[Odin412]

Liquid Platinum vs Liquid Gold X
Since I’m fortunate enough to own both the Monoprice Cavalli Liquid Platinum and the new Liquid Gold X some folks have asked for a comparison between the two. I was finally able to spend some time with both amps side by side last weekend and here are my impressions.
The TL; DR version is that the differences between the two amps are very small.
The playback chain used was a Windows 10 laptop running J River Media Center 27 – Bifrost Multibit – distribution amplifier – Liquid Platinum/Liquid Gold X. The Liquid Platinum is running vintage Amperex 6922 tubes.
First, the single-ended output using the ZMF Aeolus. The two amps sound very similar. The Liquid Platinum has a bit more weight and body in the lower midrange and a bit more subdued treble, but this may be due to the tubes that I use. Would I be able to tell the amps a part in a blind test? Probably not.
Next, the balanced output using the Audeze LCD-2. Again, the amps sound very similar. The treble on the Liquid Gold X is a little bit smoother and cleaner, but the differences are again small.
Conclusion? I prefer the single-ended output on the Liquid Platinum and the balanced output on the Liquid Gold X, but like I said the differences are small and I could live with either amp on a permanent basis. I doubt that I would be able to tell the amps apart in a blind test, or even an A/B/X test. Having said that, I really like the way the Aeolus sounds with the Liquid Platinum and the way the LCD-2 sounds with the Liquid Gold X. They are both great amps.
So, should you buy both? Honestly there is no need to, since the amps sound very similar (and very good) and the Liquid Platinum is already an excellent amplifier. In my case, I’ve lusted after a Liquid Gold since I heard the original amp at a CanJam several years ago, and thanks to the Cavalli/Monoprice cooperation I now finally own one, so I’m happy with both amps and I plan to keep both of them.
Is there any point in upgrading from the Liquid Platinum to the Liquid Gold X? I would say no, unless you’re tired of tubes and want a solid-state amp, or you prefer an amp with a built-in DAC. YMMV, as always.

 

[caliber8]

Liquid Platinum vs Liquid Gold X
Since I’m fortunate enough to own both the Monoprice Cavalli Liquid Platinum and the new Liquid Gold X some folks have asked for a comparison between the two. I was finally able to spend some time with both amps side by side last weekend and here are my impressions.
The TL; DR version is that the differences between the two amps are very small.
The playback chain used was a Windows 10 laptop running J River Media Center 27 – Bifrost Multibit – distribution amplifier – Liquid Platinum/Liquid Gold X. The Liquid Platinum is running vintage Amperex 6922 tubes.
First, the single-ended output using the ZMF Aeolus. The two amps sound very similar. The Liquid Platinum has a bit more weight and body in the lower midrange and a bit more subdued treble, but this may be due to the tubes that I use. Would I be able to tell the amps a part in a blind test? Probably not.
Next, the balanced output using the Audeze LCD-2. Again, the amps sound very similar. The treble on the Liquid Gold X is a little bit smoother and cleaner, but the differences are again small.
Conclusion? I prefer the single-ended output on the Liquid Platinum and the balanced output on the Liquid Gold X, but like I said the differences are small and I could live with either amp on a permanent basis. I doubt that I would be able to tell the amps apart in a blind test, or even an A/B/X test. Having said that, I really like the way the Aeolus sounds with the Liquid Platinum and the way the LCD-2 sounds with the Liquid Gold X. They are both great amps.
So, should you buy both? Honestly there is no need to, since the amps sound very similar (and very good) and the Liquid Platinum is already an excellent amplifier. In my case, I’ve lusted after a Liquid Gold since I heard the original amp at a CanJam several years ago, and thanks to the Cavalli/Monoprice cooperation I now finally own one, so I’m happy with both amps and I plan to keep both of them.
Is there any point in upgrading from the Liquid Platinum to the Liquid Gold X? I would say no, unless you’re tired of tubes and want a solid-state amp, or you prefer an amp with a built-in DAC. YMMV, as always.

Are you running balanced out on the LAuX? I'm still waiting for my balanced cables to arrive, but I'm skeptical that they will fix the high-frequency resolution issue that I'm having running single-ended.

 

[elwappo99]

Liquid Platinum vs Liquid Gold X
Since I’m fortunate enough to own both the Monoprice Cavalli Liquid Platinum and the new Liquid Gold X some folks have asked for a comparison between the two. I was finally able to spend some time with both amps side by side last weekend and here are my impressions.
The TL; DR version is that the differences between the two amps are very small.
The playback chain used was a Windows 10 laptop running J River Media Center 27 – Bifrost Multibit – distribution amplifier – Liquid Platinum/Liquid Gold X. The Liquid Platinum is running vintage Amperex 6922 tubes.
First, the single-ended output using the ZMF Aeolus. The two amps sound very similar. The Liquid Platinum has a bit more weight and body in the lower midrange and a bit more subdued treble, but this may be due to the tubes that I use. Would I be able to tell the amps a part in a blind test? Probably not.
Next, the balanced output using the Audeze LCD-2. Again, the amps sound very similar. The treble on the Liquid Gold X is a little bit smoother and cleaner, but the differences are again small.
Conclusion? I prefer the single-ended output on the Liquid Platinum and the balanced output on the Liquid Gold X, but like I said the differences are small and I could live with either amp on a permanent basis. I doubt that I would be able to tell the amps apart in a blind test, or even an A/B/X test. Having said that, I really like the way the Aeolus sounds with the Liquid Platinum and the way the LCD-2 sounds with the Liquid Gold X. They are both great amps.
So, should you buy both? Honestly there is no need to, since the amps sound very similar (and very good) and the Liquid Platinum is already an excellent amplifier. In my case, I’ve lusted after a Liquid Gold since I heard the original amp at a CanJam several years ago, and thanks to the Cavalli/Monoprice cooperation I now finally own one, so I’m happy with both amps and I plan to keep both of them.
Is there any point in upgrading from the Liquid Platinum to the Liquid Gold X? I would say no, unless you’re tired of tubes and want a solid-state amp, or you prefer an amp with a built-in DAC. YMMV, as always.

Great write up. Thanks for doing this. I think you're the first person out in the wild to have both amps and do a side by side comparison.

 

[Odin412]

Are you running balanced out on the LAuX? I'm still waiting for my balanced cables to arrive, but I'm skeptical that they will fix the high-frequency resolution issue that I'm having running single-ended.

Yes when I listened to the LCD-2 I used the balanced output, and to my ears the two outputs sound noticeably different with this headphone. The treble on the balanced output sounds smoother and cleaner to my ears, and using the LCD-2 I can clearly hear the difference.

 

[caliber8]

I just pulled the trigger on a Burson Conductor 3XP to do a side-by-side with the LAuX. The balanced cables just shipped so I'll be able to give the LAuX a fair run.

 

[sahmen]

Liquid Platinum vs Liquid Gold X
Since I’m fortunate enough to own both the Monoprice Cavalli Liquid Platinum and the new Liquid Gold X some folks have asked for a comparison between the two. I was finally able to spend some time with both amps side by side last weekend and here are my impressions.
The TL; DR version is that the differences between the two amps are very small.
The playback chain used was a Windows 10 laptop running J River Media Center 27 – Bifrost Multibit – distribution amplifier – Liquid Platinum/Liquid Gold X. The Liquid Platinum is running vintage Amperex 6922 tubes.
First, the single-ended output using the ZMF Aeolus. The two amps sound very similar. The Liquid Platinum has a bit more weight and body in the lower midrange and a bit more subdued treble, but this may be due to the tubes that I use. Would I be able to tell the amps a part in a blind test? Probably not.
Next, the balanced output using the Audeze LCD-2. Again, the amps sound very similar. The treble on the Liquid Gold X is a little bit smoother and cleaner, but the differences are again small.
Conclusion? I prefer the single-ended output on the Liquid Platinum and the balanced output on the Liquid Gold X, but like I said the differences are small and I could live with either amp on a permanent basis. I doubt that I would be able to tell the amps apart in a blind test, or even an A/B/X test. Having said that, I really like the way the Aeolus sounds with the Liquid Platinum and the way the LCD-2 sounds with the Liquid Gold X. They are both great amps.
So, should you buy both? Honestly there is no need to, since the amps sound very similar (and very good) and the Liquid Platinum is already an excellent amplifier. In my case, I’ve lusted after a Liquid Gold since I heard the original amp at a CanJam several years ago, and thanks to the Cavalli/Monoprice cooperation I now finally own one, so I’m happy with both amps and I plan to keep both of them.
Is there any point in upgrading from the Liquid Platinum to the Liquid Gold X? I would say no, unless you’re tired of tubes and want a solid-state amp, or you prefer an amp with a built-in DAC. YMMV, as always.

Thanks for a very honest and balanced appraisal that I find particularly helpful.

 

[JWahl]

I just pulled the trigger on a Burson Conductor 3XP to do a side-by-side with the LAuX. The balanced cables just shipped so I'll be able to give the LAuX a fair run.

I'm looking forward to this. I've owned the Liquid Platinum and currently use the Burson Soloist 3XP (Amp only). As an amp, I think it outclasses the LP. The Conductor 3XP has a very similar amplifier stage, so I think you'll be surprised. The other reason I'm interested, is soon I'll be ordering a Bifrost 2 and iFi Neo iDSD to directly compare and return the one I prefer less. I reviewed the Neo about a month ago or so and liked it, but really want to compare it to the Bifrost 2, since I've owned the Yggdrasil and Gungnir Multibit in the past. That being said, I think the LAuX could be the most reasonable competitor to the Soloist/Conductor 3XP given the price-point, size, and the use of well-designed switching supplies. The biggest difference, of course, is the volume-control implementation.

 

[caliber8]

I'm looking forward to this. I've owned the Liquid Platinum and currently use the Burson Soloist 3XP (Amp only). As an amp, I think it outclasses the LP. The Conductor 3XP has a very similar amplifier stage, so I think you'll be surprised. The other reason I'm interested, is soon I'll be ordering a Bifrost 2 and iFi Neo iDSD to directly compare and return the one I prefer less. I reviewed the Neo about a month ago or so and liked it, but really want to compare it to the Bifrost 2, since I've owned the Yggdrasil and Gungnir Multibit in the past. That being said, I think the LAuX could be the most reasonable competitor to the Soloist/Conductor 3XP given the price-point, size, and the use of well-designed switching supplies. The biggest difference, of course, is the volume-control implementation.

My hope is that either the LAuX balanced out gives me the high-frequency clarity that the SE out lacks as compared to the Black Widow (both fed by the Bifrost 2) or the Burson C3XP gives me the warmth, low-end slam, and high-frequency clarity I like in one box. Right now, my favorite combination with my Focal Clear is the Bifrost 2 feeding the Black Widow, but it's an impractical desktop setup for me. Will be interested to hear your comparison of the Bifrost 2 and iFi Neo iDSD.

 

[caliber8]

Got my balanced cables today and they have made LAuX into a different amplifier. I understand why they included a SE output, but it's so different from the balanced that the SE does the amplifier a disservice for those who normally don't run balanced. I'm new to the balanced game and had the patience to wait until I received my cables before judging, but I don't know if everyone is like that. I need to spend more time with the LAuX balanced to know if it's exactly what I want, but as of right now, it's just lovely. It glows, somehow. The high frequencies so essential to rendering string detail are back, even with the internal DAC. The Bifrost 2 still resolves more detail, making music sound more engaging, but I'm not sure I would prefer that over the LAuX's built-in DAC over longer listening sessions. Again, I need to spend more time with it.

But for those on the fence about the LAuX as an all-in-one, it should be a contender if you're running balanced and if you're using highly resolving headphones like the Focal Clear.

 

[hikaru12]

nd the way the LCD-2 sounds with the Liquid Gold X. They are both great amps.

Is there any point in upgrading from the Liquid Platinum to the Liquid Gold X? I would say no, unless you’re tired of tubes and want a solid-state amp,

Thanks for this. I just got in some LCD-2 Shedura wood and while I like the pairing with the LP - I feel like it could be better in the detail department. The bass does slam but not as good as a great SS so this peaks my curiosity. I think I am done with tubes for now. I will probably be getting this amp. I remember it going for $700 at one point but it's back at $1k.

 

[Odin412]

Thanks for this. I just got in some LCD-2 Shedura wood and while I like the pairing with the LP - I feel like it could be better in the detail department. The bass does slam but not as good as a great SS so this peaks my curiosity. I think I am done with tubes for now. I will probably be getting this amp. I remember it going for $700 at one point but it's back at $1k.

I like my LCD-2 a little bit better with the Liquid Gold X - the treble just sounds a bit smoother and cleaner to me. I know that there are multiple LCD-2 revisions so it's hard to predict how yours will sound but I do enjoy my

Liquid Gold X. Sometimes Monoprice has open-box offers so it may be good to keep an eye on their page to see what's available.​

 

[hikaru12]

I like my LCD-2 a little bit better with the Liquid Gold X - the treble just sounds a bit smoother and cleaner to me. I know that there are multiple LCD-2 revisions so it's hard to predict how yours will sound but I do enjoy my
Liquid Gold X. Sometimes Monoprice has open-box offers so it may be good to keep an eye on their page to see what's available.

I am currently running everything SE until I can get a balanced cable for my LCD 2. I do remember balanced bringing out the slam more out of them. Can you speak to the bass on the LaUX compared to the LP? I feel like pure SS slams harder. I've tried some Holy Grail Reflektors and Brimars but even my THX 789 seems to slam harder than the LP in the lowest subbass regions.

 

[Odin412]

I am currently running everything SE until I can get a balanced cable for my LCD 2. I do remember balanced bringing out the slam more out of them. Can you speak to the bass on the LaUX compared to the LP? I feel like pure SS slams harder. I've tried some Holy Grail Reflektors and Brimars but even my THX 789 seems to slam harder than the LP in the lowest subbass regions.

In general, I find that the balanced output has a more dynamic sound. I'm not super sensitive to bass slam, so I didn't find the LP that different from the LAuX in the bass region. However, I believe that one of the qualities that the original Liquid Gold was known for was its bass so hopefully the Liquid Gold X inherited that trait.

 

[ruinedx]

Is there any point in upgrading from the Liquid Platinum to the Liquid Gold X? I would say no, unless you’re tired of tubes and want a solid-state amp, or you prefer an amp with a built-in DAC. YMMV, as always.

If you want to upgrade from Liquid Platinum to something else that is "similar style of sound, but significantly better" this is a common recommendation (note works best with dynamic headphones):
DNA Starlett single ended triode SET vacuum tube headphone amplifier (dnaudio.com)

 

[Odin412]

If you want to upgrade from Liquid Platinum to something else that is "similar style of sound, but significantly better" this is a common recommendation (note works best with dynamic headphones):
DNA Starlett single ended triode SET vacuum tube headphone amplifier (dnaudio.com)

Very nice amp! No mention of price though - usually a bad sign...