Dartzeel amp lives up to hype

I'll second Rgs92's comments. While I am a vinyl listener, I thought the sound Jtinn was getting from the Dartzeel/VR9/EMM combination was some of the best being offered in NY in 2005. A testimony to the quality of the equipment synergy. If it sounded as good as it did in less than optimal conditions, it's potential in the right space goes without saying.

Rgs92 Hit the nail on the head, I heard the Dart/VR9/EMM Labs combo at the '05 Rocky Mtn. Show in Denver last fall. "Purity" & "Sheer Beauty" are very accurate ways to describe what I heard. In addition, there was an effortlessness and natural sonic signiture seldom heard outside of a live performance venue. Sound reproduction of this quality is extremely difficult to achieve with a top flight analog system and damn close to impossible to pull off with a digital setup. My hats off to Jtinn for assembling a show system of this caliber.

Fbhifi, I entirely agree that at RMAF the sound and imaging were quite good, but at CES it was terrible, probably because of a too small room. Like you, I do not know if the speakers added to or subtracted from the sound of the Dartzeel.

In the last few weeks I'm enjoying my system more than I ever have and it's probably not a coincidence that the Dartzeel amp came in a few weeks before this.

The amp has run flawlessly and it is excellent.

I have owned a lot of gear of all types and I have never been less aware of the equipment than I am currently.

I really can't explain why this is but it has me just listening to the music for the first time in quite awhile
When I do focus and "break it down" all the qualities I value in the sound are there I'm just not overtly aware of any one thing... the music just flows in a very natural and pleasing way.

I have ordered the pre and am looking forward to seeing for myself what the combo produces...I'm pretty optomistic and excited.

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

Think again :-) Mike used the same expression 'Andy (Hooper/Quint)' in his post as I did, and no one else brought up Andy before I did. I find it very peculiar that Mike responded and you did not, nor have you explained why Andy's amp burst into flames, if indeed the description is accurate.