The1Signature
1000+ Head-Fier
Just saw it on indiegogo and wanted to share with you: écoute: the world's only vacuum tube headphones.
WHY VACUM TUBES?
Because they are so expensive, vacuum tubes are typically only used in high-end analog hi-fi systems. This has led to the false belief that there isn't any value in using vacuum tubes when the signal source is anything less than ideal, or worse, digitally compressed.
We have found the opposite to be true—digital signals have MORE to gain from vacuum tube amplification in terms of sound quality simply because there is both, more room, and more need for improvement.
Streamed and wireless audio signals are compressed to reduce the file size leaving your music sounding comparatively lifeless and flat. The characteristic even-order harmonics of a vacuum tube create minute euphonic details that fill out the sound and add warmth to digitally-compressed music. This texture makes your music sound fuller and more realistic—less like it is being reproduced by a piece of audio equipment and more like it is being performed live in front of you.
Though sound quality is subjective, the prevailing belief among audiophiles and musicians is that vacuum tubes surpass transistors in both sound quality and realism because of a combination of factors:
TONE AND TEXTURE: Vacuum tubes introduce pleasing harmonic distortions primarily on the second notes replicating the warmth and richness of live music.
COMPLEX HARMONIC STRUCTURE: Vacuum tubes produce a rich and detailed soundstage, faithfully recreating the intricate timbre of instruments and vocals, revealing subtle nuances often lost in transistor-based systems.
WIDER DYNAMIC RANGE: Captures the expressive nuances of music, comparable to the natural dynamics of live performances.
SOFT CLIPPING: Vacuum tubes exhibit smoother and more gradual clipping that resembles the natural compression and distortion in real-world sound sources, contributing to an authentic reproduction of music.
INCREASE GAIN: Adds clarity to the midrange where our ears are the most sensitive enhancing the tonal quality and organic timbre and delivering a more realistic representation of instruments and vocals—realism you only get from a vacuum tube.
Other headphones use a single off-the-shelf chip to do most, if not all, of the signal processing on a single circuit. écoute headphones are designed differently with individual dedicated components at each step of the signal conversion—a solution normally reserved for high-end rack systems, but almost entirely unheard of in headphones.
This solution allows us to bring together the best component at each stage of the signal path to ensure a superior listening experience.
DRIVERS: Custom 40mm Cellulose Fiber
Designed to take advantage of our meticulous signal path with a patented motor drive system that ensures an accurate and linear response to avoid thermal compression artifacts.
WHY VACUM TUBES?
Because they are so expensive, vacuum tubes are typically only used in high-end analog hi-fi systems. This has led to the false belief that there isn't any value in using vacuum tubes when the signal source is anything less than ideal, or worse, digitally compressed.
We have found the opposite to be true—digital signals have MORE to gain from vacuum tube amplification in terms of sound quality simply because there is both, more room, and more need for improvement.
Streamed and wireless audio signals are compressed to reduce the file size leaving your music sounding comparatively lifeless and flat. The characteristic even-order harmonics of a vacuum tube create minute euphonic details that fill out the sound and add warmth to digitally-compressed music. This texture makes your music sound fuller and more realistic—less like it is being reproduced by a piece of audio equipment and more like it is being performed live in front of you.
Though sound quality is subjective, the prevailing belief among audiophiles and musicians is that vacuum tubes surpass transistors in both sound quality and realism because of a combination of factors:
TONE AND TEXTURE: Vacuum tubes introduce pleasing harmonic distortions primarily on the second notes replicating the warmth and richness of live music.
COMPLEX HARMONIC STRUCTURE: Vacuum tubes produce a rich and detailed soundstage, faithfully recreating the intricate timbre of instruments and vocals, revealing subtle nuances often lost in transistor-based systems.
WIDER DYNAMIC RANGE: Captures the expressive nuances of music, comparable to the natural dynamics of live performances.
SOFT CLIPPING: Vacuum tubes exhibit smoother and more gradual clipping that resembles the natural compression and distortion in real-world sound sources, contributing to an authentic reproduction of music.
INCREASE GAIN: Adds clarity to the midrange where our ears are the most sensitive enhancing the tonal quality and organic timbre and delivering a more realistic representation of instruments and vocals—realism you only get from a vacuum tube.
Other headphones use a single off-the-shelf chip to do most, if not all, of the signal processing on a single circuit. écoute headphones are designed differently with individual dedicated components at each step of the signal conversion—a solution normally reserved for high-end rack systems, but almost entirely unheard of in headphones.
This solution allows us to bring together the best component at each stage of the signal path to ensure a superior listening experience.
- Vacuum Tube Pre-Amplifier: Nutube 6P1 Dual-Triode Thermionic Valve
- DAC: Realtek ALC4050 32-bit, 384kHz Digital-to-Analog Converter
DRIVERS: Custom 40mm Cellulose Fiber
Designed to take advantage of our meticulous signal path with a patented motor drive system that ensures an accurate and linear response to avoid thermal compression artifacts.
- IMPENDENCE: 10 Ohms
- DYNAMIC RANGE: 100db
- WIRELESS: Bluetooth 5.3 supporting apt-X Adaptive, apt-X LL, LDAC, and AAC. Range 10 meters / 33 feet
- ANALOG INPUT: 3.5mm
- HIGH-RESOLUTION DIGITAL AUDIO INPUT: USB-C
- CHARGING: USB-C
- BATTERY LIFE: Approximately 20 hours of listening
- PAIRING: Auto pairing memory of up to two devices.
- ACTIVE NOISE CANCELATION (ANC): Activated by firmware update Spring 2024
- TELEPHONICS: Answer phone calls when paired with your phone. Activated by firmware update Spring 2024
- PREMIUM MATERIAL: All-aluminum body and armature that is as durable as it is beautiful.
- COMFORTABLE REPLACABLE EAR PADS: Cool memory foam that wicks away heat and keeps your ears cool. The over-ear design is more comfortable than on-ear designs and has excellent passive noise cancellation.
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