Skylab
Reviewerus Prolificus
Intro and Design
A few weeks ago I received the “Version 2” of the X-Head for review. I had been sent one of the original X-Heads for review many months back, but the first version had a hum problem. I wasn’t sure that this amp was ever going to be produced in the end, but here it is. And from what I can tell, it’s a good thing the amp DID finally come to market – it sets a new benchmark for inexpensive solid-state home headphone amps.
First of all, it is a well built and very nice looking unit:
Manufacturers information: X-Head
I like the fact that it has an internal power supply – no wall wart here. I’m not wild about the push-button volume control, which provides no indication of what level the volume is set at. However, smartly, the X-Head seems to re-set itself to a low level whenever it’s powered on or off, so damage to hearing or headphones is very unlikely. Having two headphone outs can be handy as well.
I auditioned the XHead with the AT ESW9, Kenwood KH1000, Beyer DT880 and 990, and the Sennheiser HD800 – all of which cost significantly more than the X-Head does. And none embarrassed the X-Head. Even the HD800-XHead pairing wasn’t too bad, although I find the HD800 to be bright, and as such, the sound with the XHead was bright, and since there are amps out there with smoother and less grainy treble, this was not an ideal pairing, but it wasn’t bad, either.
Sources used for the review were the Yulong DAH-1 Mk II DAC, my Denon CDRW-1500 CD Player, and the RWA iMod iPos with ALO VCAP Dock.
Also, given the issues with the V1, I should note that for the several weeks I listened to it, I had no problem at all with the X-Head – it was dead quiet, and performed flawlessly.
Sounds Like This...
The treble was clean, and largely grain-free, and reasonably detailed. It was not the smoothest I have ever heard, and there could sometimes be a slight metallic edge to it. But it was never over the top, and on headphones like the ESW9 and KH1000, it was a very good match. With the DT990 and HD800, the combined treble performance of amp and can wasn’t as symbiotic.
Mids in general were open and transparent sounding, although just a touch dry and hollow compared to much better amps (and compared to just about any tube amp). Female vocals were well presented, but not as lush as you get from more expensive amps. The vocals on Pink Martini’s “Tempo Perdido” were certainly enjoyable, but you get a little more body on the sound on the Audio GD C-2-C or the Head-Direct EF1. Still, in and of itself, it was enjoyable performance.
The bass is full and well controlled. Impact on “Heart of Wilderness” by Big Head Todd and the Monsters was meaty and punchy, as it should be on this track. The XHead doesn’t seem to be able to muster much strength in the bottom octave, but nothing is sloppy, and the bass is quite satisfying.
Soundstaging was also very good. In “Long Distance Runaround”, from the MFSL remaster of Yes’s “Fragile”, Jon Anderson’s voice was set back in the stage, as it should be, with Chris Squire’s bass up front. The band as a whole was well laid out. The XHead even manages to push the soundstage outside your head at bit, as was evidenced on “The Fish” (also from “Fragile”).
What you do not get, sonically, with the X-Head, or probably any headphone in this price class, is the last work in transparency, or nuance. While the XHead is reasonably transparent, it is definitely a little veiled compared to other amps I have (which if course are much more expensive). And things like the decay of cymbals, and the tone of strings, are a little less natural than you hear with higher-end amps. It's not to be expected in this segment of the amp market, and you do not get it. But overall, the X-Head is very enjoyable to listen to.
Comparatively Speaking...
Compared to the headphone amp built into the Yulong DAH-1, with the DAC of the Yulong driving the X-Head, the sound was not very different, but there was a smoothness to the sound with the X-Head that was lacking with the DAH-1, yet the X-Head did not sound rolled-off at all. I’m not sure this was enough of an improvement to warrant the extra $200 over just using the Yulong by itself, but if you already have a DAC with either no headphone out, or a headphone out that isn’t very good, then the X-Head might be just the ticket.
Compared to the Audio-GD C-2-C, the X-Head could not compete. The C-2-C is simply better in every possible dimension. However, the C-2-C is almost twice as expensive, and it is much larger. I think the C-2-C is also, itself, an incredible bargain, so the fact that the C-2-C is better is no great shock. But for the asking price, the X-Head provides very good sound indeed, and is not as far off from what the C-2-C provides as one would expect for it being so inexpensive. Still, if you can afford the C-2-C, it will provide better performance.
In the End...
So, in summing up – would I buy the XHead? I would, under the following conditions:
1.I couldn’t spend more than $200.
2.I didn’t want to use a tube amp.
I personally think that tube amps, especially at the lower price points, are more satisfying. I’d go for an Eddie Current LunchBox II over the X-Head, if it were my money. But some people don’t want to deal with tubes, and in that case, I cannot imagine how you could get better sound for your $200 than with the X-head. So in that respect, it gets a high recommendation from me.
A few weeks ago I received the “Version 2” of the X-Head for review. I had been sent one of the original X-Heads for review many months back, but the first version had a hum problem. I wasn’t sure that this amp was ever going to be produced in the end, but here it is. And from what I can tell, it’s a good thing the amp DID finally come to market – it sets a new benchmark for inexpensive solid-state home headphone amps.
First of all, it is a well built and very nice looking unit:
Manufacturers information: X-Head
I like the fact that it has an internal power supply – no wall wart here. I’m not wild about the push-button volume control, which provides no indication of what level the volume is set at. However, smartly, the X-Head seems to re-set itself to a low level whenever it’s powered on or off, so damage to hearing or headphones is very unlikely. Having two headphone outs can be handy as well.
I auditioned the XHead with the AT ESW9, Kenwood KH1000, Beyer DT880 and 990, and the Sennheiser HD800 – all of which cost significantly more than the X-Head does. And none embarrassed the X-Head. Even the HD800-XHead pairing wasn’t too bad, although I find the HD800 to be bright, and as such, the sound with the XHead was bright, and since there are amps out there with smoother and less grainy treble, this was not an ideal pairing, but it wasn’t bad, either.
Sources used for the review were the Yulong DAH-1 Mk II DAC, my Denon CDRW-1500 CD Player, and the RWA iMod iPos with ALO VCAP Dock.
Also, given the issues with the V1, I should note that for the several weeks I listened to it, I had no problem at all with the X-Head – it was dead quiet, and performed flawlessly.
Sounds Like This...
The treble was clean, and largely grain-free, and reasonably detailed. It was not the smoothest I have ever heard, and there could sometimes be a slight metallic edge to it. But it was never over the top, and on headphones like the ESW9 and KH1000, it was a very good match. With the DT990 and HD800, the combined treble performance of amp and can wasn’t as symbiotic.
Mids in general were open and transparent sounding, although just a touch dry and hollow compared to much better amps (and compared to just about any tube amp). Female vocals were well presented, but not as lush as you get from more expensive amps. The vocals on Pink Martini’s “Tempo Perdido” were certainly enjoyable, but you get a little more body on the sound on the Audio GD C-2-C or the Head-Direct EF1. Still, in and of itself, it was enjoyable performance.
The bass is full and well controlled. Impact on “Heart of Wilderness” by Big Head Todd and the Monsters was meaty and punchy, as it should be on this track. The XHead doesn’t seem to be able to muster much strength in the bottom octave, but nothing is sloppy, and the bass is quite satisfying.
Soundstaging was also very good. In “Long Distance Runaround”, from the MFSL remaster of Yes’s “Fragile”, Jon Anderson’s voice was set back in the stage, as it should be, with Chris Squire’s bass up front. The band as a whole was well laid out. The XHead even manages to push the soundstage outside your head at bit, as was evidenced on “The Fish” (also from “Fragile”).
What you do not get, sonically, with the X-Head, or probably any headphone in this price class, is the last work in transparency, or nuance. While the XHead is reasonably transparent, it is definitely a little veiled compared to other amps I have (which if course are much more expensive). And things like the decay of cymbals, and the tone of strings, are a little less natural than you hear with higher-end amps. It's not to be expected in this segment of the amp market, and you do not get it. But overall, the X-Head is very enjoyable to listen to.
Comparatively Speaking...
Compared to the headphone amp built into the Yulong DAH-1, with the DAC of the Yulong driving the X-Head, the sound was not very different, but there was a smoothness to the sound with the X-Head that was lacking with the DAH-1, yet the X-Head did not sound rolled-off at all. I’m not sure this was enough of an improvement to warrant the extra $200 over just using the Yulong by itself, but if you already have a DAC with either no headphone out, or a headphone out that isn’t very good, then the X-Head might be just the ticket.
Compared to the Audio-GD C-2-C, the X-Head could not compete. The C-2-C is simply better in every possible dimension. However, the C-2-C is almost twice as expensive, and it is much larger. I think the C-2-C is also, itself, an incredible bargain, so the fact that the C-2-C is better is no great shock. But for the asking price, the X-Head provides very good sound indeed, and is not as far off from what the C-2-C provides as one would expect for it being so inexpensive. Still, if you can afford the C-2-C, it will provide better performance.
In the End...
So, in summing up – would I buy the XHead? I would, under the following conditions:
1.I couldn’t spend more than $200.
2.I didn’t want to use a tube amp.
I personally think that tube amps, especially at the lower price points, are more satisfying. I’d go for an Eddie Current LunchBox II over the X-Head, if it were my money. But some people don’t want to deal with tubes, and in that case, I cannot imagine how you could get better sound for your $200 than with the X-head. So in that respect, it gets a high recommendation from me.
