[estreeter]

I think mine was the second batch - got mine in early Jan 2012, but you sent it out in Dec, 2011. 

 

[Epiphany Oliver]

Ah, that is first batch which was built pre resisotor change. The second batch uses the modified resistor values. If you send me an email, I'll be able to help sort it out for you. It seems to be battery dependent to an extent, so it is worth trying different batteries. Any expenses incurred in sourcing replacement batteries will of course be refunded. If that doesn't resolve the issue, I'll have to change those resistors for you.

 

[estreeter]

Thanks Oliver. 

 

[estreeter]

I'm not going to write a fullblown review - just a couple of quick impressions given that I have had the amp for almost 3 months:
 
- plugging it in and expecting 'magic' straight out of the box is, IMO, a recipe for disappointment. I also think you need headphones with a decent soundstage and good detail retrieval to really appreciate what the amp is bringing to the table. For me, that means putting the amp out of sight and letting the music flow over me with my AD900s. This is a similar experience to my time with the iBasso P4 - its was only when I turned off the 'critical listening mode' that I could appreciate the effortless power in that little amp. The EHP-02, no matter how well it measures, simply doesn't leap out at you - its going to be an individual call as to whether that's a good or bad thing. Its there to amplify the signal from your source, not wrap it in a nice, warm cocoon. ( If I'm honest, some of my music really needs that cocoon )
 
- biggest strength is percussion, IMO - yes, there is added bass punch in the kick drums, but that is less important with the AD900 than speed and precision. Drum runs, in particular, are superbly rendered. Instrument separation is excellent and this is particularly evident from the AD900s with their  massive cups giving me a more 3D experience than my Grados. Conversely, the AD900/EHP-02  combination puts me a little further back from the stage than I usually prefer to be - swings and roundabouts, I guess. 
 
- I have modest sources, but the amp seems to scale well going from lineout on my T51 to the MSII - I would love to hear it from a high-end DAC but I suspect there may be a point where some of my music wouldn't appreciate such a 'bright light' shone onto it. Both of my sources are inherently warm and there is an adjustment period moving from the uHA-4/uHA-120 to the EHP-02. If voldemort is basing the ODAC design on the 'warts and all' approach reportedly taken by the DAC1 Pre, I suspecf that the combined DAC/amp will galvanize many Head-Fiers, particularly those with bright cans - as always, happy to be proved wrong. 
 
My quibbles are relatively minor - the aforementioned 'clipping' when my battery dies, the lack of a light to tell me the level of charge in the battery and  the cluttered front fascia. Power is ample for my cans, but I wouldnt have requested lower gain settings if I had bigger cans. The biggest disadvantage to this modest DiY amp, IMO, is the hype around its creation and the legion of admirers/critics poring over the design make it hard for prospective buyers to get a fix on exactly what they are looking at. I don't consider it to be the 'best portable amp ever', but it does sound accurate to my sources and thats all I can ask - kudos to Oliver for making such a prominent DiY project available to the rest of us at reasonable cost. 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[Epiphany Oliver]

That is a very fair evaluation, estreeter. I find that the amp definitely highlights weak links in the chain. I was listening the other day to a poor quality CD straight out the back of a cheap DVD player and the EHP-O2 highlighted all of the weaknesses.
 
The amp was designed to be objectively 'the best' - which is true. Subjective is of course another matter entirely.
 
That said, hooking up the EHP-O2 to a good source (the upcoming DAC should be perfect), with good quality CDs/music files and good headphones (I use the Audeze LCD-2s) is where this amplifier shines. The low price may encourage users to use other budget components in their hi-fi, which is perhaps a bit misleading.
 
And a quick note about the low battery clipping - this has been fixed since the first batch (after the modified component values were released).
 
Thanks for the feedback.

 

[acef2]

 
Quote:

That is a very fair evaluation, estreeter. I find that the amp definitely highlights weak links in the chain. I was listening the other day to a poor quality CD straight out the back of a cheap DVD player and the EHP-O2 highlighted all of the weaknesses.
 
The amp was designed to be objectively 'the best' - which is true. Subjective is of course another matter entirely.
 
That said, hooking up the EHP-O2 to a good source (the upcoming DAC should be perfect), with good quality CDs/music files and good headphones (I use the Audeze LCD-2s) is where this amplifier shines. The low price may encourage users to use other budget components in their hi-fi, which is perhaps a bit misleading.
 
And a quick note about the low battery clipping - this has been fixed since the first batch (after the modified component values were released).
 
Thanks for the feedback.

Checked your site but couldnt find any info on that DAC. Could you estimate when itll arrive (or when pre-order is possible, assuming its as nice as the amp)?
 

 

[Epiphany Oliver]

I'm just waiting to get the go ahead from NwAvGuy and his counterpart before I release any information about the DAC. He has told me that it shouldn't be too long before I can do this.

 

[Epiphany Oliver]

Another 5 star review from a happy customer is up:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/epiphany-acoustics-ehp-o2/reviews
 
The next batch should be shipping in the 2nd or 3rd week of May. As ever, I've been held up about a week in the component sourcing stage but that should be sorted by the end of today.
 
It is looking like it will sell out again so I do urge you to place your pre-order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!

 

[kiteki]

 
Started a discussion thread for the E-DAC, FYI
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/607975/epiphany-acoustics-e-dac-jdslabs-odac-head-n-hifi-odac-discussion
 

 

[Epiphany Oliver]

Quinn at Snazzy Labs has just finished his review... To sum it up, he saw fit to give the EHP-O2 the 'Approved' award - very chuffed!
 
He noted that, in particular, bass mids and sound stage, as well as intrstrument separation were excellent. He found that the performance of the EHP-O2 exceeded that of amps costing significantly more.
 
Its an interested and well constructed review, check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgiVpy6u1WI

 

[LizardKing1]

I usually like his videos, but this one got me puzzled...
"The EHP-O2 is warm"
"It's not for analytical listening, it's purely a fun, really enjoyable amp"
Also something about it not driving the DT770 properly (I'll assume he was using it on battery). He complaints about this not driving headphones properly, does he have a HE-6 laying around or something?

 

[Epiphany Oliver]

WIth regards to its ability to drive headphones, I have to say that I personally use LCD-2s with mine and quite frankly it sounds sublime...
 
I get the impression that he is perhaps more used to brighter amps with more (artificially induced...?) detail. His main amp is a WA6 - I've never heard that amp so don't know exactly what his 'reference' sound is like.

 

[Epiphany Oliver]

A nice review from the chaps over at www.hifipig.com:
http://hifipig.com/epiphany-acoustics-ehp-o2-portable-headphone-amplifier/#more-2429

They reckon it is a great bit of kit and give special mention to the very nice top end, vocals and bass. Well worth a read!

The latest batch sold out before shipping again, but an even bigger batch is now being built so that hopefully we can hold some of these popular amps in stock. That batch should start shipping in about 3 or 4 weeks, depending on when the custom panels arrive.

A quick note about shipping too - international prices are set to drop a fair amount once negotiations with our new courier are complete on Wednesday. Domestic orders will still be shipped via the Royal Mail, who offer the best value insured & tracked services for us at the moment.

 

[littlenoises]

Hi,
 
I've been running the O2 for quite some time now and I'm absolutely satisfied and totally happy with it. The sound is AWESOME and the amp itself is really beautiful.
This "clipping sound" you mention... is this the hideous loud beep that sort of rhytmically appears when the batteries are low? Had me almost falling off my chair when I encountered it the first time Almost thought the old iPod was going nuts...

 

[sanadsaad]

Hi Oliver! Im in Slough and am interested in placing an order for both the Amp and Dac. Here's what i want to know. If I buy the amp and DAC separately, would that perform the same as the amp and DAC combined model? Ipurchased a bottlehead crack and was hoping to buy one DAC to use with any amp I buy for now till I have a bigger budget. My budget is £200. If I go for the AMP+DAC combined, how long will that take to get shipped? Im in UK till the end of July so I have time. The headphones i'll be using are Senns HD 650.