Dartzeel amp lives up to hype


I purchased a fully broken in Dartzeel about a week ago to drive the Von Schweikert VR-7SE. I was concerned about the 100w power rating and was put to ease when I switched it on. Powerful tight bass and the sweetest midrange and delicate highs one could hope for. Transparency is way ahead of all other amps I've had. Definitely lives up to the reviews.
128x128snook2
Wow, lots to respond to:

Elberoth2: No problem, I am sure your intentions were honorable.

Steinway57: Having an audio dealer friend "who has been in the business for 3 decades+, and who really has golden ears and also can sell the amp if he chooses, heard it an was less than impressed. He says it was blown away by other amps costing a small fraction of its price." means nothing. Where did he hear it? What did he know that was in the system? Unless he was incredibly familiar with the entire system, how could he pinpoint the bad sound to the amplifier? Do you really think he could sell the amplifier if he really wanted to? I do not think he could and I think he is misleading you. Hear it for yourself, I would bet my left testicle you would not agree with him. :) BTW, I am much more fond of my left testicle than my right.

Frank: I do not want to get into the SST situation. I am happy to talk to you offline, but another person you should contact is Calloway here on Audiogon. The product is good sounding, but incredibly dangerous and I would not use it. The Vivd on the other hand is terrific.

Dlanselm: I cannot really know for sure. There are plenty of people that love to tweak. It does not matter how good a component sounds, there may always be a bit more there with propoer isolation, damping, contact enhancement, etc. I generally stop at anything that voids a warranty.

Essentailaudio: With all due respect, I do not think Mike was really addressing you.

Jond: Very well said! Hearsay is not generally worth repeating if one is putting their name along with it. Someone told me that once :)
I'll just throw in my 2-cents here for what it's worth...
I sat and listened for quite a while to the Dartzeel/ Von Schweikert VR9 / EMM demo at the NY 2005 show and I was stunned by the purity and sheer beauty of what I heard. I'm not sure if it was the speakers or the amp, but it sure was memorable.
Rgs92: Thanks you! We worked very hard to get the sound good in NY, and due to the very small size of the room and the large size of the speakers, we were very surprised at how good it sounded.
Well, I usually hate to dismiss a product if I don't have sufficient evidence of it's danger. However, given the warning in the instructions coupled with even the "possibility" that it can damage an amp, I am going to pass on using the SST. If anyone wants to buy a NEW kit for a cheap price, let me know!

Frank
In defense of SST or Mapleshades silver contact enhancer, I used it extensively on several tube amps, line stages, and tube players. There are very precise instructions on how to use it. I worried greatly about shorting RCA plugs and treated them very carefully. I never had any difficulties, although I have now cleaned it all of and use AudioTop instead.