“250 hours on it so far, so it’s on it was to being burnt in.”
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It was new and as above, so now about 270 ish hours
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As with most high-end gear especially the good ones, any small changes such as type of cabling, isolation of equipment etc. are capable of bringing a difference to the sound. Also, the matching components as well such as DAC or streamer etc. By just plonking the Humboldt into the existing system without changing the current configuration may not reveal the full capability or potential of the amp. However, it will give a glimpse of brilliance the amp might have. Mixing and matching are the key to good results.
Case in point, when I brought the Luxman L-590AXII into my system, it sounded good but not great. Within 1 to 2 years, I replaced almost everything (cables, DAC, speakers) and I’ve finally reached my destination. The usual caveat is there is no end to this game so we’ve got to stop somewhere at some point.
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The journey of exploring and experimenting with different hi-fi equipment can be just as rewarding, if not more so, than the destination. For many enthusiasts, the process of tweaking, upgrading, and discovering new gear becomes an evolving experience. Each component brings a new color to the sonic palette, and it’s the art of combining them that provides satisfaction. Like any hobby, it’s the passion and curiosity that drive the experience, with limitations often being external factors. Enjoy the journey!
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Or a switch blade…
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I would give it a fair chance and leave it switched on for a few more days.
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Definitely
But glad to have got rid off the harshness top end, or i would have just left it alone
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I’d much prefer a good high end system to be engineered in such a way as to be as impervious as possible to “small changes” and consider such susceptibility to these “small changes” as very much a negative.
Interesting however to hear about the differences in these 2 high end amplifiers and probably goes to show that despite all the talk of transparency it’s colouration we’re all attracted to.
.sjb
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I don’t suppose you can have transparency without them also being susceptible to “small changes”.
This is more what I believe in respect of transparency 
.sjb
Every high resolving system is susceptible to small changes, be it Audionet or Naim….etc
You can read for example @Darkebear reports on it, when he just place a small rubber isolation band on one cable and observes that the sound changes if the band is of a different material.
He has a full Naim system, S1 and active with 3X 500 dr.
It’s the problem of high resolving systems, all minor changes has an impact, even the room temperature or % of humidity.
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I’ve never heard of any Hi End system that is not both transparent and susceptible to “small changes”.
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I think it’s inevitable, the more precise something is, the more any variation will be noticed. I would be disappointed if a high end set up wasn’t capable of allowing changes to be heard. System synergy becomes even more important; that could certainly turn into a negative, if you havent budgeted for a potential change of cabling, supports, speaker positioning etc as a consequence of a change/upgrade of the electronics.
I do agree with the idea that we are generally attracted more by a particular colouration than absolute transparency. The more transparent the system, the more precise the set up required and I would estimate that the majority don’t want or can’t go to the lengths required for highly transparent systems to make sense. Don’t make the effort and you get sterile and hard, get it right and it’s sublime. Conversely, easy listening, non fatiguing sounds with relatively little effort can be a very attractive proposition, and absolutely the most appropriate choice in many cases.
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Different high-end hi-fi brands, while all seeking fidelity, can end up with varied sound presentations based on their priorities. Some brands might excel in creating a wide, deep, and precise soundstage, while others might focus more on the emotional impact of the music.
The many nuances of a live performance can be prioritized differently by these brands. For consumers, this diversity is a blessing, as it allows them to choose equipment that aligns with their personal preferences and values in music reproduction.
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All good points and there isn’t much for me to add here. I would think that if one doesn’t want to tinker with the system too much or desires a system or amp to be impervious to changes in cabling and support system, then I am guessing a cheap amp such as Rotel integrated or perhaps Rega Brio or Io might do the trick? In other words a fit and forget system.
My current Naim 282/250DR/HicapDR and Luxman L-590AXII have responded well to changes in mains power cables and isolation devices. Speaker cables too.
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I watched the recent YouTube video of Steve Huff. I tend to agree with him on that : Very costly systems are not necessary better than middle ones. They can be better but also worse.
He says that in audio the term of better is very subjective. Some go for very costly components that major on details and pin pin imaging, but may sound thin and uninvolving.
In concerts we don’t concentrate on all the tiny details. And pin point imaging is not real in a concert.
Of course some very expensive gear can do both, involve, create emotions, and major on hifi criterias.
But more you reach that very high end, more it’s complicated.
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People say you can’t use Youtube to assess hifi components but I beg to differ and think you can get a flavour of what something will sound like.
There is a video that I’ve posted before which shows a Humbolt and some new (more affordable) YG Acoustics Peak Series speakers which seems to mirror Dunc’s review above quite accurately.
It’s also one of AVshowrooms Peter Breuninger’s last if not the last video he hosted before his death last year.
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I would argue that high-end audio is always better than mid-range options if the type of sound you’re after remains consistent across gear (from mid-range to high-end) and if you aim to experience more of this specific sound. By climbing the higher-end ladder, it’s like dialing up the pleasure knob, where each increment can lead to a profoundly different listening enjoyment.
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I have found like most, the more resolving the system the more it responds to change.
My system is quite easy to hear differences a cable may bring, it certainly hasn’t always been like that, and that’s why you often see things like cables don’t do anything, etc. No it’s because your system isn’t good enough to show you the difference.
If you want a plug and play system, then that’s fine, but don’t expect it too be anywhere near what a good system can show you, let alone a really good system.
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Well more testing going on tonight as my time with the humbolt is very limited.
I think i have got the humbolt sounding as good as i can now, with the cables, etc.
So tonight i have been playing more stuff that’s a bit off a challenge, rather than the stuff that sounds excellent. To my surprise the humbolt is really struggling with this, it just goes a bit flat, and collapsed, obviously this is a bit of an over exaggerating it, but that’s what going on.
In comparison the vitus doesn’t do this, it just sounds like what it is, a poor recording.
The other thing i tried is just vitus only, and never really used it, as thought it was more of a gimmick rather than something beneficial, but it has a rock setting, i always use it in classic mode. In rock mode things change slightly, and you get a more forward presence to it, this takes it very close to what the humbolt sound’s like, but with the same vitus sound stage.
The humbolt is still slightly brighter, and so slightly more detailed in sound, but not much in it.
I will probably use this rock mode moving forward on certain music, but having the classic mode brings in a lovely smoothness that is simply wonderful on voices.
I also found that putting the vitus back in was tonight, it was my favourite, yes it can’t quite match the humbolt on pure detail, the sound stage of the humbolt just isn’t quite the same, and i think i would much rather have the extra sound stage over the bit off extra detail, plus i don’t want to have stuff i no longer want to listen too.
Plus the vitus with the mode button is like having 2 different amp’s in one, smooth mode or more forward mode, so maybe not a gimmick after all.
But these two are quite close in what they can do, and as i have already highlighted, you could easily live with both, but i feel if i had the humbolt then it wouldn’t be long before other changes would happen, as with the vitus i feel very comfortable, but it’s always good to try things.
Cheers dunc
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