For quite some time now, I've been raving about my Matrix M-Stage headphone amp. I thoroughly enjoyed the (Class A design) sound of this amp, paired with my SONY MDR-7506's. For some reason, after trying numerous sets of headphones, this particular pair of 7506's that I own, paired with the Matrix M-Stage, sounds amazing to my ears, and blows away every set of headphones (and headphone amps) I've compared them to (maybe because I've owned these 7506's for years, and they're really burned in now. I'm really not sure. Or could it be that the 7506's are just that great?). That wasn't good enough though. Still trying to reach nirvana, I replaced the stock M-Stage op-amp (OPA2134) with the Burson Audio Supreme Sound V5-OPA-D op-amp, and Oh My God(!), what an improvement. I had been enjoying that for many months. I thought I had reached the top of the mountain. The reproduction was absolutely fantastic.
Enter the Supreme Sound Lycan headphone amp
*with* the Supreme Sound V5-OPA-D op-amp, again, listening via my SONY MDR-7506 headphones. For a very basic, almost bare bones, appearing headphone amp, I was not at all prepared for what I was about to hear. My impression was almost immediate. I didn't even allow it any burn-in time. I plugged it in, and began listening.
Are you sitting down? Seriously. I'm not sure I can begin to tell you what I am hearing coming out of this thing, but I will try. Here we go...mind blowing, magical, amazing attack time on all transients, tight, bass detail like you've never heard before. The sound is addicting, because it's so true, accurate, and authentic. I guarantee that you'll want to come home from work, day after day, and listen to your favorite music through this amplifier (keep in mind that even though it can be used as a preamp, I am only using it as a headphone amp, and that is the only perspective of my review). You will be pulling out every bit of music you own, and all of it will sound like you've never heard it before. When listening to music through the Lycan, I honestly feel as if I'm plugged directly into the recording console. What is going on here? Listening to music through this headphone amp will become a religious, intimate, and personal experience, like you've never experienced before. The reproduction of audio through this amp will move you, and shake your senses, and with the right piece of music, for those of us that are emotionally moved by music sometimes, may even bring tears to your eyes, or actually make you cry (I admit it. I am secure enough in my manhood). I've never heard anything like it, ever. If you seriously want to touch the vocalist, when listening to this little amp, simply close your eyes, and reach out. Breathtaking, but keep in mind, you must utilize the amp with the Supreme Sound V5 op-amp to experience what I have experienced.
I am so happy that I have discovered Austrailia's Burson Audio! These guys definitely know what they are doing. As I page through the latest issues of Stereophile magazine, I am amazed at the current pricing of audio gear. $7,000 for this, $20,000 for that, $75,000 for something else. For those that can afford those prices, congrats. I just don't think that you need to shove out that much money for amazing audio performance. The Lycan headphone amp is a perfect example. Sorry M-Stage, you've just been beaten out. Please...treat yourself, and your ears, to a Lycan!
http://www.bursonaudio.com/products/lycan/
BTW, as you can see in my pictures, I haven't yet removed the top film of the plexiglass cover of the amp yet.
For those who may be wondering, my home audio system is wired like a radio station is wired (well OK, yes, I am a Radio Broadcast Engineer). All sources end up as +4 balanced outputs. Those either feed a Mackie 1402-VLZ3 mixer, or a passive selector switch. I have no "so called" preamp. From there, that feeds two Audioarts SDA-8400 distribution amps (DA's). Each balanced DA output feeds each room in my house (including the garage). In those rooms, either the feed remains in the balanced mode (for instance feeding a DBX active crossover), or stepping down to a -10 consumer level, via a passive Line Level Shifter (you may notice one pictured close to the Lycan). The Ebtech Line Level Shifters that I use, have absolute flat frequency response. This permits me to route audio, for long distances, in the balanced mode, to reject RFI and EMI (pops, clicks, etc. from my refrigerator, furnace, air conditioning condenser, washer, etc.), from interfering with audio reproduction (this is the same way most radio stations are wired). So basically, my system will take a CD output (or whatever is faded up on the Mackie mixer, or selected via the passive audio switch), and feed it to 13 different house audio inputs. Each room then has a separate amp and speakers. My distribution amps are capable of -95 dB noise levels. If you feed it (as an input) that low of noise, that is the noise level that will appear at every room amplifier input. Don't forget to try a Lycan!
