HeadAmp . DAC . PreAmp . Stand

AudioTechnique Hong Kong Review

Read the AudioTechnique Hong Kong Review here

Read the StereoNet Review here

According to the Greek Mythology, Euterpe was one of the nine Muses, the Goddess of music and a giver of delight.The external look of the amp has great resemblance with the ancient stringed musical instrument Harps while the name has been given by a greek audiophile.

Euterpe is conceived to provide pure enjoyment as a Headphone amplifier and a headphone stand. DAC provides an option to connect it directly to modern sources such as mobile phone, computer, tablet etc and a PreAmp function is just an extra option which can be used in case you have smaller system at your home.

Multi-functional
All-in-one amp can be used in many ways. Since it is multi-functional it can work like a headphone amlifier, pre-amplifier or DAC. Euterpe can work with its own integrated DAC, or you can connect it with another DAC. Also, its pre-out function can be used in case you want to connect it to a smaller system at your home.

A Headphone Stand
The possibillity to be used like a headphone stand , makes Euterpe strangely utilitarian for such a high-end piece of hardware. Your headphones fit right on top, with a shallow saddle cut into the wood, to keep the cans in place. It can take a full-size headphone and wont heat up or burn your precious cans.

Internal DAC
DAC inside can play modern sources. OTG input capability has some baseline specifics, including a decoding capability of up to DSD128, PCM max 32bit/384kHz. An XMOS USB DAC and ESS Sabre chipset represent the brain of Euterpe. The DAC quality is impressive, with beautiful details captured.

Amplifier
Euterpe is a single-ended headphone amplifier with unbalanced circuit design, so there are no balanced inputs or outputs. The lineup of tubes is classic Auris, with the use of two 7-pin Ei PL95 tubes, which are the equivalent to 6DL5, and a single ECC81 input tube, also known like 12AT7 (running in Ultra-Linear mode). The output power is just a shade lower at 0.9W into a 32 load. The magic of Euterpe is really when it is connected to a high-end DAC which tells you a lot about how good that amp can be inside that beautifully crafted wooden enclosure.

Impendance Selector
To make your headphones shine in the best possible way, we make sure Euterpe has impedance swich marked with L/H (low/high) The inference here is a wider range and simpler switching design at 32-80 Ohm and anything greater than 150 Ohm. With the majority of planar headphones, they tend to rate less than 80 Ohm and are more impedance agnostic than dynamic headphones. You need to have that switch set to low or L.

Linear PSU
Euterpe power supply is an external regulated linear power supply, with a switchable 115/230 VAC capable output, and will keep noise to the minimum. It uses a fairly stiff but sturdy 4-pin connector 1m cable, so you can place the two units pretty far apart.

Technology
The Euterpe comes with the technology one would expect from a Auris Audio amplifier:

It is composed of a xmos chip that handles USP input duties, a Sabre ES9018 chip handles the conversion duties, a 12AT7 tube handles pre-amp functions, with a Mundorf capacitor in line between the preamp and power tubes
The supplied power tubes are NOS (new old stock), branded Ei and stamped Yugoslavia: A single ECC81, dual-triode tube serves as the Euterpes input stage, while a separate PL95 pentode power tube is provided for each channel; these feed the output transformers. A selector set allows you to use the PL95s, as EL95s with a lower voltage
The power supply has a captive five-pin cable that connects to the amp, and a 15-amp IEC connector for a standard grounded AC power cord. 

Use
Euterpe allows you to use digital sources such as PC, or mobile device. For such an exotic piece of gear, the Euterpe is a piece of cake" to use. Theres a master power switch on the power supply, but the main switch is built into the volume control. Just turn it fully counterclockwise to turn the power off. Its as plug n play as a tube headphone amp gets. 

Design
The Euterpe offers a bespoke exterior with the DAC and amp innards sandwiched between two pieces of solid wood.  All of this sits on a beveled metal base.  On any desk, the Euterpe looks classy, dignified, and inviting.  Its the kind of equipment you just cant wait to fiddle around with. The tubes are aligned centrally at the top of the matte black aluminum housing with good separation between the top and sides of the wooden enclosure. They seem well protected from bumps, knocks and accidental finger touching.

Footprint
The Euterpe takes up little space on the rack. The overall dimensions of the Euterpe are 270mm (tall) x 210mm (wide) x 230mm (deep). Considering it doubles as a headphone stand you will need 5-10 cm more space to accommodate the additional height from a headphone headband.

According to the Greek Mythology, Euterpe was one of the nine Muses, the Goddess of music and a "giver of delight" and that's exactly what Auris Audio Euterpe will bring to the audiophile community, more happiness.

Technical Specifications

Manufacturer Site

• Auris