[llcook51]

The LP with the HEKv2 is sublime. Exceptionally open with deep fast bass. The highs are smooth and airy.

 

[talan7]

My Monolith by Monoprice Portable Headphone Amplifier and DAC with THX AAA Technology has arrived and I am listening to it now out my X7 gen II with my IMR R1’s. Holy cow this thing sounds awesome. I paid less than 3 hundred for this?!!! I have iDSD black label, Vorzuge Vorzamp Duo And Duo II, fiio Q5, FX Audio fireye HDB and others. This amp is at the top of the pile. The air! The clarity. I haven’t even played with the eq. Dabbled with sensaround just a bit. R1 doesn’t need it. It might be just for full size headphones, I don’t know.

 

[i20bot]

My Monolith by Monoprice Portable Headphone Amplifier and DAC with THX AAA Technology has arrived and I am listening to it now out my X7 gen II with my IMR R1’s. Holy cow this thing sounds awesome. I paid less than 3 hundred for this?!!! I have iDSD black label, Vorzuge Vorzamp Duo And Duo II, fiio Q5, FX Audio fireye HDB and others. This amp is at the top of the pile. The air! The clarity. I haven’t even played with the eq. Dabbled with sensaround just a bit. R1 doesn’t need it. It might be just for full size headphones, I don’t know.

Makes me curious about the desktop version. Although I dunno why they didn't go with XLR outs instead of ins. That has me doing a double take on it.

 

[Phantaminum]

.

There is a slow start sequence. Should last about 1 min if there is no audio in. The heaters have a slow warmup, about 10s. Pls check these times.

Pls describe your rig, esp the burn in rig and what the vol pot setting, etc. are. Thx.

I think I the issue may have worked itself out Doc. Left it turned off for half a day, then unplugged everything, and reconnected the cables back in. It’s been running it non-stop since yesterday without finding it turned off and pretty much all day today. I’ll keep and eye on it but if it happens again i’ll give you the start up times of the tubes.

Rig: PC —> USB —> Schiit Eitr —> Blue Jeans coaxial SPDIF —> Schiit Gungnir MB —> XLR —> LP —> Ananda

Volume pot is turned all the way to the left when powered on.

 

[runeight]

.


I think I the issue may have worked itself out Doc. Left it turned off for half a day, then unplugged everything, and reconnected the cables back in. It’s been running it non-stop since yesterday without finding it turned off and pretty much all day today. I’ll keep and eye on it but if it happens again i’ll give you the start up times of the tubes.

Rig: PC —> USB —> Schiit Eitr —> Blue Jeans coaxial SPDIF —> Schiit Gungnir MB —> XLR —> LP —> Ananda

Volume pot is turned all the way to the left when powered on.

Great. Are you running SE or Bal out?

 

[runeight]

.


I think I the issue may have worked itself out Doc. Left it turned off for half a day, then unplugged everything, and reconnected the cables back in. It’s been running it non-stop since yesterday without finding it turned off and pretty much all day today. I’ll keep and eye on it but if it happens again i’ll give you the start up times of the tubes.

Rig: PC —> USB —> Schiit Eitr —> Blue Jeans coaxial SPDIF —> Schiit Gungnir MB —> XLR —> LP —> Ananda

Volume pot is turned all the way to the left when powered on.

Oh. What is full turn on time when vol pot it down?

 

[Phantaminum]

Oh. What is full turn on time when vol pot it down?

Around 10 seconds now.

Not sure what was causing the issue but at times the tubes did not look like they were receiving power, I'd leave it going while I was studying, forget that I had it going then all of a sudden I'd get audio. This would at minimum be a good 2 - 3 minutes.

Other-times I'd reseat the tubes after leaving the amp off, turn it back on, then it would give me the glow I normally associate with the tubes powering on.

I'll chalk it up with something in my chain causing the issue. I changed where the power cable was plugged into the power strip and reconnected everything. Haven't had an issue since.

Thanks for getting back to me Dr. Cavalli.

Edit: Running balanced XLR to the amp but both SE and Balanced out. Had the issue on both.

 

[abvolt]

I've been waiting for this amp to be released just noticed it on monoprice, I'll be reading this forums..

 

[talan7]

Makes me curious about the desktop version. Although I dunno why they didn't go with XLR outs instead of ins. That has me doing a double take on it.

If the portable amp sounds this good single ended, imagine it balanced. I stayed up till 2 am the other morning just listening to music.

 

[llcook51]

If the portable amp sounds this good single ended, imagine it balanced. I stayed up till 2 am the other morning just listening to music.

Good for your ears: bad for your health.

 

[UsoppNoKami]

Hello everyone, my first post here on Head-Fi

Checking in on this thread to compare notes along our journey with the Liquid Platinum.

Currently running in the LP with the stock EH 6922s, I have new production Genelex Gold Lions and matched NOS Amperex SQs on the way, so nothing itchy fingers can do at the moment.

I have also ordered a customised LPS that should make it here to Malaysia next month, will be interesting to see if I can hear any improvement.

Thanks @runeight for a wonderful amp design, Day 1 and the LP sounds better than a fully run in, Burson SS V6 Classic op-amp upgraded, Matrix HPA-3B balanced amp. DAC is a dual-mono AKM4497 XiangSheng DAC-05B with upgraded Burson SS V6 Vivid OpAmps.

Can't wait for burn in to finish, I am going to hook this up to my other sound stack - AudioGD R2R-R1 -> ACSS cable -> AudioGD NFB1-AMP - and do some good A/B against the NFB1-AMP.

Will also have a Cayin HA-1A mk2 next month to compare it against, fun times ahead

Headphones that I will be listening to on the LP: Focal Elex + Audeze LCD2C on Norne Audio Silvergarde S3 XLR, MDxSennheiser HD6xx on Audeze OCC XLR cable (with matching OCC copper adaptor), Hifiman HE-560v2 on Invictus Cable XLR, Audioquest NightOwl Carbon on 1/4" SE.

 

[tommyk]

@runeight : I have some 6N1P-EV tubes which supposedly are similar to 6N23P. Is it safe to put them in to try? I understand they might not be optimal but I would like to know if it safe for the amp. Would hate to fry the brand new toy...

 

[Allanmarcus]

Hello everyone, my first post here on Head-Fi

Checking in on this thread to compare notes along our journey with the Liquid Platinum.

Currently running in the LP with the stock EH 6922s, I have new production Genelex Gold Lions and matched NOS Amperex SQs on the way, so nothing itchy fingers can do at the moment.

I have also ordered a customised LPS that should make it here to Malaysia next month, will be interesting to see if I can hear any improvement.

Thanks @runeight for a wonderful amp design, Day 1 and the LP sounds better than a fully run in, Burson SS V6 Classic op-amp upgraded, Matrix HPA-3B balanced amp. DAC is a dual-mono AKM4497 XiangSheng DAC-05B with upgraded Burson SS V6 Vivid OpAmps.

Can't wait for burn in to finish, I am going to hook this up to my other sound stack - AudioGD R2R-R1 -> ACSS cable -> AudioGD NFB1-AMP - and do some good A/B against the NFB1-AMP.

Will also have a Cayin HA-1A mk2 next month to compare it against, fun times ahead

Headphones that I will be listening to on the LP: Focal Elex + Audeze LCD2C on Norne Audio Silvergarde S3 XLR, MDxSennheiser HD6xx on Audeze OCC XLR cable (with matching OCC copper adaptor), Hifiman HE-560v2 on Invictus Cable XLR, Audioquest NightOwl Carbon on 1/4" SE.

Wow, for the money you are spending, you could get a Cayin HA-300 and be done!

 

[LCMusicLover]

Wow, for the money you are spending, you could get a Cayin HA-300 and be done!

Except for the tube-rolling expense for that amp

 

[UsoppNoKami]

Haha what he said.. I have spent a few hours with one at the dealer here in Malaysia, it's nice, but rolling 300B tubes isn't for the faint of heart Also, I didn't buy all of this at once so a HA-300 wasn't a serious consideration. Maybe one day ...