The hi-fi separates route suits a lot of people, but sometimes you just need one device with many different talents. And the Dorpo DMP-A1 is just that: a multi-source digital music player, streamer, headphone amplifier, preamp and DAC, all in one.

Pretty much whatever your setup, it can play a part.

Streaming? It supports Tidal, Spotify and Qobuz (including their Connect versions), Apple Music and Amazon Music, along with Roon, AirPlay, DLNA, and Bluetooth for wireless playback.

It supports lossless playback up to 32-bit/768kHz, with FLAC, WAV, APE and MQA decoding. It also plays nice with DSD files up to DSD512 (native) including DSF, DFF, SACD ISO and DST.

Inside is the ESS flagship ES9039S Pro chip, which is designed for audiophile-grade equipment. This DAC combines with the high-precision, low-jitter dual clock, to deliver low distortion and noise, making for "crystal-clear audio and an exceptional high-fidelity music experience."

It also features the third-generation XMOS XU316 audio processor, which promises "outstanding processing speed and high USB bandwidth".

The DMP-A1 can double as a preamp and headphone amplifier, with its DAC-to-analogue output pathways processed by a fully balanced differential amplifier circuit. By keeping it separate, it eliminates crosstalk, making for better channel separation and lower noise. And it can be connected to a power amplifier or pair of active speakers.

The audio and digital circuits are fed by separate power supplies, which helps optimise the performance while also adapting to different mains standards around the world.

If you're listening through some of the best wired headphones, you can take advantage of the DMP-A1's 6.35mm and balanced 4.4mm outputs. It promises to drive a wide range of high-end headphones, from 6-300 ohms impedance. And for other uses, it includes a decent array of connections, including optical, coaxial, asynchronous USB, Bluetooth and ARC.

There's also a slot for a high-speed M.2 NVME 3.0 2280 SSD, which would provide up to 8TB of storage space for music files. You can turn the whole system on or off with one click, when the DMP-A1 is paired with compatible audio devices.

That chassis is made from precision-machined aluminium with a frosted metal finish. The five-inch LCD touchscreen shows the Funplay UI (which is built on Google's Android operating system). You can also control the DMP-A1 from the mobile app, dp SmartController.

Looks like a very versatile device, with impressive specs to boot – especially from a new brand to the market. It will be available in the UK early in the second quarter of the year (April – June), and will cost £1799 (around $2400 / AU$3400).

MORE:

The best DACs around

And best headphone amps you can buy

The best music streamers for your budget

Australian hi-fi brand Burson Audio has unveiled its new Stellar series of compact Class A desktop components.

The new series currently consists of the Conductor Stellar, which acts as a DAC as well as a Class A headphone amp and desktop preamplifier, alongside the Soloist Stellar headphone amplifier and preamp.

Both members of the new Stellar range are built to power a wide range of headphones, from in-ear monitors to more demanding planar magnetic models, with each featuring a dedicated ultra-low-noise amplification stage in order to reveal “exceptional micro-detail and realism” no matter the headphones used.

Both models pack 8 watts of Class A power, designed to deliver “outstanding resolution, dynamic contrast, and clarity”. For both, each channel is powered by four optimised Onsemi MJE15032 transistors in a bid to bring out the “control and musicality” of the new range.

At its core, the more costly and versatile Conductor Stellar features an ESS9039PRO DAC chip in pursuit of “exceptional resolution and dynamic range”.

The Conductor offers balanced XLR and RCA inputs and a USB-C input alongside 6.35mm and 3.5mm outputs, as well as XLR and RCA outputs and a subwoofer out. The Soloist, meanwhile, features balanced XLR, 6.35mm and 3.5mm headphone ports alongside XLR and RCA outputs and a sub out.

The new unit is capable of handling PCM files up to 32-bit/768kHz alongside native DSD512, while wireless connectivity comes via Bluetooth 5.0 with support for the high-quality LDAC and aptX HD codecs for wire-free streaming up to 24-bit/96kHz.

The Burson Audio Conductor Stellar is available now, priced £2000 / $1800 / €1900 / AU$2800. The Soloist Stellar is also out now, and will set you back £1700 / $1500 / €1600 / AU$2600.

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Best DACs: tried and tested by our experts

If you're looking for a premium digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) and headphone amplifier for a pair of the best audiophile headphones, you should seriously consider the Sennheiser HDV 820.

Why? Well, it's one of our favourites, despite being awarded four stars. It delivers a refined, informative presentation with fluid dynamics. It also boasts a fine build and finish.

But there's one other reason you should consider it: because it is currently selling for £1499 at Richer Sounds. That's a not to be sniffed at £600 discount.

It has been seen at this price before, but because it's such a generous discount, we want to highlight it again.

In our four-star Sennheiser HDV 820 review, we used the amp with both the same brand’s HD800S headphones and the Beyerdynamic T1, a long-time favourite of ours. And our verdict?

“Regardless of headphones, the results are good. The Sennheiser has a crisp, precise delivery that sounds wonderfully refined,” is what we say in the review.

We are fans of the amp’s ability to “organise and interweave different musical strands to form a cohesive whole,” and “its pleasing dose of outright scale”. Adding to this, we say “large dynamic shifts are delivered with composure”.

It doesn’t quite have the bite or attack of the very best at the money, but it’s still a smooth and sophisticated performer – great if you like a huge dose of refinement from your headphone amp/DAC.

The Sennheiser ticks plenty of boxes in terms of connectivity. Unusually, there’s a traditional 6.3mm jack integrated into the three-pin XLR socket on the front of the unit.

You also get a four-pin XLR and a pair of 4.4mm Pentaconn jacks on the front, both of which allow a balanced connection to suitable headphones.

Another string to the HDV 820’s bow is that it can also act as a preamplifier thanks to the presence of both single-ended and balanced analogue inputs and outputs, plus a separate gain-adjustment to fine-tune the output for your power amp or active speakers.

The DAC functionality comes via a trio of USB, coaxial and optical digital inputs, with resolution limits of DSD256 and 32-bit/384kHz for PCM music files.

Add solid build quality and a great user experience to the mix, and you have a versatile amp with plenty going for it, not least a £600 discount over at Richer Sounds.

MORE:

Read our full Sennheiser HDV 820 review

Our pick of the best headphone amplifiers you can buy

And the best audiophile headphones we have tested

What is a headphone amplifier and why should you buy one?

We all know the best headphone amplifiers can make a huge difference when listening to your favourite wired headphones. Generally speaking, they boast circuitry designed to allow your headphones to perform at their very best.

One brand that isn’t a stranger to headphone amplifiers is Pro-Ject, and it has launched two new models designed to take your listening to a new level.

The Head Box DS3 B (above) and Head Box S3 B (below) aren’t just two new amps; they’re actually the first products to appear from a new, refreshed generation of the company’s Box Design line of hi-fi electronics.

In addition to balanced connectors, the Head Box DS3 B and Head Box S3 B use fully balanced circuitry, which is designed to help “reduce noise and improve separation between left and right channels”.

The key differences between the two amps relate to power output and their internal design.

The Head Box S3 B uses integrated amplifier stages (courtesy of two Texas Instruments TPA6120A2 chips) to deliver up to 820mW into 30 ohms, while the Head Box DS3 B is a fully discrete amp design that ups the power ante to 1.5W into 30 ohms, producing a little extra oomph for those headphones that might be tougher to drive.

Both headphone amplifiers feature aluminium casework and offer 4.4mm Pentaconn and four-pin XLR balanced outputs in addition to 3.5mm and 6.3mm single-ended connections, plus RCA and XLR line-level inputs.

The Head Box DS3 B and Head Box S3 B cost £629 and £329 respectively and are available in either a black or silver finish.

MORE:

Our pick of the best headphone amplifiers you can buy

And the best audiophile headphones for all budgets

What is a headphone amplifier and why should you buy one?

Sennheiser is well known for producing some of the best headphones out there, but did you know it also designs and manufactures electronics designed to extract even greater performance from its premium audiophile headphones?

One of our favourites, despite being awarded four stars, is the Sennheiser HDV 820. It's a headphone-amp-cum-desktop-DAC, which is currently discounted down to £1499 at Richer Sounds. That's a generous £600 discount on its original price.

As much as Sennheiser would love you to pair the HDV 820 with its own brand headphones, in reality, you can use any brand's cans (or in-ears) to amplify your sound. Get it all now for just under £1500.

In our four-star Sennheiser HDV 820 review, we used the amp with both the company’s HD800S headphones and the Beyerdynamic T1, a long-time favourite of ours. And our verdict?

“Regardless of headphones, the results are good. The Sennheiser has a crisp, precise delivery that sounds wonderfully refined,” is what we say in the review.

We are fans of the amp’s ability to “organise and interweave different musical strands to form a cohesive whole,” and “its pleasing dose of outright scale”. Adding to this, we say “large dynamic shifts are delivered with composure”.

It doesn’t quite have the bite or attack of the very best at the money, but it’s still a smooth and sophisticated performer – great if you like a huge dose of refinement from your headphone amp/DAC.

The Sennheiser ticks plenty of boxes in terms of connectivity. Unusually, there’s a traditional 6.3mm jack integrated into the three-pin XLR socket on the front of the unit.

You also get a four-pin XLR and a pair of 4.4mm Pentaconn jacks on the front, both of which allow a balanced connection to suitable headphones.

Another string to the HDV 820’s bow is that it can also act as a preamplifier thanks to the presence of both single-ended and balanced analogue inputs and outputs, plus a separate gain-adjustment to fine-tune the output for your power amp or active speakers.

The DAC functionality comes via a trio of USB, coaxial and optical digital inputs, with resolution limits of DSD256 and 32-bit/384kHz for PCM music files.

Add solid build quality and a great user experience to the mix, and you have a versatile amp with plenty going for it, not least a £600 discount over at Richer Sounds.

MORE:

Read our full Sennheiser HDV 820 review

Our pick of the best headphone amplifiers you can buy

And the best audiophile headphones we have tested

What is a headphone amplifier and why should you buy one?

German audio brand Violectric has released its latest analogue headphone amplifier, the HPA V324. Conceived as a reference-level device, the new amplifier wants to deliver powerful performance from a relatively small physical footprint.

The HPA V324 uses a balanced differential circuit topology, with four distinct amp stages – two for the left channel, two for the right – designed to keep both channels fully separated to reduce signal path noise and promote sonic purity.

The new unit houses premium components and a sophisticated power supply circuitry, including a low-noise toroidal transformer, again with the aim of reducing noise from the audio signal while offering serious power for your headphones.

It should be able to deal with a wide range of headphones, too, delivering up to 5000mW into 50 ohms in order to satisfy even the most power-hungry cans.

Violectric's high-end amp houses three front-mounted headphone outputs: balanced 4-pin Neutrik, 4.4mm Pentaconn and conventional 6.3mm. There are also balanced XLR and RCA single-ended inputs at the rear for connecting a DAC or analogue source, as well as XLR and RCA outputs if you want to hook up to an amplifier or active speakers.

While its primary function is as a headphone amplifier, the HPA V324 can be used as a preamplifier to connect to a power amp and a set of speakers as part of a larger hi-fi setup.

The HPA V324's enclosure is constructed from black anodised aluminium complemented by a laser-engraved front panel, and there is also a set of VU meters displaying each channel's input signal level

The Violectric HPA V324 is available now, priced at £2240 / €2599 / $2799 (plus sales tax) / AU$4899.

MORE:

Discover the best headphone amps we've tested

Welcome to What Hi-Fi?’s inaugural Sustainability Week!

Buying second-hand CDs is my favourite way of discovering new music sustainably

Chord Electronics’ Alto doesn’t fit neatly into one of the traditional hi-fi categories.

It is an analogue amplifier with four headphone outputs that can all be used at the same time. But, unusually, it can also drive a pair of speakers and serve perfectly well as a simple high-end preamp.

Build & design

The Alto was originally designed for the Pro market to allow recording and mastering studio engineers to swap easily between multiple headphones and their nearfield monitor speakers.

Its small size, around the footprint of a small paperback, and rugged build make it pleasingly portable. Just ideal for engineers that hop from studio to studio.

This unit’s range of features also makes sense for home use. There are plenty of enthusiasts who have multiple pairs of headphones and may even want to share the listening experience with others.

Given the compact size, the Alto could also easily serve as part of a domestic high-end desktop system, too.

Connectivity & features

This little unit is pretty well equipped. Its four headphone outputs are split into a pair of 6.3mm sockets, a 3.5mm and, for the first time on a Chord product, a 4.4mm balanced Pentaconn.

It also has a balanced XLR preamp output that can be used in parallel with the headphone and speaker outs, and opens up connection to an external power amplifier or even a pair of active speakers.

Inputs? There are just two: analogue, single-ended RCA and balanced XLR. If you need digital inputs, then Chord makes the excellent Hugo TT2 DAC, which mirrors many but not all of the Alto’s capabilities. It, too, can drive speakers in a nearfield context but misses out on its sibling’s analogue inputs.

Take a look inside the Alto and you will find that it features the company’s latest Ultima dual feed-forward circuit topology, which monitors and corrects distortions in the music signal before the output stage.

This Ultima circuit design is claimed to produce faster, more dynamic and transparent results than the previous generation of Chord electronics. That claim rings true in our experience.

The Chord Alto is a powerful product for its small size. It delivers a strong 2250mW (into 100 ohms) through its headphone output, as well as delivering 25 watts per channel into 8-ohm speaker loads. Impressively, that speaker output doubles as impedance halves to 4 ohms.

Typically, amplifiers of this size with such a power output tend to use Class D circuitry because of its innate efficiency and low heat generation. It is some testament to Chord’s engineers that the Class A/B Alto generates such figures, even though the unit does run warm when doing so.

The Alto is a simple product to use, though. As is the company’s way, different colours of LED are used in the various switches to indicate the input and output chosen. It takes just a short time to get comfortable with this, though the story will be different if you are colourblind.

The supplied remote is simply laid out, but it feels a little cheap in the hand.

Our main complaint is that there isn’t a great deal of subtlety in the way the Alto’s volume control works. We can only use a relatively small amount of volume control rotation before the sound becomes too loud. The volume level goes from ‘too quiet’ to ‘turn it down’ surprisingly quickly, with not enough leeway in between.

This holds true whether we use wired headphones (Focal Stellia, Yamaha YH-5000SE and Sony MDR-Z1R, among others), speakers (KEF LS50, Epos ES14N, ATC SCM50) or our reference Burmester 088/911 Mk III power amplifier.

Chord should really have another look at this, as it makes the Alto feel fussy in use.

Sound

A product at this level deserves talented sources, and we oblige with Naim’s ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and the Technics SL-1000R/Kiseki Purpleheart MC record player feeding a Cyrus Phono Signature phono stage.

We start by listening to the Alto as a straight headphone amplifier feeding our aforementioned sets of cans. Regardless of partner, it sounds every bit like a proper modern Chord amplifier.

We’ve heard a number of these over the last few years from the Ultima Pre 3 preamp, Ultima 5 and 6 power amps, and the Ultima Integrated – this little Alto clearly shares their sonic DNA.

It sounds immaculately clean, crisp and clear without erring into sterility. Detail resolution is impressive, as is the Alto’s unvarnished and honest approach to music replay. It is well balanced tonally, retaining a degree of naturalness that is rare to hear, even at this level.

This isn’t an amplifier that adds flavour to the music signal in a bid to make it sound more impressive. You get whatever is on the recording, and if that is bright, aggressive or thin, this Chord won’t hide that fact.

But, give it a well-recorded music feed and it will reveal plenty in the way of subtle instrumental textures and nuances in a voice, while organising the presentation with unusual composure and stability.

As we listen to Ella Fitzgerald’s Summertime, it's clear that the Chord does a great job of communicating the passion and warmth of her performance. This song has a sparse instrumental backdrop, but the Alto still delivers the track in a musical and cohesive way, with voice and instruments pulling in the same direction.

The amplifier’s neutrality comes to the fore here, with Chord adding little extra character to the original recording.

As we swap between our various headphones, it is clear that this is an amplifier that is happy to leave the spotlight to the source and its transducer partners. Such transparency is unusual and impressive.

We try something more dynamically challenging in the form of Carmina Burana by Orff, and this little box continues to please. It has a strong sense of control and keeps a firm grip on multiple instrumental strands without sounding confused.

Musically, it all makes sense, even when the recording becomes dense and chaotic. The Alto has no trouble revealing low-level details such as the acoustics of the recording venue or the space around each of the performers.

Add a confident handle on dynamics, even as the music erupts, and the ability to produce a stable sound field that doesn’t blur when things get demanding, and you have a performance that’s straight out of the top drawer.

We’re curious as to how the Alto performs as a conventional stereo amplifier driving a pair of speakers. Quincy Jones’s The Dude is a stern test with its demanding production, vivid dynamics and hard-charging rhythms.

On the whole, the Chord does well, though we do find its outer limits soon enough to confirm that it works best in a nearfield context.

When we’re sitting close to speakers, say less than 2m, the Alto sounds suitably bold and powerful, delivering the sound with all the conviction we hear through its headphone outputs.

However, in larger spaces it doesn’t really have the scale, dynamic clout or low-end authority to truly satisfy, particularly when driving less sensitive designs such as the ATC SCM50 in our 3 x 7 x 5m (hwd) test room.

How does the Alto perform as a preamp? It turns out very well. There is little to complain about the insight it offers into recordings or the even-handed way it deals with each genre of music. The soundstaging isn’t the most spacious, and there is a lack of ‘air’ compared to our much pricier reference preamp, the Burmester 088.

But, judged by price standards, it is still up with the best of them when it comes to honesty, resolution and musical cohesion. Our only word of caution is that having just two inputs could be a major limitation for many.

Verdict

Overall, there is no denying that the Chord Alto is an impressively capable product. In its primary objective, that of a headphone amplifier, it is one of the finest we’ve heard. That it also impresses when driving speakers in a near-field context and as a preamp are bonuses that turn it into a rather remarkable and tempting option.

While the Alto remains a niche choice in many respects, it's one we would be happy to make.

Review published: 28th July 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 4
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of Austrian Audio's The Full Score

Also consider the SPL Phonitor xe

Read our Chord Hugo TT2 review

Best headphone amplifiers: expert picks to boost your personal listening

Sennheiser might be known for its headphones, but it also dabbles in electronics designed to extract even greater performance from its premium audiophile headphones.

One such product is the HDV 820 headphone-amp-cum-desktop-DAC, which is currently available with a huge £600 saving over at Scan (down from its original price of £2100).

Of course, you don’t need Sennheiser headphones to take advantage of this amp; any brand's suitable cans (or in-ears) can benefit from a headphone amplifier and this great deal.

In our four-star Sennheiser HDV 820 review, we used the amp with both the company’s HD800S headphones and the Beyerdynamic T1, a long-time favourite of ours. And our verdict?

“Regardless of headphones, the results are good. The Sennheiser has a crisp, precise delivery that sounds wonderfully refined,” is what we said in the review.

We were fans of the amp’s ability to “organise and interweave different musical strands to form a cohesive whole,” and “its pleasing dose of outright scale”. Adding to this, we said “large dynamic shifts are delivered with composure”.

It doesn’t quite have the bite or attack of the very best at the money, but it’s still a smooth and sophisticated performer – great if you like a huge dose of refinement from your headphone amp/DAC.

The Sennheiser ticks plenty of boxes in terms of connectivity. Unusually, there’s a traditional 6.3mm jack integrated into the three-pin XLR socket on the front of the unit.

You also get a four-pin XLR and a pair of 4.4mm Pentaconn jacks on the front, both of which allow a balanced connection to suitable headphones.

Another string to the HDV 820’s bow is that it can also act as a preamp thanks to the presence of both single-ended and balanced analogue inputs and outputs, plus a separate gain adjustment to fine-tune the output for your power amp or active speakers.

The DAC functionality comes via a trio of USB, coax and optical digital inputs, with resolution limits of DSD256 and 32-bit/384kHz for PCM music files.

Add solid build quality and a great user experience to the mix, and you have a versatile amp with plenty going for it, not least a £600 discount over at Scan.

MORE:

Read our full Sennheiser HDV 820 review

Our pick of the best headphone amplifiers you can buy

And the best audiophile headphones we've tested

What is a headphone amplifier and why should you buy one?

If you want to improve your headphone performance without breaking the bank, Pro-Ject's new amp could be for you.

The Head Box E is small enough to fit in a coat pocket, yet Pro-Ject claims it can drive "even the most demanding headphones."

Better yet, it costs just £89 (around $120 / AU$180) – that's about half the price of the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt and iFi Zen DAC V2 (our pick of the budget portable and budget desktop models in our best headphone amplifiers guide).

Weighing just 390g, the Head Box E shouldn't put too big a dent in your pocket should you choose to take it with you. And Pro-Ject claims it's "one of the most effective pound-for-pound hi-fi upgrades around."

Its 665 milliwatts (0.665 watts) into 32 ohms is enough to drive wired headphones, while Pro-Ject says it can outperform your typical stereo amp in a two-channel setup involving a CD player or turntable.

Inside are fully discrete electronics (instead of the integrated chip designs often seen in cheaper amps), giving Pro-Ject's designers greater control over the signal path. Which should translate to more robust power handling, cleaner performance and easier servicing and repair.

In terms of connections, you get a pair of RCA sockets for inputs, along with a bypass RCA loop output for passing the signal on to another amplifier or audio device for integrating the Head Box E into a bigger system.

The front of the device houses two headphone outputs: one 6.3mm and one 3.5mm. These can be used simultaneously for shared listening.

Pro-Ject has built a name of itself in terms of more affordable devices. Its 'E' line has previously included the Stereo Box E stereo amp and System E hi-fi system.

We'll bring you a review of the Head Box E as soon as we can.

MORE:

Check out the best headphone amplifiers around

The best wired headphones to partner them with

And best turntables

We're calling it now: we’ve already found the best bargain in Amazon’s Spring Deal Days (25th-31st March 2025): the Astell&Kern CA1000T reduced from £2299 to just £999.

This high-end digital music system combines Astell&Kern's award-winning sound quality and exquisite design with a versatile feature list: just add headphones or active speakers to transform your sound, anywhere.

This sonic Swiss-army knife is a digital audio player, USB DAC and amplifier rolled into one, controlled via a pop-up display screen and a tactile volume dial. With both wireless and wired – plus digital and analogue – connectivity options, it can be the compact heart of any hi-fi set-up.

From streaming services to digital downloads to video and gaming, the CA1000T will play it all, in sublime quality. It's also Roon Ready and handles every file format you can think of (including MQA), supporting high-resolution audio playback up to native DSD512 and 32bit/768 kHz.

Better sound at home or work

The CA1000T is the ideal desktop system for all sorts of uses – plug in headphones or earphones for solo listening, or switch to active speakers when they suit the occasion. Connect your computer via USB for an instant audio upgrade (even to video calls) or wirelessly stream to or from networked devices.

Want to get more technical? The CA1000T was the world's first device to use the flagship ESS ES9039MPRO Dual-DACs and is a quad-core, triple-amp system with dual Triode KORG Nutube tubes to fine-tune your sound. The system easily drives high impedance headphones, with 4-step gain levels to maximum 15Vrms output.

And the CA1000T has another trick up its sleek metal sleeve: Lithium Polymer battery power means technically you can take it anywhere. At almost a kilo (980g) and measuring 10.5 x 4.5 x 15.6 cm, it's not going to fit in your pocket, but once you've heard what it can do, we're betting you'll find bag space for it on the next trip to your office/co-working space/hotel.

Ins and Outs

The CA1000T boasts excellent connectivity options. Its front panel houses 3.5mm, 6.35mm unbalanced, and 2.5mm 4.4mm balanced headphone outputs.

Round the back, the system has both XLR and RCA outputs, plus 4.4mm, optical and coaxial inputs. Here's where you’ll find USB-C ports for both charging and computer connectivity, and a microSD card slot that handles memory cards with a capacity of up to 2TB – enough to hold thousands of albums, even at high-resolution.

Art of the deal

At £999, the CA1000T is an absolute steal, offering high-end performance for mainstream money. This is a rare chance to own one of Astell&Kern’s most versatile audio systems: don’t miss out.

The CA1000T is available for £999 as part of the Amazon Spring Deal Days promotion, which runs from 25-31 March, while stocks last.

Analogue headphone amplifiers are less common than they used to be thanks to the more fashionable DAC/headphone amp alternative dominating. However, a dedicated analogue unit still has a place. It is ideal if you just want to add headphone functionality to a system or are trying to eke the final degree of performance from your wired cans. Austrian Audio’s Full Score One is one of the finest examples we’ve come across in recent years.

Austrian Audio is a young company, formed in 2017. But don’t think that youth means a lack of experience. The team behind the brand have been in the business for decades, having worked for AKG Acoustics up until its Vienna-based facilities were closed following Samsung’s takeover of its parent company Harman International in 2016.

Since then, Austrian Audio has carefully built a surprisingly diverse range of products from microphones and headphones to studio-orientated software. Then there is the Full Score One headphone amplifier we have on test here.

Design & connections

It’s a small unit, about the size of a hardback book and is beautifully made. We like the curved metal casework and the neat way the volume control is integrated, though it would have been nice if the dial were just a little thicker to make it easier to handle. Front panel headphone connections consist of a pair of 6.3mm sockets, and beneath a sliding flap, a 4-pin balanced XLR output.

You will find a button marked TTT on the left of them, next to the power switch. The initials stand for True Transient Technology, and it is a proprietary circuit that claims to improve the Full Score One’s responsiveness to the signal.

That rings true in use. Pressing the button improves detail resolution, leading-edge definition and image precision. The downside is that it also makes the Full Score fussier about recording quality, revealing any harshness or edge mercilessly.

While the Full Score One has natural partnering headphones in the Austrian Audio range, the excellent pair called The Composer, the company has designed the amp to work well with a wide range of designs. It can drive impedances from 10-600 ohms, which covers the majority of offerings on the market.

Compatibility

During the test process try a range of wired headphones from The Composer (22ohms), Sony’s MDR-Z1R (64ohms), Focal’s Stellia (35ohms) to Grado’s RS-1x (38ohms) and early-generation Beyerdynamic T1 (600 ohms) without issue. However, we note that there isn’t much travel on the volume control before things get too loud with some of the more sensitive designs. When it comes to inputs there isn’t much to say, a single pair of stereo RCAs is connected in parallel with a pair of balanced XLRs. We would only recommend using one connection at a time.

Take a look inside the Full Score One and you will find a neat discrete layout that avoids the use of IC chips on performance grounds. There is evidence of good quality parts and plenty of care in the assembly. This is a product that inspires a great deal of confidence in use and feels like it will withstand many years of hard service.

You will want to use it plenty too, as it is a terrific performer. The Full Score One rewards the use of top-quality partnering equipment. Our main sources are the Cyrus 40 ST and Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamers. We also have a Technics SL-1000R/Vertere Dark Sabre/ Cyrus Phono Signature/PSX-R2 turntable combination on hand, along with the aforementioned range of quality headphones.

Sound

Any worry that the Full Score is only optimised for its natural partnering headphones, The Composer, proves unfounded. The unit sounds equally capable and balanced regardless of what we plug into it. That’s thanks to an even-handed temperament and the ability to drive most headphone loads without issue, just as claimed. Given the company’s strong studio heritage, it should come as no surprise that this amplifier has a warts and all presentation; one that prefers the unvarnished truth to trying to make every recording sound good.

Quincy Jones had just recently passed away at the time of writing, so we pay homage by listening to his terrific Back On The Block set. The Full Score covers itself in glory by delivering the title track's explosive punch and instrumental complexity so well. Regardless of partnering headphones, we get a lovely sense of space and a convincing rendition of vocal and instrumental textures.

Sometimes a component that goes for tonal neutrality compromises on rhythmic drive and dynamic expression, but that is not the case here. This Austrian Audio delivers all the verve in the recording without diluting it one jot. We’re impressed by its grip at lower frequencies, along with its generally articulate nature.

Moving to an old favourite in the form of Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar soundtrack shows that the Full Score One is capable of high levels of analysis and can track multiple instrumental strands without sounding confused. We’re pleased with its sonic authority and the way it renders the scale of the orchestra.

Scale and authority are areas where headphone listening invariably suffers compared to a good pair of speakers, but using this amplifier delivers better results than most. Stereo imaging, such as it can be with headphones, is crisp, layered and stable.

Verdict

For most headphone listeners the addition of a product like the Full Score One is a bit of an over-kill. But if you are truly obsessive about getting the most from your high-end headphones and have sources of sufficient quality, this Austrian Audio amplifier is warmly recommended.

First reviewed: January 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 3

MORE:

Also consider the SPL Phonitor SE

Need a DAC included? Read our review of the Chord Hugo 2

Best wired headphones: the 7 top pairs tested by our in-house experts

Music fan looking for a cost effective way to elevate your desktop headphone system? Then we’d strongly recommend checking out this iFi Zen DAC V2 deal.

The deal is live on Peter Tyson now and lets you grab the five-star desktop headphone amp and DAC for £129, a £70 saving on its regular £199 RRP.

We’d recommend taking advantage of the deal for a couple of reasons. First because this is the best price we’ve seen the Zen DAC V2 retail for since Prime Day. Prior to that the best Price we saw it go for was £149.99.

Second, because it is an excellent bit of hi-fi. We not only awarded the iFi Zen DAC V2 a perfect five-star rating when we got it into our listening rooms for testing, we’ve also awarded it multiple, back-to-back What Hi-Fi? Awards. It remains a staple feature in our wider best DAC buying guide to this day for these reasons.

For your money you get a compact, easy to use desktop headphone amp and DAC that delivered dazzling results regardless of what hardware we paired it with and tacks we threw at it.

Testing, with everything from the Grado SR325x to the Beyerdynamic T5 (3rd Gen) and Focal Stellia and a MacBook Pro as its source, the DAC delivered wonderfully clear and insightful audio full of expressive dynamics. 

Add to this its support for PCM (up to 384kHz) and DSD (up to DSD256) files, and easy setup and the iFi Zen DAC V2 is an easy recommendation, especially at this price. Hence our reviewers’ conclusion:

“ [The iFi Zen DAC V2 is] one of the very best ways to upgrade your desktop headphone system. Offering a significant upgrade over computer sound quality in an era where people need it most, the Zen DAC V2 is another feather in the cap for iFi’s budget Zen series.”

We don’t give praise like that often! On the off chance you’re on the market for a new pair of over-ears to accompany it also make sure to check out our best headphones deals page, where you’ll find our reviewers handpicked recommendations of the best discounts available right now.

MORE:

These are the best wired headphones we’ve reviewed

We rate the best stereo amps

Our picks of the best portable music players

Why would you need a dedicated headphone amplifier like SPL’s Phonitor SE? The obvious answer is that it adds headphone connectivity to a system that doesn’t have any. Simply plug your source into the SPL unit’s only input and your headphones into the front panel 6.3mm socket, and off you go. 

Features

As standard, the SPL Phonitor SE is an all-analogue device, but for £400 / $400 / AU$700 extra it is available with a DAC module, which adds compatibility with up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM hi-res music files and DSD256. This digital board features USB (Type B), coax and optical inputs. We have previous experience with this DAC circuit and can confirm that it is a good one, being competitive with the top outboard number crunchers available for similar money.

Our review sample of the Phonitor SE is the basic analogue-only unit, but you will still find the (redundant) switches for the DAC module on the front panel. Look past those and there is little to report bar the volume control and a three-option crossfeed toggle. What is crossfeed? It is an attempt to bring the headphone listening experience closer to that of speakers by feeding some of the signal from the left channel into the right and vice versa. The idea is that this processing moves the soundstage from being in between your ears, as in conventional headphones, to more in front of you. We generally like the effect and end up leaving the unit on the second of the crossfeed options, C2, on most recordings.

Build

The Phonitor SE is a beautifully built unit. It feels solid and durable from the nicely finished casework to the smooth volume control and front panel switches. It is available in three standard front panel colour options –  red, silver and black – with the rest of the casework painted black. Take a look inside and you are in for a treat. The engineers clearly took pride in their work; the circuit is neatly laid out and packed with good-quality components. The technical highlight is that the circuitry operates at a much higher voltage level than is conventional, which should benefit the noise performance and dynamic punch. The claimed power output through the headphone socket is 2 x 5 watts, which is beefy for a product like this.

Overall, there is no mistaking the functional aura around the Phonitor SE; it is very much designed as a workhorse rather than something to show off about. We suspect that is borne of the brand’s strong connection to the Pro world.

Compatibility

Given the SPL’s price, don’t be tempted to skimp on the source or partnering headphone quality. If you do that, you might as well go for one of the many cheaper alternatives on the market. Suitable sources would be along the lines of Naim’s ND5 XS2 music streamer and Cyrus’s CDi CD player, while appropriate wired headphones include Focal’s Clear Mg and Sennheiser’s HD800S right up to the likes of Grado’s GS300x, Austrian Audio’s The Composer and even the high-end Yamaha YH5000SE. 

This is the third product we have reviewed from SPL and we are impressed by the consistency of its output. All three products (the others are the Diamond DAC and the Phonitor xe) share a sonic signature, and we like it a lot. It is about clarity, control and tonal evenness.

Sound

Listen to a complex piece of music such as Mahler’s Symphony No.3 and Phonitor SE will render the sound with a wonderful sense of calm. It never sounds stressed or as though it is struggling to keep a grip on the various instrumental strands. This sense of composure allows the listener to relax into the musical experience, confident that the amplifier is in charge. Sometimes such composure comes at the expense of excitement, which we initially worried about. But over time, it becomes clear that this SPL has the dynamic chops and muscularity to render the music's drama properly. It takes the honest approach, preferring to let the music do the entertaining rather than trying to add a bit of spice itself.

As the Mahler symphony builds we note the pleasing sense of space in the Phonitor’s presentation and its ability to avoid sounding cluttered. It helps that details are crisply rendered with little in the way of blur or vagueness when it comes to defining the leading edges of notes. This is particularly praiseworthy at low frequencies where the SPL delivers exceptional grip without sacrificing tunefulness.

That same bass quality works wonderfully with Massive Attack's Heligoland set. Here, the SPL headphone amp delivers bass with considerable conviction, thumping it out with punch and power. Move up the frequency range and you will find that the midrange is crisp and clean while retaining the natural warmth of vocals. We are pleased to report that the Phonitor SE is the kind of product that you can listen to for hours on end without issue. For all its insight and resolution, it avoids sounding hard-edged and sterile. Feed it a poor or aggressive recording, we used Bruce Springsteen’s heartfelt Terry’s Song, and the SPL refuses to make a meal of things. It is highly revealing of the recording’s shortcomings but never goes out of its way to be rude.

Verdict

If you are seriously into headphones then we highly recommend that you have a listen to the SPL Phonitor SE. It is a hugely accomplished product that ticks all the boxes as far as we are concerned. Given a good enough partnering system, this is a product that shines.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 3

MORE:

What is a headphone amplifier and why should you buy one?

Check out our Chord Hugo 2 review

Our pick of the best headphone amplifiers you can buy right now

If 2023 has seen the release of a slew of portable headphone amp and DAC combos, iFi has certainly been leading the charge. The FiiO KA13 and the Earfun UA100 have both been unveiled this year, but the five-star iFi Go Link, recently-released iFi hip-dac 3 and now the new iDSD Diablo 2 have demonstrated just how busy iFi has been over the past year.

Following on from the release of the first iDSD DAC/headphone amp in 2021, the new iDSD Diablo 2 promises to be one of iFi's most high-performing models, built for purists who crave "pure, unadulterated sonic performance". If that describes you, it may be time to make a deal with The Devil...

The Diablo 2 has been redesigned from the inside out, incorporating two Burr-Brown DAC chips combined with the brand's custom architecture. As such, the chips are installed with an "interleaved" configuration, doubling the available DAC channels for left and right audio and producing less unwanted noise. 

How about supported formats? The iDSD Diablo 2 offers support for all levels of DSD up to DSD512 and PCM files up to 32-bit/768kHz, as well as decoding and upsampling of MQA files up to 384kHz. The Diablo 2 adds aptX Lossless Bluetooth which means it should be capable of streaming CD quality losslessly (16-bit/44.1kHz). 

It's certainly a clever unit with plenty packed into it. You're treated to a choice of three gain settings and IEMatch which tailors the amp's power and performance to match the sensitivity of the headphones being used, as well as iFi's unique circuit design which has been conceived to achieve greater sonic purity and reduced noise.

For hooking up physically, you can connect your source devices via the DAC's USB-C port, while the unit also features coaxial/optical and 4.4mm balanced inputs. In terms of outputs, the devilish DAC sports a 4.4mm balanced headphone port, a 6.3mm headphone port and a 4.4mm balanced line-level output. 

The new model's battery lasts between 6-12 hours of playtime, although this depends on factors such as the volume at which you play your music and the power/sensitivity of the headphones being used.

As well as the unit itself, the iDSD Diablo 2 comes equipped with a host of accessories, including a low-noise AC/DC adapter, a USB-C charging cable, a USB-C OTG cable, an extended USB-C cable and a Lightning to USB-C cable, not to mention a host of adapters, a desktop stand and even a travel case to protect the Diablo 2 on the go.  

Wrapped in its distinctive red finish, the new iFi iDSD Diablo 2 is available to buy now for a price of £1299 / $1299 (further prices pending). Considering how much clever tech the Diablo 2 packs in, though, you certainly seem to be getting your money's worth, and it will be interesting to see how a more premium model fares in a market well-stocked with many budget alternatives.

MORE:

Read our review of the five-star iFi Go Link and the iFi hip-dac 2 

I used a DAC for the first time and it was a game-changer 

Best DACs: USB, desktop and portable digital-to-analogue converters

2023 has seen the release of a number of portable headphone-amp/DACs, including the FiiO KA13, the small but mighty iFi Go Link and the USB-B stick-sized Earfun UA100. Now iFi has unveiled another portable DAC in the shape of the hip-dac 3, the third generation of the brand's popular DAC/headphone amp hybrid which is kitted out not only with new connectivity options but also, says its maker, more attuned sonic capabilities.

Building on the legacy of the first iFi hip-dac and 2021's second-generation model, this new iteration comes with a variety of circuit enhancements, including all-new film capacitors for a better frequency response. The actual DAC section is equipped with an updated version of iFi’s Global Master Timing circuitry, designed to reduce phase noise and offer a snappier, crisper sound.

The hip-dac 3 uses a differential circuit design within its amplification stage to reduce signal distortion and preserve your audio's overall purity. That amp stage is capable of offering up to 400mW into a 32-ohm load for compatibility with a broader array of headphones, while the balanced output's 6.3V into 600ohms should mean that even high-impedance models can be used without issue.

Rather cannily, the product's amp stage offers something called PowerMatch, a switchable gain feature which matches the level of drive to the headphone load to ensure you are getting the right performance for the device used without any hissing or distortion.

It's pretty versatile, too. The hip-dac 3 offers support for hi-res PCM and DXD audio files up to 384kHz, as well as DSD64, 128 and 256, and support for MQA. As is becoming the trend with portable DACs, a pair of LEDs change colour to indicate the format and sample rate of the audio being played so you know exactly what you're listening to. 

There are also external upgrades to enhance the third-gen hip-dac's connectivity capabilities. The dual USB-A ports have been replaced by two USB-C ports – one for audio, one for charging – as well as two outputs courtesy of a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 4.4mm balanced output.

The new model's battery lasts between 7-12 hours of playtime depending on the volume level you play your music and the power of the headphones being used. As well as the main unit itself, you will receive a USB-C On The Go charging cable, a USB-A to USB-C cable and a USB-C to Lightning cable for those iOS devices which haven't yet switched over to USB-C (thanks, iPhone 15).

Available in a sleek grey colourway known as "Titanium Shadow" – the new iFi hip-dac 3 is available to buy now for £199 / $199 / AU$449. 

MORE:

Read our review of the five-star iFi Go Link and the iFi hip-dac 2 

I used a DAC for the first time and it was a game-changer 

Best DACs: USB, desktop and portable digital-to-analogue converters

Yamaha has officially announced the headphone amplification partner for its YH-5000SE headphones, following worldwide previews of the anticipated component in recent months.

The HA-L7A, which we got hands-on review time with at the High End Munich and Australian Hi-Fi shows earlier this year, is Yamaha’s first-ever high-end amplifier and has been designed to partner with its five-star flagship headphones (though any wired headphones can naturally be used with it).

While the L7A might be its debut headphone amp, the company certainly has a rich history of amplifier engineering as its foundation. Indeed, the Japanese brand says it took the patented Floating and Balanced Power Amplifier technologies at the core of its pre, power and integrated stereo amplifiers, and optimised them for headphone applications.

As the high-end price point demands (we’ll get to that later), Yamaha has seemingly taken exceptional care to limit noise and distortion in the name of clean, high-quality power and performance. Firstly, the three circuit boards (the main board that handles minute signals, the amplifier board, and the power supply board) are isolated from one another. 

All circuitry is supposedly entirely independent of the ground, cancelling the effects of external ground-related noise, and the post-DAC stages have balanced circuity for fully balanced transmission (balanced conversion is also built in for conventional unbalanced inputs for consistency across the input sources).

Then there’s a dual toroidal transformer design, with the power supply using independent transformers for the minute-signal circuitry in the front stage and the amplifier section in the second stage. These two transformers sit directly above the power supply board, minimising the power supply path and creating a distinctive L-shaped chassis. Speaking of which, Yamaha promises to have created a highly rigid, 5.3kg-heavy chassis here to minimise the effect of vibrations – the top panel is made of 8mm-thick aluminium, the toroidal transformers are mounted firmly onto a 2mm-thick steel plate, and there’s also a double rear panel, and a unique heavy-duty housing featuring a bottom cover at the end. Five conical feet – one at each corner – with dampers between them and the bottom panel help absorb vibrations too.

The HL-L7A is unsurprisingly a digital-friendly machine, with USB type B, coaxial, and optical inputs fed by ESS Technology’s top-tier ES9038PRO 32-bit, 8-channel DAC chip, which features a dedicated master clock utilising a crystal oscillator with ultra-low phase noise, and applies four-channel conversion to both the left and right sides, in the name of accurate conversion. 

There are also XLR and 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced headphone outputs in addition to a single unbalanced headphone connection, plus XLR and RCA pre-out/line-out outputs to allow the L7A to also be used as a DAC or preamplifier.

Yamaha is shouting from the rooftops about its new Sound Field mode, which offers six sound presets for creating the optimal sound field depending on the music or video source being played. Again, this sees Yamaha bringing the soundfield technologies and processing it has developed over the years for its AV receivers, into the headphone world.

So, we get to the price. The Yamaha HA-L7A is priced at £3499 / AU$6999, with UK availability commencing in November and Australian availability kicking off sometime in ‘Q4’. (We will update this article with pricing and availability information for the US market shortly.) 

Will the HA-L7A prove a formidable rival for the class-leading Chord Hugo TT2 at this price level? While an initial listening to the HA-L7A and YH-5000SE during the High End Munich show gave us every impression that this is indeed a harmonious head-fi pairing, we can't wait to go twelve rounds with it in our test rooms in due course.

MORE:

Read our hands-on Yamaha HA-L7A review

Read our full five-star Yamaha YH-5000SE review

16 best headphones of the 21st century

The release of the FiiO KA13 couldn't have come at a better time. Promising to be a compact yet powerful portable USB DAC for your headphones, the KA13 comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable so that you can plug it directly into the newly converted iPhone 15 without the need for any further adapters. 

It's pretty titchy, too. Much like the five-star iFi Go Link that we reviewed earlier this year or the ever-excellent AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt, the FiiO's latest is designed to be a pocket-sized (just 56.3 x 22 x 10.5mm) powerhouse that gives your music a boost wherever you go. Utilising dual 32-bit DACs, the KA13 provides support for up to 32-bit/384kHz as well as native DSD256 hi-resolution files.

It may be small, but you're still treated to a decent range of connectivity options thanks to the inclusion of both single-ended (3.5 mm) and balanced (4.4 mm) headphone outputs. The included USB-C to USB-C cable hooks you up directly to the new iPhone 15 if you're lucky enough to have nabbed one already, but there are also USB-C to Lightning and USB-C to USB-A adaptor cables included to keep all parties happy. 

The KA13 is compatible with plenty of sources, too, with FiiO boasting that its new model will work with Android, iOS, and PCs. If you're not keen on using it merely as a portable booster for your mobile sources, the KA13 comes with a 'Desktop Mode' to bolster its power output to up to 550mW if the need arises.

The diminutive DAC is available with a black or silver sleek metallic chassis, both of which feature an ambient light window which changes colour to demonstrate the quality of the audio file being played, a similar system used by the even tinier iFi Go Link. The KA13 works with the FiiO Control app for Android and iOS.

It's not the only release coming courtesy of FiiO. The Chinese audio brand also announced the arrival of a desktop DAC/amplifier, the K11, which promises multiple inputs (including USB Type C, Optical and Coaxial) alongside support for 32-bit/384kHz and native DSD 256 hi-res. 

Both models will be available from October 2023. The KA13 portable USB DAC will be priced at £69 / $79, while the K11 desktop DAC/amplifier will set you back £119 / $129 (further prices pending).

MORE: 

Read our AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt review

And our iFi Go Link review, too.

Best DACs: USB, desktop and portable digital-to-analogue converters

Three years on from the first Neo iDSD DAC-cum-headphone amp, a sequel is finally ready to launch. With a raft of new features and upgrades, including extensive support for numerous formats alongside and a raft of physical connections, the Neo iDSD 2 also claims to be the world’s first DAC that can support aptX Lossless Bluetooth (provided you have a pair of headphones decent enough to support it).

According to iFi, "it is the only DAC that can deliver...lossless sound over both wired and Bluetooth connections, to the maximum specification that any source device will allow." We've had a taste of how brands and manufacturers have attempted to implement aptX Lossless via Bluetooth (essentially CD-quality audio transmitted via a Bluetooth connection), so we're interested to see how iFi executes it here. 

Redesigned from the inside out, the high-end DAC sports a reimagined headphone amp capable of delivering more than 5,550mW into 32 ohms from its balanced 4.4mm output. The new model also boasts an analogue circuit designed to reduce noise and crosstalk through the signal path.

Audio support is extensive, with the Neo 2 supporting PCM data up to 32-bit/768kHz and all levels of DSD. Thanks to the DAC chip’s four-channel design, the PCM and DSD formats take separate pathways and so can remain in their respective native forms before being converted to an analogue signal. MQA support is also available for files up to 384kHz.

The Neo utilises three operational modes and can be used as a pure DAC with a fixed-level analogue output or can operate as a DAC/preamp with a variable output for, say, connecting directly to a power amp or active speakers. Headphone users, meanwhile, will have access to the Neo's amp stage.

In terms of connectivity, the NEO iDSD 2 provides USB-B, optical and coaxial digital inputs, plus a 3.5mm analogue input, meaning up to four devices can be connected simultaneously, plus a fifth via Bluetooth. At the front, there's a standard 6.3mm headphone jack and a 4.4mm output, whereas around the back, single-ended RCA outputs are accompanied by balanced XLR sockets to connect the Neo iDSD 2 to an amp and/or speakers. 

Externally, there's a rotary control for ease of use and a new two-inch colour display which shows information such as audio format, sample rate, volume level, input mode and settings. There's a remote handset, too, although you can use the iFi Nexis app, compatible with Android and iOS, if you prefer.

If you wish to tailor your listening experience, the Neo iDSD 2 offers further tuning options to the original Neo iDSD’s catalogue. The DAC stage offers four digital reconstruction filters - Standard, Bit Perfect, Minimum Phase and GTO (Gibbs Transient Optimised) - which can be selected via the main menu. 

The headphone amp, meanwhile, handles four gain settings consisting of Normal (0dB), Turbo (+8dB), Nitro (+16dB) and an IEMatch attenuation mode (-12dB) for using sensitive in-ear monitors. Better still, further analogue processing modes provide even greater personalisation options.

With the iDSD 2, iFi is promising a definitive DAC-cum-headphone amp combo that should be the only product of its type that you'll ever need, delivering music in "full effect" to "ensure you experience everything".

The Neo iDSD 2 will be available from selected retailers from October at a price of £899 / $899 / AU$1,950. 

MORE: 

Best headphone amplifiers: boost your personal listening

And these are the best DACs: USB, desktop and portable devices

Read our review of the dinky iFi Go Link

I tried aptX Lossless Bluetooth – and yes, we can all look forward to it (with caution)

iFi’s fantastically-named iCan Phantom headphone amplifier has been unveiled and promises to be one of the most versatile and sophisticated models the high-end British manufacturer has ever released from what we've seen.

The new headphone amp will, says iFi, deliver “a truly exceptional headphone experience – exquisitely tailored to the requirements of the listener”. It’s also capable of performing as a hi-fi preamp, so your headphones and speakers can be combined into a single audio system if you so choose. 

Like the Pro iCAN, the iCan Phantom incorporates two separate input stages – one valve/tube-based and the other solid state – which can be switched between in real time depending on your mood, the music being played and the different types of headphones and speakers that are connected. According to iFi, the solid-state stage is best for pace and immediacy, while the Tube mode adds fluidity and a sense of dynamics. Finally the Tube+ option emphasises warmer tones for acoustic and vocal styles.

The Phantom’s PureWavePRO balanced circuit configuration, meanwhile, should offer purer sound. iFi’s so-called “True Differential Balanced” design means channels are split, with each one featuring two separate signals of equal level but opposing polarity and four separate amp circuits, a more complex arrangement that iFi promises pays significant sonic dividends. 

There s plenty of headphone inputs on offer, with 4-pin balanced, 3-pin balanced, 4.4mm balanced, 6.33m positive phase, 6.3mm inverted phase and classic 3.5mm all available. Source inputs come courtesy of a balanced XLR input and three RCA inputs, with one balanced XLR output and one RCA output. Headphone outputs for electrostatics come via a single 5-pin normal bias and one 5-pin custom bias output.

Settings are adjustable for the Phantom, so you can pick your preferences beyond the choice of solid-state or valve-based input stages. Adjustable gain has three settings of 0dB, 9dB and 18dB, while IEMatch is available for high-sensitivity in-ear buds. The XBass analogue processing enhances low frequencies for adding more bass, whereas XSpace analogue processing delivers a wider, deeper soundstage.

The most intriguing aspect of the Phantom is its treatment of voltages for electrostatic devices. iFi’s iESL energiser technology should ensure that every headphone type is catered for, but what if you own electrostatic headphones? The iCan Phantom’s really clever feature is the implementation of colour-coded cards which offer variable voltages between 500V and 640V, a smart solution that impressed us when we tried it at High End Munich 2023.

You can’t simply use a conventional headphone amp with electrostatic headphones because the voltages required to drive them are much higher, meaning a separate energiser is needed with the right voltage to correlate to your chosen model. The Phantom’s cards, all with different set voltage values, prevent you from accidentally choosing the wrong level and damaging your precious headphones, with values written clearly on each one. 

The iCan Phantom is the first iFi product to incorporate iFi’s Nexus module, which combines with an app to provide a connected control system. The Nexus app allows you to use your Android or iOS as a remote control, with further features to be added later down the line. The app will display things like diagnostic info, performance monitoring and downloading upload files, and once more devices are incorporated into the system, you can control those via the on-board app as well.

We were able to get a hands-on look at the brand-new design of the Phantom, with iFi forming the new amp to give the appearance of two units in one dual-level formation. The top of the Phantom features a rather nice smoked glass panel which reveals the amp’s inner circuitry and audio valves. 

Measuring 256 x 120 x 185mm with a silver top layer and black bottom level, the enclosure is crafted from aluminium, with the bottom layer offering cable connections and the top layer featuring a circular OLED display and smooth control dials. It won’t be for everyone, but there’s no denying how striking that design is in the flesh.

The iCAN Phantom is available from selected retailers for an RRP of £3749 / $3749 (AU$ price TBC). Pre-orders are available now, with iFi expecting stock to arrive at the end of June 2023.

MORE:

Read our review of the award-winning iFi Zen DAC V2 

What is a headphone amplifier and why should you buy one?

Read our review of the Stax SR-L700 Mk2 / SRM-700T electrostatic headphones

When Yamaha unveiled the YH-5000SE headphones – an open-back high-end pair – we were taken by surprise. Yamaha isn't typically known for its headphone portfolio, but these new range-topping headphones proved to be, in no uncertain terms, exceptional performers.

Yes, they're expensive at £4799 / $5000 / AU$7499, but the depth of their ability is astonishing and they set a new standard at this elevated premium level.

Naturally, you'll need suitably talented kit to drive these headphones, and Yamaha has taken it upon itself to also create a headphone amplifier to match its talents. And so the Yamaha HA-L7A has come to fruition. This headphone amp is still very much in its early stages and has only been seen at trade shows so far. We first spotted it at the Australian Hi-Fi Show in early May, and most recently got our second look - and listen - to the amp at High End Munich 2023, where we managed to eke out some more information about it.

But even in its prototype state, the HA-L7A is a compelling proposition. Being born from the same team that developed the YH-5000SE already has us more excited than usual about a headphone amplifier, and from our first impressions, its rather unique design and the brief listens we've had to it only cements our anticipation for the full release.

Design

The utilitarian looks of the YH-5000SE headphones needed something to match it, and the HA-L7A certainly looks the part. It looks unlike any other headphone amplifier we've comes across. The all-black aluminium casing looks well built and engineered, offering a more 'functional' than flashy or luxurious aesthetic - just like the headphones it's designed to partner with. That's no bad thing, of course; we rather like the industrial look of the two-box arrangement.

The rather odd-looking section with the two cylinders is the power supply unit. Those protruding cylinders that stand proudly on the top panel house a pair of internal mains transformers - one feeds the preamp section and the other, the power stages. 

The audio section and power supply can't be used separately, so we imagine you'll need to clear out quite a big space on your desk or hi-fi rack to accommodate it.  The two are separate units so that the high currents and resultant magnetic fields of the power supply don't interfere with the sensitive audio circuit and spoil its performance.

The main unit has a small black-and-white display screen that again is more functional than flashy, showing basic information such as the volume level and input selected. There are simple buttons for input and output selection and using the menu. The two dials on the side – one for volume, one for sound mode – add a bit of design interest. They're set into the body of the unit, overhanging on the side slightly. The dials are backlit by a yellow light that gives the HA-L7A amp a rather subtle, retro-futuristic analogue look. 

The volume dial is surrounded by tiny white LEDs that light up according to the volume level – it's a subtle, neat touch and works smoothly with each step of the volume change. Overall, the HA-L7A build seems to be rock solid, with a distinctive aesthetic that puts quality and functionality high on its priorities.

Features

As mentioned earlier, the sample we saw at the show is a pre-production prototype and full technical details are sparse, as the product isn't due to launch until later in the year. 

What we do know, however, is that the HA-L7A has been designed from the ground up and is to be partnered with the superb high-end YA-5000SE headphones.  

The output of the headphone amplifier is reportedly "very powerful" with a claimed rating of 1,000mW + 1,000mW (at 32 ohms with 1 per cent distortion). It should drive a variety of appropriately premium headphones, not just Yamaha's own.

The headphone amp can also has a DAC module, with USB, digital coaxial and optical inputs on the back panel, alongside an RCA analogue input pair. Inside the DAC section lies a ESS 9038Pro DAC chip, which ensures compatibility with hi-res audio files up to 32-bit/384kHz PMC and DSD 11.2MHz.

There are also switchable analogue RCA and XLR pre and line outputs on the back panel. And it comes with a remote.

For headphones use, there's an XLR balanced connection, a 4.4mm balanced connection and a 6.3mm standard socket on the front panel. We listened to the YA-5000SE headphones plugged into the XLR socket.

Eagle-eyed readers will spot the "Pure Direct" button and a "Sound Field Mode Selector", which points to the ability to tweak the sound of the headphone amp. Although details of this are slim and "undecided" at this point, Yamaha suggests that the sound field correction technology used in its AV receivers may also appear on the HA-L7A. This is certainly an interesting and potentially exciting feature, and could offer "new ways of enjoying headphones" says Yamaha.

Sound quality

While a busy trade show isn't the best environment for any critical listening, we are familiar with the considerable talents of the YH-5000SE and it gives us a good reference point. With the headphones plugged into the HA-L7A amp, it certainly sounded like a harmonious pairing. 

We listen to a few tracks through Qobuz (classical instrumental, female vocals) and we get the impression of fluid dynamics, clear detail and a wonderfully open, spacious sound field. 

It all sounded rather effortless, and we find it difficult to pinpoint exactly where the headphones ended and the HA-L7A amp began, which is rather the point. We listened to a more familiar song – Snuff by Slipknot – and the depth of each guitar and bass note was impressive, as was the amount of texture and nuance coming through with Corey Taylor's heartfelt vocals.

Initial verdict

It's a rather potent combination and even our brief time with this pairing leaves us thinking this could potentially be something truly special. Of course, we still have to wait a few months until the final production sample of the HA-L7A is ready and we're able to listen to it for a longer period to give a final verdict. 

There's no word on pricing yet, either, but we are expecting the headphone amp to cost similar to the YH-5000SE headphones – which means we'd be looking at a potential combined pricing of £10,000 / $10,000 for the set. That's a lot to live up to. But we can't wait to get the full details of the Yamaha HA-L7A when it's released later in the year and to get a review sample in for a proper listen to see what it's truly capable of.

MORE:

Read our review of the five-star Yamaha YH-5000SE

What is a headphone amplifier and why do you need it?

Want an alternative headphone amp? Check out the new iFi iCan Phantom

See all our news and highlights from High End Munich 2023

You might know iFi Audio better as a digital audio specialist that offers a multitude of DACs in various form factors and very affordable prices (Zen DAC V2, Go Link, Uno and hip-DAC 2 are just some examples).

But it now has a brand new high-end offering which we spotted at the High End Munich show this week. Head over to the company’s stand and you’ll find a quirky but distinctive box called the iFi iCan Phantom.

The iCan Phantom hasn't officially launched yet, but I received a thorough run-down of this mad box of head-fi delights from an iFi representative and also managed to grab a quick listen.

What is the iFi iCan Phantom? It’s a pure analogue headphone amplifier, replacing the current flagship (Pro iCan Signature), with a brand new look and some rather clever design decisions, including a novel way of offering the correct bias voltage to match your electrostatic headphones.

This headphone amp is a fully differential balanced circuit design, offering “ultra low noise performance” and a great wallop of power, and iFi claims it will work with pretty much any headphones you can think of, from your super high sensitive IEMs to very tough-to-drive electrostatic headphones, and everything in between.  

The amount of headphones connections is generous: on one side of the plinth you’ll find the dedicated electrostatic connections, 4-pin balanced, 3-pin balanced, 4.4 balanced and good ol’ 3.5mm. On the other side are a pair of balanced XLR and a handful of RCA inputs. And it comes with a remote.

The visual design has changed completely. Gone is the rather vintage, fussy styling of the old Pro iCan Signature; what looks like one box stacked upon another is actually a single unit. It looks a bit like a two-tiered cake made by two very different personalities.

This distinctive "two-tone dual layer" styling and its name are loosely inspired by Rolls Royce’s legendary Phantom car, I'm told by the iFi representative, and I have to admit the design certainly does stand out, even if it not might be to everyone's taste.

A rather lovely circular OLED display is flanked by two rotary dials (one for input selection, the other for volume) on the sleek top metal section, which sits above the (less elegant) all-black plinth holding all the connections.

And you can see through the smoked glass top to the valves and circuitry inside (this is more apparent in person; show floor lighting is punishing for reflective surfaces). Similar to the outgoing Pro iCan Signature it replaces, the iCan Phantom has two input stages. One is solid stage, the other is valve. The two are completely separate, but iFi offers the ability to switch between the two if you wanted to tailor the sound to your mood, your sonic tastes or even suit the music you’re listening to.

By far the most unique aspect of the Phantom is the way it “delivers the voltages that electrostatics need to perform their best.” You can’t use a conventional headphone amplifier with electrostatic headphones as the voltages required to drive them are far higher than usual. So, you need a separate 'energiser' to drive them, with the correct voltage to match your specific model.

What iFi does is offer the different bias voltage settings to match specific electrostatics, in the form of what looks like colour-coded SD cards.

Why the cards? In the former Pro series, said iFi's representative, there was a little control knob that let you change the voltage to suit your electrostatic headphones. The problem was that if you got that wrong, it could damage your (no doubt very expensive) electrostatic headphones.

So in the Phantom, iFi aims to eliminate this issue with these nifty little cards that are easy to swap out and use. Not only is the voltage written on the card, it even has the name of the compatible electrostatic headphone brands (HiFi Man, Stax or Sennheiser, for instance) listed for that particular setting (see image above). 

So you can simply choose the voltage card that works for your specific headphones, slot it into the dedicated 'bias' slot in the electrostatic connections section, and boom – you’ve got the right bias voltage without worrying about your headphones going literally ka-boom.

It's a clever, fun and interactive (not to mention safe) solution that we've never seen before. iFi has a knack for offering niche and quirky solutions for its customers to suit their listening, but this is an ingenious way to make something rather technical attractive to all.

I had a quick listen to the Phantom with HiFi Man electrostatic cans plugged in, but a noisy show floor makes it impossible to make any judgement other than it makes a sound. We'd have to get a sample in to test before making any remarks on its audio performance.

How much does all this design and tech cost? The iCan Phantom isn’t officially launched yet so there’s no firm pricing, but I'm told that it's due to be available in summer (most likely June), and to expect it to cost around £3700/$3700.

That's a higher price tag than we're used to seeing from iFi and is a good grand or two more than the older iCan Pro Signature. iFi is clearly pushing its ambitions higher to match the high-end headphone crowd, and it'll be interesting to see if this Phantom can match those expectations. We'll bring you more information and concrete pricing once iFi officially launches the new iCan Phantom.

MORE:

Read all the latest news and highlights from High End Munich 2023

What is a headphone amplifier and why should you buy one?

Read our review of the Stax SR-L700 Mk2 / SRM-700T electrostatic headphones

FiiO has launched its flagship DAC and headphone amplifier, the K9 Pro ESS. It's packed with features for hi-res digital audio and a wide variety of headphones, along with an array of connections, offering MQA support and Bluetooth 5.0 streaming

The K9 Pro can handle a wide range of file types, supporting hi-res audio files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM plus DSD256 and MQA files from high-fidelity services such as Tidal.

There’s a vast selection of audio inputs to choose from, too. The FiiO K9 Pro ESS expands on the choices offered by its more budget stablemate, the K7, providing line level RCA input on the analogue side, and coaxial, optical, USB-B and USB-C inputs on the digital side. There’s also compatibility for external devices thanks to line level and XLR outputs, while headphone users can plug their cans into the 6.35mm single-ended, 4.4mm balanced or 4-pin balanced XLR headphone connections.

As a DAC and headphone amplifier, the FiiO K9 Pro ESS should be a dab hand at driving all kinds of headphones as well as promising enhanced audio quality. FiiO’s latest provides dual THX AAA788+ amplification, which it claims can “effortlessly” power headphones with a wide impedance range of 16 - 600 ohms. You can also manually select low, medium and high gain levels to adjust for your headphones’ own impedances or sensitivities.

Bluetooth 5.0, meanwhile, allows for pairing of devices such as smartphones, portable music players and PCs, and even supports streaming for hi-res wireless codecs including aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, and LDAC.

The K9’s twin ES9038 Pro DACs promise to deliver “an impressively musical, detailed, and expressive sound, whatever the source.” Timing shouldn’t be a problem, either, thanks to the dual-clock management of the model’s XMOS XUF208 decoding chip, promising “incredibly accurate handling of all digital audio files”.

That isn’t the end of it. Audio output from the K9 Pro has been carefully handled by the company’s engineers with a “partitioned layout” of the circuit board. What this means, they claim, is that not only is the power supply kept separate from the audio signals, but analogue and digital audio are separated from each other to ensure each signal’s integrity. Audio signals coming from the right and left channels are also processed separately by the unit in an effort to reduce crosstalk and preserve high-quality audio fidelity.

Weighing around 2.75kg, the FiiO K9 Pro ESS is available now for £699 / $859 / AU$1349. It also comes as standard with its own Bluetooth antenna, USB-B to USB-A cable, 3.6mm to 6.35mm adapter and a vertical stand for placement. 

MORE: 

Check out our five-star FiiO M11 Pro review 

The FiiO R7 hi-res desktop player puts everything in one place

Here’s our guide to the best DACs for every budget 

EarMen was created as an arm and sister company to respected European manufacturer Auris Audio by its founder Milomir "Miki" Trosic to serve a specific purpose: enhance portable listening. Unlike Auris Audio’s catalogue, which isn’t afraid of the super high-end (as its 24k gold Hawk tonearm and high-spec, hand-crafted range of amplifiers demonstrate), EarMen’s range was to be filled with small, affordable, battery-powered and USB DAC/headphone amplifiers designed to give phones, computers and other portable/desktop devices the sonic boost they so desperately needed. 

But then in late 2021, once EarMen had a nice line of such units under its belt, Trosic couldn’t help himself; he took the EarMen brand a step further by developing a stack of more serious headphone components for the desktop: the Tradutto DAC, Staccato streamer, and the two-box CH-Amp analogue headphone amplifier we have under scrutiny here.

Features

This is a fully balanced headphone amp with a built-in pre-amp that comes with a separate (supplied) linear power supply unit called the PSU-3. Its ‘fully balanced’ design means that as well as incoming balanced signals being output intact (albeit amplified), signals that come through its single-ended RCA inputs are converted to balanced ones, supposedly with the positive and negative signals perfectly in phase. The external power supply, meanwhile, has been developed to offer clean power with “minimal noise” to its headphone amplifier partner, and to the Tradutto and Staccato models as well if required.

EarMen has used its experience in headphone amplifier design, and no doubt that of Auris Audio, to design the CH-Amp. Specifically, it has chosen to use composite op-amps, praising their efficiency and better DC output-offset compared to alternatives such as the commonly used thermal feedback loop design. It says it has chosen capacitors and resistors it believes work best with these op-amps to produce a “neutral” sound. And it has embedded the circuit board in an aluminium housing for added insulation and extra protection against external influences, too.

Design

It isn’t just the circuit board that is wrapped in aluminium: the casework for the CH-Amp’s two units are made from it too – both are 15cm wide and deep, though the power supply is double the height of the amplifier at 6cm. They look very clearly cut from the same design cloth with their impressively solid build and functional chassis and do stack smartly together, with both units' feet giving the boxes a centimetre or so’s clearance from one another (if stacked) and the desk onto which they’re placed. 

Next to the most contemporary-looking desktop alternatives – those from the likes of Chord Electronics or Schiit Audio, for example – the EarMen do look like they belong to a previous era due to the amplifier’s primitive OLED display and pin buttons, but we’re still fond of their mature, ‘traditional hi-fi’ look. The only thing that really bothers us is the ‘PSU-3’ and ‘CH-Amp’ labels not lining up with one another when the units are stacked. We know, it’s a small thing.

Mind you, that is offset by a couple of nice touches: the volume dial clicks subtly upon rotation, and even more rewarding is that when you unmute the CH-Amp (by pushing in the volume dial) the volume gradually increases back to the level it was at over a few seconds, rather than it just startling your ears. 

Chargeable via USB-C, the aluminium slab of a remote control is a nicely weighted thing, too. The top half’s buttons control the CH-Amp’s power, mute, input selection and volume functions, while the bottom half’s buttons control a connected Tradutto – handy or futile depending on whether you own one, of course.

Fully aware we’re using repetition for emphasis here – ‘functional’ is a word that applies rather broadly to the CH-Amp. Not only are the pair compact enough to call them ideally sized for a desktop application, but they also offer a platter of connections that make them fit either as a middleman in a headphones-only desktop system or a wider hi-fi system, and can accommodate headphones that vary widely in type and impedance level. That’s because their front panel features both (typical) 6.3mm and (niche) balanced 4.4mm headphone outputs, as well as a gain button that switches between ‘high’ (1.5W into 32 ohms through the 6.3mm, and 3.8W into 32 ohms for balanced) and ‘low’ (260mW into 32 ohms for the 6.3mm and 1W into 32 ohms for balanced) modes. 

The only other button on the front panel is a ‘select’ button for switching inputs, of which there are three – two RCAs and a balanced 4.4mm. Perhaps unsurprisingly considering its presence as an input and headphone output, the balanced 4.4mm connection is also offered as a pre-out, alongside an RCA option.

That rather comprehensive connectivity is completed by a 2x12V DC outlet necessary to receive power from the power supply via the supplied cable. Three IC cables are also provided in the box as alternative means of connection for those who also own the EarMen Tradutto DAC and Staccato streamer in the range, with the power supply able to deliver a total 12V/1.5A in this instance. Also noteworthy on the PSU’s rear panel is the voltage switch between 115V and 230V to accommodate different countries’ power requirements.

Sound

That stack may look smart – especially, we imagine, if you had the full four-component set – but we would actually recommend putting them side-by-side on a solid tabletop as opposed to vertically if you have the space. Do so and the CH-Amp’s sonic presentation sounds more solid and open.

We at What Hi-Fi? are rather new to EarMen products and therefore glad to hear the CH-Amp deliver an even-handed, crisp and precise sound from the off as we plug in an assortment of high-end headphones. 

Playing Aldous Harling’s Old Peel, the CH-Amp capably surfaces decent detail levels and plots them precisely on a well-mapped canvas. In the song’s opener, the stop and start of each springy piano note and percussive strike are crisp, and when her vocal comes through the middle of the well-imaged soundstage, it’s clear and intact with her nasally flavour. Bass is controlled and well-judged in its presence, while mids and highs shine through with apt clarity.

That clear striving for an organised and meticulous sound is helped by the fact its presentation is invitingly big and spaciously open, so you don’t need lots of volume to feel physically immersed by the sound. In fact, the CH-Amp never feels short of power and can reach high volumes without distortion audibly creeping in.

We find the EarMen CH-Amp’s presentation does lose a bit of that openness and spaciousness through the preamp outputs as we connect it to our reference system (trying out both unbalanced and balanced routes), sounding smaller and a little more congested than we'd like given the price. The tonally balanced, conscientious character we hear through the headphone outputs thankfully remains, though.

But throughout our listening, whether it’s through headphones or a system, there is very clearly something missing, and our suspicions are confirmed as we plug into the Chord Hugo 2. For all its ambitions to be analytical, the EarMen can feel a little musically disjointed. We play Kate Bush’s Watching You Without Me – a go-to track for sussing out a piece of equipment’s timing – and the EarMen pairing doesn’t quite ‘get’ the interplay of the metronomic drums, double bass pizzicato and synth elements, to the point where this genius composition sounds criminally bland. 

With both its DAC and headphone amplifier now in play, the Hugo 2 better communicates the cooperation between the musical strands, while proving more transparent in revealing the timbres of instruments and also more dynamically expressive too. The CH-Amp certainly conveys where Bush’s elastic vocal and the supple instrumentation rises and falls, proving that it isn’t bereft of dynamic contrast, but the extent of the fluctuations in the recording are notably more pronounced through the Chord’s headphone amplifier. Considering the likely cost of the headphone amp stage within the Hugo 2 DAC, that shouldn’t be the case.

Verdict

It leaves us in two minds about the EarMen CH-Amp. On the one hand, it’s a well-featured and nicely built analogue unit that sounds maturely crisp and precise and achieves some level of analytical status for that; but on the other, it lacks the rhythmic and dynamic expression we feel is essential for music to compel and entertain. Ultimately, we have here a brave attempt at a purist high-end headphone amplifier – one which is rarely undertaken these days – but unfortunately not quite one we can confidently champion.

SCORES

• Sound 3
• Features 4
• Build 4

MORE:

Also consider the Chord Anni

Boost your personal listening with the best headphone amplifiers

What is a headphone amplifier and why should you buy one?

Astell & Kern is best known for its high-end portable music players, but now it's announced its first portable headphone amplifier. The PA10 uses the South Korean firm's Teraton Alpha tech as well as Class A amplification to drive your headphones.

A&K's PMPs have generally scored very well in our reviews (like the recent Award-winning A&norma SR25 MkII), so we're excited to see what its first portable headphone amp can do. The company makes some bold claims – it says the PA10 "generates natural, spacious and distortion-free analogue sound" and that it delivers a "warm, detailed and refined sound".

It also says that it has used its expertise in amplifier circuit design to reduce the PA10's power consumption while increasing its output and eliminating distortions and defects.

Teraton Alpha has been years in the making. It uses power noise removal, efficient power management and unwavering amplification to produce a sound quality that's as close as possible to the original recording.

The PA10 also controls the current to suit different pairs of headphones and in-ear monitors. Astell & Kern claims this makes for a more intensive, spatial sound.

It supports 4.4mm True Balanced input/output, and its crossfeed function uses exclusively hardware circuit design, not digital software. This is supposed to offer a more seamless crossfeed effect without degrading the audio.

Visually, the PA10 shares a lot in common with Astell & Kern's PMPs – muscular, is how we would describe its design language, with its octagonal pillar-shaped body made from aluminium.

Interested? The PA10 is available now for £549 / $550 / AU$899.

MORE:

The brand has a new DAC too, and it's not too expensive

What is a headphone amplifier and why do you need one?

These are the best portable music players

What is a headphone amplifier? It is an amplifier circuit that is specifically designed to drive headphones rather than speakers. That might sound like a simple enough task – after all, headphones are just small speakers, right? But maybe because the job seems so simple, it turns out to be a bit of a blind spot for many manufacturers and is usually given a low priority.

While dedicated headphone outputs have faded from many phones (thanks for that, Apple) they still exist on a huge array of components that span the audio and video fields. And at the most basic level they work. You connect your headphones and you get a sound. That might be enough for some people. But, you are reading What Hi-Fi? and you know performance matters.

How is a headphone amplifier different to a conventional amplifier? Speakers require more power than a pair of headphones, which makes sense if you think about the difference in the size of space each operates in – consider a listening room compared to just your ear cavity. That vastly lower power requirement means that a headphone amplifier circuit has to be engineered to excel at low signal levels, and many simply aren’t designed to do that. 

It is not just about muscle though, as the electrical loading of headphone drive units is different to that of speakers. Most speakers have a nominal impedance of around 8 ohms, with some falling to half of that. Headphones tend to have far more of a spread, typically going from 16 - 600 ohms.  

The amplifier designed to drive them must be happy working with such a range of electrical loads. It isn’t uncommon to find a unit where the headphone feed is simply an attenuated version of the signal coming out of the speaker terminals. This is a cheap, easy and ultimately limited way of doing things. Poor sound is usually the result.

Buy a dedicated unit and the story is very different. Here, headphone sound is the priority and so every care is taken to get the best performance. Component quality is higher and the power supply is optimised for the task at hand. Essentially, everything is geared towards delivering the best sound quality inside the operating range of the headphones. Hand meet glove. Good examples of headphone amplifiers include the entry-level iFi Zen Can and the SPL Phonitor xe on the premium side.

Headphone amplifiers tend to be wholly analogue devices in their most basic form. They tend to be purist units with a handful of line-level inputs. Outputs can be more varied, with the traditional 3.5mm and 6.3mm sockets often augmented by various balanced options on some models.

It is certainly possible to buy digital-to-analogue converters with headphone outputs (also known as a DAC/headphone amp) and the best of these can be exceptional performers. We’re thinking of AudioQuest’s three-strong DragonFly USB DAC range here (Black, Red and Cobalt) or Chord Electronics’ superb Mojo 2, Hugo 2 or the high-end Hugo TT2. These DACs usually only have digital inputs, which range from a single USB (Type A) for the AudioQuests to the full range of coax, optical and USB for the Chords. 

The advantage of this type of DAC/headphone amp combination is the potential of getting better sound from your digital sources, but that only happens in reality if the unit has better digital processing capabilities than the source you currently have. Something that isn't always a given.

Any reasons not to buy a headphone amplifier? The additional cost might be a reason. Also, it’s another box that adds to the mess of your system, particularly if it requires additional cabling. Maybe your current setup sounds good enough, in which case lucky you! 

It is also fair to say that your headphones have got to be of a good standard before you can really enjoy the benefits of a headphone amplifier. Think of Austrian Audio’s Hi-X15 (£89/$119/around AU$160) or the similarly-priced Grado SR80x as good starting points here. On the other end of the scale, if your tastes are more high-end and you use the exceptional Yamaha YH-5000SE headphones, you'll need a headphone amplifier at a similarly high-performance level – it's a good thing that Yamaha is crafting a matching HA-L7A headphone amp for this very need, too.

However, even more modestly priced cans such as Sennheiser's HD600 over-ears or Shura Aonic A3 in-ears will benefit from the boost. In most cases, we suspect that a carefully chosen headphone amplifier will be a sizeable step up from what you have, and the sonic improvements will easily justify the outlay.

MORE: 

Here are the best headphone amplifiers around

Or maybe you need a DAC/headphone amp combo instead?

These are the best wired headphones you can buy

This is the first time we’ve reviewed a product from SPL, and we’re mighty glad we did. The company is based in Germany and makes all sorts of processors, DACs and amplifiers, mostly targeted at the studio world. It does make some products that crossover for home use though, and the SPL Phonitor xe is one of those.

We love the way this thing looks. The nerd in us is drawn to all the control dials and a multitude of switches. We like the finish options too, with standard offerings such as black and silver being augmented by a bold red. But there’s real substance here from the solidly-made casework and high standard of fit to the robust feel of the controls. This is obviously a product designed to take heavy use over many years. 

Features

The Phonitor xe is an analogue headphone amplifier. It has both balanced XLR and single-ended RCA line-level inputs and delivers the output through a 4-pin XLR or a standard 6.3mm socket. This pair of outputs is available from the front panel, but if you want things to look a little neater, they are repeated at the back. There is a small toggle on the front panel to switch between the two.

Look at the base of the Phonitor xe and you’ll find a pair of dipswitches. One of these increases the unit’s output level by +22dB, in case you are using particularly inefficient headphones, and the other adjusts the RCA input sensitivity to account for variances of source output levels. Both are useful to have if you swap between a range of sources and headphones.

There is an optional digital module available for the Phonitor xe, which adds £875 / $850 / AU$700 to the price, but that’s not included on our sample. That module offers USB, optical and coax inputs alongside a balanced AES/EBU, and is compatible with signals up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD256.

Analogue headphone amplifiers are traditionally simple-looking things, but this one is different. We like the twin VU meters, even if they serve little practical purpose, but it’s SPL’s Matrix processing that catches our attention. Once switched into the circuit it offers an adjustable amount of cross-feed to the signal to bring the in-the-head presentation of headphones closer to that of a pair of speakers positioned in front of the listener. It is possible to fine-tune the results with the angle switch, which attempts to replicate the difference that adjusting the speaker angle makes.

We spend quite a bit of time playing around with the various settings and conclude that we prefer the Phonitor’s sound with all the processing out of the circuit. While the Matrix processing does as promised, there is enough of a drop in terms of transparency and openness to swing our vote away from using it. Having said that, it's not a night and day difference so some may be happy with the compromise.

Sound

A component at this level demands a top-quality source. We have Naim’s ND555/555 PS DR music streamer to hand as well as the Technics SL-1000R/Kiseki Purpleheart record player feeding a Cyrus Phono Signature phono stage. When it comes to headphones we have a good choice ranging from the Beyerdynamic T1 Mk 3 and Grado RS1x through to Focal’s range-topping Utopia and closed-back Stellia.

Given a few days to settle, this headphone amplifier proves to be a delight. It’s not a ‘fireworks’ kind of product that tries to thrill at every turn, though. This is more of a slow burner; one that gently worms its way into our affections over time. 

The SPL's sonic character proves consistent regardless of the partnering headphones we use, delivering a combination of refinement, authority and insight that’s rare. Listening to the Taylor Swift/Bon Iver duet, Exile, shows the Phonitor xe to be a smooth performer; one that is fluid and full-bodied without sacrificing articulation. Voices come through with natural warmth and passion with the SPL communicating dynamic nuances superbly. We love the weight it lends to the piano and also the way the Phonitor xe allows music to flow. This is a highly detailed presentation but it never feels overly analytical.

While this headphone amplifier has a transparent sound, it remains forgiving of aggressive recordings and refuses to make a meal out of things. Eminem’s Recovery can sound thin and harsh, but through the SPL we’re made more aware of the rapper’s vocal brilliance and the crunching beats than any shortcomings in the production. There is a good sense of space here despite the often cluttered feel of the production, and it remains easy to keep track of low-level instrumental strands even when the music becomes demanding. It’s this sense of control that helps to mark the SPL out as something special. 

This is a product that doesn’t go out of its way to hype up a recording to make it sound more exciting, but there is still enough in the way of rhythmic drive to get our feet tapping to tracks such as No Love. While Recovery is not the most bass-leaden album, there is still enough here to show that the amplifier is taut and tuneful at low frequencies. Subsequent listening to the bass-fest that is Massive Attack’s Heligoland reinforces the point.

We shift genres to Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring and the SPL responds with a controlled performance that brims with insight, punch and composure. The music’s demanding dynamic sweeps are delivered with power and there is a good impression of scale. By its very nature, listening to headphones usually comes second best to speakers when it comes to things such as scale or authority, so it’s fair to say that the SPL does a great job.

Verdict

If you’re something of a headphone obsessive the Phonitor xe certainly deserves to be on your wishlist. It has a considered, refined but still entertaining approach to music replay that we really enjoy. Given a suitably talented source and headphones, this SPL headphone amplifier delivers a level of sound quality that is among the best we’ve heard.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Chord Hugo 2

Here's our list of the best headphones amplifiers

Best DACs: USB, portable and desktop digital-to-analogue converters

Many of us may have succumbed to the convenience of wireless headphones and using our phones as our primary music source.

But, for the elite, who value sound quality above all else, a pair of reliable, wired headphones backed up by a source bespoke designed for music with proper amplification and a decent DAC is essential.

Which is why, despite the market not being as big as it once was, our team of reviewers continue their never-ending quest to find the ultimate headphone amp to this day.

These include affordable, portable models designed for use on the go, partnered with a smartphone or laptop, as well as more serious desktop units designed for home or office listening sessions.

Trust us, we’ve tested more smartphones, tablets and laptops for audio quality than we care to count and can safely confirm a decent headphone amp will night and day elevate their audio performance.

So, if you want to get the best audio possible, we’d strongly recommend considering one of the options on this list, especially if you already own a decent pair of wired headphones.

You can get a detailed breakdown of how we test headphone amps using the attached quicklink, or jump straight into our recommendations.

On the off chance you need a set of cans as well, also make sure to check out our best wired headphones guide!

Best overall

The fittingly named Mojo 2 is the long-anticipated, re-engineered replacement to the 2015-released original, which burst onto the scene as a real benchmark-setting game-changer in the then-fledgling world of portable DACs/headphone amps.

And with the addition of a slightly modernised version recently, adding a 4.4mm headphone connection and USB-C charging input, it's the best option for most people right now.

While the aesthetic hasn’t exactly been overhauled for the sequel, significant progress has been made elsewhere to protect its position as the pinnacle of portable headphone amps at this price point.

All told, the performance of the Mojo 2 isn't massively far away from that of Chord Electronics' considerably pricier Hugo 2. Such is its capability, it can raise a hi-fi system’s game just as confidently as it can a phone's or laptop's.

At this price, you might reasonably prefer a dedicated system alternative with more suitable connections, such as the Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M.

But for those who are after a primarily portable or desktop DAC solution in this price region, we believe the decision to Mojo 2 or not to Mojo 2 is an easy one.

And what about existing Mojo owners? Honestly, Chord has left us no choice but to recommend the upgrade.

As our expert reviews team found during our Mojo 2 review testing, "The Mojo’s soundstage has been opened up for the sequel and that extra depth and dimension has been filled with greater resolution that is not only unmistakably present thanks to a big boost in clarity but also more precisely placed."

Our current Product of the Year DAC/headphone amplifier for several years on the trot, the Mojo 2 will suit – and transform – portable phone, desktop computer/laptop and even modest hi-fi separates setups. It is that good.

Read our full Chord Mojo 2 review

Best budget portable

For the longest time, we recommended the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt as the best budget, portable option for most people.

But, with it now having gone to the big hi-fi farm in the sky, the iFi Go Link Max is the closest like-for-like replacement we recommend that’s still on sale. Hence, its elevation from the 'also consider' section in this guide into the main list.

The tiny, affordable unit is a convenient way to improve any device with a USB-C, USB-A or Lightning input’s audio, based on our testing.

Sitting above the slightly more modest, base Go Link in iFi’s current lineup, the device is about as plug-and-play as it gets.

Connect it to a device, and you’ll add hi-res PCM audio playback up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256 – which is as good as you’ll need, even when subscribed to the max tier of Tidal, Qobuz and their ilk.

As an added perk, despite its basic design, it does have a few nice quality-of-life features. The biggest of which is a single light LED interface, which lets you know when it's running and what quality it's playing at.

But the main selling point is the tangible audio gains it brings when playing hi-res tracks, especially on most smartphones.

Featuring twin ES9219 DAC chips and balanced audio circuitry that aims to reduce noise and improve sound quality, we found it offered palpable improvements when paired with a variety of different hardware.

During our checks, these included everything from a Windows Surface laptop to Android smartphones as sources, and the Award-winning Grado SR325x and five-star, closed-back Røde NTH-100 headphones.

In every instance, the unit delivered a pleasingly assertive, punchy sound.

Hence, our recommendation and glowing verdict: “The Go Link Max is a compact yet powerful weapon for your headphones, bringing impressive sonic improvements at an affordable price.”

Read our full iFi Go Link Max review

Best premium portable

The Hugo 2 is a strange one.

It's just about small enough to take with you (this is clearly the intention, as it has its own built-in battery), but a little too large to sit in a pocket, so it is portable... but more in the sense that you'd carry it from room to room as opposed to out and about with you on the daily commute.

It's also not the easiest device to use at times, mostly thanks to its system of coloured lights, which can get confusing.

It's also at the higher end of the price scale, so entry-level users seeking a bargain may want to consider a cheaper alternative.

So what's it doing on this list, you might wonder? Two words for you: sound quality.

It's very difficult indeed to fault the way Hugo 2 converts and delivers your digital audio files. And not just sparklingly hi-res ones but also lower-quality files too – whatever you feed it, Hugo 2 serves your headphones a detailed, dynamic and punchy performance.

"Timing is perhaps Hugo 2’s strongest suit of all," notes our Hugo 2 review, "it brings absolutely believable unity to ensemble music."

This is the most headphone amp most audiophiles will ever need – honestly, it really is that good.

There are plenty of inputs to take advantage of – optical, coaxial and (the admittedly slightly dated) micro-USB inputs, 3.5mm, 6.3mm headphone and RCA system outputs and aptX Bluetooth as well.

See past its quirky looks and operation, and you'll be rewarded with a hugely insightful, musical performer.

Read our full Chord Hugo 2 review

Best budget desktop

“Neat, capable and packed with features.” Three words you always want to hear when considering a desktop headphone amp and the exact ones we used to describe the Audiolab D7 when we reviewed it.

A pseudo successor to the 2011 Audiolab M-Dac (a key bit of hi-fi history that many of our reviewers have fond memories of), the small, unassuming-looking black box ticks all the boxes you’d expect from a modern headphone amp.

Connectivity-wise, there are two coaxial and two optical inputs, USB Type B and USB Type A inputs, alongside single-ended RCA line level and balanced XLR analogue outputs.

There’s also Bluetooth 5.3 wireless connectivity with aptX HD codec support for streamers. So whatever you want to connect it to, or play music from, it has you covered.

Crack its hood, and its specifications continue to impress, for the price. Audiolab has designed its digital and power supply circuitry to work as well as possible with the SS Sabre’s ES9038Q2M DAC chip at its heart.

The chipset means the headphone amp offers hi-res compatibility with up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512 music files, which is good enough considering its price and target market.

Running it with a variety of hardware ranging from a Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer to a MacBook Pro loaded with Audirvana music software as its source, and numerous different headphones, it performed admirably.

In each instance, the amp delivered an even-handed performance with fluid dynamics, and pleasing levels of insight, clarity and spaciousness.

Hence, our verdict: “If you are looking for a well-specified and talented outboard DAC at this level, it would be remiss if you didn’t consider this one seriously.”

Read our full Audiolab D7 review

Best premium desktop

Look at this tank. Unsurprisingly, it's very much a desktop headphone amp – and you'll need a sizeable desktop, at that! Indeed, if you're looking for something portable, best to look further up this page.

But if it's home headphone listening you're after, whether that's primarily through a separates or desktop system, this Audiolab could well be the one for you.

Sonically, it will be a valuable addition to your home audio setup. It’s an overtly neat and tidy listen, showing a slavish attention to detail when it comes to the delineation of the soundstage.

That’s a trait we wholly admire, and few other comparably priced headphone amp/DACs describe a stage quite as explicitly as the M-DAC+.

Even the densest, busiest recordings are laid out openly – in terms of staging, focus and sheer three-dimensionality, the Audiolab dishes out the details like a bar room gossip.

It's rhythmically adept too, as our reviewers were keen to highlight in our M-DAC+ review: "Timing is good, the interplay and integration between instruments sounding natural and unforced."

Add to that consistency across the system and headphone outputs (of which there are several, even including an AES/EBU balanced digital input for those with pro-studio aspirations), and you've got a solid, versatile headphone amplifier that truly justifies the outlay.

Read our full Audiolab M-DAC+ review

Best analogue

Analogue headphone amplifiers aren't very common nowadays, and more the reserve of the very high-end (like the analogue-only SPL Phonitor xe below).

But the debut headphone amplifier from Austrian Audio, a company which has made a wave in the headphones space in recent years, is a rare example of a mid-priced amplifier that eschews digital inputs and prioritises enhancing performance between analogue sources and headphones.

The compact desktop-friendly unit, about the size of a hardback book, is beautifully made and lovely to use.

The curved metal casework's front panel hosts a pair of 6.3mm sockets and, beneath a sliding flap, a 4-pin balanced XLR output. At the rear is where you'll find the RCA and XLR inputs for connecting your analogue sources.

While the Full Score One has natural partnering headphones in the Austrian Audio range, the excellent The Composer, the amp has been designed to work well with the majority of headphones on the market, able to drive impedances from 10-600 ohms.

Just note that there isn't much travel room for the volume dial when more sensitive models are connected.

In addition to The Composer (22ohms), our in-house review experts used the Sony MDR-Z1R (64ohms), Focal Stellia (35ohms), Grado RS-1x (38ohms) and early-generation Beyerdynamic T1 (600 ohms) during testing, and all were a great match.

At the other end it also pays to use decent equipment, with our reviewers using everything from a Cyrus 40 ST music streamer to a Technics SL-1000R/Vertere Dark Sabre/ Cyrus Phono Signature/PSX-R2 turntable package.

"Given the company’s strong studio heritage, it should come as no surprise that this amplifier has a warts and all presentation; one that prefers the unvarnished truth to trying to make every recording sound good," reads our Full Score One review.

This is a headphone amplifier with obsessive attention to detail and a presentation that is very easy to listen to and admire.

Scale, authority and organisation are top drawer; stereo imaging is crisp, layered and stable; and despite its neutral tonality, rhythmic drive and dynamic expression are in full supply.

It's another Austrian Audio success, then.

Read our full Austrian Audio Full Score One review

Best high-end

The Phonitor xe marked the first time we'd reviewed a product from the German audio manufacturer SPL, but it didn't take long to make an impression.

At the higher price end of the headphone amp scale, the handsome and well-made analogue-only model certainly looked the part and had a chunky price tag to match, leaving us interested to see just how much it could enhance our headphone listening experience.

Played from a top-quality source, the Phonitor xe is a smooth, articulate performer. The premium amp feels fluid and full-bodied without losing detail or dynamics, excelling when it comes to bringing out voices with their natural warmth and passion.

There is an optional digital module available that offers digital inputs and hi-res compatibility, but it costs an additional £875 / $850 / AU$700.

If you are after a high-end DAC-and-headphone-amp combo, then the class-leading Chord Hugo TT2 (£3995 / $5795) that delivers exceptional transparency, articulation and dynamic expression should be on your list.

This SPL headphone amplifier does require some decent accompanying kit to get the most out of it, but provide the Phonitor xe with an appropriately talented source and headphones, and it will deliver some of the finest sound quality you'll hear for this price.

Read our full SPL Phonitor xe review

Also consider

• NuPrime DAC-9X: While not quite as insightful as the class-leading Chord Hugo 2 above, this headphone amp hardly puts a foot wrong – it still sounds terrific, is generous in the connections department and works well in a wide range of systems.
• iFi hip-dac 3: AudioQuest's DragonFly Cobalt edges the rivalry, but it's a very closely fought battle – not something many of the competition within this burgeoning market can claim. This portable DAC/headphone amp is a pleasure to listen to.
• Cambridge Audio Dacmagic D200M: Until the arrival of the Audiolab D7, the D200M was our recommended budget, desktop headphone amp. Though we prefer the D7 overall, the Cambridge Audio is still a valid alternative.
• iFi Zen DAC 3: Not better than its five-star predecessor in every way, yet still an attractive option for those who are after an affordable desktop DAC/headphone amp to improve audio quality from, say, their laptop.
• Chord Alto: This desktop-sized high-end amplifier can drive four headphones at the same time, and can also be used as an amplifier for nearfield speakers. Niche use case perhaps, but it sounds immaculately clean, clear, detailed and neutral, with a great handle on rhythms and dynamics.

How to choose the best headphone amp for you

Analogue or digital?
So what should you look for in a headphone amplifier?

Analogue inputs are the most common and mean you can plug in any source that has analogue outputs (which is most of them).

These days, though, analogue-only headphone amplifiers like the Chord Anni and SPL Phonitor xe are a rare breed, as most headphone amps also boast built-in DACs (digital-to-analogue converters) that feed digital inputs for broader compatibility – ideal if, say, you are listening to music stored on a computer.

This means many headphone amplifiers are also DACs (and can be called such, or, commonly, 'DAC/headphone amplifier'), although be aware that you can get DACs without headphone sockets, such as the Chord Qutest, which only improve sound between sources and speaker-fronted systems.

These digital-savvy headphone amplifiers typically play ball with all manner of digital audio these days, from PCM to DSD to MQA, but it's worth checking file support if you own niche hi-res music.

Size and portability
Size and portability are also key considerations. Some of the headphone amplifiers below will happily slip into a jeans pocket and, with the right cables and perhaps even an adaptor, can be paired with a phone.

Bigger models, whether they are battery- or mains-powered, command that you clear your desk or make some room on your hi-fi rack (like you'd need to for the new and rather large Yamaha HA-L7A).

In short, you'll need to decide whether you'll be listening to your headphones on the move or solely at home before committing to a purchase.

For portable models, check battery life and whether it can be powered by the source it's plugged into.

Partnering equipment
Then, of course, there's the matter of price and, related, the quality of the equipment you'll plug into your headphone amplifier in the first place.

Your headphones need to be of a pretty decent standard before you get the benefits of a dedicated amp – we would say the £330/$295/AU$419 Grado SR325x are decent starting benchmarks – so you might not want to bother if you're currently rocking a pair of £50/$50/AU$100 headphones.

Conversely, you may decide that your headphones are performing well enough as it is, and that you like the sound just fine without needing any extra oomph or refinement.

If you've just forked out many hundreds of pounds for some decent wired over-ears, you may not be that keen on parting with even more cash to make some noticeable, but possibly incremental, audio gains.

That's a totally reasonable position, and you can always upgrade down the line if you change your mind.

FAQ

How we test headphone amplifiers

The What Hi-Fi? in-house reviews team, with over 150 years of collective experience, has unique state-of-the-art testing facilities in London and Reading, in which pretty much every hi-fi, audio and AV component you see reviewed on www.whathifi.com are put through their paces. Those include headphone amplifiers.

Portable and often desktop headphone amplifiers don't often require such facilities, of course, so instead we test those in real-world scenarios – at our office and home desktops and/or out and about with our phones.

If a headphone amp is portable, we test its battery life claims and ruggedness, while the various inputs and headphone sockets offered by more substantial home models are tested with price-suitable source components and headphones.

Indeed, we test each headphone amplifier using several pairs of our favourite headphones to ensure sonic compatibility.

We compare every headphone amplifier that passes through our test rooms to the best in its class, which is typically a current What Hi-Fi? Awards winner, allowing us to gauge how good a newcomer is in the context of the best-in-class competition and wider market.

We are fortunate to be able to keep a well-stocked kit room that gives us access to these award winners (and many other products) when we need them for comparative purposes, all year round.

We are always impartial and ensure every headphone amplifier is tested within controlled, optimal conditions. We'll use music of varying genre and quality, and give them plenty of listening time – and time to run in too.

You can read more about how we test and review products at What Hi-Fi? here.

Recent updates

• September 2025: Added the five-star Chord Alto to our Also Consider list, and updated the DragonFly Cobalt entry.
• April 2025: The just-tested iFi Zen DAC 3 makes our Also Consider list as a four-star DAC/headphone amp, although its predecessor, the Zen DAC V2, remains our choice pick while it is just about still on shelves (and for a discount).
• January 2025: The newly reviewed iFi Go Link Max makes it onto our Also Consider list as an ideal portable DAC/headphone amplifier for USB-C devices as well as Lightning and USB-A ones. Meanwhile, Austrian Audio's new debut headphone amp is so impressive that it has been added to our main list as the Best Analogue option.
• November 2024: The newly crowned What Hi-Fi? Award 2024 winners have been labelled as such. In this category, those are the Chord Mojo 2 and AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt, two class-leading and affordable DAC/headphone amplifiers.
• August 2024: No new entries this time, although DAC/headphone amp specialist iFi has recently launched new headphone amps that look promising on paper.
• June 2024: We've added an Also Consider section to give you more choice when it comes to recommendable headphone amplifiers, plus FAQs for extra buyer advice.
• March 2024: Added 'how to choose' and 'how we test' sections to help readers make more informed buying decisions.
• January 2024: The number of entries was reduced for a more focused selection.
• November 2023: Our newly crowned What Hi-Fi? Award winners were labelled as such.

MORE:

Check out the best DACs – including ones without headphone amps

And the best headphones for all occasions

Read all about the closed-back vs open-back headphones differences

McIntosh’s MHA200 headphone amplifier is a cute little thing. Its footprint is broadly that of a decently sized paperback, yet it still manages to pack in all the charm and presence we’ve come to expect from a McIntosh product.

Note that this is a mains-powered analogue headphone amplifier. You won’t find any fancy DAC technology or, heaven forbid, anything that resembles wireless streaming. And that’s fine with us, because the MHA200 remains a carefully considered product for those who want to make the most of their domestic wired headphones.

Build

There are valves at the heart of this unit – four in total – made up of a pair of 12AT7s in the driver stage and 12BH7As in the power stage. These run warm and are usually protected from prying fingers by a removable cage. Next to the valves is a trio of transformers: one for the mains and two that couple the amplifier’s output valves to the connected headphones. As with most valve products, a certain amount of care has to be taken over matching. Here, that takes the form of a front panel control that switches between four load options: 32, 100, 250 and 600 ohms. Simply switch to the one that’s closest to the nominal impedance of your chosen headphones for the best results. There’s no harm in trying an alternative setting, and it can be fun to try, but we would be surprised if doing so leads to a better sound.

Compatibility

The MHA200 has two inputs – balanced XLR and single-ended RCA – but the amplifier isn’t designed for both to be used at the same time, as there’s no provision for input switching. The source doesn’t have to come with a built-in volume control either, as this McIntosh already has one. There’s a crisp indent to the volume control’s movement at the 12 o’clock position – the recommended place to leave it if you’re running a source that does have volume control.

There are three ways to connect your headphones: a standard 6.3mm option, a single four-pin balanced XLR, and two three-pin XLRs for a balanced connection with separate left and right signal paths. It’s not optimal to connect two headphones at once. That noted, we use a range of headphones from the Focal Stellias and Beyerdynamic T1 Generation 2 to a pair of classic Grado RS1 without issue.

Of course, any amplifier at this level needs a high quality source to shine. Don’t be tempted to take shortcuts, otherwise we’re not sure you’ll find out just how talented the McIntosh MHA200 is. We use a combination of our MacBook feeding the Chord Hugo TT2 for some of our testing and then swap to Naim’s range-topping ND555/555 PS DR music streamer for the rest. The MHA200 feels solid and built to last. There’s a degree of valve management here to ensure that they aren’t unnecessarily stressed during use, so the sound is muted on initial start-up for a few seconds (while the valves glow green) until things have stabilised.

Connectivity is straightforward, leaving only the lack of linearity in the volume control’s behaviour to criticise. Nothing much happens until we get close to the 12 o’clock position of the indent and then levels increase disproportionately, making it hard to make subtle changes in level after that. Surely it can’t be beyond McIntosh to make a volume control that works more intuitively?

Sound

Get past that minor annoyance and there’s so much to like here. The broad strokes are that this headphone amplifier shares obvious sonic DNA with McIntosh’s best full-size efforts. Regardless of the headphones we use, this little box turns in a lovely, lush sounding performance that’s hard to dislike. It sounds smooth but far from lifeless, delivering high levels of detail in a cohesive and musical manner. 

We listen to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and the MHA200 renders the piano with an impressive degree of solidity and authority. The instrument’s harmonically rich sound comes through with textures and dynamic expression intact. We love the way this amplifier communicates the quiet space between notes and the way it ties those notes together with such musical conviction.

Tonally, it’s on the full-bodied and slightly rich side of neutral, but this isn’t taken so far as to distract. On the contrary, the MHA200 comes across as sounding determinedly three-dimensional and solid compared to most alternatives we’ve heard. We switch to music that requires more kick in the form of Drake’s Underground Kings, and this McIntosh takes it in its stride, producing a punchy and powerful sound that gets straight to the heart of the music. There’s an impressive degree of resolution here that allows us to track low-level instrumental strands with ease and the composure to keep things under control even when the music gets demanding. Drake’s distinctive drawl comes through with clarity and natural warmth.

It has to be said that this amplifier underplays rhythmic drive a little, but the performance still hangs together well enough to remain enjoyable. There’s a good dose of drama and punch on offer to keep things interesting. 

Verdict

This is a product that invites long listening sessions. Its insight coupled to class-leading refinement, not to mention a total lack of unwanted hardness, make for something that can be enjoyed for years to come. If you’re looking for a top-class headphone amplifier, there are few we’ve heard at this price that are as capable or as charming as this one.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 5

MORE:

Also consider the Chord Hugo 2

These are the best DACs 2022: USB, portable and desktop digital-to-analogue converters

Not one to shy away from innovation, Astell & Kern has kicked off 2022 with one of the most unique desktop propositions we've seen. The Acro CA1000 is a headphone amplifier and digital music player combined, offering a complete all-in-one desktop or portable system for wired headphones.

As you can see from the image above, the headphone amp sports balanced 2.5mm and 4.4mm and unbalanced 3.5mm and 6.35mm outputs on its front, with that range of sockets and a four-step Gain Level setting catering for a wide variety of headphone types and impedances.

The digital music player, which cannot be detached from the unit, has a 4.1-inch touchscreen that can tilt upwards (up to 60-degrees), allowing users to easily control playback and settings through its Android OS, or alternatively lie flat within the aluminium chassis.

Its 256GB of onboard storage (expandable by up to 1TB via a microSD card) is plenty large enough to accommodate an ample library of hi-res files – the Quad ES9068AS DAC supports native DSD512 and 32bit/384 kHz playback.

The player can also receive music over Bluetooth from a connected phone (via the BT Sink function) and send playback wirelessly to a pair of wireless headphones thanks to Bluetooth 5.0, aptX HD and LDAC support. Wi-fi is on the menu too. Want to connect an external source? Inputs spanning optical, coaxial, USB-C and RCA are all at your service.

The system is portable, too, with an 8400mAh battery offering up to 10.5 hours playback for use away from a plug socket. 

And last but not least, the Acro CA1000 utilises Astell & Kern's Teraton Alpha technology (as introduced in the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning A&futura SE180 player), promising optimal audio output through efficient power management and the removal of amplification distortion and power noise.

And there you have it: a distinctive digital desktop solution that may well transform your headphone listening. The Astell & Kern ACRO CA1000 will cost £1999 / $2100 / AU$3099 when it goes on sale in February.

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Chord Electronics has proven to have quite some talent in finding new market niches. It established the sector for premium portable DACs with the introduction of the excellent original Hugo and underlined that dominance with the more affordable and almost as talented Mojo. The company took things further by adding streaming modules dedicated to these DACs, thus turning them into full-blown music streamers that compete hard with similarly priced, full-sized domestic units while boasting portability.

Chord was also early among hi-fi specialists to take Bluetooth seriously and has long championed ultra-compact hi-fi electronics for those who want premium performance but are unable or unwilling to give up much space for it. The diminutive Anni desktop integrated amplifier is a perfect example of that.

Build

Make no mistake, this really is a proper Chord amplifier in miniature, using as it does the Ultima dual feed-forward circuitry seen in the latest generation of the brand’s high-end power amplification. However, this little box is only the size of the Chord Qutest digital-to-analogue converter – for the uninitiated, think smaller than a pair of coasters laid end-on – and it’s intended to be an ideal partner for that DAC and the company’s Huei phono stage. The important thing to note is that it’s designed for desktop use with either headphones or suitable speakers.

Yes, it will drive big speakers and can work in a conventional stereo system, but that’s not the aim here. A power output of just 10 watts per channel will only go so far in such a situation, while the limited array of inputs – just two single-ended stereo RCAs – and lack of remote control also limits things somewhat. We’re not so concerned about the absence of remote operation, because the Anni will always be within reach in its intended desktop context.

The control layout is simple. Pressing the volume control toggles between the two inputs, while the gain button keeps the volume control’s useful working range wide enough when used with speakers of differing sensitivities. We wish the gain switch worked with the headphone outputs too, as when using the likes of the Focal Stellia and the Beyerdynamic T1 (3rd Gen), the range of volume dial travel is a little too small to make subtle level adjustments easily.

There are two headphone outputs, 6.3mm and 3.5mm, and both can be used simultaneously if desired. The Anni’s ergonomics aren’t great, mind you, as both headphone outputs are positioned too close to the volume control, leaving little space for fingers holding the dial if either socket is in use. This proves a touch annoying over time.

The rear panel is a fairly tightly packed affair. Aside from the two stereo RCA inputs and 4mm speaker sockets, you’ll also find a power port that connects to a small cable-mounted 15V power supply module, an earth post if hum becomes an issue, and a 12V DC output to feed the Huei phono stage and Qutest DAC. With the Anni being so light at just 625g, you’ll have to be careful that heavy cables don’t drag it off its support. Despite the modest power output, a multitude of ventilation holes in the casework and a built-in fan, this integrated runs pretty hot, so make sure it has plenty of space around it to avoid overheating.

The Anni is mostly built to Chord's usual high standards, bar a volume control that feels a little wobbly but not so much that it suggests fragility. This amp may be small but it still looks and feels special thanks to the solid CNC-milled, black-anodised aluminium casework. Chord’s products have long had a distinctive look and this amplifier is no different. The cutesy name, multicoloured control buttons and elaborate machining on the casework have become something of a company trademark.

Sound

We listen to the Anni in a range of systems from an Apple MacBook connected to Chord’s Qutest DAC and the aforementioned headphones from Beyerdynamic and Focal, to our reference stereo set-up with Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and a pair of KEF LS50 Meta speakers listened to in the nearfield. We also hook it up to our reference ATC SCM50 speakers for fun.

The Anni is a surprising product when used with speakers. It delivers a scale and solidity of sound that belies its tiny stature. This Chord delivers a fuller, more robust presentation than we’ve come to expect from the brand, but it still renders enough in the way of detail and transparency to satisfy.

While that 10 watts per channel may sound feeble, the Anni never comes across that way. It plays comfortably and cleanly at our usual listening levels even when driving the relatively low-sensitivity (85dB/W/m) ATC speakers. There’s a hard limit though, with the amplifier sounding uncomfortable pretty quickly when pushed close to its limits.

This Anni/ATC combination belies expectations by delivering reasonably expressive dynamics even with demanding music such as Hans Zimmer’s Gladiator OST. A conventionally sized, similarly priced amplifier such as the Cambridge CXA81 has comfortably more in the way of muscle and authority, but the Anni is in no way embarrassed by the comparison, which is impressive.

Things get even better when connected to the KEF LS50 Meta in a nearfield context. Here, the Chord feels right in its element, sounding bold and expansive. It digs up a lot of information and presents it in an organised and controlled way. We listen to the Gladiator track The Battle and there’s no shortage of impact in the crescendos, nor does the Anni hold back when it comes to communicating the energy and drive in the music.

We’re impressed by the solidity and authority of the lows, but also thankful that agility hasn’t been sacrificed in the process. Stereo imaging is stable and precise, too, and there’s a decent sense of scale to the presentation.

Moving to headphones makes things even better. This is one of the most capable headphone amplifiers we’ve heard. It sounds clean, clear and articulate yet captures the manic energy of Nick Cave & The Bad Seed's Babe, I’m On Fire superbly.

Looking at the combination of Qutest DAC and Anni on our desk, we wonder how much better it is than the Chord Hugo 2 (£1895/$2495/AU$3800) portable DAC, bearing in mind that the DAC sections are very similar. It turns out that the Qutest/Anni pairing fully justify their price premium thanks to a more composed and insightful presentation that offers notably more when it comes to low-end authority, dynamic punch and tonal richness.

Verdict

There’s no doubt that the Chord Anni is a niche product. While it’s tempting to think of it as a conventional high-end Chord amplifier on the cheap, it isn’t that unless you have a very small room or unusually sensitive speakers. Use it as a desktop amplifier as intended and it shines. Sure, there are operational quirks – something that’s proving to be a Chord trait – but when the Anni sounds this good we can forgive a lot.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 4
• Features 2

MORE:

Read our review of the Chord Hugo 2

Want more Chord options? Try the Chord Hugo TT2

Alternatively, take a look at our Rega Brio review

Chord has packaged its proprietary Ultima amplifier technology into its most diminutive design yet. The Anni is the company’s first-ever desktop integrated amp, capable of delivering 10 watts of amplification to headphones and speakers through its 3.5mm, 6.35mm and banana-type speaker outputs.

The Anni draws on the Ultima circuit topology found in Chord’s high-end mono and stereo amplifiers. Thanks to its recently announced dual-feed-forward error-correction circuit topology, Chord says Anni’s amplification can match any headphones load, while a two-stage gain control for speakers has been implemented to accommodate a wide range of desktop monitors.

The new desktop amp forms part of Chord's Qutest range alongside the Qutest DAC and Huei phono stage ­­– which together Chord says forms “an unrivalled desktop audio solution”. An aesthetic match to its Qutest siblings, with aluminium casework (in a black finish only this time) and colourful, polychromatic control spheres, Anni is compatible with the company’s QSS (Qutest Stand System) modular equipment rack.

Additionally, the Anni, which itself is powered by a 15V power supply, has a 12V DC output that can power its siblings when used with the new, supplied Qutest range power adapter.

The Chord Anni is available from later this month, priced £1195 / AU$2500. And you will be able to read our review of the dinky desktop amplifier before the week's out.

MORE:

Our pick of the best stereo amps and best headphone amps you can buy

Read our Chord Electronics reviews

Often when the What Hi-Fi? team receives a new product for review, we like to pit it against a similarly specified class leader within its price category. But here, that’s not really possible, because the rather unique iFi Zen Can is an all-analogue headphone amplifier that costs just £149 ($150).

Features

iFi says the Zen Can has many features usually reserved for high-end headphone amps – it employs basically the same Class A discrete power output stage as the outfit’s flagship headphone amplifier, the Pro iCan, which is more than 11 times the price of the model on review here.

It also promises prodigious drive capability for such a modestly priced headphone amp, delivering 1600mW (7.2V) into 32 ohms from the single-ended output. It’s an amp that iFi bills as ‘nitro for your headphones’ and you certainly do get a substantial power jolt for the money.

Although petite, the Zen Can is a desktop headphone amp rather than a portable device since it requires mains power (a 5V charger is included). Although it offers wired listening, you could of course pair it with the Zen Blue to add Bluetooth connectivity. As well as a headphone amp, it can double as a preamp to feed a power amp or a pair of active speakers, with the use of a dedicated, balanced 4.4mm to XLR cable.

Build

As with the other iFi Zen Series products, such as the Zen DAC, Zen Phono stage and aforementioned Zen Blue, the Zen Can is smartly finished with a sturdy and neatly sized aluminium enclosure, the dimensions of which are akin to a large hip-flask or a small pair of binoculars.

In the centre of the Can’s front panel is a premium-feeling rotary volume control. To the left, beside the power button and input switch, is a control for selecting the appropriate gain, with little white LED lights to denote the level you’ve selected. You get four settings in six steps – 0dB, 6dB, 12dB and 18db. These options ensure good headphone matching and an adequate range of operation for the volume control.

To the right are a pair of headphone outputs – a 6.3mm output for headphones that have a standard single-ended connector (compatible with all headphones, provided you have a 3.5mm-to-6.3mm adapter), and a 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced output for headphones with a balanced connection.

Next to the headphone sockets is a button to engage the latest versions of iFi’s ‘XBass’ and ‘3D’ sonic tailoring options for headphones. Again, tiny LED lights signify which options are deployed. XBass adjusts the frequency response to augment low-frequency performance, which could be useful with open-back headphones that might ‘leak’ deep bass. We try it with our Grado SR325e cans and like the extra ounce of power through the low end. It’s not particularly subtle, but it is fun.

Meanwhile, 3D aims to compensate for the ‘in-head localisation’ effect that can occur when using headphones to listen to music that was mixed using a pair of speakers. It does a good job of widening the headphone soundstage to deliver a more speaker-like experience. Both XBass and 3D engage purely analogue processing and may be bypassed entirely if you prefer, but there’s much to like about them – particularly the immersive and opened-out presentation we’re treated to when using 3D.

Around the back, the Zen Can offers stereo RCA and 3.5mm inputs, plus a balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn input. There’s also another 4.4mm connection to provide a balanced output so that the iFi can connect to an appropriately equipped power amplifier or pair of active speakers. All the Zen Can’s inputs and outputs are gold plated, too – a nice premium touch.

Though Class A circuitry often produces a lot of heat, the iFi Zen Can only runs slightly warm – it never gets hot, even when we keep it running overnight. That’s no mean feat and a tribute to iFi’s engineers.

All in all, it's a lot of attention to detail within a resoundingly classy build. The fact that iFi has implemented all of this in a headphone amp retailing for just £149 ($149) is certainly impressive.

Sound

We stream a Tidal Master file of FKA twigs’ Two Weeks from our MacBook Pro, and the heavily altered vocal and bassy intro are expansive and cohesive. Twigs’ ethereal vocal is three-dimensional, textured, well-timed and hugely impactful. It’s a solid step-up in terms of detail and space over simply plugging the same Grado headphones into our laptop.

Switching to a hi-res (24-bit/88.2kHz) FLAC file from our server, we listen to Michael Jackson’s Thriller album in its entirety. There’s a human feel to Jackson’s vocal, alongside a pleasingly musical and competent layering of each musical passage. We play Billie Jean and while the strings toy with our left ear, a synth presents itself to our right, and Jackson’s numerous harmony lines are all different, emotive and noteworthy. 

The melodic outro to Human Nature feels sparkling and accurate across the frequencies too, thanks in part to the space it is afforded, while often imperceptible vocal licks as the track ends aren’t lost. It may not be the liveliest presentation, but it still entertains.

We stream a Tidal Masters file of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart, this time on our Astell & Kern Kann Alpha portable music player (using its 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced output), and there’s just a bit of excess politeness to the sound. This track is raw and untethered, but through the iFi it’s a shade off for rhythmic precision and attack. That said, we look again at the Zen Can’s price and find it easy to forgive.

Verdict

The iFi Zen Can is a resoundingly good upgrade on plugging your wired headphones directly into your laptop or other source. It’s a solid, talented and capable little performer. And on top of this, it offers a premium-feeling build for a truly affordable price.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Build 5

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Digital-to-analogue converters – DACs – are ubiquitous these days, taking the signals from our modern digital sources and computers, converting them to analogue before amplification. But like everything else in home entertainment technology, their quality varies. 

At one end of the scale there is that little white dongle to go between your iPhone 7 (or later) and your wired headphones of choice. At the other end are high-quality units like the Questyle CMA Twelve, which is one of the breed designed to operate both as a versatile DAC, and as a high-quality headphone amplifier.

• Best DACs 2021: USB, portable and desktop DACs

Equipment

So the Questyle CMA Twelve is a versatile slab of electronics. As a DAC you can use it for all likely forms of digital audio, since it’s equipped (see back panel below) with one input each for optical digital audio, coaxial digital audio, AES/EBU digital audio (this is the standard used in studios) and for computer audio delivered via a USB-B input. The unit has no analogue inputs at all.

And you wouldn’t expect any on a normal DAC, but you might on a headphone amplifier, so just note that you cannot use the Questyle CMA Twelve as a headphone amplifier for listening to analogue source devices. 

One last input is a 5GHz wireless receiver, included for use in concert with some other Questyle products. Not having those to hand, we didn’t pursue this option.

Also at the back are outputs on a choice of unbalanced stereo RCA and balanced XLR sockets. A small switch usefully allows you to set these for variable or fixed output level. 

The three headphone outputs are at the front. One is the familiar 6.35mm unbalanced stereo socket. The other two are for balanced headphones: one is a 4-pin XLR while the 

other is a 4.4mm TRRRS socket  –  the new standard for balanced headphones, gradually spreading through the industry, so you can expect an increasing number of future headphones to come with this balanced connection. Some small switches on the underside of the unit allow you to reduce the gain of the headphone stage by 10dB should you have very sensitive headphones.

The optical, coaxial and AES/EBU digital inputs support PCM signals up to 24-bit/192kHz. The computer USB input goes way beyond that, all the way up to 

32-bit/ 384kHz PCM, and Direct Stream Digital in its regular, double-speed and quad-speed forms (aka DSD64, DSD128 and DSD256). It handles DSD in both native and DoP formats (which means that if your computer and software can deliver DSD, the Questyle CMA Twelve DAC will support it). 

The unit does not support MQA decoding, though. MQA has carved itself a niche in the audiophile community, primarily for streaming from the TIDAL service. So is lack of support for MQA a deal-breaker with this DAC? No, far from it. If the stream is high resolution, you can use the TIDAL app itself to do the first level of unfolding, taking the effective sampling rate up to 88.2/96kHz. So while you can’t do a ‘double unfold’, the main thing you’ll be missing is the MQA certification function.

The headphone amplifier is rated at 247mW into 300-ohm unbalanced headphones and 825mW into balanced ones. The output into low impedances such as 32 ohms has been limited to 1200mW balanced. Signal-to-noise is rated at 112dB unweighted. For 192kHz sampling, the high frequency extension is rated to 80,000Hz at -3dB.

We reviewed the ‘Standard’ Questyle CMA Twelve DAC. But also available is a ‘Master’ unit, which has been enhanced with higher grade components (and other colour options), and which is priced at $2000 / AU$3000.

• Best headphone amplifiers 2021: budget and premium

Installation

We’ll come to the Questyle’s excellent headphone amplifier shortly, but let’s run through the DAC side of things first. Windows computers work best with a driver for this kind of DAC. There was a driver on the included CD, but so many computers don’t have CD drives these days, and in any case one should always go to the website for the most up-to-date version. 

And the USB driver we downloaded from there was compressed into an RAR file, which is a bit daft, since RAR is not natively supported by Windows, so that many will have to go searching for a trial RAR decompresser program and install that first. Everything Windows-related should be zipped, although since this driver is all of 5MB in size, why compress it at all! 

Once we had the driver uncompressed, it installed easily on our Windows computer. You don’t need any driver for Macs, but we did have to make one setting change for the Questyle CMA Twelve DAC to work properly with DSD files. 

The manual just says to set the Sound Output in System Preferences to ‘xCORE USB Audio 2.0’. And this worked fine for PCM but the DSD had a lot of hashy white noise overlaid on it. We found the solution in Mac’s ‘Audio MIDI Setup’ preferences. The Output format for the xCORE USB Audio 2.0 device was set to 16 bits. We changed it to 24 bits and all was fine thereafter.

Indicator lights on the front panel show you which signal standard the DAC is receiving, so you can check to make sure that you’ve got your devices set up correctly. A switch on the front panel selects between line and headphone outputs.

Another switch adjusts the ‘bias level’ for the headphone output. This has something to do with the amplifier architecture Questyle employs: Current Mode Amplification. We couldn’t hear a repeatable difference between the two settings of this on any of the headphones we used.

Listening

We used the Questyle CMA Twelve in several ways – via the line outputs and via the headphone outputs, with several different sets of headphones, all unbalanced. A well-designed headphone output stage and a competently-crafted unbalanced headphone cable will provide astonishingly good sound.

It turns out that the Questyle CMA Twelve does indeed have a well-designed output stage for headphones. We’ll get into some measurements later which prove the case from a technical point of view, but when it came to listening, the results with headphones were as good as we’ve ever experienced. The line output performance was equally brilliant.

In the end, it didn’t really matter which of our headphones we used: Focal Elear, Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, a pair of (20-year-old) Sennheiser HD 535s, or the in-ear Final Audio B3. Each of them clearly realised their full potential when driven by the Questyle CMA Twelve.

We mostly used the Focal headphones. Their tonal balance is particularly good. Revisiting material we’d missed in our younger days, delivered at CD quality, thanks to the good graces of TIDAL, we found Walking in Your Shadow on Uriah Heep’s Very ’Eavy, Very ’Umble offered surprising presence for a (now) 50-year-old recording. The simple structure was revealed with remarkable transparency.

We found ourselves delving into a group which produces far less simple music, mewithoutyou. On Bullet to Binary (from the album A to B Life) the drumming was gloriously presented, while the melodic and harmonic threads were nicely extracted from the complexity. Without first-rate reproduction, this music can collapse into a sea of noise. Instead, with the Questyle CMA Twelve DAC driving the Focal headphones, the coherence of the sound was superb.

Of course, mewithoutyou isn’t necessarily to everyone’s taste. But it didn’t really matter what we listened to. The performance was pure, powerful and subtle as required. For example, Telemann’s Concerto in B-Flat Major for Three Trumpets with Wynton Marsalis soloing in front of the English Chamber orchestra was sweet indeed, with the beautiful air of the recording venue – a stone church, we recall – entrancing us.

Full test results

So, will the Questyle CMA Twelve DAC drive your headphones? It’s hard to see how it couldn’t. Into a high impedance load (295-ohm), it happily pumped out at least 220 milliwatts. That’s more than 23dB above the sensitivity rating of any set of headphones. And that means, in most cases, to more than 120dB SPL. 

Note that was just before clipping, and that was with the level control advanced almost completely to the maximum. Into a low impedance (15.9-ohm) load, the output was an enormous 560mW or better, more than half a watt. And that’s 27.5dB above the sensitivity rating of any headphones.

Let’s pause to consider that for a moment. Even low sensitivity headphones these days are rated at around 94dB for 1mW. Add 23dB and you have 117dB maximum output. That is way more sound than any sensible person would wish to inject directly into their ears. But these days most headphones, even high impedance models, typically have sensitivities of significantly over 100dB. In practice, you will never run out of power for your headphones with the Questyle CMA Twelve.

Nor will it induce any load-dependent frequency response variations, because the internal impedance of the headphone output was, by our measurement, just 0.4 ohms.

The unit intelligently protected itself when driving the low impedance load, switching off the output when judged too hot. That was the limiting factor, and it switched the output off only for a second, then back on again. No manual ‘reset’ was required.

With 192kHz sampling rates (see graph above), the output adopted a middling roll-off curve, down by 0.5dB at just above 30kHz and by 3dB a little above 70kHz. With 96kHz sampling the output was maintained out to -1dB at 44kHz before dropping sharply. With 44.1kHz sampling, the high frequency response was down by 0.2dB at 20,000Hz and then dropped away sharply.

When playing from a connected computer, you may want to try having the computer network-connected by Wi-Fi. We tested using a Microsoft Surface Pro 2017, and when the computer was connected to the network via Wi-Fi – so electrically isolated from noise on the wired network – we measured the CMA Twelve’s noise level (dBA-weighted, as with all these noise measurements) with 24-bit signals at -113.9dB. 

But when the computer was plugged into Ethernet, the Questyle CMA Twelve DAC seemed to pick up a bit of noise which made its way through to the analogue output, the noise level falling to a mediocre -96.3, present even when the Surface Pro was running from battery. We should stress, however, that despite weeks of using the Questyle as the main conduit of our listening, we were unaware of these noise levels. They were below the level of audibility.

Verdict

We fell in love with the Questyle CMA Twelve. It proved a versatile and very high-quality DAC, while it handled all our headphones, delivering beautiful, powerful music. If it fits your system requirements, you surely won’t be disappointed by its performance.

• Best audiophile headphones 2021: ultimate high-end headphones

The iFi Zen series of affordable hi-fi components has proven a huge success, with the trio we've tested all garnering positive reviews. Now, two of the models in the range – the five-star Zen DAC/headphone amp and the Zen Can analogue-only headphone amp – have been treated to enhanced circuitry to spawn Signature versions.

The Zen DAC Signature (pictured below) and Zen Can Signature 6XX (top) were initially made in a limited-edition capacity to be sold by a US crowd-shopping site, but now that stock has sold out the British audio brand is launching a proper run of the Signature models worldwide. They both sport a deep Space Blue finish, as opposed to the dark grey colour of the standard models – but that is by no means the only adaptation justifying their existence.

The Zen DAC Signature is actually positioned as a slightly different beast to the regular model, sacrificing the Zen DAC's headphone amplifier and getting upgraded fully balanced circuitry instead – namely improved capacitors and shorter, more direct signal paths – in the name of enhanced sound quality. File support and inputs match the exhaustive tally of the original model, though: it's compatible with PCM (up to 32-bit/384kHz), native DSD (up to DSD256), DXD and MQA tracks and boasts USB Type B and RCA sockets, plus a balanced Pentaconn 4.4mm output. For those who value headphones listening, the idea here is that the Zen DAC Signature is paired with the Can Signature 6XX headphone amplifier.

Speaking of which, the all-new Signature variant of the Zen Can also largely mirrors the versatile functionality of its legacy model (namely four gain settings and RCA, 3.5mm, 6.3mm and balanced 4.4mm connections) but too benefits from superior balanced circuit design.

There's a new custom EQ setting called ActivEQ, and in the Zen Can Signature 6XX it has been specifically tailored to the Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX headphones (based on Sennheiser's HD 650, which iFi says can also benefit from this specific EQ curve). A second Zen Can Signature model with ActivEQ tailored to another pair of headphones is on the cards, with iFi having opened a vote for which model it should be. 

iFi's Zen DAC Signature and Zen Can Signature 6XX are available now for £249 (AU$399) each, however two can be bought together for £499 (AU$799) with a 4.4mm Pentaconn cable (worth £69, AU$149) chucked in, allowing the two to be connected together over their balanced connections. For a limited time, both models come with iFi’s iPower X AC/DC power adapter (normally £99, AU$165), too.

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iDSD Diablo is iFi's new flagship portable DAC/headphone amp

iFi is kicking off 2021 with the self-proclaimed best battery-powered DAC/headphone amp it has ever produced – the iDSD Diablo. Engineered to sit proudly at the top of iFi’s range of mobile and transportable devices, the Diablo is, says the firm, built for purists. 

Similar in size to other amps in the company's Micro iDSD series, the built-in battery makes it portable, but its sleek new design and red supercar-esque finish mark it out as distinctly different – and there's a strong engine and plenty of tech nestling under the hood.

Like a high-performance vehicle designed for uncompromising speed, iFi explains that the iDSD Diablo sets aside some facilities offered by other iFi DAC/amps – sonic tailoring options and Bluetooth connectivity, for example – to focus on pure sonic power. It boasts the ability to drive any headphones on the planet, too. iFi invites you to connect your digital source via USB or S/PDIF, plug in your headphones, then sit back and enjoy the musical ride.

The iDSD Diablo’s digital stage incorporates the Burr-Brown DAC chip used extensively by iFi, but here, two of these chips are installed in a custom ‘interleaved’ configuration – this enables four pairs of differential signals (two pairs per channel) which promises to lower the noise floor, improve channel separation and enhance the DAC’s ability to resolve fine musical detail and micro-dynamics.

The iDSD Diablo also uses a new low-latency XMOS microcontroller with enhanced processing power – compared to the current generation of eight-core chips, iFi claims this new 16-core IC delivers double the clock speed (2000MIPS) and four times the memory. Extensive jitter-eradication technologies are applied to the digital stage, including an enhanced version of iFi’s GMT (Global Master Timing) femto-precision clock featuring a new crystal oscillator.

The boxes are checked for hi-res audio support too, including handling PCM data to 32-bit/768kHz, all levels of DSD up to DSD512, and single- and double-speed DXD. And to get a bit more technical, thanks to that Burr-Brown DAC chip’s four-channel True Native design, PCM and DSD take separate pathways – this enables DSD, as well as PCM, to remain ‘bit-perfect’ in their native form right through to analogue conversion. This is often not the case with DAC devices – many such DACs convert DSD signals to PCM.

MQA – the hi-res streaming codec used by Tidal’s ‘Masters’ tier – is also supported through the USB and S/PDIF inputs, with full decoding of MQA files up to 384kHz thanks to the processing power of that new 16-core XMOS chip. This means that the full ‘three unfold’ decoding process is performed internally, as opposed to only the final unfold in the manner of an MQA ‘renderer’. 

Sit tight though, because the digital stage is only half the story in any DAC/headphone amp. When it comes to the crucial analogue circuitry, a balanced, differential analogue circuit design has long been championed for its ability to reduce noise and cross-talk within the signal path by fully separating the left and right channels. However, it's expensive. This costly upgrade over single-ended circuitry has traditionally remained the preserve of high-end hi-fi components.

iFi has gradually introduced fully balanced circuit designs across its range – first in its flagship Pro Series components, then in the entry-level Zen Series devices. The company’s two newest DACs, the mains-powered Neo iDSD and the new transportable iDSD Diablo, benefit from further refinement to this circuit concept which iFi calls ‘PureWave’. 

iFi promises the iDSD Diablo will drive all manner of headphones with ease, from highly sensitive in-ear monitors to current-hungry planar headphones, delivering power up to 5000mW. Three settings enable the user to adjust power and gain to suit whatever the amp stage is tasked with driving: ‘Turbo’ ramps up the level of drive for current-hungry headphones, ‘Eco’ dials down the power to suit high-sensitivity in-ear monitors and/or extend battery life, and ‘Normal’ sits between the two.

At the front of the unit, alongside a standard 6.3mm single-ended headphone socket, resides a 4.4mm Pentaconn output for headphones offering balanced connection. In terms of power, the balanced headphone output delivers 12.6V/4980mW into 32 ohms and 19.2V/611mW into 600 ohms, while the single-ended output supplies 8.8V/2417mW into 32 ohms and 9.6V/153mW into 600 ohms.

At the back of the chassis are two digital audio inputs: USB-A and an S/PDIF socket that accepts both electrical and optical signals, the former via a 3.5mm connector and the latter via a supplied adapter.

Unusually, the USB-A input features a ‘male’ connector, rather than a typical ‘female’ port – iFi claims this arrangement promises greater mechanical integrity than the USB/Micro USB ports commonly used by other DAC/headphone amps. It also offers an advantage to users of iPhones and iPads with Lightning ports, because it accepts Apple’s Lightning to USB Camera Adapter directly. A separate USB-C charging port is also provided, along with a fixed line-level 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced output to connect an external amp.

iFi has been rather generous with the iDSD Diablo's bundled accessories, too. Since DAC/amp is battery and mains-powered, the company has included its iPower 5V AC/DC adapter. It promises significantly less noise and normally costs £49.

Also included is a 4.4mm Pentaconn to XLR balanced interconnect cable, enabling the iDSD Diablo to be connected to an amp and speakers, a short (15cm) USB-C to USB-A audio cable, an extension cable – all USB3.0 compliant – plus a USB-C charging cable and an adapter to connect headphones with a 3.5mm jack to the 6.3mm single-ended output. Even a travel case is included.

To top it all off, the first iDSD Diablo production run includes iFi’s iPurifier3 in the bundle – retailing separately at £129. It's billed as a USB ‘noise-buster’ to tackle all aspects that degrade sound quality over USB, thanks to a mix of tech including Active Noise Cancellation. It adds up to a package of accessories worth around £300.

iFi’s iDSD Diablo is available at selected retailers from today, Friday 15th January, for £899 (AU$1,399). Pricing for the US isn't yet known, but that roughly equates to $1228. 

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A relative newcomer in the hi-fi sphere, iFi has been producing some splendid affordable DAC technology – and several five-star portable products as reviewed by this publication – since 2012. 

Its latest product is an all-new mains powered iFi DAC/headphone amp, the Neo iDSD, that boasts "sophisticated circuits to supply scintillating sonics with every audio format in your home environment". 

It sits between the firm's flagship Pro Series and entry-level Zen Series devices and has been designed for maximum flexibility at home. Its aluminium casework can be positioned horizontally or vertically (the latter using a supplied stand) and its OLED display flips automatically to suit the preferred orientation. 

The Neo iDSD can be used in three ways: as a pure DAC with a fixed-level analogue output to connect to a separate integrated amp or preamp in an audio system; or as a DAC/preamp with a variable output, (ie. for connecting directly to a power amp or active speakers). Headphone users can also make use of its amp stage to listen at home.

You can connect to source devices via cable or high-definition Bluetooth, with the company claiming that the Neo iDSD’s next-level digital engine and fully balanced analogue circuits deliver a captivating sound. 

The Neo iDSD’s 'digital engine' is based around a Burr-Brown DAC chipset that iFi uses extensively, but of course, the creation of an exemplary DAC stage involves much more than just the selection of a particular DAC chip.

Another critical component is the XMOS chip that processes the audio data received via the USB and S/PDIF digital inputs. The Neo iDSD uses a new low-latency XMOS microcontroller with what iFi calls "greatly enhanced" processing power: compared with the current generation of eight-core chips, this new 16-core IC boasts double the clock speed (2000MIPS) and four times the memory (512KB), as well as the latest SuperSpeed USB standard.

iFi’s in-house digital development team programmed the XMOS firmware to optimise sound quality, while jitter-eradication technologies are applied to the digital stage, including iFi’s GMT (Global Master Timing) femto-precision clock and intelligent memory buffer. The Neo iDSD comes with iFi’s GTO (Gibbs Transient Optimised) digital filter installed, but alternative filters can be loaded as firmware updates.

The Neo iDSD handles PCM data to 32-bit/768kHz, all levels of DSD up to DSD512, and single- and double-speed DXD. Thanks to the Burr-Brown DAC chip’s four-channel True Native design, PCM and DSD take separate pathways – enabling DSD, as well as PCM, to remain ‘bit-perfect’ through to analogue conversion. 

MQA is also supported through the USB and S/PDIF inputs, with full decoding of MQA files up to 384kHz thanks to the processing power of the new 16-core XMOS chip.

iFi was the first audio brand to deliver products using Qualcomm’s new QCC5100 Bluetooth processing IC (when it launched the Zen Blue and Aurora), combining this chip with proprietary circuits to develop a ‘Bluetooth engine’ that is now also built into the Neo iDSD.

In fact, the DAC stage handles sampling rates well in excess of the maximum delivered by current hi-res Bluetooth formats – of the 24-bit-capable codecs, aptX Adaptive and aptX HD support up to 48kHz, while LDAC and LHDC reach 96kHz. All current high-definition Bluetooth audio formats are supported, including Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive and aptX HD, Sony’s LDAC and HWA’s LHDC. 

Other codecs covered include regular aptX and aptX Low Latency, AAC (the favoured format of iOS devices) and of course SBC.

The Neo iDSD ‘remembers’ up to seven paired Bluetooth source devices, making it easy to switch from one device to another, and the latest Bluetooth 5.0 specification should ensure a reliable connection.

Naturally, the digital stage is only half the story in any DAC/headphone amp. When it comes to the crucial analogue circuitry, balanced, differential analogue circuit design has long been championed for its ability to reduce noise and cross-talk within the signal path – but it's often more costly than single-ended circuitry.

iFi has gradually introduced fully balanced circuit design across its range – first in the flagship Pro Series components, then in the entry-level Zen Series devices. The Neo iDSD, which sits between the two, features a new, balanced, symmetrical dual-mono topology with short, direct signal paths, developed specifically for this model – iFi calls this circuit design PureWave, referring to the sonic purity it aims to achieve.

Renowned audio electronics engineer John Curl, now a consultant for iFi, has worked closely with iFi’s in-house technical team (headed by Thorsten Loesch) to perfect this design.

The headphone amp stage promises an engaging listen, with a continuous power output of more than 1000mW into 32ohms available through the balanced headphone socket.

The Neo iDSD's OLED display indicates audio format, sampling rate, volume level, input mode, and offers user-adjustable brightness and SilentLine design, with no electrical noise interfering with the audio signal.

Even the way the NEO iDSD switches between settings has been engineered to ensure sonic transparency – FET-based switching is handled by a microcontroller which only ‘wakes up’ when the user changes a setting, thus reducing interference.

For cable connections, the NEO iDSD provides three digital inputs – asynchronous USB Type B, as well as optical and coaxial S/PDIF. Three devices can be connected simultaneously via these inputs, plus a fourth via Bluetooth, with the input selected using the multifunction rotary control or the supplied remote. Balanced outputs are also supplied, to make the most of the Neo iDSD’s fully balanced circuitry.

At the front, alongside a standard 6.3mm single-ended headphone socket, there's a 4.4mm Pentaconn output for headphones offering balanced connection. Around the back, single-ended RCA outputs are accompanied by a pair of XLR sockets to connect the Neo iDSD to an amp and speakers (or active speakers). 

The iFi Neo iDSD is available from selected retailers from Friday 6th November, priced £699 (about AU$1399). But if that's too much, there's always the iFi Zen Can affordable analogue headphone amp...

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iFi Zen DAC What Hi-Fi? Awards 2020: iFi breaks into Chord-dominated DAC category

When iFi releases a new product, it's worth taking a gander: in just a few short months the company's first Zen Series products – the Zen Blue and Zen DAC – both gained resounding and hard-to-achieve five-star reviews from this publication. And who could forget the cheeky design (but solid, five-star performance) of the iFi hip-DAC? 

Now, iFi has expanded the Zen range with the Zen Can – an all-analogue headphone amplifier in the same compact aluminium chassis and in the same, sub-£200 price category.

The company, based in Southport, England, says the Zen Can sports many features usually reserved for high-end headphone amps at many times the price. A number of key elements have trickled down from the Class A circuitry developed for iFi’s flagship headphone amplifier, the Pro iCan, which at £1799 (AU$2599) is 12 times the price of the Zen Can. 

The new Zen Can does promise prodigious drive capability for such a modestly priced headphone amp, delivering 1600mW (7.2V) into 32 ohms from the single-ended output, with 15V+ available to loads of 300 ohms or more through the balanced output, meaning the Zen DAC should take even current-hungry planar headphones in its stride.

As an all-analogue headphone amp, the Zen Can has no digital input of any kind, USB or otherwise. It can connect to any audio source via an analogue output, such as the headphone output from a DAP (Digital Audio Player), a laptop, a tablet or a smartphone, or the RCA outputs from, say, a CD player or phono stage. 

It could, of course, be paired with the Zen Blue to add Bluetooth reception, or combined with the Zen DAC to upgrade the DAC’s headphone amp stage. As well as a headphone amp, it can double as a preamp to feed a power amp and speakers or a pair of active speakers. 

In common with the other iFi Zen Series products, the Zen Can looks smartly finished with a neatly-sized, sturdy aluminium enclosure. In the centre of the front panel is a rotary volume control, flanked by a range of sockets and buttons. On the left, beside the power button and input switch, there's a control for selecting the appropriate gain. Four settings in six dB steps – 0dB, 6dB, 12dB and 18db – enable the amp to suit any connected headphones; unity gain (0dB) is useful to ensure low noise with sensitive in-ear monitors, while the higher gain settings should make the most of tougher headphone loads.

To the right are a pair of headphone outputs – a 6.3mm output for headphones that have a standard single-ended connector (compatible with all headphones) and a 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced output, for headphones offering balanced connection (an output particularly recommended for high-impedance headphones).

Next to the headphone sockets is a button to engage the latest versions of iFi’s ‘XBass’ and ‘3D’ sonic tailoring options for headphones. XBass adjusts the frequency response to enhance low frequency performance – useful with open-back headphones that might ‘leak’ deep bass. 3D compensates for the ‘in-head localisation’ effect that can occur when using headphones to listen to music that was mixed using a pair of speakers. It aims to widen the headphone soundstage to deliver a more speaker-like experience. Both XBass and 3D engage purely analogue processing and may be bypassed entirely if preferred.

To the left of the aluminium volume control are three buttons: power on/off, input selection and gain selection.

Around the back, the Zen Can offers stereo RCA and 3.5mm single-ended inputs, plus a balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn input. A 4.4mm balanced output is also provided, to connect to power amps and active speakers equipped with a balanced input – either a Pentaconn 4.4mm input, or XLR inputs via a 4.4mm-to-XLR cable. This balanced output can also be used for single-ended connection if no balanced input is available. All the Zen Can’s inputs and outputs are gold plated for optimal conductivity.

It's a lot of attention to detail; the kind that might be expected in a pricier model, but the fact that iFi has implemented it in a headphone amp amp retailing at just £149 is intriguing indeed. 

The iFi Zen Can is available at selected retailers from today, 31st July. The first 1000 units (150 in Australia) are bundled with iFi’s ultra-low noise ‘iPower’ AC/DC power adapter, which costs £49 (AU$79) when purchased separately, at a special package price of £169 (AU$269). When these bundles have sold out, the Zen Can will be available with a standard AC/DC power adapter at £149 (AU$239). 

When availability and pricing for the rest of the world is known, we'll update this page. And once we've listened to the iFi Zen Can, you'll know about that, too... 

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If you're a hi-fi fan who's recently been spending more time outdoors "exercising" in an attempt to avoid our new era of social distancing, you may also have started to lament the lack of truly high-end audio options that nature has to offer. 

Most portable players and smartphones don't have the grunt to run a proper pair of headphones – but EarMen's new TR-Amp portable DAC/headphone amp could be the perfect answer. 

It'll not only drive almost any headphones – or in-ears – on the planet, it will do so at high volume levels... and for way for longer than you're currently supposed to be out there in the open air.

The EarMen brand comes from highly-respected European manufacturer Auris Audio, and was established to market the company's portable high-end audio products. The new TR-Amp is the brand's latest offering, with this palm-sized box providing a battery-powered portable DAC/headphone amp/preamplifier.

This premium little device processes all PCM audio formats up to 32-bit/384kHz, DSD256 via DoP, native DSD128 and MQA with an ES9038Q2M SABRE DAC that uses ESS’s patented HyperStream II QUAD architecture and is equipped with that company’s Time Domain Jitter Eliminator.

The TR-Amp’s rechargeable 3,700mA battery has a claimed operating life of 10 hours, with the headphone amplifier able to deliver 400mW of power into 16 ohms for that entirely length of time. It's said to be able to drive almost all headphone designs currently available. Charging is via a dedicated USB-C port, with data delivered via a separate USB-C data port.

The amplifier section of the TR-Amp uses a Texas Instruments TPA6120 IC with current-feedback Class-A/B amplifier architecture to ensure high bandwidth, extremely low noise and up to 128dB of dynamic range. 

“Using a current feedback amplifier means we can obtain a high-enough slew rate to eliminate odd-order distortion anomalies, plus deliver the current-on-demand at the output to enable the amplifier to respond quickly and linearly when necessary without distortion,” said Miroslav Milovanovic of EarMen. “It also means that the frequency response is gain-independent, which allows the full bandwidth of the amplifier to be used over a wide range of gain settings.”

Volume control is analog for both the preamplifier and headphone amplifier sections, and the TR-Amp has two headphone outputs that are able to be used simultaneously. “Play anything from MP3 to MQA, or stream from Tidal or Qubuz, you’ll always hear a beautiful, neutral sound quality,” said Milovanovic. “And no matter which headphones you connect, you’ll discover the TR-Amp delivers a performance level that will satisfy even the most demanding audio enthusiast.”

Available directly from EarMen for $249 (around £200 / AU$450), the TR-Amp is designed, produced and assembled in Europe and comes standard with a shielded female USB-A to USB-C adaptor.

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We can’t believe it’s been a decade since we last got our hands on a Lehmann product. Back then we reviewed three in quick succession; two sub-£500 phono stages – the Rhinelander and Black Cube – and the original Linear headphone amplifier at £750. All received glowing five-star reviews, and remain in production today in pretty much unchanged form, with relatively modest price increases.

Lehmann isn’t a company that changes things unnecessarily, so when it introduces a new product it tends to be big news. The Linear II doesn’t replace the original, but is intended to offer a step-up option for those who want an even better performance. But there’s a downside – the price goes up significantly.

Features

The new model shares the same basic design as the original, but uses a fully revised analogue board packed with premium components such as low-loss MKP precision capacitors and a discrete Class A output stage. Great care is taken with the power supply to ensure that the Linear can drive any conventional dynamic headphones with ease.

We use a range of cans, including Focal’s Stellias, the T1s by Beyerdynamic and Grado’s classic RS1s without issue. Lehmann has thoughtfully provided a choice of gain options – 0dB, 10dB and 20dB – to help with headphone matching. These gain choices are set by dipswitches on the unit’s underside. 

There are two versions of the Linear II; one with coax and optical digital inputs and one with USB, which is the one we’re testing. The price is the same regardless of digital option chosen.

Our USB-equipped unit can accept 32-bit/384Khz signals and supports DSD using the DoP (DSD over PCM) protocol. The Linear uses ESS Sabre’s 9018K2M DAC, a highly regarded chip seen on many premium digital products.

It’s the inclusion of an analogue input that sets this product apart from most rivals. It means that the Lehmann will work in a mixed digital/analogue environment, whereas rivals such as the Chord Hugo 2 won’t. Switching between the two inputs is automatic when a signal is detected, with digital having priority.

Outputs are a choice between the pair of front panel 6.3mm headphone jacks – you can use both at once – and single-ended stereo RCAs for use into your main system. Using the left headphone output mutes the RCA outs, which is handy if you’re using the Lehmann as the system preamp. It would have been nice for the company to include a remote to make things more convenient in such a context.

Build

Build quality is as good as we’ve come to expect from the brand. The product feels solid and is finished with care. Such is the attention to detail that even its feet are carefully chosen – they decouple the unit from its support and so help performance. The Linear comes with a choice of three finishes: black, silver or a chrome faceplate version for a £100 premium. 

This is such a simple product to use. The auto input switching leaves the front panel controls limited to the volume control. We like the clean and simple appearance, but would prefer some sort of display to show the bit depth and sampling rate of the incoming signal.

Sound

The Lehmann’s sheer simplicity makes it a pleasure to use – it’s fuss free and sounds good too. We hear the even-handed balance and precision we remember from the earlier products, but here it’s partnered with the kind of resolution and insight the price point demands.

We try the USB input first, using our resident MacBook as the source. This laptop runs Audirvana Plus media playing software and is packed with CD quality and hi-res files. The Lehmann delivers a detailed and nicely organised sound, but it isn’t an attention-grabbing presentation, because that’s not the company’s way. 

The Linear offers a more measured approach to music replay, putting long-term satisfaction ahead of short-term thrills. It’s a sound that has us appreciating the dynamic ebb and flow of Arvo Part’s Tabula Rasa, the beautifully crafted interplay between the musicians and the slowly building momentum of the piece.

We also note the well-balanced tonality that treads carefully between delivering a good amount of bite to the strings without sacrificing refinement. There’s enough resolving power in this product to highlight a poor recording (or a sub-standard source component for that matter), but it never makes a meal of things.

We play Neneh Cherry’s Blank Project set and the Lehmann responds with a good amount of attack and a surefooted handling of rhythms. Cherry’s vocals come through with passion and the Linear does a good job of rendering the texture and nuances in her voice.

The album’s basslines are delivered with grip and punch, giving a firm foundation for the rest of the sound to build from. This is a likeable and entertaining sound, which has us focusing more on the music than the task of reviewing, which can only be a good sign.

We compare the analogue and USB inputs and prefer the former. While there’s not a significant difference in sonic character, there’s no doubt it’s a more articulate and expressive performance through analogue.

Verdict

While the Chord Hugo 2 is a digital-only product, and weighs in at a pricier £1,799, it delivers more in the way of dynamic contrasts and renders rhythmic drive with greater purpose. The Hugo uncovers an extra level of fine detail too.

But that’s not to say the Lehmann doesn’t have a place. It’s a more flexible unit than the Chord and nicer to use. Its sound, particularly through the analogue input, is hugely capable. The Lehmann Linear USB II simply gets out of the way of the music and that’s the most important talent of all.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Features 4
• Build 5

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Read our Chord Hugo 2 review

If you want to up your audio game on the move, then investing in a portable headphone amp and DAC is one way to do it.

And, iFi wants its new xCAN to be your new device. Weighing in at just 127g, the xCAN combines a portable 2000mW dual-mono headphone amp with an ESS Sabre DAC.

The xCAN features a 2.5mm balanced headphone output and a 3.5mm output. The latter uses iFi's S-Balanced circuitry, which claims to cut crosstalk and distortion in half when used with regular single-ended headphones.

The diminutive device includes aptX, aptX Low Latency and AAC Bluetooth support and can remember eight different connected devices, from smartphones to TVs.

Part of the xCAN's arsenal are its 3D+ and XBass II processing modes and iFi's jitter reduction tech and clock system. XBass II gives you the option of focusing its processing power on three different areas: 'Bass' (purely low frequencies), 'Presence' (low mids) and 'Bass + Presence' which combines the two together.

3D+ claims to promote a more expansive soundstage and give the listener more of an impression of a live performance.

You can charge the portable amp via USB-C and you should be able to squeeze around eight hours of use from a single charge.

The iFi xCAN goes on sale in mid-November for £299.

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Replacing the five-star Debussy as the most affordable model in dCS’s DAC range, the Bartók (presumably a tribute to the late Hungarian composer) shares the same DAC architecture (the Rossini Ring DAC) as the Rossini model (£17,090) we not long ago awarded a five-star review to, as well as the same UPnP music streamer and the company’s latest-gen digital processing platform.

In addition to featuring asynchronous USB, AES and coaxial inputs, the Bartók can stream from a NAS drive, from music services such as Tidal and Spotify, and from Apple devices over Airplay - all over an Ethernet connection. 

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 Supported file formats for streaming include PCM up to 24-bit/384kHz and DSD128, plus DSD in DoP format. The network interface can perform full MQA decoding and rendering, and in addition to user-selectable upsampling are several filters.

The DAC feeds balanced and unbalanced line outputs that can drive power amplifiers directly, negating the need for a separate preamp. And dCS has designed the Class A headphone amplifier, which dCS to work with both high and low impedance headphones.

The Bartók is also available without the headphone amplifier for £9999, and both versions will be available in late October.

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It’s been well over a year since we first clapped eyes on the Klipsch Heritage HP-3s, supposedly the company’s “most impressive” headphones to date. They’re now available in the UK, priced at £1300, and alongside them is the Heritage headphone amplifier, also launching in the UK now and priced at £520.

Naturally, the Heritage headphone amp can work with other headphones - but Klipsch says it's designed to get the very best out of the HP-3.

Driven by a high-resolution ES90128K2M ESS Sabre32 Reference DAC, it can handle 24bit/192kHz PCM and 11.2MHz DSD files.

Two headphone sockets, and balanced XLR and switchable RCA outputs enable it to be used either with headphones or solely as a DAC in a stereo system. They’re joined by optical, coaxial and line-level inputs.

The Heritage headphone amplifier’s aluminium casing is finished in walnut, with anodized aluminium switches and knobs contributing to its distinctive look.

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Is Schiit Audio a bit of a silly name? Do bears sh-... we mean, yes it is.

But it’s a name that has, along with some well-received products, helped the company attract a growing following of enthusiastic fans. We’ve wanted to get some Schiit products (feel free to chuckle the first few times) at What Hi-Fi? for some time, and we’re glad we did.

The US company (it’s not a German family name, as the official website jokingly makes clear) makes a range of amplifiers and DACs, with an emphasis on products for headphones.

The Magni 3 is the most affordable dedicated amplifier in the company’s portfolio, and sits beneath creatively-named products such as the Vali 2, Asgard 2 and Valhalla 2, right up to the Mjolnir 2 at £750. There are plenty of headphone amp and DAC combinations, too, starting from as little as £50 (the Fulla).

Lots of products, then, and also plenty of pedigree. The founders of Schiit Audio cut their teeth at serious AV companies in the US, including Theta and Sumo, so have plenty of practice when it comes to engineering amplifiers large and now small.

The products are designed and made in the US, with the ‘vast majority’ of parts sourced from close to the company’s California base.

Build

Schiit kit opts for simple, industrial designs and the Magni 3 is no different. There’s a brushed aluminium casing over what would otherwise be a basic, black box.

About the size of a chunky wallet, it will fit pretty much anywhere and looks smart enough next to a MacBook Pro.

It’s worth pointing out the oversized power plug needs some room, should your sockets be a little squeezed for space. The fascia looks clean with just a small logo, an elongated volume knob and the headphone connection.

A pattern of holes dotted on top allows the unit to breathe, which proves necessary as this Schiit runs pretty hot.

That clean front means most of the action is around the back. This comes in the shape of one stereo RCA input and one output, plus two old school toggle switches – one for power, one for hi/lo gain (17 or 6db). That analogue output tells you this headphone amp can also act as a preamp, allowing you to connect straight to a pair of powered speakers.

If you want the last word in build and design, or endless connectivity options, this isn’t for you. But for an affordable headphone amp, we’re happy enough with what’s on offer here. After all, it’s mainly about how it sounds…

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Sound

We haven’t tested a headphone amp this affordable for some time. Instead, we tend to see headphone amp and DAC combinations, such as the Cyrus SoundKey (£99) and Audioquest Dragonfly units (from £90).

So, rather than reaching straight for a direct competitor, as is our typical approach, we opt to just listen to the thing. After all, if it improves the sound quality from our MacBook Pro to a sufficient degree for just £110, it’s a winner, right?

Running a 3.5mm-to-RCA cable from the audio out on the laptop to the Magni 3, we plug in a pair of Grado SR325e headphones and warn anyone within earshot (they’re a bit leaky).

Tidal’s Masters Essentials playlists are a good place to head for a selection of MQA hi-res audio tracks and sitting back to listen we find ourselves instantly drawn into the music.

MORE: Tidal Masters review

The Schiit Audio sound is, it soon becomes apparent, a very easy listen. There’s no harshness or edginess at the top of the frequency range, bass notes are bedded in nicely without being overbearing, and vocals are placed precisely where they should be.

The reverb and timbre of the drums on Counting Crows’ Anna sound jangly and ragtag as is the band’s wont. Donny Hathaway’s Valdez In The Country demonstrates there are no issues with timing, the track sounding perfectly in control throughout every elaborate twinkle of keys.

Again, the beautifully clean balance of the sound is to the fore. Ben Harper’s Oppression is an explicit example of this overall smooth solidity – but the crack of the occasional rim shot still punches through the track as it should.

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You can get plenty of grunt from this amp, too. Soundgarden’s Superunknown is given the drive and attack the grind of guitars demands, while the vocals soar across the sonic spectrum, revealing an admirable handling of dynamics.

More of an electronic music fan? The crispy drums and bubbling bass of Butch’s Countach are handled just as confidently through the Magni 3, the track tapping along at an infectious pace.

You might lose a little in terms of ultimate fidelity but that’s more than compensated for by the well-balanced, musical sound. We just enjoy listening to music more when it’s fed through this box.

Experimenting with headphones from Audeze, Grado and Sennheiser, it’s clear, once you’ve made any gain adjustments, that it’s a versatile sound too.

Verdict

Schiit by name, really rather good by nature. This is a simple but effective, desktop-friendly slice of hi-fi.

If you’re a regular headphone user, and you’ve spent a few quid on a decent pair of cans, we’re sure you’d enjoy the Magni 3.

To take inspiration from R. Kelly’s Ignition, we’re going to “go head on and break ‘em off with a lil’ review of the remix” – the V-Moda Remix, to be precise.

With sides that can be custom-made to a range of different designs, V-Moda claims the Remix is the world’s first 3D printed custom speaker. But not content with one ‘world’s first’, the Remix is also claiming the title of the first two-in-one speaker and headphone amplifier.

These are both impressive claims that would be music to our ears if this speaker sounded good too. Unfortunately, it doesn’t.

Build

Let’s begin with the sides. Our review model comes with a smooth silver aluminium finish, which is held on by two square rubber-like bands and screws.

However, for those with more flamboyant tastes, not to mention bigger wallets, V-Moda also offers the Remix with sides made from gold, platinum, steel or carbon fibre.

Alas, these finishes aren’t included in the £260 price tag – carbon fibre sides push the price up to around £330, gold plated sides are around £3600, while the platinum model comes in at just over £270,000. Yes, that’s right – £270k!

To buy something so ridiculously expensive would be an affront to good hi-fi, not least because V-Moda cannot guarantee that the sound quality of the Remix will be maintained when you mix and match materials.

Yes, that’s right too – a disclaimer in the manual says the company will not be responsible for the acoustics performance after customisation.

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Whatever material you choose, underneath it there are two 38mm full range drivers driven by 9W of stereo amplification, and passive bass radiators to boost its low-frequency performance, too.

On the top are buttons for power and volume control, with the V-Moda logo acting as multi-function management of playback – one button to pause, two to skip tracks and so on.

The dedicated pairing button for Bluetooth is a nice touch, and makes setting up this speaker more intuitive than others.

Round the back is the USB-C charging port, which should keep this speaker relatively future-proof should the shift to MicroUSB happen. The claimed battery life is ten hours.

There’s also 3.5mm input for audio, and a 3.5mm headphone output labelled “VAMP” so you can use the headphone amplifier built into the speaker.

Features

Connect your audio source to the speaker using the 3.5mm cable, plug in your headphones, hit the multifunction button and the little power LED on the top of the Remix will turn orange, signifying that it’s now in “VAMP Mode”.

V-Moda says that the Remix is comparable to standalone headphone amplifiers worth $200 (£150), but we have to disagree.

To its credit, the Remix offers more clarity and space compared to the sound from your smartphone, but it’s debatable whether those gains are worth the hassle of having to carry the speaker around with you.

The problem is that other hi-fi kit has been designed to perform this function, such as AudioQuest’s DragonFly Red portable DAC, which is more dynamic, exciting and dimensional.

At just under a kilo, the Remix weighs about five times as much as the DragonFly Red. It’s also quite bulky, and needless to say, the latter is easier to carry around.

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Moreover, with many premium smartphones now ditching the headphone jack, it’s questionable as to how useful this amp function will be.

Many older smartphones – and the Samsung Galaxy S9 – still retain their headphone jacks though, so it’s not quite curtains for the conventional connection.

The Remix also has a built-in microphone so you can take calls using it, and you can connect two devices to the Remix at the same time.

V-Moda also says that the speaker has a ‘daisy chain mode’ for connecting multiple speakers together, however you can’t do this through Bluetooth as with most other speakers, instead you will need to use the 3.5mm cable.

This could all be overlooked, however, if the speaker blew us away when it came to sound quality. Alas, we’re left wanting.

Sound

After running it in over a weekend, we pair it to an iPhone 8 and play Leonard Cohen’s You Want It Darker. Immediately, the deep heartbeat bassline at the start of the song overpowers the ethereal vocalisations, making it tough to enjoy the track.

Those loose, lumbering low frequencies aren’t particularly insightful either; presenting a one-note rendition that mashes together each note of the bass guitar into an amorphous blob. By the time the growling vocals come in, it’s starting to sound like a parody of a Leonard Cohen song.

We change to something livelier and brighter to test out the treble, playing Nicolas Jaar’s The Governor from a MacBook Pro. Here too there are issues, with a sharpness in the shining cymbals that makes it difficult to listen to over long periods.

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This is a naturally skittish track, and a good wireless speaker needs to be able to keep up with the moving cymbals and twinkling percussion. However, the Remix can’t quite handle the timing and the song comes across too messily for our liking.

Ignition by R. Kelly reveals that this speaker’s sense of space could be a little better. It’s comparatively more compressed than the sound from other speakers, unable to give Kelly’s lyrics the room they need to stand out from the papery drums or the electronic effects that keep time throughout the song.

In addition, the fact that this speaker is directional – rather than having the omnidirectional approach of speakers like the Ultimate Ears Blast (£150) or the Vifa Reykjavic (£180) – means that the Remix isn’t as useful in a group environment or a party scenario.

In other aspects, this speaker is decent at best: the midrange is detailed to a certain degree, and there’s an acceptable amount of dynamism.

Playing Vampire Weekend’s Mansard Roof, the way that the keyboard and drumbeat strikes up – in contrast to the solitary vocals from Ezra Koenig – is forceful, but doesn’t match up to the standards set by other wireless speakers such as the Blast.

MORE: Best wireless speakers 2018

Verdict

Apart from being a potential demonstration of extreme wealth, the V-Moda Remix doesn’t have much to offer.

The price is rather steep, even for the regular, no-frills version, and the absence of useful features such as the ability to connect to other speakers wirelessly make it less suitable for everyday circumstances.

The feature it offers instead, its VAMP headphone amplifier, doesn’t bring enough to the table to make up for it, and as a result this is a product that feels as though it has spread itself too thinly.

All this, added to the substandard audio quality, means that we’d recommend looking elsewhere for your next on-the-go speaker.

Read all our V-Moda reviews

If Exposure’s XM series of hi-fi components was plentiful coming into 2018 – what with its XM3 phono stage, XM5 integrated amp, XM9 mono power amp and XM7 preamp – it can now almost be described as ample, thanks to the addition of a new headphone amplifier.

The XM HP is a more headphone-focused variation on the XM7, featuring enhanced headphone circuitry with an output stage designed to cater for low-impedance headphones.

Twin sets of 6.3mm jacks and XLR sockets allow two pairs of headphones to be used at once, and a separate preamp output also allows users to pass volume duties to, say, a power amp or pair of active speakers if they so wish.

A moving magnet phono stage allows for direct hook-up to a turntable, while two further analogue inputs cater for alternative analogue sources.

A DAC feeding five digital inputs covers digital sources, too. Coaxial and optical inputs accommodate playback of files up to 24bit/192kHz, while USB also adds DSD64 file support to the XM HP’s spec sheet. So, as headphone amps go, the XM HP is bursting at the seams.

The Exposure XM HP, priced £1300, is available now your choice of black or titanium finishes.

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Sennheiser may be best known for its formidable headphones, but it’s also prone to dabbling in electronics - from high-end valve-powered headphone amplifiers to signal transmitters for onstage use.

The HDV 820 is the latest version of its desktop DAC, but that description rather understates its range of abilities.

Purist hi-fi has traditionally been about having a separate box for each task. It’s done in the name of performance, and it's how you end up with systems with box-counts well into double figures.

So to find a digital-to-analogue convertor, headphone amplifier and preamp (with analogue inputs) all wrapped up in such a neat package is a treat.

Build and features

There’s no shortage of connectivity here. On the front panel you’ll find a healthy range of headphone outputs, most of which are a little unusual by domestic hi-fi standards – there’s even a traditional 6.3mm jack integrated into the three-pin XLR socket.

There’s also a four-pin XLR and a pair of 4.4mm Pentaconn jacks, both of which allow a balanced connection to suitably wired headphones.

Don’t worry about connecting multiple headphones at the same time. This Sennheiser’s headphone amplifier module is a relatively muscular circuit and has no trouble driving more than one pair. Unlike some rivals, there isn’t an obvious degradation of sound when doing so.

The HDV 820 can function as a preamp too. Unlike most DAC/preamps, it has both single-ended and balanced analogue inputs and outputs, plus a separate gain adjustment to fine-tune the output for your power amp or active speakers.

But let’s not forget the DAC functionality. There are the usual trio of USB, coax and optical digital inputs, and resolution limits of DSD256 and 32bit/384kHz for PCM music files.

Inside you’ll find ESS’s Sabre 32 DAC chip doing the number-crunching. We’ve seen and heard this chip in a number of products, and it rarely disappoints.

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The HDV 820 is nice to use. It feels solid, slick and well finished. The large volume control has a pleasantly smooth action, while the source selector works with a precise clunk. It all gives off the impression of something that will last for years.

We would like a display, though. At the moment the unit can indicate the source selected and whether the input signal is DSD or not, but little more.

While not a deal-breaker, some indication of sampling rate would be handy - if only to ensure your source is delivering what it should.

Sound

We start the Sennheiser on desktop duty. Our source is a MacBook (using Pure Music media software) and the headphones are the company’s own HD800S, plus Beyerdynamic's T1.

The HD800S come with both balanced and unbalanced leads, and it doesn’t take long to form a preference for the balanced option – the presentation sounds noticeably more dynamic and solid.

But regardless of headphones, the results are good. The Sennheiser has a crisp, precise delivery that sounds wonderfully refined.

Playing Birth of the Cool by Miles Davis shows off the HDV 820’s ability to organise and interweave different musical strands to form a cohesive whole.

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It’s revealing enough to show the limitations of the recording, but also insightful enough to demonstrate some of the reasons the album is so revered in the first place. There’s plenty of detail, and it’s rendered in an understated rather than overt manner.

The blare of Davis’s trumpet comes through with precision and power, all the while underpinned by fluid dynamics and a smooth, sweet tonality.

Switching to Orff’s Carmina Burana reveals the DAC’s impressive way with soundstaging. The stereo image is expansive and stable, positioning the choir and instruments with conviction and stability.

There’s a pleasing dose of outright scale too, making it easy to gauge the recording venue’s size.

Large dynamic shifts are delivered with composure, the ’820 showing plenty by way of force and power.

While the likes of Chord’s Hugo 2 and Benchmark’s DAC3 HGC go further when it comes to dynamic subtlety and transparency, this unit remains an enjoyable listen.

It’s when we move to Kanye West’s Yeezus that the ’820 starts to struggle a little. Here, its determinedly refined and sophisticated approach to music works against it.

As we listen, we find the aggression and thumping beats of this album are tempered a touch, diluting some of the energy of the music.

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Make no mistake, there’s plenty of clarity and we have no issue following West’s ramblings or the low-level instrumental strands. It’s a pleasant listen, but those who know the recording know it's not quite what Kanye was aiming for.

We rate the HDV 820 as a preamp. Unlike most digital-based products, it doesn’t sacrifice analogue performance to any meaningful degree. We use our resident Naim NDS/555PS streamer as the source and the Sennheiser’s considered approach to music is admirable.

It works well driving our Gamut D200i power amp too, which is no mean feat considering the Gamut is over five times the price of this unit and not adverse to highlighting shortcomings in its partners.

Verdict

There’s much to like here. Admire, even. The HDV 820 is well made, nice to use and has an unusually precise and fluid sonic balance.

It’s true Chord’s Hugo 2 is even more sonically capable, but it also demands significant trade-offs in usability and connectivity that should be considered when sizing up your new portable number cruncher.

Benchmark’s DAC3 HGC is another rival we’d recommend. It too betters the Sennheiser on outright performance, but unlike the Chord offers a similar range of features. But the Benchmark costs a couple of hundred pounds more in the HGC form we tested. So there’s certainly a place for the Sennheiser in this tough market.

The HDV 820 may not shout about its talents but that doesn’t mean it can be ignored.

See all our Sennheiser reviews

Who doesn't love a good dongle? Well, most people, actually - that's why some people were so vehemently opposed to Apple removing the headphone jack on the iPhone 7, to the extent that Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak argued against it and people have gone to drastic measures to put it back in.

Nevertheless, they do have some good uses. Getting better audio quality, for one.

That's where iFi's 'Ear Buddy' comes in. The way it works, according to the company, is by compensating for the loss of audio quality that occurs when you lower volume.

The example iFi gives is streaming music via Tidal, which has a 16-bit resolution. iFi claims that if you are listening at 60 percent of your device's volume you lose two bits of resolution - and therefore reduce sound quality.

With Ear Buddy, you can turn your device's digital audio volume right up - so you're not losing as much audio information - while the analogue dongle reduces the volume. Consequently you can listen to your headphones at a comfortable volume safe in the knowledge your sound quality is being preserved.

This isn't the first dongle in iFi's armoury - the company also has iPurifier2 for USB A, B, C and micro sockets.

The iFi Ear Buddy is available later this month, priced at £20. A lot for a dongle, perhaps, but might yet prove invaluable.

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Laptops and portable devices may be great pieces of kit, but when it comes to audio performance they often leave a little to be desired.

That has opened up a market for portable digital-to-analogue converters (DACs), and amplifier specialist McIntosh is aiming to grab a slice of the action with its MHA50.

And with a price of £895, McIntosh is going in big. The company's first truly portable device, the MHA50 features a 32-bit DAC that supports DSD256, DXD384 and PCM files up to 32bit/192kHz.

McIntosh has applied its amplifier know-how to the MHA50 by including the brand’s proprietary Headphone Crossfeed Director (HXD) - technology more usually found in its high-end amplifiers.

Physical inputs include USB and USB type-B for laptops, Apple devices and Android equivalents compatible with On-The-Go USB technology. Three USB cables are included in the box, and support for aptX Bluetooth 4.1 adds wireless connectivity too.

McIntosh claims the MHA50’s 3000mAh rechargeable battery provides up to six hours of Bluetooth playback, so we’d expect wired listening to offer a lot more.

The audio output is a gold-plated 3.5mm jack. And with two gain settings, the MHA50 can supposedly drive headphones with impedances ranging from 8-600 ohms.

It may not be a typical McIntosh product, but some trademark design traits have been carried over. The MHA50 is largely aluminium, with a glass front panel and touch-sensitive volume control knob inspired by some of the company's other products.

The McIntosh MHA50 will be available in the UK from November.

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Lehmannaudio has announced a new headphone amplifier. The Drachenfels is a modular design, intended to reconfigured and upgraded as the owner requires.

Out of the box, the Drachenfels is a straightforward design, with a stereo RCA input/output loop at the back and a pair of 6.3mm headphone outputs at the front.

It's a forward-looking design, though: the rear panel is detachable, ready to accept upgrade modules with more input options. USB, digital optical and digital coaxial are imminent, and there are plans to bring Bluetooth and LAN connectivity at a later, unspecified date. Which will turn what promises to be a capable headphone amp into a DAC too.

The Drachenfels goes on sale next month, in balck or silver finishes, priced at £450.

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We're still a few months from Halloween, but let's make no bones about it - that's no reason to hold back from picking up some spooky-looking hi-fi equipment.

Metaxas & Sins has designed a solid aluminium preamp/headphone amplifier called Marquis ‘Memento Mori’ (Latin for "remember you must die"), and it looks as if it arrived directly from Metropolis or The Terminator. As well as promising high performance, it's the perfect place to rest (in peace) your expensive headphones when they're not on your own flesh-and-blood skull.

The Marquis 'Memento Mori' has a bare-bones feature set. There are two red controls, one for controlling volume and the other for selecting input, with the 6.35mm headphone socket underneath - where the jaw really ought to be.

In the eyes of the skull are VU meters, each needle reacting to the incoming signal level. The ticking meters keeping you constantly aware of the ticking of your own biological clock, as you slowly approach the grave.

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The skull's power supply is hidden in the base, but you can get a five-hour battery pack that apparently offers "real portability" for those that want to carry a big expensive skull around with them. At 6kg, it's not an easy carry either.

The Marquis 'Memento Mori' is finally available in the UK, from Audio Sanctuary. It's priced at £6,000 (with premium finishes of red, gold, silver, purple, and clear available for an extra £250).

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