sixmoons review of the ear enigma+ is up

muralman1 · « **Reply #40 on:** 27 May 2004, 07:38 pm »

I'm new here. I can't see the change. Shouldn't the title be changed? How can commenting on different amps other than that in the title not be still wrong headed? Is it the circle title that matters most?

OBF · « **Reply #41 on:** 27 May 2004, 07:56 pm »

I was wondering too since it wasn't even an acutal A.C. review but just a link to a commercial review. I thought he was going to split the thread into 2 parts as the mods sometimes do, but that might be tough since the thread was centered on ICE amps since the first page.

Tyson · « **Reply #42 on:** 27 May 2004, 08:01 pm »

I felt it was "ify" for belonging in the critic's circle in the first place since it was just a link to an external review, not a review written for AC. And once it started to include other amps and serious discussion of topologies and implementations of digital amps, it was definitely time to move it to the more general "2 channel" circle. I prefer to keep threads together if at all possible, unless someone is clearly violating the posting rules (which is not the case here).

Peter · « **Reply #43 on:** 27 May 2004, 08:10 pm »

muralman1 is Vince and he is the mand behind the H2O and affiliate with the manufacturer, who is Henry, isn't it right Vince?
It means that Vince is a salesman, who initialized Henry to make a new amp based on ICEpower, because Vince owned the eAR Two MKII, the two years old model.

Vince wrote on Audiogon:

"Did the digital era arrive?" I'll answer that question myself.
I offer my apologies first to all the hurt feelings my frank review may engender.
The answer is an unqualified yes for nearly all speakers. I can't say for sure about the hungriest, the Scintilla. Only time will tell.
I am using just one eAR 2 MKII powered by ICE on my 1 ohm Apogee Scintillas. For those of you that have never seen the eAR amps, they look like the tin man's answer to a wedge of cheese. It is a triangular brushed steel 35 lb. digital amp.
This is reported to be 250 watts into 8 ohm. That statistic is not useful in measuring the eAR. I get absolute effortless power up to 90db. I don't take it further, because I want to preserve my hearing. There is never a sign of the amp struggling. There is no compression or clipping.
The sound is unlike anything I have heard in audio. It has the liquidity, power, airiness of the greatest tube amps. It also has the bass handling ability of the toughest Krell.
Where it leaves tubes and solid state behind, is it's vise like grip on all drivers. This gives the music pace, and rhythm only heard in live events. Transients are instantaneous. The ribbons are so fast, a multitude of simultaneous sounds can be clearly differentiated.
If music were a model, great solid state amps will have her enter resplendent in fine furs. Tube amps will have her slicked down in the sexiest of evening dresses. The eAR will just show her for her natural self - bare with all moles visible.
Of course, I understand there will be those who prefer attire.
The Scintilla, under the spell of the eAR, is seamless, flat, and completely transparent. The old adage about the Scintilla having an unruly bass, is moot. The Scintilla becomes the perfect transducer.
Vince

muralman1 (or Vince) replaced his Pass Lab X600 mono-blocks with a single eAR Two MKII stereo amp.

However, since Vince purchased his amp lot of changes have been made.

The Enigma is a low cost model of our current amplifiers. Today we MODIFY the modules. It is not the standard ICEpower we use, but we modify them pretty much, 30 components each module are changed and cuts are made.

The Enigma has the half power of the two years old eAR Two MKII amplifier.

BTW: The H2O, has it short circuit protection of the speaker terminals?

I don't think Henry can imagine to make a circuit to the amp in a way that it can deliver 130A with short circuit protection. We have done it with our new models and therefore it can run a speaker with a load down to 0.1 ohm.

I do imagine that you did copy my filters, but okay, we don't use them any more, today we modify the inner circuit of ICEpower.

_______
Best regards,
Peter

kana813 · « **Reply #44 on:** 27 May 2004, 09:10 pm »

muralman1- "The caps used in the H2O are the finest available."

Please post manufacture and value, so we can see if they're the "finest available."

If they're similar to caps used in his class A amp pictured on the Apogee
users forum, they are not the "finest available," or the fastest.

muralman1 · « **Reply #45 on:** 27 May 2004, 09:26 pm »

Peter,

Are you going to continue to commit libel? That is a dangerous path you are taking.

Any fool can see any part of the H2O has no resemblance to what you use. You may have improved on your filter, but Henry is using filtering he devised himself that would defy your simple understanding.

You should stop making accusations about an amp you never saw.

Quote from: Peter

muralman1 is Vince and he is the mand behind the H2O and affiliate with the manufacturer, who is Henry, isn't it right Vince?
It means that Vince is a salesman, who initialized Henry to make a new amp based on ICEpower, because Vince owned the eAR Two MKII, the two years old model.

Vince wrote on Audiogon:

"Did the digital era arrive?" I'll answer that question myself.
I offer my apologies first to all the hurt feelings my frank review may engender.
The answer is an unqualified ...

I have told the truth here, Peter. I continue to applaud your amp for it's superiority over conventional solid state amps I have heard.

Your lack of service in America led me to look to Henry for an ICE based amp. Henry had never heard your amp. Based on my high praise of your amp, Henry agreed to give it a listen. Thanks to your supreme packing of your eAR, Peter, I had no qualms shipping my eAR. Henry was impressed. He described the "Crispness" he heard that wasn't present in his own class A amps. Henry reported to me he was sure he could make improvements on the sound over that of the eAR. I was doubtful.

Hearing his creation along my eAR convinced me, as well as several other listeners, Henry was right.

I am not a salesman. You made the mistake of thinking I was a salesman over a year ago, and I corrected you then too. See my moniker, for gosh sakes.

I am not making a penny praising the H2O. I didn't make a penny praising the eAR either.... Now, did I?

muralman1 · « **Reply #46 on:** 27 May 2004, 10:03 pm »

Quote from: kana813

muralman1- "The caps used in the H2O are the finest available."

Please post manufacture and value, so we can see if they're the "finest available."

If they're similar to caps used in his class A amp pictured on the Apogee
users forum, they are not the "finest available," or the fastest.

The ones pictured in the Apogee forum (good sleuthing) are caps sourced from what he had around at the time. Production materials are suppose to be tailored to the ICE module. In all honesty, I believe I misspoke. I don't know what he has in his production amps. Let's say I have faith in Henry's component choices. He really is not trying to cut corners.

Peter · « **Reply #47 on:** 27 May 2004, 10:19 pm »

muralman1,

You said to me on the phone that you are a salesman and a distrubutor of "something". I don't think I heard wrong!

Anyway, I think it is ridicules that you try to market your amp (and Henry's) that it should be better than ours, because you have never heard ours other than a two years old model. But you still try!

To the inside: Caps and other stuff of the power supply is not that important to this technology, BUT other things inside the amp are MUCH more important (and you will never learn, regardless if you are a salesman).

Yes, we have service in the US now, but NOT to Vince

BTW: You never answered my question:

Does the Henry2O amp include short circuit protection of the speaker terminals?
_______
Peter

muralman1 · « **Reply #48 on:** 27 May 2004, 11:25 pm »

A distributor is something quite different than a salesman. That is all I'm going to say on the matter.

Price wise, the H2O is comparable with the Enigma, which is still more expensive. From what can be seen in the Enigma pictures at 6moons, it appears all the same as older models. If you truly are fiddling with the modules themselves, there woud be some changes. There just aren't any noticeable.

Reading what Sajran had to say, I'd say the Enigma sounds a lot like the (old) eAR2MKII.

kana813 · « **Reply #49 on:** 28 May 2004, 12:42 am »

muralman1- When you get your H20 mono blocks, please let us know if they sound better than Henry's prototype. BTW, check with DS, he'll tell
you about the benefits of quailty caps in digital equipment.

muralman1 · « **Reply #50 on:** 28 May 2004, 01:10 am »

I talked to Henry about all this cap stuff. He is an audio engineer, and is completely conversant with cap technology. Henry uses what he thinks works best. No one can argue with that. It is his choice. Henry has valid reasons for doing so. For instance, an array of small caps can cause ripple. I'm just using that as one point among many. I am not an engineer. Henry knows what he is doing. The H2O is not a DIY hobby project.

One thing I remember from my Pass days, the X250 was the least favorite of the X model lineup. The X250 was the only X amp that used small (fast) caps.