I recently had the pleasure of listening to the Apex Teton supplied by TTVJ audio. Todd is an extremely good guy and placed no pressure on me to write a review. But I felt compelled to do so because I found the Apex Teton to be an exceptional headphone amplifier. For those who may not have read my prior viewpoints on headphone amps I will repeat myself. If working correctly, it is my belief that most headphone amps sound about the same, give or take 5%. Obviously that's not a scientific judgment, just my way of saying that I have compared many amps, some expensive and some cheaper, and I don't often feel that one amp is worth thousands more than another.
In regards to the Teton, I'm not going to make wild claims about its performance. I will only say that it is significantly better than other amps I have listened to. And while I did not do direct comparisons (cause I didn't feel I needed to), I do feel I could have identified it in a blind test. That statement may irritate some given I did not make an attempt, but my point is that the Teton did some things differently, at least to my hearing. I'll describe what I heard and try to pinpoint the sonic characteristics that set this unit apart from others.
But first, let me start with a few of the negatives I perceived. The unit is heavy, and the weight Is not evenly distributed. I sometimes take my equipment to others to listen critically. I appreciate that the unit is well built, so I am not criticizing it for its weight, only pointing out that it ain't so easy to lug around. The second thing I disliked, is the lack of balanced inputs, outputs, and 4 pin XLR headphone connectors. The amp is a single ended design, so I get it. I'm not asking for a change to the design. In fact, I know they have a more expensive unit that does have a balanced capability. But for the price, it is frustrating not to have the opportunity to plug some of my finest headphones into the device without adapters. I do know some headphone amps are single ended designs and provide XLR connectors in addition to single ended, though I am unsure if that would compromise sound quality. Again, I have high expectations for the price, I should point out that I do not own the unit, so I have little to complain about until I actually purchase one. More on that decision later...
So what's the other thing that disturbed me? I have many headphones, and a great many work well with the amp, but some, including rather highly esteemed, not so well. And it wasn't based upon price. More likely, it's probably about impedance matching. I don't know, but I can say that the unit wasn't really universally great with every headphone of mine though it never really sounds bad, just less than special with some headphones. I did change tubes and that did make a difference in many cases.
So let's talk more about the sound. With the initial tubes I tried (which were Todd's personal favorites) ...sorry, I did not document them, the amp sounded great. It was crystal clear. I felt that the sound was impactful, and full bodied. Vocals were exceptional and I would characterize the sound as slightly mechanical or analytical, but oddly, very musically engaging despite that description. Instruments on CDs I have heard many times before, popped. The soundstage was rather wide and it felt like each instrument had a spotlight shining on it. The bass was excellent in quality. Certainly not overly abundant in quantity, but just the right amount in my opinion. It was balanced sounding, tonally. The bass went deep and it was tuneful, and not dry.
The midrange was spectacular. The instruments had a realistic sound. I was beginning to notice a couple of other things. If your headphone has a flaw, it becomes very obvious. Also, I felt that the amp tended to, regardless of headphone I used, bring the headphone's sound more towards neutrality. I recognize that some may find my last two statements a bit contrary, but what can I say? That was my impression. I also felt that the amp added an almost electrostatic quality to headphones. It wasn't so much about the texture sounding electrostatic, but the amp added a clarity and pureness that I associate with my Stax SR-009. Vocals were natural, but somehow seemed more solid, fuller, and more differentiated. Mind you, this differentiation was not done through smoke and mirrors. The sound was not overly rich or congested. I did not feel that there was an emphasis in lower mids which can sometimes create an unpleasant, congested, or unnatural fullness to vocals. No, this was about body, clarity, air, space, and separation of instruments in the soundstage that extended beyond the width of my head. I thought there was good dimensionality to the instrumentation and reasonably good depth, but I wouldn't say that the depth was as outstanding as I expected from a tube amp – certainly not a match for the other positive traits I heard. I wouldn't describe the sound as overly forward, but somehow it gave the pleasing effect that an intimate sound has. Truly, a fantastic trick to pull off.
Treble was stupendous. Clear, natural, but not overly bright or splashy. Texture was good. The decay struck me as very natural. Not slow, and not unnaturally quick either. Though if I had to choose I would say it was on the quick and rhythmic side, not the slow side.. I was mightily impressed.
Many of the comments on the head-fi forum I felt were spot on. As much as I liked the unit, my friends were less fond of it... until I switched to the stock tubes. Todd provided the stock as well as an alternate set of tubes that he preferred, and I had started with the tubes he recommended. Switching to the stock tubes created a less mechanical sound and I found that the amp worked better with a wider array of headphones. I also felt the sound may have been slightly warmer, richer, and the bass may have been a touch more plump. The difference wasn't night and day. It didn't sound like a different amp. But it was noticeable. I should also say that there were several days between listening sessions with the different tubes so my impression of the differences may be off. My two audiophile friends also came to the same conclusions, and I did not bias them. Basically, the lesson here is that I enjoyed the unit with stock tubes. Extra expenditure would not be necessary for me to be completely satisfied. And while my friends preferred the stock tubes, my taste actually leaned towards Todd's taste in tubes because when the match with headphones was good, I felt the sound with the alternate set of tubes simply could not be beat.
To summarize, what did I find special? The clarity, the impact (generated more from mids than midbass, though midbass was excellent), the excellent quality bass and treble, the purity of sound and natural decay. Above all, the soundstage width and the separation between instruments. Incidentally, I was also impressed by vocals, acoustic guitars and drum hits. But the unit performed great for orchestral, jazz, rock, and classic rock. I think all genres are treated well by this amplifier. The sense of realism is fantastic.
I am now listening to the Pass Labs HPA1, another truly fantastic amplifier. But in my mind, the Teton separates itself from other amplifiers, making them sound ordinary. For example, the Pass soundstage and separation is good but more traditional. If I had unlimited funds I'd own both. I do think the Pass may be more universal in terms of working with a wide array of headphones. But when the Teton is at its best there is very little that would compare favorably. I feel the Teton exudes quality, and for what it is in terms of design, it is probably as fine an example as money can buy. But that does bring me to an admission. I own several headphone amps including a Grado, an Oppo HA1, Bryston, Microzotl 2, a GSX-mk2, and a Cavalli liquid carbon. Those are fine headphone amps, but I haven't heard other similarly priced amps like Luxman, EAR HP4, Cavalli LAu., Woo Audio 5, or EC 445. I already miss the Teton, but I'm not sure any amp is worth the price when you consider bigger differences may be had by use of different headphones. I'd certainly like to try out some of the other amps, but I can tell you I would be perfectly happy with the Teton and I may still purchase one. Time will tell. At the beginning, I mentioned that I felt all amps were about the same plus or minus 5%. Well, if that's the case, the Teton is definitely a '+5 percenter'. Perhaps the most telling point I can make is that I let some folks who are not audiophiles, who don't know prices and don't care about headphone amps listen and compare. Each of them recognized the excellence and superiority of the Apex Teton.
Edit (6/22/16) - Folks asked me to be more specific on the headphones I tried with the Teton. What did I like and What didn't I like?
Headphones I tried included: HE-1000, Ether-C, Ether, McIntosh MHP1000, AKG 812, Focal Studio Pro, variations of the Superlux, the Telefunken Hancock, Senn HD800, Beyer Dynamic T1 Gen 1, Audeze LCD-x, Audeze Sine, Grado GH1, Dharma D1000, HE-6, Pioneer HRM-7, Yamaha MT220, Fostex TH600, Audio Zenith, and probably a few I am forgetting. I was disappointed with the HE1000. When I changed to the stock tubes, it was better, but never quite what I hoped for. I thought the HD800 was good, but I must admit, for whatever reason, I wasn't as impressed with the combo as others seem to be. I did not care for the Audeze LCD-x either. But it wasn't the amps fought. The X had a warm and less than crystal clear sound. Not bad, but not my favorite. I thought the Beyer Dynamic T1 really benefited. I think the AKG 812 scaled up extremely well. I liked the Grado, but I sensed a certain opaqueness (gray background in the upper mids) ....hard to describe, and it was subtle. The Grado Gh1 was good, but not great. The Dharma was pretty darn good, but that's one of my favorite headphones anyway. I also LOVED the Telefunken Hancock with the amp, but it tends to be more midrange centric and not so great on other amps. I thought the McIntosh did not go well. It's a bit bright to start with and I just didn't care for the vocals and brightness it exhibited with the Teton. The Ethers were ok, but didn't really impress me. I did like the Audio Zenith (similar to the Oppo PM1). The Beyer Dynamic DT150 also went pretty good witht he amp. Hope that helps. All in all, the T1 and the AKG 812 really stood out, along with the Telefunken Hancock (but I imagine that choice would be controversial because it isn't a megabuck headphone). I didn't listen too long, but the TH600 also sounded pretty good. I'm not a fan of a "V" shaped sound, but I think the Teton filled the mids in nicely ...still V shaped, but well controlled and pleasant. Grado 325i also sounded better than usual as the vocals were more full bodied. I was also really surprised that the HE-6 sounded respectable. Heck, I was surprised I could even turn it up loud without clipping. The HE-6 was actually a good listen, though I'm pretty sure if you primarily listen to the HE-6 you might want to try more powerful amps. Oh, I almost forgot. The HE400i and the 400s sounded pretty good. The 400s is a little anemic, as was the Audeze Sine in the bass department, but a very nice sound for those headphones, overall.
In regards to the Teton, I'm not going to make wild claims about its performance. I will only say that it is significantly better than other amps I have listened to. And while I did not do direct comparisons (cause I didn't feel I needed to), I do feel I could have identified it in a blind test. That statement may irritate some given I did not make an attempt, but my point is that the Teton did some things differently, at least to my hearing. I'll describe what I heard and try to pinpoint the sonic characteristics that set this unit apart from others.
But first, let me start with a few of the negatives I perceived. The unit is heavy, and the weight Is not evenly distributed. I sometimes take my equipment to others to listen critically. I appreciate that the unit is well built, so I am not criticizing it for its weight, only pointing out that it ain't so easy to lug around. The second thing I disliked, is the lack of balanced inputs, outputs, and 4 pin XLR headphone connectors. The amp is a single ended design, so I get it. I'm not asking for a change to the design. In fact, I know they have a more expensive unit that does have a balanced capability. But for the price, it is frustrating not to have the opportunity to plug some of my finest headphones into the device without adapters. I do know some headphone amps are single ended designs and provide XLR connectors in addition to single ended, though I am unsure if that would compromise sound quality. Again, I have high expectations for the price, I should point out that I do not own the unit, so I have little to complain about until I actually purchase one. More on that decision later...
So what's the other thing that disturbed me? I have many headphones, and a great many work well with the amp, but some, including rather highly esteemed, not so well. And it wasn't based upon price. More likely, it's probably about impedance matching. I don't know, but I can say that the unit wasn't really universally great with every headphone of mine though it never really sounds bad, just less than special with some headphones. I did change tubes and that did make a difference in many cases.
So let's talk more about the sound. With the initial tubes I tried (which were Todd's personal favorites) ...sorry, I did not document them, the amp sounded great. It was crystal clear. I felt that the sound was impactful, and full bodied. Vocals were exceptional and I would characterize the sound as slightly mechanical or analytical, but oddly, very musically engaging despite that description. Instruments on CDs I have heard many times before, popped. The soundstage was rather wide and it felt like each instrument had a spotlight shining on it. The bass was excellent in quality. Certainly not overly abundant in quantity, but just the right amount in my opinion. It was balanced sounding, tonally. The bass went deep and it was tuneful, and not dry.
The midrange was spectacular. The instruments had a realistic sound. I was beginning to notice a couple of other things. If your headphone has a flaw, it becomes very obvious. Also, I felt that the amp tended to, regardless of headphone I used, bring the headphone's sound more towards neutrality. I recognize that some may find my last two statements a bit contrary, but what can I say? That was my impression. I also felt that the amp added an almost electrostatic quality to headphones. It wasn't so much about the texture sounding electrostatic, but the amp added a clarity and pureness that I associate with my Stax SR-009. Vocals were natural, but somehow seemed more solid, fuller, and more differentiated. Mind you, this differentiation was not done through smoke and mirrors. The sound was not overly rich or congested. I did not feel that there was an emphasis in lower mids which can sometimes create an unpleasant, congested, or unnatural fullness to vocals. No, this was about body, clarity, air, space, and separation of instruments in the soundstage that extended beyond the width of my head. I thought there was good dimensionality to the instrumentation and reasonably good depth, but I wouldn't say that the depth was as outstanding as I expected from a tube amp – certainly not a match for the other positive traits I heard. I wouldn't describe the sound as overly forward, but somehow it gave the pleasing effect that an intimate sound has. Truly, a fantastic trick to pull off.
Treble was stupendous. Clear, natural, but not overly bright or splashy. Texture was good. The decay struck me as very natural. Not slow, and not unnaturally quick either. Though if I had to choose I would say it was on the quick and rhythmic side, not the slow side.. I was mightily impressed.
Many of the comments on the head-fi forum I felt were spot on. As much as I liked the unit, my friends were less fond of it... until I switched to the stock tubes. Todd provided the stock as well as an alternate set of tubes that he preferred, and I had started with the tubes he recommended. Switching to the stock tubes created a less mechanical sound and I found that the amp worked better with a wider array of headphones. I also felt the sound may have been slightly warmer, richer, and the bass may have been a touch more plump. The difference wasn't night and day. It didn't sound like a different amp. But it was noticeable. I should also say that there were several days between listening sessions with the different tubes so my impression of the differences may be off. My two audiophile friends also came to the same conclusions, and I did not bias them. Basically, the lesson here is that I enjoyed the unit with stock tubes. Extra expenditure would not be necessary for me to be completely satisfied. And while my friends preferred the stock tubes, my taste actually leaned towards Todd's taste in tubes because when the match with headphones was good, I felt the sound with the alternate set of tubes simply could not be beat.
To summarize, what did I find special? The clarity, the impact (generated more from mids than midbass, though midbass was excellent), the excellent quality bass and treble, the purity of sound and natural decay. Above all, the soundstage width and the separation between instruments. Incidentally, I was also impressed by vocals, acoustic guitars and drum hits. But the unit performed great for orchestral, jazz, rock, and classic rock. I think all genres are treated well by this amplifier. The sense of realism is fantastic.
I am now listening to the Pass Labs HPA1, another truly fantastic amplifier. But in my mind, the Teton separates itself from other amplifiers, making them sound ordinary. For example, the Pass soundstage and separation is good but more traditional. If I had unlimited funds I'd own both. I do think the Pass may be more universal in terms of working with a wide array of headphones. But when the Teton is at its best there is very little that would compare favorably. I feel the Teton exudes quality, and for what it is in terms of design, it is probably as fine an example as money can buy. But that does bring me to an admission. I own several headphone amps including a Grado, an Oppo HA1, Bryston, Microzotl 2, a GSX-mk2, and a Cavalli liquid carbon. Those are fine headphone amps, but I haven't heard other similarly priced amps like Luxman, EAR HP4, Cavalli LAu., Woo Audio 5, or EC 445. I already miss the Teton, but I'm not sure any amp is worth the price when you consider bigger differences may be had by use of different headphones. I'd certainly like to try out some of the other amps, but I can tell you I would be perfectly happy with the Teton and I may still purchase one. Time will tell. At the beginning, I mentioned that I felt all amps were about the same plus or minus 5%. Well, if that's the case, the Teton is definitely a '+5 percenter'. Perhaps the most telling point I can make is that I let some folks who are not audiophiles, who don't know prices and don't care about headphone amps listen and compare. Each of them recognized the excellence and superiority of the Apex Teton.
Edit (6/22/16) - Folks asked me to be more specific on the headphones I tried with the Teton. What did I like and What didn't I like?
Headphones I tried included: HE-1000, Ether-C, Ether, McIntosh MHP1000, AKG 812, Focal Studio Pro, variations of the Superlux, the Telefunken Hancock, Senn HD800, Beyer Dynamic T1 Gen 1, Audeze LCD-x, Audeze Sine, Grado GH1, Dharma D1000, HE-6, Pioneer HRM-7, Yamaha MT220, Fostex TH600, Audio Zenith, and probably a few I am forgetting. I was disappointed with the HE1000. When I changed to the stock tubes, it was better, but never quite what I hoped for. I thought the HD800 was good, but I must admit, for whatever reason, I wasn't as impressed with the combo as others seem to be. I did not care for the Audeze LCD-x either. But it wasn't the amps fought. The X had a warm and less than crystal clear sound. Not bad, but not my favorite. I thought the Beyer Dynamic T1 really benefited. I think the AKG 812 scaled up extremely well. I liked the Grado, but I sensed a certain opaqueness (gray background in the upper mids) ....hard to describe, and it was subtle. The Grado Gh1 was good, but not great. The Dharma was pretty darn good, but that's one of my favorite headphones anyway. I also LOVED the Telefunken Hancock with the amp, but it tends to be more midrange centric and not so great on other amps. I thought the McIntosh did not go well. It's a bit bright to start with and I just didn't care for the vocals and brightness it exhibited with the Teton. The Ethers were ok, but didn't really impress me. I did like the Audio Zenith (similar to the Oppo PM1). The Beyer Dynamic DT150 also went pretty good witht he amp. Hope that helps. All in all, the T1 and the AKG 812 really stood out, along with the Telefunken Hancock (but I imagine that choice would be controversial because it isn't a megabuck headphone). I didn't listen too long, but the TH600 also sounded pretty good. I'm not a fan of a "V" shaped sound, but I think the Teton filled the mids in nicely ...still V shaped, but well controlled and pleasant. Grado 325i also sounded better than usual as the vocals were more full bodied. I was also really surprised that the HE-6 sounded respectable. Heck, I was surprised I could even turn it up loud without clipping. The HE-6 was actually a good listen, though I'm pretty sure if you primarily listen to the HE-6 you might want to try more powerful amps. Oh, I almost forgot. The HE400i and the 400s sounded pretty good. The 400s is a little anemic, as was the Audeze Sine in the bass department, but a very nice sound for those headphones, overall.
