My apologies to those who've read my similar comments on the NYC meet thread, but I just wanted to add a couple of comments regarding the Gilmore amp in general and Antness' Gilmore amps in specific.
It should be noted that the Gilmore V2s that were auditioned in NYC and in Ottawa were the lowest end models offered by Antness. A more fair comparison to the Emmiline and Grace amps would be the mid-level Gilmore SE which comes with the DACT stepped ladder attenuator. Upgrading this component alone results in a real and discernible improvemnt in sound quality.
The designer, Kevin Gilmore, originally built his prototype Gilmore amp with a stepped ladder attenuator and I personally feel that this should be considered the de facto baseline standard for the amp. AFAIK, the Grace amp comes standard with a stepped attenuator and in this regard, comparing the stock Gilmore V2 to it and other highly regarded amps is a bit like comparing a basic Ford Taurus to an upmarket Jag or Audi. Indeed, I can't help but feel that putting a typical conductive film volume pot in the signal path would noticeably handicap the performance of the Gilmore circuit. Of course, adding a stepped attenuator would add about $150 to the price of an amp so I can see why a manufacturer would offer a lower cost alternative, but I believe this shortchanges both the amp and the listener in the long run.
So, to sum it all up, I hope that people withold judgement on the Gilmore circuit itself until they get a chance to hear it with a proper stepped ladder attenuator in place.
