V3 Tube Headphone Amplifier EQ Equalizer

Don't buy this! It will make you spend more and more on headphones, DACs, cords, and amps, both solid state and tube! It demands friends! Since buying this cheap little gateway drug of an amp, I broke down and bought a Darkvoice and a SMSL SAP-VI ($48 delivered!), and 2 sets of $200 headphones. I'm trying to stay 'cheap' but this little guy is getting too expensive! I obviously got the bug.This little guy does sound great! It's not the most powerful amp ever (one reason you'll feel the urge to upgrade). It pushes my Fostex T50RP Mk3's and AKG K7XX's 'OK'. It can get loud, but not ear-bleed loud, and on quiet or demanding tracks it runs out of volume knob or clarity. This is why I bought those other 2 amps - this thing made me want to compare it to a super powerful solid state amp and a decent full-tube amp! How did it this happen...This amp adds warmth/brightness without getting shrill. I notice instruments I hadn't before, like violins and harpsichords. Lindsey Stirling's violin sounds amazing on it. If a track does get too brassy, lowering the mid slider a tiny bit does help. I'm surprised it can make the mids so much brighter without being harsh. Is that tube magic or just the rest of the amp? Who knows.It does seem to remove a bit of the bass, for me, which isn't the greatest. You can compensate with the EQ - I either leave them at full or lower the middle slider one mark. As this is a passive EQ, neutral is the top of the slider range - that detail should be in the instructions or they could just printed a '0' on the panel next to the appropriate slider mark.I find it much more enjoyable to listen to than the Schitt Fulla 2 amp I'm testing, which to me sounds fairly dead and lifeless. Maybe the Fulla is more accurate/neutral, and I could use an EQ or VST to make it sound warmer, but for now I've been using the Fulla as a DAC for the V3. The Bravo has a bit more power than the Fulla 2, which runs on USB.Now for the cons:The V3 will easily distort when pushed. All amps have limits. I got the SMSL sAp VI for more power, which the Fostex T50RP3's demand.It also seems cheaply built - even more than a DIY kit should be - little things like the side RCA inputs not lining up and the caps being soldered in lopsided, etc. That looks bad. I could probably fix those with a soldering iron, if it was worth it.I'd love if the inputs were on the back, but especially not on the front (yuck!). It could also use a bigger volume knob, though the pot is not scratchy and seems OK (it does have a bit of imbalance at low volume, which is to be expected). The volume knob is tiny and smooth, and can be hard to turn (I might wrap it with a rubber band for a sexy tactile feel). It's also hard to see the little indicator detent. Let me get out my sharpie...The biggest issue is that the mosfets and voltage regulators really do get insanely hot. It's just nuts. I can't imagine this thing lasting years, though I've left it on for several days straight and it plays fine. It draws 9.2W all the time, no matter what you play or what volume you set. As a class A amp, it's having a full-blast dance party whenever it's on! This always-on design really demands a better/bigger cooling solution. Yes that'd add cost which must be taken into account - so why not also use better mosfets too. Would cost more than $0.50 per unit? Hmm.The only reason I may not keep is that it's hard to use in even a semi portable fashion, like next to the bed. It has open sides and runs so hot I don't want to run it semi-supervised or in the dark. One drop to the floor and it could be over. If you do like this amp or the V1/V2 sister amps but want it to be more refined and durable, try the Bravo Ocean.The Ocean drops the EQ, but adds an RCA (variable) pre-out and about $24 to the price. And it has better ergos all around, with the jacks all on the proper sides of the device (headphones, volume, and power switch on the front, inputs/outputs/power cord on the back). It It uses the cheaper and more plentiful 12AU7 tube, where the V3 needs the 6922. They're both good tubes, but the V3 comes with an EH tube which I believe is superior to the Shuguang in the Bravo. So while the Bravo may be harder to mod, but runs cooler and is better shielded from the environment, impacts, and random RF interference.As a final note - RF noise hasn't been a problem at all for me - just don't put your phone inches from it. That affect all amps/devices to various degrees.

This is just a really fun and fine little headphone amp and outstanding value for the sound quality that it offers. I've given it 4 Stars but it actually deserves a 4.5 for sound, and probably even a 5 when factoring in value.It's detailed, revealing, articulate, attractive, and really draws you into the music while it disappears into the background. You will find yourself engaged in the music in short order - not listening or trying to evaluate a piece of electronic equipment. I consider myself an audiophile and have a lot of experience with very expensive audio gear, so what a surprise to find the Bravo V3 does not disappoint in the least from a musical standpoint. It's a great toy, too, for "tube rolling". Surprisingly, the supplied Russian Electro-Harmonix 12AU7 tube is not bad; but I've been having a lot of fun trying out several NOS tubes I have on hand, including Mullard, RCA "Cleartops", Amperex "Bugle Boy's", Philips JAN 6189W's, and RCA 5814 "Triple Mica's" - this unit will clearly offer the opportunity to evaluate each tube depending on your own hearing and listening preferences. Just be forewarned that you may have to take off the top plastic cover to adjust each triode's bias - easily done with a jeweler's screwdriver.Associated gear is a Jolida JD100 CD player (currently using Brimar 12AX7's), Sennheiser HD650's & Audio-Technica ATHM50S headphones, and Kimber "Hero" interconnects. I have not tried the unit with an iPod or other source - I'll leave that up to my son since I actually bought this for him for his college dorm - now I hate to give it up, though! Music has been female vocalists (Hope Sandoval/Mazzy Star, Margo Timmons/Cowboy Junkies, 1950's Jazz/Miles Davis/Kenny Burrell/Getz/Rollins, etc, and a whole bunch of 80's New Wave such as OMD, Morrissey, Pet Shop Boys, Cure, Book of Love, etc.I've had no problem with cell phone interference as some have mentioned, and the graphic equalizer controls actually do work to adjust the tones somewhat.OK, what's not so good? Well, build quality could be a little better; RCA jacks are slightly askew, a few resistors are not perfectly aligned, blue LED and red power LED are a little bright under the tube, and it would be nice to have the power switch on the front and not the back of the unit. Also, it's small and light so could easily be knocked off a desk or pulled over by the weight of the power supply or the interconnects. And if you have dusty conditions (and who doesn't) you'll want a use some compressed air to carefully clean the unit on a regular basis.In summary, I just don't see how you can go wrong with this little guy. I've used much more expensive headphone amps that this stands up to the best of them. For about $85, it's a steal!