Massdrop x Alex Cavalli Liquid Carbon X Amp

Made in collaboration with Alex Cavalli, a legend in the world of headphone amps, the Liquid Carbon X is a solid-state, fully balanced, bridged amp with a clear, transparent, non-fatiguing sound. It has the same topology as the celebrated Liquid Carbon, along with updates to the form factor, switching power supply, and input and output jacks. The four amplifier sections—two per channel—create a clean, distortion-free signal and a quiet background, making this new amp suitable for everything from sensitive IEMs to large, demanding headphones. Available for a fraction of the original’s price, the Liquid Carbon X is designed to stack with the CTH tube hybrid amp (our first collaboration with Alex Cavalli) and other Massdrop Made audiophile products.

The Liquid Carbon X’s topology allows for the use of balanced or single-ended DACs in fully balanced mode, since the single-ended signal has to be phase split to run through the amp. It retains the Liquid Carbon’s single-ended output for convenience with unbalanced cables, and also has a balanced output for when you need more power. The 3.5-millimeter input jack and small RSA balanced output jacks, however, have been removed. The Liquid Carbon X adds a protective offset detector, and for quieter operation and compatibility with worldwide voltages, moves the power supply out of the chassis. Plus, you can adjust the gain on the front panel for different headphones. This amp’s dimensions are larger than the original’s, making it stackable with the CTH. And they look great together, since it’s built from the same high-grade, CNC-milled aluminum.

One of the community’s favorite amp designers, Alex Cavalli started experimenting with tube amps when he was a kid and founded Cavalli Audio after years in the DIY space. Carefully blending the precision of solid state with the musicality of vacuum tubes, Cavalli Audio makes gear with exceptional transparency, dynamics, and realism, along with its signature refinement and fluidity. The company strives to bring a smile to listeners’ faces with each new product, and it works. Audiophiles rave about Cavalli amps, but with their small runs and higher prices, they can be hard to come by for some. We’re excited to team up with Alex Cavalli to make these designs accessible to a larger audience.