MTL
100+ Head-Fier
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- Jan 19, 2004
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Thanks to Fritz S. from Vienna, who organized a test sample of the Novo by Graham Slee, this nice little amp currently is on its way through Austria, Switzerland and Germany. So I was able to spend some time with it and compare it to the following amps in my possession:
Graham Slee ‚green’ Solo
Heed Canamp
Gilmore Lite (SE with dps)
Lehmann audio black cube linear
The following headphones were used:
Sennheiser HD650 (with Oehlbach cable)
AKG K701
Grado HP2
Beyerdynamic DT880
Fed by the following source and dac:
Pioneer PDR509 | TAGMcLaren DAC20
And I chose the following CDs:
Prokofiev: Cinderella | Russian National Orchestra, Pletnev (DG 1995)
Holst: The Planets | Philharmonia Orchestra, Gardiner (DG 1995)
Bach: Matthäus Passion | Gabrieli Players & Solists, McCreesh (DG Archiv 2003)
Mendelssohn: Violinkonzert op. 64 | Orchestra Révolutionnaire et Romantique, Gardiner (Philips 2003)
Krenek: Sinfonie Nr. 1 op. 7 | Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, Axelrod (Nimbus 2007)
James Taylor: Covers (Hear Music 2008)
Patricia Barber: Mythologies (Blue Note 2006)
Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin: Holon (ECM 2008)
Manu Katché: Neighbourhood (ECM 2005)
Yellowjackets: Blue Hats (WB 1997)
This was no blind test; though sometimes I forgot which amp I had plucked the respective headphone in (the setup being under my desk I compared two amps each at the two analogue outputs of the dac 20). To be honest: I don’t think I could tell the two amps by Graham Slee apart in a blind test but with all the other amps I was usually right if I forgot which amp I was actually using.
Anyway, here are my findings:
Novo vs. Solo
This is quite a close match. You really have to compare these side by side and listen very concentrated to sense the differences that are nevertheless there. And yes, the Solo is the better amp. Only, you begin to wonder if what you get more is worth the extra cash…
So what do you get more? I found that I could listen to the Solo for a longer time in a more relaxed way due to the Solo’s treble being a little less aggressive and the bass showing a little more detail and definition. There is a sense of more air around everything – the stage becomes a little wider, deeper and better defined. Also the Solo plays more dynamic, thus giving a livelier picture that gets your feet more tapping. It’s just that tiny bit more distinguished that makes the difference. Is it worth it? I don’t know. It probably depends on how much you want. For me I’d say: yes – if you do a lot headphone listening, get the Solo. The Novo itself is great though for what it is. If this is entry level, you get quite a lot of amp for the money.
By the way: both amps are a little picky as far as headphones go: I preferred Sennheiser HD650 or Denon AHD 5000 with the Slees which are all in all on the lighter side of neutral. A DT880 can sound just a little too bright.
Novo vs. Heed Canamp
These are quite some different animals and the differences aren’t that subtle. The Heed doesn’t show fewer details than the Novo but everything just seems huger and more overwhelming. The Heed has this wow-factor about it and is warmer sounding altogether (by the way: it also gets much warmer than the Slees, which stay more or less cool. Only the Gilmore Lite gets even warmer than the Heed). The Heed is extremely groovy due to its enormous bass energy. Everything sounds tuneful. Space is wider (even with Grados you get a feeling of stage) and bass shy cans like K501 (and to a lesser degree the K701 as well) really shine with the Heed. The Heed may be a little more obviously euphonic – but the Slees aren’t neutral either in a strict sense. Guess it all comes down to personal preferences. And the Heed retails for £ 50 more…
Novo vs. Gilmore Lite
The Gilmore also sounds darker, dryer and earthier than the Novo. An acoustic piano has more wooden character and a tenor saxophone a little less smooth (you hear the slight hoarseness of the reed), voices lack the nasal character that the Novo sometimes creates. Treble is a little shyer, bass has more slam and impact. Everything is just a little more natural (strings!), relaxed and with more nuances to it. This amp doesn’t show off like the Heed and always seems to be a little closer to the real thing. Instrumental timbres are believable. Stage wise the Gilmore matches the Novo but gives just a little more insight into the mix.
Novo vs. Lehmann black cube linear
It probably isn’t fair to compare the entry level Novo with the almost £ 300 more expensive black cube linear and indeed there is no contest here – the Lehmann wins hands down in every relevant aspect. Still I was surprised myself how much more you can dig into the mix with the Lehmann compared to all the other amps (I crosschecked the bcl against the other candidates). This is by far the most neutral amp of the bunch and it’s also the least picky as far as headphone choices go. It offers a fascinating combination of tonal accuracy (analytic in a positive sense) and fun: it combines the best of all worlds and with no other amp I was so carried away with the music that I found it hard to stop listening to each track. It shows a detailed, highly controlled and punchy bass, offers loads of details without ever getting too bright, shows the stage as it is (the Heed still offers more – but sometimes seems unreal in it) and is amazing when it comes to splitting up blended sounds (like maybe a clarinet playing unison with a cello – the other amps tend to just blend this sound to a ‘new’ sound that you cannot define clearly while the Lehmann shows both sides of the sound without destroying its unity). The timbre of each instrument just seems right and natural. The Gilmore comes closest, but the Lehmann still is clearer, more uncompromising and offers still more insights. An amazing amp that remains my reference as far as solid state amps go.
Graham Slee ‚green’ Solo
Heed Canamp
Gilmore Lite (SE with dps)
Lehmann audio black cube linear
The following headphones were used:
Sennheiser HD650 (with Oehlbach cable)
AKG K701
Grado HP2
Beyerdynamic DT880
Fed by the following source and dac:
Pioneer PDR509 | TAGMcLaren DAC20
And I chose the following CDs:
Prokofiev: Cinderella | Russian National Orchestra, Pletnev (DG 1995)
Holst: The Planets | Philharmonia Orchestra, Gardiner (DG 1995)
Bach: Matthäus Passion | Gabrieli Players & Solists, McCreesh (DG Archiv 2003)
Mendelssohn: Violinkonzert op. 64 | Orchestra Révolutionnaire et Romantique, Gardiner (Philips 2003)
Krenek: Sinfonie Nr. 1 op. 7 | Luzerner Sinfonieorchester, Axelrod (Nimbus 2007)
James Taylor: Covers (Hear Music 2008)
Patricia Barber: Mythologies (Blue Note 2006)
Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin: Holon (ECM 2008)
Manu Katché: Neighbourhood (ECM 2005)
Yellowjackets: Blue Hats (WB 1997)
This was no blind test; though sometimes I forgot which amp I had plucked the respective headphone in (the setup being under my desk I compared two amps each at the two analogue outputs of the dac 20). To be honest: I don’t think I could tell the two amps by Graham Slee apart in a blind test but with all the other amps I was usually right if I forgot which amp I was actually using.
Anyway, here are my findings:
Novo vs. Solo
This is quite a close match. You really have to compare these side by side and listen very concentrated to sense the differences that are nevertheless there. And yes, the Solo is the better amp. Only, you begin to wonder if what you get more is worth the extra cash…
So what do you get more? I found that I could listen to the Solo for a longer time in a more relaxed way due to the Solo’s treble being a little less aggressive and the bass showing a little more detail and definition. There is a sense of more air around everything – the stage becomes a little wider, deeper and better defined. Also the Solo plays more dynamic, thus giving a livelier picture that gets your feet more tapping. It’s just that tiny bit more distinguished that makes the difference. Is it worth it? I don’t know. It probably depends on how much you want. For me I’d say: yes – if you do a lot headphone listening, get the Solo. The Novo itself is great though for what it is. If this is entry level, you get quite a lot of amp for the money.
By the way: both amps are a little picky as far as headphones go: I preferred Sennheiser HD650 or Denon AHD 5000 with the Slees which are all in all on the lighter side of neutral. A DT880 can sound just a little too bright.
Novo vs. Heed Canamp
These are quite some different animals and the differences aren’t that subtle. The Heed doesn’t show fewer details than the Novo but everything just seems huger and more overwhelming. The Heed has this wow-factor about it and is warmer sounding altogether (by the way: it also gets much warmer than the Slees, which stay more or less cool. Only the Gilmore Lite gets even warmer than the Heed). The Heed is extremely groovy due to its enormous bass energy. Everything sounds tuneful. Space is wider (even with Grados you get a feeling of stage) and bass shy cans like K501 (and to a lesser degree the K701 as well) really shine with the Heed. The Heed may be a little more obviously euphonic – but the Slees aren’t neutral either in a strict sense. Guess it all comes down to personal preferences. And the Heed retails for £ 50 more…
Novo vs. Gilmore Lite
The Gilmore also sounds darker, dryer and earthier than the Novo. An acoustic piano has more wooden character and a tenor saxophone a little less smooth (you hear the slight hoarseness of the reed), voices lack the nasal character that the Novo sometimes creates. Treble is a little shyer, bass has more slam and impact. Everything is just a little more natural (strings!), relaxed and with more nuances to it. This amp doesn’t show off like the Heed and always seems to be a little closer to the real thing. Instrumental timbres are believable. Stage wise the Gilmore matches the Novo but gives just a little more insight into the mix.
Novo vs. Lehmann black cube linear
It probably isn’t fair to compare the entry level Novo with the almost £ 300 more expensive black cube linear and indeed there is no contest here – the Lehmann wins hands down in every relevant aspect. Still I was surprised myself how much more you can dig into the mix with the Lehmann compared to all the other amps (I crosschecked the bcl against the other candidates). This is by far the most neutral amp of the bunch and it’s also the least picky as far as headphone choices go. It offers a fascinating combination of tonal accuracy (analytic in a positive sense) and fun: it combines the best of all worlds and with no other amp I was so carried away with the music that I found it hard to stop listening to each track. It shows a detailed, highly controlled and punchy bass, offers loads of details without ever getting too bright, shows the stage as it is (the Heed still offers more – but sometimes seems unreal in it) and is amazing when it comes to splitting up blended sounds (like maybe a clarinet playing unison with a cello – the other amps tend to just blend this sound to a ‘new’ sound that you cannot define clearly while the Lehmann shows both sides of the sound without destroying its unity). The timbre of each instrument just seems right and natural. The Gilmore comes closest, but the Lehmann still is clearer, more uncompromising and offers still more insights. An amazing amp that remains my reference as far as solid state amps go.
