EarMen CH-Amp Signature - Fully Balanced Headphone Amplifier with DAC

Highlights

• USB DAC (ESS9038) – 32 bit / 768 kHz with extremely low distortion
• Hi-Res Bluetooth input – wireless audio without compromise
• Gain switch with IEM mode – perfect for all headphones, including sensitive in-ear monitors
• External linear power supply – quieter operation and outstanding dynamic range
• OLED display with VU meter – clear visual feedback at a glance
• Rechargeable aluminum remote control – CNC machined from a single block
• Compact CNC aluminum housing – slim, robust, and high-quality
  

Who is the CH-Amp Signature suitable for?

• Audiophiles – who seek precise and natural sound reproduction
• Gamers – who want precise positional audio and real-time response
• Users of active speakers – who seek a top-tier combination of DAC and preamplifier

Premium experience, everywhere

The compact yet powerful CH-Amp Signature can drive everything from sensitive IEMs to demanding planar headphones. Combined with one of the best available DAC chipsets and an external linear power supply, it is one of the most complete desktop audio solutions currently available on the market.

Reviews

"The new EarMen CH-Amp Signature (with remote) still offers the same excellent build quality, now while integrating an internal DAC. Not only does the CH-Amp Signature now take up less space on your desktop, it also is strongly reduced in price from $1,480 USD to $949, making it a unit with exceptional value.

From a power perspective, the CH-Amp Signature easily manages to drive all types of headphones, and with its dedicated IEM mode it has you fully covered. From a sound perspective the CH-Amp Sig also impresses with a good technical level. From a tonality point of view, it does have its unique and specific characteristics, that you can bypass by hooking up an external DAC."

EarMen CH-Amp Signature Review - Headfonia

"The EarMen CH-Amp Signature desktop DAC and headphone amplifier delivers exactly what I expected. Excellent sonic characteristics, a vibrant tonality that is not grating or harsh, and enough power to run most of our headphone collections."

Earmen, one step further...

After the successful launch of small portable devices, EarMen has gone one step further and developed a special product line for you that will provide a true and unique pleasure when listening to music. EarMen has developed a fully balanced desktop headphone amplifier with excellent features and a linear power supply.

Composite amplifier topology

The CH-Amp implements a composite amplifier topology. Composite operational amplifiers combine the best of both worlds with excellent DC and AC characteristics. These amplifiers offer several advantages over other amplifier types.

Power amplifiers typically use thermal feedback loops, which cause severe errors when driving heavy loads. These errors occur due to self-heating. By using composite materials, such errors can be eliminated and the circuit's performance improved.

The composite amplifiers also offer a better DC output offset. The excess load on the output transistors has no effect on the offset voltage.

Design

We have used WIMA capacitors as well as audio electrolytics combined with low-noise MELF resistors and SoundPlus OPA1642 operational amplifiers, which have proven excellent for achieving a neutral sound. The EarMen CH-Amp has excellent characteristics, a very low noise floor and distortion factor, an outstanding frequency response, and plenty of power, with the device's characteristics changing very little even under high loads.

EarMen CH-Amp has two important features: preamplifier outputs and a gain switch. The CH-Amp has balanced and unbalanced preamplifier outputs, so you can connect it to active monitors to create a complete system. The gain switch allows you to better control both the output level and impedance for better matching with your headphones.

Exceptional workmanship

The CH-Amp consists of a full-block aluminum housing, making it extremely durable and robust. Its compact design fits into any environment, system, or home. The circuit board is embedded in a solid aluminum case, which better protects the board inside the housing and additionally isolates it from external influences.

Fully balanced architecture

The EarMen CH-Amp is a fully balanced headphone amplifier, which means that the balanced outputs go unchanged from the source to the output, only amplified. Signals from the single-ended input are converted into balanced signals without phase shift (phase asymmetry), so the resulting + and - signals are perfectly in phase. This way, we remove unwanted noise and prevent it from being added inside the device.

Especially low-noise linear power supply

With the CH-Amp, you also get a linear, low-noise power supply that is manufactured without compromise using the best components and the latest circuit design. EarMen's linear power supply is reliable, simple, and produces only minimal noise.

It was specially developed for the needs of our devices to achieve the best features and highest efficiency and to exceed your expectations. It also has protection against power overload, short circuit, and thermal overload, meeting the highest safety standards.

The great advantage of this power supply is that you can connect it with the EarMen Tradutto DAC and the EarMen Staccato Streamer to create a great all-in-one system.