I just got a pair of speakers hooked up to this little gem, after using it with headphones for a week. Grado SR-80i's are smooth and clean as never before.

What an incredible machine! The headphone sound is pristine, and I have more than enough power to drive 90db efficient speakers on my desk, which sound fabulous.

I am using my laptop as an input device, while contemplating a small DAC for it. Nevertheless, the sound is astonishing!

The build quality is outstanding - very solid. But who cares when the sound is so good?

I am thrilled to have found one. Now, what will I do if I see a Power Drive for sale???

Utterly transparent, flexible.

none when used as intended

Floored me straight out of the box. Made both my Grado SR-80's and AKG K-240's sound better than they ever had. Smooth, dynamic, clean, and never fatiguing.

As a preamp it is invisible, outperforming my Forte 44 by a long shot.

As an integrated, it is also quite nice, but intended for either background listening, or use in the nearfield, with smaller speakers.

Similar Products Used:

Audio Alchemy HPA1.0, various integrated headphoneoutputs, homebrew.

Bad Points:1.) Conrad-Johnson now manufactures this model. The wait could still be long. I waited four months for mine.
2.) I wish it had more inputs!

Good Points:
1.) Adjustable gain. As long as you use the low gain setting, you no longer have to keep the volume at MIN. And besides, the low gain setting sounds the best.
2.) Has two inputs, not one.
3.) Has two Neutrik headphone jacks. Now you and a friend can listen simultaneously.
4.) Runs cool.
5.) Has speaker binding posts, so you can hook up (and burn-in) speakers, in a pinch.

I have found the McCormack MID to be indispensible, when it comes to comparing single-ended interconnects. This thing is revealing, yet, I never find it harsh-sounding. But most of all, I use this thing every night, before I go to sleep. Let's just say that I get so involved with my music, that I end up getting less sleep than I should.

The MID forms the heart of my bedroom system. I am currently using the CAL Delta, Theta Cobalt 307, and Creek T43 in front of the MID. The MID is so good, I wish the darn thing had more inputs! That way, I could listen to more of my sources. Nevertheless, EVERYBODY should have an MID in his/her bedroom. Forget about that stupid Bose Wave radio.

Excellent sound, flexibility (headphone amp, integrated amp, pre-amp).

Wish it had a speaker toggle.

I purchased my MID for use as a headphone amplifier. Little did I know that I was also getting one of the most neutral sounding pre-amplifiers I had ever heard (or not heard). It excells at both of these tasks and is a joy to listen to every time. It also works quite well as an integrated, but you should be realistic about the volume and control you expect from it. Overall, I highly recommend it, especially with the higher end Sennheisers.

Associated Equipment:
Marantz CD63se
Sennheiser HD580
Grado SR60
NHT S1 (when using it as an integrated)
McCormack DNA 0.5se (when using it as a pre-amp)

Similar Products Used:

None.