FELIKS AUDIO ECHO VIBE HEADPHONE & PRE-AMPLIFIER REVIEW
Feliks Audio are a renowned valve amp manufacturer from Poland; they are a family business and have been making amps for several years now. I have previously reviewed their flagship headphone amp, the Envy and in this review, Oscar Stewart takes a look at their refreshed entry-level Echo Vibe OTL amplifier, costing just shy of £1000.
This is an OTL amplifier and has no output transformers; this does mean headphone pairings are more limited; however, it does give you a little more of that valve magic.
BUILD QUALITY AND FEATURES OF THE ECHO VIBE
The new Echo Vibe comes with a few new aesthetic changes from the original Echo; these include a new rectangular transformer cover with improved shielding alongside some lovely engraved wood side panels (spot the unique logo on this unit!). Internally, Feliks Audio have improved things too, using better quality capacitors which increases high frequency detail.
The build quality is excellent, with a solid steel chassis and wooden side panels with soft rubber feet to isolate the amp from external vibrations. On the front panel, you have the 6.3mm headphone output alongside the volume knob and source selector. On the back, you have 3 pairs of RCA inputs, a pair of RCA outputs, and the power input. It’s a solid amp, and one that will last for years if you look after it.
Feature-wise, you have 2 x 6N6P power valves and 2 x 6N1P driver valves. The 6N1P can easily be replaced by 6DJ8/ECC88/6922 variants, which give you plenty of valve rolling opportunities. On the power side, you are a little limited to other 6N6P or 6N6P-I variants (Foton’s square getter tubes are supposed to be very good here). The Echo Vibe has 3 inputs and one pre-out, allowing you to use the amp as a valve pre-amplifier in your system of choice.
Being an OTL amplifier, it has no output transformers; this does mean more careful headphone pairings need to be considered. OTL amplifiers have excellent voltage output, but not the highest current; this leads them to pair well with mid to high impedance headphones (especially dynamic driver models). Feliks Audio recommend this amp be used with headphones with an impedance above 80 Ohms. The amp takes around 10-15 minutes to warm up and sound its best, and it does get hot, so be careful and ensure it is placed in a well-ventilated spot.
SOUND QUALITY
As this is an amp tailored to high impedance headphones, I used my German Maestro GMP400 (300 Ohms), Beyerdynamic DT880 (600 Ohms), and decided to use the low impedance Meze 109 Pro to see how they paired with this amp. The valves had over 50 hours of run-in time before writing up this review (as they take some time to settle).
Starting off with the GMP400, the Echo Vibe brings out a bit of fun in this notoriously flat and monitor-like headphone. Listening to Teenagers by My Chemical Romance, the guitar intro that’s panned left/right comes from outside of the headphones, and the tom hits have excellent body and impact. Gerard’s vocals are crisp and take the centre stage, the bass line is articulate and full, whilst the instruments are well separated. These are headphones that excel at picking apart mixes, well, they are studio-oriented. When paired with the Echo Vibe, you get all those technicalities with an added dose of warmth and body. The amp takes the edge off without holding the headphones back (these headphones can lean towards sounding thin with the wrong setup).
Shake Well Before Opening by Black Grape has quite a groovy bass beat to it that underpins the rest of the song, and the GMP400 handle this with ease. It’s easy to follow the beat whilst the guitars swirl around the vocals. The treble is sweet yet detailed; this is an amp that rounds off the harshest of notes, yet still allows the finer details to shine through. As mentioned, these headphones can sound a bit flat; that is why they pair well with an amp like this, which breathes some life into them and makes them a bit more fun. They do sound great with the right valve amp. This is not a congested and veiled amp, it is open, detailed, and clear – all the while adding a little colour and foundation to the sound that gives it some flavour compared to a more neutral solid-state amp.
Moving on to the Beyerdynamic DT880, these have a reputation of being a little on the brighter side, yet I love them for their revealing nature. The 600 Ohm version is the most refined too, and works brilliantly on OTL amps like the Echo Vibe. Suffice to say, this is a highly enjoyable pairing; take Rearview Mirror by Pearl Jam; the snares are incredibly clear and snappy, the cymbals crash with great air, extension, and realistic tonality. These headphones have a bit more of an intimate delivery compared to the GMP400, however, this amp with these headphones never sounds congested. There is body to the sound, bass, kick drums, all have energy and warmth, whilst the vocals and guitars cut through with plenty of detail. ]
LIVIN’, LAUGHIN’, LOVIN’ by Bilmuri is a blast; it’s hard to define the genre, but you have different vocal styles and a beat that changes throughout the track. Suffice to say, the DT880 have no issues keeping up with the genre blending here, there is superb separation and drive to the sound, it’s just a blast to listen to. Once again, the snappy transients, sense of body, and clarity all come together to deliver an engaging yet detailed sound that can handle anything you throw at it. The belief that valve amps sound slow and veiled really doesn’t hold up here, yet it still adds that bit of valve magic that brings these headphones alive.
The Meze 109 Pro are not an ideal match on paper, with them being 40 Ohms and quite high sensitivity. I did have to turn my DAC down a little, as the 20dB of gain from the Echo Vibe was too much (I didn’t have enough range on the low end of the volume knob). Interestingly, though, these don’t sound as bad as they should through an OTL amp. Begging For Trouble by AFI, for example; yes, the bass is tighter and faster on a solid-state amp, but it doesn’t sound overblown or too slow here. The midrange is still lovely, with a clear presentation and natural tonality, whilst the treble is airy and smooth. Instead of the snappy, fast, and clear sound these normally have, you get a fuller, warmer sound signature that still has great separation and detail. So, whilst not an optimal pairing, it is sometimes fun to pair headphones that might not look like a good match on paper, just to try it out.
For balance, I did try it with the ZMF Ori 3.0, as they are planar magnetic, which means they have a flatter impedance curve and don’t suffer from poor damping factor in the same way as dynamic drivers. Whilst it was ok, it also wasn’t an ideal pairing as the ZMF work their best with an amp that has more current.
QUIBBLES
Not much of a quibble, it is worth noting that OTL amps like this really do perform best when paired with the right kind of headphones.
CONCLUSION
If you have a pair of high-impedance dynamic driver headphones and have wondered why everyone raves about pairing them with a valve amp, the Feliks Audio Echo Vibe should be on your list to demo. Unlike some of the cheaper models I’ve had over the years, this amp is extremely well built, and whilst it is undeniably an OTL amp in sound, it isn’t slow, or too coloured. It is open, airy, and detailed with a hint of body and warmth that takes the edge off harsher notes and tames brighter headphones.
Paired with the right headphones, the Echo Vibe is a brilliantly fun amp to listen to, and you can tune the sound to your taste by changing up the driver valves should you wish.
An OTL amp is a wonderful addition to an amp collection if you have suitable headphones, and it’s a topology I think every user of high-impedance headphones should listen to, I love having one in my collection.
AT A GLANCE
Build Quality And Features:
Real craftsmanship, a solid metal chassis with lovely CNC-machined wood side panels
Every part of it feels built to last
Sound Quality:
Smooth, fun, airy
Engaging and full
Value For Money:
For an entry-level product, it may seem a little high-priced. Once you consider the handmade nature and the excellent sound, though, it is very reasonably priced
We Loved:
The look and feel of the amp
The sound quality with the right headphones
We Didn’t Love So Much:
Won’t pair well with low impedance headphones (the nature of all OTL amps)
Elevator Pitch Review: If you use high-impedance headphones, do yourself a favour and try to demo one of these. It does wonders for this kind of headphone; huge soundstage, great clarity, and all with that wonderful valve warmth. This is not a slow and boring valve amp; it is snappy, fun, and engaging – with the right headphones. An OTL amp is a great thing to have if you do use high impedance headphones, and I’m going to go back to listening through the GMP400s now, as it just sounds so good.
Price: £999
Oscar Stewart
SUPPLIED SPECIFICATION
- Impedance: 100 k ohm
- Frequency response: 15 Hz – 45 Khz +/- 3 dB
- Power output: 350mW
- Amplification level: 20dB
- THD: 0.4 % (300 ohm, 20 mW)
- Optimal headphones impedance: 80 – 600 ohm
- Headphones output: Jack 6.3mm
