Dayens Monoblocks

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gnostalgick

Dayens Monoblocks
« on: 7 Mar 2016, 07:40 pm »
USPS:  March 7, 2016, 9:52 am, Out for Delivery

Oh well, looks like I'm going to be late to work waiting for these to arrive...

Kirk


gnostalgick

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #1 on: 8 Mar 2016, 05:21 am »
So, eventually they arrive at 4:30


Hmm..


The box opens


Foam all around



One


Two


Close up of warranty

I get them set up as fast as possible, letting them burn in on the first radio station I can get half-way decent reception from & head off to work thinking how I've never heard the Counting Crows (not a favorite) sound so good.

Kirk

Wind Chaser

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #2 on: 8 Mar 2016, 08:03 am »
Congratulations. I had an upgraded Ampino and it was a very remarkable little amp. In fact when I consider all the gear I've gone through over the last 40 years, the Ampino is one of a few pieces I regret parting with.

gnostalgick

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #3 on: 8 Mar 2016, 03:31 pm »
   Thanks. They're definitely an upgrade--in all ways--to the NAD receiver I'd been using (still in use as dac/pre).  But it was a pretty impulsive purchase considering I'd been saving up for 'safe' options at ~$2k (used McIntosh, Vincent hybrid).  I was a little worried about the power rating (for transients, not average listening levels), but when I came home for work last night, they weren't even warm to the touch after 12 hours of burn-in (girlfriend had changed the station to classical).

Zero

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #4 on: 8 Mar 2016, 04:33 pm »
Congrats!

gnostalgick

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #5 on: 9 Mar 2016, 04:47 pm »
   Zero, thanks for recommending the brand!  :thumb:  Your video & a few other write-ups pretty much sold me on the Menuetto, but I couldn't justify upgrading to so few watts (at least not with 88db efficient speakers).  But the monos (costing only 30% more) seemed to have just enough power, a more understated (but still quality) appearance, and a whole lot more flexibility in the future (regarding upgrading & placement).

   Zoran says the sound is a bit more neutral, natural, controlled and refined than the Menuetto.  I have to take his word on that comparison--what I can say is right out the box I noticed a deeper & fuller, less vague & boomy bass.  And now listening more critically (after the recommended 30 hour burn in--finally!) I can say there's less harshness (most noticeable in the treble on poor recordings) and overall much more space & silence: better to emphasize the dimensions and nuances of each note.

   Is it like real life?  With my equipment, within my room--not at all.  But I feel as if I have moved from looking at an image or print of fine art, to seeing it in a museum: the colors, the textures, the brushstrokes are all there; it is beautiful.

Thanks again,
Kirk

P.S. Girlfriend via text went from a disinterested "So, do you like your boxes?" on Monday to "The music, Oooo" last night.

Audiovista

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #6 on: 9 Mar 2016, 07:17 pm »


P.S. Girlfriend via text went from a disinterested "So, do you like your boxes?"....


 :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

Hey Kirk,

Thanks for sharing and I'm happy that you like what you hear, after waiting to get the monoblocks built and delivered. Dayens amplifiers do not require long burn-in and I believe you are very close to getting the best out of them.

Thanks again!
Boris


gnostalgick

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #7 on: 21 Mar 2016, 05:07 pm »
   So after another week of both relaxed & critical listening, I started to notice a problem... my volume control.  A little experimentation proved that even the Windows 7 volume control was better than my receiver (something I previously could not detect)! 

  As I'd long thought the unspecified dac was seriously limiting things (but was told by a dealer I should focus on better amplification next), it seemed finally time for an upgrade.  A refurbished NAD C510 was my choice (though if I had found an Oppo HA-1 for under $1k, the form factor & VU meters may have too much to resist).  I've had it since Friday evening & found this little brother to the M51 to live up to its reputation of being a very quiet, detailed, tonally neutral & overall forgiving dac/preamp.

  Anyways, Wow! With a good source, these amps rock!  Rhythm & dynamics are impressive; no matter what I listen to there's never a sense they're anything but in full control (yet not so present as to be themselves directly identifiable). Unusual for me, the desire is now always to turn the volume up, not down; my girlfriend can now listen as loud as she likes without complaint (except maybe from neighbors).  Even at these increased listening levels the amps are still only somewhat lukewarm to the touch.

  Seriously that would have been enough for me to be utterly satisfied with my purchase, but I'm getting bass I didn't even think my speakers (stand-mount) or room (rather small) were capable of: double bass is palpable & deeper electronica could rattle some less well-installed windows.  And this is not a case of quantity over quality; the clarity & nuance of even the lowest tones are better than they ever have been.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Ampino Monoblocks to anyone with a small room or efficient speakers.

Audiovista

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #8 on: 14 Apr 2016, 08:38 pm »
I just got nicer pictures of monoblocks... thought I'll post them here...




gnostalgick

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #9 on: 29 Aug 2016, 02:33 pm »
  So, a quick update:

  Considering how much improvement changing my dac made earlier this year (and after making sure to buy my girlfriend many presents :icon_lol: ) I took a leap of faith last week & purchased a used Croft Micro 25.  I won't say too much about it here as I haven't had a chance to compare other tube preamps at home.  What's important is that with an even more refined front-end, my system just sings!

  A few posts up I mentioned how everything sounded a bit like fine art--capable of beauty & emotion, but not quite the illusion of real life.  Well, now I've finally crossed that line; there is a presence & solidity to performances now that IMHO approaches some of better rooms at AXPONA this year.

  Thanks again to Dayens for being a part of this,

Kirk

asliarun

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Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #10 on: 29 Aug 2016, 03:56 pm »
I have Dayens Ecstasy which I bought from one of the forum members. The amp never gets warm - it runs so effortlessly. I really like the sound too, although to be honest, I haven't been able to do a lot of serious listening due to room constraints, kids etc. Good to hear that you quite like this amp too.

gnostalgick

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #11 on: 19 Nov 2016, 04:02 am »
  As my review is still linked to on the front page of the Dayens site, I thought I'd update my experiences with the Dayens monoblocks.  A couple of weeks ago while auditioning a pair of Proac Studio 148s, I had a chance to compare them to a Linn Majik integrated network player at about $5k (the previous version was Stereophile class B). 

   First off, this was a far, far better system than I expected: it clearly bested most of the rooms I heard at Axpona.  Admittedly it was my music, and set up in a dedicated (though not ideal, nor overly treated) environment; but it never faltered in any way so as to distract me from the performance.  Ignoring rooms with components costing more than my annual income I can say only two rooms at Axpona managed to outperform it in all ways: Harbeth/LIO at around $25 & Enigmacoustics/Questyle at $20k.
 
  So what changed when we put my monos in the chain?  Well, not much; any differences were far outweighed by the similarities. No loss of musicality, prat, power or control; I'd say they were about 95% the same.  What I did begin to notice after some more time listening was their overall presentations:
  With the Linn everything emerged from a slightly blacker background, and had just a tad more transparency & ambiance. With the Dayens, the tonality seemed richer, a bit more vibrant & more inviting.  The character of moonlight vs sunset, perhaps. 

  Was the Linn more neutral & accurate?  Probably--but besides the price difference, do consider we also added a pair of interconnects & power cords (straight to wall) that could account for some/most/all of this. More importantly I rate the room just as highly enjoyable with either amplifer.  Having had this comparison I feel even better about my purchase.  Dayens is definitely a bargain in audio.  And many thanks to Lawson at SoundImage in Atlanta for making this possible.


FullRangeMan

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Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #12 on: 3 Apr 2018, 03:45 pm »
Ampinos are photogenic amps, I suppose the center are Stereo, sides are monos Ampinos.

Audiovista

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #13 on: 3 Apr 2018, 05:49 pm »
Sorry, it's a bad picture... the one in the middle is Ampino preamp. Which begs the question - why don't I have better picture?  :scratch:


JakeJ

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #14 on: 3 Apr 2018, 08:23 pm »
You need an audiophile grade phone to take pictures of audiophile components.

FullRangeMan

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Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #15 on: 3 Apr 2018, 09:19 pm »
Sorry, it's a bad picture... the one in the middle is Ampino preamp. Which begs the question - why don't I have better picture?  :scratch:


Wow interesting looks a new release, its not in the Dayens site.

Audiovista

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #16 on: 4 Apr 2018, 07:59 am »
You need an audiophile grade phone to take pictures of audiophile components.

 :lol: Exactly!!!!  :thumb:

FullRangeMan

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Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #17 on: 4 Apr 2018, 08:04 am »
:lol: Exactly!!!!  :thumb:
Nice, these monos are Single Ended/one pair of transistors like the original integrated Ampino?

Audiovista

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #18 on: 4 Apr 2018, 08:07 am »
Wow interesting looks a new release, its not in the Dayens site.

The preamp was released last fall and demand from Europe is very high keeping Dayens busy - we were able to get only a few pieces which sold very fast. While Ampino preamp/monoblock combination works great, the preamp is a very capable unit working well with other power amps. We tried it with Dayens Ecstasy IV power amp which costs 3-4x as much and did not have any objections.

I’ll be getting better pictures soon.


Audiovista

Re: Dayens Monoblocks
« Reply #19 on: 4 Apr 2018, 08:09 am »
Nice, these monos are Single Ended/one pair of transistors like the original integrated Ampino?

Hmmm, good question... I think single pair in push-pull, but I need to check.