Schiit Lyr 3 Desktop Headamp Review
January 22, 2019 Comments Off on Schiit Lyr 3 Desktop Headamp Review
“Now the truth is: some people like solid-state, modern technology, while others prefer old world tube charm. And the Lyr 3 gives you that charm, only more so. I’ll explain: given the qualities which we, as audiophiles, desire from our listening experiences for the most, we return time and again to the roots of audio technology – the vacuum tube; perhaps in hope of reviving or bestowing a bit more of the guttural, living essence upon recordings from the past. And by that I mean either revealing more actual musical information in those recordings or adding sufficient distortion products that the ear is copasetic with and believes is real, yet in either case you feel more like you are there!
Well, Schiit’s Lyr 3 picks up where the Jotunheim leaves off, offering the same modular and upgradeable capability, super build and sound quality, but with the center of the amplification circuit being a vacuum tube – a 6N8S NOS (New Old Stock) valve. That and a wealth of modifications, improvements, and redesigning of the older (now discontinued) Lyr 2, which featured two vacuum tubes instead of one have brought this sister headamp up to an even higher level of musical fidelity. In fact, the Lyr 3’s unique current-mode, non-inverting tube/BJT hybrid topology eliminates the need for interstage coupling capacitors between sections of the pre-amp. Instead, the two disparate devices work seamlessly together, with no input or output capacitors, no interstage capacitors, and an overbuilt five-pole bias servo to smoothly supply instantaneous and unfettered power to all stages of the amplification and DAC circuits.”
Best Headphone Amps & DACs To Buy In 2019
January 17, 2019 Comments Off on Best Headphone Amps & DACs To Buy In 2019
Monoprice’s Monolith Liquid Spark
January 15, 2019 Comments Off on Monoprice’s Monolith Liquid Spark
“The amp’s front panel is straightforward, from left to right there’s a power button, 6.3mm headphone jack, a second four-pin stereo XLR balanced headphone jack, volume control knob and a tiny button that switches between the balanced XLR and single-ended RCA inputs. There’s also stereo RCA outputs. That’s it, the Liquid Platinum is an analog-only device, there are no digital inputs. What we get instead are two tubes poking through the top panel, they’re Electro Harmonix 6DJ8 tubes. The Liquid Platinum’s all-metal chassis feels solidly put together.”
Best headphones, portable and desktop digital gear and amps of 2018
January 14, 2019 Comments Off on Best headphones, portable and desktop digital gear and amps of 2018
Balanced Amplifier Roundup – Jotunheim, Mjolnir 2, NFB 1AMP and Soekris 1541
January 8, 2019 Comments Off on Balanced Amplifier Roundup – Jotunheim, Mjolnir 2, NFB 1AMP and Soekris 1541
World Premiere Review! Wells Audio Milo Headphone Amplifier $1699 Review
January 5, 2019 Comments Off on World Premiere Review! Wells Audio Milo Headphone Amplifier $1699 Review
“At $1699, I don’t think I have ever encountered an amplifier boasting the level of performance offered by the Milo. In fact, I’m fairly certain one would have to climb up into the neighborhood of $2500 to $3000 to get an amplifier with similar levels of sonic prowess. For owners of hard-to-drive planars like the HE1000, LCD-4 and especially the Abyss AB-1266, the Milo will help you tap into the deep levels of musical dynamism hiding beneath the surface in your flagship orthos. I certainly have not come across a similarly priced option that can unleash the beast within the Abyss quite like the Milo can. What’s more, the Milo will help you discover previously unknown levels of performance from mid-priced orthos. Really, do yourself a favor and pick up a used HiFiMAN HE400 for $200 bucks, plug it into the Milo and see what happens. Or break out that old HE500 or LCD-2 that has been sitting in your closet. The Milo will reward you handsomely with better sound than you ever knew your old headphones were capable of.
In terms of value, this is unquestionably one of the very best dollar-for-dollar bargains in all of high-end audio today. The amp just rocks, no two ways about it. If you have hard-to-drive headphones, are looking for a solid state amplifier and it is within range of your budget, the Wells Milo is an easy recommendation.”
BURSON FUN & BANG REVIEW
December 31, 2018 Comments Off on BURSON FUN & BANG REVIEW
“I am as impressed, if not more so with the Fun and Bang compared to the Play. I really like how Burson has taken this little potent black box system from a few months ago and expanded it out now to cover even more bases. Got a speaker system? Get the Bang. Got a DAC already? Get the Fun. Put them both together you got a small system right there that has brutal power for headphones and surprisingly levels of control and finesse for dedicated small room HiFi speakers and near-field monitors.
Of course, like the Play, the Fun and Bang sound best to me with the V6 Classic opamps. That’s a personal preference thing, the V6 Vivid could work really well for those who really want more low-end and better treble presence. The Basic configuration in the Fun is pretty good also with a decent DAC behind it. The transparent neutral tone has an edge over the harder sounding Play version.”
Tube 3 Ways – MidRange Amp Comparison
December 27, 2018 Comments Off on Tube 3 Ways – MidRange Amp Comparison
QUESTYLE AUDIO SHB2 MASTER DAC/PREAMP/HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER/WIRELESS RECEIVER $2,499
December 3, 2018 Comments Off on QUESTYLE AUDIO SHB2 MASTER DAC/PREAMP/HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER/WIRELESS RECEIVER $2,499
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As a final test I set the CMA Twelve MASTER to high gain and standard bias and while I don’t own a pair of headphones that would require such massive amounts of power I do know they exist, so it was important to verify that owners of said headphones would not be making fatal sacrifices. The noise floor remained ridiculously low (although to listen to music I had to lower the volume to a little over ¼ ). Harry Nilsson’s “The Lottery Song” (Son of Schmilsson – 16/44.1 kHz) was exceptionally musical despite being 16/44.1 kHz and running Class A/AB. Nicky Hopkin’s piano was full and rich and Harry’s voice was intimate and silky amidst a completely enveloping soundstage. I will admit though that the same track was a bit more honeyed in pure Class A.”
Audiophilepure 
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