The M100 from Brainwavz is finally here! So far it retains the signature Brainwavz sound having an engaging midrange. The fit is excellent, built quality great, and there is plenty of fun-sounding bass.

M8 DAC / VA2 amp / Linear PSU by S.M.S.L.

SPECS:

VMV VA2

http://smsl360.com/SMSL%20VMV%20VA2

SMSL H8

http://smsl360.com/SMSL%20M8

Linear Power Supply ( PSU )

No site found

WHERE To BUY / COST:

Amazon, Newegg, SMSL

OVERVIEW

I own the SD-793ii from SMSL and wanted to check out a more pro-grade setup. I stumbled upon the M8/VA2/PSU stack and placed an order. You get a DAC capable of DSD playback which I did not test. You also get a headphone amp that has both low and high gain outputs, and a linear power supply to clean up the power to both. Also provided are all of the cables necessary as well as the individual power supplies for the amp and DAC just in case you want to not use the linear power supply.

AESTHETICS

All three pieces are constructed from machined aluminum and feel very well made. The volume knob on the VA2 amp is smooth and not loose or cheap-feeling. Some users complain how bright the blue LED is on the amp, which is bright, but resting on my desk it did not distract. Perhaps in a dark room or by your bedside the LED might be too bright, but nothing a piece of tape couldn’t cover. The buttons on the M8 DAC are low-profile and also made from aluminum. The power cord, jacks, and various inputs/outputs feel well made and are of high-grade materials.

ACOUSTICS

I really did not know what to expect. I remember Zeos over at z review that he felt the VA2 would not power the Fostex T50RP MK3 headphones. I find it powers the HE-400i with no problem and even on low gain it gets plenty loud for my taste. I will say that the output does not feel very linear because I get most of the volume in the first half or quarter of the volume range and then as the knob rotates further the volume does go up, but not as drastically as in the first half-turn.

I am glad it can drive every can I own including the Audio Technica ATH-R70x which has a peak impedance of over 1 kOhms and my HJ Audio 10×3 Pro IEM’s.

At first listen the VA2 has some serious brightness. Harshness in amps is one thing I look for in a poorly designed amp. On the other hand some high-end amps sound bright to me like the HeadAmp GS-X MK2. The harmonica and vocals in Angus & Julia Stone’s Hush on the Down the Way album proves to be fatiguing at moderate listening levels. I feel my ear muscles tense to try to protect the bones in my ear and this tensing leads to fatigue. My guess is that the VA2 has poor transient response and is developing peaks in the treble as the output changes amplitude. The brightness of the VA2 is my one major criticism. If it sounded more laid back and was easier on my ears I would highly recommend this little amp, but as it stands I would say look elsewhere unless you want a detail-oriented amp, because the treble very well extended.

One test I did with the VA2 amp was to run Ayre Acoustic’s Pink Noise track into it and listen for any peaks. Tyll Hertsens taught me this trick for finding problem areas of audio equipment in general not just amps, but headphones too. Sure enough there is unevenness to the pink noise sounding like emphasis on the midrange and at least one major peak in the treble. I’ll see if Tyll has time to measure this amp.

CONCLUSION

The 3-piece stack can be found for under $500 which gets you well placed into the hi-fi playback realm. The M8 DAC is superb, the linear power supply excellent, but the VA2 could use a little work to draw down its uneven and bright sound. The VA2 does have enough power to supply more than adequate listening levels to a wide range of headphones and because it has both a low and high gain stage it is suited for IEM’s as well. The build quality is excellent and the DAC is very easy to setup and get playing especially so if you use the optical input.
For power hungry cans the high gain jack sound more even, has better control of the bass, and in just sounds clearer. Some of the harshness is still present, but with the HE-400i the improvement is noteworthy going from the low and then to the high gain output. Be sure to experiment with both headphone outputs to get the best sound from the VA2.