20-Dec-2014, 18:06
(This post was last modified: 28-Dec-2014, 08:23 by goflyshirley.)
I've been living with a D120 on my 96dB speakers for a week now, so I figure I would chime back in with a short report.
First, let me say that I came from a Primaluna Premium Integrated being fed by an NAD M51 DAC. Here it goes...
The bass was the first thing I noticed a very large improvement on; very tight, very full, and much deeper than with the tube amp... keep in mind that the Primaluna is a brute at 75Lbs. and is known for it's bass slamming output transformers! I noticed all of this within the first 30 seconds of listening.
The all important midrange... well a pleasant surprise there! I was expecting a less than stellar performance compared to the tubes; again, I was met with a very smooth and realistic presentation. I will have to admit that the tubes had a marginally better touch... you know... the tube touch. Some call it coloration; whatever you say. To me it adds just a touch more realism to the performance.
That last sentence may sound a bit negative, but trust me it's not. I find the D120 the closest I've heard to a modern (non vintage sounding) tube amplifier, with much better precision and slam in the bass, nearly identical in the midrange, and a top end with much greater detail... all the while retaining that non-sterile flow to the sound.
I realize I've been referring to the D120 as an amplifier... that being said, I feel most of it's success is in it's utterly amazing integration of DAC/PRE/AMP. Absolutely a keeper!
First, let me say that I came from a Primaluna Premium Integrated being fed by an NAD M51 DAC. Here it goes...
The bass was the first thing I noticed a very large improvement on; very tight, very full, and much deeper than with the tube amp... keep in mind that the Primaluna is a brute at 75Lbs. and is known for it's bass slamming output transformers! I noticed all of this within the first 30 seconds of listening.
The all important midrange... well a pleasant surprise there! I was expecting a less than stellar performance compared to the tubes; again, I was met with a very smooth and realistic presentation. I will have to admit that the tubes had a marginally better touch... you know... the tube touch. Some call it coloration; whatever you say. To me it adds just a touch more realism to the performance.
That last sentence may sound a bit negative, but trust me it's not. I find the D120 the closest I've heard to a modern (non vintage sounding) tube amplifier, with much better precision and slam in the bass, nearly identical in the midrange, and a top end with much greater detail... all the while retaining that non-sterile flow to the sound.
I realize I've been referring to the D120 as an amplifier... that being said, I feel most of it's success is in it's utterly amazing integration of DAC/PRE/AMP. Absolutely a keeper!
