[dermott]

I am a lurker who has been fending off the impulse to buy my first dedicated amp (only Grado SR-60 and Senn 595 currently in the stable) and have decided to go SS vs. tube. The two amps currently battleing for supremacy (in my head) are the Channels Islands VHP-2 W/ DPS and the Eddie Current EC/SS. Among the rank and file here, the Eddie Current is getting rave praise. One comment in another thread mentioned something about the old timers being into the Eddie while the newcomers are into the Heed. That made me dig the thought of having an EC/SS all the more.

However, ever since stumbling across the offering from Channel Islands, I have thought it would be great to have that particular amp as well. Most of what I have read about that amp has been from "professional" reviewers from various publications. Reviewers who are paid for reviewing tend to sound the same to me after a while. They start off by letting you know how suprised they were when they first encounter their newest specimen, not expeting it to be as good as it is. Then they throw it into a David and Goliath situation and compare it to a competitors product that vastly exceeds the price point of the reviewed item. They say, "Well, the blankia had slightly sweeter highs and tighter bass, but that is to be expected at 1/5th the price". I tend to take advice from guys who are in the trenches throwing down their own money over guys who are telling you how lucky they are to be paid to watch "Finding Nemo" with their son because they are reviewing the effects of a surge protector/power plant/regenerator on their 1080P plasma (It was so clear, I could see what Dory was thinking!).

Anyway, why are not as many "trenches" guys singing the praises of the CIA VHP1/2? I want to like it, but it doesn't get a lot of support around here. Knowing Dusty's pedigree and the quality of his other products ( I also fantasize about having his D-200 monoblocks powering my Magnepans), I would think that his headphone amp would also come up on the radar more often around here. You EC/SS guys chime in too. I want to here it all!!! My intention is too get an amp that will allow me to delve into meatier offerings in the cans department (DT880, AKG 701, wait for it........HD 650....Ohhhh)

 

[wjat]

i dont have a lot of experience with other headphones or amps, but right now i have a 120ohm 595 coming out of a vhp-2 right now (just ordered the vac-1 actually), and i like it a lot

 

[Knockturne]

Channel Islands offer a 30 day trial so you may as well order both and try em out.

 

[nelamvr6]

Wow! Paragraphs... look into them, mkay?

Having said that, I love Dusty's stuff! I had a VHP-1 with the VAC-1 for a year before I upgraded to my HR-2. It was really a great amp, just about anything that could possibly be said about great SS amps could be said about that amp...


And yet, the HR-2 sounds better. Go figure.

 

[vorlon1]

I've had a VHP2 with power supply for about 10 days and I really like it. Drives HD 600s and K 701s easily. Very clear sound, detailed, transparent, very neutral and uncolored i.e. Sound with different sources is slightly different ex. Imod vs. my larger home system. Right now I am still listening and forming impressions, but this is a very, very qulaity product in my opinion.

 

[dermott]

Wow! Thanks, Nelamvr6 for bustin' my nutz over the paragraph thing. Nice avatar....is that Yngwie Malmsteem

Funny you should mention the HR-2....my other fantasy would be the iMod 5.5 > Future ALO iMod Wood Dock Station > ALO Jena Labs Cryo Interconnets > RSA XP-7 (battery operated). Battery Operated amp, battery operated sources - total isolation!

 

[socrates63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dermott /img/forum/go_quote.gif Knowing Dusty's pedigree and the quality of his other products ( I also fantasize about having his D-200 monoblocks powering my Magnepans), I would think that his headphone amp would also come up on the radar more often around here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vorlon1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've had a VHP2 with power supply for about 10 days and I really like it. Drives HD 600s and K 701s easily. Very clear sound, detailed, transparent, very neutral and uncolored i.e. Sound with different sources is slightly different ex. Imod vs. my larger home system. Right now I am still listening and forming impressions, but this is a very, very qulaity product in my opinion.

Despite very little mention of the VHP-2 on Head-Fi, I ordered one with the VAC-1 a few months (along with the VDA-2) solely based on the strength of what I read about Dusty.

I agree with vorlon1's characterization -- very clear, detailed, punchy, transparent. VHP-2's sound is reminicent of the Gilmore Lite. While I own a GLite + DPS and I haven't done a comparison, the VHP-2 compares very well to the GLite. Certainly, price-wise, the two are almost identical.

I like the VHP-2 a lot. The build quality is excellent and it is very compact. The low/high gain button has been helpful, and the amp drives all the headphones I've used with it (HF-1, HD600, and DT990, I haven't tried my AT cans) very well. I sometimes don't even fiddle with the volume when I swap headphones and can simply rely on the using the gain switch.

Definitely, a little burn-in is necessary. I think Dusty recommends a 100 hours. I haven't gotten to a 100, but it didn't long for the sound to settle down (less than 20 hours).

 

[vorlon1]

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