CEntrance Ampersand Headphone Amplifier

Dec 9, 2021

carloecoFolks at CANJAM noted it was clean and, as is usual for our stuff, uncolored. Technology is Class-A balanced analog, with dual filtered, high-rail power supplies. Now, having said that, a lot of planar headphones "open up" when driven by a powerful amp, so while the amp itself doesn't add any color, the fact that additional detail comes out in the headphone when properly driven, makes for a better overall listening experience. You will get a lot more enjoyment from the headphones you already have. Hope this helps!

(Edited)

hermanlaihere

Dec 8, 2021

Wow¬ What a real beast for a 3 Watt per channel portable amp!! Can you share more about the watt corresponding to different impedance setting? As we user may have both high Ohm dynamic headphone, like HD800, and planar magnetic monster, such as HE-6v2. I think every fans are looking forward to knowing more concerning the watt output @ 50ohm, 150ohm, 300ohm

Vote

Dec 8, 2021

hermanlaihereIn short -- We made sure the amp had enough current for low impedance headphones and enough voltage for high impedance headphones. The measurements are in progress now and should be completed soon. We will post them on the website as soon as possible. For now, rest assured that we have tested the product with HE-6 and HD-800 and both are working very well, with plenty of drive capability. These are not the issue. Stealth, Either Flow, HEDD and Abyss were slightly underpowered in the previous generation, so we have improved the design since then to make sure we can handle those confidently as well. The goal is to have "no questions left" with regards to power.

(Edited)

Dec 8, 2021

Hey everybody, Michael Goodman here from CEntrance. Very excited about this drop. We worked hard to make this product a success and I am pretty sure you won't be disappointed! Just to give you some feedback, what we are now making and what you will be getting soon, is the second generation of this product. We did extensive testing on the first generation units earlier this year. We premiered the product at CANJAM in Los Angeles in October this year. Everybody loved it, and we successfully tested it with pretty much every hard-to-drive headphone there is. We used Susvara, HE-6, HEDD, Abyss, Stealth, Noir, and many others. We liked what we heard, but we felt that it needed just a little more "oomph", to take those headphones over the top. So we went back to the drawing board and redesigned the power amplifier, the battery power supply, and the power delivery infrastructure, to provide a louder signal to the headphones. The result is pretty impressive. And as redesigns usually go, we didn't stop there. While we were at it, we used suggestions from our beta testers and added a 1/4" output jack. Big headphones more often than not have the 1/4" plug rather than the 3.5mm one. And if you need an adapter, a 1/4" to 3.5mm adapter is easy to get and sounds good, while the dongle that goes the other way around is hard to find, is inconvenient, and seldom has good sound quality. We also moved the power switch to the other side, to make the product easier to operate while on the desk. We also changed the location of the 4mm jack, to make it more compatible and easier to use with most standard headphones. I'm saying this to let you know that we are passionate about the Ampersand and want you to have the best listening experience! And with drop, you can get the last preorder discount before we start shipping. So you are in for a treat ;) Let me know if you have any questions! - Michael

Offramp

Dec 8, 2021

CEntranceWell hello, I bought your last Hifi-M8 that your company built for me with parts still on hand. I tried to get you to sign it but of course you refused. I still have it in the box never opened after all these years. I still have the emails leading up to the build too. This new amp looks killer and if I live long enough I’ll probably get it, this time I will open the box LOL. I know for a fact you sell out when you make amps like this. I’m a buyer if I get a few more years well done on this new amp.

LIBY555

192

Dec 8, 2021

I have the M8 v2 and it's quite lovely. Fantastically built, plenty of power, packed with features and outputs in a very small form factor. Sounds incredible. It has that boutique-high-end look and feel to it which makes easily stand out over the Chi-fi devices. Highly recommended.

•

Dec 8, 2021

LIBY555Many thanks for your comments. M8 has a lot of power but many people felt that some Planar headphones are still best driven with a desktop amp. Until now... Ampersand solves that for Both desktop and portable use. And they stack nicely.

mensrea

Dec 7, 2021

Interesting, but the lack of a DAC section makes the market for this very, very small. At this price point, it will compete with the iFi Signature, the new Gryphon and for a few bucks more, the TOTL Diablo (edit: not to mention the cheaper Micro Black Label and the XD-05 Plus), all of which combine both DAC and amp in the same or smaller form factor. The combination obviates the need for stacking, which I think for many is the point of getting something this size. The Ampersand is awkwardly named, but maybe that’s appropriate because it seems destined to occupy an awkward space in the market. My 2 cents without having tested the thing, so take my thoughts with a smidgeon of salt.

(Edited)

Dec 7, 2021

Thank you for your comments. As you say, there are plenty of combos on the market. So if you want a great *analog* amp, this product is for you. As a side note, many people use a DAP when on the run, and a DAC is not required for those as many have an excellent DAC built-in. What most DAPs lack however is a powerful amp. So that's the use case here. And by no means are we trying to compete with the combos you mention. They have a place in the market, as does this. So far preorders have been strong and we might actually run out of the first batch before the end of the month. That would be nice but also disappointing to those on this drop who are holding out. Once we start shipping, this drop will close and will not return.

(Edited)

mensrea

Dec 8, 2021

CEntranceFair point on pairing with a DAP.

ManicNick

Dec 7, 2021

Where is M8 V2 ?