Lamm ML 2.1 SET vs ASR Emitter II, DartZel

Is this HiEnd rock/paper/scissors? Does IMPORTED Overpriced goods beat DOMESTIC overpriced goods? All of the above mentioned could be categorized the way you mention. Unfortunately, some of the best sounding out of the box conventionally built and manufactured gear is named above. Why would you differentiate between domestic and imported? Value is relative to where you are and what price you put on it. Is the Lamm M2.1 a value compared to the ASR? I am not so sure. I can say I own(ed) or have heard all of the above gear and it all depends on your listening preferences, partnering equipment and room. Listen to as much as you can in your own system then make the call.

Also, we should know if some of these comments come from a dealers perspective, in the interest of full disclosure. It doesn't change the validity of your opinion, but don't put yourself in the position of being a troll

Jtinn, LOL! In my opinion the ASR is pretty special and may be the one to beat, and yes the convenience and cable savings pay for a good part of the unit (love that remote as well as the other capabilities). I'd love to hear the darTZeel's head to head-let the winner stay! In my opinion the ASR's I have here are allowing me to hear details with a clarity I didn't think possible without sounding either mechanical, bright or etched like the vast majority of solid state out there, or colored and slow like a lot of the top tube amps. HP was right when he called the ASR revolutionary. I have the ASR Emitter I which is sonically almost identical as the II with slightly less power but some say is more open, transparent and detailed with the II being slightly darker sounding. I can tell you with absolute certainty I don't miss my beloved SET's with the ASR's in the mix. It is not better than tube or solid state, its more like melting the walls of your listening room and seeing a 3 dimensional rendering the space of the recording, the instruments in an amazingly layered space and my own personal grail of "pulsing sphere" effect of sound emanating in all dimensions. It's a little disconcerting at first when you hear it since you're hearing some subtle (and some not so subtle) spatial cues in very familiar recordings that you've just never heard before, with depth that just blows out the back wall of your listening space.

Kana - unfortunately the II has 3 battery ps plus the control unit and the I has 2 BPS so space saving is not really a benefit, unfortunately. Boa2, I love these amps and am moving up to the II's!

Thanks, Boa. I've compared the ASR against some extremely tough competition, including the Lamm ML2.1's which I lived with for a very long time as well as some supremely esoteric, very custom made as well as conventional tube gear that is the best I could find, buy, beg, borrow or steal. I'm a truly diehard solid state hater and have found this the only SS gear that can throw a huge, wraparound soundstage that's surround like yet have the delicacy, texture, and neuance as well as almost all of the complex tonal harmonics and inner detailing of some very very fine tubed gear yet have truly real world power capability. In the soundstaging department, it is, some would say, in a class by itself as far as it's signature with a SET like directness with un-SET like power- set apart from both tubes and solid state in its presentation and signature. I'm not sure as HP stated in his review that it makes digital sound better than his analog, but it sure makes my EMM front end truly shine.

Henry - Latest version of the CDSD using optical with the latest firmware updates running the DCC2 direct balanced into the ASR with Purist Dominus cabling.

Elberoth and Kops. European Enthusiasm? Seems like folks over there have lost their minds over the ASR, even forming a club to celebrate their enthusiasm : http://groups.msn.com/ASREmitterUniversum/englishsuperemmi.msnw

Check out the links on the left!

Looks like some of the inmates have been over to SeaCliff/HP's: http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/amp/messages/80925.html