Yea, that's partly why I got them. There were no technical issues. The sound was not really remotely worth it. I've been having vague doubts from the start, and I've documented being underwhelmed with the Gumby in this thread. Peace of mind having "end game equipment" finally notwithstanding, I decided to switch to the portable iFi Nano Black Label that I recently determined is a complete waste of money and lo and behold the sound wasn't much different. I know for a fact I got more energetic sound out of a Mimby and Jotunheim that was notably "clean" or "clear" too, which at this point I wonder if it isn't a function of the "energy". I was not about to commit >$2000 into a glorified Nano Black Label, and that's a little flattering, that I recently heard being outperformed by a laptop directly with an HD 650 that I was led to believe would be silly to listen to through a laptop. Mind you, I was fully balanced with the Gumby and Taurus MKII and the LCD-X. Ridiculous how little I got out of those very expensive pieces of equipment. Needless to say based on first-hand experience I wouldn't trust any reviewer or poster anymore. At best you just roll the dice based on what people claim, but in the context of this niche market do not be surprised by disappointment and highly questionable prices. The key part of "diminishing returns" should be returns, not diminishing. Fortunately there's value in reselling. I got a Jotunheim with a multibit DAC module and the rest of the money will go into things that are far more likely to be better and worth it. I've tried looking into alternatives but another aspect of this niche market is a lack of confidence-inspiring ones, not to mention the money involved with others.
I also wonder just how much a number of headphones being more difficult to drive simply in terms of needing more power obfuscates the value of equipment.
