What kind of audio sounds better? Audiophile audio has existed for decades, and this has long been the answer. It is to separate and re-separate each part of the audio.
For example, a simple set of Hi-Fi is nothing more than a source, amplifier plus speakers, and a set of higher quality more expensive Hi-Fi often divided into turntables and decoders, amplifiers are divided into front and rear stage, if the money is really not spent, to play Hi-END, then regardless of the source or amplifier, can be divided into four sets of five pieces each.
For enthusiasts, of course, the more toys the better. But for ordinary music lovers who are not audiophiles, or young people, such products are destined to make ordinary people farther and farther away from Hi-Fi.
Audiophiles like to take out the same money, you give me the most powerful performance. The average user is not, they just want to listen to the music they like, as for whether it is the most powerful in the same class? They do not even think about this thing.
And back to the production of equipment manufacturers, over the years they also think more and more understand - instead of making those products to meet the old man's music, why not make more toys for young people, so the traditional amplifier from the source to amplification are beginning to digitalize.
Today, I'm going to try two such products, one is the Guodu VA one+, which belongs to the small gallows amplifier with digital audio source.
The other is Audiolab Omnia, a fully digital all-in-one.
Capitol VA one+
Guodu VA one+, why would I try this machine? It's because I tried Emberslab before and considered what amplifier would be good to use EL3 on my computer, and I immediately remembered the VA one that I had tested before.
And looking for manufacturers to borrow products, only to find that the product has been updated, the new name of VA one +.
So, the trial of Emberslab EL3 was done with VA one+. va one+ plus the feeling that it is a significant improvement over the first generation.
The above chart is the difference between VA one+ and VA one, before VA one is not support DSD, now finally can support to DSD256, so we can see the DAC decoding from CS4398 to ESS ES9018K2M.
Below, we look at the official introduction to VA one+.
The above, on the other hand, are the elements that should be present for VA one+ to sound good as a traditional amplifier.
Well, after reading the official introduction, I'll show you the physical
Now it is indeed easier to install and remove the protective cover than before, but there is a problem - the machine I have, in transit, shakes this cover loose, so the banana head scratches the surface of VA one+.
Removal is convenient, but still not as stable as the screw fixation.
As long as it is an electronic tube amplifier, you must expose these bile tubes to look good.
The entire front panel and the previous generation still have a little change, but the overall shape is no different.
All functions can be operated directly from the front panel, except standby. If you want to put this machine on standby, then you have to use the remote control.
And to turn on, you simply press any of the front panel keys (Bluetooth, digital input or analog input) to change VA one+ from standby to on.
But the hard switch for the power supply is, of course, on the back of the machine.
After the VA one+ is turned on, it doesn't matter how much volume you turned it up to the last time you turned it off. I don't know if this is some kind of protection for the circuitry of the machine, but the automatic rotation of the knob makes the machine feel quite advanced.
Next, I'll talk about the better feeling of this machine in use.
I think there are two main advantages of VA one+, the first is compact, the overall appearance is very small.
Whether to build Hi-Fi to form a small Hi-Fi, or put in front of the computer to engage in PC Hi-Fi, are very good!
The second advantage comes from the fact that the VA one+ is a bilevel machine, so its sound is just more gentle and listenable. At the same time, although the nominal power is not large, but the thrust to cope with most bookshelf speakers is not a big problem.
In addition to the above, VA one+ has the advantage of being really feature-rich.
VA one+ is an amplifier, you can connect passive speakers. It is also an ear amplifier, which can push large headphones.
And at the same time, it also has the function of audio source. Analog input, cell phone Bluetooth, USB connection to the computer or digital broadcast, and then digital coaxial, digital optical. Basically the commonly used functions are available. And these rich features and interfaces are the greatest support for the two previously mentioned advantages.
In summary, the Guodu VA one+ is a feature-rich all-in-one small gutsy machine that works and sounds good. Although the first generation of VA one I have a good feeling, but does not support DSD decoding, always feel close to something. And the second generation VA one+, after trying it I will choose to buy it directly.
Audiolab Omnia
In the past year, I also tried a lot of all-in-one machine. When it comes to versatility, it's not about sound quality or thrust, it's about play. This Omnia is really the most versatile.
Multifunctional streaming digital broadcast decoding amplifier earphone all-in-one, this is the official name given to him. Is not a little long? But I think this is not finished, it also said that the CD playback function is missing.
I tried two high-end all-in-one products last year, the NAD M33 and the Cambridge EVO150, both of which do not have CD playback, but it is precisely this feature that still has a strong appeal to many older players.
With the popularity of online shopping, it is indeed very easy to buy CD phonostage nowadays. And for some middle-aged and older players, it is indeed also simpler than engaging in digital streaming.
Well, the usual rules, I will first explain the official introduction to you.
The picture above is about what formats Omina can put in, but here I have to say a few more words. After I tried it, I think Omina's adaptability to media files can only be said to be general, take U disk and read music files in NAS for example. wma, wav, mp3, aac, flac, aiff these files can be played, but DSD file format and ape can not be supported, this use of applicability is greatly reduced.
The MQA support, however, is indeed greatly beneficial. And if you do have to listen to DSD music, then you can consider using a USB cable external computer or digital playback to achieve DSD playback.
Omina's mobile control and streaming is done by DTS Play-Fi, but to be honest, this app is extremely poor for me to use.
The biggest problem is from the APPs matched in it, which are basically used more by foreigners and less by Chinese. Like Spotify, this kind of new trendy point is commonly used by audiophiles, and ordinary consumers do not know what the hell it is.
The most commonly used one in it is also Apple Music. But in fact, this is also only available here if you have downloaded it in Apple Music. But playing it, there will still be permission issues.
The best application of DTS-play fi is also the multi-room and multi-device playback control function.
However, the good thing is that this machine's Bluetooth can support up to 5.0, and 5.0 has aptx-ll, a low latency mode, which is a good feature for those who like to play handheld games with Bluetooth audio.
The ES9038 Q2M is a very good DAC, but the most interesting thing about the Omnia is its superb number of operating modes. It can be used as an audio source (CD source, streaming media player) and a combined amplifier, which is not to mention, very conventional. And when the ear amplifier is nothing unusual.
Miraculously, this machine can be used simply as a pre-amplifier or post-amplifier, in addition to the aforementioned.
In other words, you can give this amplifier with a separate pre-stage or thrust more rear stage.
If you play to make your audio a little bit of bile, you can absolutely add a bile preamp. And if you want more thrust, you can totally increase the work rate stereo rear stage, in short, or a bit of fun.
See the real thing below.
The overall design is very modern, and the metal panel is more textured
It is also adjustable to an animation of the UV pointer while playing, which is well done.
The simplicity of the front of the Audiolab Omnia amplifier is due to the fact that the volume adjustment and volume selection, two functions previously operated with knobs, have been turned into small buttons.
Aesthetically speaking, it is indeed progress, but the selection of audio sources and volume are to be pressed one by one, operationally speaking, it is to make trouble.
In particular, this machine supports numerous audio sources, and it is not easy to switch between them.
And the key is in the remote control, the audio source switching is also no shortcut keys directly, but also up and down switching, the same inconvenience.
The entire remote control material feel general, as a 15,000 yuan all-in-one machine, if this remote control texture feel can be a little better, I think more appropriate.
Like Guodu, Audiolab's Bluetooth also has an external antenna, which is good.
Hi-Fi amplifiers are now so digital that the interface behind them looks vastly different from the traditional Hi-Fi one water analog input interface.
The appearance to be more like an AV amplifier, just not HDMI video forwarding function and multi-channel decoding amplification.
And the addition of USB DAC interface, so that the amplifier now access to the computer to play PC Hi-Fi has become a regular feature.
And it is interesting to note that this Omnia is also introduced separately in the parameter introduction for the audio source, DAC, amplifier, and preamp signal input and output.
And it is also mentioned that the amplifier does not have much thrust, 75W per channel (4 ohms). But the official internal description of this amplifier's thrust seems to be more confident.
In fact, I do not care how much it marked W, like the Japanese AV amplifier is marked fast, but the clear Jetta label, the water is too much. Mark 200W dry but Hi-Fi power mark 70W is normal.
How does the amplifier thrust? Sound good or not, the actual or have to try.
Think about the amplifier is not large, the nominal power is not large, so it is best to use not difficult to push, but also not very good to push the amplifier to try more reasonable. For example, my Gold100, priced at 24,400 yuan, and Omnia with a pair of is also reasonable.
Omnia body slim, but also a large number of features, the nominal is also 75W (4 Europe). So I subjectively think that this amplifier is estimated to launch the sound without much low frequency.
But the sound actually came out to my surprise, the sound is relatively pure and balanced, but to say that the low frequency is not really lacking.
My pair of mammoth Gold100s sounded and felt like they pushed just fine. The low and midrange frequencies feel kind of full. If you are a picky audiophile, it is normal to pick out a bunch of problems. But if you let the average non-audiophiles to listen, I guarantee that poisoning is a matter of minutes.
And just that the national capital VA one + than, regardless of the amplifier thrust, musicality, acoustics. This Audiolab Omnia is definitely another level of existence.
I would have thought that VA one+ because of the way the bile is amplified, more or less in the taste should probably be able to take advantage in front of Audiolab Omnia. In the end the actual situation or RMB more knowledgeable about the goods ...... price difference twice do not put together to compare ......
Considering the Audiolab Omnia shape, and now many young people do not like wooden boxes, so I found a pair of 29,300 yuan of all-metal audio Piega ace 50.
This pair of Ace 50 is a column sound system from Hi-END brand Piega from Ritu. piega ace 50 can be used as a small stereo system or as a main speaker in a small theater.
ACE50 is a three-way floorstanding speakers, impedance 4 ohms, the official recommended amplifier power 20 ~ 150W, Audiolab Omnia 75W power is just right.
The actual listening experience, this set of small landing also in the Audiolab Omnia difference in the high school and low frequency performance are not bad.
And, the sound is also more euphonious, and I tried a 30,000 yuan price tag of the Japanese AV amplifier than, not too much better.
And the value of this face is, is really and Audiolab Omnia with a face.
Well, if you want to cloud vision, or wait for me to update the trial video next week, do not have to wait too long.
Summary.
These two all-in-one machine, I play down, I think it is still quite interesting.
Guodu VA one+, I think there is a significant improvement over the previous generation, both in terms of sound and functionality.
So I chose it as my PC Hi-Fi amplifier and put it on my computer to use with Emberlab EL3.
The Audiolab Omnia, on the other hand, has all the features it can offer at a price that is not particularly expensive.
To say that this all-in-one machine is perfect is pure bullshit. It is feature-rich, but I think there is room for improvement in terms of human-computer interaction when using it. But that doesn't stop me from thinking it's a feature-rich, good product for entry-level audiophiles and regular people listening to music.
And, Audiolab Omnia has very good expandability, when Audiolab Omnia users have higher requirements, completely through the way to increase the rear stage to get better thrust, or external digital broadcast to get better audio quality.
So, whether you are a tosser or not, this Audiolab Omnia is something to consider.
