Airist Audio Heron 5

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by velvetx, Nov 17, 2015.

  1. Maxx134

    Maxx134 Dunning–Kruger effect poster boy

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    818
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    NYC
    Typo?
    For that price,
    It would be great for modding..
    See what potential it can really do..
    :cool:
     
  2. Luckbad

    Luckbad Traded in a unicorn for a Corolla

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,408
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Holly Springs, NC
    That is probably wrong... but I just ordered one in case they honor it.
     
  3. Luckbad

    Luckbad Traded in a unicorn for a Corolla

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,408
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Holly Springs, NC
    The price was an accident. They just refunded me.
     
  4. thegunner100

    thegunner100 Hentai Master Chief

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,461
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    NYC
    Ahh I see. They probably meant the pricing to be $850 total, and not for a $850 discount.
     
  5. maikuirock

    maikuirock Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    3
    They pulled me in and i got a listen to it yesterday. They were really priding themselves on their tinkering with 'phase', saying no one really looks at that, to blacken the floor noise. Impressed i was with how silent it really was and the build quality of the product, but not completely blown away with it's transparency and soundstage. While separation was great, Marv has made comments before on music sounding 'digitized' and i think that's what i actually heard for the first time. i'm not sure if that is related to the amp or their DAC prototype. i'd like to give it another listen, but i think they can still tinker with it's musicality and transparency if not soundstage. i give it a 7 out of 10.
    In the price range, I would still pick the Mjolnir 2. It brings what this is missing. I was listening them both through my hard to drive stock ATH R70x, both high gain. I didn't get a look at the back of the Heron, but it's input options on the front were a single ended hi and single ended low (2 separate inputs).
     
  6. chakku

    chakku Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2015
    Likes Received:
    676
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    NZ
  7. maikuirock

    maikuirock Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Don't knock em too hard, they're straight outta college kids bringing something new to a hobby saturated with established names and not very good marketing. At least they know where to set themselves up to get out there (i.e. - Massdrop and certain "named" local trade shows). We're in a hobby of "hear it to believe it". And to believe they have a physical product that didn't go the crowd funding route, IMO, is a big statement of trying hard to fit in, especially to those still waiting years for a certain product (LH).
     
  8. chakku

    chakku Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2015
    Likes Received:
    676
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    NZ
    I'd be much more interested if the graphs on their spec pages weren't limited to frequency and phase response, especially when they're boasting ≥ 132 dB SNR. I mean if they're going to provide charts at all may as well go full mile.

    I do however wholeheartedly appreciate the design. Audio gear doesn't have to be ugly as shit and a nice enclosure with a nice pot and knob is not going to be the end of the world and ruin audio fidelity. Plus less is more as you can see with the Heron 5 and Schiit product designs.
     
  9. velvetx

    velvetx Gear Master West/Vendor Spotlight Moderator

    Staff Member Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    1,067
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Alright, I see that there has been some confusion here and just want to clear it up. Version 1 which was commented on here did have some issues. However, the new and improved version 2 fixed the obvious price issue as well as the volume issue. Overall I liked version 1 but yes it didn't feel like it was driving my hd650 properly. Version 2 however, sounds much improved.
     
  10. Works 4 Me

    Works 4 Me New

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2015
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    8
    While reading one the reviews that someone in the loaner program had written , I thought he made a mistake on which output jack he'd used for his listening impressions.. The headphone he used was a high efficiency ,25 ohm HP,, but he'd used the "High" output.

    I questioned him on this, & I don't know if this is common procedure, but the Airist manual suggests using the "Low" output for High Impedance HPs & the "High" ioutput for low impedance HPs. I wonder if this could have effected the impressions that this amp is underpowered when trying to drive high imped. HPs.

    Having reported his normal volume setting for the NH headphone he was using was at about 10 or 11 O'clock I wouldn't have thought to be as high as this on the High output. I would have expected that to be where you'd be moving the volume control if you where using the "Low" output.

    Did Airist simply mislabel the jacks & then cover the mistake by offering an explanation on how the outputs should be used. It would be a bit more staighfoward if Headpone Amplifier were more clear about all this to begin with.
     
  11. listen4joy

    listen4joy New

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2016
    Likes Received:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    3
    looks like it 1000$ now anyone have impressions?
     
  12. SingSing

    SingSing Acquaintance

    Banned
    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2016
    Likes Received:
    71
    Trophy Points:
    28
  13. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

    Pyrate Banned
    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,455
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I listened to this amp for an extended period at a meet a few weeks ago. I'm going against the grain and am saying that at $750 I was really impressed with this amp. With the 650 and Ether it paired nicely and sounded better than many amps that I've owned. Clean, dynamic. They mids were damned nice. Vocal jazz had me wide eyed. I'd probably grab this on MD for this price.
     
  14. chakku

    chakku Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2015
    Likes Received:
    676
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    NZ
  15. Works 4 Me

    Works 4 Me New

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2015
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    8
    I have to ask "going against" what "grain" ?

    You were honestly worried that your impressions are any less valid than what others may have had to say
    about this amp ? Are we required to write a "prelude" to what we say if it does'nt follow a thread of some previously reported skepticism ?

    I don't know about anyone else, but I think it's kind of counterproductive to even participate in these discussions if we act like "Apologists"whenever our take on things is a bit contrary to whatever "flow" has been generated in the discussion. ( "Well, I was deferring to others who may be more knowledgeable than myself " ) Who will it be listening to the equipment ? Exactly

    YMMV, IMHO, MY2c, BOGABOGABOGA, (Allright, you can go back your "Humbleness" ; excluding those of you who will always be clueless to the meaning of the word; though you are probably able to "measure" it ! )
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2016
  16. Maxx134

    Maxx134 Dunning–Kruger effect poster boy

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    818
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    NYC
    I don't remember anyone saying it was bad.
    I myself remember it sounding very nice and clean.
    It just wasnt powerful,
    And now it is stated to have been resolved, which is logical they had to do in order to accomplish stated specs.
    It was transparent enough for me to enjoy their Dac using it.
    The combo was very clean sounding.
    Yet I was only interested in their dac.
     
  17. UpstateGuy

    UpstateGuy New

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    3
    What do you guys think about trying to sell an amp for $2000 and then dropping the price to $749?

    Reminds me of MONTRES ALLISON.
     
  18. Works 4 Me

    Works 4 Me New

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2015
    Likes Received:
    12
    Trophy Points:
    8
    I think I might call it "Business Inexperience".

    It may have been just a matter of being a bit too "ambitious" in their pricing of their first product. From what I could gather in reading about this company, there isn't any mention that any of them having prior experience in Higher End Audio. ( & to be honest ,what is considered reasonably priced & what is not is about as subjective as your "pocket" will allow you to be !)
     

Share This Page