[albon86]

[size=large]Introducing the X1HA-EPx Feature Packed Portable Amp Series[/size]

[size=x-small]We designed the X1HA-EPx series to be the ultimate in portable headphone amplification.[/size]

Lower gain on X1HA-EPC model, no hiss or noise, much lower distortion, low gain setting ideal for IEM's.

1. True high-end amplifier design
2. Two models available:
   1. X1HA-EPC with Buffered Class AB matched bipolar transistor output
   2. X1HA-EPT with Texas Instruments TPA6120 high performance headphone amp chip
3. OPA2134 TI Sound Plus™ high performance buffer op amps
4. Lower gain setting on X1HA-EPC model for ultra-low noise and distortion. Low gain setting is excellent for IEM's while high gain setting is perfect for high impedance headphones up to 600 ohms.
5. No input or output capacitors in audio signal path for pristine audio
6. Exceptional linearity over extended frequency range DC to 550000Hz (550kHz)
7. Output power up to 940mW RMS per channel into 32 ohm
8. Headphone impedance handling from 16 ohm to 600 ohm
9. Very low distortion down to 0.004% @ 1kHz (X1HA-EPC), ultra low channel crosstalk and noise
10. Gain control for source compatibility, extended dynamic range and headphone impedance matching
11. Stereo Field Simulator circuit for real stereo simulation
12. Gold plated circuit board for enhanced audio purity
13. Built in rechargeable Lithium Ion battery pack (world voltage charger included with package)
14. Extended battery life, 16 hours on single charge (4 hours recharge time)
15. Amplifier measures only 4.82L x 2.72W x 1.1H(Inch), 123L x 69W x 28H(mm)
16. Aluminum case for strength and reduced electrical interference

[size=small]All the detailed info here :[/size]

1. http://www.aptecpro.com/Xenos-Prod/X...ntro-page.html

[size=small]Get the detailed specs here :[/size]

1. X1HA-EPC http://www.aptecpro.com/Xenos-Prod/X...pec-sheet.html
2. X1HA-EPT http://www.aptecpro.com/Xenos-Prod/X...pec-sheet.html

[size=small]Need More Info or have Questions?[/size]
Find out about all the intricate details of the X1HA-EPx amps on this thread.
I am here to answer all your poignant questions and address concerns you may have.

5 Year Warranty - on all our amps, even if you break the connectors or volume pot, switches or jacks. 5 years, as long as you don't drive over it with your car, or drop it from the 13th floor!!!

Our 30 Day Money Back Guarantee is Real, - on all our amps. Just make sure you contact us by email: 2.sales@aptecpro.com, by phone: +1-905-579-5699 and, on Skype if you wish: alberto.bonini

[size=small]New revised pricing and FREE Shipping on all our amps.[/size]

Ready to buy - http://www.aptecpro.com/store/customer/home.php?cat=7

 

[albon86]

Hi all

Thanks to the great response received for reviewing the X1HA-EPC. Will announce the individuals who will be receiving a FREE X1HA-EPC soon.

 

[Skylab]

I already bought my 1HA-EPC, and let me tell you, it's a terrific amp. I'm enjoying it a lot. Nice work, Xenos.

 

[Morph201]

I also used the Xenos EPC for a while and the SQ was very good.. Where do I sign up for my free Xenos!!?

 

[albon86]

Some members report that they can hear a hiss from the X1HA-EPC.
Is it true?

To explain...

With the Gain switch in the OFF position.
The X1HA-EPC has a reletively high, 20kOhm nominal input impedance which if unterminated (not connected to anything) could produce some very, very low level noise (hiss) if the volume control is turned to the maximum position. This noise should be not dicernible at all.
The reason for this high input impedance is such that when you connect the X1HA-EPC to the line output of a source such as a CD or DVD player the load presented to the CD or DVD player will not negatively affect the audio signal eminating from these sources.
It has been demonstrated that a load impedance even at 10kOhm will load down the line output of such a source such as a CD/DVD player to produce significant distortion of the audio signal. Distortion is far, far worse than a virtually inaudible hiss with the volume control turned to the maxiumum position because you will be exposed to the distorted signal no matter what you set the volume to.

Connecting the input of the X1HA-EPC to the line output of a source (CD/DVD player, etc) without the power of the source being turned on is effectively the same as having the input of the X1HA-EPC unterminated, so noise could be expected (this is not a normal listening condition).

To really observe the amp's noise floor level correctly all that is required is an input terminator rated at 20kOhms. Essentially a mini jack with two 20kOhm resistors between the hot pins (L & R channels) and the ground pin. In this condition, virtually no noise, hiss or other should be audible at all with IEM's or over-the-ear headphones.


With the Gain switch in the ON position (a 10dB boost in amp gain).
This setting is required only when connecting to the headphone jack output of an MP3 player or headphone output of any other source and driving over-the-ear headphones of higher impedance >120Ohm. The impedance conditions here are quite different than that of the line output of the CD or DVD player.
Essentially however, the same rules apply and similar observations will be realized as described above with the Gain switch off.
The headphone output of any device is designed to be connected to headphones which typically have impedances ranging from 16Ohms to 600Ohms, much, much lower than the 22kOhm is employed for the line output of a CD or DVD player.
In this case the input of the X1HA-EPC should be terminated with a 600Ohm or less impedance source.

Connecting the input of the X1HA-EPC to the headphone output of a source (CD/DVD/MP3 player, etc) without the power of the source being turned on is effectively the same as having the input of the X1HA-EPC unterminated, so noise could be expected (this is not a normal listening condition).

To really observe the amp's noise floor level correctly in this condition all that is required is an input terminator rated at 600Ohms or less. Essentially a mini jack with two 600Ohm resistors between the hot pins (L & R channels) and the ground pin. In this condition, some hiss may be only just slightly audible with IEM's but not with over-the-ear headphones.
This is due to the 10dB gain boost (Gain switch turned on), where the input buffer op amp will generate slightly more noise than with the Gain switch turned off.
However, no matter what the signal source is, when using IEM's with the X1HA-EPC there is no need to have the Gain switch in the on position unless one wants to pound their ear drums to the point of pain.

All of the above is based on extensive testing we performed in our own lab.

This helps answer questions related to this subject.

Please let me know if there are any other questions or concerns.



NEW ANNOUNCEMENT- (Since the above post) Lower gain now standard on X1HA-EPC model, no hiss or noise, much lower distortion than before.

Gain settings before 20/02/2007 - Low = 19dB High = 29dB

Gain settings after 21/02/2007 - Low = 12dB High = 22dB

Low gain setting is excellent for IEM's while high gain setting is perfect for high impedance headphones up to 600 ohms.

 

[Morph201]

In response to your explanation. I just want to say that while using IEMs with the Xenos the "hiss" was present with the volume set to a low level (8 o'clock position), I never start an amp set to max position. Also it was present in two different conditions iPod on initially and off. If I increased the volume to max, not only was there a hiss, but a hum. Also, the gain switch was off at all times. Not to take away from the fact that the amp produced great sounds, I just felt the hiss interfered with the enjoyment. Perhaps, it was my unit or a particular batch, Spookykinkajou received his Xenos a week before me and experienced the same thing.

 

[supermite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morph201 /img/forum/go_quote.gif In response to your explanation. I just want to say that while using IEMs with the Xenos the "hiss" was present with the volume set to a low level (8 o'clock position), I never start an amp set to max position. Also it was present in two different conditions iPod on initially and off. If I increased the volume to max, not only was there a hiss, but a hum. Also, the gain switch was off at all times. Not to take away from the fact that the amp produced great sounds, I just felt the hiss interfered with the enjoyment. Perhaps, it was my unit or a particular batch, Spookykinkajou received his Xenos a week before me and experienced the same thing.

Likely that your Shure E500 be extremely picky on background noise. Not sure if it's just really high efficiency even for a IEM, or some spiky spike in the highs.

 

[TheSloth]

I have spent a lot more time with the Xenos and feel that some further comments are needed to complete this review. I will leave this here as it is, but will be editing and reposting most of it.

[size=xx-small]Xenos X1HA-EPC review:

Background:

I was particularly interested in the new Xenos line of portable amplifiers due to their inclusion of crossfeed, which in my home HeadRoom rig is something I cannot live without. HeadRoom have developed their amplifier and crossfeed technology over many years, so I was interested to see how this new entrant would compare at their first attempt.

For reference, as this is a small, battery powered amp, my comparison to other amps are limited to simulations of the Micro Amp with Desktop and Micro Modules (using the 'convertible'). These are also somewhat comparable in cost, with the HeadRoom Micro line costing $300 ($81 more than the Xenos) and offer similar overall functionality.

First impressions:

The Xenos arrived well packaged, as you can see in the photographs. The packaging is simple, neat and elegant, as well as being small enough not to necessitate being thrown out!

Physically, the amp is about the width of an iPod, but almost 2" longer if you include the volume control. Though it appears small, it felt somewhat heavy in my hand, considering its size.

The front face plate is rather elegant, and well constructed. The 1/8" jacks are the best I have encountered, giving a very tight and secure fit. Those who have fought with slightly loose 1/8" jacks over the years will particularly appreciate this. The buttons have a very nice feel to them as well, with just the right blend of resistance to ensure they are not accidentally pressed, and lightness for comfort. The volume control has a rubber coating which feels pleasing to touch. The icons and writing are in an elegant font with good resolution, and overall I think it looks very nice indeed.

Initial tests:

The amp comes with a warning to charge it for 16 hours before first use, which I obeyed, though at least according to the light on the charger (which switches from green to red when charging) it was fully charged.

I tested the amp using my small but resolving headphone inventory: the HD-650 with stock cable, and Etymotic ER-4p and s. This should give a reasonable range of impedances and sensitivities. The source was the line out from my iMod 60Gb, connected through a 6" Cardas HPI mini-mini. Music was all classical, with a focus on small and large scale choral and orchestral music.

Yes, that pot setting is really where I listened with 650's, 1V input and low gain...

Before burn in, the first thing I noticed was the significant gain. Even with the 1V output of the iMod and the moderate sensitivity of the 650's, the Xenos could produce beyond deafening levels even without the 10dB boost.

A quick test of the noise floor revealed no issues with hiss at normal playback levels, even with the 27ohm Ety. 4p's, though in their case turning the volume up a small way beyond 'normal' revealed hiss. This noise floor was good, but higher than that of the HR amp at a roughly equivalent gain setting (medium).

At this point, after checking that everything was working properly, I turned up the volume beyond where I would ever listen (and where anyone should ever listen!), turned on the crossfeed to engage all the circuitry, and left it running for 24 hours.

Initial listening:

Apart from the crossfeed, what peaked my interest for a comparison with HeadRoom amps is the apparently similar choice of parts and general circuit design. After all, if one considers the Desktop Module, it also uses OPA 2134's as input buffer and gain stage, with an actively buffered crossfeed circuit. They also use discrete output stages, though I suspect the HR flavoured Diamond Buffer is somewhat more advanced than the push/pull transistor pair in the Xenos.

As my usual listening is done with HR Max '06 Modules, I spent some time with only the Desktop Module to give the Xenos a fair point of comparison. When first switching to the Xenos, I noticed a somewhat more midrange-centric sound - voices and instruments were very clear and defined in their fundamental tonal range, but lacked air and space around them. Overall, plenty of power, but not a huge amount of refinement.

Switching the crossfeed switch resulted in a surprising decrease in output level, which makes A/B'ing a little skewed - we all know the louder sound will be perceived as 'better'. The crossfeed is very strong, with a very obvious compressing of the channels. To my ears, it was too strong, muddling up the centre of the spatial image a bit. It also seemed to obscure some high frequency detail, which was already not one of the amps strengths. As a point of comparison, the HR crossfeed implementation does not change the output level, and does not obviously move the location of instruments, simply giving them a more natural position in a more complete landscape between the ears.

(The HeadRoom amp you see there is indeed not a Micro, but a modified Desktop Portable ($600). I set up the power supply and electronics module arrangement to very closely resemble that of the Micro for fair comparison. So it might look like a Desktop Portable, but sonically it's a Micro with either Desktop (in the amp) or Micro (sitting on top) module).

Longer term impressions:

Despite the fact that I have no belief in burn in the electrical sense, I did enjoy the amp the more I used it. After a few days of using it as my only amp, I started to appreciate its virtues, and the faults became less bothersome. It has power and punch in abundance, and the lack of absolute resolution is forgivable in a portable context. The crossfeed also seemed more natural over time - it pushes the soundstage further towards the middle than the HR circuit does, which in a way makes it easier to listen to as all the sounds come from a narrower horizontal space. But I still feel it is a little too extreme, causing some cluttering of the lower midrange particularly towards the centre of the image. But with a simple flip of a switch, it's turned off and out of the signal path anyway, and overall I always consider any crossfeed option to be better than none at all.

Tonally, I'd describe the Xenos as having a strong midrange, and a slightly 'dry' tonality typical of solid state designs class B output stages. Colourations of subtraction if you will - nothing much apparent in the highest harmonics, and a lack of tightness and scale in the bass. But it is certainly not unmusical. It's just a 'simple' kind of sound - nothing particularly exciting, but nothing terribly offensive either. Though it clearly has a sound of its own, and transparent is not a word I'd associate with it, I never felt it got in the way of the music. There was nothing from my usual collection that I felt I couldn't enjoy in the way I normally would in my reference system simply because of the amplifier. I have actually come to feel a particular sympathy with its presentation, in that despite its 'audiophile' faults, it is easy and pleasurable for me to listen to. The fact that the last degrees of detail and air are not there doesn't really bother me in this case, and more importantly I don't find myself turning up the volume to find them. I suppose when you take away some of those audiophile things we love to listen for in an almost geeky way, there can often be more room to just listen to the music underneath it all.

The charging arrangement works well, and the battery life definitely seemed up to spec, though I didn't test this exactly. I took a look inside and it is very simple to swap out the battery. I suspect that as Li-ion technology grows, higher capacity battery packs may become available, giving increased battery life.

But it is a shame that what starts out as clean and pure battery power has to go through a switching supply before it gets fed to the audio electronics. I wonder how much the power supply arrangement contributes to the dryness I noted. The advantages of this arrangement of course are the significant output power, and proper split rail supply to the electronics (at a very healthy +/-12V).

Conclusion?

First, a quick pros and cons list:

Pros:

Well built
Excellent 1/8" jacks
Rechargeable battery
Crossfeed
Variable Gain
Loads of output power
Musical presentation, with strong/focused midrange
5yr warranty

Cons:

Somewhat heavy relative to its size
Odd choice of gain settings (who needs 29dB of gain in a portable headphone amplifier?)
Noise floor a little high
Dry sound - lack of air and space, limited soundstage
Crossfeed is slightly overdone/not refined enough
Should come with velcoins to attach a portable player directly

At $219, it sits at an interesting price point a little way below that of the 'big boys' in the portable amp world, but above that of the entry level 'toy' amps. I have no experience with the entry level amps, but compared with the $300 HR Micro, which is considered to be at least on par with the other portables in its price range, it is a step down. The differences are all in the space between the notes - the sense of air, and harmonic extension from the lowest fundamentals right to the top of the spectrum that you get from higher end amplifier, that is lacking in the Xenos's presentation. How much of a step down is your call - you'll see from the ratings below that I don't think it's a very big one, particularly given the lower cost, but its there.

Sonics (absolute scale): 4.25/10
Sonics (relative scale): 7.75/10 rel. HR Micro w/Desktop Module (8.25/10 rel. Micro Module).
Build quality: 9/10
Portability: 6/10
Battery life: 7.5/10
Value for money: 8.25/10

I hope the above comments speak for themselves, and help you to make an informed decision as to whether this is the amp for you and your budget. I think the biggest compliment I can give this amp is that I could live with it (well, at least for a while - you know me, the guy who went from the bottom to the top of the HR line in less than 2 months ). There are many things it doesn't do, and some things it does try to do that it could do better, but what it does do doesn't really get in the way of the music. It therefore manages to avoid the most terrible sin that any piece of audio equipment can commit, and does so on a budget too.

I don't like to make recommendations in terms of musical synergy, but it seems quite clear from the sound signature that this is more of a companion for punchy, powerful (amplified) music, and is less apt at delineating the true timbre of complex acoustic instruments (though I know nothing in its price range that is). That would also give some more explanation as to what the design team was looking for when selecting those high gain settings.

Postscript:

I enjoyed exchanging messages with Alberto from Xenos regarding the design of the amp, and the trade-off's involved. What did come out of the discussions is that they would be prepared to offer different gain settings for customers on a case by case basis. I recommend to any buyer that they consider their system carefully, and think about whether they would be better served with lower overall gain. I believe that Xenos are already investigating lowering the gain on all the amps by as much as 12dB. This will lower the noise floor considerably (and may bring a tiny bit more transparency as well), and I hope to have my unit modified so I can do a follow up shortly. I am going to have the gain on my unit lowered, and will post a follow up report on any improvements.

We also talked a little about the possibility of class A biasing of some stages further down the line. I recommended to Alberto that they investigate adding bias to all the opamps, and seeing what the resultant loss of battery life is.[/size]

 

[Skylab]

Well written review. Nice Job. I liked the 1HA-EPC a bit more than you did, it would seem, but that's what makes the world go 'round.

 

[albon86]

NEW ANNOUNCEMENT- Lower gain now standard on X1HA-EPC model, no hiss or noise, much lower distortion than before.
Gain settings before 20/02/2007 - Low = 19dB High = 29dB

Gain settings after 21/02/2007 - Low = 12dB High = 22dB

Low gain setting is excellent for IEM's while high gain setting is perfect for high impedance headphones up to 600 ohms.

http://www.aptecpro.com/Xenos-Prod/X...pec-sheet.html

We can upgrade your existing X1HA-EPC amp to the new gain settings free of charge, shipping extra.

 

[TheSloth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by albon86 /img/forum/go_quote.gif NEW ANNOUNCEMENT- Lower gain now standard on X1HA-EPC model, no hiss or noise, much lower distortion than before. Gain settings before 20/02/2007 - Low = 19dB High = 29dB Gain settings after 21/02/2007 - Low = 12dB High = 22dB Low gain setting is excellent for IEM's while high gain setting is perfect for high impedance headphones up to 600 ohms. http://www.aptecpro.com/Xenos-Prod/X...pec-sheet.html We can upgrade your existing X1HA-EPC amp to the new gain settings free of charge, shipping extra.

I will have my amp adjusted and will post my impressions, along with a rewrite of the above review. I have spent a significant amount more time with the amp and have a slightly different impression of the amp, for the better.

 

[richsto]

I posted my thoughts on this amplifer in the Xenos Review thread - I also found this to be a very, very nice amp.

Rich

 

[Asr]

My review for StereoMojo is now up.

Big thanks to albon86 here (aka Alberto), for the excellent customer service with respect to our somewhat complicated dealings.

The one thing I neglected to mention in the review was his customer service, so thanks, it was very much appreciated! Based on that alone, no one should have any qualms about buying from Xenos/ATP Systems!

I can now also finally say that I was indeed impressed by the amp, a very good one indeed for portable applications, hard to go wrong with!

 

[yome6969]

Hi albon86!
I have the question about X1HA-EPC.

X1HA-EPC was praised in the review in Japan , saying that "Power and the
density were felt in the sound".
Of course, the power of the sound is not large sound.

Has not the essence of the sound changed though X1HA-EPC becomes
lower gain?
Does X1HA-EPC still have power and the density?

Thanks!

 

[jchen2]

In my experience, the new gain setting makes the lower gain more useful
i.e. more fine tuning while the new high gain is almost the same as the old low gain.
That is, "Power and the density were felt in the sound" would be the right description
of the new high gain setting.

Hope this helps.


Quote:

Originally Posted by yome6969 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi albon86! I have the question about X1HA-EPC. X1HA-EPC was praised in the review in Japan , saying that "Power and the density were felt in the sound". Of course, the power of the sound is not large sound. Has not the essence of the sound changed though X1HA-EPC becomes lower gain? Does X1HA-EPC still have power and the density? Thanks!