Liquid Gold X Balanced Headphone Amplifier from Monoprice by Alex Cavalli

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by jexby, Sep 10, 2019.

  1. dBel84

    dBel84 Friend

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    one thing to bear in mind is price is set by market - typically commercial products sell for 3 - 5 X ( and sometimes more ) over the base component costs. I forget what the original Cavalli Audio LAu sold for but a guess would be $5K - it was all custom machined alu , a million countersunk / threaded holes and auto powder coated. The power switch alone was a custom "mom 'n pop shop" capacitive hand made work of art ( sadly after the designer and proprietor died, no one could make them ) , iirc these were closer to the 3x mark ( and if you think that was enough to see profit ... think again ) . Back to my point here. The monoprice LAuX uses the same high spec'd components, ( Alex never supported boutique fairy dust - good off the shelf well engineered products is all you will find ( aside from the amazing switches ) ) . The design circuitry is identical albeit with some component changes to accommodate SMD and lower bias for the on board mosfets ( which use the PCB as a heatsink ) . Some manufacturers focus on the aesthetics, big chunky chassis etc, but the design itself is nothing special. I can assure you the LAu is very special and that tiny footprint is jam packed with components selected to operate within a very clear margin. Yes, it uses an SMPS but I will also say that Alex became very talented in designing low noise floor switch mode power supplies. The external supply merely gets the voltage started, there is plenty of microprocessor controlled voltage regulation within the amp.

    So at $1000 , this amp is already a killer deal and by all rights should be in the same league as $5-6K amps. The fact that many have snagged it at $570 is just a steal from a value perspective.

    I am not here to persuade anyone to buy the amp and yes, I have my biases, but this amp deserves every accolade it is being given.

    ..dB
     
  2. dBel84

    dBel84 Friend

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    My point was not to judge a product based on cost alone. This is audiofool territory and I would hope that most people on this forum have moved beyond this and can make a decision based on metrics both objective and subjective. That is not to say that many highly engineered products will not be more expensive - again , the market proposition. What I wrote is is not hyperbole mere economic fact of the market and I am not a salesman, I feel everyone should do what is good for themselves. If you do not see the value proposition in what is being presented through this collaboration, so be it.

    I admit my bias openly, but I have equal respect for the likes of Craig .
     
  3. Anonelbe

    Anonelbe New

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    I don't disagree with anything you've said there, but I would like to point out that in a Covid affected world where unobtanium is becoming more and more the norm, being able to spend "only" $599 on a highly competent SS amp and have it delivered in a week or so is pretty enticing. I mean, I had to pull the trigger on one.
     
  4. YMO

    YMO Chief Fun Officer

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  5. Rob the Comic

    Rob the Comic banned from ASR

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    I own both and did a comparison somewhere at the start of this thread? I slightly prefer my Phonitor XE - BUT as I mentioned, it’s definitely not 2k better. The Phonitor also has crossfeed, which certainly doesn’t make you feel like you’re at the gig or listening to speakers - to me anyway, but it does work and probably eases fatigue over long sessions. I don’t use the crossfeed much as I actually like the ‘ super stereo head fi’ thing.
    I use the Phonitor and HD800’s for classical music but often find myself using the AUX with the Utopias or LCD-3’s for Floyd, Beatles etc and it doesn’t get much better IMHO.
    Really glad @rhythmdevils wrote such a capable review. I get paid to write comedy and speeches, but technical reviews - meh. This amp deserves kudos and at $600 is a no brainer; I bought mine (I’m in Sydney) for $1,000 and consider it a bargain. Look, the volume pot is not ideal, but no problem, the on/off switch feels a little cheap and flimsy and - as rhythm devils said - just pretend the DAC doesn’t exist.
    Let me also say what a great guy Cavalli comes across as, patiently answering many dumb arse and repeated questions on HF when the amp was released. If you get a chance to listen to this amp, do so - it’s really good.
    4710D7D6-F8C9-4A0A-83F0-2360A22DAD4B.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2021
  6. Wilewarer

    Wilewarer Almost "Made"

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    How much worse is the se output on this amp? Getting balanced cables isn't that hard, just wondering whether it's a slight dropoff like Jot 2 or a bigger dropoff like Liquid Platinum.
     
  7. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I can't believe you just said that to @dBel84 I gave you a shitpost just for that even though I agree with you that my review was not written carefully enough in the last paragraph and came across as a blanket statement that would generate hype. @dBel84 is the last person on this forum or hobby to ever hype a product, he is one of the most intelligent people on this forum, knows more about amplifier, driver, and headphone design than anyone I know and has inside knowledge of Cavalli's amps as they have worked together. But he would never hype a product because he likes it. He is incredibly matter of fact, and only provides information. One of the best people in this hobby and I am often just so grateful he has stuck around, because a lot of people with his knowledge and understanding have not, they have moved on since the DIY scene has kind of fallen apart due to good, cheap amps available commercially. @Fallenangel personally said that's why he left the scene so don't just take my word for it.

    But seriously, you are way out of your element speaking to @dBel84 that way.

    I will follow up with an edit to my review. The last thing I want to do is generate hype and FOTM. I wrote that review in the middle of the night when I could not sleep. The last paragraph was supposed to be in the context of my opinion plus in comparison to the SS amps I've heard. I also forgot that I have not heard the Phonitor. And I just didn't provide enough context. I usually do better. I hope I didn't mislead anyone into purchasing it who won't like it.

    Real life has dropped a big shit bomb on me and I don't know if I can write it right now, but I will up-date my review and post the update here tomorrow morning problably.

    I wil say one thing. This amp is not for everyone. It is not am amp that "wows" you with certain things. It is truly a reference amp. I would liken it to the Joe Grado HP1000 of headphone amps. These days everyone thinks the HP1000 is the bees knees because it's unotainium so it's attained "God status" and people are more educated about FR and resonance so appreciate it technically, but back before Marv was talking CSD measurement, and the HP1000 was available for 800 on the used market, and everything was just subjective opinions, the opinions of the HP1000 were much more mixed. A lot of people found them boring and preferred the RS-1. That will be the same for the LGX. I think a group of people would find it boring because it has no singular standout sound signature. It's in that territory with the HP1000 where sins of commission and omission have been minimized to the point where it's really in middle ground transparent territory. I feel like I'm listening to my DAC and headphones more than anything else. And that is not for everyone. it's not even for me all the time. I'd like to have a good tube amp here as well to do what they do better than SS amps can. But I wanted a reference amp and I took a gamble on this, and it is exactly what I wanted.

    I will elaborate on this more later. And we will be getting an LGX loaner for more people to post impressions about it.
     
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  8. dBel84

    dBel84 Friend

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    :) I am not offended , sometimes the frontal cortex still has to mature, I have learned to have patience with the padawan.
     
  9. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I don't give a shit mate, I will always defend you and have your back to the bitter end. You'll have to deal with it. ;)
     
  10. Cellist88

    Cellist88 Friend

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    @dBel84 and @rhythmdevils I apologize for the rudeness. At the end of the day, its all about being a community and everyone find their own enjoyment in the hobby. I really hope the amp is good, since SS amps need some love to instead of defaulting to tubes.

    I will make an excuse that I'm just damn tired of classical musicians overpromising, underdelivering, hyping, in hopes that the audience is dumb enough they won't notice it or give it a pass because they don't understand it. They call it surviving, but its gone to a point where I've gotten be very intolerant of their integrity. That is all.
     
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    Last edited: Sep 23, 2021
  11. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    We're all good. Cheers. :piratemug:
     
  12. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    I updated my review with less blanket statements and more comparisons and an attempt to describe the amps characterisctis and who would ilke it and who might prefer other SS amps.

    https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...price-by-alex-cavalli.8287/page-4#post-360371

    When the loner tour starts and we get more impressions of this amp, I would like to delete a lot of these posts after my review that are about the Ebay deal that expired and other things that will just be noise in the long run, so we can focus on reviews and useful discussion. If anyone has any objections to that please let me know. I don't want to delete posts if you are uncomfortable with that. But I will wait until we have more impressions and the last few pages are truly irrelevant.

    If anyone wants to loan me a phonitor to compare to the LGX I would be happy to write a comparison. :)
     
  13. Jerseysam

    Jerseysam New

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    Thanks for the impressions rhythmdevils. The world needs more good options in the SS $500 -> $1K amp world. When the G111 loaner comes in, I'll be interested to hear opinion on how it compares to this amp.

    I'm leaning towards buying this on the Shop link just in sympathy to what sounds like a nice amp handled poorly in the market. I agree with the comments (from the start of the thread) that shoehorning a DAC into this....not needed. But the pricing scheme....as public perception.....does this no favors at all. Advertising a "$2K MSRP but on sale to you for $1K" is QVC tier marketing....and a miss-read of the niche buying audience at the 4-figure+ level. And then to have competing prices float around the $500-$600 level...fulfilled through the OEM? Now a product smells like fly-by-night crapola. And really, from the impressions here, it's probably at the least a very good $600 -> $800 amp with solid design providence.
     
  14. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    MSRP is $999 direct from Monoprice, but we all know MSRP is a scam just to show a discounted price. And that price is $799 which fits in your $600 -> $800 amp with solid design providence category.

    The original LAu would be an upgrade from this amp in most respects from power supply design, to chassis, heat, connectors, etc. This is not that amp. It is a facsimile amp with similar circuit design. This has been well documented in all the Cavalli Chinese licenced remakes from Liquid Carbon X, to Liquid Platinum, and now the Liquid Gold. So there is no QVC marketing or Cavalli shilling going on around here. And I did not see any price statements on Monoprice's product page either. Monoprice has different outlets and has done slimilar things with the Liquid Crimson with $350 units from Monoprice showing up on eBay.

    I hope you post your impressions if you do in fact pick one up from the Shop link.
     
  15. Jerseysam

    Jerseysam New

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    ...I was going off RD's screenshot from a page back were it showed this amp $999 with an MSRP of $1,999. In fairness, that may have been an Ebay vendor, etc. and not official MSRP. My comments were 100% based on the OEM not doing this amp much favors price/position wise....not at all anything in this thread. :) The lower tier amps in the Monoprice AC are so popular....and there's such a black-hole at $500-$1K in the SS amp land....you would have though this an easy pitch as the 'next step up' for buyers...but it's kind of just out there in the void.

    Edit: I did end up ordering...with the favorable opinions here I don't think I could go much wrong for $600. Heck...that's neck and neck with my bar bill last week, and all that left me with was a hang-over and wine stain. When it arrives...hopefully in a week or so.....I'll post some "$500 - $1K" amp cross - impressions of this, the Rebel Head Amp, Lake People G111, Lyr 3 and Flux Labs FA-22.
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2021
  16. dasman66

    dasman66 Self proclaimed lazy ass - friend

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    I finally rec'd an answer from Monoprice regarding the warranty for items sold on Ebay and Shop.com:

    Hello,

    Thank you for contacting Monoprice.

    The warranty stated for the product in our website also applies to the items purchased through Shop.com and eBay.

    Thank you for choosing Monoprice and have a wonderful day!

    Sincerely,
    Karen A. | Customer Service Associate
     
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  17. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Funny how that happens. Something was seriously lost in the translation from the Liquid Crimson/Cobalt to the Monoprice Liquid Platinum. It's rather unfortunate because the Crimson/Cobalt and related EHHA were my favorite Cavalli amps. The OG LAu was too relaxed and laid-back for my taste with lows that were kind of murky (I least felt that the OG LG was really the one to get). I do wonder if the reverse happened here (since you mentioned you wanted an amp that was more honest in the upper-mids).

    Also, if you ask me, the best SS amps around: McIntosh MHA150, DSHA 3F, and EC Black Widow (which is really an Andy Hefley of GAS design). All for different reasons. The three offer different flavors which go across a wide spectrum. McIntosh is McIntosh and as such plainly expensive. There's a reason why we don't see many 3Fs and BWs for sale.

    All the rest of the names that you hear on SBAF: Phonitor, Violectric V281, BHA-1, Rag 2 - they are a good tier or two below the above. Hope that puts things into perspective, at least from my POV.
     
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2021
  18. Jerry

    Jerry Friend

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    @purr1n What about Jot 2? Where do you see it being placed amongst the two tiers above?
     
  19. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    The rest of the good stuff. Not Superman, Wonder Woman, or Batman.

    Belongs among Green Arrow, Ray Palmer, Hawkman, Black Canary, Zatanna. Maybe a slight step up on a good day: Billy Batson.
     
  20. rhythmdevils

    rhythmdevils MOT: rhythmdevils audio

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    J2 is another 3 tiers below those lower tier amps if Il were to guess. Or at least one or two. I have heard the J2 and can extrapolate enough to know its' below to a significant degree.

    The LAuX doesn't sound warm or have mushy bass to my ears at all. Very middle of the road, as I've said. It will be interesting if you get to hear it Marv.

    I just got the loaner unit today and will post the thread tomorrow.
     

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