CEC websiteAttachment 26497
This is a review of the CEC HD53N balanced amplifier. This is my first review of an amp. This review is the first few hours of evaluating this amp. I purchased this amp from Audiocubes II. It cost $1000 and $150 for air shipping. It was shipped via EMS to the US and US postal service to my home. It took 22 days from ordering it to receiving it. It came shipped with a voltage transformer to step it down from 120V to Japan 100V because the amp is configured for 100V. The fit and finish is superb. In my opinion, the amp is beautiful to look at.
The sound. This is my first experience with a balanced amp. Therefore, I can only compare it to my unbalanced amps. I listened to the amp with some CD’s and a Roku Soundbridge. I used a Sennheiser HD650 headphone with a Headroom stock balanced cable. The bass is tighter and goes a little deeper on the CEC. The bass is not muddy at all. The midrange is detailed and smooth. The treble is extended, but not harsh at all. It has a pretty wide soundstage. I would describe the CEC as being relatively warm as far as solid state amps go. Not quite as warm as my Darkvoice tube amp, but warmer than my Cute beyond amp. The CEC has transformed the HD650 from good to really good headphones. It did this by lifting away some of the veil that the HD650 is known for.
Conclusion. I am absolutely impressed by the CEC HD53N balanced amp, even given its $1000 price. If other balanced amps have similar characteristics then going balanced over unbalanced amps is the way to go. It would be interesting if there was a comparison between the CEC amp and a couple of less expensive balanced amps like the Einar Sound amp or the Little Dot MK VII+ amp. This amp is not perfect, but I have some difficulty finding any fault, at least by comparison to my other amps. I hope you found my mini review helpful.
This is a review of the CEC HD53N balanced amplifier. This is my first review of an amp. This review is the first few hours of evaluating this amp. I purchased this amp from Audiocubes II. It cost $1000 and $150 for air shipping. It was shipped via EMS to the US and US postal service to my home. It took 22 days from ordering it to receiving it. It came shipped with a voltage transformer to step it down from 120V to Japan 100V because the amp is configured for 100V. The fit and finish is superb. In my opinion, the amp is beautiful to look at.
The sound. This is my first experience with a balanced amp. Therefore, I can only compare it to my unbalanced amps. I listened to the amp with some CD’s and a Roku Soundbridge. I used a Sennheiser HD650 headphone with a Headroom stock balanced cable. The bass is tighter and goes a little deeper on the CEC. The bass is not muddy at all. The midrange is detailed and smooth. The treble is extended, but not harsh at all. It has a pretty wide soundstage. I would describe the CEC as being relatively warm as far as solid state amps go. Not quite as warm as my Darkvoice tube amp, but warmer than my Cute beyond amp. The CEC has transformed the HD650 from good to really good headphones. It did this by lifting away some of the veil that the HD650 is known for.
Conclusion. I am absolutely impressed by the CEC HD53N balanced amp, even given its $1000 price. If other balanced amps have similar characteristics then going balanced over unbalanced amps is the way to go. It would be interesting if there was a comparison between the CEC amp and a couple of less expensive balanced amps like the Einar Sound amp or the Little Dot MK VII+ amp. This amp is not perfect, but I have some difficulty finding any fault, at least by comparison to my other amps. I hope you found my mini review helpful.
