Interesting thread. Well, of course Lakefrontroad should open the box and plug it in. :)
Howie: Panorama heard a darTZeel setup incorrectly and still felt is was close to his reference Tenor amplifiers. When he heard it properly setup, he was singing a different tune. Hooper's comments, I think, were based on power. He felt if speakers needed more power than the darTZeel's provide, there might be a better solution. He replaced his Tenor Hybrid monoblocks with the darTZeel's and is completely satisfied and off the amplifier market. :)
When I brought in the darTZeel to audition, I had high expectations. Surprisingly, they were quickly surpassed when I heard it right out of the box. The level of clarity is unmatched while still retaining a musicality and harmonic truth that I will not sacrifice for anyting. If I had to describe myself, I would say I am a dedicated "tube guy". I can tell you that listening to the solid state darTZeel does not leave me wanting for anything. There are plenty of good amplifiers on the market, but only a few really special ones. This is in that very elite group. It is definitely my amplifier of choice in my system.
For those interested in hearing one, we will be showing 4 of them in a multi-channel setup in Las Vegas at the St. Tropez. The room will include the following:
Von Schweikert VR9SE
darTZeel NHB-108 Model One
Jena Labs Speaker Cables
Jena Labs Interconnects
Jena Labs Line Conditioning and Power Cords
EMM Labs Switchman 3
EMM Labs CDSD - SACD Transport
EMM Labs DAC6e
Silent Running Audio Isolation devices
I look forward to seeing some of you faceless AudiogoN members there!
