ohmage to the Chord & Major 2013 Major 7, 8, and 9 earphones

 Chord & Major (C&M) hopped over to e-Earphone's Osaka show from Taiwan in time to catch my cold. God bless them. And as I was hacking up bits of mucous around their booth, I fell in love with two things: their new-for-2013 Major 9 earphone, and double hot toddies.

Spec

Frequency Response: 20-20KHz
Sensitivity: 96dB
Impedance: 21Ω
Connector: 3.5mm (golden plated)
Cable Length: 1,2m

Major 7 ’13 Jazz - 11.500¥
Major 8 ’13 Rock - 11.500¥
Major 9 ’13 Classical - 13.500¥

ohmage: colours and sounds (C&S)

While not as starkly idiosyncratic as Wizard's new earphones, Major 7, 8, and 9 do things with distinct layers of individuality. And it's not just sound. The colours, the weights, and the discreet sheen of each earphone differs accordingly.

Chord & Major dub each Major earphone a Tonal Earphone. 

ohmage & porridge: comfort and fit (C&F)

Despite its unenviable freshman position in the crowded dynamic earphone class, Major is off to a good start. C&M have done their homework, designing, packaging, writing marketing copy, etc., for their earphones. Major is also supremely easy to use.

Every earphone in the series is easy to insert. Good fit is easy to maintain. There are even tabs for big fingered fumblers. About the only thing C&M didn't prepare was a million ear pieces. You get a total of six. That's not bad. It’s just not Wizard. 

The first down side is cable microphonics. The neck cinch alleviates the worst noise, but not all of it. If microphonics really bother you, turn the earphone upside down and loop the cable over your ear. Major’s barrel shape allows for myriad insertion angles. 

The other down side is the large size of the earphone barrel, which can be uncomfortable for small ear bowls. My wife’s love affair with Major lasted no more than a few seconds. Her ear bowls are tiny. Mine, on the other hand, get on fabulously with Major. 

ohmage: kitsch

Other than a bit too much shine, there's nothing kitschy about Major. C&M very obviously aimed for class. They even used maple veneers in the outer portion of Major. Removable wood sections in the display box are classy- and pointless. Actually, the box can double as a small bentou box in a pinch.

Definitely not pointless.

The faux felt carrying baggy is cute and does the job of keeping Major safe. The wax/polishing brush is supple, and dare I say it, beautiful. It shames the brush/wax loops of custom IEMs many times Major’s price.

I get the idea that C&M weren't aiming for strict utilitarianism.

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ohmage: build quality

Aside from the crack-prone stress relieves on the cable, there is little about which to complain. The sturdy metal tabs on the back of the chassis serve to lever the earphones into the ear. They also protect the cable from bending too much. The earphone body is heavy and not overly prone to scratching. The cable is fair. Its outer sleeve is strong, but a little easy to stretch out of shape. 

And since Major is quite solid (and heavy), it will probably endure a lot of floor time. Watch your toes.

porridge: quality of finish

Chord & Major have abundant vision. Unfortunately their follow-through is abundantly typical. Their snazzy bentou box is rife with oxidised metal joints. Glue residue slicks the seams between the earphone’s wood veneers and metal exoskeleton. And no matter how much you polish the metal bits, they won't gleam with jewel perfection. 

Of course, you can’t ask for perfection for from earphones in this price bracket. But God these things are scrumptious- until you bring them up under your nose. And perhaps it’s my problem. I’ve seen hundreds of earphones that are sold on metrics of price/performance ratio and ‘class’. In the end, I move on. Products like Ocharaku’s Flat4 and FitEar’s ToGo! series, that not only compete for great sound, but make flawless casings, that put every effort into perfection are the ones you remember.

Of course, at Major’s price point, there isn’t much competition for sexy, wood and metal bodies. Good on C&M for filling that void. But they could have gone farther. And I’m confident that if anyone can, it is them. 

Chord & Major: I’m hoping to see truly stunning workmanship AND followthrough in the future. We have seen it from Germany and Japan. We are starting to see it again from the USA. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t see it from Taiwan. 

sound 

Part of the Tonal Earphone experience is the genres to which each earphone is strapped. C&M will have you believe that Major 9 is made for classical, that Major 8 is made for rock, and that Major 7 is made for jazz. 

Major 9

I’ve had a hard time deciding which is more fun: Major 9 or Major 8. 9 is possibly the more balanced of the two. But as a series, Major isn’t totally balanced. It’s just fun. 

Is 9 a good earphone for classical? It does well with symphony, rendering pretty good stage elements and placing instrument sections well. Small ensembles are succinct and instrument placement take a step up. But Major 9 is also great for trance. In fact, its overall balance, which tips towards the upper midrange, does everything AND classical great. 

Bass is relatively energetic. Detail trends to the higher frequencies of this spectrum, where good stereo separation and slight, metallic echoes convince the ear of bass speed. 

Not a single Major can render the low notes at the opening of Markus Schulz’ Mainstage with much sound pressure. But climb the ladder past 80Hz and suddenly energy erupts. It’s nothing more disorderly than a foreign accent. Onto pop: Major 9’s bass voice is uncluttered and melds beautifully with New Order, Depeche Mode, and Pet Shop Boys. 

Indeed, cheesy 80’s post-punk, post-Joy Division sequel bands need something wild. For the same reason I can recommend Ocharaku’s Kuro, I can recommend Major 9. In fact, I can recommend 8 on the same grounds. These two earphones nail wood and string timbre and put on a clean and lively percussion show. 

Chord & Major posture 9’s somewhat neutral bass curve and slightly tripped-up treble presence make it good for classical music. Sure. But beautiful classical renderings have a lot to do with the lower midrange, too. Major 8 sails past 9 in rendering organic violin with emotional lines.

Major 8

Rock on, baby! is what I believe C&M want you to believe about Major 8. It’s got a guitar icon on its front and it comes in eff-off black. It is my second favourite of the series. 

Essentially, it and Major 9 share very similar sound signatures. Rock has a slightly less sparkly upper midrange and a slightly meatier lower midrange. But its signature sound comes off as just a tad bit more ‘U’ shaped. Treble is still energetic, but that important bit between highs and mids is a bit more muffled than Classical 9. 

In effect, it is a more intimate sounding earphone.

But only just.

Timbre is excellent for guitar and percussion, though the latter has grown more forceful. The same goes for the midrange. Slightly. Interestingly, you may find 8 the better earphone for violin sonatas, where emotional meat and string clarity meet for a rare feast.

8 trumps 9 for American hip hop, where dubba dubba, bass and slightly contracted sound stages vibrate your brain into a mescaline trance. Dubba dubba yeah!

Major 7

C&M say this is for jazz music. They may be right. It’s sound stage is the tightest and its midrange the fullest. Treble energy has taken a small, but distinct downer. Small ensembles and venues really are where 7 is most comfortable. 

It has similar bass energy to 8, meaning that it fits dubba dubba American hip hop pretty well. 7 also has a nice sheen in the midrange that works quite well for female vocals. It has the tendency to hang onto its somewhat muffled cymbals a little too long, but overall, its intended genre is pretty well a match. 

Its shrunk sound stage isn’t the best match for trance or large-audience live performances. Frankly, Major 7 may be the least audiophile-attractive earphone in the series. Its mid-centric, sparkle-less, compressed sound does its job well, but for who? The sort of person that will spend more than a hundred dollars for an earphone will probably prefer the better timbre and sparkle of 8 or 9. 

ohmage: drivability

The Major series is exquisitely easy to drive for the majority of modern digital players out there. The small drop offs from an iPod nano 6G or any other output source with more than 3Ω output impedance aren’t really audible. If the impedance of your player/amp is more than 8Ω, audible wonk creeps in, especially in low frequencies. Overall, however, Chord & Major tuned the Major series very well for a host of audio players.

The short? You don’t need an amp to get the most from Major.

ohmage: sensitivity

At 96dB sensitivity, each Major earphone requires an extra volume step to match loudness levels of more sensitive earphones like Wizard's IEM 5.0. I am most comfortable using volume levels of 8-10 from an iPod nano 6G. When commuting on the train, I bump that up to 12 at the most.

Interestingly, Major 7 is the least sensitive of the three.

Several weeks after sharing germs with Chord & Major in Osaka, I’m pretty sure this series will be a hit. It’s got the looks and the sound to satisfy trendy audiophiles such as Jeff, Joel, Janice, and Jeannette. It’s the critical audiophile collectors that may be put off by C&M’s swing-and-miss attention to polish and shine. But that may not matter. Audiophiles are far more polarised by perceptual sound performance. Here, Major puts together an all together fine show. Its wood and string timbre is satisfying. In fact, it may be almost as satisfying as Ocharaku’s KURO. Maybe. I just wish that Chord & Major went all the way.

ohmage: 4

porridge: 2

ohmage to the Noble Audio IEM 5.0, Tzar 90 & Tzar 350

Having wrested his skin from Heir Audio, Dr. Moulton has found new freedom to express his noble vision of portable HiFi. Outwardly, Tzar 90, Tzar 350, and IEM 5.0 are Heir’s audio children; inwardly, they are sooooo wizard.

NOTE I: shigz balled it. Dr. Moulton is actually American and Tzar is the earphone, not Czar. (You can read the review as is and skip the pizzaz where it crops up.) 

Spec

IEM 5.0

· 5 Precision tuned Balanced Armature drivers.

· One Dedicated driver for Low Frequency production

· Two drivers for Middle Frequency production

· Two drivers for High Frequency production

· Dual Bore Design

· Detachable cable

Price: 599$

Tzar 90

· Dual Precision Tuned Balanced Armature Driver

· A) One Dedicated for High Frequency Production

· B) One Dedicated for Low Frequency Production

· Single Bore Design

· Internal Damper

· Detachable Cable

· Quality Ear Tips

· Nominal Impedance at 1K Hz 90 ohms

Price: 369$

Tzar 350

· Dual Precision Tuned Balanced Armature Driver

· A) One Dedicated for High Frequency Production

· B) One Dedicated for Low Frequency Production

· Single Bore Design

· Internal Damper

· Detachable Cable

· Quality Ear Tips

· Nominal Impedance at 1K Hz 350 ohms

Price: 399$

ohmage: the sensitive choice

Back when 3.Ai And 4.Ai were Heir’s Wizard’s only universal products, customers had the choice between three and four balanced armatures. The resultant sound was different, but nothing like they it today. Shuffled simply into a horrid analogy, Tzar 90 is a the flat, semi-attractive sister; Tzar 350 is the always-high, wild one; while IEM 5.0 is mummy and daddy's favourite- the one that's going places.

But that’s too green an analogy. 

The Tzars are the singular not-Etymotic, not-Earsonics aspirants in the high-impedance earphone race. IEM 5.0 is the only choice for spec-hungry gear heads, though I'll argue that the Tzar street cred is way higher.

ohmage & porridge: comfort and fit

Prepare the salt and vinegar for this section. (If you have mayo, keep a small dipping bowl ready.) The difficulties I had originally with Heir Audio’s earphones: shallow insertion lengths; unergonomic, perpendicular insertion angles; and slippery sound bore flange, remain. In other words, today's Heir Audio earphones are as frustrating to wear as ever.

Even with eight months waving in the rear mirror, nothing has changed. The included ear tips are just as stiff and uncompromising. The flangeless sound bore still has trouble gripping ergonomic tips. No easy use of ortofon's eQ5/7 silicon tips. No easy use of Victor's super-comfy non-porous foam tips. Comply-lovers: you're in luck.

Insertion angle is too perp., and, in my opinion, too short. Even my wife's elfin ears can grip the Heirs. The good news is that Heir's earphones sit flat. You can bring them to bed with no discomfort. Ditto to wearing your Heir’s under a toque or helmet. 

ohmage: kitsch

Dr. Moulton is NOT Canadian. Canadians prefer stripes and plaid to plastic, feathers, or dead animals. Heir's wood veneer fascias and sparkly detailing are flashy, yes, but flashy in the good old-fashioned Canadian way. They evoke memories of a better time - a time before the machines... how each earphone obfuscates the gnarly technology inside. That very same technology threatens our very...

porridge: build quality

Dr. Moulton is NOT Canadian. Canadians don’t mass produce much of anything anymore. Even the iconic Summicrons are German again. Tiny circuit boards, badminton racquets, proper barbecues parties- that stuff has all gone to Asia. And while there are exceptions to the rule, Heir's current line up really reflects the Canadian beneath. Unfortunately, the current line up has got more in line with Molson than with Marinoni. 

The short is this: 

No counter-sunk coaxial earphone connector

No grippy flange on the sound tube

Nothing to grip onto when changing ear pieces

Heir are still using the Westone-style coaxial cable. It’s a good, tried-and-true bit of plastic and rubber that isn’t prone to plug or cable breakage. The pins are buggers, but whatever. It’s practically a staple in this industry now. 

ohmage: quality of finish

Strangely (and very likely NO thanks to the Canadian penchant for plaid), Heir Audio’s earphones look great. Amazing, actually- and I’m not even keen on the choice of wood in the fascia. The gang under Moulton put sparkle in the right spots, brand each earphone with a clean serial number, write logos in clean- even the Wizard scrawlography is charming. Personal opinions aside, Heir's stuff is more coherently designed and branded than 90% of its competition.

sound 

Stirring with the same design schtick does not the same sound make. Despite this, there is a distinct Heir thread that sews up the series. 

Let’s break it down:

Crispness

IEM 5.0: This earphone is very much the child of the Heir X.Ai series. Its mids are forward. Vocals are strong, taught energy directs everything from guitar to drums. Speed is of no concern. It's not quite as clear sounding, though. In the transition to highs, mids flatten out a slightly, losing forward shimmer in cymbals. The highest strings round off a little early. Sitting in a quiet room, this effect is possibly the first thing you will notice. This normalisation gives everything, even live music, a studio sound (if that studio is hidden by a semi-closed door).

Tzar 90: The sculpting continues with Tzar 90. But, bass is tighter, mids are further opened, and the door to the studio is open. Not surprisingly, Tzar 90’s sound is reedier by comparison. Guitars are rawer, percussion slightly splashier. It more closely resembles the traditional benchmark ideal of flat, and honed for cymbals and higher vocals. Back are edges, shimmer, and, for the upper-midrange junkie, fun.

Tzar 350: If the 90 was crisp, 350 is Korean-fried chicken. (No chicken, anywhere, compares to what the Koreans can do to a gaggle of chicken.) Crunchy crunch. 350 is all about the upper mids. At first blush, you might think it reedy. It’s not. It’s just got a lot of upper midrange and high frequency energy. The door is ripped off its hinges. The gauze is off. This Czar may well be a disciple of the excellent Etymotic ER4. It is also probably the most addictive of the series.

Space

IEM 5.0: This earphone’s stuffing of gauze in the upper mids extracts dividends. Its sound stage is tight. Too tight, maybe. Vocals, bass, percussion, brass and all the rest twist and turn in the same, basketball-shaped space, like a teeshirt and sandal party in your head. Vocals win out in most face offs. Placement is natural- rather like sitting in a measured room’s sweet spot between two speakers and a subwoofer; sound from every frequency comes from the same, coherent direction. In another sense, it is aggressively compact. Yet, this compact presentation yields a live, wall-of-sound feel that works for popular music.

Tzar 90: Crispness and apparent space hae taken a step forward. Vocals still jump forward, but are supported, not flanked, by other elements, as they are via IEM 5.0. Percussion cuts in and out around the sides, guitars strum in up, and to the rear. Panning drums thwack with precise air. It’s not the level of air and space you hear in, say, the Audio Technica CK10, but back to back with 5.0, it is open indeed.

Tzar 350: Superficially, the 350's sound is roomier than either 90 or 5.0. This is due to the keen legerdemain dealt by its high frequency orientation. The high end shimmers and shimmers and shimmers. Cymbals, drum kits, high hats, tambourines, Classified's spliff lighting, Mariah Carey- dear god, shaky shaky tizzy, pother, tizzy. The contrast between lows and highs is high but the basketball isn't any larger. The wall-of-sound is still up, but it's easier for the brain to paint with what your ears hear.

Make no mistake though: this tizzy energy is sibilant. Tsch-tsch-tsch is a sound you will learn to love. Or else.

Bass vs. Mids

IEM 5.0: While bass is round, full, and detailed, it occupies the same space as the mids. Bass details are driven through with riveted precision, gelling with whatever's around. The spatial marriage works. While there’s not much space between the two frequencies, neither oversteps the other, either. Bass isn't especially chalky or organic. It does go low, though, but not with crazy sound pressure. The bulk of its weight hits above the fun fun fun 70Hz line. You won't get the same impact you get from large-driver dynamic earphones, but there is enough of the good stuff in there. Without a doubt, 5.0's bass trumps, in pressure and whammy-factor that of the 90 and the 350.

Tzar 90: While not as full as IEM 5.0, bass is just as round and detailed. The upper midrange is far more fleshy. That entire band is detailed and energetic, pushing forward. This Tzar’s verve fulcrums around vocals and guitars. Beautiful edges, taught lines, well-delineated elements. The sound is more ‘live’ than it is sculpted. 

Tzar 350: basically the same as the 90, but slightly harder to pick out against the upper mids. Its upper midrange has enough pother and sibilant, crispy edges that you would be forgiven for missing the bass. You'd be wrong, but you'd be forgiven. Amen.

Bass vs. Highs

IEM 5.0: Neither frequency edges the other out, and both are well threshed-out in relation to mids. The only proviso here is the gauze that covers over detail. Highs glide in and out effortlessly, drawing absolutely no unnecessary attention. And there is no sibilance. A negative shigzeo might call it somewhat boring, and best placed at the end of today's pop music.

Tzar 90: There’s not much to say here. 90 is the most centrally-balanced of the bunch. Upper midrange deadening is ameliorated by a leaner bass. Highs are both spacier and clearer than those of the 5.0. The overall effect is one of comparable width, range, and freedom. This is the earphone that should appeal to classical, trance, EDM, and experimental listeners first, and to everyone else second.

Tzar 350: Dear god, that treble- no no no, not treble: high mids. So much shimmer, so much shake, so much sibilance. Clean sssss sounds inherit t's, ch's, and every few beats (and depending on the genre), a wince or two. Due to the rather high levels of sibilance dirt, the definite clear bass lines shine through rather well. It's not even a pitched battle. Bass, while possessing much less pressure than the upper midrange, hits the eardrums with much more clarity.

5.0 boasts a meaty, muscular sound that edges out upper midrange detail. Disciplined, controlled, but overly gauzy, it is best for music that lacks much of a dynamic range- or, if dynamic range isn't your thing, for early folk rock records that could benefit from a little interpolation.

90‘s overall balance will keep it in the ear for years. Its only problem is that in comparison to 5.0 and 350, it is boring. It is done very well, but you've heard it before. Reference fans will dig this. 

350 is shrill for the shrill lover. Upward mobility over coherent substance. Absolute bragging rights for the true audiophile gearhead. If you can get by its sibilance, you will have uncovered a rare gem. If, however, is a big word.

ohmage: drivability

A true adherent to noblesse oblige, Wizard has tossed everyone a bone. If you own a decent, modern player with a low enough output impedance, you should be able to enjoy stable sound at almost any volume from each earphone. The 350 may show up nasty modern recordings with clipped dynamic ranges by fluttering at the odd bass-heavy track. 90 doesn't do this. Neither does 5.0. A portable amp may help by a little current, but I'd not worry too much about it. 

ohmage: sensitivity

Each earphone is supremely sensitive. If borderline loud volume is achieved on IEM 5.0 at eight clicks from zero, Tzar 90 needs only one more click to achieve roughly the same sound pressure. 350 is just a few up fro there. Not once have I felt I needed to bump up to the halfway point on my iPod nano 6G. 

What can you say? Heir Audio have a way of creating things all their own. And each creation has its own fans. I was out with a couple of über portable geeks last night. Both loved the 5.0. We were in a smoky, loud izakaya nibbling on chicken and sausages and a strange creamed egg sauce. They were after the meaty mids. I wanted another round of cabbage and miso. We were half durnk. Still is. 

But their finely honed senses of hearing dug right into the goods: taught bass lines, forward lower mids, and speed over timbre. The two were decidedly against the Etymotic sound and passed over my Sleek Audio SA7's and even the Tzar 90, which I think is the bee's knees. The 350, then, just might be the stinger: dangerous and prone to pricking though it may be, it is the earphone you will never forget.

ohmage: 6

porridge: 3

ohmage to the Ocharaku Flat4-KURO

KURO was a surprise hit at Fujiya’s 2013 Spring Headphone Festival. It surprised, me. It surprised Gen Kanai. Since then, KURO has become one of my favourite open dynamic earphones. Gen was already one of my favourite headfiers. 

Unsurprisingly, Mr. Yamagishi is also a favourite designer of mine. He smiled in his quiet way as I complimented his acorns and picked up KURO with an effusive grin all my own.

Spec

Transducer: 010e002 Φ10 mm dynamic x 2 (per channel)
Prime technology: Twin equalized element
Output sound pressure level: 104 dBSPL/mW
Frequency characteristics: 3,5 to 35 kHz
Max. input: 400 mW
Impedance: 18 Ω
Weight: About 17 g
Plug: Φ3.5 mm gold plating stereo mini-plug
Cable length: 1.2 m (type Y)
Accessories: Comply-foam ear tips T-200 size L (Size M is attached to the main unit.)
Ocharaku tea tin, cloth, Instruction Manual & Guarantee

Flat4-KURO goes for 42.000¥.

ohmage: unlimited

Unlike KAEDE, KURO is housed in aluminium. Aluminium can be extruded, filed, and polished till Kingdom Come. Manufacture anomaly? Bosh. KAEDE, as beautiful as it is, is on its last run. The metal KURO could go on forever. That’s a plus in my books.

porridge: comfort and fit

KURO, like all Flat4 earphones, is a dangler. It’s two massive, Frankenstein bolts that plug, rather than nestle, into your ears. One sidewise fall and it’s lights out. 

Some intrepid, elf-eared types will be able  to wear it with the cable going north, over the ear, but most people will find that hanging the cable down is the best way to wear KURO. There still is no neck cinch to keep the earphone cable from flopping around and transferring subtle nipple noise up to your ears. As an open design, it doesn’t block out much noise at all. I turn the volume of my amps and iPods up considerably when out and about. 

Maybe it shouldn’t be considered a portable earphone. On a train, it is infinitely easier to use than a Final Audio Piano Forte is, but neither one really was made for use in the great wilds of the city.

As a home earphone, those qualms melt away. Perfect- unless you live above a karaoke parlour, in which case, you will need something else.

ohmage: kitsch

Despite having made crazy speakers and headphones in the past, Mr. Yamagishi has a good sense of style. At the centre of his business is tea. You can’t get any less kitschy than tea. KURO’s tea tin carrying case, supple practical cable, and legible fonts lend themselves positively to Ocharaku’s image. It’s a return to true Japanese aesthetic, not the  terrible jerrybuilt after war designs that hold sway from Toyota to basically everything at the grocery store.

ohmage: build quality

Considering KURO’s open nature - not to mention the fact that it comes packed in a tea tin - it’s fair to say that it isn’t an active-use earphone. Footsteps and purposeful swats will elicit small, low-pitched thumps to the ear, but overall, touch noise is minimal. The cable is anchored firmly into KURO’s body and a thick rubber nub protects it from cleavage. That’s the good stuff. 

Somewhat poor stress reliefs are plugged into the y split and 3,5mm jack. But they are no worse than any Flat4 earphone.

porridge: quality of finish

The main gotcha is the phase correction tube and the aluminium barrel, which are extremely prone to paint chipping. My loaner is now speckled by the grey, aluminium sheen. The phase correction tube will be the first to show signs of wear. The barrel will come next. But mark my words, both will chip.

ohmage: sound

As a family, Flat4 has a very similar sound: full bass, tight mids, spacious soundstage, and somewhat strident highs. KAEDE and KURO are the crowning achievements in this series.

Crispness

KURO follows KAEDE’s footsteps, providing clear mids and, generally, smooth transitions from upper mids to highs. KURO throws impressively wide instrument splays and central, well-grounded bass. It is never anything but crisp.

Space

KURO’s stereo width and out-of-head performance aren’t typical of in-ear earphones. The sound they produce is reminiscent of large, open-backed headphones. Of particular note is the vocal band. It’s clear and forward. Cymbals shimmer in at the sides and fade away to blackness; bass rumbles up from below, in a chamber all its own. Rhythm guitar, piano, and violin vibrate at the sides. Despite each element being infundibulated into the same canal through a narrow, plastic tube, the sound is very open and organic. 

Speed

Generally, KURO keeps up with all genres of music. Even the hard edges of speed trance and thrash metal retain crispness. Cymbals shimmer doesn’t hang on too long and drums attack in quick strikes, then let up. And drums are amazing. 

Bass vs. Mids

KURO’s mids, while sweet, err to a sense of space and clarity rather than sappy acoustics.  Bass, with its slightly higher sound pressure, is forefront in comparison- not in a thumpy way, though. Bass is über detailed and boasts the single most sonorous resonance that I’ve heard in an IEM to date. 

Bass vs. Highs

Both bands are energetic. KURO is less fatiguing than SUI is, but it isn’t an all-day, easy listening earphone. Listeners who favour earphones with strong treble presentation will fall in quickly with KURO. Newcomers may need time to acclimatise their ears. The contrast between bass and treble isn’t stark, and mids don’t get pushed down. Because of the amount of detail KURO’s bass offers up, duff-bassheads may find KURO to neither nor there. The presentation is audiophile first, big second.

KURO friendly genres

With speed, space, and detail at its beck and call, KURO can storm practically any musical castle. Sweet spots are female vocals. Jazz, Piano, duets. Nicki Parrot, Melody Gardot, Fatoumata Diawara: these ladies’ voices enchant to no end. Toms: dear god, queue up your drum solo and drool. 

I find myself reaching for KURO more often than any of my full size headphones when I’ve got jazz and vocal in the ear. Scratch that- for vocal music of any genre. Where KURO has dirt: the gap between cymbals and the highest vocal, there is a bit of soft compression. 80’s cymbal-heavy post-glam rock: Def Leppard, The Scorpions, etc., can sound etchy. 

KURO’s balance of richness and detail is superlative; its command and contrast of intimacy and width is addictive. Excepting KAEDE, there’s no earphone out there like it. I don’t expect to see either en masse on the used market. If anything, Ocharaku have created an earphone that will be pampered and loved more than one’s own baby. 

KURO happily joins the ranks of my favourites: Gen Kanai, Marinoni, Yasaka, asparagus, and Birkenstock. But Gen, I’m sorry to say, that there’s about to be a switcheroo in spot # 1. 

ohmage: 4

porrige: 2

ohmage to the Cypher Labs CLAS -dB

Cypher Labs kicked portable audiophilia’s tail over a year ago with the original CLAS. With Cypher Labs’ DAC plugged into its arse the iDevice became a reference-level source. The same old story plays out now with the -dB, but this time, desktop audio, too, gets classy.

Spec:
 DAC: AKM AK4396VF
 • Dual source input from either computers or Apple devices and input detection is automatic
 • USB audio resolution up to 16/48 from Apple devices
 • USB audio resolution on Mac (natively) or PC (with included driver) up to 24/192
 • Larger capacity battery delivers long play time, up to 14 hours and charges Apple devices
 • Fully balanced analog line-level output (4 pin)
 • Single ended line-level analog output
 • Digital S/PDIF output
 • USB mini-A input allows input from computers (USB A to USB mini-B) or Apple devices (use our 30 pin to USB mini-a cable)

 • Package Contents:
 - Cypher Labs AlgoRhythm Solo® -dB & User Guide
 - Low profile USB-mini-A sync cable with right angle connectors
 - USB A to USB mini-B cable (for computer)
 - Cypher Labs straps to bundle devices for travel
 - Switching 100v / 220v gloss black AC charger with heavy duty red cord and right angle barrel plug
 - Embossed leather pad to protect devices when bundled
 - Small USB female A to USB male mini-A adapter. Use with any standard 30 pin to USB A or Lightning to USB A sync cable

Cypher Labs AlgoRyhthm Solo DB: ~699$ USD

ohmage: DAC functionality

Part of kicking arse is having your bits arranged cleanly. The original CLAS turned iDevice bits into music. CLAS -dB works with computers, too. It’s plug-and-play friendly for both Mac and Windows. And, it’s seamless. 

Rather than utilising discreet ports: one for iDevice, and one for PC, CLAS DB uniforms the process in a single mini-USB connection. The only downside to this is that finding proper lightning/30-pin cables for new iDevices can be a protracted torture. My iPhone 5 makes do with the included USB-A to mini step-down adapter. It’s ugly and fiddly. Mr. Maudlin assures me new cables are in the works. 

I’ll queue. 

Alternatively, you can hit up Forza Audio Works and come away with the most beautiful USB cable this side of the Milky Way.

DB’s software has been branded for both PC’s and iDevices. No Wuing through ridiculous Speaker, SPDIF, etc., options.

Cypher Labs went with coaxial output rather than optical toslink. Debates rage wildly from one corner of the internet to another, but well thought-out studies tend to agree: digital jitter is more evident over toslink than coaxial. 

CLAS -dB utilises the common RCA jack to terminate the coaxial connection. RCA coaxial jacks tend to be robust, easy to find, and excepting a few rather inexpensive options out there, pretty much ubiquitous. 

Analogue output is handled via a 3,5mm stereo phono jack. Considering -dB’s dual portable/desktop nature, 3,5mm works. Well-implemented RCA analogue connections can yield better channel separation, but would bugger this unit’s portability.

ohmage: haptics on the go

The current CLAS is bigger and beefier than its predecessor. Its sole input, a mini USB port, sits at the front. Headphone and line outputs cling to the back. The 9V mains socket is sunk into the front panel. The power switch sits at the back. 

For out and about use, this layout is ergonomically sound when used with most portable amplifiers. And that is of prime importance. Because it doesn’t sport a headphone amplifier, CLAS must play nice with outboard equipment. Size-wise, it apes the ALO Rx MKIII almost romantically. They share similar aluminium cases and come in the same choice of silver or black. Their ins and outs are arrayed for harmonious use. 

Recommending the Rx MKIII to go with a CLAS is a no-brainer. -dB’s performance is truly excellent. It should be matched with something just as good.

NOTE: Since -dB requires an outboard amp, your portable kit must needs get tubby. If you can handle that, my recommendations come attached. 

porridge: haptics on the desk

Where portably the CLAS gets on like a house on fire, for desktop and home HiFi use, it sort of gets the hose. Cables fire off in every direction. Being light, -dB might not even sit flat. If you value a clean-looking desktop audio system, you will have to hide your CLAS and its profusion of cables in a drawer. If you don’t have the luxury of a drawer, there’s always tape and the back of the desk. Or the floor. Or a strategic box of tissue with holes cut for the occasion. 

However, USB input and coaxial outputs sit directly apposed on the back, making the use of the -dB in conjunction with an outboard DAC fine and dandy. That is, if you use battery power. If you enjoy sucking mains 24/7, there’s no way to put it: -dB don’t sit pretty.

ohmage: iDevice functionality

With up to 14 hours of playback time, plus an iDevice charging circuit under the bonnet, -dB freaking rocks for out and about usage. (And since a -dB strung out on a profusion of cables doesn’t look stellar next to your svelte HiFi, stellar battery life can help ease up on the eyesore.) 

For all iDevices I’ve tested, usage is as easy as plug and play. Finishing a Canadian workday and associated bus commutes in the bliss of truly HiFi listening is fab. Finishing with a full charge on your iPhone? Classy.

ohmage: build quality and polish

With a familiar chassis, good interface drivers, universal USB input, and MADE IN USA branding, CLAS -dB really comes off dandy. Its chassis fits snugly onto the logic board, and even the ground contacts curl up to ward off bump damage. The battery is easy to change, too, if you run it out. 

In the package are elastic straps, a nice-looking wall wart, a leather spacer and all the cables you will need- that is, minus Lightning. iPhone 5, iPad mini and 4th gen users: you’ll have to suck it up and use the supplied USB-A to mini adapter. 

Cypher even packed in a verbose manual. (Their product photography would benefit from better lighting, but that’s academic, and completely partisan of me to say. Sorry.) Overall, CLAS -dB comes away looking, and acting, great.

porridge NOTE: my mains adapter malfunctioned. It whined from the very first; silly me thought it was normal. Fortunately, my older CLAS adapter works perfectly. Bugger though.

ohmage: sound quality

-dB’s outputs are slightly better even than the original. The minimal distortion distortion present in the first class has dropped a couple of points. Stereo separation has been improved. SPDIF output is as transparent as it ever was. As long as you’ve got a good amp (and you will need a perfect amp to show what this DAC is capable of), you won’t get better, more truthful, sound from a your iDevice setup. 

In fact, even iBasso’s DX100 would be hard-pressed to outdo this monster. 

For those interested in nits (and grit), here goes:

3D and sound imaging are perfect. Noise and distortion levels are kept phenomenally low. Coupled with left-right channel separation that practically speaking, is limited by connection hardware, there’s nothing portable that can hold a candle to CLAS -dB.

Rise times are extremely fast. Keeping apace with it is quite the job. Most amps will exhibit far more distortion than the -dB

The net effect of what -dB does under the bonnet is unparalleled fidelity for on the go. Details swarm. Blacks are black. Whites are white. Your iDevice isn’t a bad sounding machine. In fact, most modern iDevices will outperform the outboard amp they’re plugged into, at least when driving the vast majority of headphones/earphones normal listening levels. 

If you get the right amp, impossible to drive earphones become possible, headphones that weren’t getting enough current at your favourite listening volume will stop clipping. -dB supplies a stronger signal to an external amp than any iDevice will. Amping strong signals is always better than amping weak signals. 

The only thing that would improve analogue output performance is a pair of RCA outputs. But then again, -dB, already bigger than the original CLAS, would only get bigger. 

ohmage: balanced

If you’re keen on exploring everything the -dB does, you will need: an iDevice, a Windows or Mac computer, a balanced amplifier, a pair of balanced of headphones, and a tissue box with holes cut in it for the mains.

An obvious choice for amplification is the -dB’s near-twin, the ALO Rx MKIII. Both units work in both single ended and balanced modes. To be honest, for headphones at least, balanced mode seems to be more a benefit on the amping end - any only really for moving coil type / planar magnetic headphones. Balanced armatures are entirely different beasts. Their poles must be made to take the incoming balanced signals. If they’re not, you’re going to get more distortion and less stability than ever. If that’s your schtick, whatever. When all the pieces are lined up, you’ll get the usual benefits: wider dynamic range, better stereo separation, less distortion, and more power per channel. It’s a good thing.

For HiFi use, I can’t recommend balanced mode enough. Damn the need for RCA outputs. A good balanced amp will do the trick. 

And that pretty much sums up the Cypher Labs AlgoRhythm Solo -dB. Sure, it necessitates the use of an outboard amp, it biggens up your portable kit, and it sits at the HiFi table like a four year old thinking of kicking the old football around with lil’ Freddy and the munchkins whilst munching through an endless plate of brussel sprouts under mum’s watchful eye. Damn. But it’s worth it. Really, it is. The original made me rethink my portable set up. -dB makes me rethink what a capable desktop kit can be like while still rocking my train rides to work. If it’s fidelity you’re after, there’s currently nothing more classy, more functional, and more bee-line zeroed in on hi quality reproduction available for your computer and your iDevice. -dB: definite buy.

ohmage: 6

porridge: 2

ohmage to the Antelope Audio Zodiac Silver

Three years ago, Zodiac hoofed it to the desktop audio scene with professional ostentation: five digital inputs, precise clock matching, iDevice-compatible USB DAC section, a good selection of analogue outs, and a historied name. Given Antelope’s professional CV, it was no surprise that they’d be thorough with their audiophile DACs. 

Specifications
 Up to 192 kHz sampling rate (only with USB & S/PDIF) 
Antelope Oven Controlled Clock with Ultra Low Jitter 
Built in 64-bit Acoustically Focused Clocking eliminates jitter from all digital inputs 
Anti-thumping Speaker & Ear protection on power up & source change 
Computer Data (USB), 2 optical Digital (TOSLINK), 2 coaxial - SPDIF (RCA). 
Stereo analog outputs – balanced (XLR), unbalanced (RCA) 
Dual-stage headphone driver architecture for superior matching with professional headphone coils 
Large volume control for analog outputs and a separate volume control for headphones 
Input select button easily toggles between inputs 
USB compatible with Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000, Mac OS X and Linux without driver installation 
PC/MAC/Linux software control panel 
Audiophile Power Supply (optional) 
Meets FCC and CE requirements 

Antelope Audio Zodiac Silver: ~1.900$ USD and up

ohmage: DAC functionality

Antelope Audio’s professional roots allow them to skip the skimp and deliver more than the typical USB and single-SPDIF input. Zodiac Silver duals up RCA coaxial and toslink SPDIF connections as well offering USB input. The best part about the latter is that it runs as close to plug and play as possible. Windows PCs, Macs, iPads - as long as you have the cable, you get audio. 

Sampling rate information is displayed on the large cyclopean LCD at the top of the Zodiac. Source input is controlled by depressing the source button. Cyclops will sync with the source, then give you its sampling rate. Switching is automatic.

porridge: haptics

Antelope Audio’s team need to be introduced to knobfeel. Both the big, analogue line-level knob, and the headphone output knob rotate loosely, rocking slightly back and forth before engaging. Camera lens aficionados will recognise the same wishy-washiness in Nikon’s line of cheap AFD lenses. 

Perhaps the biggest chink in Antelope’s otherwise well-designed armour is choice of knob sizes. Why adorn the front panel with two 6,3mm headphone jacks and advertise Zodiac as a DAC/headphone amp when headphone volume is controlled by the fiddliest control on the amp. The massive nose controls (of all things) the rear analogue outputs. All eyes are on it. It does its job (despite the wiggle), but draws far too much attention to itself. If Antelope had advertised Zodiac as a preamp rather than a headphone amp, such criticism would be nothing but hot air. 

But it’s not. Because the headphone volume pot is tiny, and off-centre, it is a bugger to turn. Blazes, I've perfected the art of swearing during this review. Antelope: if you’re going to market a device as a DAC and a headphone amp, make sure the control that is most often used is well suited to its purpose. And while you are at it, indicate  headphone output levels in cyclops. Thank you.

ohmage: kitsch

Forget blinkenlights, flash and trash take a back seat to comprehensible controls. Zodiac's brushed aluminium frame is elegant. Its digital lights glow in mature tones. Minus knob trouble, impeccable control layout. There’s virtually nothing to learn, nothing to scratch your head about, nothing that requires a double take (aside from ol’ big nose, that is). 

Antelope utilise small fonts, sparingly apply bolds, and balance the ink. While engraving would be welcome, the ink does its job. The choice of newspaper-style fonts isn't the best for desktop/HiFi audio, but let's be clear, Antelope designed a pricey DAC that looks, acts, and feels like the real deal. 

ohmage: build quality and finish

Bemoaning Zodiac’s workmanship is suicide. The Zodiac a solid box, with well-anchored ins and outs of all types. Stood against Woo Audio’s (admittedly cheaper) WA7, it laughs at Woo’s wobbly connections and jittery glass roof. there is more air in its packaging than necessary, but the core components: documentation, cables, power supply, are well padded. 

Zodiac’s guts are physically split into separate analogue and digital layers. The USB driver immediately pops up in your iDevice or computer's, labelled Zodiac, not speaker, or SPDIF. Irrespective of input, clock changes are accounted for immediately. There is no power thump in either analogue or headphone lines. 

The only oink in the ointment is a frail complaint at best: Zodiac’s lightweight design means that plugging in certain headphones will require two hands. The el-cheapo wall wart power supply does more to critically cheapen this otherwise wonderful package.

Sound

While primarily a DAC, Zodiac has a much-spouted about headphone amplifier. First, let's attack the DAC.

ohmage: DAC

The Zodiac DAC is yoked to a semi-aggressive low-pass filter. Highs plod a steep roll off from 12kHz to 20kHz. I'm not complaining. Low-pass filters proliferate in certain audiophile circles. Combined with high levels of harmonic distortion, certain aggressive low pass filters can soft and cushy. The Zodiac does not. It's not got enough harmonic distortion fleecify your favourite music. Despite the attenuation in the highs, Zodiac bristles with upper frequency range detail. Certain nuances may be toned down, but all the good stuff is there, and is lovely. Space between instruments - thanks to fast attack and decay times - is preserved, museum-grade. Placed in a grating, sibilance-prone system, Zodiac soothes.

Typically, systems with fast treble roll offs are hard to recommend for anything but relaxing, wine-sipping listens. Typically, those systems push harmonic distortion to plus levels. Orchestral music, chamber music, and even trance, retain all the speed necessary to render lively, accurate tones.

ohmage/porridge split: Antelope Audio’s low-pass filter is particularly well-implemented. It is stable and retains detail. But it still is a low-pass filter. Music lovers who want absolute reference sound will have to move on

What I expected from Zodiac was: unforgiving, gruesomely detailed, sibilant sound. Why? Because Antelope Audio equipment is used in large studios. Because their clocks are generally conceded to be extremely accurate. Because I am an absolute impostor. 

Detail, space, and vitality trot through every musical fibre the Zodiac has. While its overall sound is decidedly digital, it is digital in the best way possible: tight, fast, transients, clean decay and ascent - the DAC in this silver box ploughs effortlessly from genre to genre.

Bass is as acrobatic as mids, nothing is left lingering after the note has retired. In part, this lends to an impression of  lightness. Don’t let that fool you. Zodiac fully resolves the lows. It simply doesn’t smear them. 

ohmage: Zodiac delivers speed and space. No music will outpace it

Both the RCA and balanced XLR outputs are admirable performers. Systems with weak inputs will benefit from big nose’s accurate attenuator. In fact, Zodiac plays as well with  home HiFi setups as it does with portable kits. Tralucent T1 owners, ALO Rx owners, and the rest of you, balanced or unbalanced, Zodiac's attenuated outs allow perfect matching for all of your gear.

ohmage: the line attenuator is excellent. It should match every system out there, beefy or lean

porridge: headphone amp

However, not all is well. Despite boasting a wonderful pair of sheathed headphone jacks and a good amount of marketing impetus, Zodiac’s headphone amp section is only fair. 

Let's get the good stuff out of the way. Firstly, Zodiac's headphone output is as black as black can get. It surpasses the Woo Audio WA7, no matter how sensitive the earphone. In fact, it pummels most made-for-IEM portable headphone amps out there. Likely, you will more annoyed by the hum of your computer than you will any overt noise from the Zodiac. 

Secondly, channel balance is good even at low volumes, making IEM usage a realistic option. Slightly marring this IEM-friendly image, however, is Zodiac's aggressive gain. Even at a volume of 0, sound trickles through sensitive transducers. The gain only further emphasises this. Antelope suggest that you keep your source output high for best performance. Right they are. But IEM users should probably dial down their computer volumes. SPDIF signals often don’t have attenuating circuits. Grin and bear it, earphone folks.

porridge: gain is aggressive for sensitive earphones

The other issue IEM uses will face is audible drops in resolution and dynamic range. Zodiac simply doesn’t offer enough current into tiny IEM loads. 

Portable headphones of middling impedance: Audio Technica’s ESW11LTD and Fostex TH600, represent a sweet spot of sorts. Though restricted slightly, bass performance rebounds to near no-load levels. Gain and channel balance are right on. Zodiac only begins to strut its stuff after 50Ω. As is the case with many headphone amps, no-load levels of resolution are served by high Ω headphones of varying sensitivities. The DT880 600Ω matches the Zodiac’s penchant for detail and space. Sometimes, sibilance is the price you pay for a detailed-sounding headphone. Zodiac pushing, sibilance is a thing of the past. And the sacrifices are few. 

porridge: Zodiac’s headphone amp can't push great resolution into low Ω headphones or earphones of any type

Fed by even the most modern of recordings, Zodiac produces very little IMD when driving Beyer's 600Ω DT880 to 100% of its volume pot. On the opposite end, Zodiac's headphone circuitry isn't able to push the same headphone to speaker-loud levels as can the ALO National or International. Yes, those two are mere battery-powered headphone amps but they are designed ground-up for headphones, Zodiac isn't.

ohmage: voltage levels for high Ω headphones are amply supplied with current

First and foremost, Zodiac is a DAC. Serving up sound from a rush of 1’s and 0’s is a job it does very well. It has the hardware and software to support it. Sample switching and source detection are perfectly implemented. Even ol’ big nose is a great addition. This Antelope is detailed. Its fast signature is flattering all the time. At times it inspires awe. But Zodiac won’t replace your stand-alone headphone amp no matter how much you want it to. 

Maybe it shouldn’t. Discrete headphone amps are always best. Same with DACs. Same with power amps. Maybe this is Antelope’s attempt at steering the all-in-one-box-happy crowd back to reality. If so, good job. The DAC alone is worth the ticket. That you get a headphone amp thrown in is a simple kindness.

ohmage: 8

porridge: 3

RMAA benchmarks can be found here. 

ohmage to the Woo Audio WA7 fireflies

The lubberly hernia I sprung lifting the massive cardboard box off my doorstep was 70% covered by Japanese national health insurance. No worries; I’m not in debt. Yet. I half-expected the parts to a WWI land mine for my pains. Can’t say I was disappointed after prying open the cardboard to find the WA7, the first of Woo Audio’s new breed of neutered steampunk. Sat next to a WA6, it reminds one of a 1980‘s ‘Volvo’: boxy, but good. Jack calls it ‘fireflies’ and it’s pretty awesome.

Specifications
​Single-ended, class-A, transformers output
​Linear external high-performance power supply (remote-controlled power switching)
​Two 6C45 driver/power tubes
​C-Media 6631 USB chip
​TI PCM5102A 32-bit DAC chip
​Headphones impedance : 8-600 Ohms
​Input impedance: 100 Kilo-Ohms
​Sampling rate: up to 32-Bit, 192kHz
​Inputs: 1 Asynchronous USB2.0, 1 RCA
​Outputs: 1 1/4" and 1 1/8" headphone outputs, 1 RCA (same connector as the input)
​Max output: approx 1 watt @ 32 ohms
​Frequency response: 11Hz to 27kHz, +/-0.5dB
​Distortion: <0.03%
​S/N: 95dB
​Power consumption: 25W max
​Mains supply: 100-120V, 220-240V, 50/60Hz, user selectable
​Finish: Anodized aluminum
​DC cord length: 4.25 ft or 1.3 m
​​Dimension: AMP: 4.8" L x 4.8" W x 5.1" H with glass
​​PSU: 7" L x 3.5" W x 2.2" H
​​Weight: AMP - 5.3 lbs / 2.4kg, Glass - 3.3 lbs / 1.5kg
​​PSU - 2.8 lbs / 1.4kg

Woo Audio WA7 - 999$ USD

ohmage: DAC functionality
​Fireflies sports analogue RCA inputs as well as this decade's Ubiq, USB. The latter is plug-and-play simple for OSX and iPads. iPhone and iPod touch users will have to jailbreak their devices to enjoy the WA7. Windows users will have resort to using Woo Audio’s drivers. 

The RCA jacks at the back serve dual purposes. When utilising USB input, they double as analogue outs. Otherwise, they are analogue in. Clumsy, yes, but functional.

ohmage: haptics
​I’m staking whatever I’ve got left (about 507¥) after a trip to the beer store (and that hernia operation) that Jack Wu knows about Knob-Feel. The WA7’s got a great knob. Camera folk: it’s like using a properly greased Zeiss 35/2 Biogon ZM: rigid and well-damped. Unlike the Japan-made Zeiss, however, there is no play in its revolution. Control freaks will love its long throw. Earphone freaks will appreciate its noiseless operation. Twiddling it with two fingers is best. 

Let’s get back to what put me under the knife: weight. With its glass guard in place and valves installed, fireflies tips the scales at almost 4 kilograms. Side by side with CENtrance' DACmini, the WA7 is a fat man in tight shoes. It is smaller but much heavier than Antelope Audio's Zodiac DAC/headphone amp. Unlike either the Zodiak or the DACmini, it won’t flirt around your desk as you complacently attempt to stuff its jack with your headphone bits. Weight, my friends, is as much desktop audio’s bedfellow as it is hernia’s.

Fireflies’ arse bristles with doohickies: power switch, hi/low Z selector, input selector, input panel, and a puckering power inlet. The hose connects to a proper power supply that is practically as big as the WA7. And yes, it is stitch-popping heavy. Ditto the hose, which for the same reason boasts a sturdy screw-in ass-ring that ensures the amp stays coupled to its power source. 

ohmage: kitsch
​The first litmus test for any piece of desktop audio gear is ‘what the wife thinks’. No amp has ever passed my wife’s litmus. The good news for Woo is that she didn’t exactly turn her nose up at fireflies. She likes polite. She married a Swedish-born Canadian for god’s sake. I eat pizza with a knife and fork, burp into my elbow, double flush. When she saw the WA7‘s clean, 80‘s Volvo-esque lines, she saw polite. She might have seen me for all I know.

Woo Audio don’t beam you with fireflies branding. They’ve kept the WA7 logo small. No gold bling anywhere. Even the top glass hides the glowing valves and the beautifully etched ‘Woo Audio’. This is probably Woo Audio’s most understated design to date. I think it will have many fans, though there are a few out there, who like me, love steampunk. Everyone has their weaknesses. 

By the way, WA7 looks and sounds great with the love-it hate-it Fostex TH600.

porridge: build quality and polish
​Talent for inducing hernia is one thing; hardware follow-through is something else. The WA7 isn’t by any means, shoddily made. No. Its quirks, however, are several, and poignant. The first is the glass top. It slides around at the smallest earthquake (and not every earthquake around here is small). Even when the ground isn’t quaking, simply typing at the same desk the WA7 is perched on is enough to cause the chassis to rattle. 

The culprits are many. The worst is the wiggle room open between the the valves and the glass slab. The fit between metal and glass is poor. Coupled with the sheer weight of the melted sand roof, the resultant wiggle room is enough to break the valves. Woo Audio are now shipping rubber feet with every WA7. Good on them. But I’d rather support the valves with metal rings.

The second issue is less egregious, but belies the WA7‘s 999$ price tag (plus shipping and earthquake insurance). It’s the unanchored, wiggly woggly RCA connection which is reminiscent of a MUCH cheaper amp. Carefy do, carefy do. 

The final complaint is even more riddled with holes. It’s WA7’s half-arsed USB plug ‘n play software. The good news is that it works as advertised. But, the USB receiving chip has many functions, including SPDIF input and a multitude of outputs. What shows up in your preferences panel for the WA7 is: Speaker and SPDIF Output. ‘But my computer already has speakers, and SPDIF output’ you say. If you are used to browsing your computer’s audio output devices, simple deduction will get you to the WA7. If not, trial and error is the road you’ll have to take. In its current form, USB plug and play reminds one of the care a knock off vendor puts into their products.

ohmage: sound
​Fireflies boasts lower noise levels than Centrance’ DACmini while adding the goodly harmonic bits valves are known for. The long-throw volume pot ensures all but the most sensitive headphones tracking headroom even at low volumes. 

ohmage: Noise at a 100% turn of the WA7‘s volume pot is less than the ALO Rx at low volume levels. 

Woo Audio is rather an icon among valve headphone aficionados. They make superlative interfaces and chassises. If you want tubey sound, they’ve got an amp for you. Ditto non tubey sound. Ditto all-out power. Fireflies trends towards the latter two, blending clear, far-reaching highs and excellent upper midrange timbre, with a meagre, but healthy dose of harmonic distortion and decent stereo separation. 

If there ever was a desktop equivalent to the godly Portatube+, the WA7 would be it. It’s the wonderful, grain-free timbre- no, it’s those violin-loving upper mids that do me in. Upper midrange ring is well controlled, but vestiges remain, adding sweetness to your concertos and jazz ensembles. Comparisons don’t stop there. Both Jaben’s amp and Woo’s exhibit slight signal-warming harmonic decay artefacts. Fireflies’s midrange comes away more a little more active while Jaben’s treble comes away with a bit more sparkle. Overall, the two share rather compatible voicing.

ohmage: WA7’s penchant for mid-high voiced strings makes it one of the best desktop amps for classical and jazz. 

Pairing the WA7 with your favourite warm headphone is glorious. On the portable end, Audio Technica’s ESW11LTD is a heavenly match. In a worst-case scenario, the WA7 is able to push over 65dB stereo separation into the likes of Audio Technica’s ESW11LTD while keeping THD and IMD quite low. The results don’t change much when pushing the ES7. Easier to drive headphones such as Sennheiser’s HD600 exhibit less load on the WA7. Even at harsh volumes, headphones like Fostex TH600 remain mostly sizzle free. Of course, easy to drive cans such as the DT880 600Ω are chicken soup and can be driven stably at any turn of the volume pot. One thing you may notice, however, is channel imbalance, especially with sensitive headphones. 

porridge: WA7’s volume pot exhibits up to 2dB of channel imbalance at all volume positions.

When comparing output across several different headphones at varying sensitivities and impedances, I rounded out a semi-quick conclusion: WA7 is most at home above 80Ω. Semi-low sensitivity is also favourable. The likes of Heir Audio’s amazing Tzar 350 and 90 earphones still stymie the WA7‘s output. While their impedances fall into the WA7‘s comfort zones, they simply don’t get enough low-voltage current to remain 100% stable. Still, they run much better than stage monitors like Earsonics’ SM2 does. 

Ringing in at 25Ω, the Fostex TH600 weighs in at the very bottom of the WA7’s semi-comfort zone. The errors it forces are minor: slight low frequency fall off and rise in IMD. Despite these issues, the couple make a great pair.

porridge: WA7 has a semi-high Ω output. It is best paired with headphones with impedances of 80Ω or more. Low-Ω headphones will force various signal errors.

Like many good hybrid valve/solid state designs, the WA7’s best frequencies are its upper mids and lower trebles. Both boast flavour of their own and ring beautifully. Violin timbre and detail is toast-worthy. You owe it to yourself to check out Bach’s Sonata for Violin #3 with a pair of woodies and this Woo.

While you won’t get record attack/decay speed from the WA7, channel separation and stereo artefacts are low. Combined with the right headphone, headstage can be surprisingly good. 

The WA7 is Woo’s most interesting departure from its steampunk roots. Its quadrangle design invites wifal approval. Its plug and play simplicity invites the newbie. Its power invites long time headphone users. Awkward USB driver branding, pliable RCA jacks, and the slippy glass roof describe a Woo Audio that may have rushed production. Which is a shame. WA7 is a great product. It sounds great. It looks good. And it works. But it doesn’t really feel like a 999$ product from an American company - particularly after springing a hernia. 

ohmage: 6

porridge: 3

ohmage to the Fostex TH600

From the country of endless kitsch comes a headphone that’s almost laughably stodgy. Its aniki, the TH900, dresses to the hilt in Harajuku-bright urushi blotches and swigs, glinting in even the dimmest listening room. Outwardly, the two could not be more incompatible. Despite bringing up the caboose in the foundling TH series of headphones, the Fostex TH600 plays things cool as 1980’s TV dramas. Think Night Rider without the Hasselhoff: KITT for a new, living-room bound age.

Specifications
​Type: closed-back dynamic
​Driver: 50mm neodym magnet / biodynamic diaphragm
​Frequency response: 5-45.000Hz
​Impedance: 25Ω
​Sensitivity: 94dB/mW
​Maximum Input: 1.800mW
​Weight: 370g (cable not measured)
​Cable length: 3 metres (y split)
​Plug: straight 6,3mm gold plated stereo plug
​Price: 850-1300$

ohmage: comfort
​The TH600‘s cups are made of light-weight die-cast magnesium alloy. Almost any sized ear should comfortably be able to tuck itself inside - with very little hanky-panky. That said, the pads are low profile and the the mounting flanges sit flush with the inner protective mesh. If your ears are even slightly mousey, you’ll feel the inside of the cups, but nothing too adult. The pads are made of an interesting concoction of egg protein, padding, and a lot of marketing imagination. To the finger, they feel surprisingly like leather. To the ear, they're mostly bearable. Egg protein, like every dead animal skin wannabe, feels strange once your ears start to sweat. And sweat they will. Despite coming in lightweight magnesium, the TH600 is heavy. Plus, egg pleatherette has the habit of jettisoning your offerings of sweat and oil back at you. It’s a humid road thereon in.

However, let’s be honest, headphones have never been completely comfortable. Pain and pleasure are old bedmates. Fostex’ newest headphone may be half scrambled, but it lays a lighter yoke than many cans. 

porridge: fit
​Here’s where my PC-ness hits the fan. Designed in Japan by a group of suave engineers with Japanese heads, the TH600 traces a thin line for narrow-noggined folks. Even with its headband compressed to its smallest size, the TH600 still sits heavy on my ears. It’s not meat-head-only Audio-Technica sloppy, nor is it as woefully oversized as Ultrasone headbands are; but in the end, the entire headphone sags past my ears' comfort zones. Suffice it to say, if you’ve got a mouse head, you may want to add a bit of sponge to the headband to keep the headphone from dripping to your shoulders. 

Normal to wide-headed people will get along nicely with the TH600. We mousers envy you.

ohmage: kitsch
​If the TH600 has any of this stuff, it’s buried beneath layers and layers of second-child psychosis. It’s freaking KITT for God’s sake without the Cylon eye thing, an ‘up yours’ to the gaudy TH900. 

The cables are wrapped in nylon filaments and joined in a sturdy Fostex-branded y-split. There on down, the cable gets thick and reaches over 2,5 metres to a large, no-nonsense 6,3mm plug. Plug and phone-side stress relief is taken care of by thick rubber friction tubes. Overall, the cable is excellent. The TH600 is a big-arse black headphone and its cable a garrotte, but it rocks. No frills to attract the watchful eye of your spouse and thus, no sweaty ‘chats’ about price, yadda yadda. 

The TH900 is pretty much the same thing but with urushi scaling, dabbing, and a shiny veneer over the top. Next to each other, the TH600’s colour scheme is Scandinavian in simplicity. The TH900 is Hawaiian-shirt-clad-Manitoban-evangelical-preacher in ostentation. (And as nice as that shirt may be, you have to be in to Hawaiian shirts to get it.)

Fostex, you’ve done your listeners (and believers) a service by offering something for Zeno as well as Zane. Thank you.

porridge: build quality
​If you’re even slightly handy, you’ll enjoy the no-nonsense approach to construction Fostex  have fostered into the TH600. If something breaks and you’ve got the parts, you can replace it. That’s good news, too, as the TH600 needs kiddy-glove treatment more than its direct competitors. Its weakest points are the mounting fulcrums on either side of the headband. Both the band and the yoke will develop wobble in Ikea time. This lax tolerance will cause the yokes to scrape the headband. That’s when the paint chips fall. Aside from that (and the egg padding), there’s little to complain about. But then again, for the price, we should be able to expect better.

ohmage: Sound
​Build niggles be damned, the TH600 walks away proud because, primarily, its sound has no real flaws.

Crispness
​Underlining every frequency is crisp timbre. The TH600 isn’t an analytical headphone, but it renders every frequency distinctly. At its heart are clear, unstrained vocals that take durst not encroach on their surrounds. Crisp is the name of the game. It makes sense. Japanese is a precise language full of sharp chirps and clacks with nary a vowel slide to offend the rhythm. You will encounter neither fleshy lisps, nor splashy ‘s’es anywhere in this headphone's repertoire of unoffending effects.

Conversely, the TH600’s  penchant for full-spectrum crispness leaves lush female vocals to flounder among percussion, pianos and guitars. Beyer’s T1/5 series places vocals front and centre. If you don’t like them, be damned. The TH600‘s `What you get is a mastering mix rather than a whisky-and-crackling fire feel good listen. 

Space
​While undeniably a closed-sounding headphone, the TH600 delivers sublimely wide instrument placement. Fostex’ approach to percussion is perfect: central placement with supporting instruments undulating in concentric circles around it. Vocals hover near the back of the ear, drifting near the black hole when needed. The magnesium cups are used to full effect, engaging the sense of space where there really is none. Where other closed headphones produce flat, regular spatial cues, the TH600 flourishes tangible rises and troughs that are great for music, and perfect for movies.

Speed
​The TH600 derives is crisp, spacious sound from speed. Notes decay in no time, front edges of every instrument are tight and grindy. Not too tight, however. In no way does the TH600 approach AKG's K70x series levels of knife-edged austerity. This speed does wonders with cymbals, no matter what slays them. Sibilance: no; splotch: no again.

Bass vs. Mids
Were I pressed to choose a winner, I’d choose bass as sound pressure heavyweight. Both are clear, strong, and detailed. Bass throbs through with more pressure, though, but neither ever gets summery. The gotcha to this presentation of course, is that vocals never step too close to the mic. Trance fans may rejoice, but small ensemble jazz fans and live aficionados are bound to bemoan: 'oh the humility!' Get over it, I say. It’s just not your typical audiophile headphone; the TH600 feels more at home in a monitoring environment - (though again, not too at home).

Bass vs. Highs
​Like its bass and midrange, the TH600’s highs are nimble and detailed. Sibilance-inducing tracks make off with nothing more than a weak shimmer. To be honest, this trance-head could do with slightly more aggressive highs. Bass and treble balance each other well. Too well, perhaps. With the slightly withdrawn vocal range working as a rudder, there’s almost too little accent, too little splash, too little ‘gotta have it’ in the TH600. But then again, that is probably the mark of a good headphone as opposed to an accented headphone. 

​Discerning listeners will detect a petite V sound curve that suits classical recordings and studio work well. Emotion is there when needed - but nothing's sappy, ever. 

The TH600 is the mostly harmless, nerdy younger sister who writes people’s essays for fun. If she’d take off her glasses for a moment, you’d get to see her eyes (which are big); if she’d let down her hair for a moment...

(BTW, if you want to take her glasses off, wait a few hundred hours. I'm not talking burn in - I'm talking cracking the eggs. The protein pads are soft from the get go, but as they soften up, the bass really starts to come out... and it's glorious.)

Whatever. I’m a fan of the TH600's sound. It compliments my all-time favourite DT880 well. It never steps on any toes. It never plays favourites. For some, it will be boring. For treble or bass haters, it will be mildly V shaped. It’s... it’s... it’s that hard to find jack-of-all-trades headphone -the equivalent of a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, but without the requisite chest hair, cologne, and hanky panky of the same decade. And I’m down with that.

ohmage: 2
​porridge: 2

Equipment used:
​Woo Audio WA7 Fireflies
​Graham Slee Solo Ultra Linear