Now at Qables: New Sugden Masterclass HA4 Headphone amplifier.

any pic?
;D

Hans,
What is the BALANCED light for? Are there balanced headphone outputs on the back, or balanced inputs?

Thanks for photos Hans

It looks good but I still prefer the minimalist looks of the Headmaster. Are any tech specs available?

Cheers Mark

Very interresting. The Sugden Headmaster is the amplifier with the best synergy with SR325 I have heard. What is the price of this going to be?

this amp confuses me a little..

sugden's masterclass series is just stunning to look at but this amp confuses me a little..

why balanced input and no balanced headphone out?(if benefits are as good I'd rather not re-terminate me headphones to balanced)

if preamp is a feature why would they not put balanced outputs/ loopouts to be used with their power amp or even their integrated amp at this price range?

using a switched headphone socket bothers me a little if I was to use it as a preamp. I keep me headphones connected to me amp the majority of the time.

this headphone amp almost makes me want to go with balanced interconnects over unbalanced.

maybe I am at a loss here..

I'd just love to hear this amp with me grado's!

My SPL Auditor has balanced in but S/E out. SPL is pro-audio focussed and use of XLR's there is widespread due to long cable runs etc.

Regards the general obsession on Head-Fi with balanced drive, I feel it's over-exaggerated. I would be very interested to see some true level-matched tests between S/E and balanced connections. A couple of guys at the UK head-fi meet did a quick A/B between balanced and S/E HD800's out of a Woo WA22 and the differences were subtle. Although the amp was very new so may not have bedded in.

My 2c.

Anyone had a listen to this with the PS1000?

Edited by treebug - 5/6/11 at 1:43pm

Yes, I have GS1000i and HA4. I also have the Bijou system including the Headmaster.

 

The Grado sounds very nice out of both amps, preferable to the HD800 which sounds a bit anaemic and non-commital. Sugden and Sennheiser don't synergise well in my experience.

 

I don't think the HA4 represents much of a step up from the HM given the serious price differential although it's early days and I need to do some proper level-matched tests. The brief impressionthus far is that the HM is more up-front and weighty but lacking in bass control and low bass. The HA4 is more refined and seems to have a better headstagn and bass, but possibly lacking seat of the pants presentation of the Headmaster. Cables uses for comparison were Townshend Isolda DCT300.

 

The HA4 is a very nice looking piece of kit btw - Sugden builds gear that looks good and lasts!

Anyone tried this with the PS1000's?

Interesting post Hans.

 

I have sent an email to Patrick Miller at Sugden to ask if they have made any revisions to the HA4 since production started. The serial number of my unit is 0117 so was an early build.

 

Funnily enough, I have gone off the GS1000i a bit. It does some things very well but the midrange dip and elevated treble gets tiring after a while and some detail is obscured in comparison to the HD800 presentation. The HA4 doesn't seem to alleviate the tendency to brightness to any great degree (using a LAT IC-300 Signature interconnect, which if anything is slightly to the warm side of neutal).

 

I am currently quite liking the HD800 and HA4 combination at the moment, again with the LAT IC-300. The HA4 sounds somewhat more open in the midrange than the SPL Auditor (which has a tendency to sound a bit warm and closed in to my ears) but it doesn't seem to have the bass grunt that amp has. The Auditor can really push a lot of low bass from the HD800. The other issue with the HA4 and HD800 is a lack of smoothness at times, although not sure if this is a reflection of the source in use. 

 

Some more cable experimentation would be useful but I have already spent enough in that area.