Amphora Headphone Amp Impressions

[mrarroyo]

Larry, I was under the impression that as long as the batteries are installed you could run the Amphora 24 hours a day 7 days a week using the wall wart psu. Is this not correct? Thanks.

[veloaudio]

Originally Posted by Xan7hos

I understand that the Amphora is battery power, but can we get some comparison to non-portable amps?

+1

[HeadphoneAddict]

Originally Posted by Xan7hos

I understand that the Amphora is battery power, but can we get some comparison to non-portable amps?

I will compare it to a maxed Woo WA6 and Single Power Square Wave XL balanced when the burn-in is done. With woodied re-cabled Denon D2000 I can already say I suspect it is going to pass up the Woo. With HD600 I think the Woo is going to be safe. That's with 39 hours on the Amphora and I will report back at 200 hours, adding to my impresssions with ATH-ESW10/A900, Edition 9, RS-1, and a variety of IEMs.

Originally Posted by mrarroyo

Larry, I was under the impression that as long as the batteries are installed you could run the Amphora 24 hours a day 7 days a week using the wall wart psu. Is this not correct? Thanks.

It is meant to run totally "off-grid". The charging circuit kicks in only when the amp is turned off for a few hours.

I think it will run 24-36 hours, with a 4 hour charge. I have been running it 21 hours out of 24, with a 3 hour charge, and not running the battery down until I am done with spring break vacation with the wife and kids. It came with a spare 400ma NiMH battery, and you can unscrew the bottom 4 screws and install a charged battery if you don't want any down-time.

[sbulack]

Originally Posted by KB

Ghostmusic,

Good call.

Also here is an excellent glossary also.
Describing Sound - A Glossary
Ken

Thank you, Ken, because you were another listener (whose ears I trust - HOW much do I trust your ears? I purchase audio equipment you have conceived and brought into existence ) who described the Amphora's presentation of sound as creamy. I infer from your post that you were conveying the same kind of distinction as ghostmusic. Somehow, I missed that glossary for which you provided a link. It doesn't contain the term creamy, but it surely is a useful resource and an interesting read. Now, I have another reason to look forward to the arrival of an Amphora - to hear for myself what you and ghostmusic described as creamy. When I hear it, I'll likely think to myself, " ... well, how else WOULD such a sound be described?".
Again, thanks very much for your help.
edit:
I guess that's part of the calling of creating sublime listening instruments - helping your listeners to develop vocabularies sufficient to adequately describe what we hear using your instruments, if that's even possible. I suppose, like all vocabulary, the terms are useful because they make available, as a quick reference, the content of the shared understandings or experiences to which they refer.

[veloaudio]

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict

...snip...
It came with a spare 400ma NiMH battery, and you can unscrew the bottom 4 screws and install a charged battery if you don't want any down-time.

Ken, are they all being shipped with a spare battery?

[sbulack]

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict

I will compare it to a maxed Woo WA6 and Single Power Square Wave XL balanced when the burn-in is done. ... I will report back at 200 hours, adding to my impresssions with ATH-ESW10/A900, Edition 9, RS-1, and a variety of IEMs. ...

Like mrarroyo, I'll say to you, Larry, that the anticipation of the 200 hour mark (and your additional impressions) is simply TOO scrumptious to want to rush.

To all fellow Amphora-seekers and/or owners:
At some point, I'll be comparing the Amphora to a Purity Audio Caliente (discrete SS), Mapletree Ear+ Purist HD (desktop tube amp), TTVJ Portable Millet Hybrid (portable tube amp) and RSA SR71A (I was just starting out in portable audio with the first, original Go-Vibe amps from Norm Dalgarno back when the original SR71 was available). A good bit of water will need to flow under the bridge, though, before any of those comparisons can be offered by me.

What a FANTASTIC time to be into headphone audio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(my wallet has a different exclamation to offer, which, for the sake of decorum, I'll leave unposted).

[ghostmusic]

The true test of the Amphora will be when compared with home amps, such as the WA2 that I'd been listening to for the past 3 months. Tonality-wise, I want to say that there's something similar to the battery-run Amphora to the OTL sound of WA2, which is that they both sound clear and lit-from-within, but without intrusive 'coloring.' Based on my superficial 1st impression, I want to say that WA2 might have a bit more flesh and drama to the sound with K701s, but again, don't take my word for it as it hasn't been verified yet... I'll let y'all know when/if I get to run the Amphora through the paces. Another instructive comparison might be with LISA III... another transportable that blurs the distinction between full-fledged home amps and transportables. One thing I always admired about the LISA III is its almost bell-like clarity in tone, very pure. But one pair of headphones that I couldn't get the LISA III to play nice with were K701s, which go very well w/ the Amphora. I'm very excited about HeadphoneAddict's discovery of the Denons' synergy with Amphora. The LA7000s I'm reviewing now were very impressive with both the LISA III and WA2, and it seems like the Amphora/LA7000s, based on HeadphoneAddict's comments, will be particularly sweet. Crap. More & more, it sounds like I'm talking myself into getting one as well!

[sbulack]

Originally Posted by ghostmusic

... The LA7000s I'm reviewing now were very impressive with both the LISA III and WA2, and it seems like the Amphora/LA7000s, based on HeadphoneAddict's comments, will be particularly sweet (emphasis mine).

This is our ears talking.

Originally Posted by ghostmusic

Crap. (emphasis mine) More & more, it sounds like I'm talking myself into getting one as well!

This is the exact same thing described by our wallets. I don't think that any of us need this alternative-audiophile term defined. It is likely, and unfortunately, the most universally-shared experience of us all. Now, where could that wallet of mine be hiding? .........

[KB]

Originally Posted by veloaudio

Ken, are they all being shipped with a spare battery?

No, not with a spare. but I am selling them for an extra $5.

Thanks

Ken

[Vinnie R.]

I want to thank everyone who has listened to the Amphora and posted some initial impressions!

It was great to see ghostmusic, jpelg, immtbiker and many others at the NYC meet this past weekend and thanks for listening (and thanks for your posts on the NYC meet impression thread).

Special thanks to Zimm for loaning his Amphora to HeadphoneAddict while away on duty. This is very much appreicated and by the time you receive it Zimm, it will be well burned-in and sounding sweeeeeeeeet!

As I spend more time with the Amphora, the hiss with Westone ES3X is a little more noticeable between songs than I initially thought, but it is still not heard during the music playing except between tracks.

With 124dB/mw IEMs, hearing a slight amount of hiss is totally normal. Your IEMs are so sensitive that they are picking up on the actual noise floor in the electronics (even on the low gain setting).

Larry, I was under the impression that as long as the batteries are installed you could run the Amphora 24 hours a day 7 days a week using the wall wart psu. Is this not correct? Thanks.

Hi Miguel,

When fully charged, the battery in the Amphora will be able to play for longer than 24 hours. When the Amphora is ON, it is only running off of the internal battery (even if the charger is plugged in, it is disconnected via the on/off switch when the Amphora is ON - so no charger noise is present when playing. When playing, the Amphora is always "off the grid"). When you turn it OFF and the charger is plugged it, the battery charges. There are no worries about over-charging the battery - you can always leave it plugged into the charger if you wish. The charger is automatic and knows when the battery is finished charging.


Thanks again!

Vinnie

[erikzen]

Originally Posted by ghostmusic

I'm very excited about HeadphoneAddict's discovery of the Denons' synergy with Amphora. The LA7000s I'm reviewing now were very impressive with both the LISA III and WA2, and it seems like the Amphora/LA7000s, based on HeadphoneAddict's comments, will be particularly sweet.

I had a chance to listen to the Amphora with the K701, LA7000 and SA5000 at the NY meet. My initial impression with the K701 was that it was very transparent and clear with an overall balanced presentation. I am not very familiar with the K701 but I think most opinions are that they are light and airy, very detailed but thin on the bass. I did not find them to be at all bass light with the Amphora.

With the LA7000 and my MD5000 DE, I thought it sounded even better. I've come to enjoy a sound that is slightly warmer and musical than detailed and analytical. To me the Denons sounded even better than the AKG, both the 5000 and the 7000.

Trying out the SA5000, it was just too bright and fatiguing. It was really hard to find an amp that made the SA5000 sound good, even at the meet with dozens of amps. I think the best they sounded was with the WA2.

I did have the LISA III at the meet also, but I never did a direct comparison between it and the Amphora. I wish I would have thought of that at the meet.

Thanks again Vinny for coming out. I hope we'll see you again at the fall meet.

[ghostmusic]

Originally Posted by erikzen

With the LA7000 and my MD5000 DE, I thought it sounded even better. I've come to enjoy a sound that is slightly warmer and musical than detailed and analytical. To me the Denons sounded even better than the AKG, both the 5000 and the 7000...

I did have the LISA III at the meet also, but I never did a direct comparison between it and the Amphora. I wish I would have thought of that at the meet.

Another strong Denon/Amphora confirmation from a respected member! Sweet... erikzen, I totally forgot to tell you about the LISA - Amphora comparo when I dropped it off! Had the suggestion in my mind the whole time I was in the car, and when I got to the meet, I was so busy yappin' away that I completely forgot about it!

[erikzen]

Maybe Vinny will come to the fall meet and we can have a shootout then. Or now that immtbiker has an Amphora maybe he'll host a summer mini-meet!

[Vinnie R.]

Originally Posted by erikzen

Maybe Vinny will come to the fall meet and we can have a shootout then. Or now that immtbiker has an Amphora maybe he'll host a summer mini-meet!

Hi erikzen and ghostmusic,

Good to see you guys last weekend! Thanks for your posts, and just let me know when/where the next meet will be and I'll be there!

Best regards,

Vinnie

[immtbiker]

Originally Posted by ghostmusic

Just came back from Queens, where I heard the Amphora briefly...

...and why did you come up to me and introduce yourself?

Anyway, I picked up mine from the NYC Meet and I couldn't be happier.
So far I have tried it with 1- an iMod and my ESW-10's, 2- Meridian with R-10's and 3- an iRiver H120 optically out, into an iBasso D-10, using the line out into the Amphora.
The sound is astonishing. Almost to the point of being creamy .
On all three configurations, the bass is deep and clean. No wobble, no muddle. Almost visceral. The soundstage is wide and quite realistic (as far as I can guess that realistic is, with my age old reference recordings). The highs are euphoric, without any sense of harshness with the cymbals holding on for a full ride.
There isn't a spec of background noise anywhere, even at high volumes, and the amp has no noticeable problem driving any 2 headphones that I can throw at it, in any impedance.

I'm very happy.