FreeBlues
100+ Head-Fier
At one point last month I owned a PRII (upgraded), SR-71, Tomahawk and Move. All were well burned in. Listening with an iMod (ALAC), ALO cables and UE-11's I now own only the PRII and Tomahawk. I only listen to the PRII, the TH I keep as an emergency backup.
Based on sound quality alone, the PRII was better than the other amps - clearer, better soundsatge, exceptional treble extension, bass depth and punch - all the good stuff. The SR-71 was a close second but lacked the last word in clarity and the treble was not nearly as good. The Tomahawk was pretty good but suffered in comparison to these other two big boys. I didn't care for the Move at all.
Now, the PRII is just barely portable. It's huge, has a short battery life and is heavy. It's almost impossible to get and if it breaks I doubt I'll ever get service. I still kept it. It sounds that good to me on my system.
For the record, the guy I bought this amp from sold it when his LISA arrived. He said the LISA was better in all respects and I believe him. The LISA is bigger still.
Based on my experience - and remember, synergy is critical with all these amps, your other equipment, your music, your listening environment, your expectations of what music should sound like - I love the PRII. If it breaks, I would probably replace it with an SR-71 (unless i could get it repaired). I am trying to buy a LISA.
That said, my recommendation is to get a Hornet! I regret that I sold my Hornet and kept the TH instead. Yes, they are close to each other in SQ but the Hornet has the potential to grow with your system, power different headphones, do more stuff than the TH. It's bigger but more versatile.
A year ago after trying to buy a Xin amp I swore to never do business with the man again. I don't care how good his amps sound, I can't deal with his business model.
Finally, just to spin your head a bit more, there are some interesting new amps about to hit the market: Pico, iQube, Predator, Voyager just to name a few. These should all be here in the next month or so. You might want to either hold off on getting an amp now and wait for the buzz. Alternately, you might try to buy something like a Hornet or Tomahawk used and live with it for a bit. If you re-sell you probably won't loose much if anything. Just a thought.
Based on sound quality alone, the PRII was better than the other amps - clearer, better soundsatge, exceptional treble extension, bass depth and punch - all the good stuff. The SR-71 was a close second but lacked the last word in clarity and the treble was not nearly as good. The Tomahawk was pretty good but suffered in comparison to these other two big boys. I didn't care for the Move at all.
Now, the PRII is just barely portable. It's huge, has a short battery life and is heavy. It's almost impossible to get and if it breaks I doubt I'll ever get service. I still kept it. It sounds that good to me on my system.
For the record, the guy I bought this amp from sold it when his LISA arrived. He said the LISA was better in all respects and I believe him. The LISA is bigger still.
Based on my experience - and remember, synergy is critical with all these amps, your other equipment, your music, your listening environment, your expectations of what music should sound like - I love the PRII. If it breaks, I would probably replace it with an SR-71 (unless i could get it repaired). I am trying to buy a LISA.
That said, my recommendation is to get a Hornet! I regret that I sold my Hornet and kept the TH instead. Yes, they are close to each other in SQ but the Hornet has the potential to grow with your system, power different headphones, do more stuff than the TH. It's bigger but more versatile.
A year ago after trying to buy a Xin amp I swore to never do business with the man again. I don't care how good his amps sound, I can't deal with his business model.
Finally, just to spin your head a bit more, there are some interesting new amps about to hit the market: Pico, iQube, Predator, Voyager just to name a few. These should all be here in the next month or so. You might want to either hold off on getting an amp now and wait for the buzz. Alternately, you might try to buy something like a Hornet or Tomahawk used and live with it for a bit. If you re-sell you probably won't loose much if anything. Just a thought.
