The Red Top amp is now called the Black Widow. EC may offer a loaner amp so pirates can try it out. If there is some interest, let me know.

Wait til you're ready to commit, see what's out at the time, compare options at that time. I find it a maddening experience to wait for gear that has no firmish release date.

Pick your transducers first (sounds like you have HD800 and slants), then the rest of it. The unconfirmed gungnir seems awesome, but who knows when it will hit? The carbon sounds like it will be a good fit for the slants, but I haven't read much about pairing with the HD800.

yeah I get you.  but after canjam I didn't really see any dac that was a true upgrade to my intro (450 & imod) except the Yggdrasil, always wanted an r2r dac but pickings are slim before the yggdrasil I was contemplating the stockholm or dig for a progeny.  but the yggdrasil is to big for my table and the 6 hour warm up means I won't be able to listen to it during the week.  I don't mind a smaller chassis if I could just get an lps later.  So I don't mind waiting and getting my headphones first, then amp, lastly dac.  And maybe some cables to see LFFs eyes roll.

...maybe some cables to see LFFs eyes roll.

You guys know me so well.  My customers always wonder why I don't personally make and sell cables too.

Oh sweet! Please add me to the loaner program for the BW as well!

--Jeff

I'm interested as well and I'd also love a comparison vs. the Carbon. Both seem to be targeting the same market, so maybe there's a lot of potential interest depending on your house sound preference.