Audio Master 9mk3 is the equivalent
Audio-GD Master-19 REVIEW
MARCH 2022
KEVIN FISKE GETS TO GRIPS WITH A CHINESE-MADE HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER WITH THE ABILITY TO RE-SHAPE HIS VIEW ON WHAT CONSTITUTES VALUE FOR MONEY IN THIS FAST-GROWING MARKET SECTOR
Audio-GD’s Master-19 headphone amplifier isn’t alone in appearing to offer remarkable value for money: Am Fang’s company Audio Music ploughed a relatively lonely furrow until recently, but now it has
been joined by other privately-held Chinese vendors including Denafrips, Holo, Jay’s Audio and Hifiman, offering products that pose a direct challenge performance-wise to Western ones. So what to expect of a headphone amplifier and line stage that costs just over £900? To dismiss Audio-GD’s Master-19 because it costs so relatively little would be a real mistake, and one I nearly made myself.
I had originally wanted to try the company’s flagship Master-9 headphone amplifier since it gets good reviews within the Head-fi community, but European distributor Magna HiFi in the Netherlands told me that
Conclusion
I found the Audio-GD Master-19’s user interface to be a bit clunky via the front panel buttons and display. But in every other respect this combined headphone amplifier/ line stage is notably wellengineered, powerful and sonically satisfying.
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Kevin Fiske - The EAR
Master 9 mk3
Master 19 equivalent