****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
A fun project but not a lot real amplifier. If you’re looking for a proper tube amp; this isn’t it. I’ve had this hooked up to speakers and headphones and generally been impressed with the performance, however if you’re looking for high quality audio performance you’ll need to spend quite a bit more.Easy to build, very desk friendly. Sounds great with every headphone I've thrown at it.This little wonder snaps/screws together in about 20 minutes. It’s innards are populated with quality parts, with the Class D amp being a Texas Instruments TPA3004D. The amp does not employ any filter for eliminating EMI, but it doesn’t need to as all run paths are short. The ElectroHarmonix 12AU7 is decent, but the secret here is that this amp is a nearly ideal platform for budding tube rollersI’ve purchased several New-Old-Stock (NOS) tubes for this amp, and because every solid state component is so minimalist, differences in tubes are readily apparent. An old RCA tube I found at a used record store sounded awful. Brimar sounded great. As did Cifte. I found a true Tung-Sol black plate/black glass (1953, if the serial numbers are right), and it is quite dark, but wonderful. In a moment of weakness, I sprung for the rare Telefunken G73R. It’s coated to reject EMI, which, as you may recall, this amp does not filter. The sound is delightful!Speakers have included Crites Cornscala D’s, and now Q Acoustics 3050i’s (with sub). In my large-ish listening room, the Q’s are the best speaker per dollar I’ve ever heard. I use a Parasound 275 v2 in this rig too.This amp isn’t a toy. Try a blind listening test with it and have fun. Run inefficient speakers at moderate levels and be surprised. Essentially, it’s modern hifi with absolutely no fuss and BS. Worth every penny, it is durable, has a very clever layout, and delivers completely satisfying results. It’s one of the most overlooked little gems in audio.The mastermind behind it is Yoshi Fujita, who has done some projects that rival $20K Class A designs.This is a no brainer for music lovers who want to get intimate with their gear, but don’t have the chops or the time to properly solder up a full kit. Just go for it and have fun - it’s such a simply way to indulge your inner audiophile explorer.