[whirlwind]

The only problem with the Blue Halo is the wait time for a build.
I typed with Mischa about 3 weeks ago and the que is nearly a year.

I've not heard any of his amps yet, but by all accounts he builds great sounding amps

That is the draw back for getting custom amps, the wait time can be painful.

I always felt that it was worth the wait though....I just listened to something else until the day finally came.

Some custom builds that many people want have a stuffed chassis full of goodies and any and all options available it seems.

It is not necessary, but many people want that so these custom guys do it, which is a great thing for the consumer.

 

[ctaxxxx]

Feliks Audio Elise $2000-I feel extremely lucky getting mine 7 years ago for $650. I felt it was a $2000 amp back then and still do, especially with the extras added in version 2. Listening to it right now.

I'm in talks with an overseas Head-Fi user now to purchase their Elise for a much more reasonable price. Hopefully I won't get hit with customs, but I'll still save money if I do!
(Had to back out due to voltage requirements. Forgot there's a difference between US and EU)

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

 

[erics75]

As someone who was considering a used WA8 (portable tube amp) to go along with my Cayin C9, you've convinced me otherwise. I like the Atrium, but it does sound flat out of the C9 and even my Audio-GD R2R-11 that I hardly use anymore. The WA8 may, or may not, help with that...

A lot of tube amps I see mentioned here though are with under $1K or north of $2k. I'm looking for something inbetween - a mid-tier OTL tube amp. There doesn't seem to be too many options though...

Decware CSP3 $1.44k - my first option until I saw they have a Year long waiting list...
Woo Audio WA2 $1.5k - may be too wide for my desk
Feliks audio Elise $2k - at the top of my budget but is a decent size for my desk

Anything I missed? The main thing I have to keep in mind is my limited desk space (which is why I was considering the WA8). I could just buy a separate shelf, but that's another cost to consider... Also I will be running line out from my DAP - 4.4mm to RCA cable maybe

Decware has a classifieds thread, you could put a wanted ad there and see if you get hits. I'd also put a wanted ad here as well. if you guys used that will open the options quiet a bit. I see Ampsandsound stuff going in the $1-2k range here somewhat regularly. I've not heard it myself, but ears i tend to trust really like the Quicksilver amp, and that's right in your range. I just saw one used for $900ish here. some of the older Liner Tube Audio amps like the MZ2, etc are very well regarded and in your range used. they're a unique topology, but tend to compete with true tube amps quite well. i'm sure i'm missing a few, but there are options when factoring in used.

 

[StevenR296]

I was tempted by the Elise Mkii last year, but I ended up grabbing the Quicksilver. I heard it offered a lot better value and I wanted to dabble with planar headphones. I wasn't disappointed. Drives both types wonderfully. Sounds very natural with all of my ZMF headphones, but I just switched to a Pendant SE a week ago and that Quicksilver in the Classifieds is actually mine. Both the Quicksilver and Pendant are great with the Atrium. I need more time with the Pendant for an actual comparison, but I feel like I have to listen for the differences. The Quicksilver is definitely better value, but short summary is the Pendant does offer a bit more resolution, versatility (2 inputs/1 pre-out), and happens to look better on my desk.

 

[arijitroy2]

I was tempted by the Elise Mkii last year, but I ended up grabbing the Quicksilver. I heard it offered a lot better value and I wanted to dabble with planar headphones. I wasn't disappointed. Drives both types wonderfully. Sounds very natural with all of my ZMF headphones, but I just switched to a Pendant SE a week ago and that Quicksilver in the Classifieds is actually mine. Both the Quicksilver and Pendant are great with the Atrium. I need more time with the Pendant for an actual comparison, but I feel like I have to listen for the differences. The Quicksilver is definitely better value, but short summary is the Pendant does offer a bit more resolution, versatility (2 inputs/1 pre-out), and happens to look better on my desk.

I see you also have the HE1000SE, I wanted to know how does the tube amp pair with that?

I have the hekse and will be getting the delivery of the Atrium hopefully tomorrow, and reading all these reviews with tube amp now makes me want to get one. But I wanted something that'll benefit both the HPs.

 

[KrauserX91]

New week! Hopping for new progress and the ending of machining stage

 

[Renexx]

New week! Hopping for new progress and the ending of machining stage

We need KOA pictures in this thread very soon !

 

[rhenom]

New week! Hopping for new progress and the ending of machining stage

My order is #8030 placed on April 8th, aged cherry/copper, I'm still in the sanding and finishing stage. But it's a new week so anything is possible.

 

[PierPP]

I'm a bit OT here but I've the feeling that KOA looks super on VC too

 

[wkesquire]

We need KOA pictures in this thread very soon !

Preach! Honestly, I’d even take pics of in-progress Koa units in the ZMF studio just to help with the wait, @zach915m!

 

[StevenR296]

I see you also have the HE1000SE, I wanted to know how does the tube amp pair with that?

I have the hekse and will be getting the delivery of the Atrium hopefully tomorrow, and reading all these reviews with tube amp now makes me want to get one. But I wanted something that'll benefit both the HPs.

Congrats! The Hekse and Atrium compliment each other very well. I think you'll be very happy with that combo. I was a little leery of how tubes would play with the Hekse, but I now prefer them over the Soloist 3XP I'm also selling. I wouldn't trust an OTL amp with the Hekse, but the Quicksilver and Pendant are transformer-coupled. They didn't color the sound like I thought they would, they just make both headphones sound more natural and enjoyable to my ears. The QS and Pendant smooth out the sound a bit and open the stage while holding plenty of power, detail, and speed. Combines benefits of both OTL and solid-state amps to a degree.

 

[Henrim]

I had the he1000v2 over at my place last weekend and tried it with my Euforia, which is OTL. Matched perfectly, preferred it to SS for sure. Euforia is known to handle planars pretty well though so YMMV

 

[arijitroy2]

Congrats! The Hekse and Atrium compliment each other very well. I think you'll be very happy with that combo. I was a little leery of how tubes would play with the Hekse, but I now prefer them over the Soloist 3XP I'm also selling. I wouldn't trust an OTL amp with the Hekse, but the Quicksilver and Pendant are transformer-coupled. They didn't color the sound like I thought they would, they just make both headphones sound more natural and enjoyable to my ears. The QS and Pendant smooth out the sound a bit and open the stage while holding plenty of power, detail, and speed. Combines benefits of both OTL and solid-state amps to a degree.

Thanks! Appreciate it, im new to tube amps so gathering as much knowledge I can!

Just got the Atriums and out of the box, I already like it. Only listened for an hour since have a flight shortly, but I'll be on a hunt for tube amp after I'm back!!

 

[SlothRock]

My 2nd Viking Weave cable is on the way that I'll be using with my upcoming Koa Atrium . Got them to heat up the steel on the furutech connectors and the splitter to try and match the brass grills/rod . Looks amazing:

 

[rustydabear]

My 2nd Viking Weave cable is on the way that I'll be using with my upcoming Koa Atrium . Got them to heat up the steel on the furutech connectors and the splitter to try and match the brass grills/rod . Looks amazing:

Beautiful!
I have been checking out their site.
I have a couple of questions for u if you don’t mind:
Which Viking cable is that?
How long did it take to receive, once ordered?
And what did you end up paying
I am thinking about ordering one.