[KKNAYANA]

Of which, I think @KKNAYANA might able to help you with your question.

I will revisit the shop with my Susvara to be sure!!

It seems that Bakoon is very popular in Korea.
What noble people!

AFAIK, Bakoon Japan products were first imported to Korea in 2003. Since then, there are quite many Bakoon loving audiophiles in Korea!
It is a pity that Bakoon is not that widely known in its homeland Japan.
Anyway, thank you for your compliment!
And I will test 5210MK4 with my Susvara, and let you know if 5210MK4 drives it well.

 

[WiredGhost]

I will revisit the shop with my Susvara to be sure!!

AFAIK, Bakoon Japan products were first imported to Korea in 2003. Since then, there are quite many Bakoon loving audiophiles in Korea!
It is a pity that Bakoon is not that widely known in its homeland Japan.
Anyway, thank you for your compliment!
And I will test 5210MK4 with my Susvara, and let you know if 5210MK4 drives it well.

Thanks for the detailed report.
I envy the enthusiasm of the Bakoon community in Korea.
I look forward to hearing your report when you bring Susvara with you.

 

[Nostoi]

Hello. I would like to share my impressions on the HDA-5210MK4, the top-of-the-line headphone amplifier from Bakoon Japan, currently sold under the name Satri Circuit Laboratory. I had heard about it through a strong recommendation from @Nostoi and had the opportunity to listen to it at one of the shops in Korea where it was exhibited


The setup at the shop was connected to a Chord Hugo TT2 DAC, and music was played from a regular laptop using Tidal. Before sharing my impressions, I must mention that the headphone I use every day at home are Hifiman Susvara. Unfortunately, I could not bring it to the shop due to personal schedule issues on the day of my visit.
Also, for reference, my current home setup consists of Zahl HM1 and Enleum Amp-23R connected to a Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC.
Please understand that the comparison between these amps and the 5210MK4 may not be accurate due to differences in DAC and cables.
With that said, let's begin.

The first headphone I listened to was the newly released YH-5000 from Yamaha. Since there was no place to listen to the 5210MK4 at first, I listened to it first with my own Hiby RS8 DAP. The headphone itself was very light and comfortable to wear, but in my opinion, the tuning was a bit off. The sub-bass was too weak, and a certain part of the treble was overly emphasized, resulting in a lot of sibilance. In short, it was a tuning that couldn't be comfortably listened to for a long time.

When it was finally my turn to listen to the 5210MK4, I first listened to it with the voltage output. Compared to my RS8, it was immediately noticeable that it was superior in terms of soundstage and resolution, and that the output was sufficient. However, the missing sub-bass and excessive sibilance that I had heard on my RS8 were still present. Next, I listened to it with the current output, and surprisingly, the soundstage expanded even more, and the lacking sub-bass was slightly enhanced while the tiring sibilance was significantly reduced. However, I still think that the tuning direction of the headphone itself was incorrect.

The next headphone I listened to was the Focal Utopia 2022. First of all, when I listened to it through voltage output, I was impressed by natural sound, spaciousness, and strong bass impact, and I could hear them loud enough at around 50-60% volume. When I switched to current output, the sound stage expanded as the volume decreased a little, but the bass became too overpowering and IMO didn't match well with the Utopia 2022.


Next, I listened to the Dan Clark Audio Stealth, which I had previously heard before with the Fiio K9 Pro ESS. At the time, I felt that the sound was quite flat, but had excellent resolution and a spacious soundstage despite being a closed headphone. When I first listened to it through voltage output, I had to turn the volume dial up to around 80% to hear the sound at a sufficient level. I felt that it had even better resolution and a more natural sound than when I had previously listened to the K9 Pro ESS. However, when I switched to current output, the sound became distorted and the overpowering bass made it impossible to fully appreciate the headphones. It was a completely different feeling from the YH-5000.

The next headphone I listened to was the Dan Clark Audio Expanse, which was an open-back version of the Stealth. Compared to the Stealth, I needed a similar volume level, and because it was a open-back, it had an advantage in openness and spaciousness compared to the closed-back Stealth. However, the bass, which was already a little lacking in the Stealth, became even weaker in the Expanse, so I preferred the Stealth to the Expanse. When I listened to it through current output, I noticed the same issue with the sound becoming distorted as in the Expanse.

Lastly, I listened to the Sennheiser HD800S headphone, and as I have seen in other Korean user's review (https://cafe.naver.com/drhp/1729035), it was really impressive when paired with the 5210MK4. When I first listened to it through voltage output, it only required less than half the volume of the other headphones I had previously listened to, and also showed impressive bass, soundstage, and resolution. When I switched to current output, something magical happened. The soundstage, bass, and natural feel were further improved, and the sharpness of the high frequencies was smoothed out just enough, resulting in a sound that was incomparable to the HD800Ss I had heard before. It was really the best combination of headphone I had listened to that day.

Please note that the following comparison of 5210MK4 between my Enleum Amp-23R and Zahl HM1 cannot be completely accurate as I could not directly compare them side by side. Comparing the Amp-23R to the 5210MK4 based on my memory, I think that both amps have similar resolution, but the Amp-23R has a slightly narrower soundstage and a stronger emphasis on the lower-end and slightly smoother higher-end in terms of tonal tuning. In terms of naturalness and technical aspects of soundstage, I think the 5210MK4 is slightly better, but I prefer the tuning of the Amp-23R, which is more fun and powerful in the bass region. Moreover, in terms of output, I think the Amp-23R is superior to the 5210MK4, may be due to the fact that Amp-23R is originally intended to perform as a passive speaker amplifier. I think that 5210MK4 may struggle to drive hard-to-drive headphones with low impedance and low efficiency. And I have seen a review in Korean audiophile community regarding that 5210MK4 is not powerful enough to fully drive Hifiman Susvara. (https://cafe.naver.com/drhp/1734158)

Comparing the HM1 and the Amp-23R, I think the HM1 is better in terms of resolution, soundstage, tonality, and output. However, I think the 5210MK4 has an advantage over HM1 in naturalness and airyness. Please note that these comparisons may not be entirely accurate due to differences in environmental conditions and the headphones used.

To make a more accurate comparison between amps, I think I need to test the 5210MK4 with the Hifiman Susvara, and I plan to revisit the shop soon with the Susvara.

Thank you for reading!

Thanks so much for these rich reflections!

On the headphone side, I would agree with the general direction of your impressions that the 5210MK4 is far from an all-rounder as an amp. It's picky to some extent and if I didn't have the Kennerton planars, then likely I would not hold the 5210MK4 in such high-esteem. Those pairings are perfect because the Kennertons are not difficult to drive, but they respond tremendously well to the current output on tap. Of course, the 5210MK4 would have more flexibility if it had a higher output. Curious nonetheless to see what happens with the Susvara.

Very interesting on HM1, 23R, and 5210MK4! Would love to hear these myself. Next up, we await your 23RM vs 55210MK2 comparsion!

 

[KKNAYANA]

I look forward to hearing your report when you bring Susvara with you.

I was very curious about how the Susvara would sound on the 5210MK4, so I visited the audio shop again today.



But today, there was a problem with the Chord Hugo TT2 DAC not working properly, so I connected my Hiby RS8 DAP to the RCA input of the 5210MK4 and listened to the Susvara.



Susvara didn't show the problems of excessive bass in the current output of the 5210MK4, and while the sound was slightly smaller in the current output than in the voltage output, the soundstage and resolution were better. Depending on the volume level of the sound recorded in the music, Susvara was loud enough at around 7-9 on the volume knob (out of a maximum of 10), but the sound started to break up as it approached 10.

The problem was that while the sound was loud enough to listen to, the low frequency range and sub-bass didn't sound sufficient. And when compared to the amps I use (Enleum Amp-23R, Zahl HM1), I didn't feel fully immersed by the sound with 5210MK4. It seems that this problem occurs because the output of 5210MK4 is not powerful enough to drive a Susvara.



I listened to the impressive HD800S from my last visit again. Unlike the Susvara, it sounded great even at around 2-3 on the volume knob, and the low frequency range and subbass was also well expressed. (even better than Susvara)



When I visited today, there were other Bakoon products on the table next to HDA-5210MK4.



Among them, I connected my RS8 to the HDA-5230 with a 6.3mm jack and listened to the HD800S.



Surprisingly, the HDA-5230, which is a portable amp, drove the HD800S very well with enough volume at around only 3 on the volume knob. I was really surprised by the sound quality, which was almost as good as the 5210MK4 I heard right before.

I have pre-ordered the 5520MK2, which has a similar current drive system to the 5230, and I hope it could drive the my HD800 as well as the 5230 did today.

 

[WiredGhost]

I was very curious about how the Susvara would sound on the 5210MK4, so I visited the audio shop again today.



But today, there was a problem with the Chord Hugo TT2 DAC not working properly, so I connected my Hiby RS8 DAP to the RCA input of the 5210MK4 and listened to the Susvara.



Susvara didn't show the problems of excessive bass in the current output of the 5210MK4, and while the sound was slightly smaller in the current output than in the voltage output, the soundstage and resolution were better. Depending on the volume level of the sound recorded in the music, Susvara was loud enough at around 7-9 on the volume knob (out of a maximum of 10), but the sound started to break up as it approached 10.

The problem was that while the sound was loud enough to listen to, the low frequency range and sub-bass didn't sound sufficient. And when compared to the amps I use (Enleum Amp-23R, Zahl HM1), I didn't feel fully immersed by the sound with 5210MK4. It seems that this problem occurs because the output of 5210MK4 is not powerful enough to drive a Susvara.



I listened to the impressive HD800S from my last visit again. Unlike the Susvara, it sounded great even at around 2-3 on the volume knob, and the low frequency range and subbass was also well expressed. (even better than Susvara)



When I visited today, there were other Bakoon products on the table next to HDA-5210MK4.



Among them, I connected my RS8 to the HDA-5230 with a 6.3mm jack and listened to the HD800S.



Surprisingly, the HDA-5230, which is a portable amp, drove the HD800S very well with enough volume at around only 3 on the volume knob. I was really surprised by the sound quality, which was almost as good as the 5210MK4 I heard right before.

I have pre-ordered the 5520MK2, which has a similar current drive system to the 5230, and I hope it could drive the my HD800 as well as the 5230 did today.

Excellent!
Thanks for this report.
Susvara is still a hard headphone to drive.
It is very gratifying to know that the 5210MK4 may be underpowered.
However, I am very interested in the SATRI circuit. I will have to worry about it again.
Thanks.

 

[KKNAYANA]

However, I am very interested in the SATRI circuit. I will have to worry about it again.

If you really want to use a SATRI circuit amp, a speaker amp like Bakoon 7511A might be right for you. I seen a post that 7511a drives Susvara really well, even with volume knob at 12'o clock position.

I will PM you link of the post.

 

[LoveKnight]

Thank you KKNAYANA for your opinion about the flagship headphone amp from Bakoon Japan. I am going to order one in the next couple of months and going to buy a Sennheiser HD800s too. I think these amps pair brilliantly with great dynamic headphones from Sennheiser and Japan brands such as HD600-HD650-HD800s, Fostex, Denon, and some Japan planar headphones such as Final Audio 8000 Pro.

​

 

[Nostoi]

Thank you KKNAYANA for your opinion about the flagship headphone amp from Bakoon Japan. I am going to order one in the next couple of months and going to buy a Sennheiser HD800s too. I think these amps pair brilliantly with great dynamic headphones from Sennheiser and Japan brands such as HD600-HD650-HD800s, Fostex, Denon, and some Japan planar headphones such as Final Audio 8000 Pro.

​

Congrats, sir. Look forward to your impressions. I did have the D8000 Pro for some time and can confirm it's a great pairing.

However, alongside Final and Kennerton planars, I have another very strong recommendation in terms of pairing - namely, Meze Elite. Really fantastic sounding with HDA-5210MK4, with superb dynamics and tremendous authority. Also works well with HDA-5230 (and thus probably HDA-5220MK2). The HDA-5210MK4 is a picky amp but as mentioned to @KKNAYANA, when the synergy is right, there's nothing quite like it.

I have to admit, I woke up at 6am this morning to have a mini-session before my toddler woke....

 

[KKNAYANA]

Thank you KKNAYANA for your opinion about the flagship headphone amp from Bakoon Japan. I am going to order one in the next couple of months and going to buy a Sennheiser HD800s too.

Thank you.

I have never heard a HD800s sound so good like HDA-5210MK4 on other SS amps, IMO.

I have heard from other Korean Bakoon users that Fostex TH900 also sounds very excellent with Bakoon current output amps.

I hope you get to try HDA-5210MK4!

 

[Nostoi]

Thanks to @KKNAYANA, here is a longish review of the HDA-5210MK4 from a Korean reviewer. I think the review will be of interest to those curious about the amp because it has a good amount of headphone pairings included. Of particular note is the euphonic praise for the HD600s. Quite staggering...must re-purchase a pair! Big thanks again to @KKNAYANA who is a real asset to the Bakoon community!

///

A simple impression of Changing to Bakoon (5210 mk2).. (Note: A long post!) [Guess there is a typo.. I think that it's mk4 on the photos]

---

Recently, I was obsessed with Bakoon sound.. I was going to buy a Bakoon portable amp that will be released soon, but I thought that a stationary type would be better than a portable one.. so I bought a stationary type.

The special feature of this amp is the current amplification method, like another famous maker, Questyle. The current amplification method has a special taste different from the voltage amplification method. I've also tried the Questyle product.. I was curious about Bakoon's current amplification method, because people say the taste of Bakoon is special haha;;

Looking at the rear input of Bakoon, there is a regular rca input and a proprietary current type input called SATRI LINK. So, the general rca terminal cannot be connected to SATRI LINK. In order to use a regular rca cable with SATRI LINK, an additional adaptor is required.

So, if you look at the back side, it protrudes like that. It looks a little unstable, but the terminal is solid and interlocks, so the fastening itself is good.

The front looks like this. You can set the driving method (current, voltage) on the far left. As you noticed in the rear input, it is a dual amplifier that allows you to hear both current and voltage types with one amplifier.

Next to it is Bakoon's signature orange knob. But curiously, this knob is 'gain'. Not 'volume'. It is controlled by a total of 23 steps? I guess, but the word is 'gain'.. It actually plays a role in volume. However, there is a large difference in sound level between each steps, so it is better to adjust the volume on the source device.

Additionally, the gain of the current method can be adjusted to high or low. Lastly, the unusual thing is that there are separate voltage and current headphone terminals. Both voltage and current do not come out of one hole (?), but each has its own terminal, so you have to carefully look at the terminal and plug it in according to the way you want to hear it.

5210MK4 was placed at a table with a very cute Ryan character on it. In fact, what's more encouraging than buying Bakoon is that the listening area has now been expanded to the alcove in addition to my main audio room. When I said I would clean the room and install it, the "chairman" (wife) said OK, so I finally succeeded in expanding.. But increased concentration, inevitably..

This isn't the main camp. It's an expansion.I thought it would be too much work to get a separate DAC, so I decided to listen to it simply with sp3000 as the source device.

When I first heard it, it felt really great! Bakoon is not something that is delicate, sharp, and has great separation. However, its tremendous dynamics, damping and sonic power are unrivaled.

Rather than the feeling of analyzing the sound as a whole, it moves people's emotions. From my standards, the analytical t+a ha200 and the emotional Bakoon 5210mk4 seem to represent this tendency very well.

Even before I bought this amp, I heard that it is the king of DD phone amplifiers, especially good compatibility with hd800s or hd600. In fact, the first time I heard this amp was because I was shocked with the Focal Utopia 2022, and I shouted OMG when listening to it.

BTW, the compatibility with real dd phones is so so so so good. The headphones don't sound like how I knew about them. The hd600 in particular is truly amazing. If you are passionate about head-fi, I would recommend you to listen to this combination.

The hd600 is usually famous for its bland and uninteresting sound... Maybe it's because this tendency still accepts Bakoon's sound as it is, it changes so much that it's a really different headphone. The sound image is really big.. In particular, the damping feeling and dynamics are really amazing. Overall, the sound energy is overflowing, and the thick and powerful sound lines and clear sound images are impressive. And overall, it has a hot feeling... the rising sound makes people feel a bit dazed... but this taste is really special. I can see why people keep saying Bakoon! Bakoon!

And, unexpectedly, the compatibility with Heddphone is also quite good. For reference, Bakoon's driving power is pretty good. I was also disappointed that there was only an unbalanced stage... But I realized that it is meaningless to crave for a balanced one if you have a well-made unbalanced stage. A well-made unbalanced stage can even surpass a balanced stage...I felt that. For example, tha Chord famous for Mojo and Hugo are also famous for not making balanced stages. It's nice to see being so stubborn.

Anyway, I haven't listened to it for a long time... but it's certain that it gives out a demonic sound that makes it hard to take off the headphones once you put them on. I can assure you, if it suits your taste, you can put an end to the head-fi, and even if it doesn't suit your inclination, you can have at least one as a delicacy.

As always, the article has become long as I write. I would recommend that you give it a listen. Thank you for reading this long post and I wish you a pleasant Sunday night.

PS: I didn't mention one big drawback.. The current stage is very vulnerable to noise. At first, I was also bitten by the the noise coming up very badly, when I plugged 5210 on high-voltage industrial power strip in the room. But after trying it on other power strips, there were no noise. If you are planning to purchase, you may need to check the electricity situation.

A headphones pairing report of Bakoon 5210mk4

Definitely, Bakoon's combination with the reference DD headphone is really great. In particular, the hd600 and hd800s are really special. But personally, I would like to pick hd600 as the single best.

However, the compatibility with Tago is not very good. Looking at it like this, it doesn't seem to be pairing good with all reference DD phones..;;

Next is Heddphone, an unexpected great pairing. It seems that the headroom is also getting bigger, and it feels like a spoonful of a strong bass is poured on the Heddphone, which is on the flat side in a way.


Planar magnetic headphones such as Susvara, LCD-5 were not very good in pairing with the current amplification method. They were rather better on Bakoon's voltage headphone output. Surprisingly, however, Abyss AB1266 Phi TC pairs with the current method pretty well. As usual, AB1266 has excellent bass... but when it meets the current amplification method, it feels like someone is hitting the side of the face with a fist. Good!

I haven't tried all my headphones, but... As far as the phones I've tried, the HD600 was the best. I think I will have to overwork the old man (HD600) again for the time being..

p.s
The Abyss stand is perfect for Dali BT speakers. I don't think I need to buy an additional stand..

 

[Nostoi]

HDA-5520MK2 received. First impressions vis-a-vis HDA-5230: big. Build isn't as refined (same as CAP build). But overall design and feel is very good, I think.

In terms of sound, fresh out of the box, 5520MK2 sounds to me more energetic with better dynamics. Staging also feels to me slightly wider on 5520MK2. Both have pitch black backgrounds. Meze Elite sounding very good so far from 5520MK2, and also HD600. Rognir naturally shines. Haven't tried voltage output yet.

I understand from @KKNAYANA that the presentation can be altered with a lithium-ion rechargeable mod. I'm currently using Eneloop Pro (12!), and they work as well in Mass Kobo 428 as they do here. Lithium mod is interesting, but not sure I'll be shipping it back to Korea.

 

[LucasKA]

Thanks @Nostoi and @KKNAYANA for the update!
I recently got a HPA01 and really love the sound, been listening the Denon D7000, Diana Phi and HD800 with the HPA01 and what a revelation!
HPA01 compliment with Mass Kobo really really well but I would love to have a portal Bakoon/Satri unit, so had been researching here. Will be great if you can help me clarify my research.

From research:
5520 MK I and MK II are the more square looking shape ones with both voltage and current mode, both take 12 AA batteries that last 40hours? They go around 700-800 USD?

5230 is the more elongates shape with only current mode and MK I (or II?) has internal lithium battery? How long does the battery last? They go around 1200-1500 USD?

In terms of timeline,
5520 MK1 -> 5230 -> 5520 MK2?

Thanks!

 

[Nostoi]

Thanks @Nostoi and @KKNAYANA for the update!
I recently got a HPA01 and really love the sound, been listening the Denon D7000, Diana Phi and HD800 with the HPA01 and what a revelation!
HPA01 compliment with Mass Kobo really really well but I would love to have a portal Bakoon/Satri unit, so had been researching here. Will be great if you can help me clarify my research.

From research:
5520 MK I and MK II are the more square looking shape ones with both voltage and current mode, both take 12 AA batteries that last 40hours? They go around 700-800 USD?

5230 is the more elongates shape with only current mode and MK I (or II?) has internal lithium battery? How long does the battery last? They go around 1200-1500 USD?

In terms of timeline,
5520 MK1 -> 5230 -> 5520 MK2?

Thanks!

Congrats and glad the updates were helpful.

Yes, you're right on each point.

- 5520MK2 takes 12 batteries and indeed lasts 40 hours. I understand the price will go up soon, so probably around $1,100 soon.

- 5230 only has current mode. MK1 is lithium battery powered. MK2 - which is sold in Japan and Australia - can *only* be run from DC power. No battery use except as portable battery module. Price is right. Battery duration about 10 hours.

- Timeline is right. From recollection, 5520 came out around 2015; 5230 came out in 2017 but then ceased production before having a revival in 2022/2023; 5520MK2 just came out.

 

[LucasKA]

Bakoon owners, if you can get your hands on a AKG K340…please do it. It’s one of the hardest driving headphone (impedance 400 with electrostatic and dynamic driver) but the Bakoon HPA01 and 5230 drive it with ease in the current mode.

The Bakoon gives the headphone a new life and I may not go back to Diana Phi for awhile…

 

[BlankName]

I understand from @KKNAYANA that the presentation can be altered with a lithium-ion rechargeable mod. I'm currently using Eneloop Pro (12!), and they work as well in Mass Kobo 428 as they do here. Lithium mod is interesting, but not sure I'll be shipping it back to Korea.

Is it compatible with 14500 batteries then?