Усилители для наушников — Feliks Audio Envy

The Envy is a valve headphone amplifier from Feliks Audio of Poland, built around a pair of 300B power triodes in a single-ended class A circuit with transformer-coupled output. It also works as a line preamplifier. Two editions are offered - the Standard Edition with Electro-Harmonix Gold 300B tubes and copper wiring, and the Performance Edition with Full Music 300B tubes with nickel anodes and UPOCC single crystal copper wire. The base model was listed at EUR 6,499, and US pricing ran from USD 9,199 to USD 9,999 depending on edition.

Key specs that matter

Output reaches 8 W into 16 ohm, around 6 W into 32 ohm, roughly 4 to 5 W at 50 to 60 ohm, 0.7 W into 100 ohm and 500 mW into 600 ohm. A three-position impedance selector sets the output transformer taps - Low for headphones of 16 to 60 ohm, Mid for 60 to 300 ohm and Hi for 300 to 600 ohm. Measured output impedance is 3.8 ohm on Low, 8.8 ohm on Mid and 20 ohm on Hi, and unloaded output voltage tops out at 2 V, 9 V and 16 V respectively. The front panel carries a 4-pin XLR balanced jack and a 6.35 mm single-ended jack. The Envy weighs 15.1 kg, stands about 24 cm tall and draws around 110 W from the mains.

Engineering and use context

The two-stage input section uses a pair of CV-181 double triodes, a 6SN7 type, with Jantzen Superior Z-Cap coupling capacitors. The circuit runs without global feedback, and bias is set automatically, so power tubes can be swapped without manual adjustment. Rectification is solid-state. Output transformers are custom units wound by EDIS Ogonowski, and the mains transformer comes from the same maker. Balanced XLR input signals pass through Lundahl transformers. Volume is handled by an Alps RK27 potentiometer, and internal connections are hand-wired point to point. The metal chassis is anodised black and flanked by oiled oak or American walnut panels. The selector switches between two unbalanced RCA sockets and one XLR socket, while line outputs on RCA and XLR deliver up to 8 V and 16 V.

Pairing

The high current available on the Low tap suits low-impedance planar magnetic headphones, while the Hi tap serves high-impedance dynamic models. Through the RCA and XLR line outputs the Envy can drive a power amp or powered monitors, placing it at the centre of a combined headphone and loudspeaker desk system.

Alternatives

The Feliks Audio Euforia is a smaller OTL valve headphone amplifier from the same maker without 300B output tubes.