Too bad they aint go no 
Maybe I won’t send you back the one that’s on its way here then 
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What is going on with your Zahl, Another delay?
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Some units started shipping around the world but I’m one of the last in line in the US. I’m expecting it very late this year or early '24.
I might sell my place in line though, haven’t decided yet
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Oh that is too bad after all this time waiting, been nearly a year if I recall!
Will be a year in November I believe but honestly if I had AIC10 before then I probably wouldn’t have bought HM1 at all. I still have a good plan for it in some ways but it’s also a little redundant.
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That is high praise for the AIC, given it is not apples to apples due to the hybrid nature what stands out over the Zahl?
Or perhaps this is a better question, what drew you to the Zahl, and how has the AIC filled that role?
Just got an update today I should expect HM1 in late October early November delivery.
Never heard them side by side so can’t make that comparison yet. AIC can wear many hats and with the right gear around it can feel linear and balanced, with Zahl having an analog sound to it which is solid state in nature but with a touch of sweetness to it they might be closer than one would think. That said, you’d be surprised how much change you can induce to AIC with changing only its single tube. I now have three I like that sound different enough I can switch between them for Sus or Utopia and for different music.
For me personally it’s not about one standing out over the other. They each have their benefits and I’ll need to decide if I have enough use cases to justify keeping both.
When I ordered the Zahl I was still running multiple-tubes amps, and very costly tubes at it. Having a dedicated solid state on my desk for daily listening was a big plus in my mind. Add on top of that an excellent preamp and tone controls that my Genelec monitors would benefit from, and basically two amps in one with the feedback on/off option and that’s what drew me to HM1, getting some of what I liked with Enleum and when I desire something more linear and clean sounding having that available with a switch felt like a good deal.
I treat AIC as almost solid state even though it has a tube at its pre stage. It’s only one tube, some are not very expensive, and can last for many many hours of listening. The amp doesn’t really get hot either thanks to the heatsinks on both sides. It sounds absolutely marvelous and addictingly musical with just the right amount of cleanliness when called for. It’s expansive and punchy but also intimate and warm at the same time. I’m really at loss for words when trying to describe it. It just sounds right with Susvara.
It’s definitely the best I heard my music and if I had it last year, I probably wouldn’t have ordered HM1. The only conventional amp I’m still curious about is Mass Kobo 465 and it’s instead of HM1, not instead of AIC. But MK is purely a headamp while AIC can drive speakers (yes please!) and HM1 is an amazing tool and has pre outs so I’m probably going to stick to those two. If I move to 465 I’ll need different desktop speakers and to keep AIC close by or get a DAC with better volume control. That said, I’m only one DAC away from two complete systems (K50/WD/AIC for main system and 2ch and Red/DAC/HM1 for desktop) so maybe I can pick something to fill that gap and drive my Genelecs. Many paths ahead!
I’ve known this for quite some time that R2R DACs with Class A amplification and Planar headphones are my favorite combo and that isn’t likely to change so I’m exploring what’s next to me with that in mind. I’ve also come to peace that maybe I got my endgame setup in front of me already. It is so damn satisfying sound. Most other things I look at are simply out of curiosity and love for the hobby (I’m looking at you HEDD2).
This turned out longer than I expected lol sorry for the monolog!
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Hey dude, let the monologue run wild. Enjoy reading these over more technical impressions as they are more relatable. Thanks for responding!
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I will second this love letter to AIC. Getting it has basically made me entirely uninterested in other amps. Anything I get going forward will be an as well (with the exception of if I go full estats)
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Did you work the Susvara from the Bliss and if so what were your thoughts I was looking back and missed if you have said before.
Why do you recommend Bliss over Ferrum Stack?
Next would be (assuming you worked Susvara from the AIC) how would you describe the difference between Bliss and AIC?
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If I remember correctly I tried Susvara with Bliss at canjam but when I owned it briefly here I didn’t have Susvara at the same time. I did however own Ferrum with Susvara.
I think both did a good job, far for perfect.
With respect specifically to buying new and my comment you quoted - the Bliss will retain much more of its resale value and sell quicker and they aren’t very far apart at MSRP.
Did not own both in parallel to be able to give you a deeper comparison between the two.
As for AIC - it’s miles ahead of Bliss as an amp. I wish it could also have preouts like Bliss but nothing’s perfect I guess. It is by far the best I’ve heard Susvara, and with the right tube also probably Utopia.
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Thanks for your reply.
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I am late to this one but with the K50 why invest a CD transport vs ripping the CDs and putting them on the local storage. If you have a pc with a half decent CD drive, $0-50 for EAC or DBpoweramp, $200-250 per 4tb SSD, and I would say about 1 hour for total setup. The investment is much less and it is pretty flexible. There will be a time investment depending on how many CDs you need to rip but it does lend to easier access. I do understand if you dont want to go through the organization aspect of it.
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I don’t have a PC 
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How much was that antipodes cd ripper? 
i just feel it is such a hassle to deal with physical media now.
anyone ever listened to CH Precision DACs? the C1 or C1.2?
I would love to hear one
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Briefly at a shop with a listening room with music Im very familiar with.
It’s well composed with precise imaging and excellent resolution. Nice musical flow with a certain ease about it but I think it would be something Id get bored of over time, seemed to lack the ability to place natural emphasis on anything. Reminded me of DSD, which to my ears smooths over dynamics and gives every musical element an emphasis that puts everything on the same footing, which doesnt sound right to me. If a trumpet is supposed to standout in the mix it should stand out, not be relegated to the same place as a background piccolo.
Some might adore that sound, I aint one of them. It’s not a DAC I thought would blow away my basement level TD by any means and they are on significantly different price footings. Again preferences probably weigh large here.
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