I didn't know there was a plus version of the Head 2
Trafomatic Head 2
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Sense
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There is a plus version?
sawindra
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+ or SE..yes
upgraded mundorf ZN caps, better transformers and chassis
upgraded mundorf ZN caps, better transformers and chassis
Sense
100+ Head-Fier
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When did this come out? How do I know what one I have?
sawindra
100+ Head-Fier
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This amp reminded me of a red Ferrari I saw on a city street the other day. Flawless color.
Nice, I wonder if there is an upgrade path?
staticosaur
New Head-Fier
What headphones and dacs are you using with the Head 2?
I tested it with LCD-X and dac out of Audio-GD D28.38. Switching back and forth between the Head 2 and D28.38’s amp, Head 2 had slight advantage of bringing nuances out a bit better, like it emphasized on them. Everything else was more or less the same: tonal balance, details, soundstage, etc. Actually, the soundstage was a bit narrrower compared to Audio-GD.
I had both units at hand for the entire weekend and listened extensively.
I thought the sound difference was insignificant to pay x3 the price + having to invest in a dac and take much more space.
I wonder whether a different dac would have made any difference.
I tested it with LCD-X and dac out of Audio-GD D28.38. Switching back and forth between the Head 2 and D28.38’s amp, Head 2 had slight advantage of bringing nuances out a bit better, like it emphasized on them. Everything else was more or less the same: tonal balance, details, soundstage, etc. Actually, the soundstage was a bit narrrower compared to Audio-GD.
I had both units at hand for the entire weekend and listened extensively.
I thought the sound difference was insignificant to pay x3 the price + having to invest in a dac and take much more space.
I wonder whether a different dac would have made any difference.
I’m using a Chord DAVE with my Head 2. To answer your question, I would say yes, a dedicated DAC will make a noticeable difference.
I reached out to Trafomatic Audio to see if the original Head 2 could be upgraded to the SE model. From the response I got from Sasa, it doesn't seem like it can be, bummer.
Haha, You're right. It's just a matter of time before one of those hit the classifiedsYou shouldn't get upset. The update button is here.
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SPOILER]
That's unfortunate. Here in my country Head2 goes for 2800€ while the "new" Head2SE goes for 3450€, so a lil bump in price it seems.
The dealer said about the differences (translated) :
- Soundwise it keeps the same DNA than the original, beautiful SS, rich and fluid sound, beautiful timbre.
And the biggest changes according to him are :
- Low end control : tighter, more textured, better grip.
- Overall dynamics improved. More vivid, more structured, tighter, with more impact.
- Better layering.
- Micro details more noticeable.
And of course there's a bit more power on tap with the volume pot (not that it was a neccecity but yeah...).
Btw @Slim1970 , can you please tell me how the Ether 2 does with your Trafo ? Is there some genres that doesn't work that well with this pairing, or it just works as all rounder ? Finally, i'm curious to know your favorites pairing from your collection
All of those are great reasons to upgrade to the Head 2 SE in my opinion. For me, I don't necessarily want to buy a brand new amp when it's very possible to just upgrade some of the internal components of the original Head 2 to accomplish the same thing. There definitely should be an upgrade path for original owners to get a much improved sound and better performance out of the OG Head 2.That's unfortunate. Here in my country Head2 goes for 2800€ while the "new" Head2SE goes for 3450€, so a lil bump in price it seems.
The dealer said about the differences (translated) :
- Soundwise it keeps the same DNA than the original, beautiful SS, rich and fluid sound, beautiful timbre.
And the biggest changes according to him are :
- Low end control : tighter, more textured, better grip.
- Overall dynamics improved. More vivid, more structured, tighter, with more impact.
- Better layering.
- Micro details more noticeable.
And of course there's a bit more power on tap with the volume pot (not that it was a neccecity but yeah...).
Btw @Slim1970 , can you please tell me how the Ether 2 does with your Trafo ? Is there some genres that doesn't work that well with this pairing, or it just works as all rounder ? Finally, i'm curious to know your favorites pairing from your collection
I'll plug in the Ether 2 and report back. It's been a while since I put them on for a listen. For certain, all of my Hifiman headphones sound great on the Head 2. The Utopia's, Stellia's, D8k Pro's also have nice synergy with the Head 2.
Thank you, much appreciated. Do it when you feel like it, i'm certainly not in a hurry. I'm curious about this pairing because i got my eyes on the Ether 2 for a while now and for sure i'm getting a Head2SE when i raise the funds for it.
Also to add more on the previous comparisons, for what it's worth, the same dealer said that for him the Head2 pairs better with Utopia OG as it temper the more ernegetic character from the OG, while the Head2SE has better synergy with Utopia 2022.
I thought some Utopia's owners could be interested so i'm throwing this here.
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