Congradulation Lon!  Will be interested in hearing your impressions of the MKIII over the MKII.  

Have a great new year.

bill

Lon: You've got it BAD!!
Happy '10
Don

Thanks RR.  I really am not interested in the mini-Torii, as I'm in love with EL34 type tubes, and I used to drive myself insane tube-rolling and don't want to be tempted to go down that route again.

I love the Mark II so much, it really embodies what I want in an amplifier, and I want to go for the Mark III as I think the improvements will be audible and meaningful, and then I'll stop. (Might have to not visit this site to do that, and I'm tempted!)

Well, you're right. . . I do enjoy mine.  Both of mine actually, which are predominantly Decware.  And both are used for video playback as well (and both are wonderful, especially with the excellent audio output of Blu-Ray audio).  It's a bit insane because for months I've been telling myself to spend less, and not really listening to that sound advice from a reliable source.  Money keeps going out and I'm not working and bringing lots in.  But then again, I'm at the end zone of a period of time when I have been able to build a great audio system or two and collect some great guitars and basses and amplifiers for those, and this period will flavor favoribly my coming years.  I've also been so blessed to have the time to really sit down and enjoy my systems and my instruments, and to have found a mate who is also a severe music addict.

This will probably be my final big purchase for a while, and it's undeniably a sane choice.  I could have waited for the Decware DAC options, but frankly I'm very happy with my Sony source, that's one sweet under-priced machine, and I imagine I will be until I am back in the rat race bringing in money that I can splurge with again.

Happy new year!

Yes, it has N. I'll definitely let you know of comparisons.  Now begins the long wait!

Hey Neil,

IF the sound seems unbalanced from channel to channel, then it may be a factor of course. If not (and if mono recordings sound pretty centered) it may mean nothing at all, it's nothing to worry about.  I've encountered that before, sometimes it's just the angle you're viewing them from, sometimes it's just the tubes themselves, but if Steve sent them to you he tested them, matched them closely enough, and you should have nothing to worry about.

Hope you get the ERRs soon. Bob told me that mine are closer to coming up in the cue too.  I recently put my RL2s into my bedroom system and Anadina and I are really enjoying those there, they sound great in that little room, much better than in the slightly larger bedroom I used to use as a listening room!  Or maybe it's because they're being driven by the Integrated, not my Monoblocks as before. Who knows!  I just enjoy!

Hey Neil,

I did order mine before you, but Bob has made pairs before mine with my agreement, so mine is coming up soon but I bet yours is in front of mine.

I don't know much about that TEAC player, but this page says it works with all iPod models:

http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2009/08/tascam_cd-200i_cd_player.html