Quote:
Originally Posted by Rickio
My only other comment is that postive comments for the Hornet still outweigh these negative comments.
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Have you seen the 6moons Hornet review by our very own recstar24? If not, you should read it.
Another positive sign is that very few of the few hundred Hornets that Ray sold directly have been sold off here on Head-Fi. I am guessing that Ray has at least sold around 300 Hornet so far, but I could be wrong. Anyway, my point is that I've only seen a few Hornets in the Amp for sale forum at most plausibly 10, which even if you double it and consider that it is likely that Ray does get a Hornet returned now and again it shows that the vast majority (in the mid to high 80%) are probably happy, if not very happy, Hornet owners.
I primarily use my Hornet when I want to be mobile or am away from home, which is just not feasible with my larger equipment or for you the Gilmore Lite.
Overall, the Hornet provides me with a noticeable improvement and most importantly a more musically enjoyable listening experience instead of jacking directly into my Karma or Sony D-555. However, in my experience the Hornet usually needs about 20 minutes of continuous play (warm up time) before it reaches its optimum sound performance. And many others indicate it also needs a long burn-in period (300+ hours).
I assume you realize that the Hornet or any amp for that matter only amplifies your source’s signal. My Rio Karma overall sounds better with the Hornet, but my tracks are codec with vorbis at a 256kbps bitrate and I am considering experimenting with some FLAC tracks because as of recent I have been wanting better sound quality. Additionally as you probably know, different mini-cables and headphones provide different sound signatures and some pairings offer better sonic synergy than others. Oh, it is preferable to use your source's line-out instead of the headphone jack because the line-out is considered to have a superior signal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rickio
So does that have any merit or are these few people making negative comments the only ones with golden ears or in depth experience?
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I think not, just that everyone has difference tastes. As you experience and experiment with different components, you'll discover that certain things are more appealing to your ear. There will always be the few negative comments about any product. As the old saying goes: "you can't please all of the Head-Fiers all of the time." But that is not to say that the negative comments in general are unfounded.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rickio
I have not enough experience to say what's what as far as amps are concerned but I have enough experience with logic and people to know when something is a bit off. I am not saying what, but something is not correct as far as my intuition and sense of what I have read in this forum is concerned.
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If you want, you'll learn more and more about amps and other Hi-Fi gear in time. And the reality is the more you learn you may realize the less you actually know.
Sometimes it seems like past history relived, bureaucracy, advocating pundits for one particular product or theory, but in the end I sum it up as a part of human nature when any large number of people interact as a group.
You need to start to trust your own ears. Both Ray and Justin (Gilmore Lite) offer a trial period, but I suggest you contact them and let them know your intentions and see if they have any demo units available for you. And I think the EC-01 is worthy of your consideration as well.
