[drmmr]

@haasaaroni any comparisons of this thing to the Gilmore lite mk2?

Also would love to hear your thoughts on RA vs GLM2 vs FA-10 (somebody is in the market for a new amp lol)

 

[haasaaroni]

@haasaaroni any comparisons of this thing to the Gilmore lite mk2?

Also would love to hear your thoughts on RA vs GLM2 vs FA-10 (somebody is in the market for a new amp lol)

Haha you've got some good choices! I guess I can give some short descriptions of these amps as I remember them.

My impressions of the GLMk2 was that it's a super punchy amp. I hadn't heard anything like it before and haven't heard anything like it since. I love the bass depth it has too, which is unlike any SS amp I've heard. Resolution is better than the RebelAmp, but not the last word, and soundstage can get congested and it can seem a bit compressed, which is ultimately why I sold mine.

The RebelAmp in comparison was literally a breath of fresh air. Soundstage was huge, the sound had awesome dynamic contrast, and everything felt more holographic and open. Bass, while not as punchy, was big and plentiful. Sub bass lost some of its impact, treble was a little rolled off, and it didn't seem as detailed compared to the GLMk2 (with and without the PSU). Timbre also seemed a bit artificially sweet, and voices could sometimes get hollow and not very realistic, sort of "holographic" in the "Princess Leia talking with R2D2" sense, lacking some heft and substance. Still very, very enjoyable though.

FA-10 for me is like having a good middle ground between the two, but with more resolution than either (as it should be for the extra cost and SIZE of the thing). Sounds are huge and immersive like on the RebelAmp, but the soundstage isn't quite as diffuse and the images get that solidity back. It has some very good punch and impact, but not at the same level as the GLMk2. The imaging is flawless, timbre is great, and it presents music in a very accurate way. Less aggressive than the GLMk2 and more weighty than the RA. I also have a BH Crack, so I wanted something with a less colored sound, and this definitely fits the bill. Despite that, the treble is very smooth and controlled, and it shares the Class A characteristic of things just sounding so big and lifelike. I'm using it with an HE1000 V2 right now, and I couldn't ask for more. Only downside is you can't use it as a preamp. Probably because it outputs 16 watts into 32 ohms...might be more realistic to power some passive speakers with it instead lol

 

[Lvivske]

The RebelAmp in comparison was literally a breath of fresh air. Soundstage was huge, the sound had awesome dynamic contrast, and everything felt more holographic and open. Bass, while not as punchy, was big and plentiful. Sub bass lost some of its impact, treble was a little rolled off, and it didn't seem as detailed compared to the GLMk2 (with and without the PSU). Timbre also seemed a bit artificially sweet, and voices could sometimes get hollow and not very realistic, sort of "holographic" in the "Princess Leia talking with R2D2" sense, lacking some heft and substance. Still very, very enjoyable though.

All of this sounds accurate to me (for anyone else trying to crowdsource opinions if we're on the same page)

 

[drmmr]

Haha you've got some good choices! I guess I can give some short descriptions of these amps as I remember them.

My impressions of the GLMk2 was that it's a super punchy amp. I hadn't heard anything like it before and haven't heard anything like it since. I love the bass depth it has too, which is unlike any SS amp I've heard. Resolution is better than the RebelAmp, but not the last word, and soundstage can get congested and it can seem a bit compressed, which is ultimately why I sold mine.

The RebelAmp in comparison was literally a breath of fresh air. Soundstage was huge, the sound had awesome dynamic contrast, and everything felt more holographic and open. Bass, while not as punchy, was big and plentiful. Sub bass lost some of its impact, treble was a little rolled off, and it didn't seem as detailed compared to the GLMk2 (with and without the PSU). Timbre also seemed a bit artificially sweet, and voices could sometimes get hollow and not very realistic, sort of "holographic" in the "Princess Leia talking with R2D2" sense, lacking some heft and substance. Still very, very enjoyable though.

FA-10 for me is like having a good middle ground between the two, but with more resolution than either (as it should be for the extra cost and SIZE of the thing). Sounds are huge and immersive like on the RebelAmp, but the soundstage isn't quite as diffuse and the images get that solidity back. It has some very good punch and impact, but not at the same level as the GLMk2. The imaging is flawless, timbre is great, and it presents music in a very accurate way. Less aggressive than the GLMk2 and more weighty than the RA. I also have a BH Crack, so I wanted something with a less colored sound, and this definitely fits the bill. Despite that, the treble is very smooth and controlled, and it shares the Class A characteristic of things just sounding so big and lifelike. I'm using it with an HE1000 V2 right now, and I couldn't ask for more. Only downside is you can't use it as a preamp. Probably because it outputs 16 watts into 32 ohms...might be more realistic to power some passive speakers with it instead lol

I like what I'm hearing! Will probably try to pick up an FA-10 and sell off my GLMk2 + GRPS to cover it. Should play nicely with my planars as well. Change is always good!

 

[jonathan c]

I like what I'm hearing! Will probably try to pick up an FA-10 and sell off my GLMk2 + GRPS to cover it. Should play nicely with my planars as well. Change is always good!

…informed change is always good…

 

[Stompy]

Hey guys, 2 quick questions...

1. How long does this usually stay in stock for? Right now I don't really have the money for it but I'm looking to sell a pair of headphones but it may take up to 1 month to sell.
2. How does this compare the SA-1? That's the amp I'd be coming from. Honestly I like the SA-1 but I'm sick of needing balanced cables to get the most out of it, especially since a new headphone I'm planning to get requires expensive mods to run balanced...

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Uguccione]

I think this amp may really be what I'm looking for for my B system. It kind of bothered me to put that closed fist in the house, but I'll get over it (with some green paint).

 

[jadverkko]

I just got my rebel amp yesterday and holy hell im impressed with this amp. This is my first class A amplifier and im so happy I went with this one. Even though I havent had too much time with this yet I instantly liked the sound, coming from Topping A90 which was too sterile and ''cold'' for my personal taste. Such a lovely sounding combo denafrips ares ii and rebel amp. This amp definately has a tube kind of sound like some have mentioned in this thread before.

I know what ill be doing this weekend. BTW, this thing is huge.

 

[MacMan31]

I have been very curious about this amp since Zeos reviewed it. I love the green colour. Currently I have a Schiit Valhalla II and Bifrost II. Headphones are HD6XX and ZMF Aeolus. Others in this thread mention burn in. Are you playing music while letting it burn in or just keeping the amp on for a long time such as overnight?

 

[Lvivske]

I have been very curious about this amp since Zeos reviewed it. I love the green colour. Currently I have a Schiit Valhalla II and Bifrost II. Headphones are HD6XX and ZMF Aeolus. Others in this thread mention burn in. Are you playing music while letting it burn in or just keeping the amp on for a long time such as overnight?

i think when most refer to burn in they mean performing its function - amplifying

when i said about 2 days for me, i just meant on-time since i noticed it was better on day 3 of having it and i forget if i played pink noise on it overnight now like I do with tubes

 

[hottyson]

2. How does this compare the SA-1? That's the amp I'd be coming from. Honestly I like the SA-1 but I'm sick of needing balanced cables to get the most out of it, especially since a new headphone I'm planning to get requires expensive mods to run balanced...

I own both amps.

The Singxer SA-1 has a switchable input on the front panel and XLR output on the back to run to my nearfield monitors. However, the RebelAmp has L, M, H gain switch on the front and one can still use it as a preamp to monitors with RCA output on the back.

Sound quality wise, the RebelAmp is superior. Holographic, textured, intimate sound. The RebelAmp also pairs better with more headphones than the Singxer SA-1. No contest for my ears. The RebelAmp is the logical choice for me.

 

[Jas Ramz]

@hottyson for all the stuff you have written about this amp, I will be buying one for Christmas!

 

[hottyson]

@hottyson for all the stuff you have written about this amp, I will be buying one for Christmas!

It is such a bargain for what you get! I love mine!!!

 

[arar]

I've decided I'll try to keep my non-headpone/iem/earbud purchases kind of minimal since I feel like the gains I'd get from super expensive DACs and amps vs. my iFi Black Label would be pretty tiny, and tube amps seem like a whole nother rabbit hole I probably don't want to fall into, but I can't help but wonder if this'd inject my Aeolus with just a bit of extra warmth and intimacy and ROMANCE that would do it some good. Maybe I'll get one and see for myself sometime in the spring. If nothing else, I miss having a huge volume knob lol.

Is this ever on sale?

 

[hottyson]

Is this ever on sale?

It never goes below the $499. However, the way I see it is that it is always on sale at this bargain price as it is underpriced. It is a popular amp because the seller has never raised the price.