pipee

oooh...you now have what I have. Sorry to hear that. I remember how frustrating it could be.

I have an Ultrasone 650. They are pretty decent. A bit analytical before break-in. For the price I got it for, no complaints.

So anybody buying one? USD$395 inclusive of shipping http://www.meier-audio.homepage.t-online.de/aria.htm

Hey man for the price I'm not complaining

Wow I think I finally got tempted to get a headphone amp again. http://www.headamp.com/gs1.shtml Anybody getting this? We can share shipping.

I used to have that combo (Senn HD600 + normal Earmax). Sounds very nice. Can't play loud but enough for normal listening levels.

Thanks for the hardwork to bring it back up ablaze.

Sorry don't know of any URL which has the pics and I don't know how to post a pic here. Let me know your email address and I will email you the pics. As for specs, it comes with 2 inputs and a pre-out. A 2 box unit. For reviews, go to Head-Fi. It's pretty much well covered over there.

Anybody interested in a Gilmore V1? I think it's time I get a proper preamp. $400. SOLD! Mods feel free to remove the thread.

SOLD!

HeadSave Ultra for SGD$220. This is basically the Maxed-Out Meta42 from tigger of Head-Fi. See http://members.rogers.com/jdfourn/headsavehome.htm for details. Hardly used. Good condition. Only a few months old. Interested can call me at 97572485.

Replied

So anybody getting one? MPX3 or Supra I mean.

Sorry but didn't get any PM from you.

Any pics? Searched the whole of Head-Fi but can only find V2 pics. Is this the one with 2 inputs and can act as a pre? Current pre has gone bye bye so looking for a cheap pre to tide me over.

Congrats Eric! Finally got your stepdown. Wondered when you were getting to post. Much better than the Meta42 yah? Same impressions here.

What is that on the tubes? Wonder how much it costs.

Thanks for the clarification!

Could it be a prototype or very first model? Best if you ask the guy. It doesn't sound like an actual Lite to me. More like a V1 but powered by Elpac. Either way it's a good price.

It's a V1 not a Lite it seems. Uses the same Elpac power suppy.

I'm really not good at describing stuff. Best I can describe it is that with the Ultra sound comes out but somehow you feel that it is not driving the AKG501 to it's full potential. Sounds more grainy, more compression (you wouldn't know if you don't compare), more airer? (doubtful) and you know it's having a tougher time driving. The Lite sounds a lot like the V2. Good tonality. Each instrument is more rounded and given special attention. When the music gets complicated, they don't lose focus. With the V2 you get more transparency and a sense of more effortlessness. One thing about the Gilmores I've noticed is that they are not as airy as other amps I've heard. Say like the Corda HA-2 and Sugden Headmaster (now that's one airy amp). It's definitely not a light sound. Maybe it is this missing airiness which makes people like TubeRoller not liking the Gilmores. It gives the impression that there is not much instrument separation and that spacious feeling (soundstage?). I don't know.

Er...what hum? Haha maybe my ears not sensitive enough.

I guess it's OK lah. Just some cosmetics stuff. Construction is well built. So no problems there. Yep. Using the Elpac with a cheap $5 step-down transformer + a 2-3 pin adapter in between. Don't know how much this affected the sound. I think this is better value for me at $460 compared to the $290 that I paid for the HeadSave Ultra second hand when paired with the AKG501 due to the extra ooomph and drive sound-wise. But I guess it evens out with something easier to drive like the Grados or Senns.

Sorry no digicam so no pics. Looks exactly like the one on the website except that the screws are different and the power switch is those black button switch and not a toggle switch. Not great at review so...I won't. Maybe Eric? Maybe some preliminary impressions. It runs hot. Warm to the touch. Build quality is good but QC not so good. Eric will know what I mean. Or maybe I'm just anal about such things. As for the sound I only have a HeadSave Ultra as reference. Basically the Lite has the same sound as the Gilmore V2 (or my impressions of it). Have it paired with a AKG501 (my main purpose for it). Has no problems driving it well. Better than the HeadSave Ultra. The Ultra can drive the AKG501 to good volume levels but not with the kind of power and ooomph that I heard when the AKG501 was driven with the Glimore V2. Although the Gilmore Lite has a gain of 5 and the HeadSave Ultra has a gain of 10, they both sound like they have the same gain level. Maybe the HeadSave Ultra just slightly more. At the end of the day I felt the Gilmore V2 had slightly more power and drive than the Lite (or what's left of my impressions of it) but basically the same sonic signature.

Units arrived yesterday. Thanks for all your help ablaze.