I've had the two for about 4 weeks now and wanted to share some of my impressions.
Before I got these components, my system consisted of:
Unmodded SB2 -> Behringer DEQ2496 -> Benchmark DAC1 -> MF X10V3 -> Bizzy Bee modded Cayin TA-30 -> Gallo Ref 3
with a PS Audio P-300 and an Audio Magic Stealth providing the power conditioning. Power cords and interconnects were an assortment of VH Audio and Magic Power cables. Also thrown in were a Quantum Symphony, a couple of Blue Circle Noisehounds, Herbie's ball-and-cup footers, ERS cloth placed on components or wrapped around PC plugs ...
This system sounded pretty good (to me) but I was getting tired of the endless tweaks/upgrades that I was obsessing over and the unwieldy mess caused by the power conditioners and the fat power cords. More importantly, it was quite clear that I wasn't enjoying the music through this system since my listening sessions would seldom last more than a couple of hours but would always leave me with a headache. I was enjoying my iPod through a car stereo more than this home system.
When Vinnie announced the availability of the Sig 30 and Olive mods, I decided to try the combo with the hope that they will replace everything except the Gallos. Both units arrived on the same day but I decided to replace just the amp initially so that I get a better sense of the changes introduced by each unit. Cold and out-of-the box, the Sig 30 was as impressive as eloquently described earlier by Richard. Within an hour or so, it was clear that this amp was in a different league than any other I had listened to. The imaging, tonal balance, the subtle presentation of details and the sense of rhythm were better than I had ever imagined possible. After a few days of enjoying this setup I decided to swap the Olive in place of the SB2, expecting some additional improvements but quite unprepared for what lay in wait. I ripped a couple of Weather Report albums to the Olive hard drive and hit 'play' only to be shocked by music coming at me in all directions from a HUGE soundstage! It was so overwhelming initially that it felt like my listening room had been wrapped around my head like a pair of giant headphones. After this initial shock, I settled down a bit and started to realize how musical and utterly grain free the Olive was. It was almost Audio Nirvana ... but not quite. The presentation was still a bit "in your face" (due to the Benchmark, I suspect) and I found that I couldn't listen to this setup for more than an hour or two. It was time to get the Benchmark and Behringer out of the loop and try the analog outs of the Olive through the MF X10V3. There were no major surprises this time - the sound was more analog like with a laid back presentation but the music had lost some of its liveliness. For many albums, I had to crank the volume control on the Sig 30 to past 1 O'clock to coax decent listening levels from the Gallos. Based on Vinnie's observation that the output caps on the Olive need some break-in time, I've been listening to this setup for about 4-5 hours every day for the last couple of weeks. With about 80 hrs of use, the Olive is now beginning to sound magical - there is imaging and detail in abundance but just not as overwhelming as it was with the Benchmark. At last, music that I can listen to for hours without getting fatigued or bored! So out went the X10V3 and I am not sure if I can hear a noticeable difference with that change - perhaps a reduction in hash, but whatever it is, I know I am not missing it. So finally, I am off the grid now and have almost everything I had hoped for. Almost ...? Sadly, things aren't perfect yet. While listening to many of my favorite albums is an absolute joy with my current setup, things aren't quite as rosy with albums where the recording level is somewhat low (and I have quite a few of those). The low output of the Olive combined with the low sensitivity of the Gallos result in a somewhat lifeless presentation in such cases. I am hoping that with further break-in this issue may disappear but realize that I may have to examine other alternatives like a preamp (EE MiniMax?) or perhaps the Altmann BYOB DAC. I was also wondering if EAC/FLAC can normalize such albums without affecting the relative amplitudes of the tracks. Does anyone know if something like that can help?
