CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp – With variable tube drive
It is designed as a classic desktop audio solution, the new CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp, which the Chicago-based company CEntrance will be presenting on a grand scale at the High-end 2024.
- The new CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp from CEntrance is a headphone amplifier with variable tube drive.
With the new CEntrance DAC mini 2 Balanced Desktop DAC/AMP, the US technology company CEntrance presented a solution in the form of a so-called desktop audio system exactly one year ago. Now it has become a new product line, because CEntrance is now announcing the new CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp as the perfect playing partner.
As the name suggests, the CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp is a headphone amplifier operating in Class A. Its special feature is that it is equipped with impressive performance for a wide range of headphone models and also allows the sound characteristics to be adjusted in the form of a variable tube drive.
CEntrance – A brand with many fields of activity
CEntrance was founded in 2000 and is a proven specialist in a wide range of audio technologies, both analogue and digital. The exciting thing about CEntrance is that it sees itself as a technology forge that is equally active as a developer for well-known brands in the pro audio and HiFi sector, but also develops and distributes its own products. And here, too, the company is dedicated to both the pro audio sector, and above all the recording sector, and especially the desktop audio sector, where the boundaries to HiFi are fluid.
A good example of this are the CEntrance DAC mini 2 Balanced Desktop DAC/AMP and CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp solutions.
CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp – For particularly high demands
First of all, it should be emphasised that the new CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp is aimed primarily at particularly demanding users who are looking for an optimal solution for their exclusive headphones.
CEntrance’s main aim is to attract these users by providing a solution with the new CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp that not only offers a very high output power, but also very flexible adaptation to a wide range of requirements, as well as to the user’s personal taste.
Symmetrical design in Class A
First and foremost, the new CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp is a solution based on a symmetrically constructed Class A circuit with a solid-state output stage. Admittedly, this is not what you would expect given the full product name, but it is the basis for achieving the promised high output power with this solution.
The new CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp should be able to deliver no less than 8 watts with minimal distortion, as the manufacturer states. The manufacturer also emphasises that this circuit works particularly efficiently, referring to it as Green Class A Technology with Smart Heat Management.
This desktop audio headphone amplifier should therefore be perfectly suited to utilising the full potential of even the most demanding, complex headphones.
It goes without saying that the CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp has both an unbalanced 6.3 mm stereo jack and a balanced 4.4 mm Pentaconn connection for headphones. Incidentally, this solution offers a pair of unbalanced RCA sockets as well as a 4.4 mm Pentaconn and a pair of 6.3 mm jack sockets as a balanced solution.
The output level is controlled via a rotary encoder, which conceals a microprocessor-based, particularly accurate volume control, which the manufacturer itself refers to as fly-by-wire control.
Variable Tube Drive
Probably the most exciting feature of the new headphone amplifier from CEntrance is the one that forms the basis for the full name, the tube output stage, which in this case, it is fair to say, is used as a kind of effect, which is why the local distributor also refers to it as a “heat circuit”.
The Variable Tube Drive option can be used to bring a tube circuit into play.
According to the manufacturer’s promise, the amplifier works in solid-state Class A so cleanly, precisely and free of any distortion that it can offer absolute tonal purity. So the decision was made to add a little warmth, in such a way that increasing the Drive Dial value changes the sound character but not the volume.
Perfect fit for Apple Mac mini and Apple Mac Studio
Finally, it should be mentioned that the new CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp is designed to fit perfectly with the Apple Mac mini or Apple Mac Studio with dimensions of 345 x 293 x 145 mm in brushed aluminium. It weighs in at 2,3 kg.
“The AMP mini is an attractive desktop amplifier that saves space and lets you listen to your favourite flat or ribbon headphones while you work or relax. It’s great for content creators, gamers and music lovers who can now enjoy premium sound while working, relaxing to music, playing games or watching films. For over two decades, we’ve been looking for a balance between premium sound quality and ease of use. Getting to the point that the AMP mini combines audio enjoyment with desktop convenience, while saving space and pleasing the eye.”
Michael Goodman, CEO of Centrance
Pricing and availability
The new CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp is set to make its grand debut at the High-end 2024 in Munich. The final sales price in euros, which is currently still quoted at US$ 5.000,- as a guide, should also be finalised then. Finally, it should also be noted that the headphone amplifier will be supplied in a robust flight case.
Just like the CEntrance DAC mini 2 Balanced Desktop DAC/AMP mentioned at the beginning, the new CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp is expected to be available from specialist retailers from August 2024.
Getting to the point
The new CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp from the US company CEntrance, which the distributor audioNEXT GmbH will now present together with the perfectly matching CEntrance DAC mini 2 Balanced Desktop DAC/AMP at the High-end 2024 in Munich, is to prove to be a so-called desktop audio solution.
| PRODUCT | CEntrance AMP mini Class A Tube Headphone Amp |
|---|---|
| Price | US$ 5.000,- |
| Brand | CEntrance |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | CEntrance |
| Distribution | audioNEXT GmbH |
| More about this manufacturer at HIFI BLOG |
