9/5/2023 0 Comments 7 amp billie![]() ![]() After a few months I grow tired of them as they assault my ears and brain with too much of the upper frequencies. I sometimes fall for these “WOW” amps but it seems to never fail. It is not here to shower us with special effects like some high end amps do. Yes, I enjoy the Billie as much as any other fantastic integrated I have had here.įor me, the bIllie is about the music pure and simple. When I can say that I enjoy a $2k integrated as much as a $7k integrated or even a $27k integrated that leaves me scratching my head as this should not be, and has never happened to me. I enjoy the Billie much as any other integrated I have owned and loved, regardless of cost, and this is a big deal. It is not showing me it costs much less than any piece in my system. When I insert it into my reference system with a DCS Lina DAC, Pass Labs XP-17 Phono Pre and my reference speakers the Billie is rather special in the way it brings forth the music and especially the voice. If you do this right, the Billie can absolutely be all the integrated you may ever need as you can even upgrade later with a better DAC or phono pre if you desire. The Billie is sleek, small, and packed with everything one needs to enjoy HiFi music and I am taking about a high end musical sound, not compromised sound. When I owned that expensive amp I loved it, adored it and enjoyed it but I knew I had to because I just spent the cost of a nice used car on it! Was it awesome? Sure it was but so is this $1985 integrated I am about to tell you about. I have owned integrated amps up to $27k in cost and an amp like the Billie makes me realize how ridiculous it is to spend that much on an “all in one” box. Being a guy who reviews all price brackets within HiFi I know that what one pays for a product does not tell you what it will sound like. I admit, I have been spoiled by hearing some incredibly high end audio gear. They are usually nice but not as smooth or refined as a higher end piece. There is usually some hiss, some grunge in the treble area or maybe bloated bass. I normally do not hear a refined, 3 dimensional sound from the amps in this price range. They are either voiced t0 put out extended bass and treble (V curve, smiley face EQ) or they may even sound dull and flat. Normally when I have an integrated amp come in that sits in the under $3k range they are nothing at all like the Billie. The Billie amp comes in at under $2,000 and I feel it is one of the best bargains I have found within HiFi at the time of this writing. So many email me asking me where I bought it, so here ya go. ![]() I used to have a fancy rack that I spent thousands on. Speaking of my audio cabinet, I adore it and it was inexpensive and took us 10 minutes to assemble. It was a treat to unbox it and place it atop my cabinet. After moving around many 100lb+ amps I am feeling it in my back and body! Not a problem with the Billie. ![]() The Billie amp is not out to wow us with flash, fancy displays, golden trims or heavy weight as this one comes in at around 12-13 lbs, and that is a PLUS in my book. This amp uses the JJ EC99 tube and there is a pair of them that sit on top of the amp, giving off a glow show at night. Just add speakers and you are good to go. In other words, it’s ready to make music right out of the box. It includes a built in phono preamp, DAC and headphone amp (that is quite nice) and also includes bluetooth streaming (if you desire to not use a streamer). The amp puts out over 200 WPC into 4 ohms and 120 WPC into 8ohms yet out comes in at a svelte 12 lbs. This is a sleek, bespoke, gorgeous, small sized beauty that runs a tubed class A pre-amp mated to a solid state Class D amp. It’s called the Billie and it is currently in the MKII generation. This review will focus on an integrated amp that was sent to me from Heaven 11. My Video Review has the most details and information on the Billie. ![]() Heaven 11 Billie Integrated Amp MKII Review ![]()
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