Digital sources: dCS Vivaldi Apex DAC, Vivaldi Upsampler Plus, Vivaldi Master Clock, and Rossini Transport; EMM Labs DV2 Integrated DAC, Meitner MA3 Integrated DAC; Innuos Statement Next-Gen Music Server; Small Green Computer Sonore Deluxe opticalModule; Uptone Audio EtherREGEN with SOtM sCLK-OCX10 Master Clock and sPS-500 power supply; Finisar FTLF8519P3BNL and Broadcom/Avago AFBR-5718PZ 1GB SX-SFP, Gen 5 Fiber Optic modules; Nordost QNet switch and QSource linear power supplies (2); Sonore Audiophile Linear Power Supply; Synology 5-bay 1019+ NAS with Ferrum Hypsos linear/switching hybrid power supply; Linksys MR9000 mesh router and Arris modem; Apple 2023 iPad Pro and 2017 MacBook Pro laptop with 2.8GHz Intel i7, SSD, 16GB RAM.
Preamplifier: Dan D'Agostino Momentum HD.
Power amplifiers: Dan D'Agostino Momentum M400 MxV monoblocks, Accuphase A-300 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Specialties Alexia V with Wilson LōKē subwoofers.
Cables: Digital: Nordost Odin 1, Odin 2, and Valhalla 2 (USB and Ethernet), Frey 2 (USB adapter); AudioQuest WEL Signature; Wireworld Platinum Starlight Cat8 (Ethernet), OM1 62.5/125 multimode duplex (fiberoptic). Interconnect (XLR): Nordost Odin 2 and Blue Heaven subwoofer, AudioQuest Dragon, Canare (subwoofers). Speaker: Nordost Odin 2, AudioQuest Dragon. AC: Nordost Odin 2, Valhalla 2, Valhalla 1; AudioQuest Dragon and Firebird; Kimber PK10 Palladian. Umbilical cords: Ghent Audio Canare on NAS; QSource Premium DC cables with Lemo terminations for QSources; SOtM sPS-500 umbilical cable for SOtM Master clock.
Accessories: Grand Prix Monza 8-shelf double rack and amp stands, 1.5" Formula platform; Symposium Ultra Platform; Nordost 20-amp QB8 Mark III, QKore 1 and 6; Titanium and Bronze Sort Kones, Sort Lifts; Stromtank S 2500 Quantum MKII power generator, SEQ-5 Audio Distribution Bar; AudioQuest Niagara 7000 and Niagara 5000 power conditioners, NRG Edison outlets, JitterBugs; Environmental Potentials EP2050EE surge protector/filter; Wilson Audio Pedestals; A/V RoomService Polyflex Diffusers; Resolution Acoustics room treatment; Stillpoints Clouds (8); HRS DPX-14545 Damping Plates; Marigo Aida CD mat.
Listening room: 20' L × 16' W × 9'4" H.—Jason Victor Serinus
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COMMENTS
I'm beginning to think stereophile is deliberately baiting the more rational readers with reviews that mention $385,000 front-end amplifiers or even a 20K integrated amp. But I'm not complaining. It makes for entertaining reading.
they don't want critical thinkers here at Stereophile with a different and down-to-earth view of audio, only an applause machine and worshipers for (some of) the reviewers
What's your criticism of the amp- other than that it's too expensive?
LOL.. you have none. You said nothing but the whining crap you've always tainted these pages with- it's just too expensive- yet you have no idea of what went into the costs that built this amp.
You also haven't heard it, so you can't make a critique if you don't have any experience with it -
AND sadly, nor can you speak intelligently to why the value is a 'poor' one here.
You're a naysayer with nothing to say!! LMAO...
It has nothing to do with a differing 'opinion'. You need to actually form a valid one first.
I just stack rank the gear by price and assume that's how the subjective reviews will turn out.
There are times there might be an outlier, but, like with watches, the more you pay, the better the performance.
Same goes for shoes, purses, and sunglasses.
$20k for an top integrated amp isn't really a lot. I own separate components and they have a different value set and after great cabling, it's way more than one thinks. Again, separates have a different set of plusses and minuses, all valid based on individual budgets and buying strategies.
And I do think it's valid that price suggests quality.
The market has enough companies that know what will, should and does sell and at what prices. To suggest high prices for greed or what the market will bear is childish and nearsighted.
The market is doing well shown by the increased coverage on the web, in print and in person at shows. Globally, there are more companies in the market. A savvy buyer base drives smart purchases as well. Audiophiles are informed like no other group I can think of.
what you can't afford. I can assure you, that if any of the regular negative trolls here were trust fund babies, they wouldn't be criticizing the price of the equipment (or cars, or watches, or clothing, or wine, sunglasses, purses, coffee tables...)
Since you are good with the price, does that make you a trust fund baby? ;-p
I was simply stating the almost iron clad rule of higher price = higher quality. Even JA1 has addressed this!
As prices float out past the event horizon of the hobby, perhaps we can all just clap and then wave!
and I still enjoy reading about this stuff THE SAME WAY a Chevy owner still reads about Lamborghinis in Motor Trend. THE SAME WAY my daughter reads VOGUE for the latest in what CELINE makes. THE SAME WAY one reads Architectural Digest even if you rent a simple apartment. I am not a trust fund baby. The priciest single component in my system is a 1989 Linn LP12. I would be so bored with Stereophile if the only equipment they reviewed was all Crutchfield catalog level (not that I have an issue with that equipment or the company.) If someone wants to spend 100k on an amp, go for it. BTW My dream amp is a Jadis integrated at approx. 20k. Sadly, I doubt I will be able to get one but I still love reading about them.
you don't know what set I have and I'm not going to brag about it. I have heard 2x or 3x and even 4x more expensive sets at dealers several times. I heard a difference. Yes I did. I admit, But barely. Okay, there was an improvement, but just only a little, not a difference that justifies the price difference. We all know the principle of diminishing marginal utility. In the beginning, every small investment provides a clear improvement, but this curve decreases to a point where you can say that every small improvement in quality requires an unreasonably large additional investment. That's what this discussion is about. My point. All these exotic components with (too) low sales numbers (in relation to development costs and production costs), are they a good buy? Isn't an integrated amplifier like in this case, where larger numbers are produced and sold, let say between 5k and 10k, not a much better buy? Isn't the price-quality ratio of this type of integrated amplifier much higher than one of 20k or more, even if the latter sounds (a small fraction) better?
Sounds like you made your mind up about this amplifier when you visited your dealer years ago listening to other gear, however random. And all other gear for that matter... Wouldn't you agree?
And you are now stating you're having a discussion about high priced amps? Lol, no, you rather said "$20k?! No way!" And that was it.
You haven't heard this amp but somehow are drawing conclusions about it.
What is your criteria to determine value at this price point? You're kind of massively vague on that point.
Anything over $10k is a 'rip-off'?
Did you hear 3 other $10-$30k components or even systems that were better than this amp (that you haven't heard)?? What were they? (You won't say I'm sure.)
How long has it been since you made this magical value formula in your head? Years? Pre-pandemic or during these past 2-3 years of inflation? 20 years ago?
How is value more important that the absolute? If I want better sound, I can't?? I have to buy high value gear only (whatever that is- you didn't bring up a single example of a $5k amp that is a better 'value'?
And what the heck is your value set? There are so many things that go into a component in terms of what people want, you've made up your mind already on what is to be in or out?
There are things that this amp adds to the mix beyond a typical integrated, and all that you didn't speak to- like the streamer and the DAC.
For $25k usd, either a faulty unit or manufactures claims are a drawing a very long bow.
Tested by JA: "290W into 8 ohms 410W into 4ohms, (and only 360 into 2ohms "starts to wheeze" (behaves like a Class-D into 2ohm).
The wall voltage had dropped from 118.4V with the amplifier idling to 116.4V"
This is far from what the manufacture claims, and a 2v mains drop during testing would not account for it.
Cheers George
With the caveat that I have not heard this integrated, it seems poorly designed.
The DAC performance genuinely boggles my mind - the ~$22k Weiss Helios DAC uses the exact same chip and gets almost 22 bit resolution vs 17 here. The undithered output is a nightmare. On the Weiss the undithered output is *almost* as good as a Holo Audio May (KTE) ladder DAC with about the same resolution (the May's a great DAC, its OS mode reconstruction filter isn't. I have one) - ladder steps with some ringing. Even my bought used for ~$1.5k Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ has better performance with an inferior (older) ESS DAC chip. The undithered output of the Vitus looks like the scribblings of a madman. How/why do you make a streaming integrated DAC module with such bad D/A conversion?!? Even JA was surprised at its poor performance. You can get an excellent streaming DAC for $5k, Vitus' module isn't one of them.
Not lying, I'd like to hear this in a NOS mode to see how weird it sounds.
I personally don't have a problem with the price, I'm sure it accurately reflects their costs of designing and building it in Denmark. I mean, it takes work to make an ESS 9038PRO measure that poorly. I do have a problem with the performance (especially the digital) at this price for a streaming integrated amp. With the ESS Sabre 9038PRO DAC chip they could have gotten near State of the Art performance out of the box with little engineering on their part, and with selectable filters, at a lower cost. It's an excellent DAC chip. Somehow they screwed that up. Bad.
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