So been listening for a while today. Maybe this is a better way of describing the sound. With the Canary amp the sound is like peering into a deep funnel. It sucks you in and is very detailed and the tonality is so accurate and lifelike. It can be startling. The "funnel" starts at the plane of the speakers and descends back into the wall. It feels like falling into a blackhole.
With other amps I've had, the sound floats outward and around you. You feel as though you are in the music, not falling into it. I think this is why the current amp sounds "polite" to me or lacks a little punch. The sound seems a bit further way and even though its amazing, its not as tactile as some other amps I've enjoyed. A good example is the track Hello Night on Zoë Keating's album Into the Trees. The very beginning of the track starts with sounds that quickly appear and disappear. With the Canary the sounds appear to be floating out ahead of you at various distances. With some other tube amps I've had (Primaluna, Line Magnetic, Linear Tube Audio) the sounds floated all around and almost behind you. The rest of the track, with the Canary, is tonally so accurate and powerful it is startling. With this amp it sounds like you're listening in an anechoic chamber because there's no reverb or haziness, but nothing is harsh or out of place. The detail of the bow's running across the strings is almost tangible. With the other amps you get a smoother sound here, but it is all over you like you're in a cloud of music. Wow, just a totally different presentation I guess, but maybe the way the Canary presents the music is why I'm feeling a slight lack of punch or bite.
With other amps I've had, the sound floats outward and around you. You feel as though you are in the music, not falling into it. I think this is why the current amp sounds "polite" to me or lacks a little punch. The sound seems a bit further way and even though its amazing, its not as tactile as some other amps I've enjoyed. A good example is the track Hello Night on Zoë Keating's album Into the Trees. The very beginning of the track starts with sounds that quickly appear and disappear. With the Canary the sounds appear to be floating out ahead of you at various distances. With some other tube amps I've had (Primaluna, Line Magnetic, Linear Tube Audio) the sounds floated all around and almost behind you. The rest of the track, with the Canary, is tonally so accurate and powerful it is startling. With this amp it sounds like you're listening in an anechoic chamber because there's no reverb or haziness, but nothing is harsh or out of place. The detail of the bow's running across the strings is almost tangible. With the other amps you get a smoother sound here, but it is all over you like you're in a cloud of music. Wow, just a totally different presentation I guess, but maybe the way the Canary presents the music is why I'm feeling a slight lack of punch or bite.