my v1, antness will put a gain switch on the v2($35/2 position and $50 3 position), if you ask him; I did. I also had a mono switch added on the v2 as well ($15). The v2 gives you nearly everything your brother would want. Instead of 2 inputs I went with one. I used the extra rca to add the passive out. If he wants to keep it simple and less expensive, this is what I would choose.
If he doesnt mind the extra expense, we are talking a bedroom system here, I think the v2se is well worth the additional money.
You get the dact stepped attenuator, a caps upgrade and 6 in /outs you can configure any way you want. A two position gain switch is standard but can be upgraded. I dont use many sources, usually one, never more than two, so I just went with 2 inputs. With the other four I used two for active outputs, mainly in case I ever add a sub, I will have an output for it. One then went for a passive output and one for a loop out.
The only caution I would give you is the dact opens quickly so be sure to get the gain set low enough. I have a high output source, definately higher than the rega, along with an amp that has the same 100k ohm imput impedence, and it also takes only one volt for full output. I can barely open up the volume on the v1 which has a gain of ten with this source (555es). I am getting a dact gain control for my v2se to be sure I dont have compatibility problems, this dact has a gain setting that starts at 0.5 db and goes in half db steps to 10. Its more expensive though and he should be able to get by with a three position gain switch.
My 222es has a standard two volt output, and even with the same spec amp(100k/1 volt), and the v1 having the gain of 10, I do have enough volume control to be useful, but a lower gain would be better; and this combo is probably very similar in output to his components. Once I get the v2, and can try it with the 555es and 222es, I can give you an accurate opinion on what gain to use. The same with the v2se. I hope to have the v2 by next week. I will post what I discover then.
Hope this helps.