We all have our experiences with hi fi equipment. I have been doing this for too long and my conclusion- although I would never say other options wont also sound good is a SS headphone amp with lots of power and a tube preamp. The SS amp delivers solidity of sound, dynamic punch, and tight bass while the tube preamp add that sparkle, soundstage, and density which is just addictive.I finally struck gold on the amp side with the CC, something with unbelievable synergy. And no, not the Aegis! That's in transit so I can't comment yet. I trust you all, I'm sure it's a home run. Nope, this one's been sitting on my rack neglected for awhile now. My Kenzie OG Rev 2! I know, I already tested the Calderas with it and said it was ok, nothing more. What gives? That first test was with the normal stock type tubes I like for the AC/Atticus. I got off my lazy butt this week and organized my tubes, and found the adapters that let me run 12B4A power tubes in place of the stock 1626. Bam, transformation!
My Kenzie has the 32/300 output impedance taps, not the 8/100 set that's optional, and I'm using 32. So what changed from the usual 1626 power tubes? The 12B4A thickens the notes, but without sacrificing speed. And I found one of my RFT 12AT7 tubes that's on the sweeter side up top. That tube combo helps tame the CC's brightness for me. I tried the heavy green mesh and found it odd sounding, so I'm back to the red mesh paired with the Caldera thick lamb pads. This combo brings some weight to the bones and softness up top, giving me still amazing technical performance, while shifting the tonal balance north towards the AC/Bokeh, which are my favorites. It's still faster and more resolving than those two, but isn't as thin and bright. I know, the CC isn't thin/bright in a vacuum, just in direct comparison, and also just my opinion.
I'm hoping the Aegis further pushes the CC from "i'm really liking but have some reservations" to "i'm buying my demo set!". But even if not, the Kenzie is bringing the goods, and I'm really happy right now. I'll report back when the Aegis is in house of course, but until then I'll just keep on enjoying the sweet sweet Kenzie.
Many have used the CFA-3 with a 300B tube pre. I use the Mass Kobo 365 MK2 with the audio-gd HE-1 vacumme preamp. One of my favorite thing about the preamp (besides the thick textured sound) is there is NO tube rolling. I just dont want to create a new rabbits hole.
This combo sounds stunning with every headphone I throw at it...-- but I fam a fan of thick, meaty, dense sound. For those that like light and airy- they may not be as thrilled.
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