Headphones amplifiers — Trafomatic Audio Primavera

The Trafomatic Audio Primavera is a direct-heated triode headphone amplifier working in pure Class A, handcrafted in Serbia. It is currently the brand's top tube headphone amplifier, in a catalogue that reaches up to the six-figure Elysium power amplifiers.

Key specs that matter

Inputs are on XLR and RCA, with input sensitivity of 0.5Veff and input impedance of 47K ohms. Gain is 33dB, and maximum output reaches 9W into 50 ohms, a high figure for a tube design. Headphone output impedance is selectable between 25, 50, 100, 300 and 600 ohms. Both the headphone outputs and the line outputs cover 10Hz at -1dB to 80kHz at -3dB. Signal-to-noise ratio is 88dB, and distortion is 0.2% at 0.5W and 1kHz. Connection options are a Neutrik 4-pin balanced socket, a quarter-inch Neutrik jack and two 3-pin balanced Neutrik sockets. The chassis measures 340 x 480 x 240mm and weighs 30kg, very large for this type of amplifier.

Engineering and use context

Per channel, a 6S45P driver tube feeds a Svetlana SV 811-10 output tube, operated single-ended in Class A without any negative feedback. The design is dual-mono, with fully separate power supplies for the two channels. Trafomatic winds custom C-core output transformers for it. The anode supply passes through a C-L-C filter built with Mundorf MLytic HV electrolytic capacitors and the company's own high-inductivity filter chokes.

Pairing

The output power is enough for the most demanding planar magnetic headphones, including the HIFIMAN Susvara and Abyss AB-1266. The switchable output impedance lets the amplifier match low-impedance and high-impedance models alike.

Alternatives

The Trafomatic Audio Head 2, a Class A push-pull headphone amplifier that followed the earlier Experience model, is the more affordable option in the range.