The Incorruptible - Brise Audio Tsuranagi headphone amplifier

When reading the relevant audio forums and chatting with audiophiles, I am often made aware of new devices and manufacturers whose products and philosophy simply seem to convince music lovers - without much marketing fanfare!

Many of these “pearls” are from Asia and are no longer unknown there. This is also the case in this case: I'm talking about the products of the Japanese company Brise Audio, which the Western world is slowly becoming aware of. 

Brise Audio actually only produces very high-quality audio cables of all kinds - including IEM and headphone cables. The waiting times are sometimes an astronomical 3 months 😱 - a clear sign of how in demand your products are! 

But what caught my attention was their latest product, a mobile headphone amplifier called "Tsuranagi". The special thing about this little amp is that it was never intended to be sold as a product. 

"The TSURANAGI portable amplifier was designed as a testing device for the development of BriseAudio's high-end headphone cables and high-end portable line cables (mini-mini cables) to create an ideal portable audio environment ."

For the internal wiring, Brise Audio cables are used, and the electromagnetic wave absorbing shielding material and CNT (carbon nanotubes) used in their high-end cables such as MURAKUMO and YATONO are on the board installed to further improve sound quality.

The Tsuranagi was actually designed as a measuring instrument and not to "just enjoy music". 

Becoming curious about this unusual story, I quickly contacted Brise Audio and a short time later a demo of the Tsuranagi was ordered and the brand was added to our shop.

But before we look at the inner values ​​of the Dedicated to small amps, here as usual are a few pictures of the Tsuranagi:

The Tsuranagi comes - like all Brise Audio products - in a black box with a gold Brise Audio logo. Inside, next to the device and a card with the serial number, there are instructions and nothing else earth-shattering. Everything seems very high quality and elegant and the reduction to the bare essentials is completely ok. 

The Tsuranagi has a very classic appearance - in complete contrast to some other "stylish" devices such as the Cayin C9, Aroma Audio A100TB or Astell&Kern PA10 . 

Latest, the fat volume control and the toggle switch for input selection (4.4mm or 2.5mm) make it clear: This is old school - but in the best sense! 

Oh yes, unfortunately the case is not included and there is none from Brise Audio either. Luckily, our friends at Vishnu-Leather have a suitable case for (almost) all devices.

And so, immediately after ordering the Tsuranagi demo, we also ordered a few transport cases from Vishnu. Needless to say, the quality of the leather and the workmanship are excellent as usual. 😊🙌



And this is what the whole thing looks like in the case. By the way, every imaginable color and stitching is possible. 

I paired the Tsuranagi with the stunning Cayin N7, which therefore acts as a pure DAC/transport. Yes, the N7 really blew me away and I currently only listen with this fantastic DAP.With the Tsuranagi, the N7 can show how good its new 1-bit DSD DAC really is. (Spoiler: Hammer 🤩).

Oh yes. If you're wondering what a great interconnect cable this is: It's a Satin Audio Perseus 4.4 to 4.4mm interconnect. (No, unfortunately the Tsuranagi does not have such a cable). Brise Audio also offers various interconnects.

With such a high-quality combination, the connected headphones should of course not be the limiting factor. So I chose another one of my personal favorites: the Unique Melody Multiverse Mentor.

The Tsuranagi is primarily a mobile amplifier for in-ear headphones - as you can see from the 2.5 and 4.4mm inputs and outputs. Out of curiosity, I connected a pair of “really big” headphones: the Spirit Torino Twin Pulse. What can I say: No problem for the Tsuranagi. The volume control is at about 50% and I just enjoy the music. 

Encouraged by the results, I became cocky and connected the CA-1A from RAAL - of course with an interface at 32 ohms. According to the manufacturer, the RAAL actually needs a conventional amp with at least 4 watts despite the interface. 

But Tsuranagi didn't care: he drove the CA-1A like a big man, completely unimpressed. Incredible! 😱😍

How does it sound now?

I've already hinted at it: The Brise Audio Tsuranagi is an "incorruptible" and, in the best sense, neutral and extremely coherent headphone amplifier. As a reminder, the Tsuranagi was actually built as a measuring instrument to test Brise Audio's cables. 

Sound signature

But that doesn't mean that the Tsuranagi sounds analytical and "flat". Quite the opposite: He presents the music as it is - without discoloration or "whitewashing". Good recordings sound wonderful, bad recordings are mercilessly exposed. 

Stage & Channel separation

Something that stands out is the stage that the Tsuranagi creates. He places the music incredibly three-dimensional and airy in the room. The separation of instruments and channels contributes to this impression: every instrument in the ensemble, the singers, everything has its place and can be clearly heard from the big picture without disturbing the interaction. Voices are haunting and extremely natural. The word that comes to mind here is coherence. I haven't heard any other portable headphone amplifier at this level, and very few desktop devices. Bravo! 

Resolution, detail

Well, what can I say: the details and resolution are beyond any doubt and it's hard for me to imagine that anything could be missing here. Nothing more is possible!

Dynamics

Anyone who thinks that, despite all the neutrality and naturalness, the dynamics might be lacking a bit, is mistaken. I'm listening to "Beautiful Lie" from the soundtrack "+atman vs. Superman" by Hans Zimmer and the RAAL CA-1a just hits me with the sub-bass. Crazy!

Synergy

So far I have only tested the N7 from Cayin on the Tsuranagi but this combination is a “match made in heaven”. The 1-bit DSD DAC in the N7 seems to provide the perfect "feed" with which the Tsuranagi can reach its peak performance. However, I will test more DACs & DAPs on the Tsuranagi in the future.

Conclusion

If I had made these impressions with the Tsuranagi in a blind test without knowing what kind of amp was connected to the headphones, then in my mind's eye I would have seen a huge desktop headphone amplifier, but not such a small, inconspicuous one black "box". 

What the Tsuranagi does in combination with the Cayin N7 is absolutely unbelievable given the size and price. The fact that he can not only cope with RAAL's ribbon headphones (with interface) without any problems, but also knows how to master them masterfully, is simply impressive. I should probably change the title to "The Unshakable."

I'm afraid to say it out loud, but the Tsuranagi is probably the best portable headphone amp I've ever heard. 🤩

If you don't believe it and want to see for yourself, you should definitely test the Tsuranagi for free at home! 

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