[G8torbyte]

@Mumbles06 Thank you for the impressions. I have a Velo on order and looking forward to trying it with my gear. I'll probably pair it with my Bifrost 2/64 first and see how the ZMFs play out. Hoping planars work as well.
Same here, I'm retired Air Force and being near aircraft and other hazardous noise levels have caused a threshold shift in my higher frequency sensitivity.

 

[Mumbles06]

@Mumbles06 Thank you for the impressions. I have a Velo on order and looking forward to trying it with my gear. I'll probably pair it with my Bifrost 2/64 first and see how the ZMFs play out. Hoping planars work as well.
Same here, I'm retired Air Force and being near aircraft and other hazardous noise levels have caused a threshold shift in my higher frequency sensitivity.

I think the 2/64 will probably pair well. My wife has a 2/64 on her desk, so theoretically I could try that, but it would be a pain to extract it from her desk and rewire it into mine. There's a chance I'll try it with my Yggy+ OG though.

I'm very torn. I have been looking forward to having the Velo on my desk for months, and now it's here and I'm thinking of reverting my desk to the Lyr which makes me sad. The reason is my 2 channel system doesn't have a headphone capability right now, and I was thinking about how to incorporate my Lyr to handle that job. But the Velo is the perfect amp for that role. I need 2 RCA inputs (Lyr has 1, Velo has 3) and would prefer a remote to sit on the couch across the room (Velo has one, Lyr doesn't). It would me hooking my Velo up to a Yggy+ for streaming all my FLAC through my streaming setup, as well as my all my LPs. I currently can only listen to vinyl on speakers and would love to be able to use my Atriums on LPs. And my wife has a 20 foot 1/4 inch extension cable made custom for her by ProsperCables that I could borrow and sit on the couch. I have everything I need to feed my Velo a better DAC and analog and it makes a ton of sense. But I bought it for my desk, and the thought of it leaving makes me sad. So I haven't decided yet. First world problems, I know.

 

[davide256]

Mine arrived this past weekend, looking forward to breaking it in. Took almost 4 months after preorder in January.

 

[Tralfaz]

@Munbles06 Thank you so much for your impressions and insights. I know it's still early days but I couldn't agree with you more about the Velo; after around 20 hours of use my impressions closely mirror yours.

Something I'm still trying to get my head around is how resolving the Velo is while presenting space in a way that's hard to describe. Images are solidly fixed in a real space that possesses width, depth, and volume while also having a background blackness that allows the music to stand out in a way that's new to me. Everything is presented in such a natural, unforced way; I'm hearing music and not sounds, if that makes any sense.

Please take these impressions for what they are; the Velo is still very new to me and not enough time has gone by for my comments to be anything other than imperfectly articulated descriptions of things I'm hearing from my Velo. I'm looking forward to hearing from others as they receive theirs.

 

[davide256]

One thing I’ve decided after playing around with the Velo this weekend is that in my main system its not a good combination with Gustard R26 DAC/ Magnepan 1.7, as all 3 have some degree of dynamic compression. Shopping around for a used Chord Qutest as Mojo remedies much of the problem of missing slam. Liking the neutrality, tonality and nuance of the Velo, will start trying out headphones with it next week.

 

[Mumbles06]

Started rolling tubes. Wow, these new tubes are awesome. So much more micro detail and even more controlled bass. Plus they look cool. Shu Guang Electric WE6SN7 Plus. I was almost afraid to change the tubes because I was loving what I had, but I'm glad I jumped in. I've had this matched pair setting on the shelf for a few months waiting for the arrival of the Velo. They pair really well together. Only 4 hours on them so far, so they need a bit of time. A weird thing happened when I plugged them in. My speakers didn't sound as lively with these, but my Atrium closed gained detail and sound stage. So there is a different synergy with tube choices between my headphones and my speakers. Not something I've ever run into before on previous amps. Interesting.

 

[Mumbles06]

Started rolling tubes. Wow, these new tubes are awesome. So much more micro detail and even more controlled bass. Plus they look cool. Shu Guang Electric WE6SN7 Plus. I was almost afraid to change the tubes because I was loving what I had, but I'm glad I jumped in. I've had this matched pair setting on the shelf for a few months waiting for the arrival of the Velo. They pair really well together. Only 4 hours on them so far, so they need a bit of time. A weird thing happened when I plugged them in. My speakers didn't sound as lively with these, but my Atrium closed gained detail and sound stage. So there is a different synergy with tube choices between my headphones and my speakers. Not something I've ever run into before on previous amps. Interesting.

1960's Batman shot for fun.

 

[cats4cans]

Started rolling tubes. Wow, these new tubes are awesome. So much more micro detail and even more controlled bass. Plus they look cool. Shu Guang Electric WE6SN7 Plus. I was almost afraid to change the tubes because I was loving what I had, but I'm glad I jumped in. I've had this matched pair setting on the shelf for a few months waiting for the arrival of the Velo. They pair really well together. Only 4 hours on them so far, so they need a bit of time. A weird thing happened when I plugged them in. My speakers didn't sound as lively with these, but my Atrium closed gained detail and sound stage. So there is a different synergy with tube choices between my headphones and my speakers. Not something I've ever run into before on previous amps. Interesting.

I have an MZ3 that I use as an integrated, preamp, and hpa. I’ve noticed some tubes are better suited to some roles than others, at least for my tastes. Just wanted you to know you’re not alone.

 

[jamato8]

Max potential. Then the tubes up front. :^)

Dynamics, acoustical nuances like a live space.

D16 1bit dac > Velo> Sony R-10

Some Hutton 1944 horizontal plate E1148 (modeled after the 7193 but with a totally different internal design and made for the military as they were needed for the war effort).

 

[drc73rp]

Max potential. Then the tubes up front. :^)

Dynamics, acoustical nuances like a live space.

D16 1bit dac > Velo> Sony R-10




Some Hutton 1944 horizontal plate E1148 (modeled after the 7193 but with a totally different internal design and made for the military as they were needed for the war effort).

How does the Velo compare with your MZ3?

 

[jamato8]

How does the Velo compare with your MZ3?

I don't know at this time. I haven't compared them as I need to burn in the Velo. Yesterday, it sounded dull and a little flat. Prior to that open and layered but then as anything the has everything to burn in, it drifts from sound to sound, which IMO, is normal. Today, after leaving it to burn in over night, it is more open, layered and dynamic. I am excited about the potential and love the size and appearance!! To have this size of an amp, that is fairly light weight and yet provides a Majestic sound, is great fun and what listening pleasure is all about. And, the price doesn't break the bank while what should potentially be, TOTL sound quality.

I am using the Focal Utopia and the Sony R-10. Also, it drives the Expanse very well!

 

[JacobLTA]

All preorders have shipped!

Now we get to do some tube rolling, too…

 

[Clemmaster]

Very interested in a comparison with both MZ3 and Z10e!

 

[Mumbles06]

Very interested in a comparison with both MZ3 and Z10e!

I listened to the MZ3, Velo, and Z10e at CanJam Dallas last fall. If you go back and check the CanJam impressions I wrote up what my perceived differences were within hours of returning home. From memory, I preffered the Velo to the MZ3. I remember the Velo sounded richer and fuller. The Z10e was a few steps above the Velo in sound quality, but also way bigger, heavier, and more expensive. I bought the Velo because it sounded better (to me) than the MZ3, was smaller, and was cheaper. Win-win-win.

 

[Mumbles06]

All preorders have shipped!

Now we get to do some tube rolling, too…

I have a set of the Apos reserve as well, mine are sitting on my shelf waiting their turn. I've got a lot of tubes screaming "put me in coach," but there's only so much playing time to go around.