Heed Elixir Integrated Amplifier

The Elixir has a neat place amongst our Transcap technology amplifiers. It is the purest music performer of all, without any technical compromise and presents the music effortlessly. Besides the power amplifier, the headphone stage also benefits from the basic idea of the Transcap technology. Class-A, darlington-driven, capacitor-coupled outputs feed your headphones like nothing else you have experienced before.

The MM phono stage is based on the Questar’s circuit. As the standalone amp, this integrated incarnation is thick and warm and provides a great overall amplification for nearly all kind of MM cartridges. It’s a very easy way to find your way back into the analogue domain, and be a lifetime captive of the black vinyl.

Features

– 4 analogue and 1 MM phono inputs

– class-A headphone amplifier

– Transcap – output capacitor technology

– discrete bipolar transistor architecture

Handcrafting

More Than A Simple Human Touch

Creating something is a wonderful feeling. To witness the numerous pieces of electronic and mechanical parts being hand crafted to form a complete working device is delightful. Every single component receives exacting attention and is the perfect element to provide you with an unrivalled musical experience. From the hand soldering of the circuit boards to the fine adjustments of the volume knob, we ensure every process and incorporate only the highest quality components to make a Heed amplifier the best in class. Rigorous quality control provides the highest possible standard and reliability of our devices. Every single device meets our strict performance regulations but similar to twins, we know that each and every one produced is unique to you.

Transcap

Tuned Non-Direct Coupled Amplifier Technology 

Then you own a Heed amplifier you meet technology that you most probably have never seen in action before. Like the almost forgotten (and then reincarnated) valve technology, the output capacitor transistor amplifiers can normally only be found in the deepest recesses of engineers drawers. The technical difficulties of RC-Coupling means almost 100% of todays manufacturers opt for the easier direct-coupled solutions instead. With great effort and countless development hours there is a way to employ an up to date and sonically better sounding RC-Coupled amplifier. We have chosen this way. Like the belt of a great turntable or the output transformer of a valve amplifier, the output capacitor makes for a great decoupling between the amp and the speaker. But the main advantage is the fact that a capacitor is an energy storage device. By design, this capacitor connects directly onto the speaker, with no in-between elements. Power delivery becomes rapid and precise. To charge this power element, we use a push-pull complementary Darlington transistor drive stage.

This power transforming system needs to be perfectly balanced. The heart of our Transcap technology lies in the precise adjustment of all the charge transmitting and current delivery channels. This propels all the common amplifier components; mains transformer, power supply, voltage and power amplifier stages, into something radically different. You may see now, this is no ordinary amp and it cannot be measured by common standards. Using our methods the sound becomes thick, warm, yet clear and life-like, as it properly translates the electronic signal into the acoustic world.