I've had the eARTwo amp now for a while and it's just stellar! So liquid, smooth, dynamic, transparent, ect... it's amazing!

I really hope Outlaw makes a universal DVD player soon so I can play SACD and DVD-A through it!
My CD's sound great though. You can really tell the production value of every recording, but all my CD's sound far better than before -and no offence Outlaw, but the 950 isn't the world's best front end, so my CD's still have yet to be fully maxed out in my system.

It's certainly the digital amp to beat as it's been called far far better than the PS Audio HCA-2 by two diff. audiophile posters -which in it's own right has been k.o.ing the likes of Bel Canto's eVo, TacT, and holding it's own against some fairly high end stuff on it's own.

The eAR amps use the analog version of the ICEpower digital amp module (the only company to use this so far).
Designer Peter Thomsen could have used the digital input version (and easier in fact), but the specs of the raw ICEpower module aren't that stellar on their own (though better than all other raw digital amp modules) and his modification etc.. (whatever else is in the amp) changes the ICEpower output to almost zero distortion and zero noise throughout it's bandwidth.

I can place my ear to the metal grill covering my ribbon speakers and the noise is incredibly faint.
It's greatly improved the random 'HISS' problem of my 950 too. I may not bother to send the 950 in for a 'fix' when it becomes available.

Like all other digital amps it's faster and more dynamic (due to the speed) than any solid state or tube amp can ever be.
Linear from milliwatts to full power output (analog amps will change their sound).

Unlike all other digital amps it does not use PWM or damaging triangle waves in the signal.

I don't really get the technical paper (from the ICEpower web site) if you want to read more about it, but several audiophile/E.E.'s have said that this is the main thing holding back all other digital amps from being as smooth and natural (typically called 'musical') as the best of the best analog designs.

Among them Stan Warren -the former 'S' in PS Audio (who's Supermods business is probably the best deal/best kept secret in Hi-Fi along w/ Acoustic Reality's amps/speakers).

Check out the reviews on www.harmonicdiscord.com (under the gen. forum) for lots of owner's responses to the eAR amps -all of which basically summed up as -'best amp they've ever heard'.

Direct and very detailed comparisons to Theta, Krell, BAT, TacT, PS Audio, etc...on very high end gear.

Acoustic Reality just raised the price of the 300W x 2 (600W @ 4 ohms) eARTwo from $3,000 to $3,500. I tried to warn people this was gonna happen though. Sorry, but that's still very low seeing as it's killer everything in it goes up against IMO (not that I could afford one at that price).

They have a 110W x 2 (220 @ 4ohm) eAR250 for $2,000.

And in Sept.they're releasing a stainless steel tower version of these amps in 5, 6, or 7 chan.
$999 a channel. Yeah, not cheap compared to Outlaw's 7 Chan. monster, but you all know the prices of many very high end amps, and I suspect very close in price to PS Audio's up coming multi chan. digital amp.

Note -PS Audio's new Classic 250 (250W x 2) is $5,000 -much more than the eARTwo, and the Classic isn't even digital like their HCA-2.

Peter says that his lower powered eAR amps sound very close to the same sound of the 300W x 2 eARTwo.
I'd be inclined to fully believe this since they're basically the exact same design just using a lower powered ICEpower module and smaller power supply.

Lena, if you're waiting for a multi chan. digital amp w/ a digital input, I HIGHLY rec. you look into the eAR multi chan amps.

It's trounced the $10K TacT amp which DOES use a pure digital input. The TacT was reviewed by a Danish Hi-Fi mag who's ref. amps were the $30K (each) Mark Levinson no. 33's. It did not beat it.
Recently that mag's reviewer named the $3,500 eARTwo his new ref. amp.

'ehider' on HDforum has also listened to the TacT amp and said it's still processed sounding compared to his former reference custom made solid state amps (which he feels are better than Theta, Krell, etc...), but his new ref. amps are the eAROne monoblocks.

Since the eAR amp's modulation method is analog controlled (but still digital pulses to open on/off the output MOS FET transistors)it does not need or would not be improved by having a digital input.
The process was patented by B&O in '97, so NO OTHER digital amp method does anything like this.

I'm all for digital connections, but this amp's so revolutionary and incredible sounding, I have no problem having an analog input on it.

The best sounding pre amps are analog/passive anyway, so pure 100% digital doesn't always mean better.

The eAR amps have balanced inputs too, but I can only use RCA plugs because the 950 doesn't have balanced outs.

I'm hoping the new Outlaw pre/pro will come out w/ a universal player and have a firewire B connection between the two and balanced outs (along w/ Outlaw coming out w/ balanced cables of course).

The amazing thing is that amps are just 'gain' to the preamp's line level (unless their very colored tube design greatly imparting their own sound).

The better the amp, the less damage it causes the signal whereas most people say "it's a better sounding amp" (as I often do).
So the amazing sound I'm hearing now is not the eARTwo, but the 950's signal just more undamaged than it's ever been amped before, and it's AWESOME.

[This message has been edited by azryan (edited August 02, 2002).]

[This message has been edited by azryan (edited August 27, 2002).]