HeadAmp Gilmore Lite mk2 Headphone Amp

It's Class A, so if you subscribe to that sort of thing (I'm someone who claims to be able to hear the difference) it has a nice, classic, warm-ish sound. The treble is good but it's not hyper detailed like the THX. In general I like class A because it dumps a lot of power into planars and makes the bass rumble with good dynamics. It's amazing for my LCD-2C. But overall the Gilmore is a little compressed and the soundstage isn't the best. I also have a Lyr 3 and with the right NOS tube, the Lyr 3 is basically everything this is PLUS good soundstage and imaging. The only thing the Lyr 3 doesn't have is quite the same dynamics and punch. I've heard the Jot 2 beats the Gilmore as well, but I've also heard that the PSU fixes a lot of the compression and soundstage issues. I'm on the fence about getting the PSU because dedicated PSUs seem a bit expensive for a minor upgrade. Who knows. The Gilmore used to be really highly regarded, but it's a relatively old design. A lot has changed in amp design since. Pretty sure Schiit didn't even exist when it first came out. If I didn't already have the Gilmore I'd probably spend the same money on a Lyr 3 or a Jot 2

thank you for that answer... how do you compare this amp to amps like schiit, topping and THX amps around this price or lower? (I'm assuming this was not your first amp going into audiophile hobby)

You don’t need the dedicated PSU. I have just the amp and you plug the power cord into the back of the unit and directly into the wall. The PSU just sits in the middle of the chain to improve sound, supposedly