Stereo Times reviewed the EVO very recently too. They are going to regret using up so many superlatives on the other reviewed digitals.
I've hear all but the PS, and that is not in the same power league I need. IMO The eAR is hands down the very best amp ever produced.
I've run some of the best solid state amps, and tube amps too, and using the eAR improves on the sound in all categories. It's mids and highs sound like tubes, except with total clarity into the musician. The Bass is as powerful as with the biggest Krells, but natural at all frequencies. What's more, the eAR exudes power like you've never witnessed.
The ICE module has greater potential than the TacT and TRI Path modules. Only Rowland, and Acoustic Reality has produced home audio amps with ICE. The Rowland uses digital switching in its power supply, while the AR uses analogue. The difference is easily heard.
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Kana, I use my hearing to compare the two. There is no contest, the eAR is decidedly better. In fact, I can think of a lot of tube and solid state amps I would choose over the TacT. Same goes for the EVO.
Fiddler, all mediocre equipment needs is some fiddling, and they turn to gold, right?
The PSA is a cheapo eye opener, showing just what can be done on the cheap with these class D modules. The eAR Enigma sells for a little more than a thousand dollars, and it is a class act, in need of no fiddling. |
You know the TacT is a system, pre and amp. Knowing the speakers the TacT was playing on intimately, gives me a good clue what they are doing to the overall sound. Several of us heard the Llano 300 and the TacT on the same system. It was a toss up, according to likes and dislikes which one was like better. In the case of the eAR, there is no doubt about it's supremacy over those two amps.
Enjoy the review. |
Well, we all need to take anything we say with a grain of salt. We can only comment on what we have personally witnessed. I'm always willing to admit I am wrong.
Said that, I still believe the X600 is the best solid state amp on this planet. I never believed it would trump the best tubed amps. They just weren't suitable for my speaker's needs.
As for class D amps, they are new to the field. The first digital amps, early EVOs and TacTs, did nothing to move me away from tubes and solid state.
The HCA2 is a marvelous amp. It has been tested by several members in our Apogee group. Certainly it has opened their eyes to the digital revolution.
Now we are talking about degrees of digital advancement. In my experience, the eAR surpasses all competition in construction, parts, and, to these ears, sound.
Oh yes, the Apogee... yes, the best ;) |
Oxia is right. Mods can help a lot of components, and not others. To Oxia's list I would add Pass Labs, a whole seller. Through building a great reputation, they have been able to enjoy steady sales that support a lot of research and development. Changing a single item in their X amps would spell disaster for their clean solid state sound. |
Boy, have you dredged up an old thread, Zapper. Times have marched on. IMO the greatest digital wreath now goes to the start up company, H2O.
The stereo H20 sells for 2k, a reasonable price, considering it's competition.
Buyers are jettisoning their Bel Canto Evos, eAR amps, PS Audios, and scores of others, to make way for their new ICE powered H2O amps.... Including me, of course. |
The fellow who started the thread, a long time ago, used the term, "digital," loosely. Generally, the discussion has been about class D amps. The ICE based amps are actually analogue, due to their method of signal modulation. |
Eldarford, TacT owners will scold you for that summation. ;) Carver is a long time company with lots of employees. H2O is a start up company that is run solely, with the help of his friends, by the builder, Henry Ho. The H2O is for sale. What makes you think it isn't? Have you ever heard an ICE powered amp?
If amp quality is based on price per watt, then I've been barking up the wrong tree. Yes, I'd rather the H2O company had their site up, before selling amps. I have owned a number of great amps, and have heard far more. The H2O is unmistakingly the finest I have ever heard.
Stats are not very germain when comparing class D amps. The ICE module amps all have about a 117 s/n, 93% efficiency, 250 watts per channel, etc... What separates out the H2O is it's 150,000 micro farads of power capacitance, a 1 kw transformer, and a very strong analog power source. It's not all that that makes an amp wonderful, but how it is implemented. Hearing is the proof.
So far, owners of well reviewed eAR, Bel Canto, and PS Audio amps, to name a few of the "digital" amps, have bought H2O amps as replacements.
Do you know any owners of the above to switch their amps for a Carver? |
Fiddler, I think you will find out even sooner. There will be an avalanche of digital module chip bearing amps out in the near future. Someone you know will have one. |
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The H2O site isn't up yet. The site builder is waiting for pictures. The amp builder, Henry Ho, has been too busy with getting amps out to take pictures. As of now, there is only his temporary email address, which you will need to email me for.
Henry lives in Virginia.
I have pictures of the prototype amp Henry sent me four months ago. Soon I will have the monos and I will post pictures of them in a review.
Hope this helps,
Vince |
Aloha Kana.... I told you Eldartford..... ;D |
The creator of the H2O is Henry Ho. Henry is a good friend of mine, though we live a continent apart. I had his fine class A monoblocks for a time. Henry tutored me through several component changes. I could say, I am returning the favor as a good friend. It's easy though, and self serving. I have heard many amps, and I have yet to hear the equal of the H2O at any price. Henry's amp will be the least expensive of my recent amp purchases. That is my reward. That, and the satisfaction of seeing a friend do good.
Henry is a lone entrepreneur now. He is presently pulling a pool of experts around him, to facilitate a quick amp turn around. My job of chief cheer leader isn't done yet. I will be giving a proper review of my system here within a couple of weeks.
Over time, I have made a lot of noise over other components, and took some flack for that too. It bothers me none. I can see how someone might misconstrue my enthusiasm for salesmanship.
I encourage any amp challenge to the H2O. So far well reviewed digital amps such as the eAR, PS Audio, Rowland, and Evo Gen2, have been compared, not to mention a good number of conventional amps. Owners of these amps have been voting unanimously with their check books for the H2O. |
Onhy61, I meant my self designation to be taken tongue firmly in cheek. I have no status with the budding H2O company, none at all. I love this amp. I know Henry, and like Loudandclear says, he is a class act.
I have had in my possession a traveling H2O. In a couple days I will have monos I ordered. I will take pictures, and give my opinion. Nobody has to believe a word I say. There will be plenty others to follow. I am riding the crest of a wave.
H2O is a startup company. It isn't even in full production. Actually, Henry has asked me to cool the fireworks for the time being, until amp production gets up to full speed. |
Kana, that was a prototype we begged for to be passed about to Apogee members despite it being premature. We didn't mean for it's performance to be made public. I'm sure you were told it was a prototype amp. Though it is similar to the production model in capacitance, transformer, and power supply, it lacked the filters, fast diodes, and quality parts of the production model.
The prototype is still a class above any solid state amp I've heard including the TacT. The H2O is an analogue amp, and I don't care how much tweaking you do to the Tact it is still a digital switcher. I know your friend, and I know his preferences. I don't share them. The sound differences between the two are dry and analytical for the TacT, compared to natural and true to life for the H2O.
I have the H2O monos now, and it, with the production improvements I mentioned, is a cut above the prototype, and unapproachable by TacT, even with a thousand dollars upgrades.
Now, if only I can get a pre-amp of equal stature. |
Sorry I came across... cross. I have heard the Tact over and over through many transformations. It is amazing to me the TacT people don't improve their product from the outset. To my ears, the things that produced the most positive differences were after market ferrite cloths, and ferrite protected power cords. I haven't come to an equally easy conclusion about the profit gained by inserting Black Gate mods.
We also can't rush to judgement against a new product. Synergy is everything. I don't know why one would assume the TacT houses a cutting edge DAC. I doubt if the older TacT pre-amp has the same DAC as the TacT amp.
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