KAEI TAP-1s Portable Desktop Full Balanced Headphone Tube Amp
https://www.linsoul.com/products/wishcolor-kaei-tap-1s?variant=42342154272985
FACTS:
- Portable and desktop dual Mode; 3.5mm/4.4mm Balanced Input and Output; Air Bag Shock Absorption Technology; Up to 4900MW Output Power, Perfect for Headphone; Non-inductive resistors for American RA, resistors for Vishay, resistors for Philips, capacitors for WIMA, and other components from Omron, Philips, Siemens, etc; 2 op amps, MUSES02; can also replace dual op amp; 2 4-layer PCB boards. The headphone amplifier and the power supply are separated from each other to effectively reduce the interference of the power supply on the same board.
- Portable mode: In its battery mode, it can last about 10 hours. The battery capacity 4900 mah; can support ordinary USB or power bank charging, and supports QC3.0, and PD protocols for fast charging.
- Desktop mode: Can be used with an independent linear power supply, it can form a standard desktop amp. Power supply 4 sets of voltage output, external rectified and stabilized voltage directly supplied to the headphone amplifier, completely bypassing the power supply of the headphone amplifier. PSU supplied for additional cost at 110v or 220v.
- Cost: $365 for TAP-1s plus PSU-1 220v
Shortly about me:
I am in the hobby from 30 years. First 15 I was biased to wooden iems and loved my Sennheiser IE80 and IE800, and VSonic GR07 Classic. In the last 10 years I got active with iem collection and made a decent one ~100 – I love the Blessing 2 Dusk, ThieAudio V3, Sony XBAs and my flagships Sony IER-Z1R and UM MEST v1. The Sennheiser IE800 and IE80 remained in my ‘bag of fame’.
The last three years, with start of C19 crazy situation, I switch to headphones and went a long way to from Koss KSC75 and PortaPro, through Fostex T50R modding to Focals, ZMF, Sennheiser, Sony, Stax flagships, more on my beloved down in the story about the TAP-1s.
I also build a small collection of dacs and amps being fond of my Burson Soloist 3X P, Ares II, RME ADI-2 Dac FS and the STAX SRM-007t Mjolnir.
In the beginning I was focused on clarity and details, now I am into timber, soundstage, balance and fidelity.
Why I got the TAP-1s:
I love my Burson Soloist 3X P – it is a beast and a beauty in one metal box for me. I consider it to be one of my best purchases, together with the ARES II and the CocktailAudio N15D, and all my system goes around it. The ARES II, the RME and others had to pair perfectly with it since I wanted the Soloist for my beloved headphones – Sundara, Aria, HD800s, Fostex T50rp Modhouse v2 and 60rp Modhouse; and those that I plan to buy. So I wanted something smaller portable but good for desk that works well with the RME ADI-2 FS; and something a bit different that can complement the EQ, filters and cross-feed tunings that I am doing to amuse myself and enjoy.
The Tap-1s seemed quite a versatile option for me. And it had tubes and and Muses02 that I do not have. The fact that I could have a home setup with the power supply and than be able to take it with me, on a trip with the RME, seemed perfect for me. I got it from Linsoul and a huge shout out to them – when ordering I forgot to order the PSU and wrote to them, they handled everything perfectly and the Tap-1s arrived in perfect shape to me with the PSU 220V.
The Devices and the package:
The devices are not very small and are designed for desk – some buttons are on the back so it should be at one hand distance from you. The only real ‘issue’ for me is that, when the input cable comes in and the headphones cable is plugged, the volume dial is a bit, really a bit, difficult to manage. The cases of the devices are solid and robust like small bricks. All cables, power, 3.5mm and 4.4mm are available and of very decent quality. No complaints here.
The Sound reproduction:
I delayed my review with two weeks vs what I planned since the Tap-1s surprised me – I didn’t expect so high level of performance and enjoyment. The solid state is OK but nothing special, but still above average for a $150 amp but the Tube mode surprised me well enough. One big notice - the Tap-1s shines to full extend when works with the PSU and in a tube mode.
The sound reproduction is far better for me from that of B4-X and some SMSL Tube amps that I had or tested – these were very colorful and low fidelity for me. With the Tap-1s I have the enough warmth and the slight coloration and the euphoric in the mid-bass, mids, vocals, and the treble, that is just as needed for me. Meanwhile I am feeling I am not losing technicalities and the fidelity – if I know the song, I do not miss anything important, meanwhile having a slightly relaxed and different presentation. The music reproduction is effortless, fluent, without any harshness and sibilance and is very musical and capturing.
The details below are summary of the following set-up: FLAC and WAV files from ZEN Stream or CocktailAudio N15D -> RME ADI-2 DAC FS -> Tap-1s powered by PSU 220V. The library I predominantly used is Pink Floyd / The Division Bell, Adele / 30, Ennio Morricone / Once Upon a Time in the West, Metallica & San Francisco Symphony: S&M2, Moby / Reprise, Fourplay / The Best 1997 and Let’s Touch the Sky, U2 / The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum (1986–1990) and Zooropa.
Bass: Bass is well extended with obvious emphasis on mid-bass, but in a balanced way that make the reproduction tight and punchy. Texture is very good and bass headphones like the CAL! SE, DT770 pro, Denon AH-5200, Focal Radiance, Sony Z7M2 really show their value in the bass without getting tiring or too colorful. Sometimes, I wish to have a bit more sub-bass, a bit more, and could easily provide that with the RME.
Mids: The mids are the focus of the Tap-1s. Everything is well textured and full of body. The mids are not too forward but really attract the attention. The lower mids are slightly emphasized. Sometimes they feel a bit lush but nicely contoured with depth without being flamboyant and over colored. I never felt I need a correction in the mids from the RME because of a quality of record, singing artists or the headphones. The headphones that shine on the mids for me with the Taps-1s are Fostex T60rp Moudhouse, ZMF Eikon, Focal Clear, Focal Elegia, DT1990 pro.
Treble: Firstly, treble is not rolled-off, just slightly recessed, even more sometimes I feel like that it is not recessed just the Tap-1s in Tube mode is flattening the peaks and the harshness from the music, the dac or the headphones. Nothing and never is harsh to me with the Tap-1s in Tube. When I missed sparkle, I could give it with 2-3 dB from the RME. Also, the tubes have somehow a more obvious effects in the mids and the treble – this is where you get the slight coloring, euphoric notes. The treble is on par with the bass and its presence is really capturing, not that much like the mids and vocals, but enough to feel the benefit of the tubes of Tap-1s. The headphones that really fit when you focus on treble are Sony MDR-7510, DT770/880/1990 pro, Fostex T50rp Modhouse v2, Sundara, Arya v2, HD800s. The Beyerdynamics, Hifimans and the HD800S were having not harshness while still keeping their sparkle and details in the top end.
Technicalities:
Background: The background is clearly black. It is not black like when using the amp of the RME (just have in mind that this is really high bar to beat) but better than that of Douk Audio U3 mods or the Mytek Liberty DAC. Also no hiss even with sensitive iems like ThieAudio V3 or FiiOs.
Separation: Separation is decent, especially with the PSU power. Reproduction is not crumped, there is enough clarity and separation, notes and layers are well defined and present.
3D and Sound stage: I will dare to say that the Tap-1s amp capabilities are beating that of the RME amp – the Tap-1s manages to keep the with of the RME amplification module but adds holographic effects, creates better depth of the stage, and adds some airiness in certain vocals and the top end. This was one of the big surprises to me – for the first time I was feeling that the tubes are not adding just coloring but depth of the stage and realism, vinyl sound.
Timber: If you go up and re-read the headphones you will find many that are often mentioned for metallic timber in parts of the FR or harshness in the treble. Tap-1s kills that – no metallic timber. Vocals are natural, full of realism, especially male ones. For vocals – sometimes I feel how deep from the throat of the singer the sound comes, how it is deliberately extended in concerts or echoes in the hall. Drums, guitars, violins, piano – all sound like live and natural. If I speak fairly sometimes I feel like I am listening to a slightly drier Ares II – probably this is an absurd comparison, but I always wanted to combine the EQ functionalities of the RME with my ARES II and now I think a have it >90%.
Closing words:
According to me, the KAEI Tap-1s with PSU fully deserves its price – it is solid, portable and desk usable, it gives me the tube sound i wanted, it pairs well with huge number of headphones and the RME ADI-2 DAC FS and that makes it a great deal for me. Well, it is not comparable to the Burson Soloist 3X P but it competes with the amp module of the Mytek Liberty DAC and of the RME and is different from the ZEN Dac v2 and the amp module in the CocktailAudio N15D. It is warm but less warm than the amp module of the Mytek Liberty DAC and slightly warmer that that of the ZEN DAC v2. And it is small and funky.
Some words on Tap-1s and iems:
Very shortly my experience, so far, with some benchmark iems and the Tap-1s:
TIN T2 & T3 – adds warmth, bass, texture;
Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk – increases holographic reproduction, technicalities stay;
Sennheiser IE800 – improves the mids and vocals significantly;
7hz Timeless – kills sibilance and increases 3D;
Sennheiser IE80 – OMG, what staging and airiness;
ThieAudio V3 – musically at top level, bliss;
Sony IER-Z1R – cannot describe that, master pairing for bass and soundstage;
UM Mest v1 – I cannot describe the enjoyment. The only poor pairing so far –
Drop + JVC HA-FDX1 - sounding dull.