DK Design VS- Reference vs Signature

I have spent the better part of a year with the Mk II and about three months with the Signature. The Signiture has more impact top to bottom with a clearer and better focused midrange. The bass on the Signature is tighter and cleaner as well. There is a bit more of an analytical character or perhaps you'd say more control to the present iteration of the Signiture compard to the Mk II. This is perhaps due to the Black Gate Caps and possibly different tubes. Driven within its limits both are quite musical, but driven into hard clipping the Signature exhibits the classic solid state glare that we all know and love(not easy to do though)whereas the Mk II seems a bit more forgiving in this regard. They both share the neutrality and dynamism, detail and spaciality that DK is noted for. I am currently using the Mk III through the LSA2s and so far I am very impressed.

I heard a system with Consonance Droplet CD player, DK integrated (mk. 3), and Kharma speakers. The sound was just out of this world. My friend told me he had never heard Kharma's sound this good.

>Signature exhibits the classic solid state glare that we all know and love(not easy to do though)<

Yeah, that's a sound I reeeeaallly love. So much that I have had no desire to live with a SS amp for years now......

Oz

Oz, my post meant to read "when driven into hard clipping, which is hard to do, considering the outstanding dynamic capabilities of the amp, it (signature) exhibits the same solid state glare that we all know and love (I am being facetious of course). This last statement was targeted at tube cognoscenti like you to illustrate the point that though it is indeed a solid state amp (as evidenced by the above caveat) unless forced beyond its considerable limits it sounds wonderful, and in fact exhibits some of the best qualities of tube amps. I'm like you, for about the last 25 years, my system consided of primarily tube amplification. Conrad Johnson PV-6 and more recently the Melos SHA-1 preamps, Michaelson and Austin TVA and Moscode amps. There will always be a place for tube amplification for me, in fact I'm tracking down the best tube integrated for an office system to use with Totem Arros for closed miked, more intimate works with the occasional orchestrated piece (any suggestions?) but the DK Mk III looks like it's going to be a permanent fixture in my living room.

Larry, do you plan to have a room at CES?
Art