: runs hotter than some tube amps; heavy; not as impressive single-ended (just notwithstanding very good)

Lots of ink has been spilled about this amp already. The "big thread" on the Sound-GD Phoenix is VERY long – so long it's only useful as a running dialog near the amp – reading through it to glean information has get very difficult. But it shows that there is a lot of connected interest and excitement for this amp, which is in my experience somewhat unusual for an amp that sells for more than $ane,000. So I was very excited myself to become the hazard to listen to it.

1 thing I DID glean from the big thread, however, was that a review of the Phoenix without a pair of counterbalanced headphones would be less than useful, since information technology is a fully counterbalanced design, and that this is a big part of what makes it what it is. As luck would have it, a pair of 600 ohm Beyerdynamic DT880's that had been recabled for balanced popped upwardly in the FS forums most the time the Phoenix arrived. This was near too proficient to exist true, since I am thoroughly familiar with the DT880 (as well every bit being a big fan), and I would be able to compare the same exact headphone counterbalanced and unbalanced. Then I bought the balanced 880/600'south, and all was well. I already had a balanced DAC (the Music Hall dac25.2, which when used counterbalanced bypasses the tubed output stage). Then my review of the Phoenix is primarily using that configuration – Denon CDRW1500 > toslink > dac25.2 balanced > Phoenix > DT880/600 balanced.

When the Phoenix arrived, I was taken aback at how heavy information technology was. This is one SERIOUSLY built amp. Information technology'southward also cosmetically cute – if yous are into audio gear every bit jewelry, the Phoenix volition tickle your fancy in this regard, I'd wager:

I was further taken ashamed at how HOT the Phoenix is. I gauge it's biased High into Class A, because this thing is very hot, even at idle. I had to put my DAC up on some very tall isolation feet and then there was enough air circulation above the Phoenix. At that place are 2 chassis, and it's better to put the "control" chassis above the chassis with the headphone connectors from a heat management perspective. The Phoenix'south chassis gets warmer than the chassis of any tube amp I own. No kidding.

I bankrupt the amp in for 300 hours before reviewing, and with the 150 the factory puts on, that's 450 hours. Should be plenty, and I did not find whatever change in audio during the time I did my auditioning. The only operational "quirk" of any kind I had is some very slight clicking when using the volume control, as other users reported. Just it was very slight. And when using the remote control, there is no clicking when changing volume. Otherwise, the Phoenix performed flawlessly.

Audio

The Phoenix is, without a doubt, one of the smoothest sounding solid state amplifiers I take ever heard. It has an effortless, delicate, nuanced delivery that volition melt the eye of fifty-fifty the nigh die-hard tube-loving headphile. The overall presentation is only slightly dark. I can see why HD800 owners similar the Phoenix – the very slightly laid-back treble would no incertitude mate well with the HD800's treble presence. Same with the DT880 – at that place is no question that the Phoenix delivered the best sound out of the DT880 that I have e'er gotten from a solid land amp, and indeed with the balanced DT880, the best audio I have ever heard from whatsoever DT880, flow. The counterbalanced DT880/600 and the Phoenix provide a level of functioning that is hard to imagine unless you lot hear it. It's wickedly proficient. You could listen to it for hours and hours with no fatigue, and with a deep sense of engagement.

For instance, during Joan Osborne'southward agonized cover of "I'll Be Effectually", I noticed at one point while typing the judgement above that I wasn't typing anymore. I got lost in her vox. I mean totally lost. This doesn't happen to me well-nigh as often as I wish it did. Merely the Phoenix was able to deliver goose-bump thrills on a more than just occasional basis.

Part of the magic is the absolutely spooky dark black background that the Phoenix produces. This aides in both dynamics (which are very good just not the absolute best I have heard), and in transparency. The Phoenix is definitely highly transparent sounding – information technology is completely free from any sort of veil or haze or coat – it provides a pure, wide open up sound that serves all kinds of music very well.

The midrange is very full and rich, but in no way syrupy or fatty. Merely it is less thin than many other SS amps, even in the $1K+ toll class. I don't have whatever of the other high-finish SS amps I have reviewed around for reference whatsoever more, unfortunately, simply I have reviewed or owned the B22, RSA Apache, Blue Circle SBH, ALO/RWA Amphora, Meier Opera – all some nice SS amps. And at least from memory, I would take the Phoenix's midrange operation over all of these. Joyc due east Cooling'south delicate first-alto vocals on "This Daughter'south Got to Play" were sumptuous, as were Mae Moore'southward on "Love Will Bring You Back". Female vocals are absolutely wonderful on the Phoenix. Guitars had squeamish crunch and tone without sounding overly forced.

Bass operation was interesting. Extremely tight and deep, and well defined, and very articulate. There was merely a very petty fleck less punch than I expected, I guess, but I didn't consider this a deficiency – the bass was very well integrated with the overall sound, and while I take heard amps with just a bit more bass weight, the Phoenix's overall smooth nature meant that this did non yield any brightness in the overall sound. Far, far from it, in fact. The Phoenix is unfailingly smooth and rich sounding, without sounding in any style slow or lacking in detail. Listening to "Inhaler" from Hooverphonic's "A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular" showed the Phoenix to deliver very musical bass of exceptional control, but with just a chip less weight at the lesser than I go from other top tier amps. Only again, this is very slight.

Higher upwards, things are likewise really, actually good. Treble detail is amend than some amps that sound brighter. The treble is then smooth and pure that information technology doesn't telephone call attention to itself (which is a proficient affair), only pocket-sized details still come through. For case, there are some triangle strikes in function of "Inhaler" that come up though very nicely in spite of that song's waterfall of instrumentation. Ditto some triangle strikes in Mastodon's "The Terminal Businesswoman" from their new "Crack the Skye" (which was outstanding via the Phoenix). If all SS amps had treble similar the Phoenix, the world would be a far happier place, IMO. The ability to be simultaneously and so detailed then smooth is a large part of what makes the audio of the Phoenix wing, IMO.

Imaging is uncommonly well defined, and this is sometimes a hard trick to pull off in an amplifier with as smooth a treble as the Phoenix. Many people misfile paradigm specificity with an exaggerated treble which pushes item in your face. The Phoenix does no such thing – it is a very natural soundstage, with outstanding image stability and definition, with a great sense of space created. It does seem to be a little less "out in front" of the caput than some of my better tube amps, simply it is still very, very good. Width of the soundstage is besides first-class. One would hope that an amplifier in this price class would contribute to first-class soundstaging (which of course is dictated largely the headphones), and indeed, the Phoenix does very well hither.

I will say that the Phoenix did work a little better for some headphones than others. All of my 600 ohm Beyers sounded zilch brusque of wonderful, even single-ended. This is a Beyer-lover's amp, for sure. I tin can't wait to hear with with the new Beyer T1 when my pair arrives. Simply the Beyers were a better fit with the Phoenix than the JVC DX1000's were. While I thought the DX1000's sounded excellent via the Phoenix in many respects, the slightly dark audio of the DX1000 paired with the slightly nighttime sound of the Phoenix was a fiddling Also dark when used in combination. Not and so much that it renders the combination unenjoyable – quite to the opposite, I still enjoyed it. But if the DX1000 were my only headphone, I wouldn't choose the Phoenix. Similarly, if the Phoenix were my merely amp, I wouldn't choose the DX1000. The DX1000 sounded a piddling meliorate on my Decware CSP-2 and my Darkvoice 337 than I felt they did on the Phoenix (both of those of amps were about the same price as the Phoenix, when the price of the tubes in them is factored in). I wish I withal had my Denon D5000's – I bet they would sound swell with the Phoenix if my memory of them serves me. I besides don't have AKG K340's anymore, simply I bet a balanced pair of those would be dynamite on the Phoenix.

A discussion about counterbalanced versus SE operation – since I had both balanced and unbalanced DT880/600's, some like shooting fish in a barrel comparison was possible. I would say that the sound in balanced was 15-20% better than SE – much college than I expected. The soundstaging was improve; the overall sound was more nuanced and fragile; decay and hall acoustics were easier to hear. I would highly encourage owners of balanced headphones to detect a manner to audience them with the Phoenix. I also think that spending $1,200 for this amp if you don't own a pair of balanced headphones, or plan to buy some soon, probably isn't the fashion to go. Information technology's still a great amp, but you'd be paying a big premium for a benefit that you couldn't employ.

I did also use the Phoenix every bit a pre-amp in ii settings. I first used it in my "he-man" speaker rig. In this setting, it was OK, but a far cry from my Cary SLP-05. In the context of my pretty high-end speaker rig, I felt the Phoenix was outclassed. Skilful, but not great. I too used information technology every bit a preamp to bulldoze a pair of Dynaudio powered monitors. In that context it was much more comfortable, and sounded excellent.

SUMMARY

The Phoenix is a globe-course solid state headphone amplifier that truly shines when used with balanced headphones, but is still very good running SE. When driving a pair of balanced DT880's the sound was and so enjoyable it was hard for me to do anything Just savour information technology. I had ever kind of poo-poo'd the whole counterbalanced affair for headphones, even though my speaker-rig preamp and power amp are balanced. Shame on me. Now I get it. While the combination of balanced 880/600'south and the Phoenix push the $2K mark, the price is fully justified past the functioning, IMO. In fact you tin can easily spend more and get less. The Phoenix is just a bear on the dark side, and then it'southward a good idea to consider the pairing headphone a little advisedly. But having done so, the Phoenix is a magical bird, indeed. Based on my prior feel with SS amps in this price course, and I have owned or reviewed more than a half dozen, I believe the Phoenix is also an first-class value, even at $1,200. Super-enthusiastically recommended. I was sad to run into the review loaner go.