TRAFORMATIC HEAD 2SE - REVIEW

TRAFORMATIC HEAD 2SE

This is my second review of a Traformatic product. The first was the Traformatic Rhapsody 300B, a beautifully designed integrated with a wonderful voice that was also technically astute in its reproduction of music. It was, truly, an enjoyable experience.

This review is of the Traformatic HEAD 2SE Headphone Amplifier. Out of the box the voice of the HEAD 2SE was quite good and spoke to a wonderful upcoming review once it had settled in and was ‘optimized’ for its evaluation. Over the years I have reviewed a great many headphone amplifiers and I had good feelings about the HEAD 2SE’s voice.

There was one thing, however, that troubled me right from the start. This was the fact that this nearly $5.0k headphone amplifier, also built to double as a preamplifier, only had one input! At first seeing the XLR and RCA inputs I thought that they were two separate inputs, but they were not. The HEAD 2SE’s internal circuitry would select one of the two modalities—XLR, RCA—the one first connected and would utilize it as the input.

I thought as I examined the single input headphone amplifier and preamplifier. Why limit the number of sources to just one? Especially when so many these days are going back to turntables, CD players, streamers/DAC, even analog radio and tape players?! This was and remains baffling to me, especially given Traformatic’s fine line of preamplifiers. Why short the headphone crowd?

REFRAIN: Unlike most reviews, this review will be non-sequential, as it will start with how the component actually sounds and not the process of physically “undressing” it and/or laying out its various parts, specifications, etc. Think of this review, then, as a non-linear movie—Memento, Kill Bill, Arrival, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, etc.—that likewise starts at the end and winds its way to the beginning.

The System - Headphone

• Grimm Audio MU1 Streamer

• Baetis Audio Revolution X5 Streamer

• Silent Angel Rhein Z1 Streamer

• Silent Angel Forester F2 Power Supply

• Silent Angel Bonn NX Network Switch

• Silent Angel Genesis GX Master Clock

• Bricasti Design M1SE DAC

• Border Patrol SE-i DAC

• Aurorasound HEADA Headphone Amplifier

• TRAFORMATIC HEAD2 Headphone Amplifier

• HIFIMAN ISVARNA Headphone

• HIFIMAN SUSVARA UNVEILED Headphone

• HIFIMAN SUSVARA Headphone

• ZMF Atticus Headphone

• AntiCable—cabling and wires

• Kubala Sosna—cabling and wires

• RSX Beyond Power Cables

• Audience Hidden Treasure CAT7 Ethernet cables

• TORUS RM20—Power Generation

The Sound

There was good music immediately from the Traformatic HEAD 2SE, as straight out of the box, a bit chilled (Minnesota Winters), and plugged into the system its voice was beautifully engaging and technically very promising.

Over the weeks of its optimization and its participation in multiple setups, its performance got better. And there were thoughts that the HEAD 2SE might make for a good reference headphone amp. However, those thoughts would quickly fade away in light of this one-input, $4,700 headphone amplifier.

I did mention this failing to Gary Leeds at Hear This, the US distributor for Traformatic, and he informed me that he had discussed this with Sasa Cokic, founder of Traformatic. Apparently Sasa said that it was not a problem to make the change. I, therefore, was under the impression that I would have this new version soon for review. However, by the time of the review, there was no further news on that change. Thus this review reflects the current one-input version of the HEAD 2SE

The HEAD 2SE handled the entirety of the frequency with aplomb and like its kith and kin—Rhapsody 300B—bass was transparent, tight, and impactful, the midrange textured, palpable, beautiful, and the treble extended, exceptionally well resolved, and airy. Suffice to say, that there was a whole lot to like about the HEAD 2SE.

The HEAD 2SE’s volumetric cube was deep and fairly wide. Soundstaging—width, depth, layering, spacing, and volume—overall was very good, though not as pristinely layered as the very best, but it was quite good.

Bass

Eiji Oue’s “V. Infernal Dance of King Kashchey” (Stravinsky, Reference Recordings) serves as my reference for determining the bass response of a given component and as I know my system well, changes are easily determined. The HEAD 2SE as coupled to the HIFIMAN Susvara Unveiled, Susvara, and the Isvarna drove them all exceptionally well as they all probed the sub-bass depths with relative ease. Even the very inefficient Susvara was driven very well by the HEAD 2SE, though at 1:30 on its volume dial. The other headphones required much less power and went to sub-bass depth a bit more easily. In all cases the various tympani were represented via the Traformatic HEAD 2SE exceptionally well. And as this is, no doubt, the most potent sub-bass track, all other bass tracks—Delfaeyo Marsalis, “Secret Love Affair”, (The Last Southern Gentleman, Troubadour Jazz Records) and Patrica Barber’s “The Moon” (Verse, Koch Records)—were rendered beautifully as well. There was the required weight and depth and transparency, resolution, and detail were all superb.

Midrange

Andy Bey’s “Never Let Me Go” (American Song, Savoy) was singularly impressive as his wisened, textured voice was rich, transparent, and emotive with every word clearly rendered, easily understood. Shirley Horn’s “Beautiful Love” (You Won’t Forget Me, Verve) was so good that it was almost edible. Toots Thielemans’ harmonica was tone/timbre superb, palpable, and a beautiful accompaniment to the naturalness, warmth, and three-dimensionality of Sarah’s iconic voice. I did hit repeat on this track, as its playback via the HEAD 2SE was gorgeous.

Like its sibling, the RHAPSODY 300B, the Traformatic HEAD 2SE has a rather outstanding way with the midrange and vocals, in particular, as a result it was incredibly difficult not to be enthralled with vocals and to want more.

Treble+

Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Take Five” (Time Out, Columbia) via the HEAD 2SE presented Joe Morello’s drum cymbals—hi-hats, ride, etc.—with exceptional treble resolution detail, and wonderful air/ambiance. The HEAD 2SE even went a step beyond the RHAPSODY 300B in this respect, which is saying a great deal. Vilde Frang’s “Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 15: II. Vivace” (Korngold, Warner Classics) was rendered beautifully, as the treble-high notes soared freely and were well detailed, well resolved, and sweet. Beautiful.

Design—Look and Feel

The Traformatic HEAD 2SE Tubed Headphone Amplifier/Preamplifier is a clean, modern, beautifully designed, and minimalist product that would sit well in any headphone system. It is relatively light—25lbs—and easy to place, though it is not a desktop headphone amplifier.

The HEAD 2SE’s front face features, at the far left, a metal dial for impedance matching of headphones. Centered on its front face are two headphone outputs—a balance output (XLR) and a single-ended output (RCA). At its far right is a second metal dial, which determines volume level. The selected materials and their positioning speak to a well thought out industrial design for its front face.

The HEAD 2SE’s back face is very minimalist, perhaps too minimalist, as it sports a single input(!), wherein one may utilize an RCA or XLR connector. It also sports a single preamplifier output(!) wherein an RCA or XLR connector may be used (more on this extreme minimalism below in Functionality). The Traformatic HEAD 2 SE is well designed, clean, and embraces modern industrial chic.

Functionality

I’ve reviewed many headphone amplifiers for a fraction of the HEAD 2SE’s cost, that sported multiple inputs and thus the freedom to utilize multiple sources—streamer(s), CDPs, a turntable, etc. And I am completely astonished at a one-input headphone amplifier or, for that matter, a one-input preamplifier and certainly at the HEAD 2SE’s $4.7k asking price.

And as a reviewer, having to switch out the HEAD 2SE’s single input to accommodate, listen to, and/or to evaluate another product is both inefficient and inadequate. Especially when there are headphone amplifiers, again, for a fraction of a fraction of the HEAD 2 SE’s cost that provide multiple input options. Headphone amplifiers such as—HeadAmp's GS-X Mk2 ($3,299, 3-inputs), iFi Audio’s Pro iCAN Signature ($2,249, 4-inputs), Auris Audio’s HA-2SF ($2,199, 3-inputs), HIFIMAN’s GOLDENWAVE GA-10 ($1,599, 2-inputs)—that are below its price range.

The HEAD 2SE’s functionality in its attempt to be both a one-input preamplifier and/or a one-input headphone amplifier, certainly for this reviewer, is very problematic at best and, in short, fails and especially at nearly $5k!

Conclusions

Musically, the Traformatic HEAD 2SE is superb, as it handles the entirety of the frequency range with aplomb, is highly transparent and resolving, beautifully detailed, and it brings the midrange to life in a natural and very refined manner. Bravo.

At this point, I can only make a conditional recommendation based on a second input being enabled in a future version of the Traformatic HEAD 2SE. When that occurs, the HEAD 2SE moves into vaunted headphone territory, receives our highest award, and places either first or second in our Top Components—Headphone Amplifier category. Hopefully, that change will be made soon, so that I might contemplate the HEAD 2SE as a reference headphone amplifier for Casa Heartsong.

Pros: Exceptional musicality and technical abilities, drives the most inefficient headphone in the world—HIFIMAN Susvara—easily, well, and beautifully.

Cons: A single input.

The Specifications

TRAFORMATIC HEAD 2SE

• Power Output: 2W into 50 ohms

• Class of operation: Push Pull class A

• Gain: 26dB

• Tubes complement: 1x 6N30P and 1x ECC88 per channel

• Inputs: 1 x XLR/RCA

• S/N Ratio: 88dB

• Frequency Bandwidth: 10Hz (-1dB) – 80KHz (-3dB)

• Dimension & Weight: 400 x 310 x 100 mm, 10kg

The Company

TRAFORMATIC
Sasa Cokic
TRAFORMATIC RHAPSODY 300B: $20,000
Učiteljska 15
11400 Mladenovac
Serbia
www.trafomaticaudio.com/
Tel. : +381 (0)11/8236-258

The Distributor

Hear This
Gary Leeds
www.hearthis.us/
gary@HearThis.us
Tel. : +1 (949) 467-9808