New Sensation M901 finally here, burning it in...

PSB Guy · « **on:** 23 Mar 2010, 10:32 pm »

Man, pictures do NOT do justice to this amp, it really is a thing of beauty. Mine is all black, straight sides, with a china burl top, I'm speechless (almost). The aluminum billet remote has some real heft to it, again it's something you just have to see and feel to appreciate fully. The amp itself weighs a lot more than it's size would lead you to believe. I'm burning in it as we speak, presently with some Beatles. I'll refrain from sharing too much info on the sound, it's still very early. I suspect things will play out much like they did with my One, after a while the sound just kind of "woke up" and you just know it was broken in properly. I'm using my 30/130 power supply for the time being, I'll switch to the JT Dynamic when it gets here. Can't wait...
BTW Thanks a bunch Seth and Jason for straightening out the delivery mess with the JT Dynamic PS, much appreciated.

virtue · « **Reply #1 on:** 24 Mar 2010, 01:31 am »

Show me the pics! Show me the pics!

pardales · « **Reply #2 on:** 24 Mar 2010, 01:34 am »

I look forward to hearing your impressions.

PSB Guy · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 Mar 2010, 05:11 pm »

Okay then, since you asked...

That remote really is a monster, it just screams quality. The amp has been powered on constantly for about a full day now, so it's still got quite some time before it's fully cooked. My initial impression, much like the one I had with my One, are of awesome control in the low end, just MORE and even BETTER with the Sensation. Keep in mind that this is with the 30/130 PS, some my guess is this puppy will be scary good with the JT Dynamic Power unit. Great work to everyone involved in developing this amp, it's a work of art. Next in line for me will be an upgrade for the Devilsound DAC...it never ends, and I love it.

virtue · « **Reply #4 on:** 24 Mar 2010, 05:17 pm »

I love it! Ducky looks very happy.

PSB Guy · « **Reply #5 on:** 24 Mar 2010, 05:30 pm »

Ducky is there to stop my little cat (Cherie, the one in my avatar picture thingy) from climbing and hurting the lovely China Burl top...naughty, naughty kitty. By the way Seth, I just checked and there's finally been some movement and a new delivery date on my power supply...thanks again to you and Jason.

virtue · « **Reply #6 on:** 24 Mar 2010, 10:27 pm »

Want to give us some visibility into the China burl (ie. a sweet top/side pic)? Many folks have liked that combination. I think it would be great with silver too. Orange-silver.. yum.

pardales · « **Reply #7 on:** 24 Mar 2010, 10:43 pm »

Quote from: virtue on 24 Mar 2010, 10:27 pm

Want to give us some visibility into the China burl (ie. a sweet top/side pic)? Many folks have liked that combination. I think it would be great with silver too. Orange-silver.. yum.

Agreed. Thanks for the pic and the initial impression.

PSB Guy · « **Reply #8 on:** 24 Mar 2010, 11:36 pm »

Quote from: virtue on 24 Mar 2010, 10:27 pm

Want to give us some visibility into the China burl (ie. a sweet top/side pic)? Many folks have liked that combination. I think it would be great with silver too. Orange-silver.. yum.

Okay friends, keeping in mind that I'm no photographer, I moved Ducky for some pics...

I suppose if I was the ambitious type, or just plain made of money, I would have had a honey oak veneer made up to match the massive desk, but since I'm more than likely to have this amp for a looooooooooong time, that can wait (or can it? Crap...). The china burl is stunning, and I agree it would go with silver very nicely, but I love black.

gcos · « **Reply #9 on:** 25 Mar 2010, 10:46 am »

My Sensation 901 arrived without the din adapter required for my JT psu to work. The colour of the top was also closer to walnut than the rosewood colour shown on the site. Naturally disappointed I emailed Seth asking for guidance. Like a true audiophile I inserted Brian Bromberg's latest cd " it is what it is" and drowned my sorrows in his incredible mastery on the piccolo bass. MY phone rings..it is 10 pm..I am in Trinidad in the Caribbean...and on the other end of the line it is Seth !!! offering to send the adapter by overnight mail and explaining what went wrong with the wooden top, and offering

to send one more appropiate to my red brick sides that I had chosen. I was blown away by this incredible level of customer service..THIS IS VIRTUE SERVICE..

virtue · « **Reply #10 on:** 25 Mar 2010, 02:53 pm »

Gerard,
May all of my customers be over-satisfied! What you are seeing on the top is the natural American rosewood that Jeff made. It lacks the reddish tint that the Chinese ones have and I'm having him do a new set with a reddish tint (which I like too). This one looks closer to Walnut and I've asked Marcel not to send them out anymore until I update the website. As for the power jack adapter, that seems to have been an oversight at the warehouse; I sent one to Italy yesterday for the same reason, at great expense. Bummer. Will get it sorted. Everyone should get that adapter.
Thanks for your patronage!
Seth

cynan · « **Reply #11 on:** 25 Mar 2010, 05:34 pm »

Ooooo, PSB Guy, that black/orangy burl combo looks terrific! I ordered the exact same config. I think we made a great choice!

A little dissapointed now that I did not pony up for the aluminum remote.. Oh well, I'm sure once I hear it, I'll forget all about it. Should get mine by the end of the weekend...

PSB Guy · « **Reply #12 on:** 25 Mar 2010, 05:57 pm »

Yeah, she's a beauty, as we say up here in the Great White North. Break-in is going well, bass is a little "punchier" today, it seems. I think I was wrong, though, about things going as they did with the One. The Sensation seems to come into it's own at a faster, steadier pace. I'm no expert, I could be wrong, but that's what I'm hearing. I'm stoked to hear what throwing more current at it with the JT Dynamic PS will do...

PSB Guy · « **Reply #13 on:** 25 Mar 2010, 11:55 pm »

Quote from: cynan on 25 Mar 2010, 05:34 pm

Ooooo, PSB Guy, that black/orangy burl combo looks terrific! I ordered the exact same config. I think we made a great choice!

A little dissapointed now that I did not pony up for the aluminum remote.. Oh well, I'm sure once I hear it, I'll forget all about it. Should get mine by the end of the weekend...

Just remember not to be too critical of the sound you're getting at first...Seth just told me to give the Auricaps about 200 hours to settle in. Good thing I spin the tunes A LOT...

dvenardos · « **Reply #14 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 03:35 am »

That is what rosewood is supposed to look like. I personally dislike the red tint, but lots of people really like it that way.

Quote from: virtue on 25 Mar 2010, 02:53 pm

What you are seeing on the top is the natural American rosewood that Jeff made. It lacks the reddish tint that the Chinese ones have and I'm having him do a new set with a reddish tint (which I like too). This one looks closer to Walnut and I've asked Marcel not to send them out anymore until I update the website.

oskar · « **Reply #15 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 02:52 pm »

Hello all,
my first post here. I received my 901 yesterday and I'll be sharing my impressions as time goes on. 1st, beautiful piece of gear! Blue sides with columns, zebrawood top. I like it. I had a multi-receiver which I thought was ok but having ditched my surround speakers a year ago I was looking for, ahem, an audiophile amp to go with my rs-6's. I always believed that the amp was the least important piece in a system. Began to hear about digital amps on the web and naturally discovered Virtue. They either had an uncanny ability to cloud the collective mind of everyone or they had a genuine article. I've never considered myself an audiophile but I'm always on the lookout for real value. I like my music and I listened for hours last nite. Right out of the box hmmm... A few hours later better, really better. Already the best sounds I've had in my home. The music was just there, relaxed, nuanced etc.
I''m not one to go to an audio shop and audition gear. A room full stuff, switching between this combination and that. It all sounds good. I guess I don't have the golden ear. I don't care. I know what I want to hear and I'm starting to hear it now. I hear a very natural presentation of the music that draws me in. And they say things only get better?
From their philosophy to their business practices and customer service I knew I'd found what I was looking for. I'm happy.

virtue · « **Reply #16 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 05:52 pm »

You have chronic audiophilia, zman!!! In a good way!

But seriously, welcome Oskar and let me tell you how THRILLED I am when non-sufferers (so to speak), folks who don't read too deeply into the marketing stuff and make reasonable cost-benefit purchase decisions.... choose Virtue. I used to be like you and I miss the innocence. Hold onto it! Objectivity is a beautiful thing.

Hugs to all!

virtue · « **Reply #17 on:** 26 Mar 2010, 09:14 pm »

I've received emails in the last few days from customers saying that in their opinion the Sensation had smoked some pretty well known amps... All I can say is let those amps burn in... they get better and better.

Also note that the POT on Sensation is 50k log (vs. 20k linear) so it's going to seem a bit more quiet than the ONE/TWOs until you turn it way up. Folks with high-sensitivity speakers or pre-amps will love this feature, others will find it off-putting at first.

James has been running his nearly full-out for a long time and it doesn't clip any more than his ONE ever did.

I'm so excited to see our baby getting safely out there into warm and wonderful homes.

classicjt2 · « **Reply #18 on:** 27 Mar 2010, 03:31 am »

Hey everyone-

My wife and I watched Michael Jackson's excellent "This is It" video this week. We're definitely not head bangers, but we ran the volume up well past 12 o'clock, loud but not blasting, plenty of bass punch, great bouncy rythym, and a voluminous soundstage. Never any clipping, or compression, or harshness, and so effortless (I guess it was pretty loud as our neighbors knew exactly what we were watching, so they borrowed the DVD yesterday). Yes, you do have to run the gain higher on the Sensation, but no problems whatsoever.

James

oskar · « **Reply #19 on:** 27 Mar 2010, 02:22 pm »

You had the pot at 12! Mercy, what's the sensitivity of your speakers? Mine are 90db and thus far 10 o'clock is all I dare.
Second night and the amp sounded rather shut-in. Detail was there but the sound seemed confined to the speakers. Also, the bass seemed extremely shy. I'm ready for a long burn-in though. Only 10+ hrs so far. I'll put in on repeat today while I'm out.
One thing that I have noticed is how different various cd's sound now. There was a sameness to the sound with my old amp. Thinking of trying some Virtue interconnects. I use a pair of kimber pbj?, twisted red and blue wire that I've had 15 years. They're well rated but perhaps Virtue IC's will complement the 901 better.
And now I'm looking at my player thinking hmmm...
oh-no... stop me.