THE JOURNEY BACK FROM SONOS

At Headphone Auditions, it is my privilege to witness people’s journey back out of the depth of Sonos Hell to the salvation of Personal Audio and sometimes even (back) to Speakers.

TOP-END HEAD-FI = 2/3 HIGH-END HIFI

My Top End Headphone Amplifiers often are build to drive efficient Speakers as well. Or – in case of Air Tight – the manufacturer builds for me a headphone jonction box for their Speaker Amplifier.

In both cases, my customer finds himself with a Headphone System which is already the better part of a very natural sounding speaker system.

THE 1ST WATT

As many music lovers, I’m a firm believer low power amplification combined with efficient speaker. What might sound like a compromise (headphone amp on speakers) is actually – for me – the Holy Grail.

JUST ADD DEVILLES

And out of those efficient speakers I have one favorite: The DeVille’s are so easy to place, so natural “sounding” let me stop here because, as you might have found out on a visit to the shop: you can’t read music – you need to hear it! 

Pair your DeVille with some of the most remarkable amplifiers

Choosing the Fleetwood Sounds DeVille is as close as you will get to a no-brainer in Audio.

The question is only which amplifier to pair it with. At Headphone Auditions you can try the most obvious candidates.

In the process, you might just find you perfect Two Channel System… which might even be your Top End Headphone system!

Riviera AIC 10 bal

Conceived with the goal in mind to create the best headphone amplifier in the world, Riviera just happened to create a superb integrated amplifier.

I showed off this combo at the 2022 Dutch Audio Event without any room treatment in a 60 sqm room and HIFI-PIG had the following to say:

“This was a fabulously smooth-sounding system and as natural sounding a set-up as I’ve heard at a show. For me, almost everything was right with this system, even in the show environment.”

Air Tight ATM 300R

One of my favourite speaker amps has received a dedicated headphone conversion box.

So this is another “headphone amp” that just happens to be also a wonderful speaker amp which pairs in an almost perfect way with the DeVille!

Enleum AMP 23R

Also the hybrid headphone/speaker amplifier is renown for its Symbiosis with the DeVille by many happy listeners.

Rike Audio Romy

Rike is famed for building the best capacitors in the world and for their unique phono stages. But you should also hear their tube amps, especially the Romy on the DeVille!

Audio Note Cobra

Is it Bang for the Buck that you are looking for?

The Cobra, with its build in DAC is probably one of the most economical way to make the DeVille sing on tubes!