Constrainted real estate made a 90° flip the perfect space saver. With Meze's 112dB/1mW spec, medium gain came on too strong. Low gain was perfect. Into the Soloist the H1 acted as single-ended fixed 2Vrms DAC. For counterpoint it reverted to variable headfi drive. Source was a super-cap'd Soundaware D300Pro in S/PDIF SD card mode. Here my two amp flavors were like immediate suburbian neighbors in a plot where all houses look the same then cluster tight. Hence sonics were far more similar. For a personal album favorite to zero in on very well-recorded string transients of unusual timbres like the Uzbek tanbur or Indian slide guitar, Hector Zazou's ambient In the House of Mirrors served up tunes. Which amp hovered closer atop their exotic strings like a virtual spot mic? By this I mean perceived verticality of rising edges; how much metallic overtone glitter they packed. This wasn't about recorded truth. To mere mortals not privy to the recording then mastering session, that remains an unknowable myth. This was about minor differences from playback hardware, here half silvery cool half copperish warm persuasion with well-above average density. In general terms it meant a pentode/triode mix, both 3rd and 2nd harmonic, push/pull not single-ended.

Whilst these two were near neighbors, keen attention concluded that the COS exhibited more fruity acidity and tang. That gave complex timbres a tad more freshness. Think oxalic acid. If not cloyed in sugar, it's how rhubarb retains its telltale twangy sourness. That probably was slightly more 3rd-harmonic THD for the H1. It meant a certain extra degree of incisiveness on a sitar's sympathetic strings or swarmandal's crystalline pungency. The Soloist captured those aspects slightly more matte so less piquant. This was subtle stuff relevant only by direct comparison. General consumption calls these far more alike than not, making a purchase decision more about looks, power, features and fan. How about generic vs high-current power adapter?

A hearty German sandwich on thickly sliced country bread with cured ham and fried eggs is not Down Under's Mad Max but a Strammer Max. That roughly translates to 'strapping'. Et voilà, the difference. With upgraded power supply, maxismo's strapping elements—musical dynamics, rhythmic grip, image outline definition—gained certitude. On this somewhat circular track it progressed from one revolution flowing into the next to prancing and rollicking down the same terrain with strut and swagger. Call it a matter of attitude. Throw in more ripped muscle tone for another pointer on improved fitness. This was presumably due stiffer current. If so, from stiffer to more strapping even makes letter sense. It certainly made ear sense!

For some more of that 'tude, this Morricone medley for brasses has the measure and power.

For more of that—and champion chops—there's this.

With virtually endless headroom boosted by the 'Super Charger', the Burson scaled up such brassy bodaciousness to levels fit for the occasion if not long-term ear health. Whilst scaling up ought to be no more than extra clicks on a volume control, it's often betrayed by compounding signs of stress. I doubt that one can stress out the Soloist. Its power reserves are so overbuilt that control tracks escalating loudness without letting go. It's a Krellian kind of muscle amp; for headfi. It explains why my music selections drifted in this high-octane direction.