Munich High End 2025 Impressions
Hey friends!
Munich High End was a blast! The show is crazy, just so much to see, it can be quite overwhelming. I’m happy I can get in on Thursday and Friday before the public days and crazy rush, make my prepared rounds and meetings, cross everything off my list. It was a marathon of sorts, but I’m thrilled with the results. Quite some reviews are already confirmed, it’s going to be a very busy summer!
I know this post is rather delayed. I brought home not only great memories, but a wicked cold the likes I have never seen, so I was looped out for 10 days. I jotted down copious and extensive notes during the show, which helped greatly in fending off the quickly forming cobwebs in my brain. I heard a lot of stuff, and one things I can say with zero hesitation is we certainly are living in the golden age of audio. I spent Thursday and Friday morning at the show, then ventured to Hi-Fi Deluxe, another show at the Marriott Hotel, as I did last year, to visit Dragan of SAEQ. This is always the highlight of my trip, the man makes sensational gear and is a delight to be around. (His new Astreus Amp is absurdly good). A surprise meetup up provided by Elise Audio on Saturday evening rounded out the trip, where all the IEM related goodies were laid out before us like a buffet.
It was a lot, and I will divulge to the best of my abilities in the (surely) rambling paragraphs below. I hope you enjoy!
A&K SP4000
Arguably one of the show’s most anticipated releases. I will admit I have as of late fallen out of love with the AK sound, it’s simply too smooth for me, so please keep that in mind when reading further. I also feel they don’t innovate so much as release countless iterations of nearly the same model, which is a bummer (cool T model not included). Don't let my feelings color your interest, this is a really great DAP!
It’s big, and heavy, but not so much so over previous models. Weight is noticeable, size difference seems negligible to me.
Initially it seemed lackluster, but I realized the volume goes to 150, (not 100) so my paltry 50% was barely getting it going. After a few minutes of navigating the menu, changing settings, and getting my SD card loaded things were getting better. To be clear, it’s a GREAT DAP. The SP4K has great bass, good details and large stage. Overall it’s a smoother and more velvety sound, as would be expected for AK. I will say this is the most refined and classy sound they’ve ever made. Where I was initially super impressed with SP3K, but after some time felt the mids were just too smoothed out compared to the rest of the spectrum, the SP4K is better - everything is in balance, the presentation is cohesive and tuned perfectly. I don’t hear anything out of place, it’s simply a bit too velvety and smooth for my tastes.
High Driving Mode gives only a bit more volume but much more dynamics and note weight. It gets fatter, thicker, with more bass; most noticeably the mid bass and sub and further drawn out. Edges are more pronounced, more clean and clear too. Definitely prefer the HDM on all the time. Screen is amazing. It does get HOT - there was no case on it, so I’m sure that will help. As expected, it’s a fingerprint magnet.
Overall UI is clean and very easy to use. DAR is fantastic and I hear a very noticeable upgrade in sound, I left it on all the time during my testing.
Using TTi and DIO it was a nice match, powered well and sounded dynamic and expressive. Storm distorts and sounds pretty meh, no surprise here. It managed to get quite loud, but doesn’t have the amazing dynamics and body the STORM can produce. Sounding thin, and rather edgy. With HDM on it’s even worse somehow, fatter but also muddy.
I’m sure AK fans will love it, it’s a great DAP. Just not for me.
Lotoo GT2
I was excited to hear this one again, after my brief and saddening trial at a meetup in Paris where my SS8 cable wouldn’t even fit into the socket. This time I used the SS4 on STORM, along with TTi and DIO with other cables.
I have to say, this DAP is AWESOME. I tried the Mjohlnir last year, and it just didn’t touch my heartstrings. I tried it again this year, and liked it much more, but the GT2 is something else for me. Packaging the same technical and precision abilities while adding a heaping dose of fatness, musicality, texture and down right analog goodness.
The GT2 has quite the analog and thick sound, with great note weight and amazing texture. Powers the Storm perfectly, this is a GREAT pairing. Going from TTi to Storm, using the same SS4 cable, I hear equal levels of dynamics and abilities for both, not losing all its oomph the way other daps do when switching to Storm. About 70% volume for maximum head banging enjoyment, about the same as MAX. It feels like it has a touch more headroom, but that is based on show floor testing.
There is quite a nice dose of bass, with sub bass being especially guttural and punchy. Some of the best bass I have ever heard out of a DAP. Mids are very detailed, as are the highs with subtle clicks and airy spacial cues. Vocals are nice and smooth, quite bodied and forward, everything is good and crisp, but less intense than others which is very impressive. Not velvety like sp4000, or super warm like Sony, or slightly cooler like MAX, very natural while still retaining utter flagship level resolution. Especially the top end where the LP6 Ti AE lacks somewhat, I can hear some similarities in the tuning in terms of weight and density, with a similarly open and grand stage. LP6 being a bit more thunderous and analog, while GT2 has more air and more resolving top end. I was very impressed, after a few seconds I knew this one was for me.
Going back and forth with Mjolnir, despite its desktop size and more power it has less note weight and dynamics. The stage is a bit bigger, but the overall sensation is more flat. Bass isn’t as textured, vocals have less body and timbre. I prefer the GT2 far more, even if it’s a bit more intimate. Both using Ultra High Gain, the most dynamic, even at lower volumes. I love the UI and ultra simple design. Full size SD card is cool too, very fast loading and no lag at all due to fast read speeds. Overall an extremely crisp and easy DAP to use.
Size is similar to LP6 just way thicker. It’s not heavy at all, and in hand feels quite good. Shelf makes some problems as can’t use with SS8 which is a shame. It is a weird design choice for sure. But after speaking with the wonderful Pauline from Lottoo at great length, she explained this was the only way the engineers could make the components fit, with the special isolation and shielding they used to keep the different aspects of the chain apart. I’m no engineer, but after hearing this DAP, if that was the only way to make it sound this good, I’m a believer.
Comparing to MAX it does feel like a touch more power, more dynamic, and deeper more powerful bass. A bit of extra sizzle and crispness on the GT2, but since my MAX is modded, that’s understandable as that exact issue was addressed with the mod. MAX sounds a bit more distant and evenly spacious, like speakers with details further away away. GT2 is more intimate despite being very spacious. Seems to be pushing its max power where GT2 has more headroom, though please keep in mind this is show floor impressions. Gt2 has closer more forward mids, which by default I prefer.
Dio bass and GT2 is fantastic. Amazing. About 50% volume with Dio. TTi about 35. Storm was 65-70% depending on track. Getting some serious Fugaku-ish vibes with Dio and GT2. Amazing stage and bass, very detailed top, wide open mids and a sense of space and texture that overwhelms with the right tracks.
This is a
GOAT DAP without question, I was blown away. There is a review unit coming my way soon, can’t wait to put it through its paces in a closed environment, but I can safely say this will be my new reference DAP.
AMPS
Continuing my journey of AFI (Amps For IEMs) from last year, upon opening the doors to MHE Hall 1, I beelined to the man himself, Michael Zahl. I spent a lot of time at his booth last year, what a nice guy. I loved the HM1, but it wasn’t ideal for IEMs and it’s extremely expensive. While chatting last year Michael showed me some initial CAD drawings of a new amp, something that would include a 4.4mm output jack, be more geared for IEMs, and cheaper. Lo and behold, (exactly one year later) the just released H1 Amp.
Zahl H1
Featuring a smaller chassis, less (for me unnecessary) controls, an in-body power supply, a 4.4mm output and price tag of “only” $6k ish, the H1 is phenomenal. Known for his studio ready reference tuning, the H1 doesn’t disappoint in any regard. It’s powerful, undeniably uber technical, fantastically natural and yes, very correct. It’s also a lot of fun, as long as you enjoy a perfect presentation. No boosted anything, no cuts or dips, just neutral, reference level audio at the absolute finest possible. Plenty musical, but just as at home in a mixing studio as it would be on my desk or listening chair, yes please! I love this amp, and for whatever reason the H1 seems to sound better than HM1 FOR IEMS. Michael couldn’t tell me why, but I do prefer it for that purpose, something in the synergy is just better.
The H1 does away with all the front dials, except the stereo expander, something I would normally push away with a 10 foot pole. Michael has nailed it, I love this! Same as HM1, it simply creates a wider and larger stage, more space between layers, and a wildly surround feeling, while never having any adverse effects that I can hear. I did prefer it one or two notches away from maximum, but it really is something special. No idea how it’s done, but I’m glad this part is still on the H1.
Powering STORM I witnessed the most perfect studio listening experience I’ve ever heard outside a major recording studio. It was outrageous really, even Michael and his PR guy had jaws on the floor. Coming out of 320MAX or LP6 Ti the sound was enveloping, insanely technical, powerful and contained, while remaining perfectly natural, correct, and more importantly, extremely enjoyable.
Anyone who likes a neutral/transparent sound that is presented perfectly, this is your amp. H1. BOOM! I have one coming for review, so keep an eye out soon(ish).
Audma HPA1
I ran into
@jude, always a pleasure great sir!, and he told me to get myself over to the Audma booth. To be honest I had never even heard of them, so it was all new to me.
They have two products I heard, the HPA1 amp, and a new prototype portable AMP/DAC the Brioso, they’re both super cool.
HPA1
Kind of vintage sounding, not warm or soft, just old school and analog. Sort of delicate tonality, polite. Very nice, if not a touch unassuming to my ears. It reminded me of listening to my Dad’s old stereo when I was a kid, looks the part too. Remembering my usual need for detail, intensity and dynamics the HPA1 was a bit on the relaxed and polite side for me, but that’s totally subjective. Perhaps it was the room noise, my mood, or coming directly from Zahl which is very different. Audma’s secret sauce, the Elisa Room effect, uses all kinds of propriety techniques to give you the sound of speakers in a room. I will admit it was a bit weird with modern music, sounding kind of phasey. With older music like Dire straits it makes a lot more sense. Listening to the Beatles, or some dual mono jazz stuff and there is an incredible difference. That was a wow moment for me. You can hear the placement of drums and guitars, instruments take on a more physical dimensionality in space. It gets wider and more surround, even if I found the control a touch unwieldy at first, I found my favorite settings resulting in a rather subtle, but very nice effect. (~100 degrees and ~ —16 effect level)
I was getting some distorted edges with Storm, must have been an impedance issue maybe? I moved onto DIO and TTi for the remainder of my testing.
I did enjoy it a lot, but wasn’t in love. The Audma HPA1 and Zahl H1 couldn’t be more different. Audma sounds like vintage HiFi gear from the 70s, really old school and lovely. H1 is blistering and detailed, more interesting to me in this phase of my life perhaps. The Audma is very detailed too, but it’s presented in a very polite way.
On the second day I went back, spent quite a while speaking to their wonderful staff including the main man himself Cesare, as well as their hardware engineer. They introduced me to a new prototype, a portable DAC/AMP, super cool idea. After hearing more about Elisa, and seeing that it was also included on the new portable, I took a stab at it with fresh ears.
PHPA1 Brioso
Quite a small and rather unassuming unit, looks more like a MagSafe charger than a piece of audio gear, it’s actually super super cool. Included in the small metal enclosure is a powerful amp as well as a bypass-able DAC using AKM 4499 (if I remember correctly). The DAC sounds really good, very clear and musical, I was super impressed. Using it as an amp only seemed good as well, but didn’t spend a lot of time this way as I was lacking an IC until I was loaned one briefly at the end. As a portable DAC/AMP this could be the very first summit level portable unit I have seen. The sound is quite spectacular. When they told me it would retail for ~$4500 I was stunned though, wow, that’s incredibly expensive! They said because of the R&D needed to implement Elisa in such a small package, but geez. What do I know, I’m sure that will put some people off from the get go, but it sounded amazing. Unfortunately it also didn’t play well with STORM, but everything else I tried was fantastic.
I have no idea why, but I found Elisa to be more useful and enjoyable on this portable unit. No matter what music I was listening to I kept it on. A couple of people seemed to have a similar experience, somehow Elise was “more useable” to them as well with the Brioso.
Audma makes great gear, and I was very pleased for the introduction, plus meeting the man himself was a pleasure. Anyone who takes such care with their craft is a hero in my book.
SAEQ Astreus
Since meeting Dragan (
@Proxima Centauri) last year at Hi-Fi Deluxe we have become fast friends. I trust his ears and design genius wizardry above most others, and the SAEQ sound is most certainly my bag. After hearing the Armageddon and Hyperion Ge last year, I bought a Morpheus, reviewed it, and have been in love since moment one. I’m listening to it right now, it’s incredible. No notes.
When Dragan told me six months ago he was working on something new, something really different, I was very excited. He didn’t give me a lot of details, but he told me he hadn’t really slept in weeks because it was so deep, so intense and passionate a project for him. I knew this would be very special.
Fast forward, he presents the SAEQ Astreus. In a world of extremely good amplifiers, in my personal opinion, the Astreus stands alone as the finest amp I’ve ever heard. It’s an absolute monster, making the fantastic Armageddon, and literally everything else I have tried, just seem rather flat and lifeless in comparison. I know, I get overly excited. Hyperbole man. But this is really something on another level.
Using Germanium, silicone, and tube input stages coupled with a huge SS output, the Astreus has a MASSIVE sound. It’s insane. There’s a 100 step attenuator this time, which is very IEM friendly. You can set two “volume memory” settings, so AB’ing different HPs or IEMs is super easy. Or if you have two setups you use with the same amp, all you need to do is push the button for each. You also get speaker outputs, and I believe Dragan said it was ~60 watts or so, meaning this beast could be the center piece of a fantastic 2 channel too.
I bought one on the spot, and a full review is coming as soon as possible. I will leave the extensive sonic impressions for later on, but suffice to say the Astreus is a sonic experience unlike anything I have ever heard. With STORM I had a perfectly immersive sonic image, with literally no edges in stage or contrast in extension. Ridiculously detailed, with every iota of resolution kept epically clean and clear, and without a shred of harshness, brightness or fatigue of any kind. Vocals were so massive, like the singer was sitting in my lap. Some of the Italian folk music Dragan played for me had a deep baritone that actually shook my chest. Ridiculous. Pianos, guitars, spacial cues and layers of air, all at maximum levels of resolution, accuracy and naturalness. Unbelievable textured and deep bass, perfect bold mids, and the most resolving treble I have ever heard in an amp, with no harshness or glare in any way. This is realism, a term I have used previously but never heard at this level before. The fabled AIC10 and Vivo were in the same room, and I have to admit the Astreus truly made them both sound a touch flat. How dare I, I know, but it’s the truth for me at least.
I listened to all the folks who came in a tried it, the feelings seemed quite mutual. One guy said it was equal to the MK465, the amp he feels to be the best in the world. I have to agree, it’s simply on another level.
While my LP6 Ti AE and 320MAX sounded amazing, the best synergy for Astreus is SAEQ’s own Pandora’s Box DAC. A very small and very unassuming little box, this little thing sounds incredible. I ordered one as well, and will review accordingly. For a paltry $1k this is one serious DAC, showing that implementation is always more important that components used or price. Keep a look out for this one, stunning.
CFA Dongle
I stopped off to see Ken Ball at the CFA (
@CFA Chris) table, what a nice guy he is. I always enjoy chatting with people who are passionate and not scared to try new things, and Ken is both. He had some new stuff on the table to try other than IEMs, most notably this little black rectangle caught my eye. Glossy black, kind of unassuming, I asked and Ken told me it’s his new Dongle. I picked it up, and indeed it is - one side with 3.5mm and 4.4mm BAL outputs, USB C on the other, and a nice little window to the circuit board where the AKM 4493 DAC chip is nestled in. A simple yet elegant design, with a subtle CFA etched into the top with small holes, underneath the LED indicator.
So I plugged it in and wow! It sounds fantastic. Super clean and clear, very natural, very detailed and musical. I don’t have a huge history with dongles, but I was very impressed. Seemed to have lots of power too. The Dongle has a volume control, but the source, in this case my phone, still has volume control. Ken recommended putting the dongle around 50%, finding the volume I like with phone, and then making finer adjustments with the dongle control. Worked a charm, and I really enjoyed a few tracks from my testing playlist.
I have one coming in for review soon, so stay tuned.
Nightcraft Cables
A friend had these on the show floor as tour demos, so I got to hear them for a bit. While I didn’t get a lot of time I was deeply impressed. Wonderful, great copper sound. Reminds me of PW in looks, but unique in their own way. Totally black backgrounds and very detailed sound. Heard Nocturne Shielding, and the new Copper shielded flagship Vesper. I like them both. Nocturne is more like 1950s, mid centric, flatter and more intimate. The Vesper is more detailed, wider, more tactile and resolving. Also more comfortable without the black shrink.
After the show I got in contact with Jonathan, and after just a few minutes we arranged some review units. I am especially interested to try these over a longer period, letting them burnin as well, in a quiet environment. I have very high hopes for these. The Vesper vs Orpheus test should be very interesting !
One thing to note, these are quite affordable cables considering the level they’re playing in. Vesper S is $1.5k and Nocturne S is ~$1k, which isn’t cheap, but fantastically less than other flagships. I am excited to share my impressions on these compared to my summit cables as soon as they arrive, and burn in.
ELISE AUDIO MEET
MHE is most certainly focused on Headphones and even more so speakers and desktop audio, there’s not a lot for IEMs. I heard one or two at the show, but thankfully Ahmed from Elise had a meetup he brought all the best stuff. Thanks for that, everyone was very grateful for such a bountiful assortment of the best IEMs in the world to try. Keeping in mind this was at the end of a very intense and sonically overwhelming weekend. I was deeply impressed with many, again, golden age of audio. Thanks a million to
@SoundJedi for making it happen for us.
APX V3
I actually heard this one on the MHE show floor, but since we’re talking IEMs I’ll just put it here. One note, people have been reporting that something “happened” to the demo unit, and sounded *much* worse later in the weekend. Perhaps a broken driver, I don’t know, but I heard it Friday morning and it was fantastic.
I thought it sounded great! Not sure it’s an evolution, more a sidestep in another direction. The V3 doesn’t dethrone the SE if any of the you SE owners are worried. It’s different, and I for one prefer it over SE. Keeping in mind my tastes for correctness, lack of smoothening, and articulate dynamics, the the V3 takes the edge for sure.
It’s a mix of SE and Amber for sure, taking the more edgy mids and expansive stage of Amber and mixing some smoothness and musical magic from SE. Compared to SE, V3 mids are far more expressive and less smoothed, very tactile and a bit more forward perhaps. They are extremely detailed. I prefer them without question. With Bass I don’t hear the combination of mixed drivers, instead it’s far more cohesive, more even and natural. It does have a bit less character, but more correct for sure. It might be less growly, but this is based on fading memory. Treble is very resolving, a touch hotter than SE but less than Amber. There was a bit of extra hotness in the 6khz range, as Amber had, but this is much less.
Overall the V3 is a more technical, dynamic and expressive IEM. It’s more revealing, more intense, while retaining much of what made SE great. SE is certainly more safe, if not less expressive. V3 can be really intense, only time would tell if this became an issue, but I did find it mildly overbearing on certain tracks. Cable, source, tips etc made a HUGE difference, so that would certainly require a lot more testing to know concretely. Then stock cable is from the Amber, not final, so I can’t comment on synergy here. I did try it with my SS4 and that was a huge jump in detail, though it got a touch hot up top. I would need some time with swapping in a controlled environment.
Stage is wider and more natural, not just tall. All around is more cohesive, more layered and resolving while remaining far less “polite” than SE.
Shell shape is fantastic!! One of the best I’ve ever tried. sure. Piotr also included a BCD, which I wasn’t aware of until after trying it. I walked away finding it deeply percussive and engaging so that was surely part of it. I was very impressed with the V3. It didn’t sound totally final to my ears, some slight irregularities and slightly edgy lower treble are concerns. Tweaks are probably planned, and the shell material is changing.
Keep a lookout for this one, I for one am excited to hear it in the final form, whatever that may be. Well done
@piotrus-g, again foreign new ground and refinement, I applaud the endless search for perfection. I think SE owners should feel very happy with what they already have, the V3 is different. Perhaps you’ll like one over the other, and since the SE is sold out this is a great opportunity for those that missed out.
Symphonium Europa
Fantastic! Very balanced, punchy, technical and natural. Nothing to comment on, for the price they are some of the best ever. Kind of mini Storm, sort of. Needs **loads** of power. Deeply impressed, I would like one later on. If you have a chance to try this one out, please do. Awesome. Superb collab betweem Symphonium and
@Elise Audio.
HEX
After all the hyperbole and crazy hype, I got to hear this one. Suffice to say, it’s phenomenal. Hype deserved, amazing set. As is often the case I hear things very similarly to
@deezel and his CJSG impressions were spot on. It’s not perfect, and comparing it to others isn’t as black and white as some are saying. Let’s just say it’s one of the top 3 I’ve ever heard.
It is very colored, took some time to adjust. It’s almost dark in some way, but this fades after a few minutes. Not great with LP6 too thick and mid bassy, insanity levels with MAX. One of the best portable combos I’ve ever heard. Extremely good technicals, super punchy, amazing bass. Airy and spacious, but quite dense too. Bigger notes and weight, very percussive and hugely dynamic. The BCDs are wondrous here, adding attack and detail, amazing. But, it has lots of mid bass which did become overwhelming to the lower mids of several tracks. Something like Mark Littieri’s Baritone album was so fat and powerful, best I’ve ever heard this yet. But other times it was positively muddy on busy and punchier tracks. Very source dependent, synergy will play a big role here.
Vocals are sublime, BCD is quite nice giving some solid percussive quality. Treble is less weightless, more texture over the silky Dio. Extremely natural, cohesive and realistic. Not sure it’s the best thing ever, but it’s really really good.
Comparing to DIO, they are more like brothers that compliment each other, over a better newer version. In fact, they are completely different. Yes, HEX has better technicals, aided no doubt heavily by the BCDs. It’s fantastic, but so is DIO. An AB here is not so simple, and I feel their tuning differences make them fully co-flagships.
HEX is kind of dark and moody, and much more colored over the more neutral and open DIO. Bass is quite different, HEX having a TON of midbass and more body and punch, DIO being also fantastic and more neutral and sub based focused. Electronic on DIO is wild, HEX was more funk and punch, though of course fantastic for electronic too. HEX Mids are forward and have nice bite and attack, while remaining weighted and full. I prefer this over the DIO’s more distant and slightly thinner presentation. HEX stage sounds closer and more intimate over Dio whose ultra spacious stage reminds me of Fukagu, this is prefer. HEX details are more crisp and presented clearly, DIO is more relaxed. Vocals like Lianne La Havas are gorgeous with very defined edges and lush timbre, DIO they are as well, just further from you and more airy. Treble is quite different, with DIO keeping the trademark effortless silky endless Elysian is famous for. This is the best Lee’s ever done it in my opinion, it’s fabulous. The HEX has more weight, and for this reason sounds a but more realistic, which I do prefer. Though when I listen to DIO I am transported to another world, which is pretty epic too. Tomato, Tomato.
Shell seems a bit larger than Anni/Dio, with flat faceplates. Very comfortable, despite the size increase. Stock cable is very nice, hardware is cool too. It does feel a bit rubbery, and lacking any chin cinch, but this is small potatoes.
If I had to blindly choose I think HEX would be more my style, but I am not nearly as sure as I expected. HEX doesn’t make me want to immediately sell DIO -and a few others- just to have it, despite being shockingly good. The DIO magic is wildly good too, and for some styles of music I preferred it sincerely. I’ll need another round of testing, but I may have a HEX in my future.
Lee knocked this one out of the park for sure.
*I heard two prototypes at the end of the night, and they were super impressive!
Melodic Artification Planar
A tiny little shell, sporing a single planar driver. These sounded amazing, everyone was really impressed. I believe the shells were made of steel, so a bit heavy, but very comfortable given their crazily small size. Super open, super detailed, great bass, mids and treble. Everything was great. My only quibble would be a touch of extra hotness around 5-6khz, which I discussed at length with the designer. He is going to experiment with different shell materials, and perhaps make a small adjustment to that area. Surely the steel shell isn’t making it less bright.
Keep an eye out for this one, extremely impressive. I must have enjoyed this one too much I forgot to take a photo of it! I attach one from a friend for reference.
Letshuoer Proto
Sometimes you try out an IEM and are greeted immediately with enjoyment and a deep desire to melt into a chair for hours and just listen. I felt this way about this proto, it was really great. I believe some are calling it LadyS. It’s a bit on the bassy side, but overall quite balanced with nice note weight and grunt. Fat and detailed mids, super punchy bass with deep extension. Nice dirty and detailed treble, I don’t really have notes honestly. For this type of sound, at least to my ears at the time of testing, I just enjoyed the heck out of it. Dual DDs, BA and EST setup is fairly traditional, but it was a wonderful implementation and a deeply immersive and enjoyable listen for me.
I have to admit I had never heard a Letshuoer IEM before, and what I’ve seen online is generally on the cheaper side, but this was quite the into. I don’t know the final price, but it’s a flagship for sure. The builder is also one of the nicest guys you’ll meet, and deeply interested in feedback.
While the proto was printed resin, the final will be stabilized wood if memory serves. Perhaps a Ti version as well? I am eagerly on the lookout for this one later on. It was actually the very last thing I heard, and by this point I had taken so much cold medicine I thought I could float around the room, but I’m reasonably sure I would feel the same if I heard it again right now. Very cool.
BRISE Watatsumi
As could be expected from the next Brise flagship portable amp, it sounds incredible. All that I’ve come to expect from them, and then some, this is an amazing little amp. A bit bigger and thicker vs Tsuranagi, far smaller than EA4 of course. Interesting design choice with the molded shell casing wrapping around the volume knob, but it works nicely. Cues of camo give the feeling of Fugaku inspired aesthetics. It looks super cool, and feels especially sturdy and hefty in hand.
Sonically it sounds massive. Exquisitely detailed, very punchy with that Brise trademark sub-bass rumble. Detailed and slightly velvety mids, super detailed top end with endless extension. This is the highest performing amp they’ve ever made, and my favorite by quite some margin. It has become a bit passé and overused to say something sounds “like Fugaku” but in this case the Watatsumi is inspired and build on the amp that runs the Fugaku. It injected a great sense of realism, staging, detail, body and texture to anything and everything I tried with it. It has that Brise polish to it, but also undeniable grunt and swagger too.
I have decided not to buy any more portable amps as they simply don’t fit my use case. When I want an amp, I use a desktop amp. If I’m DAP only then I don’t want ICs and extra wires tethering me to the desk. So while the Watatsumi is incredible, and drool worthy, I just wouldn’t use it enough. But if you’re into portable amps, and can stomach the ~$4.5ish price tag, it’s a stunner. Very very impressed.
Closing Thoughts
That about does it, as per usual a simple set of notes has evolved into a much longer and more detailed essay of sorts. I appreciate if you took the time to read to the end, it was such a trip, so much amazing stuff to listen to, and all the great friends along the way. The standouts that shake me to my core were several, the H1 and Astreus haunt my dreams still. I can’t wait to have them at my studio and just meeeelt. The HEX I will need another listen to decide if my mortgage needs some adjustment, I am also deeply in love with DIO at the moment so the waters be cloudy(ish). And still, though I mention it only at the very end, STORM stands alone. There’s nothing quite like it, especially with the SS8 and MAX. With H1 I was transported to my days sitting side chair in LA recording studios and hearing some of the best do their work, blasting along to the big Genelecs. Wow. A fun part of these shows and meets, I really enjoy letting people try my STORM+SS8+MAX setup, their faces are amazing and they always say something like “I never imagined an IEM could sound like that” or similar. More than a couple said it was the best they ever heard, even over HEX. That’s not to promote STORM, or in any way demean or lower HEX, it just means that the summit is never a single point. It’s not black and white, as is always the case in this hobby: everything is DEEPLY subjective, we all like different stuff in different ways, which is why we’re so lucky to have near endless possibilities.
Walking away from a weekend like this, and still being in love with what you already own, well that’s the best. Thanks for reading!
