I'd love for you to hear it. Did Stavros ever make a GM70? I know he loves the 813. The Destination will sound great on your Athos too. The closest place to you currently is Warsaw.
The Rise of the Uber-High End Integrated Amp
- Thread starter KeithR
- Start date
No, he went with the 845 Elrog for the lower amp models to replace the hard to get 813. Not sure whether or not he made any prototypes with the GM70...
Oden Mk2 debut next month. I have ASK driving Magico M3. Spotify never sounded so good. ASK is cheaper than the cables that connect my Esoteric Grandioso stack. For the price it's hard to beat.
Morricab, et al,
If you are attending Warsaw this weekend my friend Sam Wisnewski (owner of Destination Audio) will be there showing his latest version of his GM-70 amplifier and Nika horn speakers. Below is a link to their Facebook post for the show.
If you are attending Warsaw this weekend my friend Sam Wisnewski (owner of Destination Audio) will be there showing his latest version of his GM-70 amplifier and Nika horn speakers. Below is a link to their Facebook post for the show.
Sadly I won’t be attending but would love to hear those interesting products in the future.
I must confess that since my integrated is in the bedroom it gets more play than my main system. Great to put an album on when you wake up and get ready for the day. I wish I had a good coffee maker in the dressing room but LOL that's okay. Then you get in bed cue up something relaxing and wonder how they could possibly make these C-pap machines so quiet these days LOL Also cool when one of the kids randomly come in and want to here particular songs in a stereo system instead of their blue tooth speakers or earbuds. I've offered them systems and they refuse but that is another story. Anyway....
The I1 is on 24/7. No electricity bill guilt.
My CH I1 is fully optioned. It rests on a CMS PXK Sapphire rack and is accompanied by my very first W20 which might be starting to go into puberty soon hahahaha I've used them with my Quad 2912s but have been running them with the original Endeavor E3s.
The system gets me out of bed in a good mood and puts me to sleep depending on the day, in a better one.
I just need to remind myself after coming out of a serious listening session downstairs, where all the bigger brothers live, to give the little guys a break until the next morning so as not to make 'em feel bad LOL
I've always had a smaller system in the bedroom from day one of marriage. The list of integrateds from my poor student Yamaha that weighed about as much as a paperback novel, to an Arcam, Manley, some Antique Sound Lab 300Bs, Custom 2a3s, Constellation Inspiration so many more. The I1 however is the only one that costs as much as a really good set of separates. Paired with the right speakers they do not give much away though. I think that if anything, the most important thing to me is just that. Since there isn't much to manipulate, the proper speaker selection is imperative. For me speakers that can boogie with 50 watts fit the bill perfectly. All the headroom you need for a sluggish morning and delicacy for nighty night.
I love integrateds
The I1 is on 24/7. No electricity bill guilt.
My CH I1 is fully optioned. It rests on a CMS PXK Sapphire rack and is accompanied by my very first W20 which might be starting to go into puberty soon hahahaha I've used them with my Quad 2912s but have been running them with the original Endeavor E3s.
The system gets me out of bed in a good mood and puts me to sleep depending on the day, in a better one.
I just need to remind myself after coming out of a serious listening session downstairs, where all the bigger brothers live, to give the little guys a break until the next morning so as not to make 'em feel bad LOL
I've always had a smaller system in the bedroom from day one of marriage. The list of integrateds from my poor student Yamaha that weighed about as much as a paperback novel, to an Arcam, Manley, some Antique Sound Lab 300Bs, Custom 2a3s, Constellation Inspiration so many more. The I1 however is the only one that costs as much as a really good set of separates. Paired with the right speakers they do not give much away though. I think that if anything, the most important thing to me is just that. Since there isn't much to manipulate, the proper speaker selection is imperative. For me speakers that can boogie with 50 watts fit the bill perfectly. All the headroom you need for a sluggish morning and delicacy for nighty night.
I love integrateds
I love integrateds, too. My first integrated was the inimitable NAD 3120. I bought one back in the late 80s for $179 when I couldn't get the Pass-desiged MOSFET mod published in The Audio Amateur to my H-K Citation 12 amp to work. It was so good it was better than my Walt Jung modded Dyna PAT-5 pre and Citation 12. Loved integrateds ever since. Some that stand out for me are the amazing DarTZeel CTH-8550 and the Constellation Inspiration, which I happen to own and use presently. It replaced my First Sound Premier Deluxe preamp and C-J CT70S tube amp. I love that my system now only needs 1 interconnect and 2 power cords. Job done.I must confess that since my integrated is in the bedroom it gets more play than my main system. Great to put an album on when you wake up and get ready for the day. I wish I had a good coffee maker in the dressing room but LOL that's okay. Then you get in bed cue up something relaxing and wonder how they could possibly make these C-pap machines so quiet these days LOL Also cool when one of the kids randomly come in and want to here particular songs in a stereo system instead of their blue tooth speakers or earbuds. I've offered them systems and they refuse but that is another story. Anyway....
The I1 is on 24/7. No electricity bill guilt.
My CH I1 is fully optioned. It rests on a CMS PXK Sapphire rack and is accompanied by my very first W20 which might be starting to go into puberty soon hahahaha I've used them with my Quad 2912s but have been running them with the original Endeavor E3s.
The system gets me out of bed in a good mood and puts me to sleep depending on the day, in a better one.
I just need to remind myself after coming out of a serious listening session downstairs, where all the bigger brothers live, to give the little guys a break until the next morning so as not to make 'em feel bad LOL
I've always had a smaller system in the bedroom from day one of marriage. The list of integrateds from my poor student Yamaha that weighed about as much as a paperback novel, to an Arcam, Manley, some Antique Sound Lab 300Bs, Custom 2a3s, Constellation Inspiration so many more. The I1 however is the only one that costs as much as a really good set of separates. Paired with the right speakers they do not give much away though. I think that if anything, the most important thing to me is just that. Since there isn't much to manipulate, the proper speaker selection is imperative. For me speakers that can boogie with 50 watts fit the bill perfectly. All the headroom you need for a sluggish morning and delicacy for nighty night.
I love integrateds
The emergence of ultra high-end integrated amps were largely due to customer desires. If a particular system justifies the best in amplification (preamp and amp) but space is an issue or budget allotment is a concern, the high-end integrated amp can be the perfect solution. The best integrated amplifier I've heard is the Audionet Humboldt ($58,750). If the Humboldt's identical preamp and amplifier circuits were separated into two or three chassis the cost would be significantly higher. Within the context a system of this caliber, the Humboldt is a good value proposition. To increase performance even further (with higher power for example), sure, you need to go separates. But, hearing a Humboldt in a system with comparable associated equipment (Vivid Giya series speakers for instance) is an extremely convincing experience.
Rogers E40a II Limited Edition 40w Class A valve amplifier
Rogers E40a II SE limited edition 40W class A Valve amplifier perfect match for Rogers LS3/5a and LS5/9 speakers Limited to 10 worldwide!
www.retrotone.co.uk
All product design, well, good product design, anyway, is based on "customer desires". Formally this is known as Voice of the Customer (aka VOC) and was codified into a formal product development discipline by John Hauser and Abbie Griffin. I used to teach this discipline for very technical product development for over 10 years. Customer needs, based ideally on face-to-face interviews are captured verbatim in interviews and in-person use-case studies. The "VOC" is developed into a set of "customer requirements". Ideally these are mapped into key groups using KJ Mapping and then analysed using customer requirements surveys for doing Kano Analysis and categorized into 1) Basic or "Must Be" 2) Indifferent 3) Attractive and 4) One-Dimensional customer requirements, which based on the company's core competencies and technologies, are used for product ideation and conception. Once the final product concept is developed from a larger set of design prototypes, a set of Product Requirements are written using unambiguous language using the word "Shall" and which are stated, unambiguous and most importantly, MEASURABLE. The product requirements then define the "boundaries" (what it will do and what it will not do) of the final product design and most importantly, product embodiment. Once the product embodiment is built and put into statistical manufacturing process control, then the final product specifications are written. The product specifications "specify" the product functions, features and quality attributes (e.g. reliability, durability, serviceability, repairability, etc.). All good product development companies, including audio companies, follow these basic best practices because they produce that thing called a VALUE proposition. And, VALUE=Quality/Price. Companies that excel at this in my experience are Honda Motor, Toyota, GE, Canon, Fujifilm, the "old" Applied Biosystems (before it became Thermo), and among audio companies, Schiit Audio, Harbeth, Dynaudio, HRS, Shunyata, Pass Labs, First Watt, and others...
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Rogers E40a II Limited Edition 40w Class A valve amplifier
Rogers E40a II SE limited edition 40W class A Valve amplifier perfect match for Rogers LS3/5a and LS5/9 speakers Limited to 10 worldwide!
X200 - INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
audiohungary.com
For my UK HiFi system (in a small bedroom), my Hifiman EF1000 is a great hybrid integrated Amp (tube pre, SS power), which was primarily designed and built to power the Hifiman Susvara Headphone to it's maximum capability which it does 100% giving an amazing headphone experience that is so good I love headphone listening now on an every day basis (since I bought the EF1000 27+ months ago) as my main listening source.
I use mostly my TT set-up (Kuzma XL DC, 4Point 11" & MSL Eminent Ex linked to a CH P1) for serious listening it is that good although I also have a great digital source too I can use (Chord Blu with M Scaler & Chord DAVE). Both the CH P1 and Chord DAVE have great synergy with the EF1000 (guessing due to the tube pre-amp in the EF100).
The EF1000 can give my Susvara approx.12W of power (Susvara's is approx. 60 Ohms load). You can run two sets of Susvara headphones at the same time and still get 12W per headphone.
However the EF1000 also appears to be a great speaker amp too, giving 50W at 8 Ohms in pure Class A and 110W at 8 Ohms in Class A/B.
My UK base system has a set of Focal Electra 1008 Be's ( ) (due to my small bedroom they are not in an ideal location being mounted at high level off the wall above my wardrobe) and even though the location of them is no where near ideal for the best sound , they sound great off the EF1000 and sound far better than when I connect them to my solid state Chord Prima Pre-Amp and Chord Mezzo 140 Power Amp (currently kept as back up) both with my CH P1 and Chord DAVE.
Hopefully some day (when the chance and situation arises) I would like to connect my EF1000 to a higher efficiency, higher quality and larger set of speakers (than my Focal Electra 1008 Be's) in a much larger room than my bedroom at my current UK base to hear how the EF1000 performs and fairs alongside a separate pre-amp & power amp component hifi system.
The Hifiman EF100o is made up of two units i.e. the main unit housing the pre and power amp and a separate A/C to D/C Power Supply.
The EF1000 is built to a very high quality both internally and externally and built like a tank (main unit 13.45kg and power supply unit 11.2kg). It comes with two very nice highly protective separate flight cases (so no issues if you have to transport it around - except for the shear size of the cases especially the one for the main unit).
The Hifiman EF1000 has to be ordered with a deposit given to your Hifiman official Dealer (or direct to Hifiman) for Hifiman to build one for you. I was informed by my official UK Hifiman technical contact person, that Hifiman only build the EF100 in a small number at any one time at certain periods (guess when they have a large enough number orders to build them as a small batch. So if you miss buying a recent batch build, you can wait 6 to 12+ months for Hifiman to build another batch. Therefore due to this, plus the high cost (if you are only buying it for headphone listening purposes mainly for people with the Susvara), not many people own a EF1000. I was for some time as told by my UK Hifiman contact (and is maybe still the case) the only private (i.e. non dealer) person to buy one in the UK !
The Hifiman EF1000 is a great Integrated Amp and would recommend it 100% !
Some info from Hifiman's website;
I use mostly my TT set-up (Kuzma XL DC, 4Point 11" & MSL Eminent Ex linked to a CH P1) for serious listening it is that good although I also have a great digital source too I can use (Chord Blu with M Scaler & Chord DAVE). Both the CH P1 and Chord DAVE have great synergy with the EF1000 (guessing due to the tube pre-amp in the EF100).
The EF1000 can give my Susvara approx.12W of power (Susvara's is approx. 60 Ohms load). You can run two sets of Susvara headphones at the same time and still get 12W per headphone.
However the EF1000 also appears to be a great speaker amp too, giving 50W at 8 Ohms in pure Class A and 110W at 8 Ohms in Class A/B.
My UK base system has a set of Focal Electra 1008 Be's ( ) (due to my small bedroom they are not in an ideal location being mounted at high level off the wall above my wardrobe) and even though the location of them is no where near ideal for the best sound , they sound great off the EF1000 and sound far better than when I connect them to my solid state Chord Prima Pre-Amp and Chord Mezzo 140 Power Amp (currently kept as back up) both with my CH P1 and Chord DAVE.
Hopefully some day (when the chance and situation arises) I would like to connect my EF1000 to a higher efficiency, higher quality and larger set of speakers (than my Focal Electra 1008 Be's) in a much larger room than my bedroom at my current UK base to hear how the EF1000 performs and fairs alongside a separate pre-amp & power amp component hifi system.
The Hifiman EF100o is made up of two units i.e. the main unit housing the pre and power amp and a separate A/C to D/C Power Supply.
The EF1000 is built to a very high quality both internally and externally and built like a tank (main unit 13.45kg and power supply unit 11.2kg). It comes with two very nice highly protective separate flight cases (so no issues if you have to transport it around - except for the shear size of the cases especially the one for the main unit).
The Hifiman EF1000 has to be ordered with a deposit given to your Hifiman official Dealer (or direct to Hifiman) for Hifiman to build one for you. I was informed by my official UK Hifiman technical contact person, that Hifiman only build the EF100 in a small number at any one time at certain periods (guess when they have a large enough number orders to build them as a small batch. So if you miss buying a recent batch build, you can wait 6 to 12+ months for Hifiman to build another batch. Therefore due to this, plus the high cost (if you are only buying it for headphone listening purposes mainly for people with the Susvara), not many people own a EF1000. I was for some time as told by my UK Hifiman contact (and is maybe still the case) the only private (i.e. non dealer) person to buy one in the UK !
The Hifiman EF1000 is a great Integrated Amp and would recommend it 100% !
Some info from Hifiman's website;
I was just going to ask the same question. I came across this review from Poland and the description of the construction made me swoon; well almost. If you are of a certain age and remember Threshold or are aware of Coda you will recognize Nelson Pass’s love child; kidding:
https://highfidelity.pl/@main-998&lang=en
Do they have representation in the US and if so what was the retail price of the previous model. Thanks to Google Translate I was able to translate from Polish to English; quite the read but no price is given.
From Bladelius: "I really like the Ask and for me it's the only option in my room. The Oden is too big here. But even though the audio signature of them are very similar, the Oden is just more and better of everything. A bit hard to explain, but it digs out bass I never heard before and the resolution is just bonkers." Oden Mk2 has a different DAC board and streamer board to ASK.
I own ASK. It's very good, especially at its price point.
I own ASK. It's very good, especially at its price point.
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