vkx86
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- May 5, 2003
- Posts
- 49
- Likes
- 13
Aqua HEAD Headphone amp vs. Nakamichi integrated amp headphone jack.
Disclaimer:
I’m not a native English speaker, thought MS Word’s spelling and grammar features aids me in writing (they are not 100% perfect), so be forgiving for my writing style folks.
Aqua HEAD is a small amp with external power supply, see manufacturer’s site: www.aqua-audio.com.
The amp circuit housed in aluminum box, anodized in black and have Neutrik headphone jack, blue power-on led and volume knob on front panel; gold-plated RCA inputs, heavy duty lockable connector for power cord and power switch on the back panel. The front panel has logo/amp name sticker. The box and the external transformer have glued rubber legs. The entire rig is sturdy and well assembled.
The amp delivered after 100 hrs of break-in and comes with 5 yrs warranty.
Audio equipment used in the comparison:
- Nakamichi CD-5 CD player
- Nakamichi RE-5 integrated receiver/amp
- Aqua HEAD amp
- Sennheiser HD-600 cans (with stock cable)
- DIYCable ‘Skinny Ones’ IC cable (Belden 89259 cable terminated with Cardas GSMO RCA males)
All auditions in this comparison were performed at late night, to achieve minimum external noise levels.
Silence test (CD player was stopped):
>> Aqua HEAD - dead quiet, I rotated the volume knob to maximum - nothing, no hum, just nothing.
>> RE-5 - there is small auditioned “amp hum” at all volume levels.
Music tests:
I must admit, that now I know (read - hear) what the meaning of “…HD 600 need a good amp to ‘sing’…” phrase, that was said so many times in this forum.
Also, I discovered that my Nakamichi CD-5 CD player is capable of delivering excellent sound, thought it’s not a hi-end piece of audio gear, it’s just part of “life style” mini-components rig…
In general, HEAD has wider soundstage, better positioning of instruments, way more revealing on details and way more transparent than RE-5. In bass region HEAD does excellent job - bass is more defined, precise and with more energy. RE-5 has over bloated bass, sometimes the music sounds like it’s “sinked” in RE-5’s bass. HD 600 also sounds quicker and “energized” when paired with HEAD. I definitely prefer HEAD’s sound to RE-5 sound, after spending 2 weeks with test-drive unit I had “hard” time waiting till Assaf (amp manufacturer) assembled my unit. Due to HEAD’s details resolution, the amount of “headphone listening quality” CDs in my collection shrinked, but as we know it’s the “common penalty” in headphone listening…
I was not intended in running excessive A/B auditions, since I don’t think it’s worth to compare average built-in headphone jack vs. well-designed head amp (also I haven’t the audio gear that some folks have here to compare to
, but for those, who have time to read further - I performed some A/B auditions; the CD selection was generally based on my taste, and limited by my free time, thought I tried to select CDs/tracks that demonstrate most difference in amps in my opinion.
Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn, track 2:
Considering the age of this recording (1975) it’s recorded very, very well, a fact that I discovered when listening to it with the HEAD.
It’s a long track, so I’ll refer to position from 5 min (playing time) to the end:
- Background electrical organ “noise” is clearly auditioned with the HEAD, I’ve noticed it when using RE-5 only after I heard it first with the HEAD.
- Guitars are more defined, clear and “full of life” using the HEAD.
- This Scottish bagpipe (starts from 7’ 15’’) simply “touches the soul” with the HEAD. With the RE-5 it sounds veiled and lifeless.
- Basses are over bloated with the RE-5. With the HEAD they sound precise and “in correct proportion”.
- All gentle sounds of various background instruments are clearly noticed and pleasant to ear when using the HEAD, with the RE-5 they can be barely heard.
- Electrical organ effects are so pleasant to the ear with the HEAD. When using RE-5 they pretty dull and lifeless.
Gladiator soundtrack (track 3):
Ok, this CD is one of my favorites now, but I’ll refer to track 3 only:
- All low-volume gentle sounds are clearly heard when using the HEAD, in RE-5 they obscured by the amp hiss. Instrument positioning is vastly improved comparing to RE-5.
- The cans sounds faster, especially in those “trumpet instruments” attacks, in RE-5 those attack sound lifeless.
- Basses are really outstanding using the HEAD - they go deeper and more powerful.
- Violins sounds “soul touching” using the HEAD, in RE-5 they sounds veiled and “undefined”.
Bottom line, this track (and the album itself) simply thrilled me with it “music impact” when I listened to him with the HEAD.
Disclaimer:
I’m not a native English speaker, thought MS Word’s spelling and grammar features aids me in writing (they are not 100% perfect), so be forgiving for my writing style folks.
Aqua HEAD is a small amp with external power supply, see manufacturer’s site: www.aqua-audio.com.
The amp circuit housed in aluminum box, anodized in black and have Neutrik headphone jack, blue power-on led and volume knob on front panel; gold-plated RCA inputs, heavy duty lockable connector for power cord and power switch on the back panel. The front panel has logo/amp name sticker. The box and the external transformer have glued rubber legs. The entire rig is sturdy and well assembled.
The amp delivered after 100 hrs of break-in and comes with 5 yrs warranty.
Audio equipment used in the comparison:
- Nakamichi CD-5 CD player
- Nakamichi RE-5 integrated receiver/amp
- Aqua HEAD amp
- Sennheiser HD-600 cans (with stock cable)
- DIYCable ‘Skinny Ones’ IC cable (Belden 89259 cable terminated with Cardas GSMO RCA males)
All auditions in this comparison were performed at late night, to achieve minimum external noise levels.
Silence test (CD player was stopped):
>> Aqua HEAD - dead quiet, I rotated the volume knob to maximum - nothing, no hum, just nothing.
>> RE-5 - there is small auditioned “amp hum” at all volume levels.
Music tests:
I must admit, that now I know (read - hear) what the meaning of “…HD 600 need a good amp to ‘sing’…” phrase, that was said so many times in this forum.
Also, I discovered that my Nakamichi CD-5 CD player is capable of delivering excellent sound, thought it’s not a hi-end piece of audio gear, it’s just part of “life style” mini-components rig…
In general, HEAD has wider soundstage, better positioning of instruments, way more revealing on details and way more transparent than RE-5. In bass region HEAD does excellent job - bass is more defined, precise and with more energy. RE-5 has over bloated bass, sometimes the music sounds like it’s “sinked” in RE-5’s bass. HD 600 also sounds quicker and “energized” when paired with HEAD. I definitely prefer HEAD’s sound to RE-5 sound, after spending 2 weeks with test-drive unit I had “hard” time waiting till Assaf (amp manufacturer) assembled my unit. Due to HEAD’s details resolution, the amount of “headphone listening quality” CDs in my collection shrinked, but as we know it’s the “common penalty” in headphone listening…
I was not intended in running excessive A/B auditions, since I don’t think it’s worth to compare average built-in headphone jack vs. well-designed head amp (also I haven’t the audio gear that some folks have here to compare to
, but for those, who have time to read further - I performed some A/B auditions; the CD selection was generally based on my taste, and limited by my free time, thought I tried to select CDs/tracks that demonstrate most difference in amps in my opinion.Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn, track 2:
Considering the age of this recording (1975) it’s recorded very, very well, a fact that I discovered when listening to it with the HEAD.
It’s a long track, so I’ll refer to position from 5 min (playing time) to the end:
- Background electrical organ “noise” is clearly auditioned with the HEAD, I’ve noticed it when using RE-5 only after I heard it first with the HEAD.
- Guitars are more defined, clear and “full of life” using the HEAD.
- This Scottish bagpipe (starts from 7’ 15’’) simply “touches the soul” with the HEAD. With the RE-5 it sounds veiled and lifeless.
- Basses are over bloated with the RE-5. With the HEAD they sound precise and “in correct proportion”.
- All gentle sounds of various background instruments are clearly noticed and pleasant to ear when using the HEAD, with the RE-5 they can be barely heard.
- Electrical organ effects are so pleasant to the ear with the HEAD. When using RE-5 they pretty dull and lifeless.
Gladiator soundtrack (track 3):
Ok, this CD is one of my favorites now, but I’ll refer to track 3 only:
- All low-volume gentle sounds are clearly heard when using the HEAD, in RE-5 they obscured by the amp hiss. Instrument positioning is vastly improved comparing to RE-5.
- The cans sounds faster, especially in those “trumpet instruments” attacks, in RE-5 those attack sound lifeless.
- Basses are really outstanding using the HEAD - they go deeper and more powerful.
- Violins sounds “soul touching” using the HEAD, in RE-5 they sounds veiled and “undefined”.
Bottom line, this track (and the album itself) simply thrilled me with it “music impact” when I listened to him with the HEAD.
