Mike_lowrey

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.50 of 5, 10.00 votes

Price Paid:  $235.00 from Sevenoak's sound and

Summary:
I have written a review for this product before and now the X-CAN v3 is out. When I first got it I didn’t know what a valve was. This was about 1 and a half year's ago. It sounded really good, bass a bit weak depth a little shallow but good for £130 GBP/$235 USD. Since then I have had it ive gutted the X-CAN V2. I’ve changed all the transistors to ST-Micro and ztx ones. I have replaced the valves To Mullard E88CC a mile stone better than the ones that came with it. I have changed the capacitors with a mix of Panasonic FC’s and BlackGate’s (one of the best cap manufactures in the world), The Panasonics are good but no where near as good as the BlackGate’s if you ever replace caps I strongly recommend BlackGate’s the only reason I used Panasonics I due to space. I have also upgraded the power supply to a toroidal like most people. A lot of people only upgrade the Valves and power supply the cap upgrade is defently the most effective. By the way not really sure if any one should bother with Transistors. The only reason I replaced the transistors is because one failed and caused a lot of caps to extrude. But I have 2 X-CANS only one has done this. The sound now is phenomenal compared, the bass is deep, the sound range is great including great vocal highs that don’t disappoint like they used to(not too sharp though) Overall though the upgrades cost as much as the X-CAN V2 yet to buy a high end cable though. Get all the info you need off this web site: www.rock-grotto.co.uk Great circuit to work on relatively easy to upgrade :)

Strengths:
Good detail good drive, Upgrading makes it sound 10,000 times better. Turn this 3 star into a 6 star.

Weaknesses:
Sound stage bit weak flatish bass. Very bright as i remember at first.

Similar Products Used:
Hmm :D

lok

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $399.00 from Len Wallis Audio

Summary:
After building a full valve headphone amplifier from Mapletree Audio Design's range called the Ear + purist. I was curious to see how Lloyd Peppard's Ear + purist design would compare with the latest V3 of the X-Cans. By the way, it was because initially I had demo'ed the X-Cans V2 and found that it wasn't that much better than the headphone stage in my Sony ES CD player that I ventured out to build the Ear + purist headphone amplifier kit from Lloyd Peppard. Even after only about 40 or so hours of burn in for the X-Cans V3, I can clearly hear the improvement over it's V1 & V2 predecessors. This latest X-Cans although still using the same JAN/Philips 6922 tubes hits the mark sonically better than ever before. I must say that it certainly appears it favours hard and fast driving tunes moreso as I threw John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits at it and it picked up every tune and drove it with terrific gusto. I found that jazz numbers from the likes of Diana Krall and Daves True Story had more air and sound stage to them than the previous versions of the X-Cans, but still didn't have the "seductive" sound that Mapletree Audio Design's Ear + purist was able to depict. Although some may not hear this as that large a gap. I've been able to use my Sennheiser 565 Ovation, HD580 and HD600 with Clou Blue Jaspis cable through the X-Cans V3 all with similar improvements in sound. I'm still waiting for a pair of Grado's to test on this rig, but I expect the X-Can V3 will more than live up to it's end of the bargin without much effort. This headphone amplifier has plenty of power and will deliver more than ample volume and punch. There's no doubt it has improved in the areas of soundstage, mid-band and bass response/immediacy/attack. Considering its price when compared to other headphone amplifiers, I believe this current V3 of the X-Cans is certainly worth a serious audition as I believe it has finally evolved/matured into a truly tasty sonic morsel for your ears !

Strengths:
Vast improvement over the V1 & V2 of the X-Cans in regards to bass response, drive and soundstaging.

Weaknesses:
Wall wart power supply, but I guess means it's easier to get c tick approval from the different countries. One has to wonder of the possible improvements if they still made a proper toroidal spec'd PSU for this unit like they did for the original X components.

Similar Products Used:
Mapletree Audio Design Ear + Purist Headphone Amplifier, X-Cans V1, X-Cans V2

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Bruno, I've had the X-Cans for a few years and know them inside and out. The grainy highs you mention is all about the CHEAP TUBES inside the X-Cans and not the circuitry. Try some NOS Amperex Orange globe 6DJ8 if you like warmth, the Amperex orage globe A-Frame if you need more bass, or the Amperex white label 6922 gold pin or Telefunken E88CC gold pin if you want it have the more articulate bass, extended sweet highs and MUCH better soundstage but not as much vocal warmth as the steel pins. BTW the X-Cans are highly tweakable. I set both amp and the X-PSU on 3 inch maple blocks and components directly on top of Golden Sound cones which I invert while placing about 4 pounds of lead shot bags over each one. The power cord for the X-PSU is VERY dramatic change. Going fromstock to HT Pro AC_11 was incredible, but when Iplaced an Omega Mikro DC active PC on the X-PSU things went stratospheric! Te be sure, ICs help out a bunch too. The AQ Diamond X2 w/ Bybee quantum filters is my current fav, but for on a budget the best I've heard are the ZuCable Warmouth interconnects. They are very addictive on this amp!

Strengths:
Very solid build, highly tweakable to your own personal flavor

Weaknesses:
if not using right tubes or power supply can sound a little grainy and weak in the bass.

Similar Products Used:
Creek headphone amp, Melos SHA

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I have used this amplifier for a month to drive my Sennheiser HD-600. This amp is much more powerful and sounds way better than the headphone output of my Bryston preamp.The bass is awsome: very fast and strong. The power is sufficient to drive my HD-600 at the highest level. The sound is exciting, upbeat, clear and balanced. But be aware: this tube amp doesn't sound at all like a tube amp! In fact, in direct comparison to the Sugden HeadMaster, a pure class-A transistor headphone amp, it's the X-Can V2 that sounds like the transistor amp, with somewhat grainy highs and shallow "soundstage". The Sugden is much more detailed, has a deeper and fuller bass and presents the sound in an uncanny "out of the head" way. But the X-Cans is more exciting on rock and techno, has a meaner bass and is a lot less expensive.

Strengths:
The bass! The power! The excitement! The price! The look!

Weaknesses:
The "mono in the head" soundstage. The "grainy" highs. The cheap and small volume pot.

Similar Products Used:
Sugden HeadMaster (don't buy ANYTHING before you hear this one, it's that special). X-Cans V1.

Price Paid:  $150.00 from Sounds perfect Dunde

Summary:
I like the V2 so much I've dedicated part of my website to it and many hours tweaking and upgrading it. To view all my tweaks, upgrades etc. go to http://freespace.virgin.net/rock.grotto/index2.htm

Strengths:
Solidly built, highly tweakable, good looking and great sound.

Weaknesses:
Jan Philips 6922 valves, crappy potentiometer and very poor "jamicon" general purpose capacitors.

Similar Products Used:
Creek OBH-11 and a hot rodded B-Tech BT928 head amp.