Another new DAC: Audio Mirror

@musichead the best cable I've found between the AM and CXC is a Silnote Morpheus lll.The separation between the instruments and vocals,tone,timbre,and lack of glare is really excellent.I've tried quite a few in the past six months and it is head and shoulders above the rest.Give it a try.

I want to concur with the conclusions of fellow poster Cal3713 regarding that the AM 3 SE has the most beautiful liquidity and "ease" that allows you to relax into the music.  In the past two weeks I have compared the AM 3 SE to my standard Orchid, a modified Orchid, and Lamp Amber 3, and across the board I found, in the context of my system, the Audio Mirror to perform at a higher musical level.

I will be writing my formal review for Stereo Times in the next few weeks that will get into all the details regarding Vlad's wonderful music making DAC.

Thanks TJ.  All of the hubbub about the AM, Amber, and Orchid has made for fascinating reading.   Makes me want all three.

@teajay Obviously impressions are always heavily system dependent, but it's still good to have people agree with you.  Glad to read that we heard things similarly... looking forward to reading the full AM-T3 SE review.

What exact parts were used in the upgraded Orchid? Very important as I know from experience a specific recipe works best for the type of sound you and many like. Did it have the SR Orange fuse? Was the Amber 3 newer or fully broken in with at least 300 hours of play time? The Amber needs at least 250 hours to come into its own.  Also, tube rolling and an SR Orange fuse do wonders for this dac.   Just the one 12au7 needs attention.  It takes time and a little attention to details to make the Amber really sing beautifully. 

Lastly,  in addition to these questions one must also consider system synergy and subjective preferences. No doubt these play a substantial role in the dac one would prefer.