[dude120]

Incredible peace. The thread has gone silent. No one will praise Envy AE. What is the reason for this, delight or disappointment?

Envy, of course

 

[bluenight]

When you guys say power cord, you mean the IEC cable going from Envy to the iFi PowerStation (in my case)? This will help improve things? Maybe I should get a better one from Audio Art Cables.

Also the power cord that goes from wall to your Powerstation IEC inlet is important.

 

[Newsee]

It sounded great, but didn't quite give it the flavor that I was missing. I think it's in the midrange and the realism of the May that puts the Envy there for me. I was listening to a Bennie Maupin Quartet album (Early Reflections) and A/B/C-ing with the Envy, Woo WA23 and the ZMF/LOrdGwyn Aegis and the Envy was ahead (with Innuos/May) as far as textured detail and realism went. It was astonishingly awesome. His baritone sax sounded so lifelike, like you're there. The other two amps are great in their ways, but weren't there in that category.

Thank you for the reflections and the music recommendation. Listening to it now with SolitaireP. Awesome. Super recorded.

 

[Leto Dal]

Hey all - I recently got the WE300Bs. While they're sounding good, they're not quite as good in the midrange that I had hoped for. They weren't an obvious jump from the Full Musics either. I A/B-ed them recently with the Full Musics again and indeed, they're better, but not by much to my ears.

All of this to say, I'm confused. I know burn-in can really change things, but I'm curious if anyone else has had the same experience. I've also got some new gear the last few weeks as well, the Innuos Zenith (which I've never heard needing burn-in) and the Holo May KTE (which definitely needs burn-in, so this could be part of it...) and the iFi PowerStation (I A/B-ed it against my older AudioQuest 6 outlet and it seems to have improved things sonically across the board, but gotta let the tubes warm up and stuff, so it takes awhile to warm up things each time).

What's interesting is that the Innuos Zenith and May made the Envy jump into "whoa!" territory when I first put started playing stuff through it where I was struggling to enjoy it as much before. It filled out the midrange a bit more which I felt was missing too much for me before, and everything else - texture, bass, layering, details were all so much better than the DAP/Chord Qutest or iFi Pro iDSD Signature chain I had going with it before. Everything finally sounded right and truly flagship to my ears.

Then, I got the WE300Bs, put them in and wasn't hearing what I thought I would. Things have backslid and then progressed, and I think it's the May burning in, as I've read that happens. I'll give the WE300Bs more time to burn-in of course, but it's got me thinking of maybe needing to get some other drivers (Brimar 1988) to get it to where I want it.

Anyways, any helpful thoughts?

Give them 150-200h. They open up a lot with burn in. If you need even more mids sweetness add Brimars D-Getter drivers or Sylvania 6sn7w

But honestly We300b is peak mid focused 300b outthere, it wont get better than that.

And yeah, remember to register for 5y warranty in the first week after purchase.

 

[ThanatosVI]

It's been roughly two weeks since my Feliks Envy Custom Build to 25th Anniversary
Spec has been delivered. (Yes you read that right)
Due to Munich High End and some private obligations I didn't manage to post some impressions and pictures earlier.
On the bright side, I could get some more listening time in and can post more about different aspects of the amplifier.

Background:
As most of you know, I used to own an Envy performance Edition with Elrog ER300Bs. I sold it in order to fund the custom AE, and it has been gone roughly 2 months before my new one arrived. Therefore all my comparisons are based on long term audio memory, with all the downsides this has.

I loved the regular Envy so much, that it was hard to imagine how it could possibly become better. This set my expectations very low, and I
assumed only very small gains.

However as it usually goes, you can't imagine "better" until you hear it, and damn did I hear it, but more on that down below.

First though another important detail:
I've been in frequent conversations with Feliks Audio about different topics, like ideas for
new products, or questions to info shared on social media.
One ofthese questions was about the Feliks branded Elrog ER300Bs which were in the photos of the "new" wood types for the Envy back in November 2023.
I assumed and asked about them being the replacement for Fullmusic 300B in the performance Editions, since so many recommended Elrogs as tube of choice.
During that conversation we talked about potential upgrades to the Envy, like amorpheus core transformers, Elrog tubes and stuff like
that. This lead us to the topic of the Anniversary Edition which they were working on at the time. They also revealed the plan with the piano finish, however didn't share any photos at the time. After aquiring my Walnut Envy, I subsequently also bought furniture that
fits the Walnut + Black aesthetic. So is my rack with walnut, my table, my Recliner has a walnut base etc.

A few years back, Feliks Audio offered custom builds and advertised this on the website. I secured a slot a long time ago (the idea Was an Euforia that natively uses KT88 tubes). With the new Anniversary Edition Envy we agreed on changing the custom build plans to a Walnut Envy built to 25th Anniversary Edition specs, all internals being identical but having the aesthetics of a regular Walnut unit.

This did cost me exactly as much as the Anniversary Edition itself but does not count towards the 25 units. As of right now, it's unique and the only Walnut Envy with Anniversary Edition internals, at least to
my knowledge."

So here the pictures of my unit, with exceptionally nice wood texture.
Here the Feliks branded Elrogs

And the custom build "serial number" as proof that it's not just a regular Envy

Aesthetics aside, on to the technical and sound impressions.
The very first thing I noticed, was the reduced noise floor. It has never been an issue on low gain, with even the most sensitive of my
headphones. However I could hear noteable transformer hum on medium and high gain settings when using my headphones with over 100db sensitivity.
On the Anniversary Edition, there is also some noise but it's massively reduced, to the point where I can use all 3 gain settings with all of my headphones. Since the gain settings, change more than just playback volume, it's a nice setting to tune the sound signature slightly.
Medium and high gain have some more oomph and impact as well as "presence", while low seems to be a little more refined (all with high sensitivity headphones)

It seemed even more detailed and I claim this despite the fact that I can't A/B with the performance edition, because I heard things in my music that wasn't apparent at first. Doesn't mean it wasn't there with the other amp, but it wasn't as easy to pick up and I assume my
hearing didn't improve in those two months.
The dynamics are improved, which is probably due to the lower noise floor.
It has a very authorative low end and even better impact. My T+A PA 2000R always had more impact than my Envy performance Edition, while I can't say it having more than the AE.
The Bass has great texture without the tubey kind of midbass hump known from vintage tube amplifiers.
However the Anniversary Edition still is a little sweeter and tubier in the midsection than the regular Envy. This can be further adjusted
with tube rolling. The Western Electric 300Bs are a great choice to roll, if tube sweetness in the midsection is what you're craving.
The treble is in all aspects silky smooth. No sense of harshness and extremely well extended, doesn't feel like a roll off and if there is one, it's very slight.
The most noteable and unique trait of the Anniversary Edition was also the most unexpected one. Those of you who know the Spirit Torino flagships Pulsar and Valkyria,
know that these give an amazing amount of weight to the sound, making instruments sound incredibly real. The Envy AE somehow manages to impart this to a lesser degree on all headphones, while supercharging it on the Spirit Torinos. Those are my favourite headphone pairing with the new Envy AE, the synergy is just unreal.
I've never experienced any other amp doing this (however I didn't experience many flagship amps at home). This alone makes the noteable investment absolutely worth it to me. Zero regrets in upgrading.

The Envy Anniversary Edition, responds very well to tube changes and you can alter the sound drastically by using different tubes. There is still lots of tube rolling to do on my end, but WE300B and ER300B should be in everyones collection.
Next up I'll try driver rolling, with some Linlai E-6SN7 Elite and S4A 6SN7 as well as RCA Grey glass 6SN7.

Over time I'll share more impressions. For now my favourite pairing is
Feliks Envy AE + ER300B + Apos Ray 6SN7 Reserve + Spirit Torino Pulsar.

 

[George Hincapie]

It's been roughly two weeks since my Feliks Envy Custom Build to 25th Anniversary
Spec has been delivered. (Yes you read that right)
Due to Munich High End and some private obligations I didn't manage to post some impressions and pictures earlier.
On the bright side, I could get some more listening time in and can post more about different aspects of the amplifier.

Background:
As most of you know, I used to own an Envy performance Edition with Elrog ER300Bs. I sold it in order to fund the custom AE, and it has been gone roughly 2 months before my new one arrived. Therefore all my comparisons are based on long term audio memory, with all the downsides this has.

I loved the regular Envy so much, that it was hard to imagine how it could possibly become better. This set my expectations very low, and I
assumed only very small gains.

However as it usually goes, you can't imagine "better" until you hear it, and damn did I hear it, but more on that down below.

First though another important detail:
I've been in frequent conversations with Feliks Audio about different topics, like ideas for
new products, or questions to info shared on social media.
One ofthese questions was about the Feliks branded Elrog ER300Bs which were in the photos of the "new" wood types for the Envy back in November 2023.
I assumed and asked about them being the replacement for Fullmusic 300B in the performance Editions, since so many recommended Elrogs as tube of choice.
During that conversation we talked about potential upgrades to the Envy, like amorpheus core transformers, Elrog tubes and stuff like
that. This lead us to the topic of the Anniversary Edition which they were working on at the time. They also revealed the plan with the piano finish, however didn't share any photos at the time. After aquiring my Walnut Envy, I subsequently also bought furniture that
fits the Walnut + Black aesthetic. So is my rack with walnut, my table, my Recliner has a walnut base etc.

A few years back, Feliks Audio offered custom builds and advertised this on the website. I secured a slot a long time ago (the idea Was an Euforia that natively uses KT88 tubes). With the new Anniversary Edition Envy we agreed on changing the custom build plans to a Walnut Envy built to 25th Anniversary Edition specs, all internals being identical but having the aesthetics of a regular Walnut unit.

This did cost me exactly as much as the Anniversary Edition itself but does not count towards the 25 units. As of right now, it's unique and the only Walnut Envy with Anniversary Edition internals, at least to
my knowledge."

So here the pictures of my unit, with exceptionally nice wood texture.
Here the Feliks branded Elrogs
And the custom build "serial number" as proof that it's not just a regular Envy



Aesthetics aside, on to the technical and sound impressions.
The very first thing I noticed, was the reduced noise floor. It has never been an issue on low gain, with even the most sensitive of my
headphones. However I could hear noteable transformer hum on medium and high gain settings when using my headphones with over 100db sensitivity.
On the Anniversary Edition, there is also some noise but it's massively reduced, to the point where I can use all 3 gain settings with all of my headphones. Since the gain settings, change more than just playback volume, it's a nice setting to tune the sound signature slightly.
Medium and high gain have some more oomph and impact as well as "presence", while low seems to be a little more refined (all with high sensitivity headphones)

It seemed even more detailed and I claim this despite the fact that I can't A/B with the performance edition, because I heard things in my music that wasn't apparent at first. Doesn't mean it wasn't there with the other amp, but it wasn't as easy to pick up and I assume my
hearing didn't improve in those two months.
The dynamics are improved, which is probably due to the lower noise floor.
It has a very authorative low end and even better impact. My T+A PA 2000R always had more impact than my Envy performance Edition, while I can't say it having more than the AE.
The Bass has great texture without the tubey kind of midbass hump known from vintage tube amplifiers.
However the Anniversary Edition still is a little sweeter and tubier in the midsection than the regular Envy. This can be further adjusted
with tube rolling. The Western Electric 300Bs are a great choice to roll, if tube sweetness in the midsection is what you're craving.
The treble is in all aspects silky smooth. No sense of harshness and extremely well extended, doesn't feel like a roll off and if there is one, it's very slight.
The most noteable and unique trait of the Anniversary Edition was also the most unexpected one. Those of you who know the Spirit Torino flagships Pulsar and Valkyria,
know that these give an amazing amount of weight to the sound, making instruments sound incredibly real. The Envy AE somehow manages to impart this to a lesser degree on all headphones, while supercharging it on the Spirit Torinos. Those are my favourite headphone pairing with the new Envy AE, the synergy is just unreal.
I've never experienced any other amp doing this (however I didn't experience many flagship amps at home). This alone makes the noteable investment absolutely worth it to me. Zero regrets in upgrading.

The Envy Anniversary Edition, responds very well to tube changes and you can alter the sound drastically by using different tubes. There is still lots of tube rolling to do on my end, but WE300B and ER300B should be in everyones collection.
Next up I'll try driver rolling, with some Linlai E-6SN7 Elite and S4A 6SN7 as well as RCA Grey glass 6SN7.

Over time I'll share more impressions. For now my favourite pairing is
Feliks Envy AE + ER300B + Apos Ray 6SN7 Reserve + Spirit Torino Pulsar.

Try Melz 1578 instead of Apos.

 

[ThanatosVI]

Try Melz 1578 instead of Apos.

Unfortunately there are no good sources available in my region

 

[Doug2507]

It would be great if they offered an upgrade service (without tubes) for non AE amps.

 

[Doug2507]

It's been roughly two weeks since my Feliks Envy Custom Build to 25th Anniversary
Spec has been delivered. (Yes you read that right)
Due to Munich High End and some private obligations I didn't manage to post some impressions and pictures earlier.
On the bright side, I could get some more listening time in and can post more about different aspects of the amplifier.

Background:
As most of you know, I used to own an Envy performance Edition with Elrog ER300Bs. I sold it in order to fund the custom AE, and it has been gone roughly 2 months before my new one arrived. Therefore all my comparisons are based on long term audio memory, with all the downsides this has.

I loved the regular Envy so much, that it was hard to imagine how it could possibly become better. This set my expectations very low, and I
assumed only very small gains.

However as it usually goes, you can't imagine "better" until you hear it, and damn did I hear it, but more on that down below.

First though another important detail:
I've been in frequent conversations with Feliks Audio about different topics, like ideas for
new products, or questions to info shared on social media.
One ofthese questions was about the Feliks branded Elrog ER300Bs which were in the photos of the "new" wood types for the Envy back in November 2023.
I assumed and asked about them being the replacement for Fullmusic 300B in the performance Editions, since so many recommended Elrogs as tube of choice.
During that conversation we talked about potential upgrades to the Envy, like amorpheus core transformers, Elrog tubes and stuff like
that. This lead us to the topic of the Anniversary Edition which they were working on at the time. They also revealed the plan with the piano finish, however didn't share any photos at the time. After aquiring my Walnut Envy, I subsequently also bought furniture that
fits the Walnut + Black aesthetic. So is my rack with walnut, my table, my Recliner has a walnut base etc.

A few years back, Feliks Audio offered custom builds and advertised this on the website. I secured a slot a long time ago (the idea Was an Euforia that natively uses KT88 tubes). With the new Anniversary Edition Envy we agreed on changing the custom build plans to a Walnut Envy built to 25th Anniversary Edition specs, all internals being identical but having the aesthetics of a regular Walnut unit.

This did cost me exactly as much as the Anniversary Edition itself but does not count towards the 25 units. As of right now, it's unique and the only Walnut Envy with Anniversary Edition internals, at least to
my knowledge."

So here the pictures of my unit, with exceptionally nice wood texture.
Here the Feliks branded Elrogs
And the custom build "serial number" as proof that it's not just a regular Envy



Aesthetics aside, on to the technical and sound impressions.
The very first thing I noticed, was the reduced noise floor. It has never been an issue on low gain, with even the most sensitive of my
headphones. However I could hear noteable transformer hum on medium and high gain settings when using my headphones with over 100db sensitivity.
On the Anniversary Edition, there is also some noise but it's massively reduced, to the point where I can use all 3 gain settings with all of my headphones. Since the gain settings, change more than just playback volume, it's a nice setting to tune the sound signature slightly.
Medium and high gain have some more oomph and impact as well as "presence", while low seems to be a little more refined (all with high sensitivity headphones)

It seemed even more detailed and I claim this despite the fact that I can't A/B with the performance edition, because I heard things in my music that wasn't apparent at first. Doesn't mean it wasn't there with the other amp, but it wasn't as easy to pick up and I assume my
hearing didn't improve in those two months.
The dynamics are improved, which is probably due to the lower noise floor.
It has a very authorative low end and even better impact. My T+A PA 2000R always had more impact than my Envy performance Edition, while I can't say it having more than the AE.
The Bass has great texture without the tubey kind of midbass hump known from vintage tube amplifiers.
However the Anniversary Edition still is a little sweeter and tubier in the midsection than the regular Envy. This can be further adjusted
with tube rolling. The Western Electric 300Bs are a great choice to roll, if tube sweetness in the midsection is what you're craving.
The treble is in all aspects silky smooth. No sense of harshness and extremely well extended, doesn't feel like a roll off and if there is one, it's very slight.
The most noteable and unique trait of the Anniversary Edition was also the most unexpected one. Those of you who know the Spirit Torino flagships Pulsar and Valkyria,
know that these give an amazing amount of weight to the sound, making instruments sound incredibly real. The Envy AE somehow manages to impart this to a lesser degree on all headphones, while supercharging it on the Spirit Torinos. Those are my favourite headphone pairing with the new Envy AE, the synergy is just unreal.
I've never experienced any other amp doing this (however I didn't experience many flagship amps at home). This alone makes the noteable investment absolutely worth it to me. Zero regrets in upgrading.

The Envy Anniversary Edition, responds very well to tube changes and you can alter the sound drastically by using different tubes. There is still lots of tube rolling to do on my end, but WE300B and ER300B should be in everyones collection.
Next up I'll try driver rolling, with some Linlai E-6SN7 Elite and S4A 6SN7 as well as RCA Grey glass 6SN7.

Over time I'll share more impressions. For now my favourite pairing is
Feliks Envy AE + ER300B + Apos Ray 6SN7 Reserve + Spirit Torino Pulsar.

Are Apos Reserve the drivers that come with AE?

 

[ThanatosVI]

Are Apos Reserve the drivers that come with AE?

No, PSVANE CV-181-T-MII are the drivers that come with it (the same as in Envy and Euforia but only the top 2% of their stock)

 

[Doug2507]

No, PSVANE CV-181-T-MII are the drivers that come with it (the same as in Envy and Euforia but only the top 2% of their stock)

Guessing there's an audible difference between them then? (to your ears)

 

[ThanatosVI]

Guessing there's an audible difference between them then? (to your ears)

Can't tell yet, both need some burn in as they are both new and I have the amp only for 2 weeks

 

[AcousticMatt]

Give them 150-200h. They open up a lot with burn in. If you need even more mids sweetness add Brimars D-Getter drivers or Sylvania 6sn7w

But honestly We300b is peak mid focused 300b outthere, it wont get better than that.

And yeah, remember to register for 5y warranty in the first week after purchase.

Duly noted, thanks! Already sent in the registration too.

Thank you for the reflections and the music recommendation. Listening to it now with SolitaireP. Awesome. Super recorded.

Glad you enjoyed it! Here's another: Matthew Halsall - Salute to the Sun

 

[Allears79]

Just added the WE300b to my new Feliks Envy. While still going through the break in phase, I can already feel some small differences, not night and day from the Fullmusic.

Bass have more control, became tighter on the 1266 and treble is more sharp.

But what really hypnotizes me is the blue light ...

 

[Leto Dal]

Following the review process of Envy by ConvinceMeAudio which is still in progress I keep wondering about the conclusions Koji and few others guys who tried his unit made so far.

„Grain“ / „lack of clarity“ and lower resolution than amps like Red October but even the cheaper Cayin Ha-300b are some of the critic points so far. The concerns remain with many different tube setups the guys have tried. Its a rather indepth review that is been worked on and I am used to trust Kojis conclusions, thought I am far from being with him on the same page this time.

Envy never sounded grainy to my ear, I cant say its less „clear“ than solid state studio high end reference Zähl HM-1 amp neither.
Envy layered to my ear better than Cayin HA-300b too with more stage depth (not width).

Therefor current suspicion is that the review unit might have a fault or come from an older revision with a different transformer / there is some transformer variation.

I am kinda curious to get to the core of it :]
Did you ever experience any kind of grain or lack of resolution with your unit compared to similar higher end amps? (WA23, Ha-300b, red october and so on)
If so, which edition are you using and what year was it build?