16-Aug-2015, 09:46
A bit late to the party, but having promised early in the thread to post, it's about time I did.
Others have already said most of what I wanted to. For me, the things that do really delight me -- in the sense that they keep making me smile and are not part of what I would just expect from a piece of electronics -- are:
1) sound quality: it definitely does the "shivers down the spine" and "where did that noise come from" things I'm sure we're all familiar with
2) aesthetics: perfect for someone who prefers not to see a rack full of imposing front panels in their living room (I include myself in that as well as my wife!)
3) flexibility: it still amazes me how easy it is to configure the amplifier and the ever-growing list of what can be configured
The last point may be a bit controversial given that there are many known failings in the concept and implementation of the configuration mechanism, but I think I would find it almost impossible to live without something similar if I were to buy a new amplifier. This also goes hand in hand with the updatable firmware: I've not tried v8.1 yet, but I'm looking forward to experimenting with the pre-out/main delay mechanism, for example. That fact that this can be done without adding any extra boxes, and just comes "for free" is wonderful.
Others have already said most of what I wanted to. For me, the things that do really delight me -- in the sense that they keep making me smile and are not part of what I would just expect from a piece of electronics -- are:
1) sound quality: it definitely does the "shivers down the spine" and "where did that noise come from" things I'm sure we're all familiar with
2) aesthetics: perfect for someone who prefers not to see a rack full of imposing front panels in their living room (I include myself in that as well as my wife!)
3) flexibility: it still amazes me how easy it is to configure the amplifier and the ever-growing list of what can be configured
The last point may be a bit controversial given that there are many known failings in the concept and implementation of the configuration mechanism, but I think I would find it almost impossible to live without something similar if I were to buy a new amplifier. This also goes hand in hand with the updatable firmware: I've not tried v8.1 yet, but I'm looking forward to experimenting with the pre-out/main delay mechanism, for example. That fact that this can be done without adding any extra boxes, and just comes "for free" is wonderful.
Roon (Mac Mini), Wilson Benesch Full Circle, Expert 1000 Pro CI, Kaiser Chiara
Warwickshire, UK
