Denafrips Hades Preamplifier
This review wraps up a year-long, Audiophilia tour of the Denafrips electronics lineup. Collectively we have sampled digital components and amplifiers, from entry-level to top-of-the-line and now we round out the expedition with Denafrips’ newest preamplifier, the Hades ($1327).
Denafrips is a China-based manufacturer of high-performance, high-value, generally over-engineered electronics represented globally by Vinshine Audio of Singapore. Vinshine was kind enough to ship the Hades Preamplifier and recently reviewed Hyperion Power Amplifier together but the two components deserve their own thorough review.
On paper, the Hades and Hyperion make a natural pair with their identical footprints and similar price tags. Sonically they’re a great match as well—let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. We need to understand how the Hades stands on its own in addition to playing nicely with its siblings.
Preamplifiers are the sonic and interactive heart of a high-end system. And the heart of a preamp, to me anyway, is the volume control. The magic of a great preamp always seems to have something to do with the volume control, which is why the Hades is so intriguing.
Features
In keeping with Denafrips’ ethos, the feature set of the Hades is a quality over quantity situation.
There are some serious goodies under the hood though, most notably the volume control. Denafrips gained notoriety through their R2R DACs and they utilized that R2R know-how to create a relay-controlled, 60-step resistor ladder volume attenuator. First deployed in the entry-level Hestia Preamplifier, the circuit in the Hades contains resistors with tighter tolerances and through-hole mounting. Other upgrades relative to the Hestia include a lower noise power supply and a larger 80VA O-core transformer.
One notable specification that could easily be overlooked is the gain of 0 dB, referred to as unity gain. This can be duly ignored by many but may become important when matching the Hades with more esoteric gear.
Its minimal, all-analog feature set will allow the Hades to serve many years without becoming obsolete. DACs and network connectivity built into affordable integrated amps are great but a preamp, regardless of price, doesn’t need them. Keeping the unit simple contributes greatly to the value and longevity of this unit. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about many high-end preamps on the market today.
Specifications
Pure Class-A, True Balanced, Fully Discrete Premium Line Stage
60 Steps Microprocessor Controlled Relay Based Stepped Attenuator
Precision Matched Through-Hole High Precision Resistors & Components with Perfect Channel Balance And Low Distortion
Remote Controlled
Inputs: IN1 - XLR1, IN2 - XLR2, IN3 - RCA
Single-Ended 12.2K Ohms, Balanced - 60K Ohms
Outputs: RCA at 2.0Vrms, XLR at 4.0Vrms
Output Impedance: Single-Ended 200 Ohms, Balanced - 400 Ohms
AC Power Requirement: 100-240VAC, 50/60Hz (Worldwide Voltage)
Power Consumption: 1W (Idle), 25W (Operational)
Frequency Response:10-85k（-0.3dB）
THD: 0.00045%
S/N Ratio: 122dB
Dynamic Range: >121dB
Stereo Crosstalk: -110dB
Dimensions: 320W x 380D x 60H mm (80H with Feet)
Weight: 9 Kg
Colours: Silver or Black
Warranty: 36 Months
Design & Build
As expected from Denafrips, the build quality of the Hades ($1327) is beyond reproach. The casework and connections are built to an extremely high standard. The symmetrical machined aluminum volume and input knobs give the face a composed and clean look. While the Hades is beautiful on its own there is an undeniable rightness of proportion when it rests below (as shown below) or on top of the Hyperion.
In Use
The setup and operation of the Hades are a thing of beauty. AC Power: check, inputs: check, output: check. The left button handles standby, mute and source selection while the right handles volume. Interacting with knobs is an absolute pleasure. The tactile quality is wonderful. Both rotate infinitely with slight resistance and light detents. Best of all is the glorious relay click of each volume step. A nice bonus of the volume implementation is that there’s no over-or under-shooting of the desired level as on many motorized potentiometers.
The balanced circuits surely do best with all XLR connections but the flexibility of the RCA input and output is a smart touch.
Review System
Preamplifier reviews are tough. Even for a purist piece like the Hades, there are just so many potential system configurations to try that shuffling of gear and the cable spaghetti can be overwhelming. The effort was worth it, though, to ensure the Hades got a proper workout.
A consistent analog source was my Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Turntable with the Ortofon 2M Red cartridge and the iFi ZEN Phono, which allowed me to feed the balanced and unbalanced inputs of the Hades. For digital, I relied on the brand new Ferrum ERCO DAC (review forthcoming), also offering balanced outputs. Downstream, the Hades fed the Denafrips Hyperion Power Amplifier or my own Parasound HCA-750A. Serving as an additional reference was the Cambridge EVO 150 All-in-One Player. My Wharfedale Diamond 10.2 served as an easy-going reference speaker while the new PSB Synchrony B600 (review forthcoming) provided extra detail and insight. In case that wasn’t enough, I even took the Hades out on the town to meet some friends.
Hades in black
Listening
In my experience preamplifiers most noticeably contribute to a system’s overall presentation in the areas of imaging and soundstage, and the noise floor which can contribute to that sought-after “black background” effect. These are what I first listened for as I started getting serious with the Hades. Dipping my toes in the universe of Wagner, I queued up a Sheffield Labs LP of Erich Leinsdorf leading the LA Phil in a direct to disc recording choice of Wagner selections (Sheffield Labs, LAB-7, 1978). I’m no expert on the playing but this is a superbly recorded LP with immense dynamic range.
Both sides are brilliant but I couldn't get enough of the rich narrative contained within “Siegfried's Funeral Music” from Götterdämmerung. During the first spin, I had to ramp down the volume during the brass fanfare because I was totally caught off guard by the explosive dynamics. The experience was similar through other components like the Cambridge EVO 150, but the Hades had the edge in terms of purity and white knuckle, wide-open-throttle dynamics.
After a long wait, my audiophile buddy, Josh, took delivery of a pair of brand new Zu Soul Supreme Loudspeakers. Naturally, the Hades and Hyperion review loaners took a field trip to play with these sensitive and lively speakers. The Soul Supremes are incredibly fun speakers that command attention, but not in the typical audiophile ways. They grab whatever signal is fed to them and just rock out. So they like that signal to be squeaky clean. We fed the Denafrips combo and Zus with Josh’s Technics SL-1200 with Ortofon 2M Red and Schiit Mani Phono stage. The Hades (and Hyperion) no doubt provided a clean signal with a low noise floor allowing for uninhibited dynamics.
What does that actually mean for the music? We spun a couple of LPs from Warp Records’ finest artists in Flying Lotus and Bibio. In this system, the speakers were the star of the show—and that is absolutely a compliment for the preamp. How? The music had such immediacy and texture to it, giving the impression there was hardly anything between the stylus and speakers. The complex mix of instruments, samples and effects on Flying Lotus’s You're Dead (Warp, 2014) has, in the past, struck me as a challenging listen. Yet here, on the Zu/Denafrips system every last detail was not just discernible but engrossing. Bibio likewise blends acoustic instruments with electronica and even recorded some material on Ribbons outdoors. No black backgrounds here, but that immediacy manifested itself in a captivating sense of space.
In terms of usability, the 0dB of gain and 60-step volume control of the Hades was fantastic for the 97dB-sensitive Zus. Somehow we always ended up right in the meat of the volume range.
Experiencing treasured favourite recordings in a brand new way on a great system is indeed some of the most enjoyable moments in the audio hobby. But, if a great system does such justice to our old-time favourites, it should also give similar treatment to newly discovered music. That is to say, HiFi equipment can also be a tool for exploration. The most compelling album I discovered while reviewing the Hades was Rural Blues, a combined reissue of two classic LPs from Louisiana blues musicians Robert Pete Williams and Snooks Eaglin (Fantasy, 1973). This music is the furthest thing from typical reference material but well worth seeking out for blues fans.
Both recordings, featuring the singers accompanying themselves on guitar, are documents with a powerful sense of time, place, and context that make for a rich experience listening. These beautifully imperfect records contain a wealth of sonic information that transports the listener right to the humble locations where they were captured. Of all the electronics I had in the house, the Denafrips proved most adept at disappearing and letting me get up close and personal with the music. We audiophiles come across all kinds of recordings on our journey and our equipment should be a dependable reference for listening and I found the Hades was just that.
Conclusion
After many weeks, the Hades ($1327) has made an impression on me, but, does it actually have a sound? On the one hand, it’s almost invisible. Invisible in the sense that it’s hard to pin down what the Hades adds to a recording. On the other hand, it’s visible in the sense that its absence becomes obvious when it’s removed. The Hades lets the music come through and defers to other components, both upstream and downstream, in terms of leaving sonic fingerprints all over. In any configuration I tried, Hades was the sonic glue that held everything together. The Hades should suit anyone looking for a neutral preamplifier without any superfluous features. The thoughtful upgrades over its predecessor help it play well in higher-end systems and further add to its value. So refined and consistent was the Hades that I would not blink seeing it installed in systems with all but the highest-end equipment. If you need a preamplifier but don’t want to think about it when you sit down to listen, make your preamplifier a Hades.
Further information: Denafrips
