Audiophilepure

“While on the subject of the DAC, and being in the mood for distaff vocals, I was delighted to locate Carly Simon’s 2009 performance of ‘You’re So Vain’ [via wolfgangs.com], an unplugged studio performance with her son Ben and loads of acoustic guitars. Even with the closed-back cans, the sound extended beyond my ears, being delightfully open and particularly enjoyable because of their harmonising. OK, the years were showing on Carly Simon’s voice but it gave the performance a veracity of the warts ‘n’ all type.”

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/linear-tube-audio-microzotl-mz3-headphone-amplifier-review

“They’re at the current pinnacle of audio engineering excellence and a pair of headphones which I consider to be among the best I’ve ever had the opportunity to hear. Pairing them with the Linear Tube Audio MZ3 wasn’t merely because they cost roughly the same price, or shared the letter ‘z’ in thier name. it was because they were a holostic, sonic ecosystem. One complimented the other perfectly in my estimation. Does that mean the MZ3 didn’t play as nicely with other headphones that were current hungry or more difficult to drive? No. It came down to the 4z allowing every facet of what the MZ3 had on tap to be revealed without adding anything to its flavor. I can say without hyperbole that in my experience this is a headphone amplifier with few peers at this price point: it is an honest and forthright amp that does that unique job of bringing warmth to music without sacrificing resolution.”

https://www.headphone.guru/the-headamp-gs-x-mini-balanced-headphone-amplifier-incredible-transparency-and-drive/

.” The stringed instruments sounded incredibly detailed and particularly quick, but with a richness that I wasn’t familiar with from these headphones. The ability to approach the speed and transparency of the flagship GS-X Mk2 amplifier, but offer a warmer and slightly more musical presentation was quite the experience. While the GS-X Mk2 offered slightly better clarity and sound staging, I think I might prefer the GS-X mini’s overall presentation with these headphones. There certainly is no wrong answer here, but I was certainly surprised just how well the GS-X mini excelled with these rather picky headphones.”

“The iFi Pro iDSD 4.4 hits on all cylinders. As a DAC it is unparalleled in versatility and sound to my ear. The fact that it offers a triode tube analog section as well as a separate Class A discrete solid-state analog section puts it in a class by itself. As a DAC by itself, I would have no problem using this as a reference DAC, it is exceptionally musical, with an excellent but realistic soundstage, and it handles all existing digital formats. It has a wide range of digital filter options allowing the user to tailor the sound to their specific tastes, but no setting in my experience was particularly harsh or grainy.”

“In some ways, you can call it that way. The background is dead silent with over-ear headphones (but not with super sensitive IEMs like the Campfire Andromeda Gold). There is a preciseness and cleanliness to the sound. Bass beats can seem almost edgy and have good impact with no bloatiness or fuzziness. It to me feels like it’s easy to separate instruments with these sound qualities. I think this works out extremely well with electronic music.

I’ve listened to many tube headphone amplifiers and I’ve definitely felt that there’s a sense of space in the sound. It’s probably harmonic distortion and warmth from the tubes, but it works for me. That sense of space is missing with the THX 789 however. Moreover, so is any other type of coloration. It’s a neutral sounding amp.”

https://www.headfonia.com/schiit-audio-ragnarok-2-review/

Vocals sound clear and well formed. They are emotional and have about the right amount of air in them, to not become congested or syrupy. Male and female singers both share a confident sound, that is again very realistic in size and colouration. Upper-mid instruments sound well proportioned and with good agility. They have very nice speed and precision.

Treble on the Ragnarok 2 sounds inoffensive. It’s a slightly cautious presentation that again is closer to neutral than anything else. Highs won’t cause any discomfort, as there is no sharpness or sibilance in them. The extension is okay, but for an amp of that price I’d have expected better to be honest. Highs have normal energy. They are crisp and decent shimmer, but they are definitely not overly bright. Which results in a fatigue free top-end.