[The Piper]

I am exhibiting 2 channel at the Dallas Audio fest next weekend. Innamorata amp, Commander Level I preamp and Cipher Level III tube DAC. I did not plan to bring headphone stuff as I don't think there will be a spot in the room to demo.

I am partnering with Cardas Cables and YG Acoustics speakers. These are some serious partners to show with. state-of-the-art products.

 

[Wes S]

I am exhibiting 2 channel at the Dallas Audio fest next weekend. Innamorata amp, Commander Level I preamp and Cipher Level III tube DAC. I did not plan to bring headphone stuff as I don't think there will be a spot in the room to demo.

Thanks for the info, and hope it's a good one for you!

 

[The Piper]

Thanks for the info, and hope it's a good one for you!

Thanks. Maybe I will see you there.

 

[Wes S]

Thanks. Maybe I will see you there.

I would love to meet you, and I am gonna try and make it to at least one day.

 

[jcdreamer]

As a happy and proud owner of a Wells Dragon Lvl2 amp, I'm very surprised that it doesn't seem to get much love here or anywhere else. It does not get enough attention and people are missing out on a great amp, unfortunately.

 

[The Piper]

As a happy and proud owner of a Wells Dragon Lvl2 amp, I'm very surprised that it doesn't seem to get much love here or anywhere else. It does not get enough attention and people are missing out on a great amp, unfortunately.

Unfortunately I am a small custom builder of the best Audio equipment in the world but I just don't have the financial resources to market like the very large competitors. That is why word of mouth is so important. If my buyers don't spread the word it just doesn't get out there.

 

[erics75]

It's been a long tiring day. Worked all day, came home, fed the kiddos, shuffled them to my son's music recital, and now I'm finally free to try something new. I have the pleasure of being SN#1 of a base V8 OTL Am I number one? Oh you betcha! Ok I promise no more back patting...

I'll upload a few unboxing pics shortly, but wanted to give that out of the box initial impression. That "gut reaction". Purity of tone is what instantly came to mind. It's what I reported to Jeff not too long ago as well. This thing just has a clean purity of tone that stands out. Nothing is over/understated. Nothing offends. All this was with the stock tubes with a Bifrost 2/64 and HD660S2 headphone. It's my test gear for new amps. I always get nervous plugging in my megabuck headphones/dacs into new tube gear. I've read too many horror stories. But thankfully the V8 is silent and stable, without issue. I'm about an hour, maybe two into listening, and I just cannot analyze yet. I keep getting caught up in the music, which is a good sign.

So gut reaction = very happy! I think this is going to be a winner for those of us with high impedance headphones, especially the ZMF crowd. I'm taking it to work tomorrow to pair with my work ZMFs like the Atrium Closed, Bokeh, and Atticus. I'll also run the HD820 on it for awhile as well. I think they're all going to be stellar on the V8, if my early impressions of the 660S2 on it are any indication.

I'm not going to go into a lot of detail on the sound yet other than I instantly liked it. I need to run a few headphones through it, let the tubes and amp burn in, and let my brain acclimate to the sound. But my first impressions are very positive. The S2 right now is absolutely singing, and it's hard to pay attention to writing when i'm so pulled to the music. Symphony of Destruction is really good right now!!!!!!!!

A quick rundown of my non-sonic thoughts unboxing it and inspecting it. It's heavy! Well built and solid feeling. Love the V8 logo! Volume knob is smooth and easy to adjust. One minor complaint is like most tube amps I own, it ramps up volume very quickly like my DNA and Woo. No channel imbalance though, so not a big deal. I have the same complaint with those amps as well. It's an annoyance but not a deal breaker or big deal, just something to be aware of. Tube sockets are rock solid and stable. Packaging is excellent! Custom foam enclosures in a nice big box. I'd love to see Jeff offer a Pelican case with the same inner foam system. See Ampsandsound for examples, I love their amp cases. It runs warm but not hot, other than the tubes. All the jacks are smooth and fit well. It's a very nice looking amp, I don't think pictures do it justice. Sitting here looking at it, I find it very attractive. No I haven't kissed it....yet...

OK I need to call it a night. But I'll keep adding impressions as my journey continues.

 

[Farrellc]

It's been a long tiring day. Worked all day, came home, fed the kiddos, shuffled them to my son's music recital, and now I'm finally free to try something new. I have the pleasure of being SN#1 of a base V8 OTL Am I number one? Oh you betcha! Ok I promise no more back patting...

I'll upload a few unboxing pics shortly, but wanted to give that out of the box initial impression. That "gut reaction". Purity of tone is what instantly came to mind. It's what I reported to Jeff not too long ago as well. This thing just has a clean purity of tone that stands out. Nothing is over/understated. Nothing offends. All this was with the stock tubes with a Bifrost 2/64 and HD660S2 headphone. It's my test gear for new amps. I always get nervous plugging in my megabuck headphones/dacs into new tube gear. I've read too many horror stories. But thankfully the V8 is silent and stable, without issue. I'm about an hour, maybe two into listening, and I just cannot analyze yet. I keep getting caught up in the music, which is a good sign.

So gut reaction = very happy! I think this is going to be a winner for those of us with high impedance headphones, especially the ZMF crowd. I'm taking it to work tomorrow to pair with my work ZMFs like the Atrium Closed, Bokeh, and Atticus. I'll also run the HD820 on it for awhile as well. I think they're all going to be stellar on the V8, if my early impressions of the 660S2 on it are any indication.

I'm not going to go into a lot of detail on the sound yet other than I instantly liked it. I need to run a few headphones through it, let the tubes and amp burn in, and let my brain acclimate to the sound. But my first impressions are very positive. The S2 right now is absolutely singing, and it's hard to pay attention to writing when i'm so pulled to the music. Symphony of Destruction is really good right now!!!!!!!!

A quick rundown of my non-sonic thoughts unboxing it and inspecting it. It's heavy! Well built and solid feeling. Love the V8 logo! Volume knob is smooth and easy to adjust. One minor complaint is like most tube amps I own, it ramps up volume very quickly like my DNA and Woo. No channel imbalance though, so not a big deal. I have the same complaint with those amps as well. It's an annoyance but not a deal breaker or big deal, just something to be aware of. Tube sockets are rock solid and stable. Packaging is excellent! Custom foam enclosures in a nice big box. I'd love to see Jeff offer a Pelican case with the same inner foam system. See Ampsandsound for examples, I love their amp cases. It runs warm but not hot, other than the tubes. All the jacks are smooth and fit well. It's a very nice looking amp, I don't think pictures do it justice. Sitting here looking at it, I find it very attractive. No I haven't kissed it....yet...

OK I need to call it a night. But I'll keep adding impressions as my journey continues.

Definitely getting me excited with your initial thoughts, and I look forward to hearing more impressions! I reached out to Jeff yesterday on placing my order for one so I imagine I'll be joining the club in a couple of weeks.

 

[thehutch]

It's been a long tiring day. Worked all day, came home, fed the kiddos, shuffled them to my son's music recital, and now I'm finally free to try something new. I have the pleasure of being SN#1 of a base V8 OTL Am I number one? Oh you betcha! Ok I promise no more back patting...

I'll upload a few unboxing pics shortly, but wanted to give that out of the box initial impression. That "gut reaction". Purity of tone is what instantly came to mind. It's what I reported to Jeff not too long ago as well. This thing just has a clean purity of tone that stands out. Nothing is over/understated. Nothing offends. All this was with the stock tubes with a Bifrost 2/64 and HD660S2 headphone. It's my test gear for new amps. I always get nervous plugging in my megabuck headphones/dacs into new tube gear. I've read too many horror stories. But thankfully the V8 is silent and stable, without issue. I'm about an hour, maybe two into listening, and I just cannot analyze yet. I keep getting caught up in the music, which is a good sign.

So gut reaction = very happy! I think this is going to be a winner for those of us with high impedance headphones, especially the ZMF crowd. I'm taking it to work tomorrow to pair with my work ZMFs like the Atrium Closed, Bokeh, and Atticus. I'll also run the HD820 on it for awhile as well. I think they're all going to be stellar on the V8, if my early impressions of the 660S2 on it are any indication.

I'm not going to go into a lot of detail on the sound yet other than I instantly liked it. I need to run a few headphones through it, let the tubes and amp burn in, and let my brain acclimate to the sound. But my first impressions are very positive. The S2 right now is absolutely singing, and it's hard to pay attention to writing when i'm so pulled to the music. Symphony of Destruction is really good right now!!!!!!!!

A quick rundown of my non-sonic thoughts unboxing it and inspecting it. It's heavy! Well built and solid feeling. Love the V8 logo! Volume knob is smooth and easy to adjust. One minor complaint is like most tube amps I own, it ramps up volume very quickly like my DNA and Woo. No channel imbalance though, so not a big deal. I have the same complaint with those amps as well. It's an annoyance but not a deal breaker or big deal, just something to be aware of. Tube sockets are rock solid and stable. Packaging is excellent! Custom foam enclosures in a nice big box. I'd love to see Jeff offer a Pelican case with the same inner foam system. See Ampsandsound for examples, I love their amp cases. It runs warm but not hot, other than the tubes. All the jacks are smooth and fit well. It's a very nice looking amp, I don't think pictures do it justice. Sitting here looking at it, I find it very attractive. No I haven't kissed it....yet...

OK I need to call it a night. But I'll keep adding impressions as my journey continues.

Will be eager to hear comparisons with the Stratus!

 

[erics75]

Will be eager to hear comparisons with the Stratus!

That's the comparison I'm most eager to do as the Stratus is my best sounding amp. I'm going to give the V8 a few hundred hours though before even attempting to compare them, I want it at it's best as that's a fight few can win. I also want to do some research on tubes, i'm unfamiliar with 6AS7 tubes, and get at least one alternative set in to compare to the stock tubes. I've swapped out all the stock tubes on the Stratus long ago to dial it in to my liking. I want to give the V8 the same opportunity before comparing. I'll say this though, last night was a lot of fun with the V8 out of the box. I sat listening long after I quit typing. I kept wanting to do one more song. And so far this morning with my ZMF Atrium Closed it's quite intoxicating.

 

[Wes S]

That's the comparison I'm most eager to do as the Stratus is my best sounding amp. I'm going to give the V8 a few hundred hours though before even attempting to compare them, I want it at it's best as that's a fight few can win. I also want to do some research on tubes, i'm unfamiliar with 6AS7 tubes, and get at least one alternative set in to compare to the stock tubes. I've swapped out all the stock tubes on the Stratus long ago to dial it in to my liking. I want to give the V8 the same opportunity before comparing. I'll say this though, last night was a lot of fun with the V8 out of the box. I sat listening long after I quit typing. I kept wanting to do one more song. And so far this morning with my ZMF Atrium Closed it's quite intoxicating.

For reference, the GEC A1834, Western Electric 421a, and Tung Sol 5998, are the top three 6AS7 versions.

 

[mwhals]

I have a Milo and it has been setting in place for a year or so. I now have a new PC and started using it again. I am finding a crackling sound through the headphones when I change volume. I don't notice it when the volume knob is stationary.

 

[The Piper]

I have a Milo and it has been setting in place for a year or so. I now have a new PC and started using it again. I am finding a crackling sound through the headphones when I change volume. I don't notice it when the volume knob is stationary.

The attenuator in your Milo is nearly certainly a Khozmo stepped. We discovered after a number of years of research that with that model there can sometimes be a very slight impedance mismatch between the steps which creates a very small DC drop which manifests as a tick or small pop. It only happens between steps in volume and doesn't effect the sound. It can be fixed by replacing the attenuator with another. We can do this if you wish.

 

[mwhals]

The attenuator in your Milo is nearly certainly a Khozmo stepped. We discovered after a number of years of research that with that model there can sometimes be a very slight impedance mismatch between the steps which creates a very small DC drop which manifests as a tick or small pop. It only happens between steps in volume and doesn't effect the sound. It can be fixed by replacing the attenuator with another. We can do this if you wish.

I would be interested in having it replaced. Might be interested in other upgrades if they make sense.

 

[The Piper]

I would be interested in having it replaced. Might be interested in other upgrades if they make sense.

We would replace it with a Goldpoint. Probably the best stepped volume device on the planet. We could evaluate your unit at the same time for any further upgrades. The Goldpoint replacement would run $500.00.