If you would like more HiFi porn on your coffee table, saw this in a bookshop today.
https://uk.phaidon.com/store/design/hi-fi-9780714878089/
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Damn you, Ged. I’ve already run out of bookshelf space, and you tempt me with this…
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But you don’t need shelf space Geoff, it’s a coffee table book.
Anyway just put it under one of the jugs on the high display shelf running round the living room. Porn should be kept inaccessible and on a high shelf really.
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just hit the turbo button and you should be fine!
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Hi Bart
A rare (and beautiful) bird of an Amp you got there 
Did you compare to other Amps before you pulled the trigger on the S9?
Doesn’t that device (DAC?) on the output trannies not get too warm?
IIrc reading from a review in the German Stereoplay, the S9 gets VERY hot 
Is it reliable or did you have problems so far?
Sorry for being OT, but how often do you get to talk to an S9 owner 
jealous
I have questions, but it’s probably too early for you to answer them:
How does it compare to your J2?
Are the Cornwalls still in the system?
Assuming you still rock the Chord digital gear, does the SIT 3 make the sound more forward/insistent/upfront or does it make it more laid back/easy/casual?
jealous
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Cornwalls are still the speakers I use (still have, and now and then put back in the chain, a 3W SET) but DAC/pre is now a Metrum Adagio 
what I can say so far is:
- the Adagio has a very clever -10db output switch: SIT 3 doesn’t need it enabled, J2 does (J2 was connected using XLR, SIT 3 is SE only)
- SIT 3 is very mids centric (with wonderful highs too and pretty good bass), J2 is more… “all round”
- SIT 3’s positioning of instruments on the scene is… millimetrical (a distinctive trait of Metrum DACs somehow less there with the J2)
- SIT 3’s deep bass is definitely there but… “a bit” muddy
(J2 has plenty of detail and control 'till down there) - both are pretty “sparkly” but in different ways
- J2 is lightning fast, SIT 3 is… just fast enough
- oh, and… I was expecting SIT 3 to sound more “tubey” than J2 but found it doesn’t at all: on the contrary! (neither actually sounds “tubey” but J2 is, weirdly, the one that gets somehow closer. both, though, have much of that SETs “character”)
but it’s still too early for final assesments: it only has 5-6 hours on it
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Hi Christoph,
Thanks!
Yes, I compared several amps, from class A to direct digital, class D and mono-blocks but I just like this one the most. Really love the sound of it and it’s nice to play with the tubes now and then. You should check the review in What Hifi, that says it quite well about the S9.
No the RME dac doesn get warm. The tubes get really hot, but the dac is far enough from them.
This one is reliable but I had it fixed on some points (especially lowering the power output, which was too much for the expensive tubes. That is now solved. I really enjoy this set up! The RME is a true killer dac, for only 1000,-
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Thanks man! 
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Hi Bart,
I just saw you had a RME ADI-2 DAC in your setup. I suppose you use it directly as a Roon End-point?
Are you happy with it? - and how would you describe it’s sound compared to your experience with other DAC’s (if any)?
BR Jan
Hi Jan,
I use the Innuos Zen Mini as Roon Core and endpoint and it goes straight to the RME dac. It’s the best dac I have had so far. Its sound is very open and revealling without being analytical. Great soundstage. I compared it to the Benchmark Dac 3 which costs almost 3 times more, but it comes really, really close and I could not justify paying more for the Benchmark. Before I played quite some time with the NAD M51 dac, but this is another level. Can’t recommand this one enough!
Hi Bart,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
I’m considering the RME ADI-2 Pro FS for two purposes:
- the main DAC (which could be driven by my Allo USBridge)
- for Vinyl ripping into DSD128
but I still need a litte saving 
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Thanks for the first impressions. I’ll try to bug you about again, once the SIT 3 has some hours on it. I’m sure the sound will change some, especially in the bass. You just need to buy a Pass Labs XA25, and then you can tell me which of the three amps I should buy!
Thanks for the extensive answer and congrats again on the S9.
I hope I will some time get the chance to listen to one.
Regarding the DAC, did you ever give any Lampizator DAC a listen?
If not, do yourself a favor and give the Lampis a try.
The bigger ones would also look very cool with their exposed tubes beneath your wonderful S9 on that extraordinary rack of yours
Mostly stream Qobuz through Roon. So much to listen to and so little I have heard.
My system chosen to fit into my space and not burn my house down.
Source :Roon Nucleus and EERO Mesh Wi-fi, Qobuz
Streamer: Auralic Aries G1
DAC: Benchmark DAC 3
Amp: Benchmark AHB2
Speakers: B+W 802d3
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Hi Christoph,
I never tried one! Looks cool, and nice one with those tubes. For now I am very happy with the RME. Takes quite some time for me to save money for something new, but maybe in the future For now, I am really enjoying this and I feel like improving my set would mostly work with the room acoustics or maybe Gaiia Isolation pucks under my Focals (but those are expensive as well).
Cheers
Bart
Wow, nice set of both Bencharks you got! Maybe needless to ask, but how do those combine? Is it not too sterile, too clean? I now have a single ended tube amp which I combine with a RME dac which sounds almost exactly like the BM dac3 (also a professiol studio brand), but I am very curious in trying the Benchmark amp…
Sounds pretty clean but not shrill. Checkout Benchmark’s website I think they have a liberal return policy.
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