atomicAdam
05-06-2010, 01:13 PM
http://gallery.audioreview.com/data/audio//500/TrendsAudio-PA-10.jpg
(please forgive the G1 phone photo quality)
Well, finally, after a long ordeal and a month or so of breaking at the wife's desk, I've finally got my ears in my K701 and listening to the Trends Audio PA-10 Tube Headphone Amp.
Initial impressions with a crappy source: my laptop and VBR mp3s is very positive.
Bass is present, can be punchy, doesn't hang around, and so far seems slightly quieter than balanced.
Mids, like a violins, vocals, for instance, sound complete w/o being thick.
Highs are very open, and so thus is the sound stage.
Detail is probably as good as it can be considering the current source.
It sounds a lot better than just straight out of the headphone jack on the laptop, obviously. What I like about it, say, in contrast to the KingRex HQ-1, is that the music sounds more open. It has a similar clean sound that the AVA Omega III pre-amp (using the headphone jack) does. Good dynamics and gives the sound room to breath.
Cons, so far, I hate the 1/4inch headphone jack. Those just break so easily. When using the PA-10 as a pre-amp the volume adjust seems to becomes a left/right balance adjustment knob and it is very crackly. I suppose it doesn't matter, cause once set center....but it is supposed to be a volume knob...I don't know. Maybe it was just being weird because the Trends Audio TA-10 also has a volume knob.
Anyways, more to come...
(please forgive the G1 phone photo quality)
Well, finally, after a long ordeal and a month or so of breaking at the wife's desk, I've finally got my ears in my K701 and listening to the Trends Audio PA-10 Tube Headphone Amp.
Initial impressions with a crappy source: my laptop and VBR mp3s is very positive.
Bass is present, can be punchy, doesn't hang around, and so far seems slightly quieter than balanced.
Mids, like a violins, vocals, for instance, sound complete w/o being thick.
Highs are very open, and so thus is the sound stage.
Detail is probably as good as it can be considering the current source.
It sounds a lot better than just straight out of the headphone jack on the laptop, obviously. What I like about it, say, in contrast to the KingRex HQ-1, is that the music sounds more open. It has a similar clean sound that the AVA Omega III pre-amp (using the headphone jack) does. Good dynamics and gives the sound room to breath.
Cons, so far, I hate the 1/4inch headphone jack. Those just break so easily. When using the PA-10 as a pre-amp the volume adjust seems to becomes a left/right balance adjustment knob and it is very crackly. I suppose it doesn't matter, cause once set center....but it is supposed to be a volume knob...I don't know. Maybe it was just being weird because the Trends Audio TA-10 also has a volume knob.
Anyways, more to come...