Headphones amplifiers — Auris Audio Headonia 300B

The Headonia 300B is a single-ended triode headphone amplifier from Auris Audio, a Serbian maker set up in 2013. It uses a pair of 300B output triodes, supplied as Psvane 300B-T Mark II, driven by two 6SN7 double triodes of the Psvane 6SN7-T Mark II type, a type also known as CV181. Besides the headphone section the chassis houses a separate line preamplifier stage with its own outputs. In Europe the amplifier was priced at EUR 11,999.

Key specs that matter

Maximum output is 7 W per channel, available from both the single-ended and the balanced headphone socket. A five-step selector matches the output to headphones of 32, 80, 150, 300 or 600 ohm, and the available voltage rises with each step - 15 V at 32 ohm, 23.5 V at 80 ohm, 32.5 V at 150 ohm, 46 V at 300 ohm and 65 V at 600 ohm. For the headphone path Auris quotes THD+N of 0.45 percent at 1 W, frequency response within 0.45 dB at the same level and 100 dB of signal-to-noise. Input sensitivity is 0.8 V on RCA and 1.6 V on XLR. The preamplifier output delivers up to 17 V, with 0.06 percent THD+N and a response flat within 0.2 dB at 7 V out when the volume setting stays below 20. The unit measures 460 x 440 x 310 mm and weighs 23 kg.

Engineering and use context

Each channel runs one 300B without a push-pull partner, which is why the output is limited to a few watts and why the impedance selector matters - it picks the transformer tap that best fits the connected load. The case is milled from aluminium plate 8 to 10 mm thick and rests on feet made of a rubber and metal composite to absorb vibration. Component choices include an Alps volume potentiometer from Japan, Mundorf capacitors from Germany and Lundahl transformers on the balanced inputs. An OLED screen with a simple menu counts valve operating hours and lets the owner set its brightness, and the mains switch is placed on the underside of the chassis.

Pairing

Connections comprise two RCA inputs and one XLR input, a 6.3 mm jack and a 4-pin XLR headphone output, plus RCA and XLR preamplifier outputs. With the highest voltage available on the top tap, high-impedance dynamic headphones are well covered, while the lowest tap is the setting intended for low-impedance planar and dynamic models. The preamplifier outputs let the Headonia 300B drive a power amplifier or active loudspeakers, so the same box can control a loudspeaker system when headphones are not in use.

Alternatives

The Auris Audio Nirvana VI is a lower-priced tube headphone amplifier from the same maker, built around 6CA7 power pentodes and rated at 4 W.