I've been enjoying the 2250 since October 2005. Like every other piece of gear I've had, eventually I heard areas that could be improved. But, and I hope I don't lose my login credentials for this, I thought that perhaps an amp change (at a similar price point) would be nothing more than "different rather than better."
Enter the deep bias mod. Other than the name (which reminds me of a medical procedure I'd rather not participate in), this mod does what BK Butler suggested: It produces more clarity and a better soundstage to a significant degree. The mod package also includes a tube long life mod (given that Butler Audio had previoulsy said that tube life is extremely long, I suppose this ensures the person who inherits the amp will have one less thing to worry about).
Musically, in my system, this means hearing deeper into what a musician is doing and the interplay among musicians. Lower distortion = more nuance. The soundstage, which usually doesn't excite me, can be uncanny with some recordings. Interestingly, I heard a change as soon as I plugged in the amp and hit play. No warmup - the extra detail was there.
Subjectively, this sounds like more and cleaner bass (calling Chris) and more realistic sounding highs (especially the topmost part of the piano). And the midrange on female vocals is more expressive. Am I starting to stir any audionervosa? Basically, it seems the amp lets more of the sources qualities through (well, or amplifies them).
Any downside? BK himself is the only one who does this mod, so his busy schedule means it probably won't get done right away. My waiting time was one month (excluding shipment to Butler audio). I would think the wait very much depends upon his travel schedule and other commitments. Jason, at Butler Audio, is the guy you want to talk to if interested.
I hated waiting but I'm glad I did. Upgrading gear you love is good, clean fun (unlike that medical procedure
).
Phil
