Tag Archives: Headphone amps and amp/DACs

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A brand new reference: introducing the iFi Audio iCAN Phantom

Posted on by Hi-Fi+ Staff

From the iFi Audio press launch:

iFi’s new flagship analogue headphone amplifier delivers reference-quality sound with every part from hyper-sensitive in-ear screens to probably the most power-hungry electrostatic headphones 

Southport, England – Since its formation in 2012, iFi has persistently delivered headphone amplifiers which are rated on the prime of their class, from small and inexpensive transportable gadgets to high-performance amps to make use of at residence. 

For the previous seven years, the Pro iCAN and subsequent Pro iCAN Signature have represented the head of iFi’s vary, extensively recognised to be among the many most interesting headphone amps on the planet owing to their mixture of helpful versatility, glorious circuit design and supremely participating efficiency. But summer time 2023 sees the Pro’s crown usurped by a fair mightier headphone amp champ – the brand new iCAN Phantom. 

iFi’s new reference-class analogue headphone amp takes the Pro iCAN, refines and enhances each component of its circuitry to additional elevate its efficiency, incorporates know-how from the Pro iESL – beforehand a separate part – for electrostatic headphones, and provides a brand new, superior consumer interface and network-connected management system.  

The result's a headphone amp actually worthy of its flagship standing, with exemplary construct high quality, refined know-how, an unrivalled specification and memorable versatility, expertly engineered to drive each headphone kind to its full sonic potential. From ultra-sensitive IEMs, to the best dynamic driver and planar magnetic headphones, to probably the most power-hungry electrostatic designs, the iCAN Phantom delivers a very distinctive headphone expertise – exquisitely tailor-made to the necessities of the listener. 

Another string to the iCAN Phantom’s bow is its capability to carry out as a high-end hi-fi preamplifier, enabling headphones and audio system to be mixed in a single high-performance audio system. Whether you employ your favorite headphones to plug your self into an intoxicating non-public musical universe or interact your audio system to fill the room with superb sound, the iCAN Phantom is brilliantly engineered to put on the coronary heart of a house audio system for probably the most discerning of music lovers. 

What’s in a reputation? 

Ever for the reason that press dubbed a newly developed Rolls-Royce “Silver Ghost” within the early twentieth century, the well-known vehicle marque has given its fashions ghostly names, evoking qualities which are so extraordinary as to appear supernatural. There has been a “Phantom” within the Rolls-Royce vary since 1925, all the time revered for the exceptional high quality of its engineering, its distinguished look and eerily clean, quiet journey. 

These are qualities that iFi sought to mirror in its new flagship headphone amp, which is why the corporate named it the iCAN Phantom – the Rolls-Royce of headphone amplifiers. It exemplifies engineering excellence to ship distinctive, ultra-low-noise audio efficiency, coupled with a particular exterior design and dual-level black and silver end that echoes the two-tone color schemes adorning many Rolls-Royce automobiles for many years. 

 

iFi Audio iCAN Phantom
Supremely constructed with a dual-level black and silver end, the iCAN Phantom is the Rolls-Royce of headphone amps.

Building a flagship 

A flagship audio part needs to be constructed and completed to an distinctive normal and the iCAN Phantom definitely matches the invoice. It seems to be in contrast to every other headphone amp; its design provides the looks of two models, however it's in reality a single, dual-level machine, the complete peak of which is absolutely utilised by its multi-layer circuit design. Its enclosure measures 256x120x185mm (WxHxD) and is sturdily constructed from aluminium, with the underside layer sporting cable connections back and front, and the highest layer providing tactile controls and a vibrant OLED show. 

The prime of the iCAN Phantom incorporates a flush-fitting smoked glass panel, via which the amp’s circuitry – together with its glowing audio valves – could be glimpsed. Circular aluminium vents protrude from the glass, making certain the circuitry inside doesn't overheat. Clever design touches abound; for instance, when not in use the sockets on the entrance or again could be hidden by a neat aluminium panel that attaches magnetically. (This panel additionally holds the information playing cards for the electrostatic bias voltage settings – these are described later within the press launch.) The iCAN Phantom additionally comes with a gorgeous, straightforward to make use of aluminium distant management that places the handsets provided with many audio elements to disgrace. 

Valve or stable state – a story of two enter levels

Like the Pro iCAN earlier than it, the iCAN Phantom sports activities a number of distinctive options that set it other than different headphone amps. One such facility is the incorporation of two enter levels – one valve/tube-based, the opposite stable state – enabling the consumer to modify between the 2 in actual time. These enter levels are totally separate, which suggests they are often saved brief and direct for optimum purity somewhat than complicating the sign path (for instance, by switching tubes out and in of a single circuit). 

The absolutely discrete Class A solid-state enter stage makes use of J-FETs, whereas the all-valve Class A circuit contains a hand-selected, computer-matched pair of General Electric 5670 tubes (a premium variant of the 6922). This stage has two selectable modes – Tube and Tube+. The latter minimises general loop-gain and thus destructive suggestions, giving a distinct trade-off between the tube’s pure harmonics and the transient efficiency. The impact is like three amplifiers in a single, every with a distinct sonic presentation. 

iFi Audio iCAN Phantom
The swap to the left of the OLED show is used to pick between Solid State, Tube and Tube+

While it’s definitely enjoyable to have the ability to evaluate the variations between vacuum tube and solid-state sound in actual time, the inclusion of those two separate enter levels is rather more than a gimmick. With completely different supply gadgets, various music types and an abundance of headphone and speaker sorts accessible to listeners, every of those circuits come into their very own and could also be most well-liked at completely different occasions. For instance, the solid-state stage gives tempo and immediacy; the Tube mode provides fluidity and a free-breathing dynamic high quality; and Tube+ accentuates the sonic affect of the valves, delivering a spellbinding romantic heat that will swimsuit, for instance, acoustic and vocal musical types.

The provided GE 5670 tubes have an anticipated lifespan of round 100,000 hours. When ultimately the time comes to interchange them, the iCAN Phantom’s glass prime is definitely eliminated to supply entry. The amp can also be suitable with 6922 tubes (an adapter for the 6922’s pinout is included). 

PureWavePRO – reference-class absolutely balanced circuit design for the purest sound 

Balanced circuit design has lengthy been thought-about a righteous path to audio excellence in high-end amp design, however the time period ‘balanced’ is utilized in alternative ways and doesn't all the time imply the identical factor. The iCAN Phantom takes balanced circuit design to the acute – absolutely differential from enter to output, minimising noise and crosstalk within the sign path for final sonic purity. 

Essentially, ‘absolutely differential’ circuit design – or True Differential Balanced, as iFi calls it – signifies that every channel (left and proper) is absolutely separated within the circuit design, and every of those channels has two separate indicators of equal degree however reverse polarity (optimistic and destructive). This requires 4 separate amp circuits, two for the left channel and two for the fitting channel – rather more pricey and sophisticated to implement than single-ended circuit designs, however the sonic dividends are massively worthwhile. 

 

iFi Audio iCAN Phantom
The iCAN Phantom’s meticulous, multi-level circuit board structure options True Differential Balanced design

 

The iCAN Phantom’s True Differential Balanced circuitry is coupled to a quantity management with six decks – two decks for every channel (optimistic and destructive) with the ultimate two decks used for monitoring the amount management operation. The motorised quantity management potentiometer is custom-made by ALPS in Japan and is of remarkable high quality. 

Because the 2 halves of the amount management and the 2 halves of the amplification function differentially, they successfully change into a single stage. So, though the circuitry is elaborately carried out, it boils right down to the only design attainable for a headphone amplifier – a quantity management, a acquire stage and a present buffer. 

iFi has championed balanced circuit design for years and plenty of of its present amp gadgets in any respect method of costs incorporate balanced circuit rules. Since 2020, iFi’s most superior balanced circuit ideas have been collectively dubbed PureWave, referring to the sonic purity they obtain due to distinctive linearity and infinitesimally low ranges of noise and distortion. The iCAN Phantom’s True Differential Balanced circuit design, utilising the best high quality circuit elements, is the last word expression of those rules – that’s why iFi calls it PureWavePRO.

iESL know-how – for electrostatic headphones and extra

Most headphones create sound through the use of dynamic (or shifting coil) drivers to maneuver air. A smaller quantity use planar magnetic diaphragms, that are completely different in type and operation, however nonetheless use magnetic fields to trigger movement. At the excessive finish of the headphone scene there's one other, uncommon however fabulous sounding driver kind – electrostatic headphones. These incorporate an electrically charged diaphragm positioned between two conductive plates or electrodes; while dynamic and planar headphones are inclined to ship stronger bass response, nothing can beat the open soundstaging and magical excessive frequencies of a top-quality electrostatic design. 

For many headphone customers there's a important disadvantage – electrostatic drivers have extraordinarily excessive impedance, which suggests they want specialised amplifiers to spice up the voltage of the audio sign far, far greater than that required by different headphone sorts while additionally dropping the present of the sign to protected ranges. One approach of doing that is so as to add a separate unit known as an electrostatic ‘energiser’ to a daily amplifier; that is the strategy iFi took with its previous-generation Pro Series, which gave the choice of including the Pro iESL energiser to the Pro iCAN headphone amp. 

iFi has chosen to include its iESL energiser know-how throughout the iCAN Phantom, thereby making a single amplifier that may deal with each headphone kind with aplomb. But it’s not solely homeowners of electrostatic headphones who profit from this endeavour – the part high quality and intelligent circuit design required to ship such a excessive degree of efficiency with electrostatic headphones elevates the amp’s efficiency with different headphone sorts too. 

 

iFi Audio iCAN Phantom
The backside degree of the multi-layer PCB structure accommodates the PPCTs – seen right here on the left of their shielded enclosures

Transformer high quality is vital to sound high quality, which is why the iCAN Phantom incorporates custom-made PPCTs (Pinstripe Permalloy Core Transformer). These incorporate a GOSS/Mu-Metal hybrid core and sophisticated multi-section winding with each vertical and horizontal sectioning, utilizing extraordinarily skinny wire that's hand-wound with nice precision. This transformer is able to exceptionally broad bandwidth, ultra-low distortion and excellent linearity. 

The consideration to each circuit element is excessive, from enter to output. For instance, gold-plated silver contact relays, full of an inert gasoline, guarantee excellent efficiency over an extended lifespan, and meticulously engineered semiconductors, shielded from noise in gold-plated copper instances, ship constant, distortion-free sound. 

Powerful amplification delivers musical gratification 

The iCAN Phantom is a very highly effective headphone amplifier, able to delivering greater than 15,000mW from its balanced outputs and greater than 5,760mW from its single-ended outputs into 16 ohms. In phrases of voltage, it could possibly provide greater than 27V right into a 600-ohm load; in the case of electrostatic headphones, it delivers as much as 640V. 

The iCAN Phantom’s capacitive battery energy provide, initially developed for the Pro iESL and additional enhanced right here, is intrinsic to its excessive degree of efficiency. Rather than counting on a mains-powered switched-mode step-up circuit, a big battery of custom-made movie capacitors rated at 1,000V DC is charged and infrequently topped up utilizing mains energy. This ‘digital battery pack’ delivers pure DC, fully freed from AC and switching noise – the best high-voltage provide for electrostatic headphones. 

Two unbiased circuits ship the electrostatic bias voltage – one for 230V ‘regular’ bias and the opposite adjustable between 500V and 640V to ship an ideal match for each electrostatic headphone on the planet. (There’s extra details about deciding on ‘{custom}’ bias voltages under.) 

 

iFi Audio iCAN Phantom
A neat number of switches, buttons and dials enable the consumer to custom-tune the amp’s efficiency

Sonic tailoring for an immaculate match 

The alternative between solid-state and valve-based enter levels isn’t the one approach to make sure the iCAN Phantom’s efficiency completely matches your headphone choice and the music you play. A spread of adjustable settings allow you to dial within the excellent efficiency – right here’s a abstract: 

For dynamic and planar magnetic headphones and IEMs: 

  • Adjustable acquire Three settings – 0dB, 9dB and 18dB – allow the amp to exactly match the related headphones. Unity acquire (0dB) is helpful to make sure low noise with extra delicate headphones and IEMs, whereas the upper acquire settings benefit from harder headphone masses, delivering glorious dynamic headroom. 7 
  •  IEMatch This proprietary iFi circuit attenuates the output to raised swimsuit high-sensitivity IEMs (in-ear screens), eradicating potential background noise and rising the usable quantity vary. This could be optionally utilized to the three.5mm and balanced 4.4mm outputs. 
  • XBass analogue processing This proprietary circuit could be engaged to reinforce low frequencies, its sophistication enabling it to take action while sustaining bass definition and with out muddying the midrange. This is helpful with, for instance, some open-back headphones that sound bass-light; it ‘corrects’ the bass in order that the listener hears low frequencies because the artist meant. The iCAN Phantom gives three XBass steps – 10Hz, 20Hz and 40Hz – or it may be switched out of the sign path altogether. 
  • XSpace analogue processing Another proprietary analogue processing mode, XSpace is designed to reinforce soundstage width and depth. The iCAN Phantom contains two XSpace matrices, one for headphones and the opposite for audio system, with automated switching between the 2. XSpace for Headphones compensates for the ‘in-head localisation’ impact that may happen when listening to music that was combined utilizing audio system, widening the headphone soundstage to ship a extra spacious and speaker-like expertise. XSpace for Speakers will increase the width of the obvious soundstage past the width dictated by speaker placement. Both types of XSpace function a number of ranges that could be chosen in line with desire or switched out of the sign path fully. 

 

iFi Audio iCAN Phantom
Six knowledge playing cards enable bias voltage to be set exactly for each pair of electrostatic headphones

For electrostatic headphones: 

  • Custom bias voltage playing cards Electrostatic headphones have various requirement in the case of bias voltage. The iCAN Phantom has two outputs for electrostatics – one set on the ‘regular’ bias voltage of 230V, the opposite providing variable bias voltage between 500V and 640V, chosen by the consumer. It is feasible to wreck the headphones if the flawed voltage is chosen; to make this far much less seemingly, iFi has created a collection of information playing cards that specify completely different bias voltages (these are provided with the amp). Simply choose the cardboard that matches the headphone’s specification and pop it within the card slot – there are playing cards for 500V, 540V, 580V, 600V, 620V and 640V, every with a useful information on the again displaying which headphone model is suitable with that voltage.
  • Load impedance The impedance response could be adjusted from 16 ohms to 96 ohms. Lower impedance settings create a higher step-up and can produce a louder sound degree on the identical quantity setting. 
  • AC termination This low- and high-impedance setting for the shared node between the channels for bias impacts a posh set of parameters, however most noticeably the width and depth of the soundstage. 

iFi Nexus – network-connected management 

The iCAN Phantom is the primary product to include iFi’s Nexus module, which mixes with an app to supply a complete, scalable network-connected management system. The options that Nexus gives will develop over time; at launch, the Nexus app permits your Android or iOS machine to behave as a ‘tremendous distant management’ for the iCAN Phantom, offering entry to further options not accessible by way of the amp’s fascia or normal distant management. 

The app can show diagnostic data and permit the consumer to watch the iCAN Phantom’s operational situation in actual time – for instance, voltages, the situation and projected life span of the vacuum tubes and so forth. It may also be used to use over-the-air updates to the iCAN Phantom’s firmware, downloading and putting in replace information by way of your own home Wi-Fi community. 

Nexus might be integrated into extra iFi gadgets over time – for instance, a number of new mid- and top-tier DAC/amps set to reach later this yr will assist it. As the variety of Nexus-compatible iFi gadgets grows and the app’s performance expands, a network-connected iFi ‘ecosystem’ will develop – one app for all of your necessities, like a concierge service for iFi clients. It will allow further software-driven performance to be delivered and shared throughout present iFi gadgets, in addition to offering a direct technical assist service and even probably a web-based retailer throughout the app. 

 

iFi Audio iCAN Phantom
The iCAN Phantom’s black decrease part gives a plethora of connection choices back and front

 

Every connection – iFi’s received it coated 

The iCAN Phantom provides an array of balanced and single-ended connection choices. The headphone outputs are on the entrance, with the supply inputs and preamp outputs on the rear. Here’s a abstract:

Headphone outputs (dynamic/planar)  Source inputs 
1x 3-pin balanced XLR (L/R)  1x balanced XLR (L/R) 
1x 4-pin balanced XLR  3x RCA (L/R) 
1x 4.4mm balanced  Preamp outputs 
1x 6.3mm (optimistic part)  1x balanced XLR (L/R) 
1x 6.3mm (inverted part)  1x RCA (L/R) 
1x 3.5mm (S-Balanced) 
Headphone outputs (electrostatic) 
1x 5-pin regular bias 
1x 5-pin {custom} bias 

Price and availability 

The iCAN Phantom is out there from chosen retailers at an RRP of £3,749. Pre-orders are actually open, with retail inventory anticipated to reach on the finish of June. 

www.ifi-audio.com

Armour Home: +44(0)1279 501111

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World News

A brand new reference: introducing the iFi Audio iCAN Phantom

Posted on by Hi-Fi+ Staff

From the iFi Audio press launch:

iFi’s new flagship analogue headphone amplifier delivers reference-quality sound with all the things from hyper-sensitive in-ear screens to probably the most power-hungry electrostatic headphones 

Southport, England – Since its formation in 2012, iFi has persistently delivered headphone amplifiers which can be rated on the high of their class, from small and reasonably priced transportable gadgets to high-performance amps to make use of at dwelling. 

For the previous seven years, the Pro iCAN and subsequent Pro iCAN Signature have represented the head of iFi’s vary, extensively recognised to be among the many best headphone amps on the planet owing to their mixture of helpful versatility, wonderful circuit design and supremely participating efficiency. But summer time 2023 sees the Pro’s crown usurped by a fair mightier headphone amp champ – the brand new iCAN Phantom. 

iFi’s new reference-class analogue headphone amp takes the Pro iCAN, refines and enhances each aspect of its circuitry to additional elevate its efficiency, incorporates expertise from the Pro iESL – beforehand a separate part – for electrostatic headphones, and provides a brand new, superior person interface and network-connected management system.  

The result's a headphone amp really worthy of its flagship standing, with exemplary construct high quality, subtle expertise, an unrivalled specification and memorable versatility, expertly engineered to drive each headphone sort to its full sonic potential. From ultra-sensitive IEMs, to the best dynamic driver and planar magnetic headphones, to probably the most power-hungry electrostatic designs, the iCAN Phantom delivers a really distinctive headphone expertise – exquisitely tailor-made to the necessities of the listener. 

Another string to the iCAN Phantom’s bow is its capacity to carry out as a high-end hi-fi preamplifier, enabling headphones and audio system to be mixed in a single high-performance audio system. Whether you utilize your favorite headphones to plug your self into an intoxicating non-public musical universe or interact your audio system to fill the room with wonderful sound, the iCAN Phantom is brilliantly engineered to put on the coronary heart of a house audio system for probably the most discerning of music lovers. 

What’s in a reputation? 

Ever for the reason that press dubbed a newly developed Rolls-Royce “Silver Ghost” within the early twentieth century, the well-known car marque has given its fashions ghostly names, evoking qualities which can be so extraordinary as to appear supernatural. There has been a “Phantom” within the Rolls-Royce vary since 1925, all the time revered for the exceptional high quality of its engineering, its distinguished look and eerily easy, quiet journey. 

These are qualities that iFi sought to mirror in its new flagship headphone amp, which is why the corporate named it the iCAN Phantom – the Rolls-Royce of headphone amplifiers. It exemplifies engineering excellence to ship distinctive, ultra-low-noise audio efficiency, coupled with a particular exterior design and dual-level black and silver end that echoes the two-tone color schemes adorning many Rolls-Royce automobiles for many years. 

 

iFi Audio iCAN Phantom
Supremely constructed with a dual-level black and silver end, the iCAN Phantom is the Rolls-Royce of headphone amps.

Building a flagship 

A flagship audio part ought to be constructed and completed to an distinctive commonplace and the iCAN Phantom actually matches the invoice. It appears to be like in contrast to some other headphone amp; its design provides the looks of two items, however it's in reality a single, dual-level system, the total peak of which is totally utilised by its multi-layer circuit design. Its enclosure measures 256x120x185mm (WxHxD) and is sturdily constructed from aluminium, with the underside layer sporting cable connections back and front, and the highest layer providing tactile controls and a vibrant OLED show. 

The high of the iCAN Phantom incorporates a flush-fitting smoked glass panel, via which the amp’s circuitry – together with its glowing audio valves – may be glimpsed. Circular aluminium vents protrude from the glass, guaranteeing the circuitry inside doesn't overheat. Clever design touches abound; for instance, when not in use the sockets on the entrance or again may be hidden by a neat aluminium panel that attaches magnetically. (This panel additionally holds the info playing cards for the electrostatic bias voltage settings – these are described later within the press launch.) The iCAN Phantom additionally comes with a beautiful, straightforward to make use of aluminium distant management that places the handsets equipped with many audio parts to disgrace. 

Valve or strong state – a story of two enter levels

Like the Pro iCAN earlier than it, the iCAN Phantom sports activities a number of distinctive options that set it aside from different headphone amps. One such facility is the incorporation of two enter levels – one valve/tube-based, the opposite strong state – enabling the person to modify between the 2 in actual time. These enter levels are totally separate, which implies they are often stored quick and direct for optimum purity slightly than complicating the sign path (for instance, by switching tubes out and in of a single circuit). 

The totally discrete Class A solid-state enter stage makes use of J-FETs, whereas the all-valve Class A circuit includes a hand-selected, computer-matched pair of General Electric 5670 tubes (a premium variant of the 6922). This stage has two selectable modes – Tube and Tube+. The latter minimises general loop-gain and thus destructive suggestions, giving a distinct trade-off between the tube’s pure harmonics and the transient efficiency. The impact is like three amplifiers in a single, every with a distinct sonic presentation. 

iFi Audio iCAN Phantom
The swap to the left of the OLED show is used to pick out between Solid State, Tube and Tube+

While it’s actually enjoyable to have the ability to examine the variations between vacuum tube and solid-state sound in actual time, the inclusion of those two separate enter levels is far more than a gimmick. With completely different supply gadgets, various music kinds and an abundance of headphone and speaker varieties accessible to listeners, every of those circuits come into their very own and could also be most popular at completely different occasions. For instance, the solid-state stage presents tempo and immediacy; the Tube mode provides fluidity and a free-breathing dynamic high quality; and Tube+ accentuates the sonic affect of the valves, delivering a spellbinding romantic heat which will go well with, for instance, acoustic and vocal musical kinds.

The equipped GE 5670 tubes have an anticipated lifespan of round 100,000 hours. When ultimately the time comes to exchange them, the iCAN Phantom’s glass high is definitely eliminated to offer entry. The amp can also be appropriate with 6922 tubes (an adapter for the 6922’s pinout is included). 

PureWavePRO – reference-class totally balanced circuit design for the purest sound 

Balanced circuit design has lengthy been thought of a righteous path to audio excellence in high-end amp design, however the time period ‘balanced’ is utilized in other ways and doesn't all the time imply the identical factor. The iCAN Phantom takes balanced circuit design to the acute – totally differential from enter to output, minimising noise and crosstalk within the sign path for final sonic purity. 

Essentially, ‘totally differential’ circuit design – or True Differential Balanced, as iFi calls it – signifies that every channel (left and proper) is totally separated within the circuit design, and every of those channels has two separate indicators of equal degree however reverse polarity (optimistic and destructive). This requires 4 separate amp circuits, two for the left channel and two for the fitting channel – far more pricey and complicated to implement than single-ended circuit designs, however the sonic dividends are vastly worthwhile. 

 

iFi Audio iCAN Phantom
The iCAN Phantom’s meticulous, multi-level circuit board structure options True Differential Balanced design

 

The iCAN Phantom’s True Differential Balanced circuitry is coupled to a quantity management with six decks – two decks for every channel (optimistic and destructive) with the ultimate two decks used for monitoring the amount management operation. The motorised quantity management potentiometer is custom-made by ALPS in Japan and is of outstanding high quality. 

Because the 2 halves of the amount management and the 2 halves of the amplification function differentially, they successfully develop into a single stage. So, though the circuitry is elaborately carried out, it boils right down to the best design attainable for a headphone amplifier – a quantity management, a achieve stage and a present buffer. 

iFi has championed balanced circuit design for years and lots of of its present amp gadgets in any respect method of costs incorporate balanced circuit ideas. Since 2020, iFi’s most superior balanced circuit ideas have been collectively dubbed PureWave, referring to the sonic purity they obtain due to distinctive linearity and infinitesimally low ranges of noise and distortion. The iCAN Phantom’s True Differential Balanced circuit design, utilising the very best high quality circuit parts, is the last word expression of those ideas – that’s why iFi calls it PureWavePRO.

iESL expertise – for electrostatic headphones and extra

Most headphones create sound through the use of dynamic (or transferring coil) drivers to maneuver air. A smaller quantity use planar magnetic diaphragms, that are completely different in kind and operation, however nonetheless use magnetic fields to trigger movement. At the excessive finish of the headphone scene there may be one other, uncommon however fabulous sounding driver sort – electrostatic headphones. These incorporate an electrically charged diaphragm positioned between two conductive plates or electrodes; while dynamic and planar headphones are inclined to ship stronger bass response, nothing can beat the open soundstaging and magical excessive frequencies of a top-quality electrostatic design. 

For many headphone customers there's a important disadvantage – electrostatic drivers have extraordinarily excessive impedance, which implies they want specialised amplifiers to spice up the voltage of the audio sign far, far larger than that required by different headphone varieties while additionally dropping the present of the sign to protected ranges. One manner of doing that is so as to add a separate unit known as an electrostatic ‘energiser’ to a daily amplifier; that is the method iFi took with its previous-generation Pro Series, which gave the choice of including the Pro iESL energiser to the Pro iCAN headphone amp. 

iFi has chosen to include its iESL energiser expertise throughout the iCAN Phantom, thereby making a single amplifier that may deal with each headphone sort with aplomb. But it’s not solely homeowners of electrostatic headphones who profit from this endeavour – the part high quality and intelligent circuit design required to ship such a excessive degree of efficiency with electrostatic headphones elevates the amp’s efficiency with different headphone varieties too. 

 

iFi Audio iCAN Phantom
The backside degree of the multi-layer PCB structure accommodates the PPCTs – seen right here on the left of their shielded enclosures

Transformer high quality is important to sound high quality, which is why the iCAN Phantom incorporates custom-made PPCTs (Pinstripe Permalloy Core Transformer). These incorporate a GOSS/Mu-Metal hybrid core and sophisticated multi-section winding with each vertical and horizontal sectioning, utilizing extraordinarily skinny wire that's hand-wound with nice precision. This transformer is able to exceptionally large bandwidth, ultra-low distortion and excellent linearity. 

The consideration to each circuit element is excessive, from enter to output. For instance, gold-plated silver contact relays, stuffed with an inert gasoline, guarantee good efficiency over a protracted lifespan, and meticulously engineered semiconductors, shielded from noise in gold-plated copper circumstances, ship constant, distortion-free sound. 

Powerful amplification delivers musical gratification 

The iCAN Phantom is a very highly effective headphone amplifier, able to delivering greater than 15,000mW from its balanced outputs and greater than 5,760mW from its single-ended outputs into 16 ohms. In phrases of voltage, it might provide greater than 27V right into a 600-ohm load; with regards to electrostatic headphones, it delivers as much as 640V. 

The iCAN Phantom’s capacitive battery energy provide, initially developed for the Pro iESL and additional enhanced right here, is intrinsic to its excessive degree of efficiency. Rather than counting on a mains-powered switched-mode step-up circuit, a big battery of custom-made movie capacitors rated at 1,000V DC is charged and sometimes topped up utilizing mains energy. This ‘digital battery pack’ delivers pure DC, fully freed from AC and switching noise – the best high-voltage provide for electrostatic headphones. 

Two unbiased circuits ship the electrostatic bias voltage – one for 230V ‘regular’ bias and the opposite adjustable between 500V and 640V to ship an ideal match for each electrostatic headphone on the planet. (There’s extra details about choosing ‘{custom}’ bias voltages beneath.) 

 

iFi Audio iCAN Phantom
A neat choice of switches, buttons and dials permit the person to custom-tune the amp’s efficiency

Sonic tailoring for an immaculate match 

The alternative between solid-state and valve-based enter levels isn’t the one manner to make sure the iCAN Phantom’s efficiency completely matches your headphone choice and the music you play. A variety of adjustable settings allow you to dial within the good efficiency – right here’s a abstract: 

For dynamic and planar magnetic headphones and IEMs: 

  • Adjustable achieve Three settings – 0dB, 9dB and 18dB – allow the amp to exactly match the related headphones. Unity achieve (0dB) is beneficial to make sure low noise with extra delicate headphones and IEMs, whereas the upper achieve settings take advantage of harder headphone masses, delivering wonderful dynamic headroom. 7 
  •  IEMatch This proprietary iFi circuit attenuates the output to higher go well with high-sensitivity IEMs (in-ear screens), eradicating potential background noise and rising the usable quantity vary. This may be optionally utilized to the three.5mm and balanced 4.4mm outputs. 
  • XBass analogue processing This proprietary circuit may be engaged to boost low frequencies, its sophistication enabling it to take action while sustaining bass definition and with out muddying the midrange. This is beneficial with, for instance, some open-back headphones that sound bass-light; it ‘corrects’ the bass in order that the listener hears low frequencies because the artist supposed. The iCAN Phantom presents three XBass steps – 10Hz, 20Hz and 40Hz – or it may be switched out of the sign path altogether. 
  • XSpace analogue processing Another proprietary analogue processing mode, XSpace is designed to boost soundstage width and depth. The iCAN Phantom contains two XSpace matrices, one for headphones and the opposite for audio system, with computerized switching between the 2. XSpace for Headphones compensates for the ‘in-head localisation’ impact that may happen when listening to music that was combined utilizing audio system, widening the headphone soundstage to ship a extra spacious and speaker-like expertise. XSpace for Speakers will increase the width of the obvious soundstage past the width dictated by speaker placement. Both types of XSpace characteristic a number of ranges which may be chosen in line with choice or switched out of the sign path fully. 

 

iFi Audio iCAN Phantom
Six information playing cards permit bias voltage to be set exactly for each pair of electrostatic headphones

For electrostatic headphones: 

  • Custom bias voltage playing cards Electrostatic headphones have various requirement with regards to bias voltage. The iCAN Phantom has two outputs for electrostatics – one set on the ‘regular’ bias voltage of 230V, the opposite providing variable bias voltage between 500V and 640V, chosen by the person. It is feasible to wreck the headphones if the fallacious voltage is chosen; to make this far much less seemingly, iFi has created a collection of knowledge playing cards that specify completely different bias voltages (these are equipped with the amp). Simply choose the cardboard that matches the headphone’s specification and pop it within the card slot – there are playing cards for 500V, 540V, 580V, 600V, 620V and 640V, every with a useful information on the again exhibiting which headphone model is appropriate with that voltage.
  • Load impedance The impedance response may be adjusted from 16 ohms to 96 ohms. Lower impedance settings create a better step-up and can produce a louder sound degree on the similar quantity setting. 
  • AC termination This low- and high-impedance setting for the shared node between the channels for bias impacts a posh set of parameters, however most noticeably the width and depth of the soundstage. 

iFi Nexus – network-connected management 

The iCAN Phantom is the primary product to include iFi’s Nexus module, which mixes with an app to offer a complete, scalable network-connected management system. The options that Nexus presents will develop over time; at launch, the Nexus app permits your Android or iOS system to behave as a ‘tremendous distant management’ for the iCAN Phantom, offering entry to further options not accessible by way of the amp’s fascia or commonplace distant management. 

The app can show diagnostic data and permit the person to watch the iCAN Phantom’s operational situation in actual time – for instance, voltages, the situation and projected life span of the vacuum tubes and so forth. It will also be used to use over-the-air updates to the iCAN Phantom’s firmware, downloading and putting in replace recordsdata by way of your own home Wi-Fi community. 

Nexus can be integrated into extra iFi gadgets over time – for instance, a number of new mid- and top-tier DAC/amps set to reach later this yr will assist it. As the variety of Nexus-compatible iFi gadgets grows and the app’s performance expands, a network-connected iFi ‘ecosystem’ will develop – one app for all of your necessities, like a concierge service for iFi prospects. It will allow further software-driven performance to be delivered and shared throughout current iFi gadgets, in addition to offering a direct technical assist service and even doubtlessly a web-based retailer throughout the app. 

 

iFi Audio iCAN Phantom
The iCAN Phantom’s black decrease part presents a plethora of connection choices back and front

 

Every connection – iFi’s obtained it coated 

The iCAN Phantom provides an array of balanced and single-ended connection choices. The headphone outputs are on the entrance, with the supply inputs and preamp outputs on the rear. Here’s a abstract:

Headphone outputs (dynamic/planar)  Source inputs 
1x 3-pin balanced XLR (L/R)  1x balanced XLR (L/R) 
1x 4-pin balanced XLR  3x RCA (L/R) 
1x 4.4mm balanced  Preamp outputs 
1x 6.3mm (optimistic section)  1x balanced XLR (L/R) 
1x 6.3mm (inverted section)  1x RCA (L/R) 
1x 3.5mm (S-Balanced) 
Headphone outputs (electrostatic) 
1x 5-pin regular bias 
1x 5-pin {custom} bias 

Price and availability 

The iCAN Phantom is obtainable from chosen retailers at an RRP of £3,749. Pre-orders are actually open, with retail inventory anticipated to reach on the finish of June. 

www.ifi-audio.com

Armour Home: +44(0)1279 501111

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IsoAcoustics zaZen II Isolation Platform

Posted on by Neil Gader

An audio pal as soon as gave me recommendation about caring for A/V elements. It was one thing to the impact that “electronics don’t prefer to be disturbed—simply put them the place you need them and depart them alone.” Sure, I get it. Anything full of circuitry and bunches of delicate components by no means likes to be bumped, jostled, dropped, or in any other case. Beyond that, nevertheless, we now perceive that this “don’t contact” steering applies on the micro-level, as effectively. Thus, in the present day, the virtues of part isolation and stability have been effectively established. External or inside components like acoustic resonances, airborne vibrations, or mechanisms reminiscent of CD transports or turntable motors can disturb the sign and are anathema to greatest efficiency. Think of it this manner: Physically supporting an audio system is somewhat like constructing any construction—a room, a house. To the extent that its basis is weak or substandard, all the things that follows goes to be impacted negatively.

This is the place the specialty merchandise of IsoAcoustics are available. Based in Ontario, Canada, IsoAcoustics designs merchandise throughout all ranges and worth factors and at the moment sells in over 70 international locations. There are platforms for each audio system and subs, plus varied footers, turntable isolators, and supporting equipment that run the gamut. Easily, probably the most fundamental design is the tried-and-true isolation platform.

The zaZen isolation platforms are among the many newest choices to affix the IsoAcoustics line, and so they symbolize a ground-floor answer in a section the place the sky is the restrict. ZaZen is on the market in two sizes: the zaZen I ($199), with a weight capability of 25 kilos; and the zaZen II ($229), which handles as much as 40 kilos. Using a mix of mass and IsoAcoustics’ isolation expertise, zaZen offers a steady, low-profile platform with a low noise flooring, designed for turntables and audio elements. ZaZen incorporates a medium gloss black end over a heavy fiber development The platform may be very dense and, in accordance with IsoAcoustics, comprises no voids, making it a perfect acoustic materials for the job at hand.

Its footers use isolation expertise derived from the top-tier OREA and GAIA sequence, tuned to work inside particular weight ranges. They are product of a resilient elastomer and embody a high and backside isolator linked with a connector. Their efficiency, in IsoAcoustics’ phrases, “is a perform of how the three components work collectively and the traits of the supplies we use—the durometer (hardness) property, the viscoelastic properties, and the fabric thickness and form. There is a small concave space within the backside of the isolator that gives a suction-cup connection to smoother surfaces.” The isolators aren't adjustable, so the accountability falls on the proprietor to ensure the supporting floor beneath the zaZen II is stage.

During this analysis, I gathered my impressions utilizing elements that included the Aesthetix Mimas tube-hybrid built-in amp (with elective phono module), Parasound JC 3+ phonostage, and the dCS Puccini disc participant. Cutting proper to the chase, the zaZen II didn’t have an effect on system tonality or skew frequency response in a single path or the opposite. Its results had been extra refined however immediately perceivable. Overall steadiness per se remained the identical, however the zaZen II did make clear and hone the notion of particulars by including only a shade extra distinction and sharper focus and, to a lesser extent, by firming up bass response.

In explicit, the orchestral soundstage expanded wider with the ethereal fullness of ambient info. As I listened to Appalachian Journey, which options the crossover string trio of Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and fiddler Mark O’Connor, I famous that the gamers appeared to snap into place with larger fixity and fewer variability. I heard a discount within the tendency of pictures to  consistently “hunt” for place on the soundstage. I used to be notably impressed by the best way the zaZen II steadied and centered massive teams of choral singers, whereas additionally permitting larger individuation of voices. There was discernably much less congestion and crowding of pictures, which allowed for somewhat extra bloom. The IsoAcoustics additionally helped to take away a little bit of looseness, tightening the assault of orchestral kettle drums and jazz or rock drum kits. Even the radiating fullness and resonances of a piano soundboard appeared to realize a better diploma of decision and maintain.

How does the zaZen II stack as much as state-of-art-isolation like my Critical Mass Systems four-tier Sotto Voce tools rack? Keeping in thoughts that zaZen II is proscribed to comparatively small, light-weight elements, it nonetheless fared remarkably effectively. In comparability to the CMS, it couldn’t fairly confer the load or elicit the deepest background silences that underpin large-scale orchestral recordings or huge bands, however on key points like picture stability and low-level resolving energy the zaZen II gave this listener greater than a glimpse of the transparency that clever isolation can impart.

On shelf or sideboard, the IsoAcoustics zaZen II will combine nearly invisibly with the décor of an current den or front room. Visually low-impact, however sonically high-achieving, it supplied a superb basis for smaller price range methods. The main takeaway: zaZen’s steadying affect allowed extra of the fruits of a musical recording to be revealed and loved.

In conclusion, merchandise just like the IsoAcoustics zaZen II are a reminder of simply how far you may go within the excessive finish with out betting the farm. Unreservedly beneficial.

Specs & Pricing

Dimensions: 17″ x 1.4″ x 15.9″
Price: $229

ISOACOUSTICS INC.
39 Main Street North, Unit 5
Markham, ON, Canada L3P 1X3
(905) 294-4672
isoacoustics.com

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Burson Soloist 3X GT

Posted on by Kevin Fiske

The personal corner of the audio market is abuzz as vendors compete to out-do each other in the measurement stakes. Some of the latest personal audio amplifiers, many from China, almost defy electro-physics with distortion artefacts that are not just inaudible, but a challenge to detect with even the most sensitive of test gear. They also defy commercial convention with prices as low as £500-£600. Yes. If we believe that measurements tell us everything we need to know about how an amplifier will sound, that really is all we need to spend.

Burson from Australia has long been the exception to that rule and its new Soloist 3X GT combined personal audio amplifier and line stage is an intriguing product because the Soloist 3X GT doesn’t exactly push the measurements envelope. And neither does it cost £500 or £600. More like £2,500.

Burson Soloist 3XGT

Burson made a name for itself by designing and manufacturing op-amps for studio and OEM applications. The latest generation of Burson op-amps, such as the flagship V6 Vivid, are notable for being built with discrete components rather than being on-chip devices. Alongside, Burson has developed its own range of finished amplifiers and DACs, currently starting with the £544 Funk Class AB speaker/headphone amplifier and topping out cost-wise with the Soloist 3X GT.

Pure Class A

The Soloist 3X GT is a pure Class A design. It has a claimed +/-1 dB bandwidth of DC to 48 kHz. Burson provides no figures for channel phase balance. THD into headphones is quoted as 0.0015% and SNR as 112 dB into 16 Ohms; not class leading, but not shabby either.

Burson’s design aesthetic is impossible to mistake for that of any other audio manufacturer. From the diminutive Funk upwards, the company’s finished products have ribbed aluminium cases with front and back plates of smooth aluminium, all electro-plated in the same light grey. The design is an efficient heat radiator in its own right, and so it tells us something that the Soloist 3X GT has an internal cooling fan. It needs one because it draws 90 Watts even when idle, and that translates into grunt, at least in headphone amplifier terms, with a capital G. The output of 10 Watts per channel into a 16 Ohm XLR load and 640 mW into 600 Ohms is more than twice that of some of its competitors. Output halves if the single-ended TRS socket is used.

Burson Soloist 3X GT

The review sample was left running for four weeks constantly. From a distance of a foot or so, the fan was audible between tracks when using an open-back headphone, but at greater distances the whirr disappeared into the nominal 31 dBA background level of the listening room. The fan is a standard low-noise computer device, widely available, so replacements should not be a problem.

The Soloist 3X GT’s internal switching power supply is fed by a wall-wart and operates at 170 kHz. Also inside the distinctive case are a pair of symmetrical mono amplifiers, each using three V6 Vivid op-amps. Gain is governed by two high-end volume control chips. On the back panel are XLR and RCA inputs, XLR and RCA outputs, plus a RCA sub-out that can be used for both headphone and line stage outputs. There are also three 12V trigger sockets and a microphone by-pass socket. On the front a dimmable white OLED display shows the gain selected by the rotary control, while buttons give access to input and output configuration, display orientation and a menu of options including line-stage balance, three levels of gain and three levels of crossfeed.

Flagship challenge

I used a LCD-5 headphone for most of the listening sessions. Audeze’s latest flagship planar model presents a load of 14 Ohms with a claimed efficiency of 90 dB. Even on its lowest gain setting the Soloist 3X GT comfortably drove the LCD-5, requiring a volume setting of 79 from a maximum of 100 to achieve more than loud enough sound pressure levels. On the highest gain setting a similar subjective volume was achieved with the control set to just 14. With no signal on the input, even on its highest setting and with the volume wound up to maximum, the review sample was silent into the Audeze LCD-5 and a Sennheiser HD650. It is safe to assume that with this level of sophistication, and an output impedance of 0.5 Ohms, it would likely be a good match for sensitive in‑ear-monitors too.

Burson’s designers have declined to just focus on stats but instead also paid attention to the key musical qualities of dynamic agility, dynamic expression, tonal density and timing. The payback for this approach is apparent within seconds of pressing the play button on the first quality recording of acoustic material. Teamed with the Audeze LCD-5, the Soloist 3X GT rendered the drum beats in the intro to the opening track of the Tingvall Trio’s 2017 album Cirklar [Skip] with a distinctly high-end and satisfying sense of texture to the skin tension and shell resonances.

Burson Soloist-3XGT-Cool-Stand

For much of the second track on the same album, double bass player Omar Rodriguez Calvo mirrors the melody that pianist Martin Tingvall plays with his left hand. In the last 12 months I’ve heard several headphone amplifiers that boasted absolutely stellar measurements… yet rendered the two layers as a homogenised, untextured and sterile sound.

In contrast, the 3X GT made it possible not only to hear each player’s subtle timing variations but also to discern the distinct tonal and percussive characters of their instruments. If we are wondering how the Burson might be worth five times the price of a £500 amplifier that measurers perfectly, then maybe there’s our answer. Or at least part of it. Because the Soloist 3X GT demonstrated too, on the same track and in the span of a handful of bars, that it is more than simply a detail machine. Several times Calvo pops out from under Tingvall’s left hand to play a dazzling fill before diving back under again to resume doubling on the main figure. Here, the Burson showed class-leading levels of both dynamic agility and dynamic expression, making listeners jump in surprise at the weight, power and texture of Calvo’s double-bass. In the intro of the same track, the Bonham-esque polyrhythmic pattern played by drummer Jürgen Spiegel was accurately nailed with speed and exemplary timing.

Philip Glass Philip Glass Glass Glass Glass Philip

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under Robert Shaw playing Philip Glass’s Itaipu [Sony] is a reference recording of a towering, majestic work. Shaw makes full use of the impressive resources to hand, and the huge dynamic range and raw power of the performance poses a stern test of the entire audio chain, sometimes sending weak components into spasms of intermodulation, dynamic compression and flattened sound-staging. The Soloist 3X GT driving the Audeze LCD-5 headphone did not break a sweat.

I have to confess to being caught out. During a quiet passage and marvelling at the amplifier’s ability to throw perhaps the best sound stage available at or near the price, I was lured into winding the gain control ever upwards. So deep in concentration was I that I had temporarily lost my bearings in the piece, forgetting that a few bars on Shaw asks the orchestra and chorus for full throttle. When it came, the massive dynamic peak had me lunging in desperate self-preservation for the pause button on the CD transport, but not before registering that while the volume was painfully loud, the Burson had not lost its impressive level of composure.

Burson Soloist 3X GT

Complaints? I have but two. Why is there no way to turn off the display? Much headphone listening happens at night. Do we really want the womb-like hygge of our listening room ruined by penetrating OLED white? And why offer a balance function only on the line output? Few people have symmetrical hearing. But in every other respect the Burson Soloist 3X GT is an impressive package. Its neutral, natural, expansive and dynamically expressive abilities, coupled to that class-leading level of spatial resolution, makes it a serious contender for our money, putting it in a similar bracket to the Sparkos Labs Aries and the Benchmark HPA4, two notably high-achieving alternatives.

The Burson Soloist 3X GT is proof indeed, if proof were needed, that measurements do not always tell the whole story.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

  • Type: Class A dual mono headphone amplifier and line stage preamplifier
  • Inputs: 2× RCA stereo pair, 2xXLR stereo pair
  • Headphone outputs: 3.5mm stereo jack, 6.3mm stereo jack, four-pin XLR balanced
  • Outputs: 1× RCA stereo pair, 1× XLR stereo pair, 1× RCA subwoofer output
  • Headphone power: 10Wpc (XLR) and 5Wpc (single‑ended)
  • Gain levels: Three, matching headphones from 60db to 108db sensitivity
  • Volume control: 2 X MUSES72320 + V6 Burson Vivid op‑amp discrete buffer
  • Features: Speaker soundstage centring, three levels of hardware-based headphone crossfeed
  • Dimensions: 25.5 × 27 × 7cm
  • Weight: 5kg
  • Price: £2,499

Manufacturer:

Burson Audio

URL: bursonaudio.com

UK Retailers

Hifonix: hifonix.co.uk

Tel: +44(0)121 382 5444

HiFiHeadphones: hifiheadphones.co.uk

Tel: +44(0)1903 768910

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Auris Audio Nirvana IV brings big bass to headphones

Posted on by Hi-Fi+ Staff

The Auris Audio Nirvana is one of those amps that performs great with every single headphones you throw at it, from the most easy driving – dynamic to the hardest, planar magnetic, and the other way round.

*From the Auris Audio news release

The range of supported headphone impedances is huge – from 32 to 600 Ohm. Apart from the fact that it’s maybe too powerful, there absolutely isn’t a single thing you don’t like about the amplifier. It looks stunning and the separate power supply gives it an extra classy look. The external PSU, which delivers the best possible constant power (no AC) to the amp section – the safest choice when trying to achieve an audiophile performance.

Sound

Nirvana proves that bass performance from headphones can match the quality and the quantity of bass-via-massive-woofers. No loss of details, perfect clarity, precision and airiness with all the headphones plugged into it. In the matter of sound, Nirvana represents a blend of Auris Ha2 and Headonia amplifier, in the way that it takes the best of both. Balanced mode reveals many hidden layers of music and the reproduction becomes slightly more detailed.

It sounds like you’re in heaven with a dynamic, wide and very well layered sound with a good amount of warmth and tube smoothness. The Nirvana gets sound (and looks) just right and it simply is impossible not to like.

Auris Audio Nirvana IV rear

Technology

In technological terms, Nirvana qualities are reflected in:

  • Carefully selected and pre-tested tubes – should last for 10.000 hours. It is powered by iconic EL34 by Electro Harmonix, a most common pentode found in British amplifiers. The drive tube is ECC82 by Tung- Sol, popular in audio world as low-noise tube for most popular amplifiers circuits.
  • Transformers – manually wound on double C core and manufactured in-house in compliance with strictly defined requirements.
  • High quality components – branded Mundorf, Rubicon, Wima etc…

Design

Nirvana has evolved into a robust and durable aluminum case.
It is a piece of stylish design with an external power supply unit, attached to the main amplifier via a high quality 1m long umbilical cord.

  • Two transformers on the top of the amp are noticeable with a glass protection for tubes
  • Tubes are inserted into easily-accessible sockets on the top
  • The backlit VU meters and two headphone outputs ( 4-pin XLR + 6,3mm stereo )
  • Three dials/selectors for output impedance, volume and inputs
  • Two pairs of RCA inputs with a pair of 3-pin XLR power input on the back panel
  • Pre Out RCA output
  • PSU is made of aluminium chassis with a cord wrapped with a proper strain relief
  • Supported input voltage selector 110V/220 V

Footprint

Total Nirvana dimensions are 312mm ( W ) x 332mm ( L ) x 220mm ( H ) with weight of 11,4 kg.  PSU with 144mm ( W ) x 204mm ( L ) x 74mm ( H ), allows users to place it next to the amp or on a distance of 1m at most, considering to the length of interconnect cable.

Packaging

Nirvana comes in a large and hefty box. Unit is protected with a plenty of foam inside the box. The package includes full set of stock tubes, user manual and warranty card. Power cables are not included. The package weight is 17 kg, in total.

Read more.

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Chord Electronics Mojo 2

Posted on by Jason Kennedy

In an alarming “where does the time go” moment Chord Electronics has told us that it has been nearly seven years since they launched the Mojo portable DAC/headphone amplifier. I remember the launch at the Shard high above London Bridge station well, and the views from the toilets were spectacular! This time around there was no such ceremony; we live in restricted times but that hasn’t stopped Chord Electronics from making some pretty serious updates to its least expensive creation. That it has done so without significantly raising the price from the £399 it started out at is equally impressive in a world of silicon chip shortages and rising inflation.

Mojo 2 retails for £450 and remains a British made portable DAC and headphone amplifier that inhabits a solid aluminium case and is controlled by translucent spheres that change colour according to function. The new Mojo has a fourth button which is marked ‘M’ for menu and this provides an entry point to this model’s biggest advance over its predecessor; tone controls via DSP. This is a radical move to say the least, partly because tone controls are so unfashionable within hi-fi circles and significantly because no one else has done this on a portable DAC before. In fact, it’s hard to think of any DACs that have the sort of equalisation capabilities on offer in Mojo 2, Roon notwithstanding.

More than tone controls

This EQ isn’t a mere treble or bass adjustment such as is found on some amplifiers, it’s more of a shelf type of control which allows increases and decreases across frequency ranges, with bass adjustment at 20Hz, a 125Hz shelf, and mid and treble above a 3kHz shelf and at 20kHz. Chord Electronics has produced a video which better explains this but essentially it means that the output can be tailored such that headphones will produce a tonal balance that is either more neutral or more appealing, take your pick. Given that a flat response does not necessarily sound better end users are more likely to pick a response that makes their music more enjoyable through their headphones. It applies to the two headphone outputs which can also be connected to an amplifier so could be used to compensate for tonal variations in speaker and room acoustics.

Chord Electronics Mojo 2

DSP has been used to provide equalisation in a range of products for a number of years but our experience of it has rarely been positive, something is always lost when DSP is used to provide a more even frequency response. Chord Electronics’ digital design consultant Rob Watts points out that DSP doesn’t sound transparent, makes treble harder and loses detail resolution which results in a flatter sound. He explains that “Problem is that small signals lose amplitude accuracy, and the equalising DSP handles small signals differently to large signals as the signal fades into the resolution floor of the DSP. This creates a phase shift that is different for micro signals compared to large signals” and further that “The floating point nature of conventional 64 bit DSP means that it innately suffers from noise floor modulation”.

Watts has defined the specs required to achieve fully transparent EQ with DSP and they are both ambitious and mind boggling for the technically challenged so I won’t go into them, but will repeat that “small signal accuracy – needs to reproduce -301dB perfectly.” Which seems like a big number but is apparently what it takes to offer the degree of equalisation provided by Mojo 2. Another large number is the 705/768kHz required to ensure effective noise shaping, which means that low level signals do not get lost in the noise floor.

Complex Stuff

It’s complex stuff for anything let alone a portable DAC but Chord Electronics and Rob Watts appear to delight in cramming as much bleeding edge tech into their components as possible. The claim is that it runs “the world’s first lossless DSP”, and allows a wider volume range than the first Mojo of 126dB, so broad that it uses different coloured indicators to let you know whether you are in the high or low range, the change being made at -46dB which is slightly above the halfway point in output. There are of course more volume steps than colours available to indicate them so each colour represents a range of output levels with the maximum voltage being a substantial 5.3V. Headphone users might be interested to know that power output is 90mW into 300 Ohms and 600mW into 30 Ohms.

The four tone settings can be adjusted by plus or minus 9dB in 1dB steps and on top of this there are four crossfeed settings albeit one of them is ‘off’. Again the ‘polychromatic polycarbonate control spheres’ change colour to indicate the setting. Don’t lose the manual! Actually as the full manual is a PDF this isn’t really an issue.

Chord Electronics Mojo 2

Adjusting these settings requires a good memory and/or a user manual because you access them by pressing the menu button the requisite number of times to access a particular function then adjust that parameter with the volume buttons. For instance ‘menu’ button and ‘-’ volume allows brightness adjustment, or with the ‘+’ button to adjust crossfeed. Press the ‘menu’ button again for the 20Hz bass peak and again for the 125Hz bass shelf; it takes five presses to get to the 20kHz treble peak setting and the sixth press locks the controls. So absolutely no chance of confusion! It’s not all counting however, the menu button also changes colour to indicate what you are changing so that incompetent reviewers stand a chance of getting things right. In fairness, I’m not sure how Chord Electronics would make this easier without a display and that would raise the price and potentially cut its performance.

The Mojo 2 adds a USB C input to the micro USB (retained for Poly), on top of the minijack coax and Toslink array found on the first Mojo. It also matches the double minijack outputs at the other end of the compact case. These analogue outputs have been upgraded by eliminating coupling capacitors and incorporating a DC coupled output with a digital DC servo, a move claimed to deliver a more neutral tonal balance (if you don’t fiddle with the EQ that is).

Charging is via a second micro USB with battery status indicated by the power button, internal changes to battery management make for faster and, importantly, cooler charging, greater capacity and improved battery life, now claimed to better eight hours (on IEMs/headphones with USB). Chord Electronics has also improved the battery side of things for desktop users; the power supply has been redesigned so that sound quality isn’t compromised when the DAC is permanently connected to a charger.

Enter Poly

While Mojo 2 is predominantly designed for use on the move with a smartphone source it can be paired with the Poly streamer/server that couples to the case and can provide up to 2TB of music file storage via microSD card.

Switching on Mojo 2 prompts a merry dancing of lights for maybe 20 seconds before a relay clicks and it’s ready to roll, thereafter the colour of the power button indicates the incoming sample rate all the way from CD’s 44.1kHz to 768kHz with a final white button for any DSD format. Remembering which is which is not important but the order is similar to that for volume albeit there is a lot more range in the latter and only the upper end has the same colouring. The volume is obviously a lot more critical though, especially for headphone users who want to retain their powers of hearing, Chord Electronics make the point of advising users to take the level right down before first use.

Chord Electronics Mojo 2/Poly

My initial attempts to use the Mojo 2 were thwarted to the extent that a second sample was sent, when that one defeated me I sent a picture to Chord Electronics’ MD and tech guru Matt Bartlett who spotted that the micro USB cable I was using looked a bit skinny, and was possibly not a fully functioning data cable. As it was something I’d found in the bag of random USB cables it was probably a charging cable. Only when I went over to the very short cable supplied in the box (designed for mobile users) was the source able to see the DAC. This hurdle out of the way listening could progress.

I used the Mojo 2 with a Melco N10 digital library, plugged into its USB streaming port, which is admittedly not a typical application but it allowed the DAC to be assessed with a source that was not likely to hold it back or colour the results. The resulting sound using an Audioquest minijack to RCA phono lead into my system was thrilling, intense and very exciting but a little too forward for my tastes. The sound produced being fast and clean but a little too much so with less sophisticated music such as Slint’s fairly edgy Spiderland [Touch and Go]. With smoother material such as Abdullah Ibrahim’s Africa, Tears and Laughter [Enja] it delivered impressive dynamic range thanks to a very low perceived noise floor which let plenty of the quieter details through. A solo violin piece by Amandine Beyer [Outhere] was wonderfully open and immediate, too, but it also showed it was time to try out the tone controls.

It took a while to get used to these, and the manual needed to be at hand every time I did so, but the results were clear and I had plenty of fun trying different combinations of EQ tweaks across the two shelf settings; 125Hz and 3kHz. Each change was clear so long as I jumped two or three dB at a time and having discovered that increasing the 125Hz shelf had a thickening effect I started dialling down the 3kHz and arrived at -4dB as the best option for my system with the Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4s.

Now the balance was similar to the one I get with most mains-powered DACs and allowed Brokeback’s Looks at the Bird [Thrill Jockey] to deliver its full tonal depth, especially from the vibes and double bass. It wasn’t quite as immediate as the flat tone setting but was a lot easier and more relaxed; more importantly there didn’t appear to be any change to timing which is often undermined by DSP. This backs up Chord Electronics’ claim for transparent DSP, a state of affairs that was reinforced with everything I played from the dreamy grooves of Taylor McFerrin to the snappy drive of the Grateful Dead in full flight. The overall performance is extremely good for a DAC at this price and given that I was using fairly basic cables this is not as good as it can get.

There is no shortage of power nor of fine detail, I was impressed on several occasions at the way it could pick out the quieter sounds even when things were getting very busy musically speaking. This happened with ‘Cumberland Blues’ and ‘Gravity’s Angel’ where the organ is easy to follow as are the many effects going on behind the fundamentals of the song.

DAC to the Future?

Whether portable DACs have a future in a world that appears to be dominated by Bluetooth is open to debate but there are plenty of music lovers who realise that cables are small price to pay for great sound on and off the move. I tried the Mojo 2 with a pair of fairly modest Bowers and Wilkins P7 headphones and found that unlike that company’s loudspeakers the tonal balance here was dull through the midband. Bringing the 3kHz shelf back to its zero point did the trick though, it brought the headphones to life, and in a very positive way it has to be said. Now I was able to enjoy a wide range of music at sensible levels, something that has not been the case in the past. I particularly enjoyed Joan Osborne’s ‘Pensacola’ [Relish, Universal] and got a good shot of its emotional impact as well as an insight into its meaning that hasn’t come to the fore when played through the speakers before.

I take my hat off to Rob Watts and Chord Electronics for the way that they have managed to incorporate sophisticated equalisation into the Mojo 2 without compromising its excellent sound quality. Add to that this all metal and impressively well finished little device is made in the UK for a price that competes with the best in the business and you have a bona fide winner.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

  • Type: High-resolution portable headphone amplifier/DAC
  • Inputs: One TOSLink optical input, one micro USB input, one USB C input, one coaxial/dual-data coax via 3.5mm minijack
  • Outputs: Two 3.5mm headphone jacks
  • Device drivers: Not specified
  • Digital Filters: 40,960 tap-length digital filters
  • Battery: Sufficient power at full charge for 8+ hours of operation. The Mojo 2 can also be powered from a 2V USB power supply
  • Frequency Response: Not specified
  • Headphone output: 90mW into 300 Ohms, 600mW into 30 Ohms
  • Power Output – at 1% distortion: 300 Ohms, 90mW; 30 Ohms, 600mW
  • Accessories: USB-A-to-USB-Micro cable, optional Poly wireless streamer
  • Dimensions (H×W×D): 21 × 82 × 62mm
  • Weight: 182g
  • Price: £449

Manufacturer:

Chord Electronics Ltd.

Tel.: +44 (0) 1622 721444

URL: chordelectronics.co.uk

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Introducing the Enleum HPA-23RM Reference Headphone Amplifier

Posted on by Hi-Fi+ Staff

*From the Enleum news release

Following on the global success of our Enleum AMP-23R compact high-end amplifier, we now launch one of our highly anticipated products, a dedicated headphone amplifier, HPA-23RM.

HPA-23rm

The HPA-23RM is based on the AMP-23R’s core circuits and our legacy product Bakoon HPA-21, created to be versatile as it is for both high-end desktop usage and mobile usage – hence using “R” for reference and “M” for mobile in the product name. It contains two amplifiers in one package as it employs both voltage and current outputs. Thanks to our circuit advancements in recent years, the HPA-23RM contains the latest reference circuits and designs in a smaller form factor, yet still powerful enough to drive demanding headphones. Furthermore, with the technological advancements in the battery power supply design and efficient thermal design, one can now listen to Enleum’s reference circuits in a much smaller package.

HPA-23RM

The HPA-23RM of course continues the new Enleum family design with its organic waveform heatsinks, the faceted volume dial and minimalistic, clean design – and we are proud to share that it has actually already been awarded in the Red Dot Design Award this year.

HPA-23RM

Due to current circumstances in the industry, the production quantity will be limited to 250 units in 2022. Enleum and its dealers will take pre-orders with a deposit now, and the first batch of 250 units is expected to start shipping in November, 2022. The MSRP is $3,000 in the United States and is subject to local adjustments and taxes in global markets.

For more information on the HPA-23RM, please visit our new website at https://enleum.com/hpa-23rm/ and our YouTube video clip on the HPA-23RM:

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Astell & Kern A&ultima SP2000T

Posted on by Simon Lucas

I don’t care what it is, if it costs £2,000 I want it in a wooden presentation box. Or, because I’m writing for Hi-Fi+ (which knows a pricey product when it sees one), I should really say “if it’s smaller than a paperback book and it costs £2,000, then I want it in a wooden presentation box’.

Astell & Kern, of course, is no stranger to the ‘small but pricey’ area of electronics. As the ‘anglicised for nervous Westerners’ arm of South Korea’s iRiver brand, Astell & Kern has been delivering increasingly expensive, increasingly extravagantly specified media players since 2013. And while the A&ultima SP2000T (don’t ask me – it’s a fool who looks for logic in Astell & Kern’s model-naming choices) isn’t the company’s most expensive portable music player (that honour currently belongs to the £3,399 SP2000 – see model-naming comment above), at a fraction under two grand it’s nevertheless pricey.

Mind you, if it’s ‘extravagantly specified’ you want, you’ve come to the right place. The SP2000T may be on the chunky side (141 × 78 × 18mm, hwd), but when you consider the sheer amount of ‘stuff’ that’s involved here it’s slightly surprising it’s not the size of a backpack.

Attention-grabbing

The most attention-grabbing feature here is almost certainly the Tr‑Amp system. As well as Astell & Kern’s more usual op-amp amplification, the SP2000T is also fitted with dual-triode KORG Nutube 6P1 amplification – because nothing says ‘high-resolution digital modernity’ like a valve amp, right? And by way of an encore, it’s possible to select ‘Hybrid Amp’ mode – which seeks to combine the ‘clarity and dynamism’ of the OP amp with the ‘uniquely warm and musical’ anode grid filament tube amp sound. And in the SP2000T’s (necessarily lengthy) ‘settings’ menus, there are five degrees of, um, hybridness – so in grand total the Astell & Kern has seven individual emphases where amplification is concerned. A fabulous prize (subject to non-availability) to the first reader who gets in touch with a credible reason why this isn’t enough.

 

Before your digital audio signal gets anywhere near your own personal amplification choices, it gets a thorough seeing-to from the SP2000T’s four (count ‘em!) ESS Sabre ES9068AS DACs. Deploying two DACs per channel (especially 32bit/DSD512-capable DACs such as these) in an effort to achieve the most detailed and balanced sound possible is a bold move, and one that’s to be applauded. And at the business end, the SP2000T features three headphone outputs: balanced 2.5mm and 4.4mm sockets, plus a 3.5mm unbalanced alternative.

In light of this thoroughgoing headline specification, it probably won’t come as all that much of a surprise to find the SP2000T’s engineering is equally purposeful in every other respect. Wireless connectivity, for example, is achievable via dual-band wi-fi or Bluetooth 5.0 with compatibility with SBC, AAC, aptX-HD and LDAC codecs. All popular file types (and quite a lot of unpopular ones too) are catered for, including FLAC, WAV, DSF and MQA. Life from the 4200mAh Li‑Polymer battery is around nine hours (as long as you haven’t ticked all the most esoteric options where file-type, wireless connection and what-have-you goes) and it can be charged from flat to full in around three hours. The capacitive display is a big five inches and a crisp 1920 × 1080 Full HD resolution.

On and on…

We could go on, but there seems no need to (further) labour this particular point. The Astell & Kern A&ultima SP2000T is a lavishly specified portable music player.

Which is all well and good, of course, but the enjoyment that comes from reading such a fulsome spec-sheet can only ever be fleeting – the proof of the pudding etc and so on. So in an effort to get a proper flavour of the Astell & Kern, some of its 256GB of internal memory (which can be expanded using a microSD card of up to 1TB) is loaded with content in sizes ranging from 320bit and 16bit/44.1kHz MP3 through 24bit/192kHz FLAC to 2.8Mhz DSF and MQA. And then it’s connected to a domestic wireless network where it has access to a similarly wide selection of file types and sizes. The option of wireless headphones is taken up by Grado GT220 and Bang & Olufsen HX, and a wired connection is made using Sennheiser IE900 in-ear monitors and Montblanc’s startlingly capable MB-01.

First things first, though – and that’s deciding on the sort of sonic characteristics you like your amplification to have. And while it would be unfair to suggest I don’t appreciate all the efforts Astell & Kern has gone to when it comes the the amplification deployed here, or its supposed flexibility where different types of music are concerned, there’s no denying that (for me, at least) there’s one setting on the SP2000T’s amp settings that works best. And it works best no matter if you’re listening to the ramshackle indie-pop stylings of Car Seat Headrest’s Teens of Denial [Matador] as a 16bit/44.1kHz MP3 file, Stevie Wonder’s immortal Innervisions [Tamla] as a 2.8Mhz DSF or Can’s Live in Brighton 1975 [Mute] as a 24bit/96kHz FLAC. In the ‘AMP’ section in the ‘Settings’ menu, select the ‘Hybrid’ option dialled two stops away from the pure ‘Tube’ setting. Any other position will be subtly, but to my mind unarguably, inferior.

Staggeringly informative

There’s no two ways about it: the Astell & Kern A&ultima SP2000T is a staggeringly informative, thrillingly musical and thoroughly entertaining listen. I’m not sure of the exact number times I’ve listened to Stevie Wonder’s ‘Higher Ground’, though obviously it’s up in the hundreds – and yet there is nuance previously unheard, harmonic variation previously unnoticed and space between sounds previously unobserved, all revealed by the SP2000T. Its attention to detail is getting on for fanatical – every slur of a drumstick across a drum-skin is distinct from every other, and every off-mic ‘wooh’ is an audibly individual event. If the most transient, fleeting aspects of a recording interest you as much as the entirety of a performance, this is the small-ish, chunky-ish portable music player for you.

The song is presented on a wide, authoritatively organised sound-stage with tremendous width and no little depth. Despite the fairly busy mix and the multiple instrumental strands scrapping for primacy in there, the way they’re separated and isolated makes them very easy to follow right down to their most minor dynamic variations. And don’t let the word ‘isolation’ give the impression that the Astell & Kern is anything other than superbly integrated and unified on an almost molecular level – it is.

The warm analogue tonality of the recording is carried over intact, with everything from clavinet to horns bathing in that early-70s high-end hi-fi sheen – this song fairly glows in the SP2000T’s hands. The top of the frequency range features a winning balance between bite and shine, with the sibilance of the percussion always just about on the right side of the line. And in between, there’s a directness and an immediacy about the vocal performance that is only partly explained by the fact the singer sounds like he’s mic’d from mere nanometres away from his mouth. The Astell & Kern hands over every last shred of information, and as a consequence Wonder’s timbre, his technique, his commitment and his level of engagement are utterly apparent – and literally hair-raising as a result.

Festival of pointy corners

It almost goes without saying that a product like this is not for everyone. It’s relatively big and heavy (309g), for starters, and Astell & Kern’s long-established aesthetic means the chassis is a festival of pointy corners. Then there’s the price, of course – unless you take your portable audio experience deeply seriously, is there really so much to be gained by spending a couple of grand on a device that only does something your smartphone can do already?

Well yes, actually. If you have the wherewithal, and if you have money for similarly talented headphones, and if you find yourself in transit a lot of the time, it’s hard to know how you might better spend this not-inconsiderable sum. The amount of enjoyment the Astell & Kern offers is prodigious, as is its capacity to reveal facets of recording you might previously have imagined yourself familiar with. It manages to balance a borderline-forensic analysis of a recording with a deep understanding of the same recording’s primary purpose as a piece of entertainment.

And it’s not like you have to take the wooden box along for the ride.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

  • Type: Solid-state portable music player with expandable storage
  • Storage: 256GB integrated, expandable by up to 1TB via microSD
  • Analogue Inputs: n/a
  • Digital Inputs: USB-C (charging only)
  • DAC Resolution/Supported Digital Formats: PCM: 8kHz–384kHz (8/16/24/32bit); DSD Native: DSD64 (1bit/2.8MHz)/DSD128 (1bit/5.6MHz)/DSD256 (1bit/11.2MHz)/DSD512 (1bit/22.4MHz); WAV, FLAC, WMA, MP3, OGG, APE, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, DFF, DSF, MQA
  • Analogue Outputs: Unbalanced out (3.5mm)/Balanced out (2.5mm, only 4-pole supported) Balanced out (4.4m, only 5-pole supported)
  • Digital Outputs: Optical out (3.5mm)
  • Frequency Response: ±0.024dB (Condition: 20Hz~20kHz) Unbalanced / ±0.038dB (Condition: 20Hz~20kHz) Balanced ±0.027dB (Condition: 20Hz~70kHz) Unbalanced / ±0.052dB (Condition: 20Hz~70kHz) Balanced
  • Distortion (THD + Noise): 0.0003% @ 1kHz, Unbalanced/0.0003% @ 1kHz, Balanced
  • User Interface: 5in 1920 × 1080 touch display
  • Other Features: Bluetooth V5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, Qualcomm® aptX™ HD, LDAC)
  • Dimensions (H×W×D): 141 × 78 × 18mm
  • Weight: 309g
  • Price: £1,999 (price correct at time of review)

Manufacturer: Astell & Kern

URL: astellnkern.com

Distributor: Armour Home Electronics

URL: armourhome.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 1279 501111

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Warwick Acoustics BRAVURA electrostatic headphone system

Posted on by Alan Sircom

If you cast your mind back to the early days of Warwick Acoustics, its first product that set the wheels in motion for its high-end and even automotive plans, was the Sonoma M1 electrostatic headphone and amplifier. Although largely eclipsed by the APERIO system, the Sonoma M1 is still on Warwick Acoustics’ books. At least, for now.

The BRAVURA is the result of three years development into Warwick’s unique HPEL (High-Precision Electrostatic Laminate) drive unit, the core of Warwick’s transducer system for its headphones. It’s designed as a direct, drop-in replacement for the Sonoma M1 Headphones, so those with the original matching Sonoma M1 Amp can simply buy a new pair of BRAVURAs. It’s also available as a complete kit, including the Sonoma Amp. The latter is also available in a spiffy new black finish to run alongside the existing deep brushed ‘Silver’ model. This ‘Black Edition’ and the Silver Sonoma amps are available separately, with the idea that owners of the original M1 who fancy a bit of a change to the desktop can buy a new amp/DAC. I think what’s more likely is Sonoma M1 owners will try the BRAVURA with their existing DAC, end up keeping both headphones, and adding a second Sonoma amp/DAC for a second room system at a later date. For reasons that will become clear later, I think the number of people who will try the BRAVURA system and decide the M1 is still for them is likely fairly small. Regardless, it’s good to keep all the options open.

Put simply, if you already own a Sonoma M1 then you can buy the BRAVURA just as a headphone, but if you don’t then you will need to buy the BRAVURA and the Sonoma M1 Amp as a complete system. And now, you can buy the Sonoma M1 Amp in a rich shade of black. The nomenclature could get a little tangled, so for the sake of clarity, ‘Sonoma M1’ means the previous headphone/amp system while ‘Sonoma M1 Headphones’ or ‘Sonoma M1 Amp’ refers only to that specific part. It’s simpler than it sounds… honest!

A lot has happened since the original Sonoma M1 launched, and given the similarities – and more importantly – the differences between Sonoma M1 and BRAVURA, it’s worth climbing into the Wayback machine to run through that Sonoma M1.

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Manley Labs Stingray II integrated amplifier

Posted on by Jason Kennedy

The history of hi-fi in movies is not a long one but there have been some notable examples; the Nakamichi cassette deck seductively spinning a tape on 9 ½ Weeks, the TEAC reel to reel that steals the scene in Pulp Fiction and – most recently – the appearance of a Manley Stingray II amplifier in Another Round, winner of the Best International feature film Oscar in April this year. It’s not hard to see why director Thomas Vinterberg would have chosen it, on style terms alone the Stingray is a distinctive piece of kit even before the glass starts to glow. I was struck by the way that the front of the amp, where the controls are, appears to be floating with the only visible legs being at either end of the diamond-shaped chassis. This is achieved by having the weight of the mains and output transformers at the back on the other two legs which counterbalances the front.

Manley Stingray II

The Stingray II is an integrated amplifier with four EL84 output tubes per channel that can be run in triode or ultra-linear modes, the former specced at 20 Watts and the latter push-pull arrangement doubling the output. This tube is not found in many amplifiers today but made its name in one of the classic tube amplifiers of yore; the Leak Stereo 20 where a single pair of EL84s per channel delivered a sound that continues to charm listeners to this day. The Stingray II is more powerful and has a significantly wider range of features including inputs and outputs on the flanks either side of the controls. One of these is a minijack input for smartphones and computers and the other a 1/4” headphone jack. This last connects to the output from the output transformers and is a fine headphone amplifier, especially in triode mode.

A processor under the bonnet allows the Stingray II to be controlled remotely by either RF or IR commands, the walkie-talkie style handset can be run in either mode and allows operation from another room should the urge take you. Despite (or because of) its substantial size, this handset is quite nice to use, one of the few that’s designed for those with less than dainty digits, and if you look hard you’ll find most of the controls you need. Unlike many modern tube amps the Stingray II doesn’t have an auto bias system, instead there is a multi-meter and screwdriver in the box alongside clear instructions on how to set the current going through each tube. I gave this a go and found that the bias was close to the required 250mV on each, fine tweaking of each allowed it to be set precisely and quickly.

One of the quirks of the Stingray II chassis shape is that the socketry is on the back of either flank, which means that cables stick out at 45 degrees and those for left and right channels are quite far apart. If your interconnects aren’t attached to one another that’s not really a problem, but it does make for a more cable rich appearance that some might find an aesthetic challenge. There are three line inputs on RCA only alongside a record loop which effectively forms a fourth input and can be selected with the arcanely marked ‘insert’ button on the remote. The minijack on the front forms another input of course. The way this amp looks can be changed by altering the display which can be dimmed permanently or timed out after a specified duration, you can even select ‘starlight’ mode where you can choose how many of the LEDs twinkle “in a (mostly) random sequence”. Cool.

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