Trafomatic Audio Head 2
The Trafomatic Audio Head 2 pairs tube refinement with startling speed, bass authority and expansive soundstage. Soundnews found it exceptionally dynamic and transparent, while hifitest.de praised its composed neutrality and effortless drive. Selectable impedance taps and balanced preamp capability make this a serious centerpiece for demanding headphones and stereo systems.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
93/100
Build Quality
91/100
Features Usability
86/100
Value for Money
89/100
Pros
Exceptional transient speed, dynamic impact and authoritative bass slam.
Highly transparent, detailed presentation with natural, refined mids and extended airy treble.
Selectable 25-600 ohm impedance taps provide unusually flexible matching for conventional headphones.
Doubles as a capable balanced RCA/XLR tube preamplifier with a spacious, energetic presentation.
Cons
Single-source input arrangement is restrictive for systems with multiple analogue components.
Large, heavy chassis takes substantial desk space, and no remote limits convenience in a stereo preamp role.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
Reviewers describe an unusually fast, open and composed tube amplifier that avoids stereotypical lush coloration. Its strongest themes are authoritative dynamics, tonal neutrality or naturalness, and convincing control across a notably wide range of headphones.
Transparency Resolution
94/100
Audiokey Reviews calls the Head 2SE highly transparent, resolving and beautifully detailed, with airy, exceptionally well-resolved treble. Enjoy The Music likewise heard a fast, open and linear presentation, while Hifitest found that it let each connected headphone show its best rather than imposing a character.
Tonal Balance Musicality
94/100
Hifitest characterizes the Head 2 as exemplary neutral, and Soundnews heard pure mids with added substance rather than an overly warm or lush tube sound. At the same time, reviewers repeatedly call it organic, effortless and musically involving, with particularly refined vocals and natural instrumental texture.
Dynamics
96/100
Dynamics are a standout: Hifitest praises its quick yet composed response to small musical shifts, and Enjoy The Music heard effortless authority and powerful impact. Soundnews found its transient speed and bass slam exceptional even beside formidable solid-state alternatives, while Audiokey Reviews reports very strong results with the demanding HIFIMAN Susvara.
Noise Floor
88/100
Enjoy The Music specifically reports quiet, low-noise operation throughout its listening sessions. The available reviews do not document hiss testing with very sensitive IEMs, so there is less evidence about its behavior with the most revealing low-impedance earphones.
Headphone Compatibility
94/100
Selectable 25, 50, 100, 300 and 600-ohm transformer taps give the Head 2 unusually thoughtful matching options for conventional headphones. Hifitest says it powered every headphone tried perfectly, while Audiokey Reviews found the newer Head 2SE drove Susvara models exceptionally well; its high fixed gain can bring efficient headphones to high levels quickly.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
91/100
Hifitest describes the exterior as simple, beautiful and solid, while Soundnews praises the craftsmanship and attention to small details. Audiokey Reviews also finds the design clean and well considered, though the supplied reviews offer little evidence about long-term reliability or serviceability.
Features Usability
86/100
The Head 2 provides RCA and XLR inputs, single-ended and four-pin balanced headphone outputs, impedance selection, and RCA/XLR preamp outputs. Its preamp function is genuinely useful, but its single-input layout is a clear limitation for a component at this level; Audiokey Reviews found that minimalism especially restrictive on the Head 2SE.
Value for Money
89/100
Value commentary is divided by configuration and asking price: Soundnews calls it an outstanding value, and Enjoy The Music says it is priced right while suggesting comparable high-end-brand performance could approach $10,000 or more. Conversely, Audiokey Reviews considers the near-$5,000 Head 2SE difficult to justify with only one input, making source-system needs an important consideration.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
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Specifications
- Class of operation
- Push Pull class A
- Tubes
- 1x 6N30P and 1x ECC88 per channel
- Input voltage
- 230V/50Hz- 115V/60Hz 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 + ¼” connector
- Inputs
- XLR + RCA
- Input sensitivity
- 0.5Veff – Input impedance: 47Kohm
- Frequency bandwidth
- headphone and line out 10Hz (-1dB) – 80KHz (-3dB)
- S/N
- 88dB
- Weight
- 10 kg
- Dimensions
- 400 x 310 x 100 mm
Manufacturer's Description — Trafomatic Audio
The Head 2 is a Class-A Push Pull circuit design . This is the second headphone amplifier in Trafomatic Audio production coming after very sucefull model Experience Head One. 3dB of feedback and 100% tube amplification delivery 2W into 50 Ohms .It’s tubes have been hand-picked based on their long established reputations for sonic virtue.
The ‘overbuilt’ power supply features robust multi-stage high-voltage ltering, for superior low-frequency performance.
A proprietary output stage with II C core output transformers accommodates a wide range of headphone impedance from 25-600 Ohms.
The Head 2 features uncompromising quality in build and design throughout.
A timeless design built to last a lifetime and deliver an unmatched sonic.
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Trafomatic Audio Head 2
- Absolute Sounds — in-store — London, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Audio Haven — in-store — Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands (website)
- CASQUES HEADPHONES — in-store — Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France (website)
- Decibel+ — online and in-store — Las Vegas, Nevada, United States (website)
- Don Better Audio — online and in-store — Shaker Heights, Ohio, United States (website)
- Ears Unlimited — online and in-store — Delft, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands (website)
- EVA Acoustics — in-store — Meppel, Drenthe, Netherlands (website)
- Hear This — in-store — Newport Beach, California, United States (website)
- Hearken Audio — online and in-store — Kitchener, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Heartbeats + Headshells — in-store — Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States (website)
and 5 more verified dealers