It was a good deal at $500. $700, makes no difference. Knowing the RND brand it was weird that it was ever lower. They just finally added the extra $200 for the brand name that wasn't there before. They're a position where they're like "Here's the price, you want it or not?" RND gear costs a lot more than other brands in general and people who want it still pay for it. The only competitors in the pro audio space in that range were the little labs monotor($550) and the lake people stuff(~$500?). SPL phonitor one was in that little bracket maybe, but most people think that the stuff they make in that price range is whooped by the RNHP. So anyway the price change is just RND just moving to their natural pricing position of costing more than everything else comparable because they have the extra magic(so people think, and it might actually be). The audiophile space is irrelevant to them. I know that for a fact because audio engineers seek equipment that is purpose specific and ignore the audiophile market. That's because audio engineers are drawn to "reference" gear. Audio engineers have to listen for subtle changes in dynamics and can't really trust consumer gear that wasn't meant for that kind of trained critical listening. So to an audio engineer, if it isn't sold by sweetwater or vintage king etc. it's not an option. They are not competing with chinese made audiophile amps or Schiit etc. (I'm not putting an opinion about "reference" gear out there, I'm just saying that is the condition of the market that this amplifier is for.)
It would be literally perfect, flawless in every way for it's application if it had a muting relay. There could be a reason for that though other than cost. Whether it's reliability or signal integrity idk. But the startup and shutdown procedure is a little bit wack. Nothing else about the unit makes me think they were trying to cheap out in any way. The build quality is over the top excellent in even the most subtle details. The front panel headphone jack is the ultimate CHERTHUNK. The finish on the volume knob and the color of it are amazing. The back has Neutrik brand connections which are the best there are. I use all Neutrik in my studio and believe it or not that specific detail is important to me haha. Plugging Neutrik into Neutrik is quite a FIT. Alps pot that's s m o o t h af. The heavy metal case covers a metal chassis. The unit is heavy. It really gives me the impression that it was built to last a LONG time. It's made in the USA.
Knowing a bit about Rupert Neve's design philosophy, there is scientifically measurable evidence that this amp follows it. The specs indicate it is linear to 100khz. The significance of that is that Rupert was obsessed with meeting that specification. He believed that humans can perceive supersonic frequencies and if something was missing or off above 20khz, it would result in distress instead of relaxation. He believed anecdotal evidence that someone who was a customer, an audio engineer with the legendary "golden ears" was distressed by a resonance at 50khz on a console he sold him. This guy hated the console and no one else understood why and couldn't find anything wrong with it. Rupert showed up and listened with a bunch of other people, then they brought out the measuring equipment and found a resonance at 50khz that wasn't supposed to be there. After that and some listening tests that he had participated in under scientific conditions, he required all of his designs to have linearity to 100khz "just to make sure". He often claimed there was scientific evidence of this as well and cited studies(I haven't looked them up... yet). I feel like that spec is an indicator that his design philosophy is probably followed elsewhere within the amp.
When I tell people that I think that HI RES music sounds better for some reason, people think that's crazy. Rupert was wayyyyy more extreme than my view. He made sure that everything went to 100khz. He said that compact discs(44.1khz 16bit) were "utter rubbish". He had some controversial opinions about digital audio for a while, but he warmed way up to it when it improved later on.
Some people on internet forums have looked inside this amp and said different things that were not correct or not understood certain things about it. I am not an expert on the design of electronics or want to try to speak on specifics because I'm not qualified to. I see some ways where if you put any faith in Rupert Neve's vast, expansive design philosophy from his extremely long experience of designing electronics, from helping to start modern recording to just recently, and understand this this little amp shows signs that it follows them, you may believe there is something to it. People online look at what OP amps and parts are in it, but he had specific ideas on how to utilize components and make them conform to his requirements for performance. Anyone qualified to look at the board on the amp and accurately tell everyone everything that's going on won't have time to get on the internet and do such a thing.
We do know that everyone's subjective listening impression is that the amp is "natural" sounding. And that is exactly what Rupert was always after. Natural sound reproduction. I'm not an headphone amp expert, but I know natural sound. I've heard a lot of instruments up close in person. I've heard singers up close, and I'm impressed. Rupert believed that subjective listening and scientific testing were to both be used together. He believed that subjectivity and objectivity were to be in balance and work together.
Rupert Neve Designs appear to follow the design philosophy of the man that could possibly have been the most experienced audio equipment designer who ever lived and with his direct involvement at the time with this amplifier was designed. So that's neat.
