I ordered the pair on April 15th, 2003 for a new 2 channel system I decided to build in our living room (the office, den, and BR HT systems were all pretty much done). My plan was for sort of a modest hi-fi, with a QDS-15 CDP and a Thorens Super 160 TT as sources. I picked up a used nOrh ACA that seemed very neutral. After the reviews at the Midwest Audio Fest, the Le Amp IIs seemed like natural complements to try out.
At any rate they came in old multiamp boxes with the usual nOrh style packing.
"Hey, what the heck are we going to do with all these left over MultiAmp boxes?"
"Hey - I know lets design a new amp to fit all those old boxes!"
The power cord looks pretty wimpy -- maybe 18 gauge.
The amps look really good and match the ACA in an updated sort of way
Dimensions are 5 ¾ x 8 7/16 x 14 inches h w d. The depth includes the switch in front and the speaker nuts in back.
I will probably need to take out the top shelf of the cabinet I bought at Ikea to give the amps more air. They get pretty warm.
I like the looks of the cabinet a lot in the living room, but it is hardly audiophile grade.
Right out of the box the amps had more bass and detail than the SLA 1 that I had bought as a temporary amp (a fantastic deal, by the way). Piano sounded more like a live piano. I plan to break them in a few days, then do some real listening.
A few minor cosmetic complaints:
The lights were not placed in exactly the same spot on the two amps, so the brightness is noticeably different.
The glass is a little scratched and dirty on the inside.
The holes for bare speaker wire are not lined up – just at seemingly random angles.
Not big deals – just small things for nOrh to improve on.
OK, I need to go listen some more…
