Well, not really as I just shipped it back for the deluxe mods this morning
... My amp arrived Thursday and I had a chance to listen to it through the weekend with the understanding that if If I didn't like the amp, Don would refund my money as I almost backed out of the deal after a couple of delays and now am glad I didn't. I also promised Don I would post something here before I went on vacation tommorow. So anyway...
The amp looks a lot better in person then it does in the pictures on his website (some of us still have 14" crappy computer moniters) and I'd describe the look as industrial, audio-geek cool. Everything is solid and very well put together and the back panel with the Cardas posts is especially nicely finished. The amp weighs in at @ 27 lbs and is built/feels like a brick.
I also told Nature Boy that I would hold off on commenting extensively on its sonics until he had a chance to hear his this week, so I'll keep this brief. Let's just say that I hate audio cliches but the only thing I could think of when listening was that this the modded SLA1 was the first amp I've had in all my years of being an audio geek that sounded "holographic". Unbelievably so and I've lived with what I thought was a great sounding Audiomat Arpege tube integrated for the last year that I thought kind of sounded holographic. Ha! Don's amp makes my old Arpege sound like a slow dull piece of over-priced, over-hyped audio crap. The modded SLA1 sounds silky smooth with no harshness at all and the bottom end is just terrific. I bought a sub while waiting for the amp and didn't bother plugging it in over the weekend. I'll be interested to read what Nature Boy has to say, but I think for the 205.00 I paid for the amp plus the 500.00 for the mods that this amp (like my Paradox 3's) is a ridiculous audio bargain. And I hope some of you Golden Ears have a chance to hear it as I'm very curious as to what others have to say regarding its sonics. I myself can't wait to hear it with the additional mods.
Through the whole transaction, Don Nance has gone way beyod the call of duty in keeping me up to date on the progress of the amp. Don also paid the return shipping for me to send the amp back to him for the additional mods and is shipping the amp back to me when his additional mods are complete, also free of charge. Will I buy another audio product from Don Nance? Absolutely. Excellent transaction, excellent product. Nice work Don. Adios all.
