[4N6]

I am debating between the LAu and the Luxman P-700u. Both are high powered, fully balanced amps. Mercer's enthusiasm has me leaning towards the Cavalli. Sounds like a terrific amp with my LCD-XCs.

 

[dBel84]

  The end game for my audeze cans have arrived

No burn in yet but already sounds awesome.
 
 

Cantata and Liquid Gold is one of my favorite combinations. Enjoy ..dB

 

[Radio_head]

I am debating between the LAu and the Luxman P-700u. Both are high powered, fully balanced amps. Mercer's enthusiasm has me leaning towards the Cavalli. Sounds like a terrific amp with my LCD-XCs.

What headphones do you use other than the XC?

 

[Ony38]

I am debating between the LAu and the Luxman P-700u. Both are high powered, fully balanced amps. Mercer's enthusiasm has me leaning towards the Cavalli. Sounds like a terrific amp with my LCD-XCs.

Both are terrific with Audeze cans (and also Abyss) but they are two differents beast.

In on hand, Lau is more focused on kick, speed,technical reproduction.On the other hand, P700u focused on musicality, density and fluidity.

Lau is more "in da face" and P700u is more laidback. Both are really dependante of the dac and can be too revolving and fatiguing with the wrong one.

In my opinion, both amp complement each other : P700u for more relaxing moment and Lau for energic moment

 

[4N6]

What headphones do you use other than the XC?

As of now, only the XC. May also look at getting the X or 3 as I do really like the Audeze sound.

 

[4N6]

Both are terrific with Audeze cans (and also Abyss) but they are two differents beast.

In on hand, Lau is more focused on kick, speed,technical reproduction.On the other hand, P700u focused on musicality, density and fluidity.

Lau is more "in da face" and P700u is more laidback. Both are really dependante of the dac and can be too revolving and fatiguing with the wrong one.

In my opinion, both amp complement each other : P700u for more relaxing moment and Lau for energic moment

Ony38...outstanding information. That is exactly the comparison I needed. Thanks.

 

[mikemercer]

Both are terrific with Audeze cans (and also Abyss) but they are two differents beast.

In on hand, Lau is more focused on kick, speed,technical reproduction.On the other hand, P700u focused on musicality, density and fluidity.

Lau is more "in da face" and P700u is more laidback. Both are really dependante of the dac and can be too revolving and fatiguing with the wrong one.

In my opinion, both amp complement each other : P700u for more relaxing moment and Lau for energic moment

They are different beats indeed!!
I agree there wholeheartedly - and also that both are GREAT w/ Audeze cans...
 
But, being the proud owner of an LAu - I have found that it's so resolving at times the forward "in da face" SQ you speak of, 
I find that's due to system synergy (or lack thereof) most of the time - and I've been through a ton of DACs ahead of my LAu to get the kinda sound I prefer
(MYTEK, dCs, Oppo BDP-105, CEntrance DACport LX, Apogee, etc.)
 
and I ended up with my beloved McIntosh D100 DAC (also a nice headphone amp itself - for easy-to-drive cans) - as the overall sound I look for could
be categorized as (and I'm pokin' at my brain here):
 
Dynamic, excitable, open-n-airy, deep-n-wide soundstage, timbre that sounds realistic in its color and the way instruments decay naturally - but I certainly don't like an "in da face" or forward-sounding system. There are MANY other variables that should factor into your decision too I believe:
 
styles of music you play more than others -
the different cans you have (do you only have 1 or 2, and are you lookin' for something that also sounds terrific with smaller, easier to drive cans - like the LAu).
 
Everything, IMO, depends on system synergy!
For example, I found the LAu to be very particular with regard to the analog interconnects you use.
I went from using Nordost Heimdall 2 XLR to Double Helix Cables Comp4 XLR. The Liquid Gold is a highly revealing amplifier - it's gonna let you know where
that weakest link is!
 
But when it's singin ' - especially w/ a pair of my Audezes or my HD800s - WOW!!

 

[mikemercer]

I am debating between the LAu and the Luxman P-700u. Both are high powered, fully balanced amps. Mercer's enthusiasm has me leaning towards the Cavalli. Sounds like a terrific amp with my LCD-XCs.

I'm sorry I didn't look back far enough to this original post!
 
If we're just talkin' about matchin' up the LAu or the Luxman P-700u w/ a pair of LCD-XCs (no open-backs as well??) - then, IMO, having lived with the Luxman for a few months (my buddy is the Luxman importer) before deciding to go w/ the LAu (which wasn't an easy purchase for me I assure you) I think the LAu mates with the LCD-XCs in a way that carries some sonic advantages over the Luxman/LCD-XC combo - for me - and as I ALWAYS say - even in my reviews - We ALL interpret differently!!
 
However, I found that the LCD-XCs uncanny ability to sound wide-open at times (still my only closed-back planar headphones that trick me into thinking I'm rockin' open-backs sometimes ) is better articulated through the LAu. Also I dig the overall gestalt of the music, and the pacing w/ the LAu/LCD-XC combo over the Luxman. And hey - I really dug the Luxman - but in the end, I ended up (and still do) listening to the LAu + my LCD-XCs for HOURS - sometimes into the next morning and afternoon!! 
 
That combo is so sonically addictive...
 
The Luxman w/ the XC was, for me, too linear sometimes. I thought of the sound of Wilson Audio Loudspeakers (minus the new Sasha, which I like very much): What I mean there is: Dave Wilson is a very exacting, linear-thinking, scientific perfectionist. He's also a very nice guy - but his speaker designs always reflected him I thought:
 
They sound like KILLER Hi-fi, but not necessarily like MUSIC. I've always hated saying it this way - but it's just how I felt - to me, music is not meant to sound that precise, that exact, with everything SO sparkly and neatly spatially placed - or, more appropriately - everything is even and what I call "audiophile sleepy". I'm not saying I want Low-Fi, NOT AT ALL - but I need a lil' soul in my systems - whether headphone or stereo in-room configurations.
 
I think the LAu drips with soul.
The Luxmans solid - don't get me wrong, but I would eventually get tired of its sound w/ the XC personally.
 
I could call Philip for you and check into getting a unit for eval if you'd like (the Luxman)...
I'm not sure if Alex Cavalli even had any LAu's ready yet. I know he was shooting for next month - I THINK...
 
I just LOVE the LAu  

 

[mikemercer]

  Hi sirs, may i ask... would you recommend a pure copper or a pure silver xlr interconnect for the Lau? im eyeing the silver dragon v2 xlr and the DHC copper xlr...
Can to be used is LCD-3f 

Thus far, I've been having some of the greatest listening sessions yet w/ my LAu using Double Helix Cable Comp4 XLRs - and I believe these are silver.
 
I was using Nordost Heimdall 2 before, which was also silver - but the DHC seems to keep pace a bit better, and, since I can't quite put my finger on it YET - 
I'll say for now that the system w/ the DHC interconnects has a more organic sound to it...
 
I was using a copper-based interconnect at first (a cable that my dearly departed friend Lee Weiland from Cryparts made for me) and it wasn't bad at all - but Everything seemed to come to life after my switch to Nordost (silver) and more-so with the DHC XLRs by @scootermafia!
 

Right now I believe I'm getting the best sound I've ever heard through my LAu-based system - 
w/ DHC in front and back!! 

 

[4N6]

I'm sorry I didn't look back far enough to this original post!

If we're just talkin' about matchin' up the LAu or the Luxman P-700u w/ a pair of LCD-XCs (no open-backs as well??) - then, IMO, having lived with the Luxman for a few months (my buddy is the Luxman importer) before deciding to go w/ the LAu (which wasn't an easy purchase for me I assure you) I think the LAu mates with the LCD-XCs in a way that carries some sonic advantages over the Luxman/LCD-XC combo - for me - and as I ALWAYS say - even in my reviews - We ALL interpret differently!!

However, I found that the LCD-XCs uncanny ability to sound wide-open at times (still my only closed-back planar headphones that trick me into thinking I'm rockin' open-backs sometimes ) is better articulated through the LAu. Also I dig the overall gestalt of the music, and the pacing w/ the LAu/LCD-XC combo over the Luxman. And hey - I really dug the Luxman - but in the end, I ended up (and still do) listening to the LAu + my LCD-XCs for HOURS - sometimes into the next morning and afternoon!! 

That combo is so sonically addictive...

The Luxman w/ the XC was, for me, too linear sometimes. I thought of the sound of Wilson Audio Loudspeakers (minus the new Sasha, which I like very much): What I mean there is: Dave Wilson is a very exacting, linear-thinking, scientific perfectionist. He's also a very nice guy - but his speaker designs always reflected him I thought:

They sound like KILLER Hi-fi, but not necessarily like MUSIC. I've always hated saying it this way - but it's just how I felt - to me, music is not meant to sound that precise, that exact, with everything SO sparkly and neatly spatially placed - or, more appropriately - everything is even and what I call "audiophile sleepy". I'm not saying I want Low-Fi, NOT AT ALL - but I need a lil' soul in my systems - whether headphone or stereo in-room configurations.

I think the LAu drips with soul.
The Luxmans solid - don't get me wrong, but I would eventually get tired of its sound w/ the XC personally.

I could call Philip for you and check into getting a unit for eval if you'd like (the Luxman)...
I'm not sure if Alex Cavalli even had any LAu's ready yet. I know he was shooting for next month - I THINK...

I just LOVE the LAu  :eek:

Mike,

Thanks for the great input. That also helps a lot. Interesting comparison to the Wilson's. That has always been my feeling about them as well. Great (!) speakers, but I have Sonus faber Elipsa SE's because they have soul and musicality!

 

[dbalvo]

I picked up one of these monster amps during the summer run, but after about 2 months sold it to another Head-fier.  I was pretty excited about it from the great review by Mike and Jude, and a few others I found on the interwebs, but in the end it really wasn't the amp for me.  I don't want to be negative but I wanted to share my thoughts incase they might help anyone else make the right decision when spending this kind of money on gear.  
 
My setup was:
Windows 8 machine 
JRiver Media Center (mostly high-res FLAC)
NAD M51 DAC (via Optical in)
LAu (balanced)  and CMA800R for comparison (single ended)
LCD-XCs and HD800s (with custom Cardas cables I purchased from another head-fier.) 
 
First thing I'll say is that my experience was pretty similar with both cans.  I kinda expected to notice a bigger difference between the two since the LAu is all about ortho's, but I didn't really.  With either can, the LAu clearly had more 'sparkle' compared to the 800R.  However, that sparkle seemed like an over-sharpening at times.  It sounded quite nice when there was only one or two instruments playing, but when there was a lot going on it felt a bit over-done and fatiguing.  The other strange outcome of this sharpening effect was that sometimes a random instrument would jump out at me.  So, for example I might be used to hearing vocals dominantly on a track - and now it was vocals + a cymbal or a high-hat.  The net effect seemed somewhat unnatural. 
 
In terms of soundstage, the LAu absolutely had a wider soundstage.  But I actually found it easier to focus in on individual instruments/sounds on the 800R.  And I found the the 800r had more impact/slam in things like rock music.  But the more problematic thing was that the LAu seemed to have wider dynamic range of volumes.  What I mean by this is that I'd have a track at a comfortable listening volume - but then when the track crescendo'd it would become uncomfortably loud.  I couldn't find a volume I enjoyed for the entire track (and this was a problem across many different tracks.)  This might be related to the sharpening mentioned earlier, but either way it was the deal-breaker for me.  
 
I want to call out that YMMV here.  I had a friend over for some listening fun who consistently preferred the LAu over a variety of tracks.  When I asked him about it, he was hearing the same thing I was hearing but just didn't care - and loved the sparkle.  So there's a lot of personal preference in this.  It's also entirely possible that the M51 is just a bad pairing with the LAu.  Even though I sold it, the LAu did convince me that there is a better TOTL amp for me than the 800r due to the things it did well - but my search for that amp continues.  

 

[mikemercer]

  I picked up one of these monster amps during the summer run, but after about 2 months sold it to another Head-fier.  I was pretty excited about it from the great review by Mike and Jude, and a few others I found on the interwebs, but in the end it really wasn't the amp for me.  I don't want to be negative but I wanted to share my thoughts incase they might help anyone else make the right decision when spending this kind of money on gear.  
 
My setup was:
Windows 8 machine 
JRiver Media Center (mostly high-res FLAC)
NAD M51 DAC (via Optical in)
LAu (balanced)  and CMA800R for comparison (single ended)
LCD-XCs and HD800s (with custom Cardas cables I purchased from another head-fier.) 
 
First thing I'll say is that my experience was pretty similar with both cans.  I kinda expected to notice a bigger difference between the two since the LAu is all about ortho's, but I didn't really.  With either can, the LAu clearly had more 'sparkle' compared to the 800R.  However, that sparkle seemed like an over-sharpening at times.  It sounded quite nice when there was only one or two instruments playing, but when there was a lot going on it felt a bit over-done and fatiguing.  The other strange outcome of this sharpening effect was that sometimes a random instrument would jump out at me.  So, for example I might be used to hearing vocals dominantly on a track - and now it was vocals + a cymbal or a high-hat.  The net effect seemed somewhat unnatural. 
 
In terms of soundstage, the LAu absolutely had a wider soundstage.  But I actually found it easier to focus in on individual instruments/sounds on the 800R.  And I found the the 800r had more impact/slam in things like rock music.  But the more problematic thing was that the LAu seemed to have wider dynamic range of volumes.  What I mean by this is that I'd have a track at a comfortable listening volume - but then when the track crescendo'd it would become uncomfortably loud.  I couldn't find a volume I enjoyed for the entire track (and this was a problem across many different tracks.)  This might be related to the sharpening mentioned earlier, but either way it was the deal-breaker for me.  
 
I want to call out that YMMV here.  I had a friend over for some listening fun who consistently preferred the LAu over a variety of tracks.  When I asked him about it, he was hearing the same thing I was hearing but just didn't care - and loved the sparkle.  So there's a lot of personal preference in this.  It's also entirely possible that the M51 is just a bad pairing with the LAu.  Even though I sold it, the LAu did convince me that there is a better TOTL amp for me than the 800r due to the things it did well - but my search for that amp continues.  

 
This is KEY in your response:
 
 So there's a lot of personal preference in this.
 
That's a GREAT statement to include!
 
No matter what ANYBODY says - we may all be talking about gear (cans, headphone amps, DACs, whatever...) but we're listening to, and reacting emotionally to the music played back thru the gear! I can't speak for others - but, for me, the gear is just the vehicle. Now, that doesn't mean I don't like nice-looking, well-built, musical components - but if its duck-taped and looks like A__ - but sounds great I'll use it!
 
This is why we ALL must try these things. Those of us with more experience can act as guides, but I can't stand it when reviewers or editors call something "the best...".
 
There is no best for all of us!!
 
That said - for me, the LAu, when mated with the proper gear (as, again, I believe system synergy is EVERYTHING) currently delivers the most dynamic, engaging, and emotively powerful performance. But it's the SYSTEM I'm hearing, its never the one thing!
 
Also - 
the Liquid Crimson is really somethin' for those who can't afford the LAu!

 
full review comin...

 

[Frank I]

Glad to  see this thread active. I am working the LAu review for February. I been pretty excited about this solid state amplifier. The sound is  really very special and Dr Cavalli really developed something special with the amp. Please stay tuned as I will keep posting my impressions,but to say I am impressed would be a massive understatement. It does it all.

 

[mikemercer]

  Glad to  see this thread active. I am working the LAu review for February. I been pretty excited about this solid state amplifier. The sound is  really very special and Dr Cavalli really developed something special with the amp. Please stay tuned as I will keep posting my impressions,but to say I am impressed would be a massive understatement. It does it all.

I'm psyched for Franks review! He's not letting go of that LAu I don't think 

 
Yeah when the systems cookin' - and I'm rocking my Audezes, HD800s, or Alpha Primes w/ my LAu - it's like hearing some of the best two-channel in-room systems I've experienced - BUT - without all the room acoustic issues most audiophiles NEVER address!!!!
 
The LAu, IMO, stands in a class all its own - and I like hybrids - This amp simply does NOT sound like typical solid-state to me!!
It's glorious...

 

[runeight]

Hello folks. We have sold out of our fourth run of Liquid Gold amps. Thanks to everyone who decided to buy one.

 
The next run will open soon for deposits. First delivery is tentatively scheduled for August. This is a little longer than our normal cycle because we are currently producing the Liquid Crimson and Liquid Lightning amps. AND, we've got some cool stuff in the works to be shown at CanJam LA. I am pretty stoked about these new projects.
 
Also, occasionally we get a question about the price drop last year, asking if the components or build were reduced in quality to achieve this. The answer is no. We simply changed our business model so that we no longer sell through dealers except in very special and rare circumstances.
 
Cavalli Amps do not use boutique components to achieve their sound signature. Thus, it is not necessary to buy really expensive components and it isn't necessary to skimp and buy cheap ones. We use commonly available, good quality components such as Vishay resistors, Panasonic and Nichicon electrolytics, Wima film capacitors, Cardas Jacks, Neutrik jacks, TKD volume pots, Fairchild/OnSemi/IRF semiconductors, etc.
 
The components in the audio sections of the last LAu that was sold are identical to the first LAu made. The only real differences in the amps are small tweaks in the mechanical design and other board changes for better quality manufacturing.