feliks

For OTL tube manufacturers Feliks Audio, the route to the top of Head-Fi's hill ran contrarian with massive output transformers – and still proved to be the Envy of everyone. A flagship powerhouse amplifier, its design centered around famed 300B tubes. While Echo II to Euforia had proven to be delicate, pure and low-powered affairs, there is nothing subtle about the construction of Envy. Feliks set out to build the ultimate tube amplifier pushing over 5 watts of Class A power at clipping. Stereophile "admit to being taken by the Envy's bold but tasteful style ... it's top-of-the-world wonderful". Effortlessly able to drive Susvara – in fact lauded by Ear Fidelity and Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity as the best headphone amp they've heard HIFIMAN's flagship through – Envy is a true statement of ambition by these prolific Poles. Headfonia warn it'll be the Envy of you after electing it to their Recommended Buys list. And Headfonics call it an essential demo if you want to elevate any elite flagship headphone – echoed by Hifi Pig. [See Product Desc. For More] As you'd expect of a statement amplifier, Envy can have no weaknesses. Depending on output transformers for brute power, this Feliks flagship still retains all the purity that this brand has come to be defined by. It's a champion of frequency extension both up and down; chunks of iron in the signal path or not. Running in single-ended Class A to preserve the all-important even order harmonics triode enthusiasts crave from such topologies, Envy is inherently linear. Its high operating voltage and high bias means that its entire circuit operates stably with zero feedback. That's aided by the use of 300B tubes providing Feliks Audio access to square law and load-line characteristics to push distortion down from the drawing board. Triode plate impedance also means that any clipping is soft and graceful, veering from harshness. Running in the open loop doesn't stop Envy from producing enormous frequency extension up to 100Khz at -3dB. The preservation of high-frequency triode transparency is certainly no mean feat without the aid of negative feedback. Meanwhile, the finest coupling capacitors and its large output transformers sees low frequencies plumb down to 8Hz – truly subterranean levels, for a tube amplifier of any sort. WATCH ALSO Timelapse: the painstaking hand-assembly of Envy This Feliks frequency extension pays off in truly flat phase reproduction in the audible human hearing range, for impactful bass and realistic portrayal of musical images. Dynamics are life-like and on par with the best solid-state amplifiers. Indeed, none of the resolution Feliks Audio has been associated with from its OTL work has been lost in Envy, bearing uber-revealing CV-181 drivers from Psvane. But users wanting to squeeze the final drops of detail have the opportunity to build this behemoth in its Performance Edition, featuring UPOCC point-to-point copper wiring, and upgraded 300B power tubes from Electro-Harmonix to Full Music for the ultimate signal path. Inside and outside, Envy is a prestige product that belongs in a reference Hi-Fi rack. Its balanced pre-amplifier outputs allow you to operate it just that way into a full-sized, stereo power amplifier, passing through the entire 6SN7-300B stage and out through the rear. Definitely place Envy somewhere prominent: you won't be able to tear yourself away from gazing upon its beautiful wood build, nor hearing this pinnacle, for long. Otherwise, seek Feliks Audio's other OTL builds if you're looking for a smaller footprint here, and our other amplifiers here.

Purity of sound is everything that Feliks Audio is about, and Euforia EVO is the full realisation of that legacy. This uber-revealing output transformer-less OTL tube amplifier built on the CV-181 (6SN7 derivative) unearths every detail in your music. Now with a 4-pin XLR output for balanced connections, EVO bears similar upgraded parts broadly carried over from the Feliks Euforia Anniversary Edition. EVO is a Headfonics pick for hours of fatigue-free listening, a Headfonia Recommended Buy, an Audiophile-Heaven Hall of Fame-r, and "wildly recommended" by Ear Fidelity. Headphonesty say Euforia EVO is "absolutely sublime". UPOCC copper wiring in the signal path, enhanced coupling capacitors and a power transformer with great AC line performance come as standard. EVO sets a new benchmark of stock transparency that will serve you well with many an Audio-Technica, Sennheiser or ZMF Headphones. Feliks present the Euforia line its latest, timeless, new member ... in a beautiful satin gloss black finish packing sound quality that will remain unrivalled for years. [See Product Desc. For More] As another single-ended triode amplifying in Class A, EVO remains fully transparent and yet never overbearing in its presentation of detail. Natural and wholesome even harmonic sound dominates – a direct result of EVO's single-ended Class A topology. The holy grail of all bias schemes isn't undertaken lightly, and rock-solid current sources ensure Feliks Audio's flagship OTL runs stably fully biased at all output levels. This is a decidedly low-distortion affair in an inherently linear amplifier given high tube operating voltages and current. Transconductance increasing with bias current is optimal. And while tube imaging, emotiveness and liquidity is de facto, EVO always sounds natural and fully transparent. Certainly, a massive audio bandwidth is guaranteed given its output transformer-less OTL construction. Literally nothing separates you from your music. Pairs of transparent CV-181 drivers and NOS 6N13S tubes power your headphones directly, without any chunk of transformer iron in the signal path.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Headphonesty (@headphonesty) This Feliks champions frequency extension – the fast, deep bass and airy, open highs from the best OTL associations. Phase reproduction in the audible human hearing range is stellar, and dynamics crash especially potently bottom to top, rivalling even the best solid-state competition. Boasting a new 4-pin XLR connection, EVO eschews the headphone cable adapter you might have used with its predecessors, powering your flagship cans even more directly in the spirit of maintaining total purity. This makes the case of EVO being the only amplifier you need – at least, till you aim for the extreme Envy... Whether you go up or down, you'll be served browsing the rest of Feliks Audio's offerings here, or all our other DAC & amp options here.

Adding scale and stage to Feliks Audio's impressive Echo II is Elise. Tube character abounds but never enough to take away the life-like realism of actual music in this OTL amplifier in single-ended triode format, based on the 6SN7 driver stalwart. You'll struggle to dispute Elise's quality at portraying an orchestral piece of work, or its magic synergy with Audio-Technica, Sennheiser or ZMF Headphones. Give it one listen, or many. Rarely will a single piece of gear fit as many sources, genres or set-ups. [See Product Desc. For More] Its mids are liquid and forward, great to address any flaws still present in your flagship cans. Warm, natural and wholesome even harmonic sound dominates – a direct result of Elise's single-ended Class A topology. The holy grail of all bias schemes isn't undertaken lightly, and new current sources ensure Feliks Audio's classic single-ended triode amplifier runs stably fully biased at all output levels. This is a decidedly low-distortion affair in an inherently linear amplifier given high tube operating voltages and current. Transconductance increasing with bias current is optimal. And while tube imaging, emotiveness and liquidity is de facto, Elise always sounds natural and fully transparent. Indeed, despite its mid-range vivacity, a massive audio bandwidth is guaranteed given its output transformer-less OTL construction. Literally nothing separates you from your music. Pairs of 6SN7 and NOS 6N13S tubes power your headphones directly, without any chunk of iron in the signal path.  Elise champions frequency extension – the fast, deep bass and airy, open highs from the best OTL associations to perfect phase reproduction and respectable damping factor – therefore. Long tube operating lifespans come courtesy of improved thermal management and more efficient passive cooling driving up to 60 per cent lower operating temperatures in the incumbant, versus its predecessor. Really, it's never only about the parts, and Elise is further proof boasting a new tube cathode heater and power supply design derived from the flagship Euforia. Great design nous gives a premium, Polish-built amplifier the platform to perform quietly and transparently.  Whether you go up or down, you'll be served browsing the rest of Feliks Audio's offerings here, or all our other DAC & amp options here.

One of the OG headphone amps at Zeppelin & Co., and we have it in mint condition still. For desktop amps, their usage in the store is far lower than it would be in a home, and so you have plenty of life left in the tubes.  Feliks Audio are famed tube amplifier manufacturers from Poland and their heritage makes an appearance in their flagship headphone amplifier, Euforia. Based on the historic 6SN7 tube family, Euforia's transparency matches some of the best solid-state amplifiers on the current market. [See Product Desc. For More] Stereophile's Herb Reichert writes that Euforia "allows recordings to feel more direct and unmolested" – high praise from one of the world's most experienced listeners. The same writer found its pairing with the HEDDphone by Heinz Electrodynamic Designs (HEDD) particularly enriching. You'll be able to see everything from Feliks Audio here and all our other DAC & amp options here.

--- SOLD! --- One of our favourite Feliks Audio amps that we're letting go since it's discontinued. Perfect working condition, beautifully built and a rare gem since Feliks Audios won't be making an entry level model like this again.Warranty: 6 months