x_lk
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2008
- Posts
- 122
- Likes
- 22
I have been in market for an amp to drive my new AKG K612 for a while now. My current headphone amp, Shanling PH-100, drives low impedance cans quite well, but does not works particularly well with high impedance ones, such as the 120ohm K612. I bought my K612 from an ebay seller at a very reasonable price, $150USD, so do not want to spend too much beyond this price point on amplification. It makes my search quite difficult. A couple of days ago, a friend in China messaged me a link to this amp, 'you have to listen to this'. According to him, 'this amp sets a new standard for all budget DIY amps.' It drives his K702 with more authority and synergy than Matrix m-stage. As a matter of fact, he rarely uses his m-stage anymore.
After looking at the link he sends me and knowing it only costs half of a m-stage, I hesitated for about 5 minutes before ordering one for myself. At 4.5kg packed, shipping from China isn't cheap though, for around $60USD, to Canada.
The amp is labeled as 'P1 headphone amplifier'. It has a quite unique Chinese brand name, direct translation, 'Memory of Soldering Iron Tip' - to signify the DIY spirit, maybe?
Here are some 'official' pictures of this amp.
As pictures show, it has a separate PSU section, which is identical to amp itself in size. The transformer is rated at 50W. On front panel of the amp, there are 2 knobs, one for volume, one for easy gain adjustments. According to seller, the design is inspired by BCL. The similarity in PCB layout is quite obvious (same as m-stage). IMO, what make this amp special are 2 things, a separate isolated PSU, and a high power current stage. Its current stage works under +-20V power voltage, which potentially provides enough voltage swing for high demanding cans. Plus, according to my friend, the build quality is superb for the price. The craftsmanship is better than many commercial products that cost multiple times of its asking price. Chinese review says it's a warm sounding amp, quick and powerful, with a dead quiet background. At this price, archiving half of these would make me very happy
After looking at the link he sends me and knowing it only costs half of a m-stage, I hesitated for about 5 minutes before ordering one for myself. At 4.5kg packed, shipping from China isn't cheap though, for around $60USD, to Canada.
The amp is labeled as 'P1 headphone amplifier'. It has a quite unique Chinese brand name, direct translation, 'Memory of Soldering Iron Tip' - to signify the DIY spirit, maybe?
Here are some 'official' pictures of this amp.
As pictures show, it has a separate PSU section, which is identical to amp itself in size. The transformer is rated at 50W. On front panel of the amp, there are 2 knobs, one for volume, one for easy gain adjustments. According to seller, the design is inspired by BCL. The similarity in PCB layout is quite obvious (same as m-stage). IMO, what make this amp special are 2 things, a separate isolated PSU, and a high power current stage. Its current stage works under +-20V power voltage, which potentially provides enough voltage swing for high demanding cans. Plus, according to my friend, the build quality is superb for the price. The craftsmanship is better than many commercial products that cost multiple times of its asking price. Chinese review says it's a warm sounding amp, quick and powerful, with a dead quiet background. At this price, archiving half of these would make me very happy
