Feliks Audio Euforia Headphone Amplifier

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by Vtory, Jul 18, 2019.

  1. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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  2. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    The Loaner Impression

    TL;DR
    • Pros: midrange to die for, awesome as a preamp
    • Cons: price doubled last year, sub par stage and bass quality
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Associated gears

    • Gustard U16 + DAC-X26 (via AES/EBU XLR)
    • ECP Audio DSHA-3F, Schiit Vidar (stereo mode), JBL NanoPatch+
    • ZMF Verite and Auteur, Raal SR1a

    First impressions
    Opening the box, the first thing I noticed was that the amp was very small and cute. Because of the fairly limited my tube amp experience (mostly OPT), I thought all-tube stage amps must be large in size, which was not the case this time around. Dimension was roughly 8 inches (W) by 11 inches (D), which made the amp quite desktop-friendly. Although Euforia is relatively small, it doesn’t mean to look cheap by any means. I bet its sleek and minimalist design with nice matte black will satisfy more than 90% of buyers. The loaner unit came with a pair of Psvane CV181-TII Gold driver tubes and a pair of Russian 6N13S NOS power tubes (both set claimed matched). The former was the most expensive driver I’ve ever used. Lol. I don’t know how they comparatively sound as I didn’t have other tubes in the house. Bottom line, they look gorgeous. Feel pretty boutique-ish.​

    Treble and top-end extension
    While I don’t think Euforia help any headphone obtain the last bit of speed, airiness and sparkles, the amp did not annoy me at all during my evaluation. Can easily think of several tube amps I don’t like in this criterion -- typically sounds restricted, veiled, unclear, or recessed. Euforia may have some of those. And with Verite, it was a little bothersome, compared to my reference DSHA-3F (it did this job perfectly to my liking). But with brighter Auteur (with Verite pads), nothing really mattered.​

    Midrange
    Sweet midrange and bold timbre were definitely the highlight of the show. And probably it’s the way how Euforia was designed and tuned. Male and female vocals were a little more forwarding than I would expect for this amp category. From the memory, Woo WA5, Decware Taboo 4, and Leptoni DT-Alpha could also satisfy me in midrange sweetness, but vocal presentation was distant or a bit muddy occasionally as long as I remember. Euforia didn’t have such issues. With Verite, I honestly like the midrange performance of this amplifier as much as DSHA-3F. With Auteur, I hate to admit.. But I prefer Euforia, although it’s highly track and mood dependent.​

    Listening to Madeleine Peyroux’s Half the Perfect World with Auteur, I found her voice was a little more sweetened and wetter via Euforia, compared to DSHA-3F. It feels less accurate but I really wanted to give up ABing and just enjoy the music. In another track of Rickie Lee Jones’ Chuck E’s in Love, her vocal techniques were better resolved with DSHA-3F in terms of microdynamics and details to my ears, but Euforia reproduced deeper and more seductive tones. It felt that upper midrange and lower treble of Euforia combinedly rendered a little smaller (narrower and shallower) and closer stage -- with great extent of intimacy.​

    Bass
    To me, this was the weakest link of Euforia’s capabilities at least with my ZMF headphones. It didn’t roll off as early as some old amps like my JLH integrated amp, it’s rather well extended to sub bass for tube gain stages. However, this amp didn’t do bass the way I’d like. With both headphones (Auteur and Verite), bass transition shown in the first part of Beyonce’s Partitions was neither as clearly articulated nor controlled as driven by DSHA-3F. Euforia generated decently nuanced bass, but it couldn’t quite stack against performance frontiers in my choice of bass-heavy tracks. Although all my dissatisfaction didn’t pop up evidently with more normal tracks, I categorize this amp into a specialist rather than a generalist.​

    Other considerations
    Headstage could be another potential show-breaker, depending on what to expect from this amp. Compared to DSHA-3F, virtual stage was narrower and shallower. Instruments were less isolated with less crisp images.Tracks calling for such virtues, for example, Holly Cole’s Train Song or Bjork’s Hunter (spatial cues highly associated with musical pleasure in both), switching from Euforia to DSHA-3F could easily reveal performance delta. In more normal and popular tracks, however, I didn’t care that much.​

    To me tube gains generally showed impressive dynamics. Euforia is also in line with them. I found DSHA-3F a little better both in terms of macro- and micro- dynamics but likely that’s because I am more familiar with how 3F resolves things. Safely speaking Euforia was far from boring or flat sounding.​

    As a preamp
    I was also wondering how it could serve as a preamp because SR1a’s uptilting tonality and sharp (sometimes strident) timbre could benefit from tube buffer preamping. Euforia-Vidar-SR1a chain immediately struck me more than expected. Strengths (timbre, wetness and richness) mostly remained while weaknesses (subpar technicalities) substantially vanished. Honestly I was ready to be disappointed by more diffusing stages and reduced plankton. It seems that Vidar offsets and complements Euforia greatly. ​

    Surely switching from NanoPatch+ to Euforia resulted in clarity and low-level information reduced to some extent. Background a little grayer, too. It’s not for detail and transparency freaks. However, both added fake and subtracted reality made great sense to me at least with this particular setup. It’s an encouraging experience -- enough to re-think about having active tube preamp for SR1a.​

    Sound aside, Euforia (as a preamp) could be better if it had (proper) muting features. It feeds signal simultaneously to both preamp and headphone outs, which was quite inconvenient. I am not a big fan of automatic muting like Schiit head amps. But I believe having a couple of mute switches enabling to choose outputs to use could make some happier.​

    Conclusion
    I heard this amp was sold at $1,400 in 2017 (tubes not included). For this performance, that price is nearly a no-brainer. If this pops up with 1000-ish in the used market, I can recommend anybody to buy it immediately. Even all the weaknesses I found were pretty much non-issue for a 1k amp.​

    However, Feliks raised the price to 2.6k usd in 2018 (tubes included) [1]. While it still does a few things better or at least differently, I can’t see any sanity to choose Euforia over other well-received and similarly priced (2k-4k range) amps unless specific synergy, tastes, and needs matter. For 3k-ish price or higher, my expectation is that it should perform at least on par with DSHA-3F.​

    To sum, Euforia deserves to my likes. Feliks engineers did a great job. It was the managerial decision that screwed up.​

    Footnote
    [1] Feliks claimed they improved preamp in the upgraded one.. But without detailed explanations, I’d rather doubt it.​
     
  3. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    Oh, I forgot saying this.

    Euforia has a crossfeed feature. It seems to differ from popular settings such as Chu Moy's proposal or Jan Meier's proposal in that there was no time-delay consideration (impulse responses of both channel started from the same time point).

    Here are from my measurements. Only decibel differences (relative to crossfeed off) presented.

    upload_2019-7-18_18-8-32.png

    For channel A, Output(f) = Main(f) * Input[Ch A] + Cross(f) * Input[Ch B]

    Main means the original channel and Cross means 'the other' channel.

    Ironically, it didn't work well with traditional overear headphones I tested (Auteur and Verite).. but I really like Euforia's crossfeed with SR1a (Euforia as a preamp). It improved imaging reality and staging depth to the substantial extent. I bet Euforia can benefit other treble-bright headphones such as HD800 or Utopia, too.
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2019
  4. zach915m

    zach915m MOT: ZMF Headphones

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    Does the old version have the crossfeed feature? I will have to check mine - I have the old version.

    Also - the stage increases a little with 6336 driver tubes, I highly recommend trying them on the Euforia if you have a pair on hand.
     
  5. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    New version has the crossfeed switch on its back (left to the power switch). So you can just check the back panel of your amp. 6336 is an interesting info for the next people in the tour!

    upload_2019-7-19_15-23-41.png
     
  6. Phantaminum

    Phantaminum Friend

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    Thanks for the heads up Zach. Going to give the 6336 a go when I pick up the Euforia from Vtory. I’m a little surprised that the amp can take those tubes.
     
  7. zach915m

    zach915m MOT: ZMF Headphones

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    Well - I should say before throwing them in there - that when I told the Feliks guys when I met them about using those tubes, they seemed a little apprehensive - but I've run them quite a bit and never had an issue. This is with the OG Euforia. So since this is a loaner amp - it might be safest not to take me up on my recommendation for the safety of the amp.
     
  8. Vtory

    Vtory Audiophile™

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    By the way, is anybody willing to explain about psvane tubes (either general consensus or specific 6sn7 products) a bit? I haven't used their tubes before (always fan of cheep ones!). Zach's advice suddenly made me question if what I felt -- regarding both positives and negatives -- could be associated with tubes used to some extent.
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2019
  9. Phantaminum

    Phantaminum Friend

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    Feliks Euforia Review

    Gear: PC --> Eitr --> Gungnir Multibit MB A1 --> Single End: Glenn OTL | Feliks Euforia

    Tubes:
    Tung Sol 5998
    Tung Sol 7236
    Svetlana 6H13C
    Fivre, Sylvania Bad Boys, Black Glass National Union - 6SN7

    Headphones:
    ZMF Verite
    ZMF Autuer
    Sennheiser HD650



    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Build:
    The amp feels solid all around. Case is sturdy, the switches have a nice click, and the pot is smooth. The tube sockets look to be of much better quality compared to the Glenn OTL. The only place I can really ding it is the material that's used for the amp. It seems to be made from same metal that's used in the MCTH from Massdrop. It collects dust prints, oil, and scratches like a magnet.

    Sound:
    The Euforia has a centered and forward sound stage. Tubes that I found neutral in the mid-range like the 5998 and Fivre 6SN7 seemed to change this by small increments. Sound width and depth were fine but I expected it to be wider and deeper. It has around the same sound stage as the Liquid Platinum with a little more depth. Music is rendered clearly and with detail. It extends well into both ends with the exception of bass. Bass was present, punchy, but the low end rumble was more heard than felt. It was smooth (but detailed) throughout and never did I run into hash or grain. Great micro and macro dynamics. Tone and timbre is really dependent on tubes but with most combinations, it just sounded right. I tried the crossfeed switch on different headphones and each time I turned it off. It seems to push out the images more but in turns muddies up the music.

    Amp Comparison:

    Feliks Euforia vs Glenn OTL

    This is where I'll break down more of the plus and minuses between each type of amp implementation.

    Euforia:
    • Because of the Push Pull nature of Glenn's amp, the sound is not as clear and clean as the Feliks Euforia.
    • I could not perceive any hum on the Euforia using any tube combinations of power tubes and different 6SN7s. It's nice not having to worry about this.
    • No background noise. This may not be a big deal for people who own solid states but coming from an amp that's picky, this is really a big positive for me.
    • Air between instruments due to the very quiet background.
    • No matter what tube combination I used it was fairly quick.
    • I want to reiterate how clean it presents all frequencies.
    • Tubes don't affect the sound as much as it does on Glenn's OTL. For example the 5998 output tube is known to have a very deep and layered sound stage. Sub bass also goes very low with this tube. The Euforia doesn't exhibit this to the extent that Glenn's amp does.
    Glenn OTL:
    • Tubes have a big effect on what you hear in the end. The versatility to adjust the sound via tubes, to fit most headphones, can't be underestimated.
    • Tube dependent but I found in almost all instances the sound stage was wider and deeper.
    • Layering is done much better on this amp. You'll hear the singer close in front of you, then the drums behind them, then the cymbal crash above the drums, then a sax off to the left but behind the singer. It creates believable holographic sound stage.
    • Imaging is more natural on this amp. The Euforia has better delineation between instruments but it never feels like it's all thrown into the middle. Whatever sound stage is presented, instruments fill up the space across it.
    • Instruments have much more substance. Notes are just denser. If you close your eyes it feels like you can reach out and touch one.
    • Both do texture and dynamics equally as well. -Bass not included
    • Bass punch and sub bass are downright satisfying on this amp. It'll rumble.
    • Even with all of the tube rolling I've done, this amp will never be as clear and clean sounding as the Euforia.
    Headphone Pairing:

    Auteur Leather Eikon Perf Pads:

    It's very clean and sounds fast. The Blackwood fixed some of the issues I had with immediacy and speed on the GOTL but you can tell that the Euforia is snappier. It doesn't feel like it has much body because of the bass issue and makes it sound more neutral than warm. Smooth, no grain, and never harsh. I do prefer the weightier and layered sound of the GOTL with this headphone.

    Verite Leather Universe Perf Pads:
    I liked this combination out of the two ZMF headphones I own most with the Euforia. The Verite has bass for days but can sound recessed in certain areas. The Euforia makes it sounds almost Auteur like but with the headphones technicalities, the Verite shores up some of the negatives on the Euforia. Gives a little more depth and layering. Makes notes sound a little more denser and adds just a tad more in bass. This would be a toss up for me on either amp.

    HD650:
    Ho-ly sheet. I'm not sure what magic crack they sprinkled on the Euforia to make this HD650 sound this damn good. I've basically listened to the Euforia for the first two days on Zach's headphones but I plugged these in on the third and went, "Wow"! The last two days I exclusive just listened to these two with big smile on my face. The Euforia has a grip on the driver. Bass is punchy, the whole FR is smooth and crystalline, treble extends high and never gets harsh, the air between instruments and separation are just great. Sub bass is still lacking but really, are you going to be listening to DJ Magic Mike - Drop the Bass with the HD650s? I was very impressed with the synergy between these two that I gave my other two headphones a disappointing side glance.

    Conclusion:
    Technically it's a fantastic OTL with a few negatives. For the price of $2400 I'm just not sure. There are other amps out there at this price range that I feel would have better synergy with more headphones. If this amp was in the $1600-1800 it would be a great buy. If you only own the HD650s and have been looking for a great amp to pair with it, step right up. This is highly recommended for it if you can find it used.
     
    Last edited: Jul 27, 2019
  10. ChaChaRealSmooth

    ChaChaRealSmooth SBAF's Mr. Bean

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    Being the first time I've had the chance to hear an OTL tube amp, I was pretty excited since a part of me just likes the look of tubes despite the nervosa.

    The amp is, indeed, "small and cute" to use @Vtory's words. It has some height to it though, which might make it slightly invasive on some desks, but the width and length is definitely desktop-friendly. I dig the all-black minimalist design; it's simple and elegant. Feels very-well constructed and certainly has no parts that look/feel cheap.

    Before I get into sound, I'd like to add a disclaimer that this is my first real experience with a high-end amp (only other real time was at micro CanJam at Marv's, where I honestly spent a lot more time talking to people and drinking). So yeah, I think it's better than the Liquid Platinum and can safely say that this amp represents an upgrade in almost every sonic area (I think the Liquid Platinum really only wins is in some treble detail and air, which it only does if tubes are rolled on the Liquid Platinum. Of course, this assumes stock tubes in the Euforia. This test was done with a Clear and a HD 6XX). So instead of talking about just the sound, I'll talk more about how I found gear synergy and what I heard there.

    DAC used was Matrix X-Sabre Pro MQA. This works out pretty well since the X-Sabre Pro doesn't seem to change when used singled-ended or balanced (tested by plugging both outs to my Liquid Platinum and using the front switch while a song was playing). The combination of the X-Sabre Pro and the Euforia seemed to be extremely synergistic; images became more fleshed-out, the timbre thickened up nicely, and the Euforia injected some musicality and macrodynamics to go with the X-Sabre Pro's square and technical presentation. Transients and background were conveyed nicely. Minor loss of treble detail. Honestly was completely addicting (and made me so goddamn sad that I didn't have a cable for my Auteur to plug into it).

    Headphone notes:
    • Sennheiser HD 6XX: To quote @Phantaminum, ho-ly sheet. NOT neutral, at all (at least with the stock HD 6XX, which is what I have), but supremely musical. Euforia adds such good texture and slam to the bass, which I think is the most noticeable improvement coming from Liquid Platinum. Midrange shines because the Euforia does such a good job of cutting through the "veil" and "greyness" of the HD 6XX. Treble seems slightly more recessed oddly, but it's so easy to listen to. I always felt the HD 6XX had an ease to its presentation, and the Euforia compliments that so well. If you had to criticize the pairing, it just doesn't resolve treble very well and leans on the side of being really rich in tone and timbre, so I wouldn't use this with a rich-sounding source. But with the X-Sabre Pro, sheesh.
    • Focal Clear: Again, ho-ly sheet. Also definitely not neutral, which is really ironic since the Clear is meant to be very neutral. Boosts the bass a few dB, making the tonal response just a touch U-shaped, but very tastefully done. Does a lot to make the Clear sound less lean and less metallic. Voices and instruments in particular sound more fleshed-out. Like the HD 6XX, demonstrates great control over the driver. If you think the Clear is a bit too "moar hifi than HD 650" sounding, this won't entirely convince you otherwise, but it does make the Clear much more musical and easy to listen to. Treble can still be a touch strident on certain tracks, but definitely much improved over Liquid Platinum. My favorite headphone with Euforia.
    • Focal Utopia: Almost absurdly good. The Euforia tilts the Utopia a bit warmer, and gets rid of that metallic timbre. The sound fleshes out, just like with Clear. Rounds out the transients a bit and helps calm the Utopia down, which can occasionally seem high-strung on other amps. However, I think it might damp the Utopia just slightly too much; it seems that the Utopia hits the ceiling on the technical capabilities of this amp (I think this is because the Euforia with stock tubes is noticeably rolled up top, and one of the Utopia's greatest strengths is its incredibly refined and smooth upper treble). However, synergy is undeniable and it's a top-tier pairing. If I ever bought a Utopia, this would be the pairing I'd use if I wanted some easier listening with the Utopia.
    • AKG K7XX: A really shitty pairing. Took me about 20 seconds before I decided it just sucks ballsacks.
    • ZMF Auteur: Right up on the edge of too tubey and bloomy, to the point I can't recommend this with a rich-sounding source. However, displays reasonably good technicalities; transients are a little blurred, but rounded and reasonable delineation. Decent resolve, but not particularly detailed. Great decay properties. Demonstrates good microdynamics and mediocre macrodynamics. Kind of also "moar than HD 650" sounding, but in a way different direction than Clear noted above (which is OMFG good). Auteur is not what I'd call amazing out of this amp.
    • ZMF Verite: Tone is more agreeable than Auteur, but it's still really phat and thick-sounding, with lots of sweetness. Really lacks that last bit of air in treble, but good resolve in treble and mids. Plankton is okay. Once again, great microdynamics (better than with Auteur, but shouldn't surprise anyone who's heard both headphones). Sonically pretty interesting and has lots of merit, but this pairing is niche to the extreme; you're taking a specialist, niche amp and pairing it with a polarizing headphone. Do this at your own risk (or better yet, AUDITION FOR F*CK'S SAKE!!!).

    Since the Clear and the Euforia was my favorite pairing (and since I couldn't test the Auteur on the Euforia), I decided to compare the Euforia + Clear with my current rig, which is Liquid Platinum + Auteur. Here are my impressions:
    • Euforia + Clear: demonstrated greater sense of macrodynamics. Slams harder and is faster-sounding (in particular, in "Pressure" by Muse, when the bass and drums come in it's almost felt). Bass textures are excellent. Moar bass than other system. Midrange seems slightly recessed, so vocals seem pushed back into the mix (not a negative thing). Despite Euforia, Clear still sounds drier and more lean than the other system, which shouldn't be a surprise. Treble not as smooth as the other system. Still a touch metallic (the piano in the beginning of "Hold The Line" by Toto sounds a bit strange, and the beginning of "Mr. Crowley" by Ozzy Osbourne is just hard to listen to). Jazz can be really fun to listen to, but can get a bit treble strident..
    • Liquid Platinum + Auteur: much more laid-back. More even tonally. Timbre is better, but not what I'd call neutral (those familiar with ZMF know what I'm talking about). Sounds wetter. Vocals are brought a bit more forward. Doesn't slam as hard, Hard for me to tell if the bass has worse texture, or if that's the Auteur's timbre (which I find much more pleasing than the Clear, but that's something I touched on in the other thread). Treble is slightly better detailed, more sparkly, and has more air. Andrea Bocelli on this system is just incredible; whereas I felt it was pretty meh on the Euforia + Clear (I felt this way about classical music in general, especially on the piano solos). Jazz wasn't quite as fun, but the timbre of vocals and instruments was better.
    Honestly, I really like the Euphoria and do wish I could keep it around longer to see how it works with my Auteur since I'm getting in some cables anyhow (also, Verite will be coming in at some point and would love to test). As far as if it's worth its high price though, I'm really not sure if my opinion counts for much since this is, after all, the first high-end amp I've evaluated, and the first OTL. So I got to defer to the other posters here.

    However! If you own a Sennheiser HD 650/6XX, and/or Focal headphones (and also don't have a rich-sounding source), I highly, highly recommend giving this amp an audition. I've heard that Focal like to demo their stuff on Feliks gear, and if this is true, there is a good reason; the synergy is incredible! If you can find the Euforia for a discounted price, definitely worth. At MSRP, I'm not sure of its value due to prior reasons stated above.

    I'll add my impressions of it as a preamp with the Freya+ later. Still in the preliminary evaluation stage.

    Edit: Preamp Impressions:

    I'll cut to the chase; I found the Euforia to be an inferior preamp. Euforia kept much of its character as a preamp, but for my setup it was too bloomy, too tubey, and was too rich. Also, the soundstage seemed a little flat and didn't pull off that 3D thing. Crossfeed switch helped with the 3D thing, but seemed to accentuate the tube bloom, which as I said was already much for me. That being said, on some leaner systems I could see this having pretty good synergy. It also still works as a headphone amp obviously, and the convenience might be worth it for some.

    Won't say too much here, but honestly, if you just need a preamp and want some of that "tube magic" get the Freya+ and spend the rest of the money on your family. The Freya+ kicks major ass and is better than the Euforia as a preamp.

    That said, it's a good headphone amp. I do definitely agree with @Vtory here; it's a specialist piece of gear. Audition before buying a must.
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2020
  11. ChaChaRealSmooth

    ChaChaRealSmooth SBAF's Mr. Bean

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    After some deliberation and talks with my family, as well as having them enjoy some listening, I've decided to purchase the Feliks Euforia for dual use as a preamp and as a headphone amp.

    "WTF? Didn't you just say it was inferior as a preamp to the Freya+? And you can buy amp argle-bargle for headphones, and both the argle-bargle and the Freya+ together is like $1000 cheaper!"

    Well, yes, I did say that. I still stand by what I said earlier; for my taste I find the Euforia to be a bit too bloomy and tubey as a preamp, as well as being a touch too rolled in the highs. However, since I've been able to keep the loaner a bit longer because @fp627 has had some work-related vacation going on, I've spent more time with the Euforia just messing around and having fun.

    Some notes:
    • After more extensively exploring the crossfeed circuit, my thoughts on this more closely line up with @Vtory's thoughts above. I didn't really like this at all with headphones, but with speakers the additional depth and stage was super-noticeable, to the point where it becomes one of the Euforia's strengths. It becomes more like a tradeoff here; you're sacrificing ultimate treble sparkle and detail for the stage. Honestly, this doesn't bother me too much since I lean towards preferring a slightly dark sound despite not really having any treble-sensitivity.
    • The Euforia is charming. This has been alluded to by me and others, but it's not reference-grade in any real acoustic category. However, it doesn't try to be and I imagine that this is not Feliks' vision for this product anyhow. They wanted something to be tubey, fun, and slightly dark while maintaining an engaging, non-fatiguing lesson, and it does all that while not completely throwing out all technicalities. At the very least, it's more technically capable than the Liquid Platinum, and I presume probably all midrange amps, but at its price it better be. In its tier it's not a top technical performer for sure.
    • Once again, synergy with Focal Clear and Sennheiser HD 6XX is just jaw-dropping. It makes me want to either KISS mod my HD 6XX and try it again (probably won't do it because I'm more than a bit nervous of screwing things up), or get a HD 600. I'm willing to bet that the HD 600 would actually pair better.
    • And still a pity that I don't have a cable to test my Auteur out of this, although since I bought one I'll be able to test this when my Verite arrive (should come with one 1/4 inch terminated cable). That being said, I've heard conflicting opinions on how well the ZMF cans synergize here, so I'll have to wait to find out for myself what I think. Goes to show that you really should try gear out yourself if possible (or have shit tons of disposable income).
    Honestly, I'm still not sure it's worth its price tag brand new. But I can't deny that it's a solid performer if its sonic signature is something you enjoy. And it's at least nice to look at.

    Edit: Received my personal unit today. I'm assuming the loaner unit is well broken-in, so based on that the Euforia, before it burns in, really doesn't sound good (about what I expected). Tonality is mostly there, but bass is less present, sound is thinner, and the sense of space isn't there yet. The manual does say to give it 30-50 hours, so I'm expecting improvement as time goes on. Plan is to just use it as normal and let normal use break it in. *annotation: I've already noticed some improvement to the sound perhaps around ~5 hours in.
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2019
  12. Aeron

    Aeron Facebook Friend

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    I absolutely love the Euforia with my Vérité, Aeolus and Atticus, I’ve switched tubes to the Mullard EL32 and
    Telefunken EL12 Spez. I look forward to reading your impressions!
     
  13. penguins

    penguins Friend, formerly known as fp627

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    INITIAL thoughts after 2 hours. Leaving out many thoughts about the sound as 2 hours isn't enough. More to come later.

    TLDR summary: Euphoric, smooth, tube-y, but not too loose and relaxing sound. Great with Focal Clears.

    SETUP:
    Tidal Lossless --> Yggdrasil (summer 2019 prod, A2 / USB5) and Soekris 1421 via optical and USB --> Euforia with all stock tubes --> Ether Flow Open 1.1 (OK), Focal Clear (buy this amp right meow! meow! 9.9/10 synergy), bocote Auteur with Eikon pads for now (dislike, negative synergy IMO), HD6xx (pretty good, but not nearly as much synergy as Clear). Will use LCD3 and Auteur pad roll this weekend. Surge protector used, but no isolation transformer, etc.

    I have compatible tubes but not matching so no tube rolling will be done. edit: tubes have 10-15 min to warm up before use (as not to potentially damage/wear out tubes).

    Will also be comparing to a new (read not fully burned / broken in) Stellaris with stock tubes probably this weekend. Yes I realize they are at drastically different price levels but otherwise I only have ZDT Jr. to compare (no more LP, BH Crack w/ SB).

    SOUND (this part written as a stream of consciousness):
    Yep, Euforia was the right name. Has a relaxing Euphoric feeling to the sound b/c yay tubes. Ultimately lacks resolution, micro-dynamics, and sound stage (a bit small and forward for me and it's not just the forward-ness from the Yggdrasil/Schiit house sound). My same complaints with BH Crack + SB but keep in mind I also really liked BH Crack + SB despite this. Stereotypical tube coloring, distortion, etc. all very audible here. Slightly warm. Well done for those who enjoy this type of sound and VERY smooth sound - not warm poo or punchy poo.

    I don't particularly like bass on this amp and color that resides in the upper treble (think cymbals). Mids are very good. Smooth and upper-ish male vocals and lower to mid ranged female vocals are great. Again, needs micro-dynamics. For example, all the color, vibrato, and natural unevenness and variation in a voice isn't really there. But the voice itself is very sweet (and not like sugary syrup sweet). Screams in metal lose their uummppp and power. Actually, anything that needs some bite isn't there. Don't like amp as much with busy music. Also, I am not advanced enough to properly describe this or fully understand what causes this/why it happens, but vocals and enunciation all sound streeetttched out on this amp (all headphones, either DAC). Bass also lacks texture.

    Sorry, but I don't think 2k Euros or $2600 (+ possible tax and shipping) is the right street price for this. Maybe it's so dealers have some room to make more $, I don't know. At $1500, they'd have a winner. At $1800, still appropriate, not wow anymore. At $2k, that's about the borderline for me between appeal/price to me.
    Exception: If Focals were my favorite headphones, I'd want to buy the amp immediately for the added musicality (not added technicalities) at $2k. For my Clears, I like this amp better any EC amp I've heard or even the DNA Stratus (all based on memory, but I had an extended loaner of the Stratus). Definitely over any of the Woo or more common tube amps. It fixes all the problems such as the metallic sheen in the sound, the slight sibilance and fatiguing-ness of Clear, slight lack of musicality in the Clear needs w/o making it over the top cheesy, and actually fixes the bass in some ways on the Clear.

    Miscellaneous sound problems are mostly non-existant. No white/background noise or hum, no channel imbalance at low volumes. No issues with the tubes. No issues with the volume knob, etc.

    With all of the above being said, I am NOT crapping on the amp. It's nice to see some variation in amps. Not every amp should chase ultimate technicalities and I 100% agree with Chacha in saying that I don't think it's what Feliks wanted to do and they succeeded. It sounds very deliberately like they tried to make a good happy pleasant sound on this. Great tonality, timbre, voicing and not fatiguing at all (majority of amps I have tried in $1500-2500 range are not as good in these areas). In summary, this amp is like a very nice and pleasant date where you smile, feel happy, and have a good time the whole time, but unfortunately you realize it's b/c it lacked ultimate depth and substance... which is exactly what you want/need sometimes.

    MISC: The below probably doesn't matter to most people here, but to me getting the "random no one will look stuff" right is important too. I also go into this because Feliks is relatively undiscussed on SBAF but loaner courtesy dictates that I don't disassemble the thing to look inside so I leave these here to help paint a better overall picture of the little details/how much effort do they put into their stuff.

    Case and overall design
    - Very good size for desktop use. Not much bigger footprint than the ZDT Jr. // roughly equal to a sheet of 8.5x11 paper. Given most similar amps are much bigger, I think it is very likely someone put a good deal of effort into this. Appreciated.
    - Case picks up dirt and smudges relatively easily but not as easy as say a MCTH
    - Front 6.5mm jack is slightly loose. No problems making a connection and the amp doesn't move when I swap headphones (good thing).
    - The little emblem on top already looks slightly tarnished
    - Hard to see cutout on indicating volume on the knob. If I bought one it'd be filled in. Knob feels fine.
    - Light on front not annoyingly bright
    - Doesn't run too hot after 2 hours - if I touch various parts of the chassis, it's not as hot as the chassis of the Yggdrasil.
    - Wish crossfeed and power were in front, but I get it, much more aesthetic in the back.

    Miscellaneous - things I notice, especially for non-essentials over $1k:
    - Packaging was very good. Someone put what looks like more effort than average into fitting the custom foam, using the right foam with the right properties, making the box as small/efficient but as protective as possible, etc. As someone who deals with this (from eng side, not just putting bubble wrap in a box) occasionally at work also for heavy fragile products, this is not as trivial as it seems to ~99% of people and IMO deserves at least a little acknowledgement.
    - Machining + fit/finish is clean. I know Schiit doesn't focus on this, which is fine, but as a common/known baseline, fit/finish much better than my Yggdrasil (at $2400).

    Minor formatting edits made shortly after writing. Different genres this morning and vocals more forward in person with piano/acoustic instruments than I prefer... but again, very euphoric sound signature the whole time.
     
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2019
  14. ChaChaRealSmooth

    ChaChaRealSmooth SBAF's Mr. Bean

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    After getting in appropriate cables, I decided to revisit the Euphoria, now with my Auteur on-hand. Due to the Auteur being my primary headphone nowadays, this allowed me to confirm my earlier suspicion that the Euforia is indeed just flat-out a better amp than the Liquid Platinum; it just is. However, the Euforia's tubey timbre and overall character mean that it's really not for everyone, and with some transducers and sources, it becomes a bit much. More so than any other piece of gear I've tried, the Euforia is reliant on system synergy, but when it does have synergy, it delivers in spades.

    The Euforia + Auteur is still what I'd consider a synergistic combination; however, this combination waltzes right up to the edge of too tubey and bloomy for my tastes (this is out of a X-Sabre Pro MQA, which isn't a rich-sounding source). Indeed, this amp really showcases how the Auteur can be too rich with the wrong source; it's too much for me if I connect my budget Audio Technica turntable to it (I'd replace this turntable if I knew anything about turntables; time to peruse the forums). However, even the richer-sounding source was still enjoyable and was extremely musical; I just wish that it was less warm and just not as tubey, as well as being less-rolled up top.

    All this being said, replacing the stock lambskin Auteur pads with the suede Auteur or suede Universe pads helped mitigate those above weaknesses. Personally, I liked the suede Auteur pads; they seemed to help bring back a bit of the treble that was lost, while retaining the musicality. Doesn't entirely solve the "too tubey and bloomy" that I keep going back to (just don't know what else to call it), but with the suede Auteur pads, the Auteur + Euforia + X-Sabre Pro becomes one of my favorite combinations. Deep, rich sound that's tilted somewhat dark and warm, but retains some treble extension and doesn't throw technicalities down the toilet. As @fp627 said above, it's not poo.

    For those that like the tubey, warm, and relaxed timbre, this is definitely a top-flight contender, especially with headphones with good synergy (especially if your favorite headphones are Focals or the Sennheiser HD 6X0 series!). However, when it doesn't have synergy, it just doesn't work well (seriously, if you have an AKG K7XX or similar, it will sound downright awful out of this amp). Not a jack-of-all-trades, but it certainly is the master of its own trade, which in my eyes makes it worthy of praise.
     
  15. penguins

    penguins Friend, formerly known as fp627

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    Update - This came sooner than expected. About 2-4 hrs/day listening since initial impression as I've recovered from my travels slower than average this time and have spent quite a bit of time at home listening.

    My overall conclusion after listening to this, ZDT Jr, and Stellaris: This is a great amp to just have a good time, relax, and enjoy the music if you aren’t listening as much for technicalities. Again, Euforia is the perfect name for this amp because almost everything sounds euphoric on this amp. It’s like Feliks made a nice neutral clear amp and then purposely tuned and colored it to have its unique and very pleasant signature and may have scarified some things along the way for this signature. Still agree with great tonality, timbre, voicing and no fatigue with longer listening sessions. For those more sensitive to sibilance or prone fatigue from bad treble, glaring mids, or slappy bass, I would also highly recommend checking this amp out. Lastly, (not meant as an insult), if your hearing isn’t as good anymore and can’t hear fine technicalities and details, this is also good as it’s excellence doesn’t lie in these little details you aren’t able to hear anymore.

    Amp goes in a similar direction as BH Crack (relax-fi / fun-fi) to me but with a very different tone/sound signature. This amp is slightly warm and still has a clarity / transparency to it where as the BH Crack is warm throughout. As stated before, they both have similar major weaknesses of lack of ultimate resolution and iffy head/sound stage. Without being able to look inside, I can only guess they must have some similar topology/segments. And when I say relax-fi, no, this is not a mid-fi purgatory level amp.

    I don’t know if this is a trick due to the euphoric nature and purposeful coloration/distortion, but nothing sounded veiled on this amp. For reference, I would say I still had about 5-10% veil with Liquid Platinum (a common amp here) depending on the tubes and DAC with HD6xx.

    Synergy:
    Auteur is now OK with Universe Perforated Lambskin pads. Don’t feel like rolling to Auteur Perf Lambskin pads as I’m trying out the Universe pads for the next 2 weeks right now (I haven’t had Auteurs for that long yet).

    LCD3 - Mostly negative synergy. Overall dislike. Not good with higher female vocals - about half of mezzo-soprano singers and most above. Wanted to stop after 5 seconds but kept going. Vocals sounded like they were missing color above the main note. This is more problematic than normal as this amp seems to push vocals forward, even when there is other stuff in a similar frequency range playing as well. Low bass as well as a few other small and random spots in frequency spectrum seem muffled (ex a string here, cymbal there, etc.). I’ve heard others say LCD series lacks a little in these departments, but it was never a complaint worthy issue for me before. It is on this amp. Lastly, with the LCD3 the amp only has about half of the euphoric feeling/tone/sound vs other headphones (it may or may not be because the amp can’t drive planars properly due to lack of current issue. I felt the Ethers were OK but then I’ve always felt the Ethers were easier to drive properly than LCD3).
    Interesting quirk: It seems to reduce the “extra sound” that most LCD3s I’ve heard seem to have - I’ve always thought listening to LCD3 was like listening with a L/R plus a mid channel split between L and R for extra fullness. Notes also seem to ring longer / decay slower and fuller in their entirety. Normally I like this unique aspect of LCD3 but on some music it was a bit much in a slightly cheesy sense - this amp tones it down a little to where it's just right for most songs. Too bad it doesn't synergize better.

    Still good with HD6xx. Still amazing with Focal Clears. Still OK with Ethers. Completely agree with Chacha - This amp is very synergy dependent, although it seems like it’s more so to him than it is to me.

    Not going to do spider charts as bluntly put I don’t think most of SBAF knows enough about my preferences / bars yet for lone charts to be meaningful. Instead comments plus a number rating compared to other stuff I’ve heard in the $1500 - 2500 range. I use 5 as normal, 1 or 10 as rarely and amazingly bad/good in this range.

    Low Level Detail / Plankton / Texture - 3 - Already mentioned in initial impressions that this is missing some. I can hear say an acoustic guitar or cello string reverberate, but I can’t clearly hear say all the weird nuances in an individual cellist’s plucking, bow pull, cello itself, etc.

    Microdynamics - 3-3.5 - Imagine graininess or vocal fry in a voice. Well known example - Sia does this a lot in her songs - you can hear it here, but you can’t hear all the little changes in the vocal fry. Imagine pulling on a cello on a long note without perfectly even pressure during the pull - it’s harder to hear on this amp.

    Macro - 4 - Impact enough that you enjoy the music, but it seems purposely suppressed (is it even possible to suppress only this?) to better match the overall sound of the amp. I actually think with the voicing of this amp, it’d be weird if were closer to a 8.

    Transients - 5.5 - Not better because things seem to fade out slightly faster than normal towards the tail end, but not worse because transitions between notes and sounds are clean.

    Stage - 3.5 - Small, kind of around my head, but not claustrophobic or so small it sounds fake, etc.

    Layering - 6 mid treble and below / 5 upper mid treble and above- I can tell where things are vertically. Imagine a fine gradient with 100 steps, I can actually pick out where things should be within 5 steps in this gradient. It isn’t like 3-5 planes stacked on top of each other as it is with some amps. Depthwise a little weaker, it’s maybe 5-10 planes stacked behind each other.. Depth of the sound itself is about average.

    Black background - 8. Quiet background noise audible on amp with Clears after about 3:30 - louder than I’ll ever listen. I also plugged in UE5 as I often do to check noise on all other gear - easily audible background hum starting at 7:00 to 10:00 but quieter than most amps, at 10:00 same hum but now there is another hum comes in and this one gets louder as knob goes up until about 2:00. Hums both grow louder from 2:00 up. This was all done <5 seconds with no input to amp for my own safety so I may not be 100% correct here. And yes, everytime I do this test I am completely aware that this amp should not drive IEMs - this is done to test noise w/o proper equipment or an oscilloscope. Also put this right next to my Stellaris so that the transformer housing on the back was right beside the large single transformer on the back of the Stellaris - neither had any additional noise due to this.

    No Fatigue - 9.5. A bit subjective per listener, but better than my Stellaris… and Stellaris is very strong here, probably a 9. Stratus actually slightly beat out Stellaris in previous testing, about 9.25.

    Tonal Balance - 7 for balance. Also note that with how forward vocals are here, there are going to be some things you just don't hear as well due to getting somewhat drowned out. If we take out the word balance, 9 for “funness” and tone.

    Treble - 7 - Good, but missing some ultimate clarity, microdynamics, plankton, and it treble doesn’t seem to layer as well.

    Mids - 8. Very smooth. Clearest part of spectrum on this amp. Good overall.

    Bass - 4 not much slam, doesn’t do deep bass that well, mids and upper bass OK. Bass lines not clearly separated at times. Mid bass thumps but somehow not slappy. Exception to this is Focal Clears - both get better - not in technicalities, if you listen closely, you can tell it's the signature fixing issues with Focal Clears, but who really cares that it’s smoke and mirrors as the sound is so enjoyable.

    Edit: Bass still 4 on other headphones, 5.5 on HD6xx and Clears. Especially in the genre of pop (think Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, or Cardi B) songs where the bass doesn't necessarily go that deep or have that much layering but is very important for the flow/cadence and fun of the song, it seems to do this very well.

    To reiterate, I know I nitpick at the negatives more than positives in most of my reviews, but again, this is a good amp. I just feel that there is no such things as a perfect product. It's easy to say something is good, but for all products, I feel that if something could improve and feedback is wanted via loaner tour, then in fairness to both the buyers and the manufacturer, the weak points IMO need much more explaining than the positives. This amps biggest weakness IMO is the price point... and depending on their business model (which I don't know)... if pricing is negotiable enough that can probably be easily solved.

    Edit: Did not like the crossfeed filter with any of my headphones at all. Makes everything really unclear and muddy. As many others have mentioned, it is most likely for pre-amp/speakers use. I do not have a suitable speaker setup to test Euforia as a pre-amp.

    Edit: I can totally see why Chacha got this as a pre-amp and I too would actually really like this as a pre-amp too... having my speakers have this fun sound would be awesome. With that being said, that's not a road I'm ready to go down right now.
     
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2019
  16. tommytakis

    tommytakis MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    Feliks Euforia Impressions


    My setup (as usual) : Gungnir Multibit A2 Gen 5 > Feliks Euforia / ZDT Jr., Valhalla 2 > ZMF Verite/ HD650
    • wow I’m digging this the THICC tonality and wetness. Quite a contrast with the hybrid amp pathos and Valhalla 2.
    • The thicc timbre/ tonality does gets in the way of its clarity. Can sound veiled depending on headphone pairing
    • OK stage in terms of width, but depth could be better for the price.. Like seriously.
    • Valhalla 2 has noticeably better depth. Width was comparable between the amps
    • Great microdynamics. Music sounds nuanced. Decent macro. I wish for a bit more slam on the low end.
    • ZDT Jr. still wins out in macro and bass feels tighter and more robust than the Euforia.
    • Obvious bloom but I don’t mind it at all. Rounded attack in the bass. Can be tubby sounding on the 650. My 650 kiss moded sounded more like the original 650 when I used the Euforia.
    • Smoooooth and very non-fatiguing
    • mids are the obvious highlight of this amp. not too forward or laid back, just right. Vocals have a layer of richness
    • I REALLY like this with the HD650! good synergy with the KISS modded Hd650 by adding body and warmth. For me, this pairing strikes a perfect balance of tonality while maintaining clarity. Verite didn’t get much time with this amp tbh. I think with the Verite, it was too wet sounding/ too much of a good thing at least with the Universe pads. I’m not sure why but Verite + verite pads was almost unlistenable in certain songs because the treble peak became accentuated with vocals.
    • Crossfeed feature sounds pretty terrible in headphones lol. I’m sure it’s meant for speaker usage. As soon as I switched it on, stage became flat as a pancake, sound gets compressed and shoved into my face. bass gets boomy as hell. It sounded like listening to Youtube-ripped mp3 in a shitty earbuds you get for free on long plane rides.
    • Good resolution but not $2.5k range. I thought ZDS (around the same price range) was superior in terms of resolution, dynamics, tonality, and stage depth from memory. I think Eddie Current or DNA amps would be a better buy.
    • So much more engaging to listen to than Pathos. Toe tappin’ goodness with HD650
    • I feel like this would be a killer amp if priced lower… :/
    At the end of the day, this is a very fun, but colored amp, with limited headphone pairings. I adored this amp with the HD650, but did not find much joy with the Verite. I can definitely hear the synergy mentioned by both @ChaChaRealSmooth and @Phantaminum . If you already own a neutralish sounding main amp, It could be a fun flavor amp to compliment it. However, I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone as a “one for all” amp for their setup, especially at priced around $2k, I don't think this is worth its updated retail price with better TOTL sound you can get with the same amount of money. Buying used is another story, as I do see the value and the beauty behind this amp. I have not tube-rolled nor try it as a preamp for speakers, so my impressions remain limited and can be short-sighted. I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with this amp, but yes, another amp along with Pathos where I won't be missing it once it's out of my system.
     
  17. zach915m

    zach915m MOT: ZMF Headphones

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    I went back to the Euforia again lately after reading all this - again I have the "older" version. I have found that brighter more aggressive tubes work much better with our headphones. The best drivers I have found are the 6336 tubes and the Chatham 6as7g's. That paired with a Round Plate 6F7G or a brighter sounding 6SN7 is quite nice, and really helps the transients.
     
  18. tommytakis

    tommytakis MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    It's a bummer I wasn't able to tube roll with these. I'm sure it would have sounded lovely with the Verite :(
     
  19. penguins

    penguins Friend, formerly known as fp627

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    Interesting that it seems like I'm the only one who feels it lacks micro-dynamics but I guess this is all part of the headphones game and why we need more than 1 reviewer. Checked the SBAF definitions here to be sure (as well as checking plankton, microdetail, etc): https://www.superbestaudiofriends.o...ology-subjective-terms-used-on-superbaf.3400/ Also tried to cross reference against HF but neither of the 2 glossaries I saw there had microdynamics (or macro for that matter) defined.

    While I wasn't using the term 100% exactly as described, I don't think I had any wrong ideas nor was I mixing it up with plankton or microdetail. I should also clarify the above in that "Low Level Detail / Plankton / Texture" is mostly referring to how I "emotionally" or "in sum" perceive plankton - not necessarily what I perceive as a correct end all technical definition of plankton.
     
  20. dubharmonic

    dubharmonic Friend

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    [​IMG]

    Feliks Audio Euphoria Impressions

    Thanks to @ChaChaRealSmooth and @E_Schaaf for making this loaner happen!

    Comparisons are to the McIntosh MHA150, with both amps connected to a Schitt Yggdrasil A1 with USB Gen 5. Both MHA150 and Euphoria have a BIG, confident presentation. I don’t have measurements, but I would not be surprised if the Euphoria's frequency response is about +5 dB at 40 Hz. I don’t consider myself a bass head, but I appreciate the solid foundation. Overall, the Euphoria is less fatiguing, slightly warmer, richer and more relaxed. The MHA150 reveals a bit more detail.

    Focal Utopia

    This pairing is a game changing experience for me. There’s undeniable synergy. The Euphoria strips away harshness I hadn’t even recognized with other amps, and fills out the lowest registers. The timbre is satisfyingly realistic, no longer metallic. It’s addictive in all the best ways, especially good at breathing new life into mediocre recordings. It’s kind of experience that pulled me into the headphone hobby.

    ZMF Auteur

    The Auteur seems to be able to make the best of just about any amp. This pairing is a good example of “not better or worse, just different” in the ways outlined above. That said, I can see why some would find it too rich.

    Sennheiser HD650

    The HD650 has an unexpectedly similar presentation on both amps, with the MHA150 being very slightly harder.

    HIFIMan HE1000 V2

    The MHA150 has steady control over the drivers, the Euphoria sounds floppy by comparison. I didn't even try the HE-6. Not recommended for use with planar magnetics.

    Conclusions

    This amp isn’t very versatile, but it’s incredible with the Utopia!
     

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