# Portaphile 627 Review



## colinharding

Portaphile Review
   

   

   

   
   
   
Introduction
   
   
The Portaphile 627 is a class A amp that has been crafted around a shoebox design.  Much like the Dynaco ST-35 was for the high-torque shoebox designed 60’s amps so the Potaphile 627 is for modern portable amps.  Though not quite as petit as some of the other designs in current production this amp allows the use (and sonic enjoyment) of both IEMs and full-sized cans, making it a true performer.  Cesar Aguilera currently operates the company out of the Rio Grande valley in Texas and is a pleasure to do business with.  Out of my six or so emails Cesar was able to respond in less than two hours to each, quite a feat considering he’s balancing a soldering iron in one hand and a keyboard in the other.  I would also like to thank Average_Joe for the time that he has put into his Amplifier, Cable, and Custom IEM reviews, as it is a boon of information for our community.  Paralleling this sentiment, previous to Average_Joe’s review of this portable amp I was unaware, as I’m sure a good many of us were, of the 627’s existence.  The marketing giants here sometimes overrun great products on HeadFi and Average_joe’s review undertakings have been a warranted breath of fresh air for some of these less mainstream products.  
   
Preparing the Portaphile 627 and Listening “Rules”
   
I have burned the amplifier in for about 200 hours and I believe that will be sufficient for the review.  Two different approaches will be taken during the review process to give a more holistic approach with regards to the amplifier’s sound.  First I will test both my custom IEM and full-sized HP with the line out of a sixth generation iPod.  The majority of users, including myself, will be listening in this fashion and so I’m obliged to review it as such.  However, I also feel that it is important to put some real _juice_ behind the amp by connecting it to my main system.  This way prospective buyers can get a taste of how the amplifier performs when connected to a moderate source and how the amplifier scales its performance when connected to high-end source.  
   
Equipment Used in Review 
   
As mentioned above I will initially use my sixth generation iPod, which has not been modded in any manner.  The line out cable is your run of the mill cable, which unfortunately means that it is not overbuilt for any audiophile application.  My custom set of IEMs are the Dream Earz Aud-5X, if you are unfamiliar with these Average_Joe and Nulliverse have reviews out on headfi that you may reference.  For the full-sized review I will be using Sennheiser HD-650s with the stock headphone cable (modded with banana plugs for use with speaker amplifiers).  When connecting the Portaphile to my main system it will be feeding on a much better transmission line than that out the iPod, which will hopefully allow for an improved sound.  From the ground up the system is, Sonos, Synthesis Matrix 24 bit Tube DAC, DejaVu Audio custom 6SN7 preamp, McCurdy AM-405 tube amplifier.  I mention the amplifier because I currently use it for both my speakers and full-sized cans as it only outputs about 5 watts per channel. Briefly, it is an input transformer amplifier from Canada that was used in radio studios during the late 1940s and is a dual mono design with two Telefunken EL84s and Sylvania 6AU6s per side.  My SPDIF cable from the Sonos is an XLO LE-4 reference cable, all RCAs are Audio Note AN-V silver litz cables, and my y-cable for the portaphile is also an Audio Note AN-V with a 1/8” jack termination.  The y-cable will be connected to the output of my preamp and I will control volume via the Portaphile.  Since my equipment is tubed I will warm it all up for two hours previous to the review session to insure that everything is sonically ready for a performance.  
   
Portaphile 627 and iPod
   
I choose to use my iPod because my iPhone 4S seems to pass quite a bit of electronic noise, which is not advantageous to a listening session.  The iPod, on the other hand, is dead silent both out of the headphone jack and when connected lineout to the Portaphile.  Let me begin by saying that upon initially hearing this combination I was taken aback by its musical presentation.  With the Aud-5X this combination is smooth and spacious, leaning toward the warmer side of the range.  Straight out of the iPod’s headphone jack the Aud-5X is immensely forgiving of bad recordings but it is accounted for by the sloppy audio reproduction from the iPod’s internal amp.  Unobtrusive, but bloated the sound is satisfyingly benign.  Contrastingly, when used with the lineout feeding the Portaphile 627 the sound is elevated and natural.  A wonderful space is conveyed as the sound is pushed forward to just beyond your eyes and outwards to just beyond your ears.  The amplifier’s soundstage is akin to a football being placed three quarters inside your head, the two ends an inch forward of each ear and the front curve just in front of your face.  
   
The sound is very strong, as I find most opamp-based units are.  Each musical region is confidently represented like a well-seasoned vocalist would perform onstage as compared to a less self-assured amateur.  The bass of the 627 is absolutely perfect.  It carries a wonderful sense of weight without becoming muddy and really blooms against the amp’s black background.  Mids are very nice, but out of the iPod tend to come across a bit bright.  Holographic, yes, but they are a little bright.  Still they manage a smooth and unfatiguing presentation.  Highs are present and extended a tad more than I would have liked, but the hardcore high fans will relish its falsetto sparkle.  Again I feel that the iPod does not do the 627 justice here and renders the highs sweet, but weightless.  They float within the music like sawdust caught in a ray of sun instead gently thrumming your eardrum like a humming bird’s wing beats.  The entire spectrum is quite balanced and definitely adds to the enjoyment. The amplifier is admirably 3D, as I will discuss later, but with this setup that trait is much less prevalent.  Much of the 627’s wonderful qualities are shaded by the mediocre source when compared to its performance out of my main system.
   
My impressions were very similar when using the HD-650s.  With the gain switch flipped up (7db gain up, 2db gain down) the amp easily powered the 650s to surprisingly remarkable levels.  After the Aud-5X in this combination, I didn’t think the amp would quite be able to step up to the plate with a more demanding set of phones.  Cesar says that he tests the amplifier with Earsonics SM3s and Sennheiser HD600s and the latter definitely shows.  The sound is rich and powerful although a tad bright, which I still feel is the iPod’s doing.  Dynamics are wonderfully lush and it is the real sense of authoritative power that is effortlessly conveyed through each note that grabs my attention.  My only real gripe here is that the lows, mids, and highs tend to come across a bit separated almost like a speaker where the drivers aren’t placed close enough together for a coherent sound.  The soundstage and instrument placement are conveyed in a very real sense, much more so than I would have thought capable from this combination.  I can honestly say that I would be happy with this combination if I did not have my main system to compare it to.  It does not seem that the 627 is lacking any power nor does it seem that the phones want anything more than what the iPod and 627 are feeding them.  Smooth, refined, powerful…just how these phones should sound.  
   
Portaphile and Main System
   
Lets start with the 650s as they left a sweet taste in my ears during the previous session.  Still using the 7db gain the sound out of the Portaphile 627 is just shy of spectacular (bear in mind this is a portable amp within the context of a full scale amplifier).  For a quick comparison, I am upgrading a Woo Audio 3 for a friend of mine and even with my mods it is bested by the Portaphile.  Woo products tend to be quite thin sounding IMO, which the Portaphile is certainly not.  The sound signature no longer comes through a bit bright but cascades with the energy of a summer rainstorm.  It is wet, emotional, and weighty.  My only complaint would be too much pronunciation on the top end; it can become a tad shrill where the Woo and especially the McCurdy do not exhibit this characteristic.  The soundstage (for both headphones) becomes and oversized football with instrument placement akin to an all-star quarterback’s precision passes.  What I enjoy most is the elevated power and clarity the amplifier exhibits when paired with a much more mature source.  Every sound comes through cleanly and confidently.  It is not cold and clinical, a sound that unfortunately plagues the majority of modern solid-state equipment, but warm and tonally organic. 3D representation is uncanny with a huge voice permeating the center of the soundstage and instruments misted about the rest of the scene.  Where I was previously knocking the amp for presenting the lows, mids, and highs like separate entities they now blush like hormonal teenagers and readily fill in the gaps that had previously led to a fragmented sound.  Notes are thick and weighty giving the music a feel to compliment the sound.  I would still like the highs to have more weight and less articulation, but it is a small tradeoff for the otherwise spectacular sound.  When the 650s are plugged into the McCurdy the Portaphile comes close but is thin in comparison.  The McCurdy’s tone also beats out the Portaphile but not by a huge margin.  The 627 comes impressively close to the McCurdy’s sound but ultimately cannot compete with the rich, euphoric, velvety sound of the old iron.  Honestly, I definitely prefer the McCurdy to the Portaphile but it is also ten times the price.  For a portable amplifier to come this close I’m absolutely flabbergasted.
   
With the Aud-5X I am equally impressed with the main system backing the Portaphile and in some areas even more so than I was with the 650s.  The soundstage is _massive_!  I’m not the biggest fan of embellishing my text with errant punctuation so that exclamation mark is a testament of my enjoyment.  I find that these phones are just a touch bright in the treble inherently, but somehow they’ve managed to be much less so with this combination.  Most of what changed for the 650s has equally transformed for these customs as the sound goes from powerful and clean to organic and rich.  The midrange is one of the most tonally correct representations I’ve heard from a portable and although it isn’t quite on par with the McCurdy it is deeply satisfying.
   
In Conclusion
   
This amplifier is a bargain at $550 plus shipping as it is equally adept at powering IEMs on the go and demanding over-the-ear headphones.  I find that few portable amps exhibit such prowess in these categories and I’m floored at the extent to which the 627 excels in this respect.  If you do not have a dedicated desktop amplifier I would certainly recommend trying this one beforehand or, in some cases, even as a replacement.  To be very critical my only qualms with the amp are the slightly bright highs.  Take this with a grain of salt though as my main rig rolls off around 17k and I’m coming from an older tube sound.  Design wise the amp is great and the volume pot is not nearly as obtrusive as I would have thought.  It sticks out a bit but I don’t find this to be a problem ergonomically.  The light can be very bright if you are trying to do a night listening session as well.  Lastly, I question the analogue volume pot choice as I feel a stepped attenuator would have been more precise than a carbon wiper but that is a very small complaint.  Cesar’s comments here that he was unable to find an analogue stepped pot that would fit in the case, so if you know of one he’d be glad to hear from you.  Bottom line is; the amplifier is a fabulous example of an intelligent design diligently executed for world class sound.


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## melkenshawn

Great writeup! Come on the pictures aren't half bad. Just that the fingerprints on the amplifier are a little conspicuous


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## colinharding

Hehehe well they are there to stand as proof that I actually have the amplifier and that it has been used! Thanks for the compliments though, much appreciated.


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## ChrisSC

great review! thank you!


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## zenpunk

That a lot of money for three capacitors and a battery in a metal box


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## estreeter

Quote: 





zenpunk said:


> That a lot of money for three capacitors and a battery in a metal box


 
   
   
   

   
  It would seem that you value craftsmanship and IP at roughly zero dollars, not to mention the need to turn a profit on each amp. You might be happier sticking with DiY.


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## mrarroyo

Colin, does your writeup mean you liked the Portaphile 627?


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## colinharding

Hahaha....maaaaybe


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## zenpunk

Quote: 





estreeter said:


> It would seem that you value craftsmanship and IP at roughly zero dollars, not to mention the need to turn a profit on each amp. You might be happier sticking with DiY.


 
  I would love for somebody to explain to me what so innovative and revolutionary about the design...apart from an amazing full 4 hours battery life of course. Sorry for not being one of those people ready to part with $550 just because two people on the internet suggested it sounded great.


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## ClieOS

Wow, tiny font really hunts my eyes.

Thanks for the review, but it is definitely not helping to show the back side of the PCB where only the battery circuit is visible . I assume the three OPA627 and the six BUF634 are on the other, more important side of the PCB. Those chips alone would have cost over $100, so that explains why this is a pretty expensive amp.


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## colinharding

That should take care of the font issue for you.  I'll see if I can get another shot of the back of the PCB, no promises though as it is generally playing music and not apart 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




.  But yes you chip assumptions are correct.


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## ClieOS

Much better now. Thanks.


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## average_joe

Very nice review!  It powers the LCD-2 better than the Anedio D1 internal amp and adds a great sense of space even from my modded iPod.


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## colinharding

Thanks Average_Joe, it certainly does well for it's form factor.  I swear this thing has a couple EL84s in it or something with the heat it produces.


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## fusionramjet

I just ordered the Portaphile 627 and I want to also add that Cesar is a pleasure to do business with.  Within hours of placing my order, he e-mailed me, and asked if I was a member of Head-fi.  I said I was, and he said he's offering an unadvertised discount of $50 during August for Head-Fi members, and informed me to feel free to spread the word.  He seems like an awesome guy.​


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## sashaw

Quote: 





fusionramjet said:


> I just ordered the Portaphile 627 and I want to also add that Cesar is a pleasure to do business with.  Within hours of placing my order, he e-mailed me, and asked if I was a member of Head-fi.  I said I was, and he said he's offering an unadvertised discount of $50 during August for Head-Fi members, and informed me to feel free to spread the word.  He seems like an awesome guy.​


 
   
  Thanks for the info.


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## imackler

Thanks for the review!


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## colinharding

My pleasure!


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## clone1008

Thanks for the review!


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## fusionramjet

I got my Portaphile 627 a couple days ago and have listened to it for about 8 hours now.  Take my impressions with a grain of salt because I haven't listened to it very much yet, it's not burned in yet, I don't have very much experience with other amps (I have the Alo National and SR-71b, and the latter I'm comparing using single-ended mode, given the headphones I'm using), and I'm not good at describing the various parameters of sound in a way that lends itself to inter-rater comparisons.  Anyways, my setup is iPod to CLAS to (now) Portaphile 627 to Ultrasone Signature Pro.  It's my bedside rig.
 So far, I think the Portaphile 627 is AWESOME - I listen to movie trailer type music and, driven by the 627, the music comes across as extremely dynamic, impactful, and alive - very engaging, and a pleasure to listen to...
 So, I'm loving it so far!
 A minor downside for using it as a bedside rig is that the blue led light is huge and bright... kind of cool, except if you want it to be dark


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## colinharding

Hahaha yeah that blue LED is REALLY bright, I have one on my preamp as well and need to replace it with something less obnoxious.  How do you feel it compares to the ALO National?


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## fusionramjet

Yeah, it's like a blue headlight.  I'll have to A-B it with the Alo National, because I haven't listened to the National since I got the Portaphile.  Without A-Bing it, with the caveat that memory is unreliable, I can say that I'm enjoying my music a whole lot better with the Portaphile... it seems much more weighty, dynamic, engaging, and alive.


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## ishmael

It doesn't look like much. As mentioned maybe a shot of the real components would help.


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## Pappucho

Yes, the top of the board is pretty vacant which can be little misleading.  There are 13 IC's on the bottom of the board including three OPA627's and six BUF634's and all of the audio section thin film SMD resistors.  Hopefully someone can post a pic of the bottom of the board.


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## zenpunk

I am really tempted by that amp but the short  battery life is a deal breaker. Does anybody tried it with IEMs or customs to check if the battery would last a least 6 hours?


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## colinharding

My review was completed with customs, you might make 6 but that's really a stretch.  It's a class A amp so it uses quite a bit of power.  I got 5 hours max out of mine but if you listen quieter than I do you might just make 6.


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## evolutionx

If you can accept the short battery life, you will be rewarded with the sound quality. I use mine with the charger on when listening at my desktop so I always get 4 hours when I need them on the go.


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## colinharding

Finally got around to posting pics of the right side of the bread board within the original review.  Should have everything you need from those pics.  Regarding the battery life, I use mine at work so it's plugged in all day as well.  Definitely gives me at least four hours of life when I take it with me after that.  I don't think the charger supplies quite enough current (I confirmed this with Cesar) for a full charging cycle while the amplifier is on so you must turn the amplifier off, unplug the charger and the plug it back in to restart the charging cycle and get a full charge.


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## evolutionx

Using my portaphile 627 to drive the audiolab M-DAC and it does a fantastic job.  Sounds even better than the build in headphone amp.


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## placebo-fi

This amp so good, it even drives DAC


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## FACSman

Quote: 





colinharding said:


> Portaphile Review
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## FACSman

Turns out Cesar is about 10 miles from me; he offered to meet me for an audition!
   
  I've never had the opportunity to sit down with a manufacturer before; looking forward to it - hopefully next week
   
  Thanks, colinharding, for all the info
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   
  Rich


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## colinharding

Hey not a problem, definitely let us know how it goes!!


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## FACSman

Would like to provide an update: I actually got to meet Cesar Aguilera (owner of Portaphile) last week.
   
  He brought his own personal amp to my house and loaned it to me for several days; even offering to let me take it on the road for a few. Before picking it up yesterday; we chatted.
   
  Having never written a review before; here goez (sic).
   
  Gotta tell you; this is one heck of a good amp and Cesar is one heck of a great guy!
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  I tested it using an iPhone 4s, EASE LOD, Westone 4R's (stock cables - haven't gotten around to swapping them out for my Chris_Himself's recable mod) as well as the cans found in my sig.
   
  A-B'ed the 627 against Amped Up's cmoy, FiiO E11 & Gary Ali's PA2V2.
   
  What I noticed was the 627 was appreciably louder with a much broader soundstage (especially on live recordings) and tighter bass than the other amps.
   
  I heard things in the music I had either never heard before or became more expansive as well as defined; eg., the opening of the (live) Eagles "Hotel California".  
   
  Please see the attached playlist for the songs I listened to; also the new Paul Simon "Live In New York" album.
   
   
     
   
   
  I would like to personally thank Cesar for providing the opportunity to audition such a quality product.


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## FACSman

Quote: 





> EASE LOD


 
  My bad; should have read *EACE* LOD... It's by Dennis Eskens (apologies, Dennis) out of the Netherlands.


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## Pappucho

Mike of headfonia.com has just reviewed the Portaphile 627.


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## Haidar

Can anyone say more about how this sounds compared to the ALO National?
   
  Thanks


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## mrarroyo

Quote: 





pappucho said:


> Mike of headfonia.com has just reviewed the Portaphile 627.


 
   
  Nice review although I did not find the 627 grainy as stated.


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## Takeanidea

I am really interested in these. It's such a shame I'm in the UK. By the way are there any others out there based on the 627 opamp?


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## Nirmalanow

This sounded perfect for my setup, so after reading the over the top review on Headfonia (http://www.headfonia.com/possibly-the-best-the-627/) that compared it very favorably to the SR-71a and the ALO Rx Mk3, I ordered one from Cesar. It should ship out next week, and I will post my impressions when it arrives.


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## Poimandres

nirmalanow said:


> This sounded perfect for my setup, so after reading the over the top review on Headfonia (http://www.headfonia.com/possibly-the-best-the-627/) that compared it very favorably to the SR-71a and the ALO Rx Mk3, I ordered one from Cesar. It should ship out next week, and I will post my impressions when it arrives.



Did you just order it or did you contact Cesar? I sent him an email last week and haven't heard back from him yet. I was really leaning towards the 627 after average joes and mikes review however the battery life kind of changed my mind. Plus in Mikes review he stated:
"627 vs Apex Glacier

I just received the ultra slim Glacier and decides to throw it in this comparison.

The sound quality of the Glacier is very solid and definitely among the best sounding portable amps out there. Single ended, and talking purely on sound quality and ignoring power output (though the Glacier is actually quite powerful), I would immediately rank it as better than the Rx Mk3B’s sound quality (ignoring the balanced features on the Mk3B). The Glacier is very spacious and the detail retrieval is amazing, and the closest to the 627 among all the other amps I compared here. The sound is forward and lively, similar to how the Continental and RX Mk3B are which is quite a contrast from the mellower 627. However when I listen to the sound as a whole, the 627 is far more natural sounding and closer to a big desktop amp. Coherence from top to bottom is top notch with the 627, soundstage is very natural (I’ve said it for a few times now, this is among the best aspects of the 627)."

So he is basically stating that it is closest to the 627 than te other amps that he tested but also with the qualities of the alo amps with a better sq than the RX Mk3B. Although there are not many reviews on it yet that steered me towards the glacier. Plus it has a built in dac. 

Let me know how it works out for you. It should be a great amp based on the stellar reviews.


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## Nirmalanow

I would try sending another email to Cesar. He did not respond to my first email, but when I resent my message this morning, he responded immediately. So maybe he was having a problem with email. Then once I had some questions answered, I just ordered it on his website. For me the short battery life is not an issue as I have more of a transportable system, and so am often near an outlet to plug in. And my system is already pretty detailed and lively, so maybe a little more mellow will be a good thing


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## Poimandres

I am sure the 627 will be phenomenal. I just ordered the Glacier and it should be here on Friday as TTVJ just got a shipment in today.


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## Poimandres

I look forward to your thoughts.


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## Poimandres

Cesar just responded to my email and I must say he seems like a great guy. He also stated that he should be releasing a 627 with a longer runtime later on this year. I am certainly looking forward to that as that is one of the main reasons I decided to go with the Glacier.


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## Nirmalanow

Quote: 





poimandres said:


> Cesar just responded to my email and I must say he seems like a great guy. He also stated that he should be releasing a 627 with a longer runtime later on this year. I am certainly looking forward to that as that is one of the main reasons I decided to go with the Glacier.


 
   
  Yes I agree that he seems like a great guy. And that is good news that he is going to boost the battery runtime. If the amp is as good as some folks are saying, it would be a shame if the short battery life kept a lot of people from trying it. Like I said, it does not matter for me, so unless the new version also has better sound, I expect I will be happy with the amp I ordered.


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## xnuthecaveman

would/can the portaphile 627 drive the Beyerdynamic T1 to the headphone's full potential?


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## smial1966

*You know I thought that too, but after luxuriating in 4 hours of sonic bliss from my Portaphile it's extremely frustrating when the battery dies! Another irksome thing is having to switch it on and off a couple of times to charge up the capacitors. However, it does sound astonishing for a portable amplifier and I can live with these idiosyncrasies.*
   
*Andy.  *
   
  Quote: 





nirmalanow said:


> Yes I agree that he seems like a great guy. And that is good news that he is going to boost the battery runtime. If the amp is as good as some folks are saying, it would be a shame if the short battery life kept a lot of people from trying it. Like I said, it does not matter for me, so unless the new version also has better sound, I expect I will be happy with the amp I ordered.


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## gidion27

Quote: 





smial1966 said:


> *You know I thought that too, but after luxuriating in 4 hours of sonic bliss from my Portaphile it's extremely frustrating when the battery dies! *


 
  rumor has it they are building a 627 with better/larger battery.


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## Poimandres

Cesar will be however it will not be out until later on this year at the earliest.


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## TC91

Quote: 





poimandres said:


> Cesar just responded to my email and I must say he seems like a great guy. He also stated that he should be releasing a 627 with a longer runtime later on this year. I am certainly looking forward to that as that is one of the main reasons I decided to go with the Glacier.


 

 Awesome! Thanks for sharing the info!


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## gidion27

Fingers crossed that it will continue to sound as good as the current 627


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## Poimandres

nirmalanow said:


> Yes I agree that he seems like a great guy. And that is good news that he is going to boost the battery runtime. If the amp is as good as some folks are saying, it would be a shame if the short battery life kept a lot of people from trying it. Like I said, it does not matter for me, so unless the new version also has better sound, I expect I will be happy with the amp I ordered.



Did you receive the amp yet? Looking forward to your impressions.


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## luckyseventh

hey i was looking around and i saw this, and i was wondering if it would be possible to replace the battery ourselves or any thing similar to up the battery life


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## xnuthecaveman

I ordered 

 1 of this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/
B005NGKR54/ref=ox_sc_act_ti tle_3?
ie=UTF8&smid=A294P4X9EWVXLJ 

1 of this: http://www.amazon.com/BiXPower-Power-Cable-
Popular-Connector /dp/B006MWXZM0/
ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=
1356519417&sr=1-3&keywords=usb+to+dc

The items haven't arrived though.. hopefully this setup can prolong the 627


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## luckyseventh

but theres no way to open up the amp and replace the battery? because i would want to use it with my portable setup, and extra weight isnt exactly welcome


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## colinharding

There is, if you can find a battery small enough to still fit in the enclosure.  That is the reason it doesn't last very long, the current batter is the highest capacity for its size.  If you can find another that fits and can offer some more run time please let us know.


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## gidion27

I am really keen on this amp but the battery is the main problem. Probably will settle on a Sr-71B or Continental V3 instead of the 627.
   
  Ps does the 627 charge from usb? if I could charge it using labtop it might be back on my list of next purchases.


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## TC91

Is the battery easy to replace?  Or is it soldered in?


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## xnuthecaveman

I believe it is soldered in as the pictures in first page of this thread. However, you can request Cesar to use screw on terminals like what I did with mine. Since I live overseas, I reasoned that it is too impractical for me to ship it back and front just to replace the batteries. I'll just be ordering just batteries in the future 

Also I suggested to Cesar that using a terminal/socket would help the PCB (reliabilty and performance) in the long run since you not anymore soldering/desoldering (heat stress). Not sure though, if Cesar would make the use of a terminal a permanent design to his amp


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## xnuthecaveman

I believe it is soldered in as the pictures in first page of this thread. However, you can request Cesar to use screw on terminals like what I did with mine. Since I live overseas, I reasoned that it is too impractical for me to ship it back and front just to replace the batteries. I'll just be ordering just batteries in the future 

Also I suggested to Cesar that using a terminal/socket would help the PCB (reliabilty and performance) in the long run since you not anymore soldering/desoldering (heat stress). Not sure though, if Cesar would make the use of a terminal a permanent design to his amp


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## TC91

Quote: 





xnuthecaveman said:


> I believe it is soldered in as the pictures in first page of this thread. However, you can request Cesar to use screw on terminals like what I did with mine. Since I live overseas, I reasoned that it is too impractical for me to ship it back and front just to replace the batteries. I'll just be ordering just batteries in the future
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

 Awesome thanks for the information!  I will send him an email to see if he would do that for me


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## Poimandres

Quote: 





xnuthecaveman said:


> I believe it is soldered in as the pictures in first page of this thread. However, you can request Cesar to use screw on terminals like what I did with mine. Since I live overseas, I reasoned that it is too impractical for me to ship it back and front just to replace the batteries. I'll just be ordering just batteries in the future
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  Thanks for the heads up.  I contacted Cesar and my Portaphile should be ready by the end of this week or early next week with the screw terminals.  Very much looking forward to it and the dragonfly.


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## Poimandres

I wonder if I can mod the portaphile case or get a custom case made that will allow me to integrate the dragonfly with the portaphile.


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## xnuthecaveman

a custom case is a more do-able option. Not sure how small is the dragonfly, but the current case is i think fully occupied by the amp and one should also consider the heat produced by the portaphile


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## Poimandres

Fair points. How much heat does it produce? The dragonfly is the size of a normal length USB thumb drive not one of the shorter ones from what I have read.


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## xnuthecaveman

The stock case feels significantly warm when in operation since it's a class A amp, but Cesar is still the best person to answer regarding the exact amount of heat.


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## Poimandres

I decided to order the odac case to try to get the dragonfly installed in it. Hopefully my 627 will be shipping out soon.


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## Poimandres

Just received notification that my 627 shipped. Should be here on Tuesday.


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## MusicalChillies

Quote: 





clieos said:


> Wow, tiny font really hunts my eyes.
> 
> Thanks for the review, but it is definitely not helping to show the back side of the PCB where only the battery circuit is visible
> 
> ...


 
   
  This is not far off what I am sitting with, albeit 4x 634`s. This would have to sound pretty spot on to cost £200 more.
   
  Edit: Price


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## Poimandres

musicalchillies said:


> This is not far off what I am sitting with, albeit 4x 634`s. This would have to sound pretty spot on to cost £200 more.
> 
> Edit: Price




I am not sure if I understand where you were going with that.


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## Poimandres

I contacted Cesar regarding the output impedance of the 627 as I ordered a dacport lx to pair with it until the odac's are shipping again from JDS. 

If anyone is curious as I do not believe it is stated anywhere, this is what he said:
 I measured an output impedance of .09 using a 10 ohm load and .7 using a 322 ohm load.


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## Poimandres

Received the 627 today and it is currently charging. Will update later after I get a chance to spend some time with it.


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## xnuthecaveman

the external battery that I bought already arrived, it is able to power the amp even if the portaphile's internal battery ran out


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## Poimandres

I have created a Portaphile Appreciation Thread http://www.head-fi.org/t/648574/portaphile-appreciation-thread
  My first impressions are located there as well.


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## Mython

Quote: 





colinharding said:


> Thanks Average_Joe, it certainly does well for it's form factor.  I swear this thing has a couple EL84s in it or something with the heat it produces.


 
   
   
  Am I to take it that this thing is too hot to use in a jacket pocket, then?
   
  The DX100 gets pretty warm, but I get the impression that the 627 runs _*hot *..?_


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## xnuthecaveman

depending on the hp used, It's equally as warm as the dx100  

the portaphile runs cooler when you load it with something power hungry, in my case a T50rp


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## xnuthecaveman

depending on the hp used, It's equally as warm as the dx100  

the portaphile runs cooler when you load it with something power hungry, in my case a T50rp


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## Mython

Quote: 





xnuthecaveman said:


> depending on the hp used, It's equally as warm as the dx100
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
   
  I'm contemplating using it with sensitive CIEMs


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## colinharding

Quote: 





mython said:


> Am I to take it that this thing is too hot to use in a jacket pocket, then?
> 
> The DX100 gets pretty warm, but I get the impression that the 627 runs _*hot *..?_


 
   
  It will certainly work in your jacket pocket, but it will get a tad hot.  Certainly won't burn you by any means but you'll feel a little extra warmth.  I'd just keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't overheat, but you really should be fine.  It was designed to run at this temperature (class A so naturally there is a lot of energy lost through heat).


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## Mython

Quote: 





colinharding said:


> It was designed to run at this temperature (class A so naturally there is a lot of energy lost though heat).


 
   
   
  LOL...yeah, hence the outrageous 4 hr battery life, right?  
   
   
  Still, the 627_*x *_looks set to remedy that.


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## jiebing

My 627(not 627x) had remake its Circuit(not change its battery). Now it has about more than 7 hours to play. It now have less heating power.
  
I have two 627 and They look different. But remake its Circuit don't have change its voice.
  
The 627 have a perfect voice. I think this change will be a breakthrough!


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## xnuthecaveman

What remakes did you do? Is it by Ceasar?


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## Shini44

hey guys wanted to tell you that the old Portaphile 627 version will be back in a new "panel" design, which is better ofc, yet this will be for a limited number, man i can't wait to have mine, if some head-fiers want it then don't miss the golden chance.

 for those who want to know what is the difference between the old and the new version, lets say the new version lack the hint of warmth that the old versions had, which is why so many people were starving to get the old version from the sale threads

 the new version isn't bad or anything , its just that audiophile who want Neutral + hint of warmth and smoothness can't get that sound sig with the new versions
  
  
 anyway if you want to pre order it will be for 449$ + shipping  , contact Portaphile's Cesar on this email : http://smartbuys@usa.com



 oh i forgot to say that i had the Pico Power and the old Portaphile 627, and i would pick the 627 over the Pico Power anytime ^^

 even AVG Joe stated that its the best amp he ever had, which got me to buy the old version to begin with, check Joe's review in this link: http://www.head-fi.org/t/585786/multi-portable-amp-thread-16-amps-reviewed-leckerton-uha-6s-mkii-added


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## Shini44

My Portaphile 627 (old version + new panel) is here   i love this amp a lot!!  it does outshine the Hugo's amp section, and sound better than my old pico power ^^


  

  
 also the blue LED isn't annoying as the older panel, got to love this Edition


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## Shini44

.


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## Sound Eq

is this more powerful than alo mk3B for my audeze lcd2 and does it have bass boost


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