Walk into the lounge of many keen Audio enthusiasts and you'll see a Valve Amplifier at the heart of their system. Why? Because the old fashioned Valve Amplifiers give the best sound. So what if there was now a pocket size Valve Amp which would give us back the rich audio quality our music players and smart phones so badly lack?

The X1 Hybrid Valve Amplifier does just that: warm, rich quality sound that was lost when transistors took over from Valves. Plug it between your PC, phone or MP3 player and your headphones. Your music now passes through real glass tube valves, resulting in vastly improved sound quality. It will also boost the volume so you'll now have enough power to drive the most demanding headphones.

Although the sound is big on quality, the amplifier is smaller than an smartphone. With a long life lithium battery you will be able to listen for hours to your favorite music while on the go. Plug the X1 with the optional inbuilt DAC into your computer to by pass your computers sound card and get the best high resolution music you'll ever hear (32bit/384kHz.)

Specifications:

CNC precision made enclosure milled from a solid block of aluminium Raytheon 6418 glass tube valves, Military spec, made in 1984 (NOS) Burr Brown series OPA2134 opamp Saviaudio SA9227 master DAC, Phillips PCM5102 slave DAC. DSD64/DSD128. PCM 32bit/384kHz Metal film resistors 2 Ounce copper tracks. Low ESR capacitors LiPo battery 1800mA Separate LED status for low battery, charging and charged. Ultra low distortion <0.00008% Output impedance 0.26 Ohms Drives headphones 4-600 Ohms 77mW output @ 32 Ohms, 126mW output @ 16 Ohms Dimensions 105mm(H) x 60mm(W) x 14mm(D) Weight 152g (5.3 Ounces) Manufactured in New Zealand

Available in Black or Silver front panel- let me know which colour to ship

Read the comprehensive Head-fi.org review here:

http://www.head-fi.org/products/ims-hybrid-valve-headphone-amplifier-hva/reviews/15617

Also featured in M2 magazine