[betula]

I don't see what is wrong with polite. I prefer an easy listening over not with something that comes off a bit offensive with some headphones. Is it not bright enough, I dunno what is meant with polite?
I also prefer a relaxed and laid back listening. By polite regarding the LP I meant it is too thin sounding to me. Great mids, yes, but lacking low-end.
@betula what is something that is not polite, and why do you like it? Is polite meant to be something that doesn't jive with you?

By polite I meant thin and subtle. It is delicate for sure, which some buyers might prefer. But for me it is just too thin and lacks body.

If could add another characteritic is, it's a pleasant sounding amp. You know how you have easy listening headphones (ie. HD650), this is like an amp version of that characteristic. I don't think I have ever in the past really looked at an amp that way before, not in a way I start to characterize them.

Bass is not subdued.

It is a very pleasant sounding amp, but bass is subdued compared to other amps. You won't really notice this with classical music, but you will definitely notice it with EDM.

We get it, you don't like it.

I disagree with most of what you have said. I do not find the LP as being polite like you seem to keep going back to. I also disagree that it does not punch above it's price range. It smokes my old hdva600.

We all hear things differently. If you don't like it move along, there are plenty here that do. I think you are steering people away from a great amp.

I am not. It is a great amp. But texture and thickness are not on pair with £1000+ amps. That was all that I was saying.

 

[SilverEars]

By polite I meant thin and subtle. It is delicate for sure, which some buyers might prefer. But for me it is just too thin and lacks body.

It is a very pleasant sounding amp, but bass is subdued compared to other amps. You won't really notice this with classical music, but you will definitely notice it with EDM.


I am not. It is a great amp. But texture and thickness are not on pair with £1000+ amps. That was all that I was saying.
@betula what is something that is not polite, and why do you like it? Is polite meant to be something that doesn't jive with you?

Interesting. I just read your review, and I have a different impression. I think that is why there's a bit of clash.

Like I've said, I hear it as a meaty amp, with lots of body, and male vocals have more body than the avg amps I've heard. It's a feat (meaning, it's not common) if LP can do that with HD800/S or HEK because their tuning is diffuse. My impression is opposite of thin.

Sometimes it is the DAC that is making a difference because I did have an odd encounter with a tube amp in the past. A very incesive sounding DAC sounded find with the tubes, but a general type chip-DACs modules added to amps, it made the amp sound overly warm, BUT this is OVERLY WARM. In the case of LP, it's on the warm side, but not OVERLY so.

 

[betula]

Don't worry too much folks, I will very soon unsubscribe from this thread. I was just waiting for responses from my previous comments. The LP while it is a brilliant amp, just doesn't match my personal preferences.

 

[betula]

Don't worry too much folks, I will very soon unsubscribe from this thread. I was just waiting for responses for my previous comments

Interesting. I just read your review, and I have a different impression. I think that is why there's a bit of clash.

Like I've said, I hear it as a meaty amp, with lots of body, and male vocals have more body than the avg amps I've heard. It's feat if LP can do that with HD800/S or HEK because their tuning is diffuse. My impression is opposite of thin.

Sometimes it is the DAC that is making a difference because I did have an odd encounter with a tube amp in the past. A very incesive sounding amp sounded find with the tubes, but a general type chip-DACs modules added to amps, it made the amp sound overly warm, BUT this is OVERLY WARM. In the case of LP, it's on the warm side, but not OVERLY so.

If you consider the LP as a 'meaty' amp you have never heard a meaty amp dude. The LP is thin sounding, polite and very neutral. Which is pretty much a positive btw.

 

[SilverEars]

If you consider the LP as a 'meaty' amp you have never heard a meaty amp dude. The LP is thin sounding, polite and very neutral. Which is pretty much a positive btw.

I have, and I have heard some lean amps as well. So, I have some perspective on this matter. I've heard people say THX 789 is neutral, and that confuses what I think of neutral. Maybe I look for natural tonality and it's not neutral in terms of pure electronic signal, who knows, but I'm looking for a preferences for sure.

 

[Phantaminum]

Don't worry too much folks, I will very soon unsubscribe from this thread. I was just waiting for responses from my previous comments. The LP while it is a brilliant amp, just doesn't match my personal preferences.

Don’t take it personal. What your ears may hear we may not hear. If the LP isn’t your cup of tea then we hope find the right one. Your view is as valuable as the next person.

If you consider the LP as a 'meaty' amp you have never heard a meaty amp dude. The LP is thin sounding, polite and very neutral. Which is pretty much a positive btw.

For comparison points, what amp would you consider has more weight? I have a Glenn amp and that delivers note heft. I feel this amp is 90% there.

Is it the low, mids, or high end that doesn’t provide what you’re looking for? Or is it lean from top to bottom?

Thanks!

 

[betula]

Don’t take it personal. What your ears may hear we may not hear. If the LP isn’t your cup of tea then we hope find the right one. Your view is as valuable as the next person.



For comparison points, what amp would you consider has more weight? I have a Glenn amp and that delivers note heft. I feel this amp is 90% there.

Is it the low, mids, or high end that doesn’t provide what you’re looking for? Or is it lean from top to bottom?

Thanks!

It is lean overall.
But the more obvious it is at the low-end.
Both the Questyle CMA 600i and the iFi Pro iCan have a much thicker and better overall texture.
The iCan is more dynamic and controlled while the 600i also has a better texture and body.

I don't want to convince anyone. Enjoy people what you have. I was gonna leave this thread a long time ago but people keep asking me about my experience.

 

[SilverEars]

It is lean overall.
But the more obvious it is at the low-end.
Both the Questyle CMA 600i and the iFi Pro iCan have a much thicker and better overall texture.
The iCan is more dynamic and controlled while the 600i also has a better texture and body.

I don't want to convince anyone. Enjoy people what you have. I was gonna leave this thread a long time ago but people keep asking me about my experience.

I did have the 600i in the past, and didn't think it was meaty amp. Fairly neutral with slight warmth, but I think LP is warmer. Could it be the Pro iCan is just really warm sounding? Like I've stated, I've experienced tubes react so sensitively to DAC fed, but I've not really had solid-state react so much to the point that it would get significantly warm due to the DAC. Never heard the iCan, but I stay away somewhat from iFi due to dislike of the BL.

 

[betula]

I did have the 600i in the past, and didn't think it was meaty amp. Fairly neutral with slight warmth, but I think LP is warmer. Could it be the Pro iCan is just really warm sounding? Like I've stated, I've experienced tubes react so sensitively to DAC fed, but I've not really had solid-state react so much to the point that it would get significantly warm due to the DAC. Never heard the iCan, but I stay away somewhat from iFi due to dislike of the BL.

Interesting comments.
I was testing the Pro iCan and the CMA600i with the 2Qute and Pro iDSD. My conclusion with all potential pairings was that the LP is not in the same league as the 600i or Pro iDSD/iCAN. Regardless I was pairing the amps with the iDSD or the 2Qute. (iDSD is a far superior DAC).

 

[SilverEars]

Hey gents, I have a thought for all of you and would like to have some feedback from those who have very hot sources and need attenuation.

I know that some of you are using some kind of passive attenuation. In general, pure passive attenuation can affect the SQ because of the resistance introduced into the input stream turning the source from low impedance output to high(er) impedance output.

There is another way though. It would be a simple matter to create an active attenuator using high quality audio opamps. Attenuation would be done with a simple voltage divider before the opamp inputs. The easiest way to power such a thing would be two 9V batteries.

The advantage of this is that the source would still see a high impedance load, but the amp would see a low impedance source at the outputs of the opamps.

Batteries would ensure no significant noise introduction at the input to the amp beyond the inherent component noise.

I don't think the opamps (chosen properly) would have any audible effect on the SQ because the opamps would be operating in a very lightly loaded situation which would not incur significant THD, etc.

So just an interest check. Anyone interested in this? And if so...

1. Is my proposed method of powering ok?
2. What gain reduction would you want? Cut it by 1/2 (6db). Less? More?

I don't think something like this is needed for most situations, but there do seem to be some where it might be helpful.

Interesting. I was looking for information on this because I've been playing with passive pre-amp or attenuators that use an alps pots.

Can you tell me what the attenuator is actually doing to the signal going to the DAC when the impedance is increased? Is there any real graphical evidence out there of the signal?

What I experience is like a band-pass filter type of response with the potentiometers, it doesn't seem to increase the signal linearly to my ears.

 

[TK16]

I have been contemplating putting in 2 Tube Monger socket savers in each socket as I use adapters for most of my tubes. There is much less wiggle room in the LP vs the MJ2 (much more room for taking out tubes and adapters). Aside from how it would look, is this doable in the long term? Right now just burning in the amp with tubes directly in the socket.

 

[ls13coco]

It is lean overall.
But the more obvious it is at the low-end.
Both the Questyle CMA 600i and the iFi Pro iCan have a much thicker and better overall texture.
The iCan is more dynamic and controlled while the 600i also has a better texture and body.

I don't want to convince anyone. Enjoy people what you have. I was gonna leave this thread a long time ago but people keep asking me about my experience.

Speaking of asking of your experience, do you have any experience with the 789 or Lyr 3? I'm pretty set on the 789 due to its price point, understanding it may be a little bright and light in the lower frequencies.
Reading the Platinum may be low in tower frequencies punch scares me off a bit, in part due to its price point so I am curious how the Lyr 3 may compare. Unfortunately Lyr lacking balanced out so I will have to make a new Ether cable, but it seems to have plenty of SE power.

What about how a R2R dac would compare with the LP I can't help but wonder..

 

[Wildcatsare1]

^ Not Betula, but I had the Lyr 3 and use the Vinshine R2R Reference DAC, the LP is a far more sophisticated sound, fuller body, bigger headstage.this is with the Abyss 1266, ZMF Autuer and Focal Clear, so a broad swath of headphone types.

 

[LCMusicLover]

Speaking of asking of your experience, do you have any experience with the 789 or Lyr 3? I'm pretty set on the 789 due to its price point, understanding it may be a little bright and light in the lower frequencies.
Reading the Platinum may be low in tower frequencies punch scares me off a bit, in part due to its price point so I am curious how the Lyr 3 may compare. Unfortunately Lyr lacking balanced out so I will have to make a new Ether cable, but it seems to have plenty of SE power.

What about how a R2R dac would compare with the LP I can't help but wonder..

LP + Denafrips Pontus (R2R) is very good. I’m not hearing thin/polite/light in low frequencies compared to Violectric V280/Bryston BHA-1/MassDrop Liquid Carbon -X. These are probably not Betula’s ‘meaty’ amps. But I’m getting very impactful bass from Auteur, Ether 2 & Utopia from this chain — alll driven balanced. More bass than from any of my SS amps. Not so much from stock tubes, which are all Betula tried.

 

[kumar402]

Going out of topic here but i subscribed to Qobuz beta. I have been listening to Tidal in Audirvana using LP with Mojo and HD800s. I am using desktop app of Qobuz and haven't logged in using Audirvana. I will do that later today.
I am used to few songs which i listen to regularly in Tidal in MQA format, however Mojo doesn't support MQA so that is done by Audirvana and then it is sent to Mojo.
When I listen to same songs in Qobuz it sounds better and have more dynamic range and punch. Also the highs are better as well and I am able to turn the volume knob more compared to where I was on LP with Tidal. Anyone had similar experience.