Review on 🎧 Sabaj PHA3 Vacuum Tube Headphone Amplifier: Enhanced Stereo Amp for Immersive HiFi Audio Experience with Low Ground Noise and Headphone Output Protection by David Romero

There are several tube audio devices in my collection of audio devices. These include a classic Fender tube guitar amp, a Music Hall Dac 23.5, a Schiit Lyr 2 and now this. I recently decided to buy a small external DAC and amplifier for use with headphones as I am currently at university where listening to music with no setup is really an option. I've looked at various small "tube" headphone amps and thought this was the most elegant solution of all. I don't think I made a bad decision. Workmanship: The build quality is really great. The box was a good size and had a cool black and white aesthetic. The unit was well padded with some sort of hard but foamy padding (as was the power adapter where needed). The power adapter isn't fancy, but it does have a cord that's long enough to get from most wall outlets to the back of the unit. On the amp itself, the aluminum chassis is anodized in deep black, and the on/off switch is also quite heavy. It's a very clean look, just like it looks in the photos. There is a line level input (RCA) on the rear panel, as well as a line in (3.5mm) and line out (3.5mm on the front panel). The volume knob is a little different from the general look (it's glossy in comparison), but still has a nice jet black finish and good resistance when turning. Judging by their appearance, the connectors are gold-plated. Thank goodness they only use red LEDs to illuminate the tubes - I can't figure out why other budget amps use blue ones. The subtle red adds to the warm glow of the lamps, making you feel good and comfortable. Sound: The sound tests covered a wide range of genres. The amp had a line input via RCA connectors on the back, powered by a Topping D10 USB DAC 32bit 384kHz. All files were lost as Tidal Master (minimum 24bit, 96kHz) - worth mentioning as the master preset is higher than ANY offering on Spotify/Apple Music etc and has a different sound signature. High frequencies tend to be sharper and clearer, while low frequencies are subjectively "fatter". The two tubes are Russian 6J9-J which according to the internet have been translated from Russian in various ways, resulting in all the tube options listed really being the best. the same thing. If you want a little "better" sound, I've seen tubes made before 1980 recommended because of their different design. However, this block comes with two 6J9-Js and for testing I chose them. However, the lamp burns out, and after more than 10 hours of operation, the device sounded much better than at the beginning. a constant output level that simply "colors" the soundstage. This is similar to my Music Hall Dac 23.5 - it integrates a tube in front of the line out. So no, like the other "tube" amps in this price range, the tubes aren't the only thing that does the amplification - the final volume control is handled by solid-state components. This amp has a lot of power. With my relatively low-impedance (40 ohm) headphones, I hardly keep the volume above 1/4. However, the extra power is evident in the lower end, where the booming acoustic bass of Kendrick Lamar's "Momma" really comes to life. The same goes for the electric bass on "Semente" Snarky Puppy, which jumped but never lost precision. Vocals and mids sound perfectly sweet on this amp. The hopelessly hopeless Cosby, Stills & Nash really made me smile as the three voices blended harmoniously. It just sounds RIGHT, human, real. These old recordings are great for this setting. There is no indication of additional noise or overtones in the center signal. I will go into more detail about noise in a few sections. The top end of PHA3 is quite comfortable. Powerful but pleasant. I don't know if the tube's effect on the sound signature would allow me to crank up the volume on this amp, but I've found that my KZ ZS6 sounds shrill on some tracks when played back from my laptop, but less so on others . PHA3. Many details remain however - did someone just drop something about Beethoven? I'm serious - you won't lose a single detail with this amp. Noise is annoying if you don't want it. The good news is that the PHA3 has virtually NO noise floor or gain squeaks. In comparison, my MacBook Pro and desktop sound like someone hissing in my ear. Whatever they did to remove that basic floor hiss worked really well. That doesn't mean there's bad news - I mean, this thing can't be perfect for $60, can it?! Well, when you hit the body, or rather the pipe, it rings. There is no filter that cuts the noise of the lamps even when in contact with anything. Interesting and perhaps problematic, but who caresses their tube amp while it's in use?! Bottom line, this is a great product! Smaller and more compact than Nobsound (I think it's a trademark) but subjectively looks better. HUGE performance, almost complete lack of noise in the signal (other than what enters the device - clean source as always). If you need an external headphone amp to get more power or to drive some IEMs or banks from an external DAC, this might be for you!