HiFlight
Headphoneus Supremus
It has been about a year since I purchased the Scherzo Audio Andante. As this turned out to be a review sample misrepresented as a member-owned amplifier, I subsequently returned it to its rightful owner, Mr Gontran Durocher, owner of Scherzo Audio and builder of the Andante. My previous review is posted here so I will not repeat in detail all of the information from that link.
As I was much impressed with the performance and build quality of this unique amplifier, I often considered acquiring another as I have been very curious to see if the amplifier was as good as I remembered it or if it was a case of "absence makes the heart grow fonder".
I recently happened across another Andante which was legitimately for sale by a Head-Fi member with whom I have previously done business. In short order we worked out the details of the transaction and an Andante once again resides on my desk.
The Andante is somewhat hard to define, as it is quite compact, about the size of 3 stacked CD cases but with an inch more depth. The amplifier is powered by either an AC wall charger or by a set of internal SLA batteries in much the same manner as the Red Wine Audio products. As such, it is surprisingly heavy. It can probably be best classified as a "transportable desktop". Fit and finish of the Andante is superb, exuding a look of class that would be at home in any surroundings. It is also interesting to note that all of the Andante components are sourced very close to the builders location in Kissimmee, FL.
This is not an opamp-based amplifier, rather it is a discrete design with the L and R circuits built into potted modules. While appearances and construction details are nice to read about, the real merit of any type of audio equipment is how it performs, and in this respect, the Andante truly delivers what its appearance promises!
I re-evaluated the Andante using a number of my phones, ranging from IEMs (ES3X, PK1) to easily driven (Z1000, KSC35) to my most difficult-to-drive (K340, HE6 and K1000). The Andante performed well with all of them, only needing full-throttle on the K-1000. The K340's especially, were driven with ease and sounded superb. The amplifier is not a one-trick pony as it sounded equally well with a number of different musical genre's, including Classical, Instrumental, Queen, the Eagles and a number of my favorite folk and jazz recordings. The two most noticeable sonic characteristics of the Andante are the depth of the bass and extension of the highs as well as the timbral and harmonic accuracy of instruments and vocals. My source for all of my comparisons were high bit-rate files delivered from the optical output of my H120>iBasso D12 DAC > Andante.
Given the reasonable cost of this amp ($390), 3 yr. warranty, the small size, quality of workmanship and excellent audio performance, the Andante should well be on one's short list for a compact, high-quality desktop or bedside amplifier.
For additional information, please refer to the Scherzo Audio website or email the builder, Mr Gontran Durocher.
Again, I am in no way connected with Scherzo Audio, just a satisfied customer!
Ron
As I was much impressed with the performance and build quality of this unique amplifier, I often considered acquiring another as I have been very curious to see if the amplifier was as good as I remembered it or if it was a case of "absence makes the heart grow fonder".
I recently happened across another Andante which was legitimately for sale by a Head-Fi member with whom I have previously done business. In short order we worked out the details of the transaction and an Andante once again resides on my desk.
The Andante is somewhat hard to define, as it is quite compact, about the size of 3 stacked CD cases but with an inch more depth. The amplifier is powered by either an AC wall charger or by a set of internal SLA batteries in much the same manner as the Red Wine Audio products. As such, it is surprisingly heavy. It can probably be best classified as a "transportable desktop". Fit and finish of the Andante is superb, exuding a look of class that would be at home in any surroundings. It is also interesting to note that all of the Andante components are sourced very close to the builders location in Kissimmee, FL.
This is not an opamp-based amplifier, rather it is a discrete design with the L and R circuits built into potted modules. While appearances and construction details are nice to read about, the real merit of any type of audio equipment is how it performs, and in this respect, the Andante truly delivers what its appearance promises!
I re-evaluated the Andante using a number of my phones, ranging from IEMs (ES3X, PK1) to easily driven (Z1000, KSC35) to my most difficult-to-drive (K340, HE6 and K1000). The Andante performed well with all of them, only needing full-throttle on the K-1000. The K340's especially, were driven with ease and sounded superb. The amplifier is not a one-trick pony as it sounded equally well with a number of different musical genre's, including Classical, Instrumental, Queen, the Eagles and a number of my favorite folk and jazz recordings. The two most noticeable sonic characteristics of the Andante are the depth of the bass and extension of the highs as well as the timbral and harmonic accuracy of instruments and vocals. My source for all of my comparisons were high bit-rate files delivered from the optical output of my H120>iBasso D12 DAC > Andante.
Given the reasonable cost of this amp ($390), 3 yr. warranty, the small size, quality of workmanship and excellent audio performance, the Andante should well be on one's short list for a compact, high-quality desktop or bedside amplifier.
For additional information, please refer to the Scherzo Audio website or email the builder, Mr Gontran Durocher.
Again, I am in no way connected with Scherzo Audio, just a satisfied customer!
Ron
