I have owned my Ear+ Purist HD for a month now. In that time, I’ve played no music through my Plinius/Magnepan QR 1.6 combination. Considering how nice that combination sounds, it feels like a big compliment to Lloyd and my Mapletree!
I originally had a Canamp on order (not through Blackbird, or I’d probably have a Heed), but the ship date kept moving farther into the future. That’s when it suddenly hit me that I have a lot of solid state gear, but no tubes. Why not try something different?!
The simple design and high parts quality initially led me to the Mapletree. I upgraded to the Blackgate capacitors and asked Lloyd to set up the amp so that I could try it as a true preamp in my system. By the way, I considered the HD2 and like that it used tubes that should be easier to find. However, I thought the two-tubes-in-back-one-in-front look seemed more balanced visually.
When the unit arrived, I was impressed with the heft of the nicely packed box. Weight isn’t everything, of course, but I have yet to see a non-portable component that is improved by reducing weight.
As a headphone amplifier, this amp is sonically stunning. Listening through the AKG K701s, there’s detail aplenty. The Information suddenly felt like a fitting title for Beck’s latest. Mary Chapin Carpenter's What Was It Like has bass that comes from somewhere near the center of the earth, bass that the Maggies just can't do justice to like this amp/phone combo. In HDCD, Neil Young's Prairie Wind sounds live, immediate, and close.
I listen a lot in the evenings (partly because I like to see the glow of the tubes, but partly because the AKGs don't block out much background noise). Even in a very quiet room, hum is completely absent. Although I have several other headphones, I don’t need to even try them; all is just right with this setup. I don’t even think I’ll save up for the RS1’s.
As a preamp, it’s both annoying and impressive. Because of the high gain, hum makes its presence known. Just as with tics and pops in LPs, I find the hum distracting enough to prevent complete immersion. On the other hand, there’s a bigger feeling of air around the instruments than with the Plinius integrated’s built-in preamp. If I could reduce the hum, I would use the Ear+ permanently as my preamp.
I've taken a bit of teasing about the Ear+ just beneath my Sota turntable, tubes glowing just as they would have 50 years ago. When I put the headphones on any teaser's head, though, the teasing stops.