Dragon Inspire IHA-1

I think we need to keep pestering the heck out of @porkfriedpork for an answer on this.

Even a general comparison would be nice. Nothing fancy.

 

Quick update on caps. I replaced the Jantzen PSU cap I put in with a Obbligato Gold series 10uf 630v.
Picture for reference.

It was pretty hard to find a capacitor that met all the critera I needed + small enough to fit in the case.
10uf at least 500v+ rating and it had to be a film cap. I searched thru every 10uf cap on Parts Connexion and that was the only one that fit all the criteria. Guess I should have measured the first time around.

 

I've heard good things and for the size they perform well. Not like you can stuff a giant Jupiter or Dueland in there!

 

The Inspire seems to be the value leader. Thats wonderful. Though I love the Kenzie, from a business standpoint its a bit of a lemming. (Not really able to be produced at reasonable profit.) I consider it a good representation of our sound and thusly it stays. The Encore was priced at more realist pricing.Our pricing is meant to be reasonable and not intended to gouge. The input transformers themselves are not super expensive, its the labor of wiring them into place and dressing them appropriately.
The Encore only uses NOS tubes. They are inexpensive and easy to find... much like 6SN7s and 5U4s. The difficulty is always finding the ones you want.
I haven't heard the IHA-1 to compare. Im sure its a wonderful amp for sure. Sometime soon it would be fun to listen to both side by side.

 

The dact vol pot and the balanced output are both. Nice features.
Every amp has its own strengths and weaknesses. I’d count those as super nice aspects.

 

Yellow text on bottle, or yellow text on base?

 

Yellow text on base, but fat bottle: https://www.ebay.com/itm/One-Classi...840262&hash=item56a8fdcc7a:g:h4AAAOSw-JJaZ~UA

 

Great seller too

 

I should clarify that I'm not a total tube nut like @Comzee so I've not put in the money for a metal base GZ34. One day I will do so.

 

Thanks! I went ahead and bought. As for the remaining tubes, I'd like to get a pair of 6BX7 tubes. I'm seeing mostly GE tubes. Are those a decent choice or is it better to find something that's more rare? Also, is it necessary to get a matched pair?

 

Matched pairs don't really matter unless they're crazy off.
I'd also get a pair of 6BL7, instead of the "x" variant of that type.
Both are less gain than 6sn7, but the 6bxl really rolls bass.

A good place to start are the stock 6sn7 it comes with, a cheap pair of 6bl7, and that rectifier you bought.

 

There is a Philips 5R4GYS on ebay that is "lightly used" in seller's guitar amp. Too much of a risk? It's far below Upscale Audio's price and the seller says that he'll gladly take returns if there is anything wrong with it. I've heard good things about this tube and I'm tempted, but not for over $100.

 

I'm not a huge fan of 5R4s as they seem to be bass light to my ears. YMMV.

I'd say the only tube worth dropping money on besides a good 5U4GB is a nice metal base GZ34

 

OK, I'll call it good on tubes for now. I've picked up:

Westinghouse 5U4
Tung-Sol 6BL7 x 2
Sylvania 6SN7GT "Bad Boy"

I already had a Bad Boy so I thought it would be worth it to get another to form a pair. I also happened to have a pair of RCA 6SN7GTB tubes. The amp will be here on Thursday, so I'll shut up for a while until I have some impressions.

 

So to put it bluntly "shits on" is a pretty bold statement. Personally this price range is my comfort zone so I want some comparisons if possible. As I see it, the maxed IHA, Zana Deux, and Kenzie Encore are the same price bracket.

I have never heard any of them since I live in a black hole but all three have well established pedigrees at this point. If you've heard all of them, what sets them apart sonically?

As a side note, I understand if someone is just enamored by their purchase but I legitimately want context. The Aficionado looks awesome but from someone who listens to headphones thirty percent of the time, an extra thirty percent in price is something to be considered. Just an example, but it pretty much shows my upper range for head amps. So, in point this price bracket is very interesting I mean Dennis Had, Craig and Justin I don't know if you would be unhappy either way but what are the differences?

 

would this power the susvara correctly?

 

no

 

Dragon Inspire IHA-1 w upgraded transformers has a gorgeous red chassis with great tube and transformer layout ruined by the face plate and crowded text/font style.

The good:
Very good tone/timbre
Natural sounding/nothing sounds out of place with initial impressions
Clarity is better than AF with Utopia as it has a better leading edge and less weight to the sound

The bad:
Sound is kind of strained, both with frequency response and sound stage

I didn't get a ton of time to compare tubes but quick impressions:
Westinghouse 5U4G was a little darker smoother sounding than the Brimar 5R4GY which in comparison was more open sounding if a little dry.

Ken Rads had the least treble extension but good focus to the sound, highlighting the presence region
The Sylvania 6SN7 GTB green label was my least favorite. This surprised me as I've heard good things about this tube.
The Sylvania 6BL7 was my favorite with Utopia. It just seemed to let the music flow, without highlighting any one particular area.

Comparing the IHA-1 to Aficionado, not a fair comparison by any means, as the Aficionado with RCA 2A3s, Bendix 2C51, and Mullard 5AR4 is double the price, it begins to show it's short comings. The sound stage is placed further away from you, like the Valhalla 2, which is a neat trick BUT, there is very little in the way of layering. Sounds are either far away or close. It's like a panorama with a close foreground subject and then the far off sunset in the background. It can fake a 3D feel but falls apart with closer inspection. The Aficionado is more like an onion with it's many rings. It has many layers like each ring of an onion where sounds can emerge from.

Bass rolled off sooner than AF. It also doesn't have the bloom and weight that AF can produce. Some will prefer this, and I appreciated the clearer sound.
The mid range, was a little strained but otherwise sounded full and well integrated with bass and treble.
Treble, depending on tube, was very well controlled, no strange frequencies jumping out to my ears. Aficionado was harder to tame with the tubes I have.

Like I said before, the overall sound was kind of strained and lacked extension and slam. It seemed like the sound was pinched at both ends with the mid range having the most room to breathe. Some might call this polite. This was evident with all headphones I tried but especially with Utopia. With HE-500, there was bass but very little in the way of sub bass, and attacks were a little more muted than I was used to, probably not enough power for them.

Recommended headphones would be HD800, Auteur, and easy to drive planars such as PMx2, and HE-4XX.

The overall sound is less aggressive than Valhalla 2, but also not as lively and immediate as a Vali 2 with a decent tube. I can see the appeal if you want a tube amp to not only color the sound but take the edge off.

I would personally stretch for a Zana Deux Super, or maybe consider an Ampsandsound amp.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this piece of gear.