[Frank I]

Thanks Frank for the kind word. The Taboo MK 111 is  dedicated amplifier only and has more power but the biggest difference in the two would be the Taboo had more transparency. It has a fuller sound with more air and body. The sound stage is wider and deeper than The WA7 but for people looking for a one amp solution the Wa7 is an excellent solution.  I will also try to do a bette job of explaining my music choices in my next review.  The improvement with the Taboo Mk111 is also subtle differences. The WA7 was great with all headphone I used and the Taboo takes the performance up another notch.    The biggest difference was in the treble. The Taboo had a much more extended treble with a more live feel to it. Drum cymbals sound more like real live cymbals. The air around the instruments is also better. There is a pinpoint focus with each instrument on the Taboo and better separation within  the sound stage. Both excellent products that perform well above their price points.

 

[bearFNF]

Here's my setup.  Still a work in progress, need to get a ZSB  in and then clear some space for the whole lot to live on a set of shelves.

Spoiler: Pics%20of%20my%20rig.

 
Taboo MKIII and 'Q' French Silk cable

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

[negura]

Quote:

Here's my setup.  Still a work in progress, need to get a ZSB  in and then clear some space for the whole lot to live on a set of shelves.

Spoiler: Pics%20of%20my%20rig.

 
Taboo MKIII and 'Q' French Silk cable

 
 

 

 

 

 

 
Looks really great. I thought I'm the only with red HD800s cables. Mine are DIY. What I would love to see is a close-up pic of just the Taboo from straight above, with the inputs, meters and all, so I can have something to drool at, while waiting.

 

[bearFNF]

Quote:

 
Looks really great. I thought I'm the only with red HD800s cables. Mine are DIY. What I would love to see is a close-up pic of just the Taboo from straight above, with the inputs, meters and all, so I can have something to drool at, while waiting.

Gimme a couple minutes and I'll snap a few.
 

Spoiler: Here%20ya%20go.

 
Pics of Taboo (Cherry wood case). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[longbowbbs]

Quote:

Here's my setup.  Still a work in progress, need to get a ZSB  in and then clear some space for the whole lot to live on a set of shelves.

Spoiler: Pics%20of%20my%20rig.

 

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

 

Spoiler: Pics%20of%20my%20rig.

 
Taboo MKIII and 'Q' French Silk cable

 
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 
Congrats Bear! There are now 2 Taboo MK III's in the great North Woods!

 

[bearFNF]

Quote:

 
Congrats Bear! There are now 2 Taboo MK III's in the great North Woods!

 
I just noticed in the pics that one tube is a little higher than the other on the meter.  Since I am a noob when it comes to tubes, how far off can they be before I need to be concerned?  If I were to use my 'calibrated' engineers eye I would say one reads 25 and the other reads 29.  All depends on how you hold your head, squint your eye, and stick your tongue out.

 

[mwindham08]

Quote:

When I'm listening with the single ended headphone output, and I'm facing the front of the amp, the lucid mode switches are NOT engaged when they are AWAY from me (as the manual dictates)...when both lucid modes are off the soundstage is VERY small and, yes, I'm hearing that some sounds are missing....particularly those sounds located in the left and right channels. When I turn on original lucid mode the sounds that were missing are audible again and the soundstage is wide. When I turn on NEW lucid mode the information on the right and left channels becomes more pronounced and can sometimes take over the sounds coming from the center of the soundstage...like vocals or horns etc.

I received a balanced cable from Audeze the other day and I'm getting different results with both lucid modes thus far. First off the soundstage seems to be "normal" to me with NONE of the lucid modes on. Seems close to what I used to hear with the mini torii. When I turn old lucid mode on, the soundstage increases slightly...in a very pleasant way that I find I like most of the time. This is in contrast to using the single ended headphone jack where I feel like the old lucid mode is A MUST because otherwise I'm not hearing everything the recording has to offer and the soundstage is just way too small.....like I'm in the last row of a concert hall.

With new lucid mode using the balanced output (4 pin btw) the sounds becomes bigger and closer in a way....like I'm in the front row or maybe even on the stage....depending on the recording. The volume jump does not seem to be as dramatic with new lucid mode balanced, as compared to the volume jump in single ended output..

Some more experimenting is to be done....I'll try to post some more specifics, like which songs I'm using to evaluate and how it sounds with each mode, at a later date...

Oh also, I have a bad tube...one of the output tubes, so i stole a pair of Mullard EL84 from my guitar amp and that's been holding me down....until i can get a replacement pair from Decware...shouldn't be a big issue.....the nice thing about the meters is that I could see one tube was reading WAY stronger than the other....actually past what Steve suggested was a safe place for the meters to be. Then the offending tube made a horrible noise through my speakers (crackling, hiss etc). That's when I switched it out. The meters showed the problem a couple days before the bad noise occurred...

You have pretty much described my experience thus far, especially about the left and right channels being very pronounced.
I guess I have been listening with New Lucid Mode on.
 
Wish my 3 pin toxic cables would come in so I could experiment with the balanced outputs, but I still have at least another month to wait....blah

 

[negura]

Quote:

Gimme a couple minutes and I'll snap a few.
 

Spoiler: Here%20ya%20go.

 
Pics of Taboo (Cherry wood case). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Great pics. Those nice caps for balanced/RCA ports - did you purchase them separately?

 

[bearFNF]

Quote:

 
Great pics. Those nice caps for balanced/RCA ports - did you purchase them separately?

 Thanks. 
 
They came on the unit. Just need to get something for the 1/4" HP jack now.  Although, when using the XLR outputs I can set the XLR cap over the 1/4" plug, I want something dedicated for the purpose.

 

[bearFNF]

Quote:

You have pretty much described my experience thus far, especially about the left and right channels being very pronounced.
I guess I have been listening with New Lucid Mode on.
 
Wish my 3 pin toxic cables would come in so I could experiment with the balanced outputs, but I still have at least another month to wait....blah

Ditto here, also. 
 
I did notice that it is a little off center left, though.  Still testing this out but may need to adjust the input levels to compensate.  I think this may be due to my ears more than the amp (damage to one ear when I was young, somehow, a bean got in my right ear and subsequent efforts to get it out pushed it against my eardrum and the bean started to swell, so it had to be surgically removed), I know, TMI, but I thought you guys could use a good laugh.

 

[longbowbbs]

Quote:

Quote:

You have pretty much described my experience thus far, especially about the left and right channels being very pronounced.
I guess I have been listening with New Lucid Mode on.
 
Wish my 3 pin toxic cables would come in so I could experiment with the balanced outputs, but I still have at least another month to wait....blah

Ditto here, also. 
 
I did notice that it is a little off center left, though.  Still testing this out but may need to adjust the input levels to compensate.  I think this may be due to my ears more than the amp (damage to one ear when I was young, somehow, a bean got in my right ear and subsequent efforts to get it out pushed it against my eardrum and the bean started to swell, so it had to be surgically removed), I know, TMI, but I thought you guys could use a good laugh.

The input levels are there on purpose. Use them to adjust your preferred sonic signature.

 

[mwindham08]

Quote:

The input levels are there on purpose. Use them to adjust your preferred sonic signature.

Yeah the input levels won't fix the issues I'm having.
 
One interesting thing I did note though is that when all the switches are off, and turning down the right input level has no effect at all on the sound
unless one of the lucid switches are flipped on.
 
This is on Green Grass & High Tides by The Outlaws.
Have not tested any other songs yet.

 

[longbowbbs]

I have pretty much left it on Old Lucid mode. The pairing with the CSP2+ is wonderful!

 

[OPR8R]

My first week with the Taboo I learned to let my tubes warm up.  I also heard jitter and harsh highs for the first time.  Luckily, I had been planning a DAC upgrade, and it solved both problems.  I also haven't really touched the Lucid setting (old mode) since the first day.

 

[HPDJ]

OPR8R,
 
 

I also haven't really touched the Lucid setting (old mode) since the first day

 
Does this mean that you have kept it ON or OFF since the first day? Also, which headphone outputs are you using?