New 468 monos

[adyc]

If you are happy with 458, I would suggest you hold off the upgrade. From John’s measurements, it seems that there are still quite a few bugs.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

If you are happy with 458, I would suggest you hold off the upgrade. From John’s measurements, it seems that there are still quite a few bugs.

I’m 4-6 months away from action on this based on other irons in fire at the moment.

But good idea for me to check with Hervé and my friend Jonathan the distributor about that.

 

[LL21]

my only caveat is the level of satisfaction at what i hear every day from my current amps. they are crazy good. my ears are not asking for better. just how significant would the upgrade be?

it's why the A/B/A/B Fremer was able to do, that others doing the upgrade could not do, that did make a difference to me. it shed light a bit deeper into it. sending your amps away for 2-3 weeks, then hearing the amps return without that reference sitting there is less certain.

btw; it's possible others did buy new fresh original build 468's to replace their 458's. so had the two side by side. i've just not heard about that.

I hear you...i sent my CJ GAT 1 away to be upgraded to GAT 2 after speaking with several fellow owners...all of whom did the upgrade. None had done side by side, but 2 had heard the GAT 2.

BUT, i did speak with 3 reviewers who HAD DONE the side by side, and for them it was not close...and each has always been very candid with me off the record over the years...which really helped me calibrate their comments on the CJ which were universally positive.

I trusted CJ to get it right and deliver MORE of the characteristics i have always liked about CJ, and they did.

 

[redandgold]

I already had direct feedback from a few 458->468 owners about the differences. And so was most of the way in the bag. This was the proverbial last straw.....to the inevitable conclusion.

there was zero chance Fremer was going thumbs down here. I’ve spent lots of time with the series 2 108 so get the type of difference.

I can’t really say how it would have effected me if it would have been different from Fremer. You ask a fair question.

Not very many things left to push my system farther on the path I’ve chosen.

Hey Mike,

Congratulations for your decision to make the upgrade! Unfortunately I don‘t get Stereophile in paper form here in Europe and I let my tablet subscription passed. So I have to wait until review goes online at webpage...

What are the main benefits of the upgrade in your opinion?

 

[LL21]

And here it is...

https://www.stereophile.com/content/dartzeel-nhb-468-monoblock-power-amplifier

 

[Lagonda]

And here it is...

https://www.stereophile.com/content/dartzeel-nhb-468-monoblock-power-amplifier

Wow Fremer can truly spin a tale Walking that tightrope between recommending the must have upgrade and his previous best of all times
amplifier review. Well done Michael !

 

[Kingsrule]

Wow Fremer can truly spin a tale

His video of the factory visit was mostly showing off the case and metal work. Herve looked basically clueless talking about the technical aspects of his products. Not a very good impression. 170K amps of which 70k taken up by case work/cosmetics. I get certain customers like cosmetics but they should be an option IMO. I cant hear cosmetics. As far as measurements go, anytime a manufacture starts making up reasons for bad measurements does not bold well for long term stability of the company. Something feels off here with DartZeel. And to be transparent I really wanted 468's. Now, I'm fairly certain I don't.....

 

[Lagonda]

His video of the factory visit was mostly showing off the case and metal work. Herve looked basically clueless talking about the technical aspects of his products. Not a very good impression. 170K amps of which 70k taken up by case work/cosmetics. I get certain customers like cosmetics but they should be an option IMO. I cant hear cosmetics. As far as measurements go, anytime a manufacture starts making up reasons for bad measurements does not bold well for long term stability of the company. Something feels off here with DartZeel. And to be transparent I really wanted 468's. Now, I'm fairly certain I don't.....

I don’t think the metalwork was done in-house, they went to a nearby machine
shop As for the cosmetics i like my gear a little Gotti to, i’m a MBL guy.

 

[Kingsrule]

Never said it was in-house....I know they went to an outside metal fabricators....

 

[cjfrbw]

Wow Fremer can truly spin a tale Walking that tightrope between recommending the must have upgrade and his previous best of all times
amplifier review. Well done Michael !

I think it's called 'accolade re-cycling'. It's an art to tamp the soil gently over the grave of the previous best while anointing the 'new best'.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

something is missing......

 

[Lagonda]

You had a break in, and some Swiss
guys stole your amps ?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

You had a break in, and some Swiss
guys stole your amps ?

he was from the upper mid west. likes cheese.

 

[Lagonda]

LOL

 

[spiritofmusic]

Mike, I notice how your lighting seems to be casting a shadow over yr MM7s. As if they're gloomy and sad w no amps to feed them.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike, I notice how your lighting seems to be casting a shadow over yr MM7s. As if they're gloomy and sad w no amps to feed them.

hey! hey! hey!

don't be dissing that series 1, dart 108. it's awesome!

my reference for 8 years and still one of the very best sounding amps out there.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Oh, my bad. I thought that was yr preamp. Hey, while you're at it temporarily scaling back on amps, maybe you'll go back to MM3s, for a taste of proper nostalgia.

 

[Lagonda]

Oh, my bad. I thought that was yr preamp. Hey, while you're at it temporarily scaling back on amps, maybe you'll go back to MM3s, for a taste of proper nostalgia.

Im NOT sure Micro would agree to
that

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Im NOT sure Micro would agree to
that

i'm assuming Marc meant (my previous) Evolution Acoustics MM3 speakers, not grabbing back Micro's Lamm ML3's.

and before we fully trash this thread, the reason something was missing, in case it's not obvious, is that my darTZeel 458's have been traded in on a new set of 468's. the dart 108 stereo amp sitting in is a loaner from my dealer. (a series 2 buyer sent me his trade-in series one 108 a couple of weeks ago.

my much loved and cherished 458's are with a happy new owner, a guy who back a few years visited my room (had a 108 then). we've been talking, he is rightly thrilled. my dealer had a buyer for my amps, so instead of eventually upgrading my 458's, i went the new 468 route. my new 468's should ship to me on Monday morning and i should have them by Friday night. i did not want to post about this until i knew they were on the way. one never knows how things go.

this move was not planned at all, but opportunity knocks sometimes. the upgrade was a target for next summer.

excited to hear the step up to my system with the 468's.

 

[ALF]

i'm assuming Marc meant (my previous) Evolution Acoustics MM3 speakers, not grabbing back Micro's Lamm ML3's.

and before we fully trash this thread, the reason something was missing, in case it's not obvious, is that my darTZeel 458's have been traded in on a new set of 468's. the dart 108 stereo amp sitting in is a loaner from my dealer. (a series 2 buyer sent me his trade-in series one 108 a couple of weeks ago.

my much loved and cherished 458's are with a happy new owner, a guy who back a few years visited my room (had a 108 then). we've been talking, he is rightly thrilled. my dealer had a buyer for my amps, so instead of eventually upgrading my 458's, i went the new 468 route. my new 468's should ship to me on Monday morning and i should have them by Friday night. i did not want to post about this until i knew they were on the way. one never knows how things go.

this move was not planned at all, but opportunity knocks sometimes. the upgrade was a target for next summer.

excited to hear the step up to my system with the 468's.

Cool Mike!

Cheers!
ALF