[sahmen]

Most DACs have best quality at full output, including those that compensate for volume change. As long as your liquid platinum channel balance sounds good at listening level with DAC at full output that would be best bet.

This could be helpful, except that the Morpheus does not seem to have anything like a "full output" maxing out level... Or this is what the manual says:

"The volume control is a so called rotary encoder so it has no end stops like a normal potentiometer. By turning the volume
knob, the output level will be changed in steps of + or - 1 dB. After reaching a level of -64 dB the Morpheus will automatically switch to mute
mode. Increasing the volume level will disable the mute setting. In case that the Morpheus is set for “fixed output level” the volume knob has no
function except the “mute function”. The volume level is visible on the front panel display by exact Decibel level and a thermometer scale. In
fixed mode the display tells you the fixed user setting like -10dBF The “F” stands for fixed.

Remark: When using the Morpheus in conjunction with a power amp and without intervention of a pre amplifier the recommended
gain of the used power amp should be between 22 and 26dB!"

***Notice that it mentions -64 dB as the lowest volume level at which the Morpheus switches to mute mode, but mentions no upper volume limit, and therein lies the riddle...

There is no pre-amp between the Morpheus and the LP, so I think the best approach is to use the Morpheus as the variable volume controlling unit, with the LP's volume fixed somewhere between 22 and 26db as the manual and Cees both say. One main advantage to this approach is that the Morpheus brings a lot more play room, and with that, more layers and shades of subtlety and refinement to the sound and volume range than what the LP alone can muster precisely because of the volume control/pot limitations that many people have been complaining about in this forum. This elegant volume control workaround/solution has been one of the unexpected surprises of the Morpheus, and probably one of the best gifts it has brought to the LP, I think. I still do not understand how it works that kind of magic, nor had I seen an example of this particular approach before, although I have owned a few DACs with volume controls.

So I still have to figure out were the 22-26db range occurs on the LP's volume dial.

 

[Guidostrunk]

Unity gain on the LP is 1:30 on the dial. Turn the volume down on your dac and set the LP at 130 you can use your dac for attenuation. That's what @atomicbob does with a preamp.

Wow this is a tough one, or so it seems: Does anyone know where the range of 22-26db might roughly occur on a normal LP volume Dial? I have been trying to figure out how best to balance the volume control on the LP with that of Sonnet Morpheus DAC, which also has a volume control, and this is what Cees Ruijtenberg sees as the best approach to take:

"It very simple , when you use the dac as a digital pre amplifier you can drive the power amp directly. The only restriction is that the gain of the power amp should be something like 22-26 dB. This gain will give you a comfortable range on your volume knob. When using a analog preamp in between set your dac in fixed mode , something between -10 and zero dB's . The same story is valid here, try to find a comfortable range of your volume knob of the analog preamplifier. That means that the volume of the Morpheus was set somewhere between -10 and 0dB, for instance -5dB which you have to fix in the Menu. That is all what you have to do."

The only issue is that the Morpheus has a led Display meter, which the LP does not, a meter on which one can read the volume level. So how does one determine volume level of an HPA which has no meter? Or, where does the range of 22-26db occur on the LP's volume dial? Any help in sorting this out would be appreciated.

 

[Slim1970]

Unity gain on the LP is 1:30 on the dial. Turn the volume down on your dac and set the LP at 130 you can use your dac for attenuation. That's what @atomicbob does with a preamp.

This is what I do with my Hugo 2 as well to get to higher volume levels on the LP. Works like a charm.

 

[Tex Irie]

I just got mine this afternoon. That delivery was quick less than 36 hour turn around time. And the pictures doesn't do this Amp justice... Very solid build quality. Socket savers and Brimar tubes on the way. Thank you @Wes S!

 

[dmcs414]

I figure this seems an ok place to ask this question since you guys are familiar with Cavalli amps so I'll give it a go. Some years ago I had the pleasure of listening to an amp Alex brought to a Head-Fi meet in Austin called Liquid Glass, a tube hybrid amp which I imagine is out of production now. Anyway I remember really liking it and would like to see if it's possible to find one on the second hand market, but have no idea what that would be worth or even if those were sold or are still around. Not much info to be found googling it, anyone familiar with it?

 

[hikaru12]

If anyone is looking to do a trade with me for their non modded LP for my cap modded one I’d be up for it. Not that I have anything bad to say about the cap mod but I like a warmer more laid back tone which is what I think the stock caps give you. I got good trader feedback. If interested please PM me.

Also @Wes do you know of a good bassy gain 12AU7 tube? I’m pretty sure I’m going for the Aeolus and want something that contributes to their slam.

 

[Odin412]

I figure this seems an ok place to ask this question since you guys are familiar with Cavalli amps so I'll give it a go. Some years ago I had the pleasure of listening to an amp Alex brought to a Head-Fi meet in Austin called Liquid Glass, a tube hybrid amp which I imagine is out of production now. Anyway I remember really liking it and would like to see if it's possible to find one on the second hand market, but have no idea what that would be worth or even if those were sold or are still around. Not much info to be found googling it, anyone familiar with it?

I remember listening to a Liquid Glass with MrSpeakers headphones at one of the THE Newport shows and I really enjoyed it. I keep hoping that Monoprice or Massdrop will produce a version of it some time in the future.

 

[hikaru12]

I remember listening to a Liquid Glass with MrSpeakers headphones at one of the THE Newport shows and I really enjoyed it. I keep hoping that Monoprice or Massdrop will produce a version of it some time in the future.

I doubt Monoprice will step foot in that arena. That amp could swap in so many variations of tubes their overhead would be quite high. At least keeping their product line semi solid state keeps costs down.

 

[TK16]

Unity gain on the LP is 1:30 on the dial. Turn the volume down on your dac and set the LP at 130 you can use your dac for attenuation. That's what @atomicbob does with a preamp.

You get that tube dac yet? Any impressions?

 

[sennfan83261]

I figure this seems an ok place to ask this question since you guys are familiar with Cavalli amps so I'll give it a go. Some years ago I had the pleasure of listening to an amp Alex brought to a Head-Fi meet in Austin called Liquid Glass, a tube hybrid amp which I imagine is out of production now. Anyway I remember really liking it and would like to see if it's possible to find one on the second hand market, but have no idea what that would be worth or even if those were sold or are still around. Not much info to be found googling it, anyone familiar with it?

People have been selling them on the used market for $2,500 - $3,000 over the past couple of years (search for it on hifishark and scroll through the sold/expired listings). They don't come up for sale that often.

I doubt Monoprice will step foot in that arena. That amp could swap in so many variations of tubes their overhead would be quite high. At least keeping their product line semi solid state keeps costs down.

The Liquid Glass was a hybrid too (of course different topology than the current offerings ):

 

[Tex Irie]

These stock tubes sound pretty decent out the box. More solid state than tube and thank you to whomever mentioned attenuating the DAC volume and setting the LP to 1:30 first.

 

[ruinedx]

These stock tubes sound pretty decent out the box. More solid state than tube and thank you to whomever mentioned attenuating the DAC volume and setting the LP to 1:30 first.

Yeah the stock tubes sound good to me.

The "more solid state than tube" is not a bad thing IMO. But they are tube-like enough that they take the edge off typical solid state sound.

 

[ruinedx]

My first unit had a perfect pot but balanced jack was proving so tight it was unusable and damaging my XLR cables. Hoping for the best with unit 2. If it has major pot issues it's going back also.

Despite QA issues it's the best I've heard under $1500 that has balanced in and small form factor

Got replacement, front jack much better. pot same as the first, no problem. Remains my fav under $1500.

 

[MLegend]

Unity gain on the LP is 1:30 on the dial. Turn the volume down on your dac and set the LP at 130 you can use your dac for attenuation. That's what @atomicbob does with a preamp.

Where did you read that unity gain was 1:30 on the volume pot? Also, the position on the knob is going to be different depending on whether balanced or single-ended is being used.

 

[Rattle]

Using SE in or XLR in on LP is same because of the phase splitter. 4v regardless. No one uses SE jack on the LP for headphones because it's a waste of time.