[RickG]

Here's a new integrated amp that seems pretty cool.....

"How do you get the sound of $3500 worth of high end amp and preamp for $1795?


The Portal Panache Integrated Amplifier



Simple, Pure, Musical. A generous taste of the high end.


The Panache Integrated Amp by Portal AudioTM combines a completely transparent passive line stage with a high gain dual mono Class A/AB amplifier on one chassis.
100 w X 2 @ 8 ohms
200 w X 2 @ 4 ohms"

They seem genuinely concerned with headphone sound......

"We've taken special efforts to make the Panache ideal for headphone users. In many cases, when you plug headphones into a source component or an integrated amp, you are hearing the output of a cheap Integrated Circuit chip, a level of quality right up there with the average Walkman. The Panache headphone output does not differ from the main output path except for the addition of a simple protection device.

When you plug in 'phones, you'll notice that your loudspeakers automatically go silent. We made this choice instead of inserting a selector switch which would have degraded the sound of both the headphones and the speakers."

link:

http://www.portalaudio.com/panache.html

 

[jude]

Very nice guy. He's held positions with Monster, Tara Labs, MIT (the cable company), Sumiko, and Threshold. He's the founder of Equus Audio -- a high-end audio marketing consultant. More background information on him can be found in an article on Stereophile's web site at http://www.stereophile.com/shownews.cgi?1360 . I believe Portal is his first foray into actually manufacturing audio gear.

The headphones he used most when evaluating the headphone output stage of his Panache integrated was Sennheiser's HD-580. He seems very confident that the headphone output of his Panache integrated will compare favorably with dedicated headphone amps. From a Head-Fi'ers standpoint, it was refreshing to hear someone from what is largely a non-headphone area of audio (integrated amps) place such great emphasis on the quality of the headphone output of his product. He mentioned that the headphone output of the Panache should easily power dynamic headphones of all types and impedance ratings.

As RickG already pointed out, his web site can be found at http://www.portalaudio.com .

Some other cool pics of the Panache:

Thanks, RickG, for bringing this new product to our attention.

 

[RickG]

Hey, that's cool that you talked to Joe Abrams....Jude.
I've been seriously considering auditioning one of these amps for use with my K1000's. Hmmm, we'll see....

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally posted by RickG Hey, that's cool that you talked to Joe Abrams....Jude. I've been seriously considering auditioning one of these amps for use with my K1000's. Hmmm, we'll see....

Wouldn't that be cool.....your K1000's out of the speaker outs.....and some of your standard headphones out of the headphone jack.

 

[RickG]

Quote:

Originally posted by jude Wouldn't that be cool.....your K1000's out of the speaker outs.....and some of your standard headphones out of the headphone jack.

You got it, Jude......

Could be a perfect set-up...

 

[Jon T. Gale]

Rick and Jude,
As the webmaster for Portal Audio, (Hey, I just do the graphics), I have a unit here. And I can say I will not be selling it any time soon!
As I am also a reviewer, I have some pretty neat toys on the floor right now: Krell KSA 100, my Bryston 4b ST, and some VERY cool Manley Snapper 100watt monblocs. The Panache does not really take a back seat to any of these. What I like most is its wonderful midrange palpability along with some very surprising bass quality.
But, alas, I do not use headphones so I cannot contribute any comments here.
JUDE- I do see that you are from Detroit. I am in Dearborn and you are more than welcome to contact me by e-mail and possibly set up a visit for you to hear it. (Allways looking for more audio buddies!). It would give me a chance to try it with headphones too!
Jon

 

[dstroot]

Jude - take advantage of the offer. I am really looking forward to some "impressions" of this amp and nobody does it better than you.

- Dan

 

[bootman]

Jude, did you ever get to hook up with Jon?

 

[jude]

Whoops......just noticed Jon's message to me. I'll respond in the following post.

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jon T. Gale Rick and Jude, As the webmaster for Portal Audio, (Hey, I just do the graphics), I have a unit here. And I can say I will not be selling it any time soon! As I am also a reviewer, I have some pretty neat toys on the floor right now: Krell KSA 100, my Bryston 4b ST, and some VERY cool Manley Snapper 100watt monblocs. The Panache does not really take a back seat to any of these. What I like most is its wonderful midrange palpability along with some very surprising bass quality. But, alas, I do not use headphones so I cannot contribute any comments here. JUDE- I do see that you are from Detroit. I am in Dearborn and you are more than welcome to contact me by e-mail and possibly set up a visit for you to hear it. (Allways looking for more audio buddies!). It would give me a chance to try it with headphones too! Jon

Jon,

Thanks for the heads-up. Nice to know I maybe have another hi-fi buddy somewhere nearby. Thanks also for the offer to have me come by and visit you to hear the Portal Panache. I may have to take you up on that, but likely not in the immediate future, as my schedule lately probably won't have me squarely in your neck of the woods for a while.

I'll send this to you via e-mail too, just in case you don't check back here too often.

Thanks again,
Jude

 

[RickG]

Ummm,...I'm registered in a contest to win one. If I don't, (never won anything in my life), I may purchase one and try it out with the K1000s.

I'm still mulling it over.......

 

[jude]

Quote:

Originally posted by RickG Ummm,...I'm registered in a contest to win one. If I don't, (never won anything in my life), I may purchase one and try it out with the K1000s. I'm still mulling it over.......

Well, Rick, here's more data to mull over....

I asked Joe on the telephone what kind of output power ratings we're looking at with this amp, and this is what he replied with (via e-mail):

Quote:

I came up with some output figures that may interest you.... with AKG-1000s, which, I'm told, have a 120 ohm impedance and are inefficient enough to stress ordinary headphone outputs.... The Panache will put out 8 W into that impedance. Here goes; all these figures are approximate: 16 W into 40 ohms 8 W into 120 ohms 4 W into 300 ohms 1-2 W into 600 ohms

That's a lot of powuh.

 

[RickG]

Quote:

Originally posted by jude That's a lot of powuh.

Uhhh, wow Jude,....no shirt!....

 

[kwkarth]

This looks like an amp that needs a serious audition!

 

[Jon T. Gale]

Jude: Anytime is a good time for a visit. If you do, please make sure to bring a couple of phones with you. I'd like to evaluate this myself.
In the meanwhile, here is another picture of the Panache with the cover off.
And for a little bit of a diversion, check out my page sometime for some cool 3D renderings of things audio.
Jon