The Beresford Capella Headphone Amplifier

[Fi-Wi]

I have my Capella up and running for 5 minutes now and my first impressions are that my beyerdynamics DT990 Pro (250 ohm) sounds the very same as it does when plugged directly into my BM2, only a little bit more spacious and with more volume. I hope that the sound improves over time.

I guess it needs some breaking in.

[StanleyB]

I have my Capella up and running for 5 minutes now and my first impressions are that my beyerdynamics DT990 Pro (250 ohm) sounds the very same as it does when plugged directly into my BM2, only a little bit more spacious and with more volume. I hope that the sound improves over time.

That is a very important observation. I paid a lot of attention with the design of the Capella that it should be totally transparent where possible so that most or all of the signature from the original source can shine through. So a different sounding source plugged into the Capella will also sound different through the headphones due to the transparent nature of the Capella's design.

The thing that attracted my attention when I tried out other headphone amps in the past is that they more often than not ruined the original signature of the source equipment. So every source plugged into them sounded more or less the same. That's not what I was looking for. If someone just spent say £1000 to replace a £100 source then I would like to think that they can hear the difference between the two when the Capella is used for A/B testing. The Capella is not designed to take over the show and inject its own version of events. There are loads more headphone amps on the market that can do that far cheaper.

[wee tee cee]

I have my Capella up and running for 5 minutes now and my first impressions are that my beyerdynamics DT990 Pro (250 ohm) sounds the very same as it does when plugged directly into my BM2, only a little bit more spacious and with more volume. I hope that the sound improves over time.

I guess it needs some breaking in.

I regarded the BM2/HD650 as as pretty much spot on. I enjoyed it for a couple of years and couldn't justify changing. I got my Capella and in short order moved to a Caiman 2 and HD700s. No ifs or buts--- if you enjoy listening to music on cans-it moves the game on period!
It will ask some difficult questions of every component in your chain-but that's our hobby,extracting maximum enjoyment out of the music we love.

Most folk couldn't give a flying fuck.

[StanleyB]

I have ended up using the Capella with the Caiman as well when listening to my HD800 or D7000 headphones. The extra definition and detail from the Caiman shines through a lot better with my more expensive cans. The HD650 and K701 are quite happy with the BMII though.
I don't know if it is me or if it is a genuine observation, but I seem to get a better vibe when powering the Capella and Caiman via one of my old car battery. The battery measures about 14V with the two items plugged in.

[wee tee cee]

I notice a slight drop off in performance when the battery drops to about 12.2v. Time for me to swap batteries and put the tired one on the car charger. Less so when just using the cans on the Capella/CM2 which lasts for ages with the solar panel. The Temple mono blocks on the full rig draw an awful lot more juice. My batteries are in my unheated cellar which aint helping at this time of year.

[Fi-Wi]

I have been listening to through my Capella for about 20 hours now and find them very transparent indeed. A/B switch-testing between the Capella and the BM II confirms this.

Initially I thought the impact of this HF-amp would be more dramatic but I now hear that its role is much more subtle. What I really enjoy is that I no longer listen to my cans playing music to my ears but I actually experience every musical performance it presents. Classical, jazz, pop and chant are very spacious/3-dimensional and every single instrument and voice is in proportion and not intrusive. Also, the Capella (unlike the BM II) reveals little to none hissing with voices.

I played with various setting of hf/damping/depth but did not (yet) hear any differences with my beyer DT-990 Pro cans (250 ohm). Gain is the only setting that has an impact on what I hear. I followed the manual and turned the volume knob almost to its maximum and tempered the loudness by setting the gain. I guess hf/damping/depth could make/makes a noticable difference when you use headphones that are generally hard to drive but I understand from the manual that these settings are only supposed to take off the edges if necessary.

All-in all I am a happy listener.

[Jankoff]

Big thanks to Stanley! It is very nice to have someone around - in this case even permanently - explaining to you in detail how he designed a device, addressed previous issues etc., and giving advice. Happens very very rarely. Practically I am absolutely new to headphones, have only been using Koss Porta Pro with my smartphone commuting to work. Otherwise I have a very good setup that was complemented with the M2Tech small trio (see below) - battery power supply, clock generator, USB interface. The USB interface is fed into a valve DAC. The primary source is a HDD that now holds a large part of my music collection and for the first time in history I (and we all) have instant access (several clicks) to any track or album. Hence, I decided it would be interesting if I add headphones - to have another mode of listening, be able to listen at night, etc.
I got the Philips Fidelio X2 headphones as a Christmas gift, haven't received them yet. Then I looked around for headphone amps and came across the Capella. I wonder if the impedance of the Fidelio X2, 30 Ohm, would pose any issue and whether headphones with such an impedance need an amp at all. Thanks in advance.

[StanleyB]

I got the Philips Fidelio X2 headphones as a Christmas gift, haven't received them yet. Then I looked around for headphone amps and came across the Capella. I wonder if the impedance of the Fidelio X2, 30 Ohm, would pose any issue and whether headphones with such an impedance need an amp at all. Thanks in advance.

. Why would 30 Ohms pose an issue? I don't think that Philips would have brought out a 30 Ohms headphone if it would be difficult to get sound out of it.
You need some sort of signal amplification to get sound out of any headphone. In general, you'll get a better sound and performance with a headphone amp instead of the headphone socket from say an iPhone.

[Jankoff]

Thank you, Maestro! I have no technical qualification but I like to read and I have many years of experience with hi-fi - and ears ...
Now I realize I asked a stupid question. I didn't have a smartphone in mind but the headphone inputs of some devices that I have - amps, old cassette decks, CD writers. I know they give different results - some cope better. But I also have a valve preamp (standard) that interestingly says on its front that it is "an earphone amplifier". I thought this might be good for the Fidelio - although it might simply be a printing (engraving) error of some sort. I have been using this for many years as a standard preamp.
Baffled, consulted a friend of mine who is in the hi-fi business. He talked me out of the idea of using this preamp for headphones, explaining things I didn't understand, and drew my attention to the Capella. Proposed to place an order for me, I agreed. Will do it soon - may have already done it.
So, after receiving the amp and the Fidelio, I will hopefully have better questions to ask
Looking forward to getting the gadgets and starting playing with them ...

[Jankoff]

Yes! Yes! Yes! The Capella arrived!
Unfortunately, I still haven't got the Fidelio - who is to marry the Capella.
Oh, the Capella! Not only is she a beauty, she sings!
Listened for minutes only, had to leave for work. Tomorrow further tests with lower grade headphones and burning-in starts. Will report in due time.
Thanks once again, Stanley! My friend Plamen Momchilov, who suggested and provided the Capella, is also very impressed and would like to collaborate with you, also with other products.