parnlyp
New Head-Fier
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Any opinions on this amp vs. an RSA Hornet. Me thinks I'd like the portability of the Hornet in there is not a performance drop off from the VHP-1. Thanks.
Channel Island VHP-1
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Romanee
Headphoneus Supremus
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Certainly no performance dropoff. Just a different sound signature, extreme portability, internal charging for 9V NiMH battery (NO Lithium allowed, and better to use rechargeable so you won't accidentally charge a disposable 9V and destroy the battery and the amp!).
As a desktop amp for home or office VHP-1 is very nice, with a smooth, almost satiny signature, very nice extension from lows to highs, and lovely look/build.
Hornet has deep/punchy bass, dimensional soundspace, rich vocals, sweet highs, flush mount (for safety) Lo-Hi-Med gain switch on back panel, wide range of anodized case colors, drive power and compatibility with pretty much all high-end phones and IEMs, zero hiss with IEMs -- and lots more juicy qualities that I'm sure other owners will love to vocalize.
If portability and charging aren't priorities, then you really need to hear both to find which suits your tastes, but you'll have to hear fully "burned in" units. The VHP-1 took me roughly 200+ hours (it's been quite a while so I don't remember the exact count) to reach its optimal sound, and the Hornet took me about 400 hours.
If you hear these amps "virgin" or inadequately played, you'll be missing hearing what they're really capable of. The VHP-1 developed much deeper/tighter bass, greater dimension and richer midrange texture, with less pronounced silk/satin sheen that's seductive early on but not really natural. If you happen to like the Beyer DT770s, the VHP-1 is one of a very few amps that compensates for their notorious midrange dip (and it adds rich texture as well), and also fills the gap in the middle of the soundstage (Portaphile Maxxed does these well also).
The Hornet goes through all sorts of changes before the deep/punchy bass develops and becomes well-defined, the top end clears up and sweetens dramatically near the 400-hour mark, etc., etc., and the final rich, liquid musically flows out. It's a brilliant pairing with my ES2 IEMs, as well as the K701, HF-1, HD600/Equinox, PXC-300, Koss KSC-75, Vsonic IEMs, PK1 buds, etc.
Hope these rambling personal observations help a bit.
As a desktop amp for home or office VHP-1 is very nice, with a smooth, almost satiny signature, very nice extension from lows to highs, and lovely look/build.
Hornet has deep/punchy bass, dimensional soundspace, rich vocals, sweet highs, flush mount (for safety) Lo-Hi-Med gain switch on back panel, wide range of anodized case colors, drive power and compatibility with pretty much all high-end phones and IEMs, zero hiss with IEMs -- and lots more juicy qualities that I'm sure other owners will love to vocalize.
If portability and charging aren't priorities, then you really need to hear both to find which suits your tastes, but you'll have to hear fully "burned in" units. The VHP-1 took me roughly 200+ hours (it's been quite a while so I don't remember the exact count) to reach its optimal sound, and the Hornet took me about 400 hours.
If you hear these amps "virgin" or inadequately played, you'll be missing hearing what they're really capable of. The VHP-1 developed much deeper/tighter bass, greater dimension and richer midrange texture, with less pronounced silk/satin sheen that's seductive early on but not really natural. If you happen to like the Beyer DT770s, the VHP-1 is one of a very few amps that compensates for their notorious midrange dip (and it adds rich texture as well), and also fills the gap in the middle of the soundstage (Portaphile Maxxed does these well also).
The Hornet goes through all sorts of changes before the deep/punchy bass develops and becomes well-defined, the top end clears up and sweetens dramatically near the 400-hour mark, etc., etc., and the final rich, liquid musically flows out. It's a brilliant pairing with my ES2 IEMs, as well as the K701, HF-1, HD600/Equinox, PXC-300, Koss KSC-75, Vsonic IEMs, PK1 buds, etc.
Hope these rambling personal observations help a bit.
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