Sure, the Hugo can drive the Utopia fine, but there is more to it than just balanced/unbalanced connectors.
The Phonitor has a unique sound you don’t get with other amps. It’s is exceedingly clear and detailed. I think that’s also a hallmark of Chord dacs. It seems that piling on brighter sounding gear on to each other would be excessive. The Phonitor seemed to match better with darker sounding headphones to really push the clarity through.
Personally, I think the Utopia are too fatiguing for long listening sessions, so I personally would be looking for an amp that synergized sonically to my tastes. The DNA Stratus/Starlett are good examples where you get all the detail but less fatigue because they tame the hd800/Utopia top end a bit and widen the soundstage in the process. It’s all about preference though, so your goals may differ.
Thanks for the input @ProfFalkin! I definitely chose the Utopias specifically because I love the detail, and for my personal tastes, I never found them to sound artificially bright or fatiguing. As I understand it (but, correct me if I’m wrong), the Phonitor wouldn’t necessarily add any brightness to the Hugo 2 output, but rather reproduce its signal with exceedingly low levels of distortion, which seems great to me, as I love what I’m currently getting out of the Hugo 2. I totally take your point on the DNA amps, but I’m not particularly looking to get into the tube amp game just yet. My main goal is to build out an end-to-end system I’m really happy with, and only then start to tinker with new DACs and amps. I mainly want to get clarity on whether or not a (very good) solid state amp has any benefit whatsoever while I’m using the Hugo 2, or if I should just keep myself plugged straight into the Hugo 2 if and until I’m ready to start layering additional/new sonic elements in (i.e. tube amps, stand-alone DACs, etc).
In that case, i think the Phonitor should be on a very short list of SS amps for you. The ECP 3F Ravenswood w/ amorphous core transformer would be another.
I’d agree. I own both Phonitor XE and Hugo 2, and I listen mainly with ZMF Verité Closed (monkeypod). The Hugo 2 specific sound signature — a bit like listening to the original instruments in an anechoic chamber — does not feel like it would benefit from the faithful Phonitor XE.
Hey guys, hoping for some advice from you experts - currently I’ve got a mimby/eitr -> jot -> Eikon & atticus. I’m kicking around a few upgrade options (new equip only):
(1.) getting Bifrost 2 & phonitor (optimize the eikons)
(2.) verite closed & lyr3 (decent verite setup)
(3.) woo wa8 for transportability (great sound with the option to move?)
I like tube sound but don’t want to go down the tube-rolling path (which i can’t resist), and if travel comes back may be doing a bit of long-stay travel thus the wa8, though given the state of things that could be awhile.
I like a wide soundstage, lots of subbass power (why i like the eikons over atticus with my dac/amp setup), and mostly listen to EDM, but also lots of jazz and female vocals. I’d like to keep the budget low (maybe i just get a lyr3??), but am willing to stretch up if the value is there.
I’m loving the phonitor concept, but maybe I’d be better off with the VC and a better amp later? Help!
Uhhh… I know it doesn’t have batteries and can’t be a truly portable system (needs a power outlet), but the RME ADI 2 DACfs is smaller than your Jotunheim, and with the EQ capabilities it could be everything you could want in a transportable dac/amp. The headphone amp isn’t as lively as the Jot, but… EQ and more options than you can shake a stick at could make up for that.
I bet its small enough to fit in a carry-on bag if flying.
Anyway… Of the 3 you mentioned, and assuming you are only picking one of those, not all 3, then #1 would be quite a good sounding setup and my pick.
Heck, even a Lyr 3 + Bf2 would be great.
The WA8 is pretty darn good. You know Jexby at SBAF? Pick his brains if you want the skinny on how it pairs with ZMF headphones. As I recall, he used that exclusively as his office amp for quite a while.
I have an Eikon and Phonitor E (dac is Ayre Codex, not BF2) and I can say the combo is really good. The Phonitor drives the Eikon like nothing i’ve heard. It’s a bit neutral sounding overall, but so dynamic and detailed and smooth. It really lets the natural tonality of the Eikon shine, but without any harshness.
If you want a warmish amp that’s not too expensive try a Gilmore Lite MK 2. It’s small (not much bigger than a Magni), so you can toss it in a bag, and it’s got a really nice, slightly warm tonality that’s very pleasing sounding. The bass is slightly north of neutral, with a nice bloom and resonance to it. It’s not the fastest, most nuanced bass, but really fun and engaging. I briefly had one and sold it, but have regretted it ever since. It was great with the Eikon i had at that time (different wood type than my current model).
Un. be. lievable. My VU meters have gone out again! The lights work, the meters don’t. I had the unit off for about a week, turned it back on tonight to test some headphones, and everything seems to work, except for the VU meters. Any ideas or has anyone ever heard of this happening?
If I send this back (again!) I’m going to request a brand new board and a new faceplate while I’m at it, since mine is fading.
Agreed. Regardless of build quality, all things electronic tend to die. And then they are replaced by a new generation with 2x the quality but 1/2 the price.
It seems like I’m the only one with these issues. I’ll call Focal Naim on Monday and see what they want to do with me. I’m not happy about having to spend $70 every time my flagship amp goes out.
Yeah… I’ve had zero issues with my XE… I do tend to leave it on 24/7…unless traveling then I’ll power it down fully… sorry to hear you are having so many issues with yours =( that is no bueno!
Focal Naim responded to my email and said the board had been completely replaced in mine. Now I’m waiting on them to give me more information over a replacement or fix.
“Here is what I found out about the previous repair. We changed the amplifier board, specifically because the OPX Board was burned which is a core component in controlling voltages and power delivery. Usually, this part gets damaged when hot-swapping headphones. It’s hard to say specifically what caused it in this case as it could be from any number of things. The VU meters were tested afterward and were working to spec.”
They also were not aware that the silver units exhibit flaking of the lettering and stated it was due to the age of the amp. I let them know that it’s widely known across the forums that the silver units are known for that manufacturing defect.
Need to send them a video of the VU meters not working next.
The black ones do it too - I’ve never seen a Phonitor X or XE in person, that was less than a couple of months old, that didn’t have some level of the legends wearing off.
Ah, OK, i was not aware the black ones did it too. I only recall people talking about the silver units. It’s not a big deal, they don’t really affect functionality, so I told them.
