Inspire by Dennis Had IHA-1 Dragon Version

Introduction

The IHA-1 is the concoction of Dennis Had, formerly of Cary Audio, who has a reputation in the audio community for his tube power amps. After Drew Baird, CEO of Moon Audio, used an Audeze LCD-3 to showcase to Dennis just how far headphone technology had come, he decided to give a commercial headphone amplifier a go – distributed by Moon Audio exclusively. He also sells his other amps on eBay separately, but I have no experience with those. Essentially, the IHA-1 was Dennis taking elements from his years of designing highly-regarded tube speaker amps and distilling them down to something that could be enjoyed with headphones.

I received mine on the 9th of August, 2017. It was a personal purchase, done purely out of curiousity as several of my peers had one and liked it considerably. Based in the United Kingdom, I wasn’t able to demo it anywhere as it is sold exclusively by Moon Audio – who are based in North Carolina, USA. I did meet Drew at the 2016 London Can Jam however, where I listened to the Focal Elear and Utopia out of this amp. At the time, I had no reference point for what I was hearing – all I knew was that it was really, really good. Over the next few months, I found myself with an Elear and then eventually a Utopia – but I wanted to know more about that amplifier with which I had first experienced these headphones.

After filming an unboxing video, I was pleased to hear that the amp immediately sounded like a considerable upgrade over my other options at the time – with the stock tubes. I fell into a downward spiral of tube exploration based on expensive curiousity over the next few months – culminating in me buying one of the most sought after rectifiers out there for it. After that, I retreated and worked with what I had. Ten months after purchasing it, I’m ready to present my findings.


Specifications (According to Moon Audio)

· Stepped DACT 100K attenuator running a pair of 6SN7's at over 1 watt of output power

· Output impedance of 4.4 ohms

· Transformer Pro Balanced output

· 2 analogue RCA input selector positions, including a mute position

· 4pin XLR Headphone output

· 1/4" headphone output

· Pre-amp RCA Outputs with switch that mutes the headphone output

· A Sovtek 5Y3GT tube is standard

· A RCA 5U4GB Rectifier New Old Stock Tube is available for an additional $100

· A pair of 6SN7 Electro-Harmonix tubes come standard

· A pair of 6SN7 New Old Stock Tubes are available for an additional $100

· Direct coupling and transformer output are included as part of the standard configuration.

· 10 inches wide 8 inches deep, height varies based on tubes used.

· Frequency Response 12 Hz to 32 KHz + - 0 dB

· Power output into 40 ohms 1.7 watts less than 1% THD 2nd harmonic

· Amplifier gain: 18 dB

· Noise Floor -87 dB

· Dual Headphone outputs 1/4” Pro-Type/ 4 pin XLR Pro-Type

· Switchable line level dual channel line preamplifier output (optional)

· AC voltage 120 or 240 VAC 50/60 Hz

· Output power tubes X 2 6SN7 dual triodes

· Vacuum tube rectification 5Y3

· .090 aluminium chassis

· Powder Coat: Copper/Clear Coat

· Dimensions: 10” x 8” x 6” high with tubes installed

· Weight: 15 lbs



Build Quality & Features

For the younger members in the community, particularly those who have dabbled in audio production, the look of the IHA-1 will probably remind them of the Focusrite Scarlett series due to the deep red colour. Others will notice that the tube glow is quite dim on this amp, the Feliks Elise lit up the same pre-amp tubes far more – as far as aesthetics go. The compactness of the IHA-1 surprised me, as I had forgotten the exact size in the year since Canjam London 2016. After shopping around and seeing amps with so, so many tubes plugged in – the IHA-1 seemed quite approachable with its two pre-amp and single rectifier design. When it comes to build quality, it is quite solid -although I noticed one day that a small piece of plastic had chipped off at some point.


It should be noted that this amplifier is not balanced. It is single-ended, despite the 4-pin XLR output on the front existing. Also, rather interestingly, there is no volume or sound degradation if both the XLR and ¼ inch outputs are used simultaneously. Two sets of single-ended inputs exist in the back, with a front dial allowing you to switch between the two and putting the amp on standby mode – cutting off any sound. The volume dial is on a stepped attenuator, and I usually never really go beyond the 12 ‘o clock mark. However, I have heard of people saying this amp (even with the Lundahl transformers) isn’t loud enough for them entirely. That boggles my mind a bit.


The Lundahl transformers are an upgrade I opted for, costing $250 more than the fully stock IHA-1. To my knowledge, these don’t add more wattage to headphones – but rather more clean gain. I find this essential if you are planning on using planar magnetic headphones with this amplifier. I also opted to get the pre-outs in the back added for an additional $100, as this was an option back then but has since been made mandatory and had its cost added to the baseline price. These had significant hum when used with my active speakers, and nothing I tried could eliminate that. I surmised that they were designed for passive systems and stopped using them. At the time I purchased it, the stock tubes were a pair of NOS Raytheon 6SN7s alongside a JJ 5Y3GT – with upgrade options being a pair of Sylvania 6SN7 GTA or GTB pre-amp tubes alongside a RCA 5U4GB. These have since been changed, as you can see in the specifications list – and I assume Moon rotates according to availability.


Sound

The IHA-1’s main strength, if you share my obsessive inclinations in hobbies, is a double-edged sword. It simply morphs with the tubes you plug in, and is a very capable blank canvas in doing so. On one hand, I have no doubt that a large number of users will be perfectly happy with the stock tubes, but I also do not doubt that others will find the payoff from trying different tube pairings to be quite substantial – as the differences are not subtle.

The sound of the amp itself is also very much to my liking. I’ve tried a variety of sources with it and felt that it did not stretch nor narrow the soundstage in any way by itself. Its own tendencies are geared towards detail retrieval and trying to remove itself from the chain as much as possible. It’s because of this that I’ve found it (with a tube pairing that I am familiar with) an easy amp to evaluate source gear with.





The bass amount might, however, be a detraction for some people - particularly those who are used to certain solid-state offerings with elevated punch. I don’t find the IHA-1 thin or unsatisfying at all, and with certain tubes it is far from that – according to my preferences. But, I will admit, it’s a bit leaner than the aforementioned solid-state amps. It’s interesting because I had heard through the grapevine that the IHA-1 was an amp that was very similar to a solid-state in sound despite injecting the benefits of tubes as well – but the bass immediately gives it away if you are someone who is used to a lot of slam.

The midrange is remarkably transparent and clean sounding, with no emphasis in lower or upper registers. The former is something I heard with the Feliks Audio Elise, and when I reviewed it last year I pointed out this tonal difference with the IHA-1. That being said, if a slightly warmer and more euphonic experience is something you desire from your tube amp – you can always swap in some tubes to cater to your needs (and I’ll detail some pairings below you might want to check out). I, personally, prefer a more even ascent up the frequency spectrum with the IHA-1 – so I did swap out the stock Raytheon 6SN7 pre-amp tubes, although I find them very capable and a good stock option on Moon Audio’s part.

While I would not characterise the IHA-1 as a bright amp, I would again mention that this isn’t a warm and gooey experience that some enjoy tube amps for. It can be taken there, but it will never quite go all the way. The treble is delicately balanced yet has the ability to soar, and does not seem etched with the majority of the tube pairings I have tried. It also doesn’t become too rolled with others, changing just enough without removing an important aspect of the listening experience.

Now that I’ve attempted to explain the tonality of the amp, I’d like to mention that what I enjoy the IHA-1 mostly for is its ability to bring out more detail in tracks. Not to be dramatic, but I heard this even the first time I plugged it in with the stock tubes. Even today, writing this almost a year later – I’m hearing the same benefits from the stock tubes even though I haven’t used them in almost as long as I’ve had this amp. Track separation is very well done, depending on source, with the stereotypical “hearing things I didn’t hear before” in full effect if it is a significant upgrade to your source chain. Paired with a Schiit Yggdrasil and driving a Focal Utopia, I often find myself in the position that music I’ve listened to for a long, long time (predating my involvement in this hobby) makes another shift in how I hear it. More is exposed, and it’s a struggle (for some) to not chase further than the stock tubes to enhance this ability.


Pre-Amp Tube Pairings

Raytheon 6SN7 GTB

I understand why this was included in my set as a stock pre-amp tube option. These manage to display the capabilities of the IHA-1 sufficiently while retaining a bit of the stereotypical tube warmth that some expect. I’ll admit that the sweetness in the midrange is quite compelling with this pair and could be a reason why someone would return to it after an upgrade. Disadvantages are that it can, compared to better offerings, mask detail a bit and that it’s quite laid back.

Sylvania 6SN7 GTA

These are possibly available from Moon Audio to add to the IHA-1 order for an extra $100. My favourite 6SN7 option, the Sylvanias veer towards the brighter side of things but have very well-controlled bass alongside sparkling and detailed highs. The midrange isn’t as lush as the Raytheon 6SN7, but has more texture to my ears. Be cautious when pairing with bright rectifiers such as the RCA 5R4GY, as it might be too much treble for some.

Ken Rad 6SN7

Warmer than the Raytheons and even more masking of detail, the main reason for using the Ken Rads is the bass slam injection. Fuller in the lows, these tubes are punchy and quite good for EDM and other electronic genres – but not something I would want for jazz or classical.

Raytheon 6BX7

Interestingly, Drew told me that they had made revisions to the amp that made it no longer support this tube set, despite me reading somewhere that it was Dennis Had’s favourite for the IHA-1. Simply put, they work in my unit at least. Considerably lower in output than the 6SN7, the 6BX7 has what I can only call a more mature warmth to it than the Ken Rads and Raytheons. It’s somewhere between them and the more articulate Sylvanias. However, you will need to crank the volume on the amp even further to volume match these, and there is a slightly higher noise floor than the 6SN7s.



Rectifier Tube Pairings

JJ 5Y3S (Stock Option)

The major failing of this rectifier is in its sub-bass control. This wasn’t quite apparent with headphones that don’t dig down as deep, but when you do plug in one that does – it’s very noticeable. Flabby and sluggish, these will slow down punchiness in such headphones and be an unsatisfying listen. I recommend replacing them even if you don’t use headphones with well-extended lows.

Electro-Harmonix 5U4GB

The cheapest replacement for the stock JJ that I can think of. A mere $15 on eBay will gain you a considerable upgrade in lower-bass control. Overall sound is leaner than the JJ and not very euphonic at all. To my understanding, these are current production tubes made in Russia. I find them quite capable, but far from my favourite pairing for the IHA-1.

Mullard GZ34 Reissue

These are current production tubes based on the legendary Mullard black-base tubes made in Blackburn way back in the day. The difference is that these are made in Russia by, allegedly, Electro-Harmonix – who purchased the original machinery from the UK factory. Considerably cheaper than the original tubes, I had hopes that these would match them. However, that wasn’t the case. These sound more like the Electro-Harmonix 5U4GB than original Mullard GZ34 black-base tubes. Lean and a bit etched in the treble, these do not sound stereotypically “tubey” at all. Detail retrieval and bass control is similar to the cheaper Electro-Harmonix 5U4GB as well. A headscratcher, this one.

Telefunken GZ34 Black-Base (Not Fat Base)

The black-base GZ34 can be found for anywhere between $50-100 and beyond. These are warmer than their reissues, but have a more organic sound that will immediately be appreciated by those chasing “tube” characteristics. They also have ample bass compared to the re-issues, that were a bit lean throughout. Treble is a bit rolled, however, and detail retrieval is more or less equal to 5U4GB variants. Staging is a bit narrow too. Despite the aforementioned “organic” sound, these are possibly some of the most solid-state sounding options you can grab for the IHA-1 due to their very focused presentation that does away with any slightly “romantic” diffuse/ethereal sound that some might expect from tubes.

Philips Metal-Base GZ34

By far the most I’ve spent on tubes, the metal-base GZ34 earns its reputation due to its incredible melding of detail retrieval with a focused sound that somehow still retains a slight etherealness to its signature that makes some genres very satisfying to listen to. There is a slight lingering to the decay, which is an addition to the IHA-1 which doesn’t have such a characteristic by its own nature, that is very romantic sounding without overstaying its welcome. It’s very delicate and effective.

I wouldn’t recommend it for its bass capabilities however, as it is quite lean in that area. The midrange is the highlight, as detail is presented effortlessly alongside texture. What sets this apart further over the aforementioned rectifiers is its timbre, as it takes the ability of the Schiit Yggdrasil Analogue Stage 2 to recreate live acoustic instruments and takes it a step further – especially pianos. Furthermore, it does all of this in a non-fatiguing way as the treble is not harsh nor hiked. In fact, I’d go so far to say that it’s ever so slightly rolled off in the high treble (especially compared to the likes of the RCA 5R4GY) – but it doesn’t bother me due to all the other benefits it brings. Do I recommend it? Yeah, but you’d have to be insane to buy it for its current market price – and I seemingly am.

RCA 5U4GB

These were available to add to your IHA-1 order for an extra $100 – although their market price is lower than that. A considerable jump from the stock JJ 5Y3, the RCA 5U is a warm tube with a bit of bloom for those who desire it. Its bass control is also a substantial upgrade over the stock option. Its strength is a musical sound, but it lacks some detail retrieval and resolve compared to other options – if such attributes are important to you.

Westinghouse 5U4G

My favourite of the warmer, bassier rectifier options, the Westinghouse sounds like an upgraded RCA 5U4GB with more resolve to it. Its bass managed to balance being ample and well controlled to a level that all these other rectifiers simply do not – as they veer towards being lean and controlled or ample and bloomy usually compared. What I like furthermore is a bit more sparkle in the treble that helps this be a great all-rounder tube, more so than the metal base GZ34 even and great value if you can get it for $50 or less.

Brimar 5R4GY

This goes neck-to-neck with the metal base GZ34 in terms of detail retrieval, beats it easily in staging width – but loses out in timbre. The Brimar is lean in the bass and a bit rolled in the treble, but it has stellar detail reproduction. While I do like it overall, the problem lies in its timbre being off for several instruments – making them sound a bit muted and not letting them soar quite as much as they need to. That being said, these probably have the most upper-midrange emphasis out of all the rectifiers detailed in this article. Strings have considerable air to them, but the treble is where drawbacks begin. Also, the lower midrange is a bit scooped – which can slightly hamper male vocals and guitars, areas where the 5U4GBs are better. I have parted with this tube as I wasn’t using it much, but its detail retrieval and instrument separation made it a tough sale for me regardless.

RCA 5R4GY

Cheaper than the Brimar 5R4 variant, the RCA has the most treble sparkle of any tube detailed today. Well-extended highs and more representation in the lower-midrange makes this the clear winner of its counterpart – in my opinion. That being said, it takes a small hit in detail retrieval and track separation – and the staging width is narrower, although still wider than the other rectifiers.

If you had to pick any two rectifiers from this list today to cover your bases, with a max budget of $100 for both, I would say the RCA 5R4GY and the Westinghouse 5U4G would serve you well.


Conclusion

This amplifier is my second-favourite audio purchase of 2017, it’s really about as simple as that. Ten months down the road and my opinion of it hasn’t dampened. Any disappointments I may have had in the early days, such as the hum in the pre-amp section, have faded as I doubled down on its best usage – driving dynamic-driver headphones paired with my Schiit Yggdrasil. I found my favourite tube pairings and have familiarised myself with them over time.

Despite the praise I see online for this amplifier, I still feel that it is slightly underrated in the audio community as a whole. The Head-fi thread pales in size compared to the popular and cheaper Feliks Elise and the far more ubiquitous Schiit offerings. I don’t know if this lack of marketing push is intentional on the part of Drew and Moon Audio, perhaps they don’t want to overload Dennis with orders? I can’t say, but I am absolutely enjoying mine and can confidently say that it took my appreciation of the hobby to the next level ten months ago.

 
A couple of years ago I happened to be in North Carolina, visiting friends who live near Moon Audio, so I took the opportunity to visit and try out some of the gear there and spend some time chatting to Drew and his wife Nichole. It was also a chance to pick up a reasonably-priced (ie: in the hundreds of dollars) set of custom-length silver interconnects, something that would normally cost in the thousands from companies nowadays. 
 
I already own one Moon Audio cable, a Silver Dragon for the MrSpeakers Ether. I bought it second-hand as I only had a prototype DUM cable for them as I had bought one of the original first-production models. Like the Black Dragon, I didn't find the cable particular remarkable -- nothing jumps out about the sound when using them. That experience became a precedent for my experience with the Dragon IHA-1 Inspire.
 
The IHA-1 was designed by Dennis Had, previously of Cary Audio, and very well-known for his tube amp designs. I had only seen Cary Audio gear in various high-end stores, but never auditioned any systems using them, so this was to be my first experience with one of his amps. 
 
The IHA-1 is a relatively straight-forward design, with one power tube, by default a Electro Harmonics 5Y3GT, but compatible with any 5U4 type rectifier or 274B tube. Headphone (or optionally pre-amp) drive is provided by 2 6SN7 tubes, one per channel, and output is via transformers. 
 

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The amp can be ordered with upgrades: Lundahl transformers and/or NOS (New Old Stock) tubes. While the former is obviously a factory option, people with existing tube collections may not need the latter. For review purposes, the model sent had the NOS tubes included and a rolled a couple of my own collection in for comparison. 
 
I've found that every amplifier manufacturer has its own "house sound" of sorts. For those of you who already know their way around tube amps, the Moon Audio "house sound", which is apparent both in their NOS tube selection for the amp, as well as their cable designs, can be best summarised by the chrome-top Sylvania 6SN7 that came with the amp -- a smooth, even sound that doesn't jump out at you, where the detail is there, but presented in a manner without drama.
 
What was most lovely about the Inspire IHA-1 was the almost total lack of noise (it took using IEMs to find any, and then it wasn't at all a problem with the less sensitive pair) and the general even-handedness with which it drove everything from the Sennheiser HD800 to HiFiMan HE1000 V2. It doesn't present the music with warmth, as in the manner of the almost syrupy sound the Woo Audio WA8 had, but if something like FiiO's X7 is "steel", Audio-gd is "black opal" and the WA8 is "brass", then the Dragon Inspire might be "marble".
 

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I didn't have enough tubes or adaptors to do a lot of rolling, but I dropped a pair of GE red-base 5692s in place of the chrome-tops, which gave a more lively, if a bit more aggressive presentation. For the power tube I had a spare Mullard metal-base 5AR4 that I had bought as a pair.
 
I'm pretty much a fan of the High Definition Tape Transfers jazz albums, some of which are magical. The Mark Colby Quartet in DSD256, decimated by Audirvana into PCM and fed to the Yggy as 178.6k is wonderful stuff, much of the dynamics present in the instruments despite the original recording age. Listening with the HE1000 V2, my Mullard metal-base GZ34 seemed to open up the soundstage and deliver more of the dynamics of the instruments than the RCA 5U4GB, while keeping the smoothness and liquidity of the Sylvania 6SN7s.
 

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NOS selection RCA 5U4GB on left. Mullard metal base GZ34 on right.​

 
Even with the Mullard the amp doesn't quite have the big-iron relaxed and spacious sound of my ALO Audio Studio Six with the HE1000 V2, even after I'd rolled Sylvania 6V6GTs in to even up the comparison.  What might be an interesting battle would be with all upgrades against the similarly-priced Apex Sangaku, though that amp, from memory, was most enjoyable with planars and less inspiring with the HD800.
 
As my loaner had the optional pre-amp outputs included, I used it with my ADAM ARTist 3 speakers. While not the same as using it with a proper system, I can usually get a fair idea of how an amp’s pre-amp functionality this way. Flipping the switch on the back to change to pre-amp mode, the result was as satisfying as it was using headphones.
 
The smoothness didn't detract at all from the dynamics of the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra performing Concierto Andaluz for 4 guitars & orchestra from the Mercury Living Presence CD set. The amp brought through both the fine detail of the instruments as well as demonstrated much of the capabilities of my Schiit Yggdrasil in this mode. It did this to a sufficient degree that I could switch the USB converter that I was using with the Yggdrasil and easily make out the subtle different in how the music sounded as a result.
 

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Noteable that with my speakers set at the centre "0" volume setting, with the Yggdrasil as source, I had the volume, which starts at the 6 o'clock position, at around 9 o'clock. I expect this might be higher with speakers that aren't in near-field as mine are.
 
Functionality-wise, my only complaint might be that the gain might be set a bit low for some people, or some equipment, as I had the volume up at 3pm, though that was with the above-mentioned jazz, and other music had it closer to 12 o'clock.  I'm also not a fan of the locking version of the Neutrik headphone jack, though it might save someone accidentally shorting the amp for an extended period of time should the plug be yanked half-out.
 
When I first visited Moon Audio, I tried out a custom tube amp that Drew had in his showroom. At the time it, along with Black Dragon cabled HD800s was too smooth for my tastes, much as putting all green-label chrome-top Sylvanias in my Studio Six was. But now I've had a chance to get used to this with a variety of headphones, I appreciate it more than before. 
 
Overall, the Dragon Inspire drove headphones effortlessly, from IEMs up to top-of-the-line full-sized models and is a highly capable amp. In my system, it was only bested by an amp that is far more expensive. It’s not the kind of amp for someone looking for warmth and lushness, but for good, all-round tube performance, with the option for a bit of variety, and even a bit of a sound upgrade, via tube rolling.  Given the price of the amp, I'd thoroughly recommend it.
 
Thanks to Drew from Moon Audio for lending me the amp for review. 
 

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Back in 1997 I visited my brother-in-law in Rochester, NY and not having much to do (because of the frigid weather in the region) we decided to go listen to some high end gear in a few local audio boutiques. Two-channel audio was king in those days and I had been looking for a new amplifier, so we decided to venture out and explore.
There was a shop in Rochester that was carrying B&W speakers and Steve McCormick’s DNA amplifiers. We made that our first stop and it became my first introduction to an amplifier designed by Dennis Had. The main system was playing Holly Cole. The speaker was a B&W floor standing model. The vocal was seductive and lifelike. The baby Cary 300B mono amplifiers were being used in the system.
I remember that the sound was liquid and palpable and was unlike anything I had ever heard or experienced before. Little did I know at the time it was the beginning of a love affair with tubes (and that passion still burns in my heart and soul as strong today as it was then). The amplifier really made realize what was possible in music reproduction. The baby mono amps were priced at $3500 pair (not inexpensive) and unfortunately were not in my budget at the time.
When Drew Baird (of Moon Audio) had told me that Dennis Had was coming out of retirement and was inspired to do a headphone amplifier, my head start buzzing. Those feelings and fond memories of those early day auditioning the Cary sound immediately came to mind.
Dennis Had has been building and designing amplifiers since he was a young boy. His time with Cary produced products that are in still in production today and have achieved a legendary status. The newly created Inspire Dragon is old school in design philosophy. Dennis believes in single-ended topology in his designs and still builds amplifiers the old-fashioned way; using simple circuits and minimal parts. The Inspire IHA-1 Dragon was designed after Dennis realized that there were lot of people using headphones and the designs had matured to where they needed good and clean amplification to bring out the best sound and musicality. After listening to various headphones, Dennis became so excited and decided to build his own amp.

Design

The Dragon IHA-1 is a simple circuit that Dennis designed to provide the purest output available. There are no parts in the signal path. The amplifier sports two 6SN7 driver tubes driven by a 5Y3GT rectifier. The rectifier acts more like a power tube.   The features of this amplifier are available from the Moon website and listed here: http://www.moon-audio.com/headphone-amplifiers/dragon-inspire-iha-1-tube- headphone-amp.html.
The amplifier is is painted in a high quality clear coat attractive paint finish that resembles a fine Merlot. The Dragon has a DACT 100K attenuator that runs a pair of 6SN7 tubes and puts out 1W of power. The Electro Harmonic 5Y3GT rectifier is included as part of the standard tube package, which also includes two Russian 6SN7. Tube rollers will be able to substitute any 5U4 type rectifier or 274B tube.
There are two headphone outputs in the front. One ¼ inch singled and a 4-pin XLR output as well. The amplifier is transformer coupled allowing for the use of just about any dynamic or planar headphones available today. The amplifier weighs a hefty 15 pounds.
 

Sound

The Dragon was setup with the Chord Hugo driving mostly lossless files from my iMac. The majority of my listening was done with my LCD X and HD 800. Also used were the Hifiman HE560 and the Alpha Dog planar headphones. The Oppo PM-1 saw some listening time as well. The Dragon volume control was used with the Oppo BDP 105. While using the Hugo as a source I used its digital volume control. The Hugo had sufficient gain and was able to drive the Dragon to loud levels.
Michael Buble’s “Close Your Eyes”, from the album To Be Loved, is a beautiful song. The track immediately will draw you in with its wonderful lyric and the song is a personal favorite that reminds me so much of my wife. Michael vocal is pristine and the Inspire Dragon made me feel the song. I became intensely involved with the lyrics.
The Dragon emotionally drew me in and had me thinking of that special person who is so important in my life. Buble’s voice is inspirational and brought tears to my eyes. I completely forgot about the gear and connected emotionally with the lyrics. Shelby Lynne’s vocals on “Just a Little Loving”, is well recorded and the vocal is one of my favorites in evaluating amplifier performance. The Dragon was articulate and had her vocal centered in the front of the soundstage. Shelby voice was clear and had body and you could feel her delicate and deliberate phrasing while singing this beautiful track.
The Dragon, utilizing the stock rectifier with the upgraded Sylvania 6SN7 chrome top tubes, delivered the right amount of texture. The sound was clean and dynamic. The bass line was very identifiable with the Electro Harmonic rectifiers. Using the Sophia 274B, I felt that the bass was not as defined and far less dynamic. The Sophia tubes were simply less enjoyable.

The midrange delivery of the Dragon is classic “Had” design. I was transported back to that time in Rochester when I had first heard the magic Cary 300B sound. This amplifier has that wonderful midrange tonality. Listening to Chris Botti’s trumpet on Impressions, “Prelude No. 20 in C minor” has that rare sense of “you are there” feeling. The trumpet was dead center and slightly up front with air around the instrument, which made it stand out in the performance.
Closing my eyes, the performers around Botti were defined and focused in their own space with excellent separation. The delicate lyrical tonality of his trumpet was all there. The instrument sounded live and realistic. There were no artificial or electronic glare or glaze. The music was so delicate and inviting and the Dragon brought out the best in Botti’s performance.
On the second track “Per Te”, with Andrea Bocelli, I became focused on the trumpet in the opening of the track because it was so delicate. The tonality was beautiful and absent were any hard or harsh sounds coming from the trumpet. The trumpet started to fade and Bocelli’s vocal started coming in and was inspiring. The beauty of the lyrics, although sung in Italian, felt universal as the Dragon disappeared into the music. All that was left was the beauty of Bocelli’s vocal and exquisite musical tonality. Never did I feel there was anything missing, the midrange was special and the treble was also musical. The magic that tube amplifiers provide with tonality usually is only heard in live performances. And the Dragon had that magic.

Bass with the Dragon is excellent. The use of the stock rectifiers brought out a well-defined and tight bass. Much more than the Sophia 274B rectifier, which I found, was a little light in bass delivery. Kenny Barron’s, The Art of Conversation, has Dave Holland playing acoustic bass. On the opening track, “Oracle”, I could hear the texture of the bass notes with excellent extension and definition. The instrument was focused and spooky in realism while rendering its own space within the soundstage. There was separation and space between Holland bass and Barron’s piano. Kenny was to the left and you could hear and feel his involvement with the instrument as his hand was moving across the keys and Holland’s bass was in its owns space and had excellent extension.
Pat Methney’s masterful work with Charlie Haden on Beyond the Missouri Sky – an album filled with terrific melody and tonality – is exceptional. Pat acoustic guitar is beautifully placed in the forefront and his delicate playing on “Waltz for Ruth” is something special. Haden’s bass is almost behind Methaney and on some lesser equipment it is hard to notice the separation of the two performers.
The Dragon did not disappoint in being able to distinguish the separation and I was able to visualize some distance between the performers in the soundstage. Haden’s playing is exceptional and the Dragon was letting it all come through in a defined space within the soundstage.
Listening to large-scale recordings like Copland’s majestic Fanfare for the Common Man, the Dragon was able to deliver a terrific performance. It had sufficient speed and dynamics to make this track come to life. The performance was all there and the soundstage was layered and I could hear every section of the orchestra. The Inspire Dragon was able to make it a believable performance. The Dragon never clipped while playing this wide dynamic recording. Many amplifiers I have used have struggled in reproducing this track.
The Hugo volume control was being used with the Inspire dragon. I noticed I was getting more volume at higher levels with difficult to drive headphones. The Hugo added more gain and could drive the little Dragon to concert hall sound levels.
The amplifier performed well with any headphone. Whether I was using the Alpha Dog or the HD 800, the Dragon did not have difficulty in driving either headphone. The Alpha Dog can be difficult with some amplifiers because it is not as efficient as some other planar designs and loves power. The Dragon easily drove the Alpha Dog and is a synergistic and good match.

Conclusion

The time I had spent in 1997 up in Rochester audio boutiques had opened my eyes and ears to tube amplification. Dennis Had’s baby Cary amps forever changed my life with how I would listen to audio components. The sound was more musical than any solid-state amplifier I had heard in audio at the time. The sound was magical and for me made me want to explore and eventually purchase tube amplification.
My lifelong love affair with tube amplifiers is still as strong today as it was back then. The Dragon delivers clean sound with nothing getting in the way of the performance. The musicality and tonality of the amplifier is there with nothing left out. The design is simple with no parts in the signal path and nothing in the way of musical delivery. Headphone enthusiasts can utilize just about any efficient headphone with either a XLR-4 or singled ended cable. The Dragon delivers for me everything I look for in a good tube design; it always had me involved and never left me wanting for anything during my listening sessions.
The Return of the Legend was well worth the wait as Dennis Had has brought an affordable music lover’s product to the marketplace. So if you want to see what the fuss is all about with the Dennis Had design, call Drew Baird over at Moon Audio to arrange an audition. The Dragon is the triumphant return of a masterful artisan designer and is highly recommended for any music enthusiast. It’s a well-designed product that offers both performance and excellent value and an easy recommendation.
- See more at: http://headphone.guru/inspire-ha1-amplifier-return-of-a-legend/#sthash.XTGZwUkz.dpuf