Anybody else waiting for GaN and Purify to have a baby?

@jjss49
Very nice review of the Mini GAN 5 and it matches my experience of the amp. It is an amazing value at $750. I have the Nuprime IDA-8 and I would be shocked if you found it competitive with the Mini GAN 5. I also have the Peachtree GaN 400 which I like very much. You might want to give it or the Voyager GaN 350 a try, I think both companies offer a 30 day return policy. I love pretty much everything about the GaN 400 except it also lacks that juicy fat midrange which is especially noticeable on male vocals. On the other hand the amount of separation and amazing purity, clarity, and tonal accuracy are huge positives. It would be very interesting to see how you felt it compared to the AGDs.

@rocray I have DIY FirstWatt F4, F5, F6, Aleph J and M2x.  And I have the Peachtree GaN 400 and Mini GAN 5.  I compared the GaN 400 directly against the First Watt M2x which had been my favorite of the First Watt amps.  I preferred the GaN 400 for its deeper soundstage and greater sense of separation but as I have listened to it more I confess I am starting to be bothered by its somewhat thin, albeit very pure and transparent presentation.

The F5 is a beast with a very distinctive sound signature.  It isn't a particularly nuanced amp.  It is a lot of fun to listen to but in many ways my least favorite of the First Watt amps.  If you love the F5 my guess is the GaN 400 will sound very different and you might not like it.  Certainly comparing those two amps will clearly contrast the strengths and weaknesses of each amp in a stark way.

rocray,
The First Watt F5 definitely has more "meat on the bones" than the GaN 400.  But if you start doing an A/B comparison with other First Watt amps I think you will conclude that the F5 isn't a particularly nuanced or accurate amp.  I felt it had a very specific sound that was a lot of fun to listen to but ultimately I replaced it with the Aleph J.  I think First Watt amps in general have very good soundstages and imaging but the GaN 400 truly excels there.  Comparing it to the M2x, I often felt like the sound was being unveiled.  It is the most appealing part of the GaN 400.  If you have heard the F6 I would say the GaN 400 sounds most like the F6 with a kind of purity and clarity that is fairly unique.  But it does come at the cost of that fat, liquid, rounded sound that good tube amps give you.  So far I have yet to find the perfect amp but then I'm not willing to spend 5 figures on an amp either so it may well be out there.  And remember, a lot of this is personal preference.  If you want that bass slam that the F5 offers then that would be a better fit for you.

rocray,
I generally run my DAC straight into the amplifier.  I do have the Schiit Freya, Elkit TU-8500DX, and DIY Wayne's BA2018 preamps that I have tried with the GaN 400 etc. but generally I find I like the sound straight from the DAC better.  I mostly use the SMSL SU-9 but I also have the Denefrips Ares II and I find it very difficult to hear a difference between them although the Ares II does sound a touch better but the convenience of the SU-9 really tops any sonic difference.  The Elekit TU-8500DX does give the GaN 400 wonderfully liquid vocals but I seem to lose that holographic soundstage when I use a preamp.