Woo Audio WA33 Balanced Headphone Amplifier $15,000 Review
August 4, 2018 Comments Off on Woo Audio WA33 Balanced Headphone Amplifier $15,000 Review
“There have been several songs that have been thrown to the zeitgeist of audiophile tracks as references for music that fully represents entire spectrum of sound for testing purposes. During a tour of Harmen’s testing facilities in California, researcher Sean Olive expressed a nomination for Tracy Chaplin’s Fast Car. While not the most uplifting song every penned, it does a fine job as an amplifier illuminator. Though the WA33 the polished dynamics of the tube driven amp really laid the foundation for a capability to be drawn into the music. The bass was so supportive of the rest of the mix, the overall presentation sounded accurate, but also fun. If one was to break down the feeling into more certain terms, you could look at two separate, but intertwined ideas. 1. its relaxed 2. its intimate. This Woo isn’t relaxed in the sense that it has opened its grip on transparency, control or otherwise, but rather it finds a balance between the analytical nature of pureform detail pass-along and the slowly creeping edge of overpopulating the notion of information presentation. It’s the emotional equivalent of someone saying “relax, we got this” before coordinating a game winning play. There both confidence and authority in the delivery. The intimacy is derived from a robust tonal structure that fills in the lost spaces between reality and recreation. T
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HEADAMP GILMORE LITE MK2 CLASS A HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER – REVIEW
August 2, 2018 Comments Off on HEADAMP GILMORE LITE MK2 CLASS A HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER – REVIEW
“It is rare that I come away so impressed with a piece of gear. While many other amplifiers struggle to overcome basic issues like cheap parts, inconsistent volume controls, sketchy build quality, etc., here comes a really nice piece of gear that does absolutely everything well for the very reasonable price of $499. I applaud HeadAmp for their attention to detail and quality in the build – it is thorough and if there is a weak spot, I haven’t found it yet. This is the polished, professional level of quality I wish we could expect from every manufacturer, but alas, that is not the case.”
XI AUDIO FORMULA S REVIEW
July 29, 2018 Comments Off on XI AUDIO FORMULA S REVIEW
“I actually think the Studio 6 has excellent treble detail and it is on par with the Formula S in that regard. However, the positioning and timbre are slightly different. The Formula S treble has a bit more presence and perceptible articulation. I would content it is neutral in positioning though slightly further forward and more energetic sounding than the Studio 6. The 6 is more relaxed in its top-end, easier going but that should be no surprise given its tube design.”
CanJam London 2018 First Look – Video
July 18, 2018 Comments Off on CanJam London 2018 First Look – Video
SCHIIT VALI 2 TUBE HYBRID HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER/MODI MULTIBIT DAC REVIEW
July 13, 2018 Comments Off on SCHIIT VALI 2 TUBE HYBRID HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER/MODI MULTIBIT DAC REVIEW
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But, the real diamond here is the Schiit Vali 2. If you have not heard a proper tube amp, you owe it to yourself to do so. The Vali 2 is incredibly musical, providing a sweet mid range, deep authoritative bass, unrestrained highs, excellent dynamic range and detail, with an exceptionally low noise floor, and the power to drive most headphones without issue. Is their a better tube amp out there, well the Lyr 3 comes to mind, but at three times the price. The Vali 2 is a personal indulgence, a guilty pleasure if you will, I would go so far as to say that if you don’t have a tube amp in your collection, buy a Vali 2, for a $149, how could you go wrong, and you will add a dimension to your music enjoyment hitherto unexplored.”
Woo Audio WA33 Elite headphone amplifier $8,000 Review
July 4, 2018 Comments Off on Woo Audio WA33 Elite headphone amplifier $8,000 Review
The WA33 Elite is a tube amplifier, so yes it has some tube noise/hiss lurking in the background, but it was only audible when I played quiet music or movies. I do have issues with the four small knobs flanking the volume control, turning them they feel clunky and stiff, for this kind of money I want smooth and buttery.”
SCHIIT LYR 3 HYBRID MODULAR TUBE HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER $500 REVIEW
June 13, 2018 Comments Off on SCHIIT LYR 3 HYBRID MODULAR TUBE HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER $500 REVIEW
“Unlike many tube headphone amps that exhibit the rolled off high frequencies and bottom end that a seeming majority of electrical engineers think is the “tube” sound, the Schiit Lyr 3 produces a true audiophile sound with extreme linearity in both the low bass extending into the subsonic and the upper registers, while retaining the musicality of midrange to tame the occasionally aggressive precision of the Schiit Multibit DAC. Despite the use of a shared tube for both channels, the stereo separation was competitive with many dual mono amps I have heard, and while the soundstage is a bit shallower than I prefer, it does depend a lot on which headphone you listen to, as listening through the Katanas put me exactly where I wanted to be. As to power and dynamic range, I can’t imagine a headphone that the Lyr 3 couldn’t drive easily and produce clean clear concert level volumes for those who wish to damage their hearing. I did find myself listening to higher volumes than I would normally without any fatigue, and could easily get lost in the music for hours.”
Dragon Inspire IHA-1 Tube Headphone Amplifier Review
June 10, 2018 Comments Off on Dragon Inspire IHA-1 Tube Headphone Amplifier Review
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