MASS-Kobo Model 491 | Desktop Headphone Amplifier

Incredible Performance Meets Rare Exclusivity, the MASS-Kobo 491 Stands as a Headphone Amplifier Revered by Audiophiles Twin-balanced Monoblock Headphone Amplifier with Four High-performance Amplifier Stages Each Unit is Handmade with Individual Components Selected and Personally Tested by One Man, Mr. Masuda It Carries the Legacy of the Highly Acclaimed Model 465 Made to Order in Japan Features the Addition of a 4.4mm Balanced Output Model 491 The MASS-kobo Model 491 is the successor to the flagship Model 465, a twin-balanced monoblock headphone amplifier with four high-performance amplifier stages and fully independent left and right power supplies, a topology more commonly found in high-end loudspeaker amplifiers than in headphone designs. Delivers over 3.5 W + 3.5 W into 32 Ω balanced, enough to drive the HIFIMAN Susvara at reference quality. Sound Experience A clean, stress-free presentation that the manufacturer describes as making the listener "forget the amplifier is even there." The independent dual-mono power supplies and twin-balanced topology contribute to a vanishingly low noise floor and exceptional channel separation: the conditions under which low-efficiency planar magnetic headphones reveal their full dynamic and tonal range without the amplifier imposing its own character. Build Housed in a compact desktop chassis measuring 13.0 × 9.7 × 4.1" and weighing 13lbs (excluding the power cable), the Model 491 is designed to fit seamlessly into a high-end desktop setup. Its front panel offers a full suite of balanced and single-ended headphone outputs, ensuring compatibility with virtually any modern headphone cable termination.