Australian Hi-Fi & AV Show @ Melbourne 2018- with a full AC system

[Legolas]

Indeed. The ultimate headphone amplifier to some is the Viva Egoista 845 amplifier. But the Genus can do both speakers and a true headphone output with low and high impedance setting and 25 watts SET magic, not 15 watts as the speaker version of the Viiva amplifier. So with the Genus you get pure SET power to the Audeze planers. I heard another great headphone amplifier at Can-Jam made by MalValve, but that was way to complex IMO with 22 tubes. I think it is push-pull configuration? It also did electrostatics as well as Dynamics / Planars and sounded good.

So high hopes for the Genus, I'll report back here soon, and later do a full review on both speakers and headphones once it's burnt in a bit.

 

[Jambo]

Currently my system is in storage so I’ve been listening to headphones for the last year and a half. I currently have the Goldmund Telos Dac/Headphone amp. I use the Kennerton Odin headhones and well as the Kennerton Thror headphones.
I had a chance to Visit PuraSound (the distributor for Aries Cerat in Australia) and see what my headphones sound like on an AC system.

I took both sets of headphones, Odin & Thror. The setup at PuraSound was Pinkfaun 2.16 server with USB output (Beethoven usb cable) going into a AC Kassandra Dac, going into the AC Incito Pre which finally fed the AC Genus Integrated. The system had been playing for a little while so it was nicely warmed up. The headphones were finally connected to the AC Genus integrated.

I cued my music (I had taken some of my well-known tracks and transferred them to PinkFaun server) and started to listen. As soon as the music played my jaw dropped, the sound was dynamic, very organic, great detail and utterly believable and natural. I had not experienced soundstage on headphones – the sound was coming even from outside the headphones – that’s how wide the soundstage was. I never knew my headphones could sound this good. I did not want to leave, I wanted this for my headphone rig.

In summary I was spoilt on how good headphones could actually sound via a Aries Cerat system – Bravo !

 

[Legolas]

Nice
I experienced the same with my LCD4s. I have a decent V281 headphone amplifier and the Kassandra, but the addition of the Genus was an eye (ear) opener. You don't need the Incito in the chain possibly, the Genus on its own it immense. It is quite an insane headphone system and even bigger than the Viva Egoista for example, but to my ears is right at the top of what is possible with headphone amplification.

See my review here