Monoprice Monolith Liquid Platinum - By Alex Cavalli
Sep 8, 2020 at 11:16 AM Post #3,241 of 5,129
Joined LP club yesterday!

Stayed up reading the thread, into page 89 so far... just great stuff from Dr. Cavalli and the community. Thank you!

Using SE, and waiting for Drop XLR to 2.mm adapter to come in to go balanced; EarBuddy to give IEMs more room on the volume pot.

One weird thing: power cord doesn't appear to go all the way in. Seems like there's about 0.5 cm left to go in. Amp is ON and working no problem. Is this normal? Or, am I not inserting it properly?

This is normal for this style of ac adapter
 
Sep 8, 2020 at 11:56 AM Post #3,242 of 5,129
It's about like when I was a USMC aviator... why not be satisfied landing my A4 Skyhawk on an 8,000' concrete stationary runway... why have to go try to hit a moving 300' runway bobing up and down in the ocean? That's a lot more dangerous... it could have sure shortened my life span... but it sure was exciting!! But, I don't recommend you trying it... just take my word for what it did for me!


After listening for about 25 hours, I swapped out the tubes. What I had as my favorite before the LPS-36, is now not my favorite... so be prepared to do more tube rolling if you go for the LPS-36. Tubes are another thing that is personal... everybody has their own liking. OK... why not be satisfied with the stock tubes that came with the LP? Did Dr. Cavalli pick them out as being the very best for his LP? I have no idea.

First of thank you very much for your service. I have to say that the A4 Skyhawk is an incredible aircraft. When I was a kid (my dad was in the navy), the only times I got to see the A4 Skyhawk in action was when the Blue Angels flew them and at NAS Oceana (has one on display from the VFC-12). Extremely versatile and capable, just very impressive.

Back to the LP - when you swapped out the tubes, what tubes did you have, and were those tubes you settled on after the caps mod? What tubes are you running now that you running the LPS-36? I'm trying to get a feel on tube rolling with the platinum. I know the (YMMV) applies of course, but am curious nonetheless. Thanks!
 
Sep 8, 2020 at 12:28 PM Post #3,244 of 5,129
One weird thing: power cord doesn't appear to go all the way in. Seems like there's about 0.5 cm left to go in. Amp is ON and working no problem. Is this normal? Or, am I not inserting it properly?
My power cord is similar, though I think it goes in just a bit deeper. I asked the same question when I got the LP but received no responses. I've been using it since May with no problems.

This is normal for this style of ac adapter

Really? I have plenty of similar external power supplies. All insert pretty much flush with the jack except this one.
 
Last edited:
Sep 8, 2020 at 12:56 PM Post #3,245 of 5,129
First of thank you very much for your service. I have to say that the A4 Skyhawk is an incredible aircraft. When I was a kid (my dad was in the navy), the only times I got to see the A4 Skyhawk in action was when the Blue Angels flew them and at NAS Oceana (has one on display from the VFC-12). Extremely versatile and capable, just very impressive.

Back to the LP - when you swapped out the tubes, what tubes did you have, and were those tubes you settled on after the caps mod? What tubes are you running now that you running the LPS-36? I'm trying to get a feel on tube rolling with the platinum. I know the (YMMV) applies of course, but am curious nonetheless. Thanks!
Before going to the LPS-36, I found the Telefunken E88CC to be my favorite. Now, using the LPS-36, I find the Gold Lion Genalex E88CC/6922 to be my favorite.

Hey, let me tell you one more thrilling thing flying the A4 Skyhawk, besides trapping on a carrier deck and being shot off... it was practicing our atomic bomb delivery. Now, mind you, I never had a live atomic bomb strapped underneath the belly of the A4... and nobody ever has... but, we used a small practice bomb that supposedly had the same flight characteristics as a nuke. I approached the target flying 50' off the deck at close to 600 knots... I forget what the actual speed had to be... I used a "labs" indicator to fly in on that instrument... no visual contact, because in actually delivering a nuke, I would have been under a metal shield because of radiation after the explosion. When reaching the initial delivery point, I would execute a high G pull up... a loop... pickle the nuke off at just the right point in that loop, and the nuke would sling up and out. I would continue the loop until sharply rolling out at 50' above the ground and flying away from the bomb. SUPPOSEDLY, the blast from the nuke would travel out over me. A very exciting thing to practice!! I'm thankful, I, nor anyone else, has had to try it out for real!!

Back to good music...
 
Sep 8, 2020 at 1:39 PM Post #3,246 of 5,129
I have now used the LPS-36 Linear Power Supply with the LP Headphone Amp for 100 hours.

Disclaimer: I am not trying to get anyone to buy the LPS-36, rather I am just posting my opinion of what it does for the LP according to my stock ears. I have no idea if the LP will last another 100 hours... or for a year or two or whatever. I also did not know if the good caps mod would shortcut the life of the LP, but I sure like what that mod does for the sound of the LP... how about all you who have bought that mod? I don't know the Head-Fier who does the mod... I've not personally met him or read a resume of his ability to modify an amp like the LP. I guess I took a chance... but, I sure don't lose sleep over whether my LP will make it past this day. To me, it's exciting to be able to tweak out a little more from this already good amp... and the caps mod and the LPS-36 sure does that in Spades... in my humble opinion!!
 
Sep 10, 2020 at 10:49 PM Post #3,247 of 5,129
Been really liking the LP with my planars (LCD-2 rev. 2 prefazor pictured below). Even my HE-6 sounds somewhat decent, moreso than the 789 at least but less so than a properly spec'd speaker amp. Between the CTH and LP, I feel that one can get the CTH to sound pretty tubey (see 6C8G below), whereas the LP sounds cleaner and more authoritative than the CTH with a more defined and detailed bass; the bass of the CTH may be considered as more one-noteish. I like both, as they offer different flavors. The LP definitely runs hotter than the CTH. Anyways, I prefer to listen to both of them over my THX AAA 789. The second picture below is my big failure to roll the 6C8G with the LP = hiss city probably due to the close proximity of the two tubes, lol.

p3VTN0M.jpg


6DOt4iz.jpg
 
Last edited:
Sep 14, 2020 at 12:22 PM Post #3,249 of 5,129
So according to present forum consensus, which are the bestest of best 12AU7 tubes for the LP, modded and/or unmodded. I am only referring to present reigning contenders for the title of "best." I know that such contenders could change at any time with ongoing/future tube research and discoveries.

BTW, in case this matters, I like my sound to be airy, detailed, and well-extended at both ends, without any harshness or fatigue. Thick and creamy mids are also welcome, but their absence is not a deal breaker, as long as those mids are not "thin."
 
Sep 14, 2020 at 4:18 PM Post #3,251 of 5,129
New products are starting to appear. I got an email today that the Liquid Spark DAC is now available.
 
Sep 14, 2020 at 5:09 PM Post #3,254 of 5,129
Liquid Gold is also available.

I never even noticed! Very cool. Would like to hear some reviews. I am more interested in the Liquid Platinum DAC though.
 
Sep 14, 2020 at 7:51 PM Post #3,255 of 5,129
I never even noticed! Very cool. Would like to hear some reviews. I am more interested in the Liquid Platinum DAC though.
Cavalli is known for his amps. I don't recall him being involved all that much with DAC designs back in the day.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top