Apex HiFi Sangaku Hybrid Amp

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by Huxleigh, Aug 19, 2016.

  1. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

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    Ok, I'm about a day in with Sangaku and I'll just get this out of the way.... This is a good amp, maybe a very good amp, in my opinion. I got in on this loaner with a what the f**k attitude, really just curious to see what the DIP tube gimmick could possibly sound like.... expecting it, quite honestly, to sound like hairy ass. To my surprise and pleasure... it's anything but, i.e. not butt.

    Now, it's not perfect. It might fall short of preferences for someone like a @SteelCannon and likely @Psalmanazar .... The million dollar question for others will be is this thing worth $2k. And that'll take some pondering. More later. Comparisons to ZDS and T3, etc. But I kinda wish I could keep this damn thing and plop it in to duty at work. The shortcomings are probably going to be nits in the end - for me anyhow..... Will see.

    Thanks, SBAF! Thanks, Todd!!
     
  2. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

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    I have been able to spend some time this morning doing some closer listening to the Sangaku, and making direct compares to my ZDS and T3. Gear descriptions at the end of this post.

    Here's a Sangaku pic in the wild. It has a convenient form factor of roughly 8.5" x 10" x 2.5". Front controls are an output selector for SE high/low gain, balanced high/low gain, and a single preamp out. So it seems that one can not use both the preamp output and a headphone output. A mild bummer. The Sangaku also has three selectable inputs, 2 SE and one balanced. I'm using SE only.

    [​IMG]

    Immediate Observations
    Out of the box, I was quite surprised. I'd plugged in it just before leaving for work for a quick listen and had my incoming biases busted. This amp had a nice touch of tube euphoria without being overdone, it was clear without solid state haze, and it presented a very decent head stage. Head stage is in fact a bit wider than T3's (which is commonly faulted for being a bit compressed, and I agree there). All in all, not bad, very pleasantly surprised, but it was time to head to work. On the curious side, I'd noted a few things:

    One, the chassis is incredibly microphonic. Apex really needs to figure out some sort of mechanical shock mount scheme for these Nutubes. These things need to be decoupled from the chassis. It's particularly offensive if you insert the 1/4" headphone plug with the headphones over your ears because the ringing lasts a good 5 seconds. Tapping the chassis with a fingernail can be heard as well, but diminishes more rapidly.

    Second, the feet on the chassis are not level. The unit wobbles diagonally on my dead-flat butcher block shelf. I'm not sure if these feet are intended to be height adjustable, but it doesn't appear so, and I'm not going to futz with a loaner unit.

    Third, low gain is the only usable option with Utopias. This is probably expected. But with no input signal, there is a very high noise floor through Utopias on the high gain setting. A comfortable to slightly loud (depending on track) listening volume for me on low gain was around 1:00 on the volume dial. Plenty of headroom.

    Expectations
    apexhifi.com pushes this as a compact unit that delivers "DHT sound". Precisely: "...enables the Sangaku to provide true DHT sound". Furthermore, the unit retails at $2000. So given this claim and price tag, it's fair to have fairly lofty expectations. Then, for starters, WTF exactly is a "DHT sound"? You do hear this term often, actually. And while I'm not a single-ended DHT aficionado, I've heard enough to know 300B, 45, 26, 2A3 all sound different when driven at their spec'd operating conditions. So, I suppose the term "DHT sound" is intended to invoke notions of transparency, clarity & high resolution, emotional engagement, natural sound, big soundstage, etc. But I recently heard a shitty DHT amp, too. :) Maybe I'm harping on this now, but the final sound is heavily influenced by the driver stage, load characteristics, heater type, output stage, among other things, after all. It's the entire circuit that creates the sound. Tubes have electrical characteristics, not sound. But, hey, let's just go with the assumption that the intent is to convey the amp's sound as an oft cited holy grail of audiophilia - the DHT! Incidentally, an obvious compare point for Sangaku would seem to be the upcoming Better Than SET amp from @liamstrain .

    Extended Unorganized Thoughts
    The strength of Sangaku is its midrange. It has a nice, tube-like euphonic presence that is very well executed, IMO. It's not thick, it's not overstated. It doesn't sound like an attempt at tubey sound. It's pleasing, musical, engaging. It just sounds right, and it's not what I expected. Tasteful even harmonics. There's a high degree of clarity at the same time... some sweetness with clarity simultaneously. And there's no solid state haze. Timbre is pretty good, but not perfect. I'll get in to a bit later, but there's a bit of dryness where cymbals or strings sound a bit flat. Nevertheless, place a check in some of those presumed "DHT sound" boxes.

    Soundstage is similar to that of my T3, with perhaps a bit more width. Not a ZDS soundstage, but not one that disappoints me either. IMO, it's probably not what someone would associate with or expect from "DHT sound" in terms of staging, but it is acceptable (to me). I'm not usually going to place a high degree of importance on "head stage" though.

    Once we wander outside the mids, things get a bit more murky. The Sangaku is not extended at the extremes. Bass lacks impact, and treble is a bit subdued. More on this later using my T3 as the reference, but my subjective impression would be this is not a dynamic amp per se, while the T3 very much is (or can be, based on your circuit mods (CCS, etc) and tube choices). Now, I suppose I've heard a 2A3 implementation that'd I'd characterize as lean, so perhaps we're still within the realm of a possible "DHT sound" below 250 Hz. But the 4kHz+ range, not so much. From the website, I learned "Sangaku" means mountain. And to my ears, that's a good way to describe it's frequency response - a mountain with the ... apex ... at or around 1 kHz. :) This does mean, also, that on the high end, Sangaku is also never sibilant, edgy, etc. It seems a bit rolled off on either side of the mids.

    Attack, sustain, decay... Ok this is a clear area where Sangaku comes up short. I'm hearing a lack of reverb sustain and dcay. For me, tubes always do this best, and it should be plentiful in the prototypical "DHT sound". But here, the Sangaku has a bit of an overdamped presentation. On the attack side, the amp isn't objectionably slow, but it is absent some requisite bite. So, when listening to tracks that do require more aggression, then Sangaku is unconvincing. I do listen to a lot of laid back music, but I also don't want the harder stuff to sound cultured and polite. So, for these reasons, I can't quite check the "natural sound" box. That might be just fine for some, though. It lends itself to be a bit relaxing, and never analytical or grating.

    In terms of resolution, Sangaku does an OK job but mostly within its sweet spot. Bass, aside from lacking heft, is a bit muddy. ZDS and T3 both present both a clearer and more controlled bass line. In general, with microdetails, Sangaku seems to go beyond being nuanced to being a bit muted by my standards. They're not absent, but they can be harder to hear. This isn't common to 2A3, and 45 implementations I've heard. My other amps are ahead in this category.

    Versus T3
    The T3 is a well-known and well-regarded amp. Many SBAF folks heard mine at the Big Meet in LA, albeit in a slightly different configuration. It makes for a good reference point, and gate keeper to the higher priced arena of personal audio amplification devices, IMO. I prefer my ZDS ($2400) over my T3. But I prefer my T3 to a fair number of other amps that fall all over the price spectrum. One disclaimer here would be that I assembled the T3 and also spent a fair amount of time tweaking it to my liking. So although costs (not including failed tube experiments) came to $1000ish for the T3, getting it to where it is today was a labor of love.

    Sangaku slightly bests the T3 in soundstage width. Depth seems fairly similar between the two. T3 might have a bit more "above the head" ambience. Both are acceptable to me, though the added Sangaku width is certainly welcome. I suspect that Sangaku is going to be more flexible in terms of headphone pairing as well. T3 won't drive things like the T50rp effectively at all. But, T3 bests Sangaku in most other categories. T3 has a much more even tonal balance, it has more natural attack and decay, greater detail retrieval, and is more impactful. T3 gives you the option to roll tubes, while Sangaku gives you the peace of mind knowing that you can't be tempted to.

    Below I've tried to compare T3 vs Sangaku in terms of frequency response. This is a totally subjective, by the ear evaluation. Let's see if it makes sense... I've crudely level matched the two amps at 1 kHz, then by means of listening to actual music, I've tried to plot what I hear from each amp. T3 is the reference, and I'm trying to show the response delta here between T3 and Sangaku. This does NOT mean that I see T3 as flat across the frequency spectrum. I am trying to show how Sagaku deviates from T3 in a particular frequency band (using my ears). Note no log scale here or anything else found in real measurements using actual equipment...

    [​IMG]

    So, I feel things are pretty on par between the two within the 250 Hz to 2kHz range. But on either side of the midrange, the Sangaku seemingly tails off compared to the T3. This *could* mean T3 is elevated, or it could mean Sangaku is depressed in those regions. But I find T3 subjectively well balanced, and believe the latter is the case. T3 is dynamic without being harsh, sibilant, or boomy. So I think by 4kHz the Sangaku is at least 3 dB depressed and continues to trend down from there. I also think by 120 Hz the Sangaku is a good 4 dB under the T3 and probably 4-5 dB lower in the sub bass region.

    All in all, my feelings have cooled off after my initial surprise, but this is still a good amp. It will cater to certain preferences. The full retail price tag, however, is a concern. At the introductory sale price, it's a bit more interesting. Either way, I'm going to keep it for the duration of my loaner period, and will just continue to listen without further judgement. It is, after all, a pleasant enjoyable little amp that does justice to my favorite instrument: the human voice.

    Gear used
    Mac mini headless running Audirvana+
    Lynx E22 via Thunderbolt
    Mutec, Yggdrasil
    T3 (maxed out and now running Seimens ECC 801s toobs)
    ZDS
    Utopia
    ***Sangaku was _not_ run with the fancy Cardas power cord that was included with it. Too short for me.
    *****All gear was interconnected with Furutech RCA cables and Tripp Lite power cords plugged into AC. :)

    Music
    The Blower's Daughter, Damien Rice
    Hackensack (MTV Unplugged), Katy Perry
    Black Sheep, Martin Sexton
    Here But I'm Gone, Vanessa Fernandez
    __45___, Bon Iver
    Little Queen of Spades, Eric Clapton
    Texas Flood, Stevie Ray Vaughan
    Carnival, Natalie Merchant
    The Boy in the Bubble, Paul Simon
    Trampled Rose, Robert Plant
    Strive, Amber Rubarth
    Find Your Right Mind, Doug MacLeod
    Track A - Solo Dancer, Charles Mingus
    Hallowed Be Thy Name, Iron Maiden (1998 Remaster)
    Bad Company, Five Finger Death Punch
    Sleeping Dogs, Zakk Wylde
     
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    Last edited: Jan 29, 2017
  3. jelt2359

    jelt2359 Friend

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    When Pete mentioned that the Sangaku gave one a 'DHT' sound, I believe he was very specifically referring to the 300B. In PMs he told me,

    "In the Sangaku the tube is set up to have significant even harmonics - similar to a 300B single-ended amp."

    I have personally found 300B's to not be the best in extension, but masters of the midrange. The most instructive test came when I compared my friend's Nagra 300P (with Takatsuki's tubes) against his Nagra Classic. Since both amps are from the same company I expected them to sound broadly similar, but this was not at all the case. The former had incredible tonality, a great midrange, and had a tension with string instruments that was to die for. However switching over to his Nagra Classic made the 300P sound like it completely lacked bass and punch. FWIW, for his tastes my friend much preferred the 300P.
     
  4. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

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    I wouldn't know what Pete's design goals were, only what is stated on the product website.

    But, yeah, this one didn't sound like that one or the other one or....

    I liked the damping control on this Air Tight unit. Changes to its setting were apparent and made it tunable to taste. I would guess it selects between slightly different RC time constants or something?

    [​IMG]
     
  5. jelt2359

    jelt2359 Friend

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    That's a truly gorgeous piece of kit!
     
  6. gbeast

    gbeast Mighty Moral Power Ranger

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    @bazelio that was a spectacular write up!

    Much appreciated!
     
  7. gbeast

    gbeast Mighty Moral Power Ranger

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    Got to compare the SANGAKU to the MOGWAI before shipping the ampsandsound off.

    Bass:
    The Mogwai has better slam. Kick drums sound quicker and snappier on the Mogwai. Neither are bass monsters but the Mogwai has stronger slam. Also the Mogwai has a little better control.

    Midrange:
    The Sangaku is more balanced to me in the midrange. It has a sweetness in the lower mids and middle midrange but the upper midrange sounds a little shelved in comparison. The Sangaku is romantic and more effortless with good resolution. With the tubes on loan the Mogwai is thicker and denser sounding with more command behind the tones but also a little less refined and while the attack sounds clear and tones resonate more strongly on the Mogwai, the Sangaku has more finesse and grace which makes the Mogwai sound like its a bit too much. The Mogwai also has a peakier upper midrange as well as lower treble with a more concentrated sound.

    Treble:
    Neither sound really airy to me but the Sangaku sounds darker because of the lower treble smoothness. Textures are more raw and thick on the Mogway even here. More course on the Mogwai but more gentle on the Sangaku.

    Soundstage:
    Sangaku sounds a little wider but flatter in depth with equal separation to the Mogwai

    Macro and microdynamics easily go to the Mogwai. It is more nuanced and punchy at the same time but because it is thick sounding it lacks the finesse and easy listening factor the Sangaku has.

    Resolution/clarity:
    Hard to tell but on one song I felt I heard sounds I have never heard before with the Sangaku. Even though it is dark and smooth, it has a lot of resolution and inner clarity with a very clean sound. The mogwai is clear but I felt the Sangaku actually one upped it here. On the other hand, what ever texture is there the Mogwai brings out with more conviction and it's weird because the Mogwai seems like it has better texture.

    Power:
    The mogwai is a more powerful sounding amplifier not just in signature but headroom. It is hard to believe that that thing is only 1.8w into 32 ohms. I think Justin is being very modest.

    Refinement
    Sangaku sounds more refined and mature with more of a clean and silky sound to it than the Mogwai.

    If I walked into a shop with cash I would have left with a Mogwai but the Sangaku may have paused me in my tracks before checkout.
     
    Last edited: Feb 23, 2017
  8. gbeast

    gbeast Mighty Moral Power Ranger

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    APEX SANGAKU
    [​IMG]

    INTRO


    Much thanks to Todd for sending this loaner out. I had been curious of the Sangaku for sometime. After hearing and coveting the Apex Teton, I became very curious of Apex’ other offerings and wondered what technicalities belied the house sound that I got a taste of with the magnificent Teton.


    [​IMG]
    BUILD/DESIGN

    The Apex Sangaku is a hybrid amplifier that aims for the ‘single-ended triode’ sound. It uses both vacuum tube and solid state technology. This means that it supposedly puts out mostly second order harmonic distortion which some find to be pleasant. The design uses opamps and when pushing a lot of current it kicks over to class AB.


    The small foot print and low power requirements of the Sangaku makes me wonder if they could have skipped the preamp and some features and made a more portable high end device like Chord but with the same sound quality it already has. I mean this thing takes up very little desk space at only 8.75 inches wide.


    On the front of the amplifier is a balanced output and single ended output. These jacks cannot be used simultaneously but are selectable via the output button which functions as a both the gain selector and output selector. I find the output selection method unique but ideal and I have never seen an output selector function like this. I really found it convenient and simple to use.


    The back of the Sangaku has three different inputs (1) two 3pin XLRs and (2&3) as RCA inputs. The preamp works uses RCA outputs.


    The build of the Sangaku, while a little lacking in impressive aesthetics, is very solid and well put together. The knob turns with good resistance and no part of the amplifier seems loose or cheaply made.


    All in all I really love the design of the Sangaku and feel that it’s small footprint, solid build, and easy to use functions are done very well.


    It also had more than enough juice for my modified T50RP and didn’t clip when turning the pot up. The Sangaku is not the most powerful amplifier on the market by any stretch of the imagination but it can power most headphones out there. Just don’t try an HE-6 and you should be fine.


    BASS

    The bass of the Sangaku has good clarity with acceptable focus but as a whole it is not at the level I was expecting from an amplifier costing 2k. During listening with the Sangaku I found the performance in the low band to be of a high end quality but overall was a bit underwhelmed with it’s physicality. When plugging in the HD6XX and modified T50 RP I almost felt like it was rolled off and lacked slam. I switched over to some EDM with my wooden t50 and the bass presence and slam was adequate based on the mixing of the songs and I liked the texture and control but knew from experience with other amplifiers, namely the HE-9 and Cayin, that there was more solidity and heft to be gotten from my ortho and the recording. What is fluid is the transition from sub to upper bass where you will not hear any extra bloat or muddiness. Sub bass extension not as deep as I was hoping for and were I to purchase an APEX Sangaku I would have to come to terms with the fact that bass slam is not really a prerogative of this amplifier.


    MIDRANGE

    The midrange of the Sangaku is very linear from the lower midrange through the upper midrange. I hear what seems to be a rise from the lower midrange all the way up to the middle midrange and a very very slight downward slope into the upper midrange. This sounds like an upwards bow in the midrange proper giving it some welcome beauty. It has a very organic tonal balance that I consider marginally deviated from flat. It’s gentle rise in the midrange proper gives it a very tasteful highlight of chord tones and a sweetness that has a bit of preeminence over other frequencies before and after the midband. The Sangaku is smooth to a fault but never really sounds overly lush to my ears. It has a very melodically tuneful flow to it that gives it a charming take on musicality.


    The quality of the midrange is nicely refined with a soft and creamy delivery. I have read someone use the word velvety and I would agree. The Apex lacks a bit of that raw texture that I can get from the Mogwai and makes some of the realistic roughness that I know is in the recording sound a little glossed over. This subtle smoothing of texture is even in comparison to the HE-9. It can make for a pleasant and relaxing listen with Jazz and vocals but also somewhat troublesome with raw guitar buzzes, EDM synths, and trumpet textures. I do find the Apex nicely refined though and while I did hear a little bit of graininess compared to the HE-9, I only noticed it with the HD6XX which is an inherently grainy headphone. I guess the point is that it won’t help with the Senn HD650 graininess as much as some other amplifiers do.


    I did not find voices to suffer from a lack of air and upper midrange presence and ‘hear through factor’ was pretty good on the sangaku. I hold the way the APEX Sangaku does vocals in high regards. There is no extra thickness and a good amount of detail and resolution that make voices really believable to me. There is a tube warmth in the midrange as well as a marked clarity, that while smooth in texture is skillfully resolving. If you have never heard an amplifier in this tier you will hear certain details from familiar music brought out more effortlessly with the Sangaku. However, if you have heard amplifiers in this tier then do not expect the Sangaku to wow you. It acquits itself admirably as it transitions into the treble.


    TREBLE

    From the Upper midrange through the treble there is a decline that is a little steep to my ears. The Sangaku is darker than the HE-9 and most amplifiers I have reviewed recently. It is also a little less dynamic with its universal softness making itself a lot more noticeable in the upper band. Harmonics and air are adequate so overtones stay intact but there is a loss of distinction and crispness that can make headphone pairings of the darker variety very underwhelming. Textures are never coarse enough to sound true to life. The ZMF Eikon did fair but the Atticus suffers here. The presentation sounds a little nebulous yet never offensive. But the HD650 seems slightly trimmed in the upper treble so I conclude the extension is only fair yet not totally rolled off since as mentioned in the midrange section, voices have enough breathiness to my ears.


    PERFORMANCE

    The Sangaku, while clear in the midrange, does lack the ability to make music sound as physical as I personally prefer. Tonal heft is not substantial so melodies do not seem to resonate with as much vigor as reality would tell it. Control is decent but the attacks are too gentle and the decay is actually a little different than I was expecting from a tube amplifier and more akin to solid state. These aspects make its sleek sound signature what it is. The Sangaku has a loss of snappiness and nothing I heard ever struck my ears hard with convincing resonance or sustain unless I turned the amplifier up a lot louder. In fact, during the time of this review I had the Sangaku moderately louder than I usually listen. The speed of this amplifier is middle ground and neither is fast or slow which I personally find realistic. I can dig it on certain jazz songs where it’s musicality gains grounds on the sweetness and warmth of the midband and refinement instead of the diction and palpability of its transient response.

    Macro-dynamics are decent. I mean in all fairness, if an amplifier has good body, tonal density, and transient response the importance of macro dynamics kind of loses it’s position of focus from my tastes and I begin to listen for micro dynamics more. I like amplifiers to really pick up the small gradations of volume and provide nuance. The Sangaku does micro dynamics like a solid state, actually I think I would prefer the Cayin iHA-6 in this department on the macro and micro level. The Sangaku is just a little bit lacking there.

    Soundstage on the Sangaku is pretty good. I do not conceive the soundstage of the Apex lacking. It is much smaller than the HE-9 and less deep than the Mogwai but the soundstage is wider than the Mogwai and still keeps from sounding flat in soundstage. The separation is excellent on the Sangaku as is the left to right imaging. It is not tall per se but I did not find the soundstage of the Apex wanting.


    Clarity, transparency, and blackness of background are all really good. None of those areas leave me unsatisfied.

    [​IMG]
    PAIRINGS
    MODDED T50RP:
    Bass was lacking slam on most songs but EDM did fine (because of the tuning of the headphones) and the control was decent. Midrange was very sweet but compressed. The treble smoothness of the Sangaku worked well with the peaks and hashiness of my t50.

    HD650: Graininess was evident and the 650 lacked macro dynamics and bass extension. The treble was a little subdued but also lacked body and punchiness. The midbass was not overdone and the warmth from the lower mids to the middle midrange was not too much for the 650. It just sounded like it couldn't capture the snappiness I know the 650 is capable of.

    ZMF ATTICUS: very similar results as the 650 but I felt the excess bass of the Atticus lost too much of its body and its ability to sustain a rumble down low felt considerably weaker than what I was used to on the Mogwai.

    ZMF Eikon: The Eikon did much better than the rest of the headphones here. The Sangaku adorned the Eikons midrange with a little more sweetness which was welcomed and the Eikon was able to retain its tight bass and sound open enough to remain very enjoyable. The mogwai was a much better pairing for the bass of the Eikon but I still enjoyed this pairing.

    Enigmacoustics Dharma: Sounds very detailed and decently spacious on the Sangaku. The treble decline was obviously in the D1Ks favor and it worked out really well. Most of the frequency range of the Dharma was well supported by the Apex except for ... yup the bass. The Dharma bass is already garbage as it is so once I ventured outside of some jazz and folk music, things became severely unpleasant. This severity is more due to the Dharma and less the Apex but the Apex did not help at all and I felt like it made bad worse.


    OVERALL

    The short story is that the Sangaku has a beautiful midrange with clarity, refinement, and inner warmth that I find charming. As personal priorities would have it though, I would prefer this sound signature to be more emboldened by a snappier, and more pulse driven sound that could make my music more cadenced. I do prefer the midrange tonality of this amplifier to the pro iCan and consider its midband more balanced and open. However soundstage width, and midrange tonality is about all that the Pro Ican gives up to the Sangaku. While not as supremely clear as the HE-9, the Sangaku hold its own in clarity. It’s real competitor is the SPL Phonitor as they have a lot of similarities but the SPL unit has more bass, and denser tones while the Apex has a more graceful sound with drier bass. I can see this amplifier working very well for some people and some headphones, but it is not a one for all kind of accessory. I rate the Sangaku as very good, just not 2k good. To each his own.
     
    Last edited: Mar 22, 2017
  9. Comzee

    Comzee Facebook Friend

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    Funny you mention this, after having the loaner, and finding one used I couldn't agree more.
    Amazing little amp, but really should be priced at 1500 MSRP. I was lucky to get it at 1450 used. If Apex shot at the 1k mark, this amp would have created waves.

    Although, at 2k it's almost irrelevant, unfortunate because it's a really solid amp.​
     
  10. Huxleigh

    Huxleigh Almost "Made"

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    Apologies to TTVJ for my inexcusable tardiness in posting impressions to this thread. As always, he was thoroughly pleasant to deal with throughout my possession of the loaner Apex Sangaku. Gents like Todd have always been (and very much remain) a credit to this hobby.

    I had the Apex Sangkau in my possession for the stipulated 5-day period, during which time I listened to it with an HD 600 and HD 800. The 800 was generously loaned to me from @Korotnam and included the SDR mod pre-installed. Very much obliged to him for the generous loan! Not only was it a kind gesture, having the 800 on hand significantly aided my evaluation of the Sangaku. The 600 belongs to me and is/was devoid of mods.

    My desktop setup consists of a Sonett 2 and Bifrost Multibit. I've used this combination for some time, so it was easy to detect the difference(s) between the DNA and Apex amps. The Bifrost Multibit was connected via USB, no de-crapifier. Feel free to dismiss all subsequent impressions derived therefrom as it suits you. :p

    The HD 600 pairs wonderfully with the Sonett 2, right down to their similarly blue paint. For me, this combo remains a benchmark for neutral musicality. So I was pleased to find that 600 lost none of its brilliance when driven by the Sangaku. In contrast to the Sonett, the Sangaku has a more "solid state" presentation, befitting its hybrid design. The treble is crisper, bass snappier. Soundstage is more closed, intimate. On poor amps, the 600 can sound strained and metallic as a result of these characteristics. Such was not the case with the Sangaku, thankfully! The Sangaku's colorations — for that's how I perceive these traits relative to the Sonett's linearity — are engaging, even welcome. The upper midrange peak, a constant thorn in the side of many HD 600 devotees, was not stridently presented; instead, guitars had a bite and energy that I've seldom heard from the HD 600. In contrast with the Jodie, which I did not generally regard as “harsh” during my ownership stint, there was a marked warmth suffusing the midrange that smoothed things out without introducing any commiserate haziness to the Sangaku’s presentation. Pretty neat trick, I think.

    Praise aside, I did not think that the Sangaku offered anything that *decisively* placed it ahead of the Sonett with the 600. Although its perceptibly greater sense of energy was plenty of fun, the Sonett 2 benefits from a comparatively more neutral sound with better extension at both the top/bottom of the FR spectrum. It offered a more convincing demonstration of macrodynamic heft, although the Sangaku matched it in micro liveliness. As is typical of quality tube amps, the Sonett's placement of instruments within a 3D space is uncannily on point. The Sangaku is flatter, with comparatively less depth. As engaging as the Sangaku's midrange is, the loss of dimensionality and relative roll-off at both ends of the FR leaves me unable to claim that it offered any improvement over the Sonett with the HD 600.

    Enter the HD 800. Somewhat surprisingly, my most of my time spent with @Korotnam's loaner had left me with a decidedly mixed set of impressions. On one hand, it's a headphone that manages to kick ass in spite of its (overblown) drawbacks. But, on the other, there's no question that the HD 800 can be obnoxiously demanding of upstream gear. Now, I believe that the Sonett 2/Bifrost Multibit rig plays to the 800's strengths. But even from that system there's no denying that the 800 has a certain thinness to its sonic character that leaves certain material sounding unnatural, even lifeless. Its reputation as a frustrating headphone is well deserved.

    From the Sangaku, the HD 800 took on new life. :D The injection of warmth balanced its sound without any real drawbacks. Even better, the added warmth yielded a tasteful thickening of the 800's midrange, particular toward the low end. A tasteful, unobtrusive dash of mid-bass can be a lovely thing. The greater technicalities of the 800 similarly compensated for the modest lack of extension observed from the 600. And with the imaging prowess that the 800 brings to the table, the flatter presentation of the Sangaku became almost a non-issue. Overall, the pairing struck me as highly synergistic. If the goal was to build a system exclusively for use with the HD 800, the Sangaku would be on my shortlist of amps.

    Regrettably, I did not have my TH-X00 on hand when I demoed the Sangaku. It's a shame, as I would have liked to hear this pairing! It seems quite likely that the two would've played quite well together.

    So where does the Sangaku stand relative to other quality desktop amps that I've been fortunate enough to have heard? It acquits itself very nicely and, for my tastes, does rather little wrong. The main hang-up for me, perhaps unsurprisingly, is its price. At $2,000 MSRP, there just isn't enough performance on tap for me to justify a purchase. I certainly don't think that the $2K asking price was selected arbitrarily or anything like that. I'd even say that I'm more sympathetic — perhaps overmuch — than most to the difficulties of pricing gear competitively in this market. But the value proposition for a budget-oriented headphone enthusiast isn't great here, I'm sorry to say. :(

    To sum up, what are the Sangaku's strengths?
    • Gorgeous midrange
    • Small form-factor for desktop use
    • Unobtrusively utilitarian appearance
    • Solid (if unremarkable) fit and finish
    • Energetic presentation that doesn't lack for smoothness
    • Even-handed tonal balance
    • Useful array of inputs and outputs
    And its weaknesses?
    • Modest (and relative) de-emphasis on both ends of the FR
    • Microphonic ringing from the NuTube modules
    • Subjectively warm-of-neutral character may be off-putting
    • Unsuited for use with sensitive IEMs
    • Priced on the upper end of the spectrum for budget-conscious enthusiasts
    As a secondary desktop amp for someone not put off by its price tag, I think the Sangaku is a fantastic option. It'd be a fuckin' blast in a work rig or something similar. But as a primary amp? It does have versatility on its side. And it would likely succeed if the buyer enjoyed a) its design and b) the unique sound that it reliably delivers. But with so many competitive options on the market, I'm afraid its appeal might be more esoteric. Which would be a shame, as it is a seriously cool amp that I was sorry to see leave my desk. ;)
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2017
  11. Arun Kumar

    Arun Kumar Friend

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    Anybody looking to buy the $1000 TTJV deal? Is this a good deal? What will be its competitors in this price bracket and does it fare okay? The things that are really attractive to me other than the sound (if it's produces a good $1000 sound) is its small footprint and low heat & better *tube* life.
     
  12. gbeast

    gbeast Mighty Moral Power Ranger

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    1000 is not a bad deal at all because it has good resolution and excellent clarity but it is not an amp that I would use as my only one
    PROS

    • Soothing midrange
    • Excellent clarity
    • Good resolution
    • Excellent separation
    • Small footprint
    • Solid build
    • Unique but simple functionality
    CONS

    • Lacks microdynamics
    • Lacks punch and authority
    • Treble is a little dark
    • Bass lacks extension an solidity
     
  13. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    I heard this Korg Nutube based bad boy at a recent private mini meet fed by the Gungnir Multibit v2 and the Soekris whatever. It's decent but lacks power for the HD 600 and head room. Very easy to clip. I was told it can't be fed pro level signals through the XLR inputs and that high gain into Sennheiser will clip it too.

    Midrange clarity is good despite the slight warmth, better than the THX Massdrop mediocrity but bass and treble transients aren't really coming through. Detail was good. The Nutubes do that tube thing where they sound compressed (dynamic range is overall reduced) but in that sweet tube way that pushes the lower level details like tape hiss, pops, and people bumping into stuff up into the mix. Microphonics are there though but not horrific like the Vali 1. Not very good as a pre or a as a sole dedicated headphone amp for cans that need it but...

    This is a cool-sounding toy.
     

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