Country of Origin
Reviewer: Srajan Ebaen
Financial interests: click here
Main system: Sources: Retina 5K 27" iMac (i5, 256GB SSD, 40GB RAM, Sonoma 14), 4TB external SSD with Thunderbolt 3, Audirvana Studio, Qobuz Sublime, Singxer SU-6 USB bridge, LHY Audio SW-8 & SW-6 switch, Sonnet Pasithea, Laiv Audio Harmony; Active filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Power amplifiers: Vinshine Audio x Kinki Studio Dazzle & Gold Note PA-10 Evo in mono on subwoofer; Headamp: Enleum AMP-23R; Phones: Raal 1995 Immanis; Loudspeakers: Qualio IQ [on loan] Cables: Exact Express Flame, Furutech; Power delivery: 2 x Kinki/Vinshine Tai Hang on amps and source stack, Furutech DPS-4.1 between wall and conditioners; Equipment rack: Artesanía Audio Exoteryc double-wide 3-tier with optional glass shelves, Exoteryc amp stands; Sundry accessories: Acoustic System resonators, AudioQuest FogLifters; Room: 6 x 8m with open door behind listening seat; Room treatment: 2 x PSI Audio AVAA C214 active bass traps
2nd system: Source: FiiO R7 into Soundaware D300Ref SD transport to Cen.Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe with POW; Preamp/filter: Lifesaver Audio Gradient Box 2; Amplifier: Kinki Studio EX-B7 monos; Loudspeakers: Virtual Hifi Cobra [on loan]; Subwoofer: Zu Method; Cable loom: Exact Express Earth; Power delivery: Vibex Granada/Alhambra, Akiko Audio Corelli Corundum & Castello Solo; Equipment rack: Hifistay Mythology Transform X-Frame [on extended loan]; Sundry accessories: Furutech cable lifts, Furutech NFC Clear Lines; Room: ~3.5 x 8m
2nd headfi system: DAC: Cen.Grand DSDAC 1.0 Deluxe with POW; Headamp: Cen.Grand Silver Fox; Headphones: Raal 1995 Magna, HifiMan Susvara
Desktop system: Source: HP Z2 work station Win11/64; USB bridge: Singxer SU-2; DAC/preamp: COS Engineering D1; Headphone amp: Kinki Studio THR-1; Speaker amps: Topping B200 monos; Loudspeakers: Virtual Hifi Viper; Headphones: Final D-8000, aune SR7000, FiiO FT7
Upstairs headfi system: FiiO R7; Headphones: Meze 109 Pro, Fiio FT3
2nd upstairs speaker system: Source: FiiO R7; Integrated amplifier: Simon Audio Lab i5; Loudspeakers: ModalAkustik Musikboxx with Dynaudio S18 subwoofer
2-channel video system: Source: Oppo BDP-105; All-in-One: Gold Note IS-1000 Deluxe; Loudspeakers: Zu Soul VI; Subwoofer: Zu Submission; Power delivery: Furutech eTP-8, Room: ~6x4m
Review component retail: €349 amp, €399 DAC
I say Denafrips, you Musician, your brother Garlubidor. He says FiiO, his dad Jadeaudio, your sister Snowsky. She says LHY, her mom Jay's Audio. The cousin sings iFi, the nephew answers SilentPower. Today you propose Gustard, I call out Audalytic.
From afar, clear origins of OEM—original equipment manufacture—can get very serpentine in the Middle Kingdom.
Who does what?
Who are 'they' to begin with, the actual builders?
Who pays them and who owns their factory? The state? A consortium? A privateer?
Sometimes these connections are vague, sometimes specific. Today is clear as day. Like Jadeaudio are to FiiO, Audalytic are to Gustard; their entry-level brand from the same Shenzhen Goshide Technology Co. Ltd, with pricing which ends well below where the other catalogue ever begins. For this 2wpc/32Ω head/preamp called HP70, it means €349 yet a proper R2R volume control and fully balanced operation with immediate conversion of the single-ended inputs.
It means a discrete class A output stage of four bipolar transistor pairs fronted by an LME49720 dual op-amp linestage. It means remote control and a built-in 30VA switching power supply with 15-18V umbilical socket should we wish to get all uppity with our own external PSU. Black or silver skins this cat. Meow.
We get this basic display whose push/rotate multi-purpose controller switches inputs whilst the menu de/activates the pre-outs or headphone ports. In regular mode we see the numerical volume setting. We get up to 28dB of voltage gain continuously adjustable.
We hit a nice low of 0.1/0.2Ω output impedance on 6.3/4.4mm respectively. We get ace performance specs with enough zeros past the decimal point if not as extreme as Topping. It all slots into just 22x17x5cm WxDxH dims of 1.9kg heft to be most desktop friendly.
In the EU, Audiophonics of France are one of the authorized resellers. They provide follow-up peace of mind and prompt order fulfilment on the continent. By now I've dealt with them on transactions well beyond ten. No issues yet.
The HP70 does zero digital. It's a genuine old-school purely analogue affair for a just-outa-school price. If we aren't loaded and have hobbies beyond audio which consume their own funds, the HP70 could be a good candidate to tick off our preamplitude and HeadFi boxes in one compact box. It's small enough to warrant an extruded sleeve without screwed panels into which slips the board with attached front and rear panel held in place with just four rear and two bottom bolts.
Let's find out how well it ticks either box. Type in destination 6moons office. It's this desktop where it would drive a pair of Topping B200 monos fronting Virtual Hifi Viper monitors; or FiiO FT7 or aune SR7000 over-ears.
