Cavalli EHHA

I have owned now Cavalli EHHA rev.2 one year. I think i have listened it enough to understand what it is. It has shunt psu and best tubes i could find. Total cost is 500$ for amp with PSU and 300$ for tubes, if you DIY all. So how this bastard compares to other stuff?



1. EHHA vs Schiit Jotunheim - they are both almost same cost, if you include dac in jot. EHHA sounds like upgraded jotunheim, but more lively (thanks to tubes), much bigger soundstage (thanks to shunt psu), maybe little faster and clearer, but more warmer and natural than jot, conclusion: wipes floor!
2. EHHA vs NBM - NBM costs 2x times less but only if you live in Russia, otherwise cost may go up. NBM is warmer and more natural sounding, hits more harder. EHHA has much bigger soundstage, much faster, much clearer. Conclucion: wipes floor!
3. EHHA vs stock build EHHA - when i compared these two, i did not believe they are same amps, only thing common was Cavalli signature, but really, they are so different in everything. Here is nothing to compare. There are so huge difference like between schiit vali and jotunheim (i really compared these two amps each other). Conclusion: wipes floor!
4. EHHA vs EC 2A3 - finally competition starts, if you add some nice tubes to EC 2A3 like NOS 2A3 or EML 2A3. EC 2A3 is better in everything, but still EHHA soundstage beats it... let's add cost, used EC 2A3 + good tubes will costs 3x times more. Conclusion: these are comperable, depends which one you prefer.
5. EHHA vs DNA Stratus - Stratus: more refined, more natural sounding, better bass. EHHA: special Cavalli signature, more clearer and wider soundstage. Conclusion: draw

My EHHA is good match for headphones like HD800, HD650, HE-6, Paradox Slants. Not sure why, but Audeze hp-s are not good with it, i tried LCD3F, LCD2F and LCD2.2.

Also to note that this EHHA needs top quality source like Schiit Yggdrasil or Soekris DAM with shunt psu or something better. I tried it with some cheaper DS dac and it looses all pluses, sound stage sinks and it start to sound like pile of mud.


Conclusion from this:
Best soundstage: EHHA rev A with shunt PSU
Most neutral amp: EC 2A3 with EML 2A3 tubes
Most warm/lush/euphonic amp: stock NBM
Most faster amp (best transients): EHHA rev A with shunt PSU
Amp with best value for HD800: EHHA rev A with shunt PSU
Amp with best value for HD650: stock NBM
Amp with dac, best value for HD650: Schiit Jotunheim
Best amp for any headphones: DNA Stratus

Aside: first to note, that it maybe is first and last EHHA rev. A in this configuration! Built by our forum member @Priidik
Need to thank @Priidik for this awasome amp!

 

Last post was a little bit too emotional, anyway... here are few photos about this unit.

Inside view:


Front panel:

 

Old thread, new question. How wildly can EHHA builds vary in quality and in sound? Say if one were made by a reputable builder, would it be a gradation of the same thematic EHHA sound signature (not to speak of tube rolling or any other change like that) or could some slight change of competent used turn it into, in effect, a different sounding amp altogether?

 

I've had two EHHAs. Both differed in the use of transformers. The one with R core sounded better than the Dual Toroidal one (Black background, faster, less rounded). The differences were not as much as to sounding different amps all together. Both had identical timbre/tone and overall character.

 

As in everything diy these things can be night/day different. PSU-s and gain make the most impact in sound, reportedly output devices make a difference, tubes make a difference, even layout etc.. Usually these have been strained by too much global feedback and, while clean and quiet, no dynamics, no soundstage, no kick.
If you're not into diy much, it's best to wait for a Massdrop edition (if such a miracle would ever come by) or get something like Grimson, which is basically evolved Ehha.

 

WRT EHHA specifically, V1. Allowed for adjustable open loop and closed loop gain, this could significantly impact the sound. BUT is adjustable by changing 3 resistors per channel. The V2 improved and simplified the psu but also took this feature away..dB

 

Thanks for all the responses. I'm not a DIYer so this is foreign to me, but if one were buying, does this look like a reasonably well-built EHHA?

 

Very much so..dB

 

Thanks! I was trying to figure out what kind of PSUs it uses because I read that choice in particular can drastically alter the sound quality. And I had another question--this EHHA Rev. A looks to have an XLR headphone out, and I do see two boards inside, but does that mean that it's balanced? Or is the XLR out merely there 'for convenience' like the Liquid Carbon?

Is this amp a step up from something like a Valhalla 2 in terms of slam, impact and body for high z cans?

 

That particular EHHA is using the Rev. A default PSU. Most builds I've seen use other PSUs but that doesn't mean that the default unit is bad, I'm sure Alex knew what he was doing when he designed it.

EHHA boards are single channel, so it's definitely not balanced.

I can't comment on the Valhalla 2 specifically, but my EHHA (original version, sigma22 PSU) is fantastic. I suspect that each EHHA has a unique sound depending on the amount of feedback applied, given the embedded nature of the circuit. If you can get a good price it's certainly worth a shot.