Review : ALO Studio Six
Posted on 13 August 2013
ALO Studio Six reviewed on Headfonia.com by Mike
Read the full review here : http://www.headfonia.com/the-awesome-alo-studio-six/
Conclusion :
Big tube amps are always exciting though not every big pricey amp can pull off a real wow factor. For headphone use, amps like the WooAudio WA5 and the Eddie Current Zana Deux are two that have left a permanent mark in me in that they are truly excellent amps that should be in a headphone amp “Hall of Fame” if there was one. Each amplifier, at least the good ones, usually comes with their own unique sound character that leaves a permanent mark on you. They’re like special moments in time that you experienced and even if you can’t go back to those moments, you remember exactly the feelings you had. These different personalities make each amplifier unique, hence there is no one best amplifier. The best solution then is to own every one of these unique amplifiers so you’re not missing out on the good stuff. Yeah, that’s right.
Anyway, the Studio Six, I don’t know if it will make it to my virtual Hall of Fame. It’s definitely my number one flagship amp right now (as you can tell from the title) but as always, I need to see how it performs over the long term before I can nominate it Hall of Fame material. I do feel that the Six truly has what it takes to stand the test of time. Everyone can develop an expensive $5K tube amp but without a clear sense of a character it’ll just be another new flagship amp with no real strength (I recently listened to one such amp from a big manufacturer). Even ignoring the obvious things like the four headphone outs and the world-class build quality, the Six truly shines in that it lets me hear dynamics and bass unlike anything else I’ve previously heard. And to me and the music I listen to, dynamics and bass are the two key ingredients. It also scores very strong in the vocal department (an amplifier aiming for the top spot definitely can’t miss this part!) and with the Westinghouse OB2 tubes the vocal performance is among the top-3 best I’ve heard.
ALO has really nailed it with the Six. The sound wasn’t what I expected, but they’ve made a convert out of me. Sure I think their smaller amps are great, but the Six really deserves that flagship title as it’s leagues ahead of the other ALO amps. Even now, I still feel giddy writing the last words of this review.
