Sound
Sound – General
SAEQ’s basic ideas For the PDA-1b’s tuning are transparency, authenticity and “live sound”. The latter is something you immediately notice when you start listening to the amplifier, as it has a unique way of immersing you in the music. With the sublime spaciousness, airiness and the exceptional deep and wide soundstage, you absolutely feel you’re inside the music. The presentation isn’t like any regular amplifier and SAEQ really offers something special here. It took some time getting used to but when I now switch back to any other solid state amp, the difference of presentation is quite remarkable.
The SAEQ Audio PDA-1b has this sparkle and energy about it, that makes it unique but also addictive to listen to. Transparency is also what this amplifier stands for. The PDA-1b will not add anything to your music or recording. It is a neutral sounding amplifier, and I mean that in the best possible way. In SAEQ’s philosophy an amplifier should produce authentic tones close to those of nature and as such they feel the headphones are the element that brings color.
Fine details and clearly presented instruments on stage are proof of the unequivocally high quality of this amplifier. One gets the impression that the more complex the musical material is, the better it reproduces it. Simply, its transparency and sparkle will certainly not leave you indifferent.
As said, the PDA-1b is transparent and neutral, but it does have a good – yet normal – amount of body, no matter what type of headphone you connect. The black, dead silent background is present at all times. One of the PDA-1b’s strong points is its power output. It has more power that you will ever need and you can drive the Susvara, HEDD 2, LCD-5 and Abyss Diana MR all at once without any loss of power or sound quality. But it’s more than just that, you at all times also get a powerful and energetic sound. That combined with the high resolution (micro detail/refinement and note decay) make this a top-performing high-end headphone amplifier.
The SAEQ Audio PDA-1b is a pleasure to listen to and it combines the high technical level and unique presentation, with an addictive and musically smooth delivery. It’s a great really amp, it’s that simple.
Sound – Headphones
In this chapter I will describe the SAEQ Audio PDA-1b’s performance with a series of high-end headphones using different technologies and drivability levels. All headphones were connected in balanced mode. The headphones selected are the following:
Hifiman Susvara – HEAD HEDDphone 2 – Abyss Diana MR – DCA Stealth – Sennheiser HD800S – Meze Audio Elite – Audeze LCD-5 – ZMF Caldera – RAAL SR-1b
Let’s get started!
The Hifiman Susvara is a TOTL headphone and one of my personal favorite headphones, but it also is notorious for its drivability. In order for it to reach its full potential, you need a really good amplifier and I have to say the PDA=1b drives it with easy, even when 3 other headphones are connected at the same time. But it’s more than just enough power what you get here, you also get the super high resolution of the Susvara drivers, with a full bodies presence, tight punch bass and lovely extension from top to bottom. This is one of those amps that shows you everything the Susvara can do on the technical level, with also giving it a musical delivery. Fully recommended.
I have had mixed emotions so far with the HEAD HEDDphone 2, and the choice of amplification with this headphone is crucial. Get it right and it will sound great. Fail to find the synergy and the HEDD 2 will perform underwhelming. The biggest difficulty I found is to get the HEDDphone 2 to present enough body, but the PDA-1b manages to do so. The result is a precise, fast and tight sound with an excellent sound stage width. The overall amount of body is good to keep things engaging and the bass comes presented with good impact and kick. It’s not the deepest, layered bass but that’s not because of the amplifier. A good combo.
The Abyss Diana headphones are excellent but the biggest point of improvement for me was to give them more presence and body. That’s exactly what the new Diana MR is doing without throwing overboard its strong technical character. I’m also glad to see that Abyss is now supplying the extra headband padding, but that’s a different story. The MR compared to the previous Diana models is not as difficult to get everything right about the sound, and the PDA-1b really makes the MR sound the way I like it most. This combo sounds powerful, well-bodied, energetic and musical. The resolution and precision is exemplary and I could live happily for the rest of my life just with this combo. The synergy here is remarkable, probably even better than with the Susvara. Extremely recommended.
The DCA Stealth is the only closed back headphone in this list, but it’s one I like a lot together with the Liric, LCD-XC and HE-R10P. The Stealth sounds super clear, powerful and the layering, body and sub bass presence here is impressive. Sure there’s still a focus on the sub bass, vocals and upper regions but that’s just the way the Stealth sounds. The PDA-1b is a good match for the Stealth, but you could also look for other options. The Sennheiser HD 800 S is another personal favorite and I in general prefer listening to it from the Auris Headonia, Feliks Envy and LaFigaro 339 tube amps. The synergy with the SAEQ amp is good but if you’re used to the tube’s softening effect of the Senns top end, you won’t like this combo as much.
While the performance is technically very strong, the bass presence and mid body is lighter here. At the same time you get a livelier, spicier vocal presentation and top end. It’s not so much for me. Then again, if these are the things you like of the HD 800 S, the PDA-1b amp will please you a lot!
The Meze Audio ELITE is an easier to drive type of headphone and it sounds great even on portable devices. There’s no exception here and if you like how the ELITE sounds, the PDA-1b with its transparency will give you just that. I here like the body, mid bass, vocal presentation, top end energy, overall extension, clarity and musically smooth delivery. It’s a good combo, but the ELITE doesn’t need an amplifier of this caliber.
The Audeze LCD-5 is a headphone I haven’t listened to for a very long time (shame on me). As I said in its review, I like it most with the Niimbus US4+ solid state headphone amplifier. Even after the arrival of the PDA-1b I stick to this setup. The PDA-1b’s transparency is completely different from the Violectric/Niimbus’ added weight and additional warmth. That said, if you like the clarity, precision and resolution of this Audeze, then you will like the combo. I can see those who prefer a technically strong studio sound really liking this precise, yet still musical combo.
The ZMF Caldera is an open back headphone that quickly grew on me. I haven’t found my favorite amplifier for it yet but the PDA-1b will be among the top contenders. You can a very open and spacious sound with a focus on the vocals. Of course the SAEQ Audio PDA-1b doesn’t add any weigh to the Caldera, and it doesn’t make the top end and vocals softer. But if you like the tuning of the Caldera as it is, the PDA-1b will make it sound its best. I can appreciate the vocals, sub bass presence and layering on top of the technical performance and precision. A true high-end setup without losing its musical importance.
Last but not least is the RAAL Requisite SR-1b ribbon headphone. For this we of course need to install the compensation barrels and use the Ti-1b interface. The SR-1b likes a good amount of power so on paper the synergy should be good. Up to now I always tend to link up the SR-1b with the Feliks Audio Envy and the Ferrum OOR. The synergy between the amp, interface and SR-1b is good but you get a lighter sounding ribbon headphone where bass and body are on the lighter side. You do get excellent dynamics, speed, clarity and a super high resolution however, so it’s a really well-performing setup.
If you want your SR-1b to sound warmer and fuller, then I recommend the OOR and Niimbus US4+ though these won’t reach the same level of clarity, speed and liveliness. The SAEQ HSA-1c probably is an amp that is better equipped for the SR-1b, as you can connect it directly to that amplifier.
End Words
When I agreed to review this amplifier from SAEQ, I didn’t know what to expect. I only quickly auditioned the Hyperion GE at High-End Munich last May, and never got to listen to the PDA-1b. I took a chance but it turned out to be a really good one.
Right from the start SAEQ Audio PDA-1b shows you what it is capable of and once you get used to it’s typical presentation, it’s an amplifier you don’t ever want to miss again. The PDA-1b mixes technical excellence with a high musical level and the immersive felling of a live concert. It’s unique.
On top of that the PDA-1b delivers all the power you will ever need and it lets you connect 4 headphones at the same time without lack of power or diminishing sound quality. It’s an ideal amp for reviewers and headphone enthusiasts that own multiple high-end headphones and want one amp to control them all.
Even though the price tag is slightly on the higher side, this amplifier for me is an easy recommendation. The SAEQ Audio PDA-1b gets our Recommended Buy award and it joins our list of Best Amplifiers, where it is in good company. SAEQ Audio PDA-1b. Try it, you won’t be disappointed.
Summary
Pro
- Build quality & design
- Power delivery
- Sound quality (technical level)
- Simultaneous headphone outputs
- Musical presentation
- Attenuation option
Con
- Price
- Power button
Page 1: SAEQ, PDA-1b, Design & Build quality, Layout & Usage, Specifications, Sound Intro
Page 2: Sound General, Sound Synergy, Conclusion, Summary
