[S Crowther]

Interesting impressions of the Artemis. One of the reasons that Alvin hasn't put it out for a lot of reviews is that it is a Unity Gain amp, which really benefits from a pre-amp. McIntosh built their reputation around Unity Gain amps, so there is definitely something to it... But, it will definitely make it less synergistic with planars and you will have way less volume play if going straight from a DAC to the Artemis. I currently have the McIntosh MHA200 in house for a demo which is also a Unity Gain Amp. I don't have a proper Pre-Amp between my DAC and the MHA200. Zero on the volume pot is basically at 12. However, by 2 the MHA200 is louder than I can stand. Granted I can use my Exogal Comet+ as a pre/dac which definitely helps with the Unity Gain. I don't understand all the technical reasons why it was designed with Unity Gain, but it makes the amp harder to pair. It looks like everyone is enjoying it for the most part which is awesome. I, too have been very interested in this amp for awhile. Maybe one day I will get to hear it.

I am using the Artemis to power Hifiman HE1000se straight from the DAC.
They sound great. I also use the Artemis to power Sennheiser HD800s with equally good results.
I was previously using Violectric V281 for the HE1000se and a hybrid tube amp Xduoo TA20 for the Sennheisers.
The Artemis sounds better in both cases.

 

[geoffalter11]

I am using the Artemis to power Hifiman HE1000se straight from the DAC.
They sound great. I also use the Artemis to power Sennheiser HD800s with equally good results.
I was previously using Violectric V281 for the HE1000se and a hybrid tube amp Xduoo TA20 for the Sennheisers.
The Artemis sounds be in both cases.

Awesome. It is a cool amp. Denafrips makes awesome stuff!

 

[lexterminator]

I drive my Singxer SDA-6 Pro DAC directly in the Artemis and with the Beyerdynamic T1.3 (32 ohm) my listening volume is typically between 8-10 clicks out of 24.

 

[lexterminator]

The Artemis is becoming quite neutral over time (passed the 1000 hours mark) especially with neutral cables like the Nordost Vallhalla 2. At the begining on my Singxer SDA-6 Pro DAC I had to use the Low Dispersion filter to sound more neutral or else it was too dark and rich for my taste, eventually I shifted to Slow filter and now I get optimal results with NOS setting as the slow filter was a bit dry. I don't see myself upgrading my amplifier at all, I consider the Artemis a nice endgame amplifier. I still plan to upgrade the DAC to probably the Denafrips Venus II.

 

[S Crowther]

The Artemis is becoming quite neutral over time (passed the 1000 hours mark) especially with neutral cables like the Nordost Vallhalla 2. At the begining on my Singxer SDA-6 Pro DAC I had to use the Low Dispersion filter to sound more neutral or else it was too dark and rich for my taste, eventually I shifted to Slow filter and now I get optimal results with NOS setting as the slow filter was a bit dry. I don't see myself upgrading my amplifier at all, I consider the Artemis a nice endgame amplifier. I still plan to upgrade the DAC to probably the Denafrips Venus II.

Artemis sounds just right with my T+.
I don’t know what it signified but the T+ XLR output impedance is 1250 Ohms. I assume the Artemis is designed to match it.

 

[roderickvd]

So it looks great, especially when building a Denafrips stack, sounds great, and will likely measure great as well. Still, do more of you think that it is overpriced?

I mean, in the EU it's €2390 when you can have a Singxer SA-1 for €499. Arguably, it doesn't look as sexy, but it's nearly as powerful, and built with good quality components too. I also suspect that the Artemis also hides MOSFETs under its heatsink so the topology could be the same, and indeed both the Artemis and SA-1 are on the warmer side of neutral.

In Artemis' favor, it has a stepped attenuator and a nice and oversized linear power supply. The latter could provide a bit more grunt in the lower end and some less distortion, but really the SA-1's measurements are nearly off the chart as they are, so as much as I favor a LPS over a SMPS, the Singxer's was designed extremely competently.

In this direct comparison, would the Artemis sound better? Probably. Prettier? Subjective, but many would agree.
I just wish it weren't almost five times as expensive, and as much as I'd like to, find it hard to justify too.

 

[S Crowther]

So it looks great, especially when building a Denafrips stack, sounds great, and will likely measure great as well. Still, do more of you think that it is overpriced?

I mean, in the EU it's €2390 when you can have a Singxer SA-1 for €499. Arguably, it doesn't look as sexy, but it's nearly as powerful, and built with good quality components too. I also suspect that the Artemis also hides MOSFETs under its heatsink so the topology could be the same, and indeed both the Artemis and SA-1 are on the warmer side of neutral.

In Artemis' favor, it has a stepped attenuator and a nice and oversized linear power supply. The latter could provide a bit more grunt in the lower end and some less distortion, but really the SA-1's measurements are nearly off the chart as they are, so as much as I favor a LPS over a SMPS, the Singxer's was designed extremely competently.

In this direct comparison, would the Artemis sound better? Probably. Prettier? Subjective, but many would agree.
I just wish it weren't almost five times as expensive, and as much as I'd like to, find it hard to justify too.

In hifi there is no point looking for price/value. If the Artemis sounds better than the Singxer then that answers the question. The real question is what sounds better than the Artemis?
Example : I had the Singxer DDC. It was very good. Then I heard the Gaia. It sounded better so I sold the Singer and bought the Gaia even though the cost was much more.

 

[roderickvd]

Or maybe you can, because my point is that the 5x priced Artemis is sound-wise more comparable to the €499 SA-1 than it is not. My last paragraph was unclear on this, my apologies.

Then there is also the Musician Andromeda for €999. Again more similar than not sans the stepped attenuator and signature Denafrips capacitor bank.

To each his own whether that and the looks justify the price jump. Myself I feel it is overpriced and that a price cut would make it more honest.

Could also explain why ownership and number of reviews seems so low.

 

[lexterminator]

I still have both the Artemis and the SA-1 with me and the Artemis is worth the upgrade but that's just me. When switching back to the SA-1, the soundstage is not as wide and sounds like through a funnel plus it sounds drier compared to the Artemis. As I was upgrading power cords and interconnect down the road the Artemis kept responding accordingly while the SA-1 sounded pretty much the same.

 

[S Crowther]

Or maybe you can, because my point is that the 5x priced Artemis is sound-wise more comparable to the €499 SA-1 than it is not. My last paragraph was unclear on this, my apologies.

Then there is also the Musician Andromeda for €999. Again more similar than not sans the stepped attenuator and signature Denafrips capacitor bank.

To each his own whether that and the looks justify the price jump. Myself I feel it is overpriced and that a price cut would make it more honest.

Could also explain why ownership and number of reviews seems so low.

I don't know about ownership etc. I do know that Alvin of Vinshine is not interested in headphones so I guess he is not too interested in promoting a headphone amp.

 

[PaulLovesMusic]

The Artemis is becoming quite neutral over time (passed the 1000 hours mark) especially with neutral cables like the Nordost Vallhalla 2. At the begining on my Singxer SDA-6 Pro DAC I had to use the Low Dispersion filter to sound more neutral or else it was too dark and rich for my taste, eventually I shifted to Slow filter and now I get optimal results with NOS setting as the slow filter was a bit dry. I don't see myself upgrading my amplifier at all, I consider the Artemis a nice endgame amplifier. I still plan to upgrade the DAC to probably the Denafrips Venus II.

That's a serious cable you have there in the Vallhalla 2! That cable must cost almost as much as the DAC + Amp?

 

[lexterminator]

That's a serious cable you have there in the Vallhalla 2! That cable must cost almost as much as the DAC + Amp?

Yes, ONE Valhalla2 power cord is pretty much the same price as the Artemis and a nice DAC. Crazy prices indeed but Nordost does offer an upgrade program so jumping from Tyr2 to Valhalla2 was a bit less painful I recently purchased the Gustard R26 DAC and it pairs very well with the Artemis.

 

[PaulLovesMusic]

Yes, ONE Valhalla2 power cord is pretty much the same price as the Artemis and a nice DAC. Crazy prices indeed but Nordost does offer an upgrade program so jumping from Tyr2 to Valhalla2 was a bit less painful I recently purchased the Gustard R26 DAC and it pairs very well with the Artemis.

R26 is a new one to me. Will check it out.
Curious as to why you went with that R2R solution vs continuing with the Denafrips line given you have the Artemis?

 

[S Crowther]

Following from Alvin:

"The Artemis is a unity gain headphone amp. It's tuned to drive Sennheiser HD600/650/800 headphones."

 

[PaulLovesMusic]

Following from Alvin:

"The Artemis is a unity gain headphone amp. It's tuned to drive Sennheiser HD600/650/800 headphones."

Interesting re the Sennheiser tuning. Planning to get an Artemis at some point and hoping it will pair well with the Hifiman Arya.