The Trafomatic Head 2 is a push-pull class A tube headphone- and pre-amplifier, using one ECC88 input tube and one 6N30P power tube per channel. The amplifier is quite powerful, delivering 2 Watts of power into a 50 ohm load. It has XLR and RCA inputs and corresponding pre-amp outputs, as well as a standard 6.35 mm TRS and 4 pin XLR output for headphones. With regards to functionality, it is pretty stripped down. There is no switch to select between inputs, so you should only connect one source at a time. But it does have a switch for selecting between various output impedance for headphones, which is pretty nice and works very well. The amp itself is quite big, and the case is not made of metal, but MDF wood fibre. It is an unusual choice, but it looks great. The venting is good, so I believe heat is dissipated satisfyingly.
In the following I will compare the Head 2 to a selection of headphone amps using various headphones. I have used the Head 2 with the stock tubes as well as with upgraded Amperex 6922 NOS input tubes. Thus I did many of the comparisons twice, referring to the Amperex 6922 tubes simply as “the NOS tubes”. It is of course possible to try out different power tubes as well, but Trafomatic states that only 6N30P(6H30П) power tubes can be used, so you are left with fewer options. Regarding input tubes, the ECC88 tubes safely can be replaced with any ECC88 type (6922/6DJ8).
Head 2 vs Woo WA22
The Woo WA22 should be well known to most readers. It is a rather powerful, class A, transformer coupled headphone amplifier. It is unlike the Head 2, a balanced design, and uses totally different tubes than the Head 2. It is also a bit less pricey at 2499 USD. That is with stock tubes, however. I use my WA22 with upgraded NOS tubes (GZ34, VT-231 and TS-5998).
Oppo PM-1
Montague Grant – Prins Thomas: The Head 2 is cleaner and tidier, but somehow the WA22 manages to sound more fun with this drum-dominated track.
With the NOS tubes in place, I cannot really say I find the Head 2 lacking in any way, reversing the preferences.
Azzahrat – Eple Trio: Lots of drums in this track as well, but also some strings and a piano. This time the Head 2 comes out on top, cleaner, more relaxed, with a better sense of flow.
Swapping tubes in the Head 2 really makes it even more preferable.
Take It Slow – Little Hurricane: Great performance from the Head 2 here. Punchy, tight and enveloping. Natural sounding voices. Again, the WA22 sounds a bit more aggressive, for better and for worse. I prefer the Head 2, and with the NOS tubes, it gets more of that midrange presence, making it even more preferable.
Focal Elear
Stretching G – BHZ: The Head 2 is spacious and nice, but it doesn’t really compensate for the Elear’s tendency to be somewhat too polite in the mids. The WA22 however, really kicks the mids alive.
With the NOS tubes however, I do not feel like that at all, the Head 2 just seems perfectly balanced, and cleaner.
Montague Grant – Pins Thomas: This track is dominated by bassy drums. It feels smooth, spacious and nice with the Head 2, but the WA22 offers that extra fun factor, the drums have a more bouncy feeling to them. It might not be as neutral as the Head 2, but I feel it is more engaging. With the NOS tubes however, I feel the Head 2 is superior. Just as fun, but cleaner.
Madrigals for violin & viola H. 313 5 1. Poco allegro – Martinu/Emerson String Quartet: The Head 2 is significantly more polite sounding. Detailed and delicate, but I miss the midrange energy of the WA22 with the Elear.
As before, with the NOS tubes, the preference is reversed. I feel the Head 2 is superior. The midrange energy is perfect; the politeness is exchanged for perfect balance.
Sennheiser HD800
Terminal 7 – Stanko: The sound of the WA22 is more intense. Lots of space, but a bit on the energetic side. The Head 2 is calmer, more relaxed. But it is still spacious, detailed and tender.
With the NOS tubes, the Head 2 closes in on the good sides of the WA22.
Violin Concerto in D Minor, RV 813: III – The Young Vivaldi: Same thing here, the WA22 is (in direct comparison) a bit too forward sounding. Now, this is a trait of the WA22 that also can be held as an advantage, and the WA22 is quite responsive to tube rolling and I certainly could insert some calmer sounding tubes. Swapping in the NOS tubes in the Head 2, it feels a bit more forward, yet more relaxed and smooth.
Don’t Know Why – Norah Jones: The Head 2 has a better sense of detail, flow and space.
The WA22 has a slightly more pronounced midrange but the difference is much smaller than with other headphones – the Head 2 also has a great, present midrange with the HD800.
As I continue to play music and comparing the two amplifiers, I almost always prefer the Head 2. It is more spacious, cleaner and smoother at the same time. The NOS tubes make it even a bit better, but the differences feel less substantial than with some of the other headphones.
Hifiman HE-1000
I always liked the HE-1000 with the WA22, they compliment each other, the WA22’s aggressiveness balances the politeness of the HE-1000.
Mt. Señorita – Little Hurricane: Even though the Head 2 is really good, spacious smooth and well balanced, I find that the WA22 is is a bit more engaging, with some mid-bass punch and extra midrange presence.
With the NOS tubes the preference is reversed: The Head 2 gets significantly more up front and punchy, but with better clarity and nuance than the WA22.
Endless – Portico Quartet: The same thing here, the Head 2 does nothing wrong, but the WA22 has that fun factor.
With the NOS tubes, the Head 2 gets significantly less polite, but the WA22 still is slightly more fun.
Madrigals for violin & viola H. 313 5 1. Poco allegro – Martinu/Emerson String Quartet: This sounds really great with the Head 2. Lots of texture and timbre to the strings. Black background. The WA22 doesn’t feel as clean. Again it adds that extra dose of midrange energy, but I still prefer the Head 2 here. With the NOS tubes in place, I prefer the Head 2 even more.
Winter 1 – Vivaldi 4 Seasons: The Head 2 is clearly superior when handling complex passages, and the fun factor out the WA22 doesn’t help it much here. The serbian amp is giving a superbly delicate, tender, detailed and layered presentation.
Europe Is Lost – Kate Tempest: Back to drums, bass and vocals, the WA22 shines again. The Head 2 is great, but that Woo midrange energy has me tapping my toe more. With the NOS tubes in place, however, I really cannot say I have anything to hold against the Head 2, it is just as groovy as the Woo.
Nevermind – Leonard Cohen: Cohen seemingly doesn’t need any help with his vocal presentation, and shines even more with the Head 2 than with the Woo.
Midnight City – M83: The purity of the Head 2 is again hard to beat.
Don’t Know Why – Norah Jones: The Head 2 offers again a cleaner presentation, but the WA22 has that fuller sounding midrange that makes the Head 2 feel a bit thin in direct comparison. With the NOS tubes, the Head 2 gets more present in the midrange, and is no longer inferior in any way.
Concluding, the Head 2 offers better resolution, texture and soundstage, but the WA22 has an advantage with its warm and up-front midrange. Preferences shift from song to song, and tube rolling both amps would certainly make things different. With the NOS tubes in place the Head 2 shines significantly more in the midrange, and makes me prefer it to the Woo.
LCD-3
Depak Ine – John Talabot: The Head 2 comes off as cleaner, more detailed, better controlled and gives me a generally smoother feeling. I still like the WA22’s more up front presentation, but not just as much as i like the Head 2. With the NOS tubes in place the tonality of the two amps gets more similar.
Never Forget The Good Ones – Solveig Slettahjell: Slow, female vocals and a piano. The WA22 is good, but the Head 2 is even better. Vocals are sublime and smooth. This is (unsurprisingly) still true with the NOS tubes in place.
Vieuxtemps – Violin Concerto No.4, Op 31 – Mozart/Hilary Hahn: The WA22 is a bit crisper and more up front, but not by much really. The Head 2 is more detailed, smoother and cleaner.
I really like the LCD-3 with the WA22, but I like the Head 2 even more. With the NOS tubes, the Head 2 again closes in on the strong sides of the competition, while improving what it already does so well.
In conclusion, I find the Head 2 to be the better amplifier overall, with better dynamics and resolution. But the WA22 has this energetic mid-range that sometimes really makes things more engaging. Swapping in the Amperex NOS tubes, however, the Head 2 closed in significantly also with regards to mid range presence, and made the Head 2 my preferred choice.
Head 2 vs Auralic Taurus
The fully balanced solid state Auralic Taurus is another amp that should be well known. I certainly know it well, and always found it to be a great and flexible performer. It is significantly less expensive than the Head 2, though – but still worthy of a head to head comparison. Here are my impressions.
LCD-3
Rocket – Smashing Pumpkins: Very satisfying sound from the Head 2. Great bass, great balance. Going to the Taurus (which I always have liked with the LCD-3), I feel things get a bit less tidy and also a bit less punchy.
When I repeat the comparison with the NOS tubes, I surprisingly don’t feel the same. I feel the Taurus is the tighter and more preferable. I don’t really know whether to blame the tubes or myself for being inconsistent. Maybe it’s the music. After all, audio-reviewing is far from hard science.
I Do – Solveig Slettahjell: Quiet song, piano and female vocals. The two amps are quite similar, the Head 2 has slightly smoother (and nicer) vocals. With the NOS tubes, the Head 2 is significantly nicer, especially in the mids. Such delicious vocals are hard to find.
Floratone – Floratone: They have similar tonality (which is a good thing, because the Taurus is quite neutral sounding). The Taurus sounds a bit drier. With the NOS tubes in place, the Head 2 is significantly smoother, yet equally detailed.
Ting – IPA: I like this chaotic improvisational jazz quintet a lot. The Head 2 has a smoother tone, but the Taurus gives me more space, and a bit more edge to the instruments, in a good way. The NOS tubes brings the Head 2 to a new level, and it surpasses the Taurus also in spaciousness and midrange presence.
Spring 1 – Vivaldi/Max Richter: The strings are more delicious with the Head 2, the bass feels like it reaches deeper. With the Taurus, there is a bit more bite to the strings, and instruments stand out bit more, which is nice. The impression is similar when I use the NOS tubes.
Concluding, I must say both amplifiers are great with the LCD-3. They are not very dissimilar, but the Head 2 has a sweeter tone and fuller bass, the Taurus is more up front and has more bite, often in a good way. They both give you plenty of detail. The NOS tubes give the Head 2 a lift in midrange presence and increases general performance.
Oppo PM1
Running the same playlist as with the LCD-3, I basically see that I could write exactly the same about how the two amps drive the PM-1. Thus, I won’t repeat myself.
Sennheiser HD800
Violin Concerto in D maj. Op. 35 – Higdon/Hahn: I really like the HD800 with the Taurus – but it is even better with the Head 2. The strings are a bit smoother, the soundstage maybe even more expansive.
Mi Declaration – Canturia/Frisell: This track is really, really good with the Taurus. Bass is textured, guitar crisp and clear, the voice is suitably smooth. When I switch to the Head 2, things get a bit lusher, for better or worse. Hard to pick a favorite.
4:30 a.m: Solveig Slettahjell: The Taurus is really nice, but the Head 2 is even nicer. It feels more liquid, more alive. The vocals, the piano and the bells all sound more organic with the Head 2.
Spring 1 – Vivaldi/Max Richter: The strings have more edge and are more forward sounding with the Taurus. The Head 2 has a fuller, smoother presentation, yet is full of detail.
VIolin Concerto D maj. op. 35 – 1 – Tchaikovsky/Hahn: The strings differ, similarly as with the previous track. The Taurus is more up front, has more bite – in a nice way. The Head 2 is smoother, more polite – also in a nice way. I like them both, but they are different.
Mi Declaration – The Head 2 feels more spacious, more nuanced and organic. The vocals, bass, percussion, guitar – all sound better with the Head 2. The Taurus comes out as sharper and flatter sounding in direct comparison.
Running to the Sea – Röyksopp: The vocals are a bit less forward with the Head 2, but otherwise it is superior. Bass feels fuller, the soundstage wider and more open, small nuances better rendered.
Concluding, the Head 2 would be my pick for the HD800. Sometimes I prefer the midrange energy of the Taurus, but not much and mostly at the cost of other factors. With the NOS tubes in place, the Head 2 gets even better, especially in terms of mid-range presence, and and thus becomes even clearer first pick.
Head 2 vs EAR HP4
The EAR HP4 (a transformer coupled tube amp utilising four 6SL7 tubes) is definately one of my favorite amps. It is also functionally very similar to the Head 2. It has the same inputs and outputs, no input switch, and has both low and high impedance headphone outputs. It sits significantly above the HP4’s price range; depending on your location you might in the worst case look at an asking price twice as high.
Oppo PM-1
Terminal 7 – Tomasz Stanko: Both amps offer world class detail retrieval. The Head 2 has a bit more spacious presentation, the HP4 has a markedly fuller, more luscious midrange that is impossible to beat. With the NOS tubes in place inside the Head 2, that still remains my general impression.
Cassius – Fleet Foxes: The bass feels more powerful and textured with the Head 2, and the soundstage feels a bit wider. The vocals a bit warmer and lucious with the HP4. The impression is the same with the Head 2 with NOS tubes.
Fartein Valen, Sonatata op.3.1 – Monsen & Flagstad (piano/violin): Both render the piano and the violin beautifully, but differently. Again, the HP4 is more up front in the midrange, the Head 2 sounds a bit drier. and the strings have a bit more bite.
Focal Elear
Fartein Valen, Sontate op.3.1 – Monsen & Flagstad (piano/violin): As with the PM-1, the Head 2 comes out as delicate, and spacious, but a bit drier and with less warmth in the midrange. It is a trade off, and I appreciate both styles. But in the end I really like the slightly more vivid playing style of the HP4. The impression remains the same with the NOS tubes in the Head 2.
Seven Deadlies – Medeski, Martin and Wood: Wonderful and open presentation by the Head 2. The bass drum really kicks my eardrums, and the background coughing makes me turn my head. With the HP4, it is still open, dynamic and punchy. But the deep bass is slightly less prominent, and things are not as wide sounding. Still,it does have some of that extra magic that makes the mid range especially vivid. The general impression remains the same when using the NOS tubes in the Head 2.
Almost Like the Blues – L. Cohen: The bass is again a bit tighter and reaches deeper with the Head 2. The HP4 is still really great, but a tad behind the Head 2 in those departments. Where the HP4 really shines, however, is when the vocals kick in. It is so luscious and liquid, quite different from the more textured feel of the Head 2. Impressions remain similar with the NOS tubes.
Hifiman HE-1000
Violin Concerto in D Minor, RV 813: III. Allegro – The Young Vivaldi: The typical differences from previous sessions reveal themselves here too. The HP4 is warmer, with a fuller midrange, the Head 2 has a drier and more textured presentation. Both are fabulous, however. With the NOS tubes, the amps seem more similar than I remember them to be. Although the tendencies are the same, the differences seem less prominent.
Never forget the Good Ones – Solveig Slettahjell: The Head 2 plays this wonderfully. It is nuanced, spacious and gives lots of texture to the vocals. Going to the HP4, the vocals unsurprisingly change for the warmer in a delicious way, but some of the openness is lost. With the NOS tubes in place, I feel the difference between the two amps are less prominent than with the stock tubes.
Dualist – Ola Kvernberg: This busy track, with lots of layers and dynamics, really reveals the difference between the two amps. The Head 2 is more expansive, open and dynamic, the HP4 is more intimate and warm. Both are great, but I am really impressed by the Head 2, even though the HP4 shines in the less busy parts. As before, the differences are similar when using the NOS tubes, but they seem less substantial.
Audeze LCD-3
Dualist – Ola Kvernberg: It is when the bass drums kick in that the Head 2 really shows off. The HP4 is not far behind, but it cannot truly match the punch of the serbian beast.
In The Green Wild – Julia Holter: The acoustic bass is a bit more bloated with the HP4, the vocals are smoother and more liquid. The Head 2 is more punchy, spacious and dynamic. But both are great.
Cuidad de Las Ideas – Vincente Amigo: The crisper and more open presentation of the Head 2 really is hard to beat. HP4’s lushness isn’t really compensating enough on this percussion-heavy flamenco guitar track.
Holberg Suite, Op. 40; I Prelude – 1B1 & Jan Bjøranger: Oh, the sweetness of the HP4. The strings are like velvet, yet full of timbre and nuance. The Head 2 is still good, but just a bit less sweet.
Sennheiser HD800
Spring 3 – Vivaldi/Max Richter: The solo violin is such a delight with the HP4, it is almost impossible to imagine a more delicious sound. Going to the Head 2, the violin is moved away from the listener, less sweet and with a drier, edgier sound. The soundstage, however is more expansive – as usual.
Amutation – Stian Westerhus: Quite noisy experimental guitar, layers of vocals. Both amps do a great job. The noise and vocals are fuller and more satisfying with the HP4, the layering is more layered and spacious sounding with the Head 2.
Mi Delaration – Canturia/Frisell: More spacious and slightly more dynamic with the Head 2, warmer, lusher and fuller with the HP4.
Save Me – Röyksopp: Bass is tighter and punchier with the Head 2, but the voices and the general presentation is more lush and enveloping with the HP4.
After some more listening, I must conclude that even if the Head 2 does an excellent job with the HD800, the HP4 still is my personal favorite amplifier for the HD800 because it does everything so well and has this special lucious, sweetness to the midrange.
Beyerdynamics T1 mk2
Mi Declaration – Canturia/Frisell: Now, the two amps sound pretty similar. Both have high impedance outputs, which makes the T1 sound fuller (and better), and are doing a good job with the 600 ohm headphones.
Never Forget The Good Ones – S. Slettahjell: Even with this slow, female vocals-oriented jazz tune, I really cannot say I prefer one over the other – they are very similar.
Save Me – Röyksopp: Trying something more punchy, but also here, they are so similar it’s quite frustrating. The HP4 is as punchy and tight in the bass as the Head 2, the Head 2 is as sweet in the midrange as the HP4.
Hifiman HE-6
As one of the most power hungry headphones ever created, the HE-6 is a real challenge for most headphone amplifiers.
I Had This Thing – Röyksopp: The HP4 does a good job, but the Head 2 is more expansive and seems to have a bit more control.
Terminal 7 – Tomasz Stanko: Wonderful presentation from the Head 2, spacious and dynamic percussion, tender trumpet. Moving over to the HP4, things are still wonderful, spacious and dynamic. The trumpet a bit fuller.
Violin Concerto in D Minor, RV 813: III – The Young Vivaldi: Strings are always great with the HP4, and it sure is this time too. The Head 2 is drier and not as warm, but still very enjoyable.
Concluding, the Head 2 really impresses me with the HE-6. Although the HP4 is close and also has its advantages, I would pick the Head 2 for the HE-6.
Conclusion HP4 vs Head 2
With a few exceptions, throughout this comparison between these two great tube amplifiers, I seem to have been repeating myself. The differences are unusually consistent no matter what headphones I use. They are both amazing amplifiers, and they are seemingly capable of driving any headphone with great results. They have different characters, though. The HP4 offers a remarkable midrange sweetness that is hard to come by, in addition to generally being a great amp. The Head 2 excels in bass depth and texture, and it has a bigger soundstage and a bit harder punch. Even though the Head 2 is a silent amp and never lets me hear and hum at normal listening levels, the HP4 is as good as completely silent.
Main Conclusion
The Trafomatic Head 2 is a great amplifier. It presents an effortless, powerful and spacious sound with tons of detail and delicate timbre. Both grand dynamics and tiny subtleties are presented with elegant ease. The bass hits hard, the mids are smooth and the highs are liquid. It is extremely flexible when it comes to headphones: Low or high impedance, low or high sensitivity – all full size headphones I tried sounded wonderful; it even drove my HE-6 with ease. With the stock tubes, I sometimes felt the midrange was a bit on the polite side in direct comparison to certain other amps, but this was not an issue when I swapped in the Amperex 6922 NOS tubes. If I were to own only one amp for all my cans, I might very well end up with the Head 2. The Trafomatic Head 2 comes highly recommended.
Manufacturer Specifications
Class of operation: Push Pull class A Tubes: 1x 6N30P and 1x ECC88 per channel
Input voltage: 230V/50Hz- 115V/60Hz user selectable
Power consumption: 60VA
Headphone Output impedance: 25 – 50 -100 – 300 and 600ohms
Output impedance as preamplifier: RCA outs – 6 ohms, XLR outs– 25 ohms
Gain: 26 dB
Maximum output power on headphone output: 2W into 50 ohms
THD at 0.5W/1kHz: 0.2%
Outputs as line preamplifier: XLR + RCA
Output for headphones: Neutrik 4 pins balanced connector + 1/4” connector
Inputs: XLR + RCA
Input sensitivity: 0.5Veff –
Input impedance: 47Kohm
Frequency bandwidth: headphone and line out 10Hz (-1dB) – 80KHz (-3dB)
S/N: 88dB
The review unit was kindly lent to The Headphoneer by Moiz Audio (Norway) for the purpose of this review
