Mola-Mola Review in 6 Moons

Thanks for sharing, they certainly have a unique manner of reviewing equipment. Would love to see a few additional reviews over time.
 
They really have no sound, no character whatsoever, as Bruno is fond of saying take away everything else and you are only left with the music.
Keith
 
Perhaps in your experience, but not the Hypex/Mola, they are the closest to a 'straight wire with gain' that I have yet heard.
There is no longer a need to look at another amp.
Keith.
 
Purité Audio said:
Perhaps in your experience, but not the Hypex/Mola, they are the closest to a 'straight wire with gain' that I have yet heard.
There is no longer a need to look at another amp.
Keith.
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Congratulations for arriving at your final destination.
 
Purité Audio said:
Perhaps in your experience, but not the Hypex/Mola, they are the closest to a 'straight wire with gain' that I have yet heard.
There is no longer a need to look at another amp.
Keith.
Click to expand...

Since you've done the comparison and we haven't, please tell us how the Mola-Mola deviates from a straight wire with gain. If it deviates, then it must ipso facto have a sound.
 
a.wayne said:
Agree , It would be interesting to hear how they compare to Devialet ..
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M & H did have this to say under the lettersfeedback section:

Hi guys,
ages ago I emailed you about the Devialet D-Premier if you remember? Mentioned importance of mains cabling etc. and asked you if it was worth 'upgrading' to the new (at the time) 400s? Since then I demo'ed my D-Premiers vs the 'new' models and found the latter more overtly transparent, detailed but analytical and totally lacking the tonal beauty and 'flow' of the D-Premier. Kind of like (old) solid state vs tubes. Couple of questions, please, if you have the time. What is your view on the Kalugas vs the D-Premiers? I know one will need a DAC/Pre but do you feel the Mola Molas are in a significantly higher sound class? Do the Kalugas have that sense of flow and tonal depth I love about my Devialets? What is your view on the sonics of the Mola Mola preamp? You mention it little in your review. How did it compare with your passive transformer AVC? Thanks so much and hope you're both well.
Damien Anciano

Hello Damien,
We remember! What you describe comparing D-Premier to the new models matches our impressions. Moreover, we feel the same about the later firmware versions for D-Premier; they lack what attracted us to the D-Premier when it was introduced. That plus the upgrade policy towards the new version which in our opinion deflates the initial investment in a D-Premier, not to mention the price point of the new models in respect to the second-hand value of D-Premier - all of it made us stick to our two D-Premier with the oldest version firmware possible. The sonic outcome is still satisfactory for our purposes, like one D-Premier doing chores as DAC/Amp in our TV setup while the other is commissioned for streaming background music in Marja’s workshop. In the looks department, both our D-Premier suffer from something similar to what happens to silver. The plating is oxidizing to create a nasty look. Cleaning the casing with a micro fiber cloth like the one provided by Devialet only has a temporary effect.

Onto the Kaluga. Well, they outclass the D-Premier many times. As you say, they got the flow, the dynamics and the power to control any speaker connected while being immune to cable influences and environmental radiation from other equipment in the vicinity. As the review was focussed on the power amps, our time with the Makua preamp in place only touched the surface of the capabilities. We merely used the attenuation capacity which—as we wrote—offers more steps compared to the Music First passive. Sonically there was not much difference when comparing at the same SPL in the listening spot. Makua’s ultra-silent design is on par with the passive attenuation transformers and both allow, only depending on speaker sensitivity, very low volume listening. The Makua sample we used was equipped with a phono stage and can be augmented with a Bruno-style DAC. Fine-tuning of Makua is possible by means of an app, currently (?) only available for Android devices. So when the budget allows, a full Mola Mola setup will tick all your preferences and thank you for asking, we’re doing fine!
Best, M&H

Thanks for the response! So, to your ears, the Mola Molas have as much organic 'flow' and emotiona listeningl engagement as the original D-Premiers? Or more? And what is your take on their tonal density - again, a strength of the old Devialets with the right power cord and isolation and with Entreq grounding. Is it more 'solid state' or 'tube'/Pass in the good sense? I'm minded years ago when I bought a pair of the old Bel Canto mono 1000 on the basis of great (and I mean great) reviews. Man, I tried to love them—they had detail, bass, a 'warm' tonal balance but in retrospect little tonal differentiation—but were they ever boring! I tried modifications through Underwood Hi-Fi, then ended up using them for TV amps.
Thanks guys,
Damien
 
Thanks for posting that Damian, a friend lent me the Devialet for a month when they were first released, I thought it was good, seemed pretty blameless.
It would be interesting to compare it again now against the Makua/Kaluga combination.
Keith.
 
"a strength of the old Devialets with the right power cord and isolation and with Entreq grounding."

I've never seen anyone on the Devialet Chat forum post that a D-Premier sounds better than the current Expert models.

There have been many Firmware updates, IMO, the 8.1.3 Beta is the best I've tried since 7.1.1.

I tried a Entreq Silver Tellus and Apollo cables with my D400, and didn't hear any improvement (guess my home has a good grounding).
 
Thanks for the post Damien , if it betters the Devialet its really chalking, Im still a Class-D sceptic , mostly because i tend to favor monolithic dreadnaughts with some heat when spending cash , i still cant get myself to make the plunge without some in home abuse .. :)


I did hear the Devialet , 400/400, they are worthy .....



Regards
 
Damien (ha ha ) is the gentlemen who posed the queries to the 6moons reviewers. I just posted their exchange...

I wonder though what magic sauce has been applied that makes it different from the other NCore 1200 based amps out there.

The option to have Burno's new DAC included as a module for the pre-amp would be interesting.
 
nfnc said:
Damien (ha ha ) is the gentlemen who posed the queries to the 6moons reviewers. I just posted their exchange...

I wonder though what magic sauce has been applied that makes it different from the other NCore 1200 based amps out there.

The option to have Burno's new DAC included as a module for the pre-amp would be interesting.
Click to expand...

"Bruno tricked out his own version very heavy on parts. For starters, the input stage became the same as that in the Makua preamp. Its development so satisfied him that a derivative version ended up in the Kaluga. Next to a highly linear very high input impedance to meet any source impedance head on, this input buffer also exhibits extremely low distortion. The net result of these improvements is an amplifier module different from the NC1200 board which thus remains exclusive to Mola Mola and won’t be available to OEM competitors."

I find it interesting that Bruno has no problem with 6 Moons showing pictures of the inside of the Mola-Mola, while companies like Merrill Audio put stickers on their amps warning that the warranty will be void if you open the box.
 
That is the first review I've read that does not describe the sound of the component. Two words does not a review make... and I love Mola Mola.
 
They don't really have a sound, they are the closest component I have heard to Peter Walker's 'straight wire with gain'.
Keith
 
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