I bought this marvel of technology & better believe people this is VEEERY true to reality review, just spot on ! G111 mk2 is epic product & thanks Wave Theory for BIG HELP & joy bringed to my life :) I would never went to buy this performance if wasn`t this review available, so happy that found you, wish you all the best :) !
Looks like a beefed up version of the G109A/S with balanced inputs. If the G109 is anything to go by, this is a great no-nonsense amp, versatile and seriously underrated. What impresses me with the G109 is the really low noise floor and channel balance even at the lowest volume (read: awesome with IEMs - which is a feat not very many desktop amps are capable of) while also having more than enough juice to push 600Ohm full size Beyers
rupert neve rnhp, rebelamp, Flux, topping A90 all in a similar price range. Quite a competitive group and some solid performers for midfi prices. Perhaps the cayin iha6, burson soloist 3xp, and singxer sa1all to be cross shopped in the used market as well. Between $500 - $700 is a great lineup of amps. Also real talk the DDC might be the most undervalued or undercovered investment into the audio chain. It might make a bigger difference than stepping up a tier in either amp/dac.
I bought the G111 MKII per your recommendation for a deal of $420 that I couldn't pass up. Sounds great with my 2020 Sundaras and Ares II DAC. Thank you for the honesty.
Sure room reverbs are the echoes and reflections from inside the recording studio (or concert hall, etc). Often artists leverage the sound of the room to help create the sound they are going for. Ghost notes are soft drum hits that follow after the primary drum hit. Brann Dailor of Mastodon uses them a lot.
For the Dt880 600 ohm is this not too analytical for general music listening compared to the Schiit Asgard 3. Especially when listening to music that might not be well mastered.
Just to clarify: by a "slightly more gentle" roll off in the high treble, you mean to say that the MK2 has slightly more treble presence than the MK1, correct? Or did I misunderstand?
Do any good headphone apps hook in USB-C for taking your Mac sound out. Like for video casting to send the sound out to headphones from OBS Studio for 2 to 4 outputs.
Any chance you would know if there is a decent jump from the g111 to the violetric v202 ? I know you’ve done the v280 v226 v281 v222 but I’ve never seen you touch on the v202 which I think makes more sense since I don’t need an xlr output . so I’m just torn on the g111 or the v202 Lmk thank you wave theory!
Thanks for this review! Have you also listened to the G103 yet? I'd be intersted in how it compares to the G111. Btw, the LP lead engineer's last name is pronounced pretty much like the word "rhyme".
Thanks for another great review, which is especially relevant for me since I expect to add an amp in the first half of 2023 (retired on fixed income, so need to save up after recently purchasing a Hifiman Arya Stealth). This may be juvenile, but I've spent too much money upgrading my headphones to balanced cables to get a SE only amp like the G111 (also don't want to swap cables when using my other amps), so I especially look forward to the A90D and SA-1 reviews, since they are on my shortlist along with the twice as expensive Burson Soloist (or actually more, since I'd probably get the $300 supercharger eventually). The new amp is primarily intended for listening in my favored late night spot without moving gear or using the iFi Go bar dongle, but it also may semi-replace my Cavalli-designed Liquid Platinum. Have you heard the LP and any thoughts how it stacks up against these amps?
Hi! May i ask you if you have to pick up one between the g111 mk2 and ef400 which would you choose if we just talk about sound quality? I cant try them but i will buy one of these.I will use them with planar and dynamic headphones too.i know either is dac/amp and another just an amp but dont matter.I have separate dac for the g111! You are almost the only one who tested them and i would like to know your opinion! Thank you!
Hi, thx for great review👍, I have one question, for Focal Radiance, which amp is better.. lake people (g108) or violectric (v222) which is better synergy? many thanks in advance.. Im using Mojo2 now..
Good evening and thank you for your reviews. It helps us to save time and money, and energy. I wonder if this amp is good to good with a chord mojo 2 as a dac, and a he1000se ? I want to try more power with my he1000se. I listen a lot of classical music but other too. Hello from France ! Effel tower and all of this
@@wavetheorysound I owned a Lake People preamp for microphones because I work in studio audio. That’s what surprised me by the nasty comments about this amp online. Some people called is warm and smooth and not as good as Topping etc…couldn’t believe the hate it was getting…
Pretty well. The improvement in timbre in mkII over mkI is noticeable. I don't think it quite catches Schiit's interpretation of timbre yet, but it's not far behind.
Hi @WaveTheory I am searching for an amp that will pair good with the LCD-5 and LCD-X. Would the Lake People G108 a good idea? Also thinking of Violectric HPA V222 or even HPA V340 or the Monolith Liquid Gold. Which would you suggest to pair best? Thanks for answering beforehand. (btw I have the same sensitivity as you have with mid treble 2-4 kHz, so to have good control in this area would be nice, and also possibility to balance left and right channel).
@@wavetheorysound I am also thinking now about RME ADI 2/4 PRO SE (more complete package, DAC/ADC and headphone amp), but I read also they use ESS chips, and I own the SMSL DO200/HO200 stack, which uses ESS chips, that sounds good with the LCD-X, but less good (too sharp imo) with the LCD-5. So I think a warmer amp would be better… or just stay with eq-ing, what do you think (done on a MacBook Pro)? I only use my iPad and iPhone more as a source to feed the DAC/AMP combo…
Great review! Quote opinion question for you.. my budget is about 6k Australian dollars, Would I be better of with the HEK2 with this amp and a dac around the bifrost cost ($1200 Aud) Or Arya stealth with a Violectric amp around the $2-3k and a similar dac? Seems like you’d be the best person to ask because it’s all gear that im leaning towards with the stuff I’ve managed to demo. Regards
I'd go HE1000v2. I think it's more significantly ahead of Arya than it is given credit for. Plus, down the road when you're ready to upgrade signal chains anyway (it's inevitable lol) it will scale up higher than Arya.
Hello Wavetheory, Based on your review of the G111, I would imagine that the G108 would be similar or perhaps slightly better. I haven’t seen any reviews on the G108, would you care to comment on it, please. Thank you.
Hello WaveTheory, I just recently bought the HE1000v2 Stealth and prefer the soft good timbre sound of its mid-trebble range over the aryas overaggression. However on my gear (Chord Mojo2) it just sounds a bit to soft. I wish it some more dynamics and a bit sharper, cleaner trebble without sounding harsh or fatiguing. I hope I was able to bring across what I am looking for. Do you think that this is a good amp for me? The review sounds like it is but I cant test it anywere so I am not convinced yet .. Budget is up to 1000€.
I think that treble will smooth out a bit with use. That said, yes, the G111mk2 would be a pretty solid amp for Hek. The Schiit Lyr+ is another really good choice. Mojo2 should make a fine DAC in either case.
@@wavetheorysound Thank you for the quick response! I am also verry interested in tube amps but there seems to be no great "all tube" amp below 1k€ so maybe the lyr+ realy is my best option for that. I will think about it, thanks alot! Also I will watch your comparison video again. Maybe that will help, I totaly forgot about you lyr+ opinions.
As usual, a very good, informative and honest review. Taking into consideration the price difference, is the g111 far from the amp section of the Violectric hpa v226 that you recently reviewed?
Thanks! I haven't had the 226 in house for quite awhile. But, my memory is that it was well ahead of the G111mk1 in spatial presentation and detail retrieval. The mk2 is surely closer, but I imagine comfortably behind the 226 yet.
@@syanhc agree as I have one too. Wavetheory take on this is what we expected what topping would sound like is accurate. Bought a topping thinking it might sound like this. Dissapointed, sells it and I got myself a G111 MKII.
@@kato2395 I’m not a fan of Topping. I own a couple of Fiio products which I really like. But regarding this amp, I’m loving it with the HD600 and DT-1990 pro. I’ve paired it with the RME ADI-2 DAC FS.
Interesting review; it is clear that the Germans do everything well. I would like to know, although is in a different price range, how does compare the old reliable Schiit Asgard 3 to this Lake People. A greeting.
G111 is a bit more neutral where A3 leans warm. Dynamics are similar. Asgard 3 might still have very slight advantage in timbre. G111 has more resolution, bigger staging, more accurate spatial imaging & separation, etc. It's immediately apparent you're talking about a $600 amp vs a $250 amp.
Beware the pause button. The danger it poses to those who put themselves on camera for the world to see should not...nay, _can not,_ be under estimated.
Great review! I ended up buying the mk1 after watching your review. A tip for anybody in Germany or the EU. I was using this amp with an e30 as it seems that it is only worth upgrading to a bitfrost 2 or denafrips ares ii level of dac, but I didn’t feel like spending more on the dac than the amp given that so many say it is not the most influential part of the chain. Until I found a store selling the lake people rs 06 dac on sale for 555 euros. I’m really happy with the results! There was something unnatural about the e30 that is now gone, plus I hear much better resolution and soundstage with a neutral sound that doesn’t sound “digital” to my ear. Plus they make a neat stack 😊 It doesn’t seem that lake people gets praised for their dacs, but this is too me what I was hoping for and I don’t know any alternative dacs at this price point besides the many chifi offerings. It went up to 599, but seems to still be in stock: www.hifi-im-hinterhof.de/lake-people-dac-rs06-usb.html, www.headfonia.com/review-lake-people-dac-rs-06-stripped/2/
I am on the same ship here, I used to have the topping L50 & E50 stack. I am still using the E50 up until now, but the Lake People G111 MKII has improved my music listening experience a lot! However, I still notice there is still that unnatural Topping sound in the system. I will be replacing the E50 with the Modi Multibit 2 soon and I think that will fix that whole problem. You sharing your experience with the Lake People G111 and the Topping E30 pair made me even sure that the Modi would fix that problem. Can't wait for it to arrive!
@@gvalenzuelarg The Schiit Modi Multibit 2 sounds so bad. It is muddy and the mid bass is so bloated it ruined the music! ... That was before the burn in, LOL. I can't believe how different it sound after running it for a day. A lot of people said it sounded bad out of the box and to give it some time to warm up. But I honestly can't believe how bad it is. I was thinking I might had made a big mistake buying this DAC but then when I tried it again the morning after letting it on for a whole night, I was blown away. It suddenly sounds so good, the bloated mid bass totally toned down, opening up the soundstage, the sub bass is clean but natural sounding and the treble is just perfect. It is not deficient nor it is too sharp, it is more to the natural side, the kind of treble you'd expect to hear from an orchestra hall. In short this DAC has the most amazing timbre so all the DACs I've ever tried. The great timbre of the Lake People G111 MK2 might have helped a lot too. I thought it might just be copium because this is the most expensive DAC that I've ever bought. But then I compared it with the topping E50 again to make sure and now the topping E50 is the muddy sounding one. I am not a huge believer in burn in but the case with this Modi Multibit 2 is an exception that I am willing to make.
@@kato2395 Wow, sounds like you found a nice pairing to the G111! I was also curious about the Modi Multibit 2, but you have to wait forever to buy Schiit products here in Europe. Happy listening!
I bought this marvel of technology & better believe people this is VEEERY true to reality review, just spot on ! G111 mk2 is epic product & thanks Wave Theory for BIG HELP & joy bringed to my life :) I would never went to buy this performance if wasn`t this review available, so happy that found you, wish you all the best :) !
I wonder how this compares to the Rupert Neve headphone amp that is in the same price category
Looks like a beefed up version of the G109A/S with balanced inputs. If the G109 is anything to go by, this is a great no-nonsense amp, versatile and seriously underrated. What impresses me with the G109 is the really low noise floor and channel balance even at the lowest volume (read: awesome with IEMs - which is a feat not very many desktop amps are capable of) while also having more than enough juice to push 600Ohm full size Beyers
rupert neve rnhp, rebelamp, Flux, topping A90 all in a similar price range. Quite a competitive group and some solid performers for midfi prices. Perhaps the cayin iha6, burson soloist 3xp, and singxer sa1all to be cross shopped in the used market as well. Between $500 - $700 is a great lineup of amps.
Also real talk the DDC might be the most undervalued or undercovered investment into the audio chain. It might make a bigger difference than stepping up a tier in either amp/dac.
I bought the G111 MKII per your recommendation for a deal of $420 that I couldn't pass up. Sounds great with my 2020 Sundaras and Ares II DAC. Thank you for the honesty.
13:24 can i ask what you mean by "room reverb" and "ghost notes?"
Sure room reverbs are the echoes and reflections from inside the recording studio (or concert hall, etc). Often artists leverage the sound of the room to help create the sound they are going for. Ghost notes are soft drum hits that follow after the primary drum hit. Brann Dailor of Mastodon uses them a lot.
@@wavetheorysound ah, thank you for explaining 😊
Does the volume knob "click" force you to end up on a "click", or is is completely variable?
how's this compared to the G109?
Great video! a comparison of these with the V280 will be great too, another great set for a future video is the Soloist 3XP.
For the Dt880 600 ohm is this not too analytical for general music listening compared to the Schiit Asgard 3. Especially when listening to music that might not be well mastered.
Another fine, detailed review, thank you. Looking forward to that follow up...maybe also the rnhp?
Just to clarify: by a "slightly more gentle" roll off in the high treble, you mean to say that the MK2 has slightly more treble presence than the MK1, correct? Or did I misunderstand?
Do any good headphone apps hook in USB-C for taking your Mac sound out. Like for video casting to send the sound out to headphones from OBS Studio for 2 to 4 outputs.
can't decide between G111 and G105 for Mixing... G105 has more functions, Mono and Phase switch, G111 best sound?
They're literally the same bro, the G105 just has those extra functions you mentioned.
any plans to make a review in the future about the Lake People g103s/p ??
Please test the Singxer SA 1 with EF400 as a DAC. I am curious if the SA 1 improves over the built in amp of EF400
Any chance you would know if there is a decent jump from the g111 to the violetric v202 ? I know you’ve done the v280 v226 v281 v222 but I’ve never seen you touch on the v202 which I think makes more sense since I don’t need an xlr output . so I’m just torn on the g111 or the v202 Lmk thank you wave theory!
Thanks for this review! Have you also listened to the G103 yet? I'd be intersted in how it compares to the G111. Btw, the LP lead engineer's last name is pronounced pretty much like the word "rhyme".
Thanks for another great review, which is especially relevant for me since I expect to add an amp in the first half of 2023 (retired on fixed income, so need to save up after recently purchasing a Hifiman Arya Stealth). This may be juvenile, but I've spent too much money upgrading my headphones to balanced cables to get a SE only amp like the G111 (also don't want to swap cables when using my other amps), so I especially look forward to the A90D and SA-1 reviews, since they are on my shortlist along with the twice as expensive Burson Soloist (or actually more, since I'd probably get the $300 supercharger eventually). The new amp is primarily intended for listening in my favored late night spot without moving gear or using the iFi Go bar dongle, but it also may semi-replace my Cavalli-designed Liquid Platinum. Have you heard the LP and any thoughts how it stacks up against these amps?
Hi! May i ask you if you have to pick up one between the g111 mk2 and ef400 which would you choose if we just talk about sound quality? I cant try them but i will buy one of these.I will use them with planar and dynamic headphones too.i know either is dac/amp and another just an amp but dont matter.I have separate dac for the g111!
You are almost the only one who tested them and i would like to know your opinion! Thank you!
Hi, thx for great review👍, I have one question, for Focal Radiance, which amp is better.. lake people (g108) or violectric (v222) which is better synergy? many thanks in advance.. Im using Mojo2 now..
Have you reviewed the Vio HPA V340?
I would like to hear your impressions and a comparison on the new 108 amp
What's the full name of that amp? Brand?
@@wavetheorysound He means the Lake People G108
Good evening and thank you for your reviews. It helps us to save time and money, and energy. I wonder if this amp is good to good with a chord mojo 2 as a dac, and a he1000se ? I want to try more power with my he1000se. I listen a lot of classical music but other too. Hello from France ! Effel tower and all of this
Dang. What a tease to the comparisons lol! Looking forward to it😋
Can it power 300 ohm headphones sufficiently? I don’t own any with higher impedance cans.
With ease. The Lake People brand has been excelling with hi-Z for well over a decade now.
@@wavetheorysound I owned a Lake People preamp for microphones because I work in studio audio. That’s what surprised me by the nasty comments about this amp online. Some people called is warm and smooth and not as good as Topping etc…couldn’t believe the hate it was getting…
Hi thanks for the review. I listen only to jazz. How do you think it will render brass? Thank you.
Pretty well. The improvement in timbre in mkII over mkI is noticeable. I don't think it quite catches Schiit's interpretation of timbre yet, but it's not far behind.
How does it match with dt 880 600 ohms? Thank you.
Thanks for this review. I have Hifiman Arya. Will this amp have enough power for these headphones? Thanks.
Yes. For sure.
Have you gotten a chance to try out the Violectric DHA V590?
Not yet. Will jump if an opportunity presents.
Hi @WaveTheory I am searching for an amp that will pair good with the LCD-5 and LCD-X. Would the Lake People G108 a good idea? Also thinking of Violectric HPA V222 or even HPA V340 or the Monolith Liquid Gold. Which would you suggest to pair best? Thanks for answering beforehand. (btw I have the same sensitivity as you have with mid treble 2-4 kHz, so to have good control in this area would be nice, and also possibility to balance left and right channel).
Given your stated preferences I'd stay with the Vio V200 series. If you find a V281 in good shape on the used market, I'd say go for it.
@@wavetheorysound I am also thinking now about RME ADI 2/4 PRO SE (more complete package, DAC/ADC and headphone amp), but I read also they use ESS chips, and I own the SMSL DO200/HO200 stack, which uses ESS chips, that sounds good with the LCD-X, but less good (too sharp imo) with the LCD-5. So I think a warmer amp would be better… or just stay with eq-ing, what do you think (done on a MacBook Pro)? I only use my iPad and iPhone more as a source to feed the DAC/AMP combo…
Would this be a good amplifier for Hifiman Edition XS headphones?
Yes. Definitely.
Nice review, is this one still complemented with a separate psu?
Great review!
Quote opinion question for you..
my budget is about 6k Australian dollars,
Would I be better of with the HEK2 with this amp and a dac around the bifrost cost ($1200 Aud)
Or Arya stealth with a Violectric amp around the $2-3k and a similar dac?
Seems like you’d be the best person to ask because it’s all gear that im leaning towards with the stuff I’ve managed to demo.
Regards
I'd go HE1000v2. I think it's more significantly ahead of Arya than it is given credit for. Plus, down the road when you're ready to upgrade signal chains anyway (it's inevitable lol) it will scale up higher than Arya.
Hello Wavetheory,
Based on your review of the G111, I would imagine that the G108 would be similar or perhaps slightly better. I haven’t seen any reviews on the G108, would you care to comment on it, please.
Thank you.
Hello WaveTheory, I just recently bought the HE1000v2 Stealth and prefer the soft good timbre sound of its mid-trebble range over the aryas overaggression. However on my gear (Chord Mojo2) it just sounds a bit to soft. I wish it some more dynamics and a bit sharper, cleaner trebble without sounding harsh or fatiguing. I hope I was able to bring across what I am looking for.
Do you think that this is a good amp for me? The review sounds like it is but I cant test it anywere so I am not convinced yet .. Budget is up to 1000€.
I think that treble will smooth out a bit with use. That said, yes, the G111mk2 would be a pretty solid amp for Hek. The Schiit Lyr+ is another really good choice. Mojo2 should make a fine DAC in either case.
@@wavetheorysound Thank you for the quick response! I am also verry interested in tube amps but there seems to be no great "all tube" amp below 1k€ so maybe the lyr+ realy is my best option for that.
I will think about it, thanks alot!
Also I will watch your comparison video again. Maybe that will help, I totaly forgot about you lyr+ opinions.
As usual, a very good, informative and honest review. Taking into consideration the price difference, is the g111 far from the amp section of the Violectric hpa v226 that you recently reviewed?
Thanks! I haven't had the 226 in house for quite awhile. But, my memory is that it was well ahead of the G111mk1 in spatial presentation and detail retrieval. The mk2 is surely closer, but I imagine comfortably behind the 226 yet.
@@wavetheorysound
Thank you for having taken the time to answer me ☺
Oh, I bought the Mark one two years ago… such a shame 😢
Got the gilmore like mk2. This lake people was my second choice...
will you try modding sa--1?
No. This is a loaner unit that has to go back to Apos.
@@wavetheorysound would the g11 mk2 run low impedance planars like the aeon noire enough to give it good slam/dynamics in the bass?
I've bought this based on your review.
Issit good?
@@kato2395 Yes. It's really good. Clean and strong. Lovely amp.
@@syanhc agree as I have one too. Wavetheory take on this is what we expected what topping would sound like is accurate. Bought a topping thinking it might sound like this. Dissapointed, sells it and I got myself a G111 MKII.
@@kato2395 I’m not a fan of Topping. I own a couple of Fiio products which I really like. But regarding this amp, I’m loving it with the HD600 and DT-1990 pro. I’ve paired it with the RME ADI-2 DAC FS.
The only bad thing about this amp is that, there's no Hi-Res Sticker on it.
DISQUALIFIED
Fuck it
That’s going to be an amazing shootout video !
No pre-out is a big mistake on this unit. I use headphones and speakers so this unit is not for me.
Lake people for the win \o/
Great video
Interesting review; it is clear that the Germans do everything well. I would like to know, although is in a different price range, how does compare the old reliable Schiit Asgard 3 to this Lake People.
A greeting.
G111 is a bit more neutral where A3 leans warm. Dynamics are similar. Asgard 3 might still have very slight advantage in timbre. G111 has more resolution, bigger staging, more accurate spatial imaging & separation, etc. It's immediately apparent you're talking about a $600 amp vs a $250 amp.
@@wavetheorysound 👍👍👍
Beware the pause button. The danger it poses to those who put themselves on camera for the world to see should not...nay, _can not,_ be under estimated.
three thumbs up
Great review! I ended up buying the mk1 after watching your review. A tip for anybody in Germany or the EU. I was using this amp with an e30 as it seems that it is only worth upgrading to a bitfrost 2 or denafrips ares ii level of dac, but I didn’t feel like spending more on the dac than the amp given that so many say it is not the most influential part of the chain. Until I found a store selling the lake people rs 06 dac on sale for 555 euros. I’m really happy with the results! There was something unnatural about the e30 that is now gone, plus I hear much better resolution and soundstage with a neutral sound that doesn’t sound “digital” to my ear. Plus they make a neat stack 😊 It doesn’t seem that lake people gets praised for their dacs, but this is too me what I was hoping for and I don’t know any alternative dacs at this price point besides the many chifi offerings. It went up to 599, but seems to still be in stock: www.hifi-im-hinterhof.de/lake-people-dac-rs06-usb.html, www.headfonia.com/review-lake-people-dac-rs-06-stripped/2/
I am on the same ship here, I used to have the topping L50 & E50 stack. I am still using the E50 up until now, but the Lake People G111 MKII has improved my music listening experience a lot! However, I still notice there is still that unnatural Topping sound in the system. I will be replacing the E50 with the Modi Multibit 2 soon and I think that will fix that whole problem. You sharing your experience with the Lake People G111 and the Topping E30 pair made me even sure that the Modi would fix that problem. Can't wait for it to arrive!
@@kato2395 Nice! Let us know how that combo sounds like!
@@gvalenzuelarg sure thing! Will come back if I remembered
@@gvalenzuelarg The Schiit Modi Multibit 2 sounds so bad. It is muddy and the mid bass is so bloated it ruined the music!
... That was before the burn in, LOL. I can't believe how different it sound after running it for a day. A lot of people said it sounded bad out of the box and to give it some time to warm up. But I honestly can't believe how bad it is. I was thinking I might had made a big mistake buying this DAC but then when I tried it again the morning after letting it on for a whole night, I was blown away. It suddenly sounds so good, the bloated mid bass totally toned down, opening up the soundstage, the sub bass is clean but natural sounding and the treble is just perfect. It is not deficient nor it is too sharp, it is more to the natural side, the kind of treble you'd expect to hear from an orchestra hall.
In short this DAC has the most amazing timbre so all the DACs I've ever tried. The great timbre of the Lake People G111 MK2 might have helped a lot too.
I thought it might just be copium because this is the most expensive DAC that I've ever bought. But then I compared it with the topping E50 again to make sure and now the topping E50 is the muddy sounding one. I am not a huge believer in burn in but the case with this Modi Multibit 2 is an exception that I am willing to make.
@@kato2395 Wow, sounds like you found a nice pairing to the G111! I was also curious about the Modi Multibit 2, but you have to wait forever to buy Schiit products here in Europe. Happy listening!