My 13R/23R comparison started with Eivør Pálsdóttir's "Verð Mín", a go-to song to track shifts related to vocal range, radiance and partially also bass. The Bakoon Int. had the opening lyrics and subtle sounds travelling left to right a touch more visible, the AMP-23R portrayed them weightier and nearer. The most pronounced difference was the latter's extra heft turning Eivør's ethereal voice noticeably fleshier while meticulous beats behind it felt a bit stronger. These two factors alone made the AMP-13R a touch more explicit and light-footed but also somewhat 'innocent'. After several swaps the gutsier more potent Enleum had its rival in the leaner corner. This transition wasn't big but easy to track and would only grow later on.

Daemonia Nymphe's "Dios Astrapaiou" opens with a single drum stage center then a guitar on the right followed by Antonis Xylouris' aka Psarantonis' vocals in front. The Enleum sounded a touch darker but made these images larger and more powerful for extra intensity and a grander more enveloping overall effect. Sonics felt more gravitational atop familiar speed and tacitness. The more I compared, the more the transition to more earthiness pronounced and appreciated. After auditioning "Agape" from Anastasis by Dead Can Dance, all dots connected for the full picture. Here the AMP-23R's ability to increase mass without penalizing its illuminated core spelled out a clear progression and added maturity. Greater richness and heft atop a quick transparent profile had to be side effects of lower noise floor where I fully concur with Srajan. That's why the AMP-13R came across as more shimmery and light, its successor's blacker background as a touch weightier. The Enleum also pushed more air my way to feel more impactful, quite the achievement. By now it should be clear which amp's company the quick lucid sound|kaos Vox 3afw monitors fancied more.

If I had other speakers suitable for Soo In's compact integrateds, perhaps his firstborn would emerge superior? Guesswork aside, today's struck me as the already very advanced AMP-13R in a refined version pushed still farther by a noticeable margin. All of the above applies to HifiMan's Susvara as the only headphones I own. It seems redundant to rewrite my impressions with them engaged. Suffice to say, Enleum's AMP-23R is no less controlled into that load than the AMP-13R. With the Enleum that notorious planar will simply sound a fair bit gutsier and powerful  which to my ears nets extra points on synergy and spells out a further progression.

To summarize, Enleum's AMP-23R is as serious as the Bakoon Int  was already. Its industrial styling, petite footprint, flawless metal work and brilliant overall execution illustrate that point but I'm unaware of any similarly voiced amp which is this accomplished without selling for thrice more. Soo In's newcomer parades sonics far beyond it sticker to prove once more that top performance can wear fabulously compact sharp threads which diverge from the industry's usual suspects. Wherever 25wpc are plenty, Enleum's AMP-23R is the integrated/headfi amp to beat. It's a stupid-good affair which runs cooler, sells for less and is audibly more refined than its predecessor which already was the best of the low-power kind. The award below doubles down on that!