I owned the Auricapped Hermes and I now own the Hermes II. As good as the old Hermes was, the new version is more refined and even more analog-like sounding. It reminds me of Accuphase DP-75V, which is my reference for redbook CDs. The new Hermes is even more liquid in the mids, seems a little bit smoother and the soundstage seems more open. Overall the sound has the same musical, rich and dynamic presentation as the older model, but everything is taken to yet another level.
Internally, Hermes II has the digital and analog sections wide apart on totally separate boards, uses silver wiring and is now a fully balanced design. The ability of using either 6922s or 12au7s gives you even more choices for tweaking the sound the way you like it.
Internally, Hermes II has the digital and analog sections wide apart on totally separate boards, uses silver wiring and is now a fully balanced design. The ability of using either 6922s or 12au7s gives you even more choices for tweaking the sound the way you like it.