gotta wake this thread up again smile

hooked the Music Hall up:

first thing: I've NEVER lifted anything that looks this dainty and innocent looking and felt so much weight!! it's HEAVY for its size, and built like a tank:...love the feel of the very heavy and smooth vol knob (in contrast, this reminded me of the sloppy, plasticky vol knob of the Cambridge 640a amp that i auditioned a few wks ago...see earlier in this thread)

However, I'm not going to say anything about the SQ right now wink
just wanna see if there's any break-in factor etc,
but Mostly due to the following limitations I have right now:

1) I don't have the modded super pro DAC I usually use(sent it to a DAC shoot out at av123).
so I'm listening with the Onki dvd/cd changer direct. (the DAC makes a big difference in imo)
2) i'm using only 1 channel of the pre outs only to the R of the sub. (don't have 2 coax cables long enough for both channels). I know that running cables into both L and R of the xsub did make a difference even with the single sub out of the onki.
3) power cord is horrible..i mean horrible feeling (the power cord of the x-sub is better!). have to change that anyway, if it makes SQ improve or not...(although this amp has a reputation of being very finicky about power cords affecting its SQ, even according to Roy Hall himself, who openly commented about the power cords shipped with early batches especially being sub-par; it may have changed now, but it remains a sensitive amp to different power cords, according to all the internet research I did)

However, ASA I get the DAC back, or at least another coax cable for both pre outs to be connected to both L / R of the x-sub, I will do some crictical listening and post again.

I will only say 3 things for now:

1) listening to 13th step, I heard some muttered background vocals from Maynard I've never heard before (these lyrics are normally in parentheses when you look up the lyrics, and I've always wondered why I never really notice them...well now I know! reminder: this is without the DAC !)
i'm holding myself back from saying more now...I really want to listen with the DAC and both L [i]and R pre outs going to x-sub.[/i]

2)It's strange having no tone controls, but don't feel the need...at all. btw, it's 50 wpc, and out of a range of 00-80 on the digital vol control, i can't go past 30...at 30, it's already at my normal max listening level eek drives the x-ls classics super easy.

3) it looks gorgeous, simple, but elegant...very high-end and classy (I know that my other contender Outlaw has already lost in the war of looks...)
so until my next post, here are some quick photos (NOTE: the display is crisp, and only the letters/numbers can be seen; not the blue glow around the latters/wash-out that you see in these pics: camera did that)









will post a more detailed update when i get my DAC back. and then after that I will try the Outlaw and see how it stacks up against the MH..

[I][U]an annoyance: the remote of the Music Hall operates my CRT Toshiba TV eek with no rhyme or reason to the buttons. and of course the Toshiba remote also operates the music hall...