Austin Morrow
Headphoneus Supremus
1080P Video Slideshow:
ALO Audio’s new Continental portable tube headphone amplifier is easily the most electrifying portable amp that I have ever heard. Unlike most amplifiers that offer solid state amplification, the ALO Continental has a tiny Raytheon 6111 NOS tube strapped inside for that sweet sound that almost every audio enthusiast has come to love. Even though the ALO Continental isn’t the first to pull off a portable tube headphone amp (TTVJ/Millett Hybrid), they are the only ones on the market who even offer this option for the time being. So, just how good does the ALO Continental sound?
At the time of this review, I was lucky enough to have a killer setup for me to audition the Continental with. The Sennhesier HD800, Audez’e LCD-2, and my own HD650 were all part of the group, and Ken even lent me a CLAS to play around with (review for that coming shortly). The sound of this amp is absolutely breathtaking, and while I haven’t heard every top tiered portable amp on the face of the planet, it’s pretty easy to decide that the Continental is a world class amp in and of itself. But before we get to the sound, let’s take a quick look around the perimeter of the continental and some of the technical specifications.
The Design
Like most amps, you get the usual line in, a volume knob, line out, and a power switch. Everything on the front is very basic, and the same can be said for the reverse side of the Continental. You get a plugin for the power cord as well as ALO Audio’s logo. The top is a bit of a different scenario however. You get the name of the amp in fancy cursive lettering as well as perforations along the side. Why are there holes on the side you may be asking? Well, just because this is a portable amp doesn’t mean the tube doesn’t gain heat, because it does. While it may not get as scorching hot as some of the other desktop ones I have tried, it gets pretty warm, and I’m pretty sure ALO thought it would be nice to add in some breathing space.
Sonic Impressions
The sound signature of the Continental reminds me very much of a desktop amp, just stuffed into a smaller package. You get the same gorgeous mids, extended highs, and prominent bass that you detect from the majority of tube desktop amps. Let’s say you pair this with an Audez’e LCD-2 or an HD800, your still going to get that high end sound from a great portable system. Very sweet and prominent mids that are never congested, slightly forward, and amazing clarity. With that being said, the mids of the Continental really don’t pair well with headphones that have an already sweet midrange, as they tend to become too forward and recess the rest of the spectrum. Treble wise, the Continental excels exceptionally well, even beating out the TTVJ Slim, an amp that I loved so dearly for its sparkly and greatly extended high end. There is something that the Continental does so much better than the TTVJ Slim though, and that’s sound staging.
Width, depth, and instrumental separation on the Continental are absolutely superb. I thought the TTVJ Slim was phenomenal, but it turns out I wasn’t hearing anything yet. Pair this with a Sennhesier HD650, and you may have yourself a home rig for the rest of your life. The HD650 opens up, and scales up so well with the Continental. While it’s not speedy enough for rock and metal, it’s actually very enjoyable now for slightly up tempo paced genres. The HD650 isn’t as laid back as it used to be, has more energy and velocity, and certainly didn’t sound as dark as it did before. Low end surge is still there, and while it isn’t as powerful as something like the SoundMagic A10 or the Rx MkII, you get a good amount of rumble and punch, with depth extension lacking.
Final Thoughts
For me, the ALO Continental is the best portable amp I have ever heard. I have yet to listen to the RSA SR-71A or the L3, but I really don’t know how they could top the Continental in terms of the midrange and treble quality. Sure, you could definitely improve on the low end of the spectrum, but does that mean you have to sacrifice other parts of the frequency? At this point, I could easily recommend this to anybody looking to get the absolute best sound out of whatever they may be listening to, and if you were to pair this with a CLAS and an iPod, you would have yourself a pretty kick-ass home rig too. The Continental can be had for $485, and considering the performance you get out of the Continental, that isn’t a very high price at all.
ALO Continental @ALOAudio
ALO Audio’s new Continental portable tube headphone amplifier is easily the most electrifying portable amp that I have ever heard. Unlike most amplifiers that offer solid state amplification, the ALO Continental has a tiny Raytheon 6111 NOS tube strapped inside for that sweet sound that almost every audio enthusiast has come to love. Even though the ALO Continental isn’t the first to pull off a portable tube headphone amp (TTVJ/Millett Hybrid), they are the only ones on the market who even offer this option for the time being. So, just how good does the ALO Continental sound?
At the time of this review, I was lucky enough to have a killer setup for me to audition the Continental with. The Sennhesier HD800, Audez’e LCD-2, and my own HD650 were all part of the group, and Ken even lent me a CLAS to play around with (review for that coming shortly). The sound of this amp is absolutely breathtaking, and while I haven’t heard every top tiered portable amp on the face of the planet, it’s pretty easy to decide that the Continental is a world class amp in and of itself. But before we get to the sound, let’s take a quick look around the perimeter of the continental and some of the technical specifications.
The Design
Like most amps, you get the usual line in, a volume knob, line out, and a power switch. Everything on the front is very basic, and the same can be said for the reverse side of the Continental. You get a plugin for the power cord as well as ALO Audio’s logo. The top is a bit of a different scenario however. You get the name of the amp in fancy cursive lettering as well as perforations along the side. Why are there holes on the side you may be asking? Well, just because this is a portable amp doesn’t mean the tube doesn’t gain heat, because it does. While it may not get as scorching hot as some of the other desktop ones I have tried, it gets pretty warm, and I’m pretty sure ALO thought it would be nice to add in some breathing space.
Sonic Impressions
The sound signature of the Continental reminds me very much of a desktop amp, just stuffed into a smaller package. You get the same gorgeous mids, extended highs, and prominent bass that you detect from the majority of tube desktop amps. Let’s say you pair this with an Audez’e LCD-2 or an HD800, your still going to get that high end sound from a great portable system. Very sweet and prominent mids that are never congested, slightly forward, and amazing clarity. With that being said, the mids of the Continental really don’t pair well with headphones that have an already sweet midrange, as they tend to become too forward and recess the rest of the spectrum. Treble wise, the Continental excels exceptionally well, even beating out the TTVJ Slim, an amp that I loved so dearly for its sparkly and greatly extended high end. There is something that the Continental does so much better than the TTVJ Slim though, and that’s sound staging.
Width, depth, and instrumental separation on the Continental are absolutely superb. I thought the TTVJ Slim was phenomenal, but it turns out I wasn’t hearing anything yet. Pair this with a Sennhesier HD650, and you may have yourself a home rig for the rest of your life. The HD650 opens up, and scales up so well with the Continental. While it’s not speedy enough for rock and metal, it’s actually very enjoyable now for slightly up tempo paced genres. The HD650 isn’t as laid back as it used to be, has more energy and velocity, and certainly didn’t sound as dark as it did before. Low end surge is still there, and while it isn’t as powerful as something like the SoundMagic A10 or the Rx MkII, you get a good amount of rumble and punch, with depth extension lacking.
Final Thoughts
For me, the ALO Continental is the best portable amp I have ever heard. I have yet to listen to the RSA SR-71A or the L3, but I really don’t know how they could top the Continental in terms of the midrange and treble quality. Sure, you could definitely improve on the low end of the spectrum, but does that mean you have to sacrifice other parts of the frequency? At this point, I could easily recommend this to anybody looking to get the absolute best sound out of whatever they may be listening to, and if you were to pair this with a CLAS and an iPod, you would have yourself a pretty kick-ass home rig too. The Continental can be had for $485, and considering the performance you get out of the Continental, that isn’t a very high price at all.
ALO Continental @ALOAudio
