After having some time read through my notes and really digest what I heard I'd like to take the time to highlight a few more really outstanding products I got to hear at the show! Starting with the best amp overall, the best closed back headphone overall, and the best Portable overall.
AXPONA 2018 Best in Show Headphone Amplifier
Sonnare Amps - The Emotion; Directly Heated Tube Amp
After exploring the many different offerings on both the Expo Floor and on the various up stairs levels, in the end I felt Dan Cheever of Sonnare Amps - The Emotion still stood out as the best headphone amp overall!
Everything I mentioned on day 1 still stood true even after hearing some of the more boutique designs from other manufacturers.
AXPONA 2018 Best in Show Headphone Amplifier
After exploring the many different offerings on both the Expo Floor and on the various up stairs levels, in the end I felt Dan Cheever of Sonnare Amps - The Emotion still stood out as the best headphone amp overall!
Everything I mentioned on day 1 still stood true even after hearing some of the more boutique designs from other manufacturers.
An again for my listening impressions I had the staging knob turned full counter clock wise, so I utilized the lowest amount of "adjustable" harmonic content and again this was HANDS DOWN the best Tube Amp I've heard with my Modded ES10. I used my HM901 for source with the vintage filter.
As for music I listened to a full 24bit high quality rip of Hotel California-Live from the Simply Vinyl Reissue of Hell Freeze's Over. Many of you are likely used to the CD version and I deeply implore you to get your hands on the Simply Vinyl Reissue as the mastering on it is simply the best I and many of my friends have ever heard... period.
An in addition to that track, I also had Rebecca Pidgeon's Spanish Harlem from the David Chesky Ultimate Demonstration Disc in standard redbook 16bit format. An again;
As for music I listened to a full 24bit high quality rip of Hotel California-Live from the Simply Vinyl Reissue of Hell Freeze's Over. Many of you are likely used to the CD version and I deeply implore you to get your hands on the Simply Vinyl Reissue as the mastering on it is simply the best I and many of my friends have ever heard... period.
An in addition to that track, I also had Rebecca Pidgeon's Spanish Harlem from the David Chesky Ultimate Demonstration Disc in standard redbook 16bit format. An again;
- The texture of both instruments and vocals was crystal clear
- So I was able to easily identify both the initial attack of leading edge of each and every one of the strings on those beautiful Spanish guitars, in addition to hearing the unique texture of the each shake from the shaker
- The envelope was perfectly balanced
- With a slight focus on sustain/release with no loss of aggression or energy in the attack/decay
- Sound was very open, airy and spacious
- Again a very black background free of any noise or hum allowed me to very easily pick up on a lot of micro detail I'd previously missed in my own system, such as the slight reflection of Rebecca's voice off the back of the room she's in,
- Imaging was very precise and cohesive
- Sounds originating from the left would often bleed ever so slightly onto the left channel and vice versa, and the two violins in Spanish Harlem often play the same notes, but the harmonic content of each is slightly different and with The Emotion you could clearly identify and clearly place where each violin was, additional noise from the crowd in Hotel California was incredibly vivid and precise. With no question as to where the loudest whistlers and clappers were located
For more information about The Emotion please reach out to Dan via his email sales@sonnare.com.
Next up for AXPONA 2018 Best in Show Closed Back Headphone
The Sennheiser HD 820
I felt that even within the system it was limited to, it exhibited the greatest amount;
- Clarity
- Unlike the HD 800 which as a slight focus on the sustain/release of instruments, the HD 820 present a perfect balance throughout it's entire envelope
- Micro detail
- No breath, nor bend, no echo nor reflection and variation in texture were glossed over,
- Tonal balance
- Neither to bright or dark up top and perfectly well extended at the bottom with little to no mid range forwardness
- Imaging precision & Cohesion
- So the natural size of the room and placement of musicians was extremely vivid, especially with much of the binaural content I listened to!
Again Sennheiser certainly have captured everything about the HD 800 series open backs and managed to engineer a closed back on the very same level!
Finally for the best Portable of AXPONA 2018
Astell & Kern's Kaan
Not only was the sound exceptional but it's sheer versatility as a portable was un-matched! In addition to the standard 3.5mm single end'd and 2.5mm balanced headphone outs it offered;
- Linear Tonal Response
- 3.5mm Single Ended & 2.5mm full balanced dedicated analog line outs
- Full and Micro sized SD Card slots
- USB Digital Audio Out
- Full Sized Touch Screen Display
- With the fastest and cleanest user interfaced I've ever experinced
- 64Gb's of internal flash memory
So for some one like my self who has a large collection of portable amplifiers, and often needs a dedicated digital source the Kaan was just a power house! The on-board amp sounded excellent and it's long list of digital and analog features again make it a standard for any and all Digital Audio Players at this price point!
So that wraps up part 2 of my Best Of's from AXPONA. Part 3 will be up shortly!
