VTL, CTC, Lamm, ARC, EAR, Halcro, Mark Levison

David, Herve Delatraz (Mr. darTZeel) is in Geneva, SW. if you contact him directly i would expect something could be worked out.

www.dartzeel.com

his e-mail address is

rehve@darTZeel.com

the Connoisseur Definitions was the phono stage/pre which had most intrigued me. i had spent a few hours at shows listening to it. now that i have heard the darTZeel i don't think there is anything out there close.

in my opinion; in AC mode the darTZeel pre is a little better than anything i have heard. in battery mode it blows everything away.

it's worth a day (or two) to drive from Paris to Geneva to listen. i have another friend in Paris that also has some interest (he has the ACR Ref 3, Boulder 2008 phono stage, 5-box Esoteric digital, Rockport Sirius III tt, Rockport Hyperion speakers) so if Herve brings one to Paris let me know and i'll let my friend know.

it's one thing to hear the dart pre in an unfamiliar system. OTOH if you get it in your own system and really hear the difference it will amaze you.

good luck. if you do connect on this i would be very interested in your feedback.

If you can hear a VAC Phi 2.0, do so before you make your decision. It very impressive - great dynamics, transparency and soundstaging - it just gets out of the way of the music. Phono stage, build quality and service are second to none, IMO.

Gliderguider is correct, there will be no more. This was true before Bob passed away because it was not economical for them to continue, and they were a labor of love.

David -> you may got Geneva as Mike sugests or go to UK and hear in in Absolute Sounds studio. I have heard it during the HiFi Show in London and it sounded every bit as promssing as Mika says. Absoulte Sounds is a great company to deal with and it maybe be easier to get to London for you (through eurotunel) than to Geneva.

Although I don't own Kharma speakers I do have Wilson X-2's which I do drive with ease using the Lamm ML 2.1 I have owned many amps and without question these are the most musical that I have ever heard. Having said that I also own the ARC Ref 3 which IMO is the best preamp that I have ever owned or heard. I did audition the Lamm L2 in my system hoping for a synergy between it and the ML 2.1's. I took a pass on it as I found it far too cold for my taste. I also have a friend who reviews high end gear. He just sold his VTL 7.5 for the Ref3 preamp.