Picked up a SIT-3 from the Head-Fi classifieds and it just arrived today. Will be putting some comparisons together against the F8 below it sometime this weekend I hope.
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Looks like I never ended up posting my impressions between these two, my bad. Both are really excellent amps but I ended up selling the F8 and keeping the SIT-3. The F8 is great but found the sound to be too similar to the Tyrs which I preferred overall.
I found some old notes from when I had both amps so these impressions will be a mix of those notes and my memory of the sound as well.
The F8 is more capable when it comes to imaging, staging, and detail. It presents the sound in a larger space with excellent depth and width but the balance between those two dimensions feels pretty even so it’s a spherical sort of stage. The detail is pretty good and didn’t seem to leave much out at least not vs any other amps or systems I’ve heard. Vocals have a nice weight to them and the bass was slightly emphasized but not boomy (lacking texture and emphasized) or muddy sounding.
The SIT-3 is similar but is warmer and more laid back with a stronger bass emphasis. I also found that the stage on the SIT-3 was more 2d in that it lacked the sense of depth that the F8 presented so well. The detail is still there but doesn’t sound as clear or resolving as the F8. Sometimes the warmth and thick sound of the SIT-3 feels a bit much but when it matches well to your transducer or headphones in my case it’s a really enjoyable listen. My favorite headphone pairings with this amp have been ZMF Auteur classic, Atticus, and VC, Utopia, MySphere 3.2, and Susvara. However I find that using a warm cable can make the synergy with your system sound too thick so a nice silver cable (Prion4 from DHC) or just a more neutral sounding connection can help with integrating this amp into your system.
With both amps, the sound is laid back and inviting. Next to something like the Tyrs they both lack in speed, resolution, and slam, but both have a nice more rounded bass presentation that I like and a sweeter sounding midrange.
I miss the synergy of the LTA preamp with the FirstWatt amps so might pick up another preamp and a different FirstWatt to try in the future like the upcoming SIT-4.
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Thank you for sharing your notes. A flavor of a First Watt is likely in my future. From everything I’ve read, when the amp and speaker/headphone pairing have good synergy with one of the FW flavors, they can be very special. The trick I guess is finding which one. 
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After a good bit of reading, watching reviews and interviews. (the Nelson Pass and Steve Guttenberg interviews are a must watch if you’re ever thinking of picking up one of his variants.
After an email sent to Nelson on Tuesday Jan 2nd of this year, I was surprised to hear back from him. Answering all of my questions and recommending I pick up an F8 given what I described to him as my wish list / requirements.
Nelson said the Voxativ drivers are an excellent pairing and specifically the AC-PiFe drivers I have in my Zeth were particularly good as he spent time working with the Pure Audio Project guys and designed their crossover for the Voxativ variant of their Trio 15.
It’s been in house now for a day and impressions are very good. I wasn’t expecting to hear how far apart the UL+ amp and the F8 are situated. I knew difference but I’ve also worked hard to customize my UL+ to my tastes with tubes and other tweaks.
In short, the audiophile should, and would pick the UL+ as it sits. The F8 on the other hand is a bit of a wild experience, not quite the excellence on a number of the things I’ve come to really appreciate in the UL+ does but as I sit and listen, I simply don’t care.
I’ll put more thoughts down here over the coming days and I should really make a case as to keeping both of these amps. The question would then become, do I want a second set a speakers to further justify keeping both amps.
In short, this was a good purchase on a pristine example and I am keeping it, that’s a certainty.
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I really understand this and have this feeling with my current two headphones of choice - Susvara and Diana MR. With the Susvara, I care about everything, and it brings me so much listening joy when it all clicks and I’m in the right mood for it. With the MR, I’ve yet to find myself to care much about anything critical listening related. They definitely perform well enough that nothing is missing that would keep me from enjoying my time, but they have not only balanced tuning, but also the right balance between performance and just plain old fun. Different sets for different times/moods/desires.
I’m curious though, why two sets of speakers? why not have these amps be the difference maker for what you want at the moment with everything else (give or take) staying the same?
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It’s not a fair fight. The LTA UL+ is not the ideal starting amp for the Voxativ I have. I came to that conclusion a while back but yet I still bought into the line when I switched from the LTA Int to the separates. I’ve done a lot to get it to where I love it, but it wasn’t the best starting place.
I believe a different pair of speakers more suited to the amp would get me the most out of it and what it does that I’ve come to love.
The texture and timbre on the UL+ is sublime. It’s simply that the Voxative Zeth are too much of a good thing with the UL+ pairing as IMO they both excel in the same space and lack in the same space. The F8 seems a much more natural fit (synergy) as is.
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Awesome learning, synergy is so important!
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@dB_Cooper , where are the updated pictures of your very sexy system in all its current glory 
?
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I’m a little embarrassed to share because of the amount of perfect everything is sounding. I struggle, really have struggled to come up with anything I can think to change next. LOL
There is and there will always be tinkering around the periphery but I am beyond satisfied with the chain.
Here are a new set of Stillpoint SS feet I put on the F8. I’ve had a professional session musician sit for a listen a few days ago and he told me that the base and percussion instruments were indistinguishable from a session which I took as a compliment of the highest order.
Spring has almost sprung so I’m hoping you’ll be swinging up and down the ay ay ay 95 corridor soon.
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Your photo taking skills are so very much appreciated and the vibrant colors of that room please me so. 
I’m chomping at the bit to make my way up there soon-ish. I had a very good feeling for the First Watt amps synergy in that room w/ your set-up 
I’m getting better at understanding some of the fine nuances of equipment mixing 
it warms my heart and soul to know how pleased you are currently w/ the combo of equipment 
I can’t wait to listen to some of my favorite vocal tracks in your space.
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I haven’t had much time to post my initial impressions on the J2 I picked up on Sunday, plan to when I have some down time over the weekend.
Here is a very brief teaser:
I fucking love it, learned a valuable lesson as this was not my first, second, or third choice of First Watt amps to consider.
No matter how many reviews, how many impressions, or how many discussions with others on a product, we will never truly know until it is in our home being used with our other components. I have made mistakes with gear purchases, and accept those mistakes as opportunities to figure out where things did not line up. None of us have the same chains, listen to the same music, have the same room, or the same ears
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That’s a nice looking piece of gear, blends right into your system with a lot of flex!
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I know I will hear about it for not remembering but what are the small disc’s on the Bha-1 and the First Watt?
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Thanks, would call it a 1/4 flex as the nicer stuff is over on the left side not in view. Now I am embarrassed as I was not trying to flex at all but capture the J2 from better angle to capture its simple yet massive stature 
Nah, it is not that popular of a thing and honestly I have not notice any difference yet I keep trying to play with it to figure out if does anything at all. So far it has been snake oil for me.
They are from Herbies;
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Seems bit hard to believe but I apparently have been proven wrong before LOL!.. Bryston in Silver is nice for sure but I will stick with mine in black. It has been a awesome amp
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Save your money for other tweaks!
I have no issue with whichever color one chooses, as you can see some of my gear is black, brown, and blue. A chaos of color and I don’t care/
BHA-1 has been overlooked often for its age, I bought my silver box new and I have 17 years left on the warranty, it likely will outlast me 
In this configuration it’s acting as a pre-amp for the J2, and this is when I wish it had a remote!
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Oh I have no intention of buying those for sure. My Bryston is of course fed by my Rockna and I also have my Quicksilver with a ton of tubes for other sounds. Quite happy and content with this setup.
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The J2 was one of my recommendations for you and you said it wasn’t even in your top 3. LOL Glad you’re loving it. That’s one of the newer ones since it only has one blue eye.
Nelson Pass said the reason they changed from the two blue LEDs to having it only on one side is because some customers were complaining that they didn’t 100% match from left/right.
Those fucking audiophiles can be a pain in the ass. LOL
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I know, you were the first of three people I talked with who mentioned the J2. Do recall which variants I was stubbornly pursuing 
I will give credit where it is due:
Despite his love of a certain Madonna track he wore my ears out on @dB_Cooper knows his audio stuff, and anyone who doesn’t consider his suggestions will be on a fools errand.
Seriously 
That’s absolutely moronic, I’m not staring at it like that weirdo in Lord of the rings.
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@dB_Cooper time for a fresh photo please. I know you are happy so give us an image or two for the thread, your photo skills are exceptional and the equipment worthy of memorializing. Please 
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