Is this the only Auralic thread? I couldn't find a separate thread for the Auralic Taurus MKII.
I have just bought a practically new Taurus MKII with one year warranty on an exceptional price. Arriving in two days.
I am expecting it to replace my Questyle CMA600i which I use in balanced mode with my Chord Qutest.
I prefer my 600i to the iFi Pro iCan which is the only higher-end SS amp I tried. I prefer the clean, clear and layered bass of the iCan to the CMA600i's slower bass presentation but the mids on the 600i are much better. Sweeter, fuller, more lifelike. Treble then again is better on the iCan. Cleaner, tighter. The iCan is overall more dynamic and detailed but lacks life and smoothness. The 600i is technically not quite there but it is a sweeter and more pleasing listen to me.
Since I reviewed the Pro iCan (and Pro iDSD) I have been looking for an amp that gives me the technicalities of the iCan while not loosing too much on lifelikeness, soul, sweetness, musicality.
My search has basically narrowed down to three amps: Bryston BHA-1, Headamp GSX-MKII, Taurus MKII. (I didn't like the Liquid Platinum, found it good but too polite and thin for my taste.)
A lot of sources said the GSXMKII can be a bit harsh and bright which I definitely want to avoid. I read some similar comments on the BHA1 too, but much less. In fact I almost bought a BHA1, as people really seem to love it.
In the end I came across this perfect Taurus MKII deal which I just couldn't resist. (Much cheaper than my BHA1 offer.)
Let me copy/paste some opinions here from different reviews. Hopefully in a few days you can read my own first impressions.
"Among the absolute best headphone amplifiers I've ever heard ... one of the absolute best values in the high-end.
If you want an endgame-level headphone amp which offers extremely accurate, resolving sound while maintaining a warm and inviting tone, look no further." InnerFidelity
"The Taurus MKII is certainly among the best I’ve heard, with others in that elite group including Cavalli Audio’s Liquid Glass and Liquid Gold headphone amplifiers.
Significantly, though, the AURALiC is the only one of these three to carry a price tag comfortably below $2000." Absolute Sound
"The Taurus MKII runs with ORFEO Class A output modules – the same as found in the Vega’s output stage. Perhaps this is why the Taurus MKII channels the Vega’s core qualities of deep space illumination and high ‘megapixel’ definition." Darko Audio
"The AURALiC TAURUS MKII is simply one of the finest headphone amps on the market and should not be missed. This is one of the few blind purchases you can’t go wrong with and I say that with confidence. On some harder hitting music the TAURUS puts out a lot of bass for the HE-6 yet each low frequency note is clearly represented. The TAURUS never came across as bright, harsh, or with too much presence." Hometheaterhifi
"The Audeze LCD2s, work equally well with the Taurus, serving up a massive inner-head soundstage, with sound floating all around my head in a pleasantly trippy manner.
It offers enough low-frequency drive to keep the biggest bassheads happy, with mids that are silky smooth (though not embellished) and with a high-frequency response that is extended and detailed but that never crosses into harsh." Tonepublications
" I've been using a Bryston BHA-1 headphone amp to drive my balanced Sennheiser HD 800 cans. After switching to this AURALiC Taurus MKII with a break-in period, I believe the Taurus has edged the BHA-1 a bit in smoothness and detail.
Fantastic!....Competes with amps 2 times its price." Amazon reviews
The design of the Orpheo output stages are based on the Neve 8078 legendary mixing console from the 80's. (As I have just learnt.) These are rare, hand-wired units still worth more than £35.000.
These consoles were used in professional studios to record Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Quincy Jones, Chick Corea just to mention a few. I love the recording quality of the 'Dark side of the Moon'. If the Taurus MKII just slightly reminds me to that clarity, soundstage depth, resolution and ever so slight warmth and roundness I find in those recordings, I might have found my perfect headphone amp for a long period of time.
These were also recommended for planars a lot, specifically for the LCD2 too. My current favourite is the LCD2C since I listen to a lot of bass-centric music. Another promising sign for a good match.
