My Soundtiger Sinfonia amp came 3 days ago. This is a new release from a relatively unknown manufacturer (On Headfi) Utsusemi-Works from Japan. My first impressions:
It was packed well with no visible marks on the device from shipping & handling.
The amp itself has a small footprint. A reference with 475 for scale:
Besides the size, a key difference is the Sinfonia does not have a volume toggle like MK 475. It has to be attenuated via the DAP.
There are two metal screws that pulls the inside tray out to switch out the batteries. I used the manufacturer recommended Fujitsu whites. This lasts about 10 hours from a full charge. 475 in comparison has a back panel that slides in.
TGX Desolation Sound -> RS8 -> Sinfonia (preamped):
After adding Sinfonia: Sub bass quanitity remains similar but becomes harder and more condensed. Female vocals gain this organic but ethereal quality while having a similar note size. Treble gains extention without thinning out.
Needless to say super impressed with it so far. It is giving me 475 levels of enjoyment albeit a different sound profile. There is something special going on here which I suspect is due to the absense of a volume knob. The black background and imaging reminds me of SP3K. More tests with different configurations (and ICs) once I find the time.
Packaging:
Sinfonia comes with an eco-friendly box. Right box is the Afterglow IC.
It was packed well with no visible marks on the device from shipping & handling.
The amp itself has a small footprint. A reference with 475 for scale:
Besides the size, a key difference is the Sinfonia does not have a volume toggle like MK 475. It has to be attenuated via the DAP.
There are two metal screws that pulls the inside tray out to switch out the batteries. I used the manufacturer recommended Fujitsu whites. This lasts about 10 hours from a full charge. 475 in comparison has a back panel that slides in.
Sound impressions:
I picked the two transducers I had the most experience with source rolling. Desolation Sound & XE6. Being $600, I kept my expectactions reasonable.
TGX Desolation Sound -> RS8 -> Sinfonia (preamped):
- This gave me an immediate connection and wow factor. The mids pull me in
. This has a pure, elegant but uplifting sound. - Transients became heightened like it came to life. The stage isnt as wide as 475 but I love how well each note became more separated and punctuated.
- Forward staging is good. Music sounds more three dimensional and contoured.
- Tuning: 475 is U shaped while Sinfonia tuning is fairly neutral with slightly accented upper mids. This is more reference vs Tsuranagi which I found to add mid bass and lower mids.
After adding Sinfonia: Sub bass quanitity remains similar but becomes harder and more condensed. Female vocals gain this organic but ethereal quality while having a similar note size. Treble gains extention without thinning out.
Needless to say super impressed with it so far. It is giving me 475 levels of enjoyment albeit a different sound profile. There is something special going on here which I suspect is due to the absense of a volume knob. The black background and imaging reminds me of SP3K. More tests with different configurations (and ICs) once I find the time.
