I have been using the Conductor 3XR for a few months now and this is the first high-end AMP/DAC that I have owned and I am blown away! The sound is so clear and no hissing even at higher volumes. I can’t pass 40 on the volume knob because this thing is so strong. Every song sounds so clear and smooth. The bass is fast and the trebles are not ear piercing. The vocals are very welcoming and a bit warm; I really enjoy that with the LCD-2. I haven’t tried to change the OP-AMPs, but I might try in the future to see what other sound signatures I can play with.