Photo by highfidelity.pl
Enclosure score: 9/10
Electronic score: 1/10
Dont’ judge a book by it’s cover
This headphone amp looks very classy and sure it is nice craftmanship (at least from outside), but let’s see what treasures are hidden inside, since we are so curious. Mind a lovely looking wooden jack, because the wood probably sounds better.
By mi opinion it would be OK as long as it stays DIY project, but selling it for this kind of money without shame?
Looks nice heh? but we better look what’s inside.
Photo by highfidelity.pl
Author explaining how great this amp sounds with HD 800 (and probably with hearing aids). Hope no one sane will buy this masterpiece for the price advertised. I think this is worth 20 euros for a nice enclosure, no more. If you buy this junk, you will burn in eternal hi-fi hell and your ears will be pierced by rusty nails every day.
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/earstream/1.html 6 loons review, do you still trust them after this?
http://www.highfidelity.pl/@main-1404&lang=
Front Panel looks nice. Just LED in volume knob is a bit excessive in my opinion. Others will definitely disagree.
Photo by highfidelity.pl
Classical rear, good quality RCA and IEC to give it a look. What looks good, must sound good right?
Photo by highfidelity.pl
And from now we going down hill.
Photo: highfidelity.pl
You must be kidding me. This is an amp for hundreds of euros? Selection of cheapest parts possible. Rather buy CMOY from eBay for 10 euros.
Photo: highfidelity.pl
“Firstly I was thinking if this is meant to be like April joke or something, but it looks like this guy actually is dead serious about his creation.”
This guy deserves his hands to be chopped off for this kind of tricks. Poor LM’s
Photo: highfidelity.pl
And again, cheapest parts possible, bet channel separation and tolerance must be awful. Good old Blue alps. What the hell is wrong with you man!
Photo: highfidelity.pl
At least a half decent jack, but soldering again. Can’t you just put it on piece of PCB?
Photo: highfidelity.pl
This shouldn’t be allowed even as very rough prototype. Even my breadboard looks better than this.
Photo: highfidelity.pl
This just doesn’t even deserve comment. Judge for yourself.
Photo: highfidelity.pl
Marten Electric @ Blog 
Man just saw their website, 1300 quid!!
Hopefully they throw the wooden jack into the bargain hahaha
That’s just mad ! I was actually thinking if this is meant to be like April joke or something, but look like this guy is dead serious about his creation.
Yes everything sounds much better when wood is involved 🙂 Wooden blocks under speaker cables should be a good evidence. Bet you have to pay extra 100 quid for signature wooden jack.
haha yeah it was a joke, right? Had to be.
You never know, how deep the rabit hole goes 🙂
Another example on how to sell crap for big $$$. Actually I value 6moons only for inside photos,they show a lot about 90% of current products that are either a joke or just a plain datasheet implementation with no real further engineering done packed in eye-candy chassis.
Argh.
You are missing a thing here. Having stolen pictures from http://www.highfidelity.com and not having listening to sonic pearl at all , your so called “article” and your judgement is worth as much as your methods of writing. Just criminal. How dare you judge and pretend to know sth about you have not listen to and even have not hold in you’re hands. And completely misleading and misjudged comparision to cmoy puts You in the right light.
No my friend. I think you are actually missing the point…
No. Cause I do listen to the thing before saying anything…
Reblogged this on Muzo Stajnia and commented:
from the article: “don’t judge the book from its cover (…) What looks good, must sound good right?” Author made the wrong opposite assumption: what LOOKS bad inside must PLAY bad. What a bullshit, man! Have you ever listen to that? No, you admit, you just judge Classy amp for its pictures! What? And claim in the title its CMOY! Come on, how could you LIE so much?!?!
I am from Poland too (but I really think I shouldn’t be saying this, so lets say I am from Ireland), and I also create headphone amplifiers. I know that my equipment is really a decent one (supported by many comparisons – to valve amps or Devialet), but my marketing skills are bad, so I find it really difficult to reach to people who strive for perfect sound.
[Shameles promotion here: http://www.radioactivepages.com/headphoneamp.aspx ]
Then I see this piece of … something, Oh!, MY! GOD! Just PURE SHOCK!
From one side I felt ashamed, confused and then I felt disheartened that only piece of …. wrapped nicely sells good. Why 6moons didn’t try to open it? Was it so difficult? Even my prototype which is documented on my site looks inside 100x better.
Did anyody try to hear this anyway?
The problem is that guy who made it also write a review to 6 moons. I think it sounds like cheapest cmoy portables. OK for in ears etc. ,but definitely useless for big over ears like Hd800.
“I think it sounds” ? You really know what you are writing here? Radek !!! Pacuła from hifidelity has opened it and he has done photos in 2012! And he himself did a spectCular and praising review ! Having looked inside and documented this though! Audio Tweak tok Pacula 6moons – photos – and having NOT listened wrote this bunch of crap! I “think it sounds like cheapest cmoys” Jesus!
Of course it does not have any chances to drive anything big. HD800 is 300ohm so a good op amp could barely handle it but I guarantee that with any HiFiMan it will be a pure catastrophy. It has opamp directly on the output, as any other PC sound card.
Yeah, I saw it. But it’s not only a problem of 6moons. I tried once to switch to a Member of a Trade of head-fi.org. I created literaly 3 units so I could see how selling and the whole production life cycle works, but they (Head-Fi) asked me to pay 500$/month (!!) for the ability to talk about it. It ended up closing down the account.
It seems that Head-Fi also became the place where only the Rockefellers, Rothschilds and Jason Stoddar from Schiit are able to tell about their products. So be aware, that these seemingly open forums are not open after all.
Radek – The point here is – sound matters, not look. Try ponder upon.
Anyone with a tiny bit with knowledge of electronics clearly see, that this amp was made by absolute butcher. with hands behind his back.
I’m really surprised, that guy didn’t poke his eye with a soldering iron. Never seen so much contrast in in/out build quality. I didn’t say anything how it sounds, please read my article properly.
——————-
Każdy z odrobiną ze znajomością elektroniki wyraźnie widać, że ten wzmacniacz został wykonany przez bezwzględnego rzeźnika. z rękami za plecami. Jestem bardzo zaskoczony, że facet nie grzebać mu w oko z lutownicą. Nigdy nie widziałem tak dużo kontrastu w / z jakości wykonania. I nic nie powiedział, jak to brzmi, proszę przeczytać mój artykuł prawidłowo.
And did I say that only look matters? I think you misunderstood me… or you are trying too say that look INSIDE does not matter? Well, I saw many constructions that use point to point soldering and believe me, it can be made really precisely with high qualty of wiring and soldering. What I see here is indeed a bunch of cheap elements, DC separation on the input using (this itself is bad) cheap caps, then cheap potentiometer (left to right level disalignment is sure) and opapm directly on the output! Not to mention common power supply for both left and right channels, really poor internal wiring. Yip, seem like butcher’s work.
Radek! If your are so sure, that your superb built amp will play better then Earstream products or Rapture amp, lets rumble! We do have on Muzo Stajnia plenty of independent reviewers, and gladly would test your good-looking amp. For free of course. And we will write review(s). We can compare it wit decent competitors, from Poland and abroad. What do you say?
Actually, for THAT price the appearance does matter. Additionally, messy wiring and soldering can create issues too. My two cents.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/702554/review-sonic-pearl-amplifier-from-earstream-geusts-black-pearl-and-spl-phonitor-mk1
Thats that. 🔨
Easy to judge, if you don’t know any better.
I am happy owner of an Rapture amp no 0001 🙂 – it’s my 7nt amp. Wanna play the game who owns more audio gear?
Yes please, I but I win already. I have about 60 pieces of audio gear 🙂
Why have you deleted my comment impling you lost the bet?
This is getting childish. Yes I did.
I am ashamed. I came here to testify that there are great products out there in Poland. Check out for example
http://aps-company.com/pl/
http://www.haiku-audio.pl/
among others
I know they are.amongst many others Ancient audio with their beautiful granite CDpro2 transports or Lampizator. This is not problem of nationality but approach of the manufacturer.
The problem is that you have a mere idea about this amp and ideas implemented. First of all, there is a two step all discrete, no feedback linear voltage regulator, designed from scratch which took a couple of weeks to choose the schematic and part types. Next, each “op-amp” is capable of 0.8A DC output per channel while there is two per one chip. So, the specs are true.
I assume that there is a big problem for the competition that a so “simple” design is a PITA to outperform in terms of sound quality. And then comes Headonic, replacing all small drawbacks of Black Pearl and Sonic Pearl amps, re-designed PSU and you have next generation of the small amp and then cutely packed Sonic Pearl 2.
It has never been a secret that the Sonic Pearl is a luxury version of the compact Black Pearl, being another problem for big players in budgetary regions. The bonus in the SP was maximized PSU section and the enclosure.
“Ashamed” competition… what a hypocrisy. 🙂 So called shame is what you need to point a drawback in Ear Stream’s product because nothing else could work. Next to Manu, I call you out to fight with Sonic Pearl in good system, not to mention Sonic Pearl 2 or Headonic.
Haters, have a good clicking day.
(Earstream) Simplicity killed the (competitors) cat. 🔨🏁🏆
Seems regit.
As always Truth is.
Ja pierdolę, jaki szajs
Rzekł Kamil o sobie…
Radek don’t make yourself a fool, saying that this amp cant drive a HD800 or hifimans. The current version of SP has 2.5W at 30ohms. It isn’t a cmoy for sure and droves such headphones properly. For anyone who see that article, before judging and commenting, I advise check first reviews of that gear in internet or read polish forums like audiohobby or forum.mp3store when many experienced independent people who listened to the earstream amps, says that they are very good at their prices.
Please can you tell us what exactly chip is in? So we can look for a data sheet.
Exactly. 2.5W from a SOIC8? 0.8A? You don’t have to be genius to know that it would melt down in an instant.
My chinese imitation of Famicom System propably looked better from the inside that this stuff… and it cost 20 Euro.
just curious… How much does it weight?
Miałem okazje słuchac tego gmiota u znajomego psełdo audiopedofila z uk i wypada blado przy lehmann black cube zapewne i klon leha zagra lepiej.
Miałem okazje słuchac tego gmiota u znajomego psełdo audiopedofila z uk i wypada blado przy lehmann black cube zapewne i klon leha zagra lepiej.