Audiophilepure

The PRE-GAIN stage implemented in the Violectric headphone amplifiers ensures not only a low noise floor, but also precise control of output levels due to the ability to tailor the sensitivity of the pre-amplifier stage. The volume control is an impressive piece of engineering, as the ability to execute a 256-step volume control with .4 dB increments is nothing short of amazing. Finally, the HPA V550 PRO is a solidly designed preamplifier, and can function equally well in a traditional two channel audio system. If you are searching for a high-performance headphone amplifier then give the Violectric HPA VM550 PRO serious consideration, as there are very few products in the audio world that are built to this level of sophistication.

I threw a number of genres and headphones at the CMA Twelve and the results were all good. It is worthy of the flagship moniker. The option of single-ended and two balanced connection styles makes it accessible to a wide array of headphone choices. The switchable BIAS allows for an even wider choice of headphone or two-channel pre-amp options. The DAC is very clear without being overly bright and uses a favorite DAC of mine, the AKM 4490. I came to enjoy the front panel LED layout as it did not take long to be able to glance at it and know the type and bit rate of the file being played. A good thing for a Roon radio user. Given the build quality and track record of Questyle, I would expect the CMA Twelve to have pride of place in your headphone listening space for many years to come. Highly recommended.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/schiit-audio-vali-2-headphone-amplifier

I do not report these tube-rolling observations to criticize the Vali 2+’s performance as delivered and tested, nor to second-guess Stoddard’s choice of tube. The new-old-stock GE/CGE 6BQ7A is a tube of the highest quality. The stock Vali 2+ is an excellent amp, which exceeded my highest expectations. I mention this little tube-rolling experiment to remind everybody that, just as Jason Stoddard suggested in this column’s opening quote, experimenting with tubes is the Vali 2+’s raison d’être.

The Playmate 2 is strictly a single-ended device – those of you looking for a balanced headphone solution will need to step up to Burson’s Soloist/Conductor line. Presumably, it has been designed this way to a) keep costs down, and b) to maintain some sense of hierarchy in the Burson catalogue. Unless you own a bunch of XLR or Pentaconn-equipped headphones, you shouldn’t sweat over this as 3.5 Watts is more than enough to get most headphones singing, save perhaps the most stupidly inefficient planars – which both I and the majority of you don’t have. And if you do, you’re probably looking elsewhere anyhow. 

In addition to the two analogue outputs (the 3.5mm one also being the previously-mentioned mic input), the front panel of the Playmate 2 also includes a small infra-red receiver window for the remote, a stepped volume-pot which also acts as the navigation for input selections in the menu, and a multi-function window which displays volume level, input selection, output selection, as well as the PCM/DSD sampling rate. 

https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2021/2/1/0t4as8dlvsipy6zuup151430h32qvc

It drove my 52 ohm Focals just as well as my 300ohm Sennheisers, and I would certainly recommend this amp for statement headphones like the Sennheiser HD800/HD800S, Audeze LCD-3/4, the HIFIMAN HE1000 or the Focal Utopia. With 800 mW x2 of Class A power on tap (a number up there with many solid state designs), it has plenty of gain for all of them. This amplifier is, of course, just an amp, no frills attached, so it may not suit those looking for compact desktop all-in-one solutions with DACs, streaming, or other state-of-the art digital audio applications. If you have all those bases already covered in your chain, or want a high end headphone section for your main system, the Icon Audio HP8 MkII Signature is one of the best sounding headphone amplifiers I have heard, and its polished looks certainly makes it easy on the eyes as well as the ears.

I threw a number of genres and headphones at the CMA Twelve and the results were all good. It is worthy of the flagship moniker. The option of single-ended and two balanced connection styles makes it accessible to a wide array of headphone choices. The switchable BIAS allows for an even wider choice of headphone or two-channel pre-amp options. The DAC is very clear without being overly bright and uses a favorite DAC of mine, the AKM 4490. I came to enjoy the front panel LED layout as it did not take long to be able to glance at it and know the type and bit rate of the file being played. A good thing for a Roon radio user. Given the build quality and track record of Questyle, I would expect the CMA Twelve to have pride of place in your headphone listening space for many years to come. Highly

https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2021/2/1/0t4as8dlvsipy6zuup151430h32qvc

I started with a record I recently imported from Japan, Julie IV, Ima Boku Ha Shiawase Desu (I’m Happy Now), the fourth solo album by former Tigers and PYG vocalist Kenji Sawada. This record is a unique album in his discography as he strays away from the pop-rock he was known for on his previous outings and embraces a more intimate folk and country sound. Much of the album features dueling acoustic and electric blues guitar, as well as various piano and organ overdubs. One of the first things I noticed was how well the HP8 portrayed different instruments harmonic qualities. The last time I listened to this album on my speaker setup, the various guitars tended to blend into one another, but here they were individual voices with their own timbral characteristics. I could hear the different picking styles employed as well.

https://www.hifichoice.com/content/novafidelity-ha500h

Unlike the other models in the range, this is a headphone amplifier/DAC lacking any kind of network connectivity, let alone the internal storage options also produced by Novafidelity. But if that makes the HA500H sound a bit bare-bones for the money, it’s anything but. This is a particularly flexible device for those committed to headphone listening, not to mention one capable of exceptional performance.

With casework and design likely to remind those with a long memory of the much-lamented Oppo HA-1 headphone amp (HFC 390), which like some very fine headphones became a victim of its parent company’s decision to withdraw from the audio market to concentrate on mobile phones, the Novafidelity offers a wide range of options for the headphone listener. For starters, it’s both a headphone amp and a DAC, and with its built-in volume control can also be used as a preamp straight into a power amplifier or even active speakers. Both unbalanced and XLR balanced outputs are available, with the HA500H also having the same choice of analogue inputs, so that it can be fed straight from a source component or the line outputs of a conventional amplifier.