[sacd lover]

I just got my v2 se yesterday and I have been comparing all three gilmores on my sacdmods 555es. I dont have time for details right now but I will tell you the v2 se is the best yet. It has the best treble I have ever heard and absolutely no electronic signature. Once I get the v2 se broke in I will sit down and do an in depth comparison with all three versions of the gilmore.

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

Mine is on its way here. I find the differing opinions very interesting. I can't wait to get my hands on it to see what's up.

 

[gpalmer]

Wow, now that's a review I look forward to reading! I am considering the same sort of setup. I have a V2 I use to connect to my Audio/Home Theater Rig, I just ordered the Lite for work and I'm looking for one more amplifier possibly the SE for a dedicated setup where I can just listen without being interrupted.

 

[tom hankins]

Really looking forward to hearing how the changes in these three amps has affected the sound. Congrats on your new amp.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Hey Earl,

I told you it'd be worth giving this one a shot. I really miss mine a lot. What cans are you using with it? I used the Sony CD3K, V6 and Grado HP-1s, and it sounded good with them all.

I look forward to your impressions on the SE after you break it in for a week or so. It takes a good 200 hours for it to sound its best, so be patient. It only gets better from here.

 

[sacd lover]

beyer dt 880/ grado sr-225/ and jvc ha d990.

 

[DLP]

sacdlover,

I'm curious, do you consider the Gilmore V2 and SR225 to be a superior combination than other amps with the SR225? I'm curious because I inquired about the Gilmore V2 and Grado headphones in another thread, and got mixed responses.

 

[sacd lover]

DLP, I have always liked the 225 with any amp I have had. This list includes the McCormack MID, audio alchemy hpa v1.0, headroom moh, and now the gilmore v1/v2 and v2 se. I prefer any of the gilmore series to any of the other amps. The v1 and v2 are excellent with the 225, but based on two days of listening the v2 se is my favorite with the 225. I dont think you could go wrong with any of the gilmore amps though. If money is tight look for a used v1. All the gilmores are just absolutely great preamps.

MY PERSONAL RANKING OF THE AMPS I HAVE OWNED AND USED WITH THE SR-225:

1) V2 se
2) V2/V1 tie
3)Alchemy hpa v1.0
4) MID
5) MOH

I wouldnt use a bright source or cables with the gilmores, they let through what they are fed. Good power makes a large difference with the gilmores as well. They respond to EVERYTHING in the signal path so you will hear exactly what you have upstream. Once you get them right they are immensely enjoyable.

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

Damn! This thing is good. Bass is rock solid, highs are silky smooth, midrange is way up front in direct comparison to the other two amps I have, and it has transparency to die for. What Etys do to other headphones is what the Gilmore V2-SE does to other head-amps. However, just like the Max I can't get the right volume level. With the bright blue light on front I feel like I'm at a Discotheque.

 

[DLP]

Cool, thanks for the reply!

 

[sacd lover]

Crescendopower, did you get a gain switch? You need the lowest gain to be 1 to work wih low impedence and/or sensitive headphones. A gain of 1 works great with grados and for the preamp out. I found a gain of 7.5 to work best with the dt 880s. He can change the gain relatively easy. I got a special 5 position gain with mine but 1/7.5 are the gain settings I use with the se. I found 1/7.5 worked best on the regular v2 as well.

 

[ablaze]

sacd lover,
I'm gonna get a Gilmore lite soon (hopefully

)
and I'll be using the Sony CD3000s with it. so you're suggesting a gain of 1 be used?

 

[sacd lover]

The cd 3000 is even more sensitive than the grados so I would. But a better solution might be to add a 2 position gain switch with a gain of 1 for the sony's and another gain of 7.5 or 10, in case you ever get some high impedence headphones like senn hd 600s. With my gilmores the gain of 1 is working for everything but the dt 880s. I can nearly max the dt 880s out on the volume control of my v2 with a gain of 1; and I am not a loud listener. On my v1, which has a gain of 10, I can only go to about 7:30-8:00 on the dial (with 6:00 being off) using my sr-225s.

 

[ablaze]

so with a 7.5 gain, where would your volume knob be at for the 880s?

(thanks for the advice btw

)

 

[sacd lover]

1:00 one my sacdmods 222es and 12:00 on my 555es
for the dt 880s with a gain of 7.5, using the v2.


11:00 on the 222es and 9:00-9:30 on
my 555es with the grados and a gain of 1, using the v2.

You can see the cd 3000 wouldnt give you much of a range on your volume control with a higher gain of 7.5 to 10.