Features
| Warranty length | Full Warranty |
|---|---|
| Colour | Black |
| Brand | HiFi Man |
Tech Specs
- Signal to Noise Ratio: 118dB (A Weighted)
- Channel Separation: 131±3dB
- THD+N (Line out): 0.0014% (-8dB) Max Power Output|| 5.12 W@32R balance/1.8 W@32R
Product Description
The HiFi Man EF600 headphone amplifier and DAC is a fully featured design in a tower format. It has oversampling capability and two gain settings. Every possible output connector is provided. The DAC is A HIMALAYA PRO unit with very low noise. It also features a powerful 5 Watt amplifier that can drive any type of headphones with ease.
Connectivity is good with USB and balanced inputs are provided for external sources. Unusually, you can select from oversampling or no oversampling, with two gain settings. Finally the stylish tower unit is convection cooled, with vent grills at the top of the tower.
HIMALYA PRO DAC
The HIMALAYA PRO DAC, is a top-of-the-line chipset with extremely low distortion and a remarkable signal-to-noise ratio, at 118dB. Notably, the maximum THD is only 0.28%. The HIMALAYA is an award-winning DAC that is paired with a powerful 5W per channel balanced amplifier. The design is fully balanced. DAC stands for Digital to Analogue Converter and is used to convert the digital signal from a CD player or streaming service back into audio.
What is a balanced amplifier?
A balanced amplifier is used to reduce noise. For example, the HiFi Man EF600 uses a multi-stage amplifier to deliver very low noise to the headphones. The first stage is the DAC module. This is followed by an input switching circuit. Next is a buffer amplifier, followed by a low pass filter. This removes any digital noise. Each channel has a completely separate signal path. Next is a four channel attenuator that is used to compensate for different headphone sensitivities.
You can also select oversampling or no oversampling modes. This switch should be set to whatever sounds best with the source in use. Oversampling samples at a higher frequency, for a smoother sound.
Balanced leads work by having two sets of conductors. One includes a hot or positive wire along with a negative or cold pair. There is also a fifth wire that is used as a ground or zero volts reference. The two sets of wires each carry a signal that is opposite in phase. When recombined at the headphones, any noise on the cable is cancelled out.
Tower case for convection cooling
The tower case design benefits from convection cooling. The toroidal transformer is mounted at the base followed by the power amplifier modules. Next comes the DAC, and any heat that rises vents from the grills at the top of the unit. This provides thermal optimization for a very low noise floor.
The power supply is a linear type for low noise performance. The amplifier is a Class A, high current unit, for low distortion. Additionally, the front panel features a range of indicators that tell you the input in use, as well as whether oversampling is in use.
Hi-res Bluetooth
Hi-res Bluetooth is supported with aptX-HD as well as most other codecs. Wi-Fi is also built-in. Bluetooth is used to connect mobile devices such as a smartphone to the EF600. There are various codecs in use and the EF600 can play them all. Streaming services such as Spotify, internet radio and podcasts can be enjoyed, via a Smartphone or tablet.
Great connectivity
Every type of balanced and non-balanced connector is provided. There is also an RCA line level input and output. As such, the HiFi Man EF600 can also be used as a preamp by connecting it to a power amplifier or active speakers. There is also a coaxial digital input and two types of USB connection, allowing a direct connection to a PC or external drive. There is more on the headphone connectivity of the unit, below.
Headphone connection types
There is a complicated array of different headphone connectors. The original headphone connector was 6.3mm. The HiFi Man EF600 has a connector for this, as well as the later 3.5mm stereo plug. Next come the five types of balanced connectors. The first is the 4.4mm five-conductor plug followed by the 4-pin XLR connector. Finally, there is a type of connector that needs two plugs. That is the 3 pin XLR connector, one each, for the left and right channels. Balanced headphones will have a pair of input sockets, one on either earcup.
