Gilmore Lite Headphone Amplifier Pictorial (56k Warning)

[streaml1ne]

Gilmore Lite Headphone Amplifier

Machined quarter inch thick brushed aluminum face plate with matching machined aluminum knob.

Another view.

Very solid interconnects, I like how they're screwed right to the chassis. Some expensive AVRs don't even anchor their inputs, I like this feature alot.

The amp was smaller than I expected, here's a duet with the NH1.

Side view/size comparison.

Finally, a sexy blue LED.

Some other photos

Well packed:

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Headphone jack up close and personal:

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Classy, high quality build throughout:

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Solid switch and power jack mounts:

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Close-up of the RCA input and loop out:

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The ultimate team?

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Comes with a quality regulated power supply:

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Up close on the LED:

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Mainboard picture from Headamp.com:

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Specifications:

Device Type: Solid State (JFET, Bi-Polar Transistors)

Class of Operation: Class A

Frequency Response: 5Hz-50KHz +/-0.1dB

Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >100dB

Total Harmonic Distortion: <0.006%

Stereo Crosstalk: >85dB @ 1KHz

Gain: 6x / 15dB

Input Impedance: 50K ohms

Input Sensitivity: 200mV to 3.0Vrms

Output Impedance: less than 1 ohm

Output Voltage: 15 Volts peak-to-peak

Output Power: 1 Watt

Inputs/Outputs: 1 RCA input and loop out, 1 1/4" headphone out

Operating Voltage: 100-120VAC

Power Consumption: 7.5 Watts

Chassis Dimensions: 5.75 (L) x 4.5 (W) x 1.2 (H) inches

Weight: 3 lb / 1.35kg

Warranty: 2 Years

Initial Impressions:

I'm very impressed with the build quality of this unit. I peaked inside and can confirm a high quality build throughout. The internal board and connectors, electronic components and craftsmanship are exactly like the pictures shown on Headamp's website. That's pretty impressive and a testament to Justin Wilson's expertise and desire to deliver a high quality product. I can also say the service matches the build quality (more on that in the forthcoming review). The unit is sturdy, has four rubber feet on the bottom to prevent slippage, and has a decent weight to it. It is smaller than I expected which is a pleasant surprise making it easily transportable in a backpack, even with the Elpac linear. From what I've read this is an upgraded version of Kevin Gilmore's Dynalo amplifier design (ref: http://www.djgardner.com/headphone/gilmore/). Per Headamp's website:

"The Gilmore Lite builds on the success of the original and incorporates several upgrades to improve both the sound quality and usability of the amplifier. Capacitors have been upgraded, and a new circuit board design with a full ground plane lowers the noise floor and improves stability. The addition of a RCA line output pass-through is useful for those who require a connection for an external audio system. All jacks are now board mounted for a clean, professional build inside and out."

I'm holding off on a sound quality review for reasons I'll explain later, suffice to say the initial listening experience was fantastic. Direct comparisons on a variety of gear are on their way, hopefully within a week's time.

Cheers.

[Ishiyoshi]

Brilliant! The build quality is impressive! I look forward to your SQ review.

[Richard]

Brilliant! The build quality is impressive! I look forward to your SQ review.

Great pictorial - I also look forward to the SQ analysis.

PS: - Is that a gold NH1 or is it just the lighting effect?

[ozpeter]

Having seen the price, which is only a little less than the list price for the Sound Devices HX-3 (supports 3 pairs of headphones, can be powered by batteries, balanced inputs plus inputs from headphone outputs), I hope the Gilmore Lite does sound pretty special.

[AMPlitude]

nh1 looks silver to me

[Richard]

nh1 looks silver to me

On closer inspection you're right. That "Ultimate Team" photo had me thrown. Think I need to clean my laptop screen..

[streaml1ne]

Great pictorial - I also look forward to the SQ analysis.

PS: - Is that a gold NH1 or is it just the lighting effect?

It's silver, I took these pictures at night and didn't have quite enough lighting.

[streaml1ne]

Having seen the price, which is only a little less than the list price for the Sound Devices HX-3 (supports 3 pairs of headphones, can be powered by batteries, balanced inputs plus inputs from headphone outputs), I hope the Gilmore Lite does sound pretty special.

I had no balanced in requirement and definitely didn't need to drive 3 pairs of headphones so I never even really considered the HX-3. Sound wise, on wall-wart power these might be equals, they have similar specs. The only problem with battery power is the output power/current the unit is capable of. On battery I certainly wouldn't expect to be able to drive the same range of headphones, nor with the same quality as on wall power. I haven't seen a direct comparison of the two, nor have I heard anything through the HX-3 myself so I can't really say for sure. Anyone with experience on both amps care to comment?

[Richard]

So are you using this just with portable MD as sources or do you also link up component players as well? (or do they not need an amp)

[streaml1ne]

I will be using this with MD equipment as well as with my Harman AVR325/Denon 2200S. Given that most AVRs have poor headphone outputs I wanted good replacement to match the SA5000's. I also wanted a unit with a good frequency response for use with SACD/DVD-A. I know for a fact that the preamp outs on my Harman are full range (10Hz-100kHz), I doubt the headphone output is. The Gilmore is a comfortable medium, 5Hz-50kHz +-0.1 dB spec, probably alot wider within +- 0.3dB, and should be a good complement for the high resolution formats.

[ozpeter]

I don't have both - the HX-3 made a big enough hole in my wallet! - but one of my prime requirements was headphone amplification on location, where it's not uncommon to have to monitor in the same space as the performance. The HX-3 has plenty of power for that and it doesn't care whether the power is wall wart or battery. A headphone amp uses so little power that the quality of the incoming power source has to be pretty naff to trouble it. It keeps going for several seconds with no power at all!

And of course, the advantage of being able work with Hi-MD on batteries for long periods is kind of lost if you have to tether yourself to the wall for the monitoring. Next time I do the Australia > England flight I might just have it with me!

My other requirement was to provide additional headphone outlets for assistants. The mono/stereo switch is a useful check on mic phase etc and the belt loops enable handsfree use in the literal field.

When not in use on the road it takes a balanced feed from my PC soundcard and does that very nicely too on a wall wart that I happened to have.

I'd heartily recommend it to anyone needing that feature set. Where you go to compare the sound with any other model I don't know.

[streaml1ne]

A headphone amp uses so little power that the quality of the incoming power source has to be pretty naff to trouble it.

That largely depends on the amplifier design. A Cmoy amp can run on a 9V battery for tens of hours on end, but doesn't necessarily provide enough current to drive low impedances well. Same thing applies to the Class D amps found in more recent recorders, they're optimized for power consumption, they're efficient. The Dynalo (Gilmore Lite) draws 7.5-15 watts of power to produce a max of 1 watt of output. A Blue Hawaii tube amp draws ~130 watts to put out a few milliwatts of power to the phones. Depending on the power source and amp design you're making a trade between voltage and current (or both) which will have an effect on either the type of phones you can drive (impedance) or how well you can drive them. The pocket cmoy I had would drive my SA5000's to high enough volumes, but it sounds nowhere near as good as the Gilmore. Ultimately there are a million different combinations and it all comes down to one's ears to make the choice

[streaml1ne]

I'm putting some serious ear time on this amp over the weekend. Hope to have a review up by Sunday evening. Stay tuned.