I think I'd better share my initial impressions. Don't fret, I'll make it as brief as possible guys.
First off, the headphone I'm using is Sennheiser's HDR 65, my very 1st foray into the can world. Nevertheless, I have a Senns HD580 and a Grado SR80 at my disposal (courtesy loan from Hansen and Eric respectively).
As a baseline, I carefully listened to one song, Sarah Vaughan's soulful rendition of Ivan Lins'
"The Island" from her album
"Crazy and Mixed Up", over and over switching from 1 amp to other and back again (compared to regular amps, swapping between can amps is a cinch). I'm aware there are a number of reference vocal recordings out there, but in my book, no one can touch my dear Sassy when it comes to sheer emotion and verve, she seldom falters to take my breath away.
I've handled a number of amps already but nothing comes close to how cute the SEP (Single-Ended Pentode) Cyber 20 is. The EL84 tubes actually remind me of Francis' even tinier console amp. But don't let its diminutive size deceive you, for this li'l bugger packs a wallop. It's quite energetic and flamboyant, and it could deliver every tinge of the recorded media. Every syllable, every inflection, even inhales and exhales are vividly expressed. It's like looking at a perfectly exposed photo, remarkably clear and translucent. And all this coming from a background of dead eerie silence.
Relative to the Cyber 20, its bigger brother is somewhat of a brute to look at. Like I mentioned before, the Cyber 30 is an honest to goodness speaker amplifier cum can amp. And like most DHT based SETs, it suffers from a slight hum. Hooked to regular speakers, I sincerely doubt it's even minutely noticeable. But headphones are indeed another world to be reckoned w/. I can even hear the lightest rub of my finger against the tonearm guide. In my attempt to relieve myself of this minor hum, I dialed the hum pots to the minimum, but w/ the stock Sovtek 2A3s (the only pair I have), I felt there's none more I could do that can have it attain anything close to a pitch black noise floor. But in spite of this, there was absolutely nothing that was going to stop me from listening to this baby. My ears ached for me to hook 'em up.
As soon as the stylus touched the grooves of my vinyl, all of my hum concerns suddenly went adrift... upon listening, Sassy's voice became even more intentful and pronounced, every grain and texture of her voice are ever more easily soaked up, as if her true and inner emotional vim and vigor are now honestly revealed. Not only could I hear her, I felt her voice crept from my ears thru the back of my spine. If the listening experience w/ the Cyber 20 was akin to being seated front row in a small cozy café w/ Sassy and her ensemble up stage, this was as if she laid down her mic... softly tiptoed her way beside me... and sang her heart out to its very core. It was nearly nothing short of raising back to life the lamentably demised.
Now, if only I could sort out its slight snag w/ the hum...