[TSAVJason]

Would you by any chance know if it is driven by the main power tubes or it‘s just an opamp they added after the preamp stage like most integrated speaker amps? Since they don’t talk about it in their marketing I have a feeling the headphone out is not very important like it is for the Primaluna EVO line, those folks took the time to list all the headphone out details.

Yes I do know. It’s a bipolar transistor output but you can definitely hear the tube influences

 

[MRHiFiReviews]

his looks like a real winner. I wish it was smaller though. This just won't fit on my desk.

It's not as big as you would think, but ya it will depend on your desk for sure.

 

[MRHiFiReviews]

Though I like that volume display, sometimes I wonder if it takes away from how the tubes are displayed...I am so torn on this aesthetic for 5G. May take some time to get used to.

It doesn't take away at all in my opinion, in fact, it has some of the best tube glow in a dark room I have seen in my house so far. Also, you can dim the displays if they bug you.

 

[MRHiFiReviews]

I'm curious if its headphone output is capable to drive LCD-4 or Susvara headphones. I hope Marcello @MRHiFiReviews will find out.
I also remember someone saying that Audio Research is working on Headphone amplifier and I'm not sure if they meant this device, or AR is planning to release standalone headphone amp later this year.

I will test with several different headphones that I have in house

 

[paradoxper]

Entirely tacky design. I'll pick one up though as it's promising for headphones.

The bias for this design plain stinks.

 

[TSAVJason]

I'm curious if its headphone output is capable to drive LCD-4 or Susvara headphones. I hope Marcello @MRHiFiReviews will find out.
I also remember someone saying that Audio Research is working on Headphone amplifier and I'm not sure if they meant this device, or AR is planning to release standalone headphone amp later this year.

It will definitely drive an LCD4z. It’s not a high output HP amp. It definitely drives most cans. I wouldn’t recommend it for hard to drive cans. I’d call this one an audiophile HP amp for less difficult to drive HPs.

 

[BLacklWf]

I will test with several different headphones that I have in house

I wish you can try LCD-5 and Phi TC if you have those.

 

[MRHiFiReviews]

I wish you can try LCD-5 and Phi TC if you have those.

I do have the LCD-5 in house.

 

[BLacklWf]

I do have the LCD-5 in house.

Awesome!

 

[TSAVJason]

I wish you can try LCD-5 and Phi TC if you have those.

Just in case you didn’t know, as sponsors we are not allowed to comment (good or bad) on products we don’t sell. This is a good rule as it prevents a sponsor from posting negative comment on a product they don’t directly represent. ….. the LCD5 comes from a brand we represent

 

[Audio Addict]

Could you use the speaker tap with an adapter to run off of those and use a resistor to match the speaker tap impedance? I use a 10 ohm 5 watt resistor for my HE-6 to run off tube amp speaker taps.

 

[TSAVJason]

Could you use the speaker tap with an adapter to run off of those and use a resistor to match the speaker tap impedance? I use a 10 ohm 5 watt resistor for my HE-6 to run off tube amp speaker taps.

You could and you’d be able to use the harder drive cans

 

[ken6217]

I can’t speak for this, but for about a year I used an AR Ref 76SE speaker amp and used the speaker taps for my 1266 TC. Sounded excellent. Used KT150 Tubes.

 

[433521]

Love to find out more about the headphone-out. If it can be used as a great headphone amp, I think 5K is a good price just for the head amp alone.

There's always speaker out -> xlr if you can use balanced connections.

 

[Jodet]

Read the manual. It says 'if you replace a tube you need to send it to Audio Research to have a technician adjust it'. In other words.... we want $530 to replace your power tubes.

They should give these away, they'll make it all up in service fees. It's astonishing to me that in 2022 a company makes a five thousand dollar amp that the user can't set the bias on. What are they thinking? They're thinking 'hey, we can charge $510 to replace the power tubes in this amp'.

I have a two thousand dollar Black Ice F22 EL-34 that is dead quiet, sounds great, only cost two grand and I can bias the tubes myself in under a minute.