{"id":32708,"date":"2022-08-01T13:39:51","date_gmt":"2022-08-01T11:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/?p=32708"},"modified":"2024-06-04T13:13:55","modified_gmt":"2024-06-04T11:13:55","slug":"denafrips-hestia-and-athena-preamps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hifi-advice.com\/blog\/amplifier-reviews\/preamplifier-reviews\/denafrips-hestia-and-athena-preamps\/","title":{"rendered":"Denafrips Hestia and Athena preamplifiers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Review sample supplied by Vinshine Audio<\/a>
\nRetail prices including 21% VAT:
\nHestia – 1.236 euro
\nAthena – 2.290 euro<\/h4>\n

Denafrips has 3 analog preamps in their portfolio: the entry-level Hestia, the middle model Hades, which is based on the Hestia with improvements in key areas, and the Athena, which is the top model. For this review, I will be listening to the Hesta and the Athena.<\/p>\n

Hestia<\/h3>\n

The Hestia is Denafrips’ entry-level analog preamp. It is what the manufacturer describes as a Pure Class-A, True Balanced, Fully Discrete Line Stage with a 60-Step Microprocessor Controlled Relay Based Stepped Attenuator, Precision-Matched Resistors & Components with Perfect Channel Balance And Low Distortion. A very low measure of 0.000230% distortion is quoted. The Hestia offers 2 XLR inputs and a single RCA input. Outputs are available in XLR and RCA.<\/p>\n

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Athena<\/h3>\n

The Athena is the company’s flagship full-sized, True Balanced, Class-A biased preamplifier. It is equipped with the advanced microprocessor CPLD discrete relay-based 60-step volume control, coupled with current drive Darlington arrays network and precision-matched Military-Spec Metal Film Resistors, quoted to yield perfect channel balance with ultra-low distortion THD+N at 0.000120%.<\/p>\n

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Denafrips is a strong believer in how clean power equates to the foundation of good sound quality. Whereas the Hestia’s internal components all share the same single housing, the Athena’s more elaborate design features a separate power supply section, encapsulated in a double metal shield.<\/p>\n

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In the same chassis, the encapsulated power supply unit is located underneath the main control board – with double layers of MU Metal sheets shielded in between.<\/p>\n

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The separate section suppresses harmful EMI\/EMF from the PSU. Further, multiple stages of Low Drop Out (LDO) voltage regulators and a large capacitors bank provide clean power to the Class A circuitry. The Athena offers 3 XLR inputs and a single RCA input. Outputs are available in 2x XLR and 1x RCA.<\/p>\n

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Hestia on top of Athena showing the inputs and outputs. with the Hestia, all connectors are placed from the inside to the outside in a mirrored fashion for the left- and right channels and for both the inputs and outputs. For the Athena, the inputs are again mirrored but the outputs deviate from this logic by being positioned sequentially: RCA R, RCA L, XLR1 R, XLR1 L, XLR2 R, XLR2 L.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The remote control unit is machined from a single block of aluminum, anodized in black color.\u00a0It controls the preamp volume, source selection, and the dimming of the display. In addition, it also controls the Avatar’s transport functions.<\/p>\n

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Review Context<\/h3>\n

The core of the main system<\/a> in which the two preamps will be tested consists of the CH Precision C1<\/a> DAC and normally the L1<\/a> preamp, with the CH Precision A1.5<\/a> power amp, Grimm MU1<\/a>,\u00a0Antipodes K50<\/a>, and Taiko Audio Extreme Music Servers, and Magico S1 MkII speakers. For speaker cables, I use the Mad Scientist Black Magic<\/a>. More details can be found on the Main System<\/a> page.<\/p>\n

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For all comparisons in this review, I used the CH C1 DAC and all-Driade Flow Link Reference 808<\/a> cables, both XLR and RCA. For power cables, I used Belden 19364 with Bals Schukos and Oyaide C-004 IECs. The preamps were positioned alternately by themselves on an Artesania Modular Rack<\/a>. Where both preamps can be seen on top of each other, this was during running in and only for non-critical listening.<\/p>\n

Before any serious listening, I made sure to leave both preamps running for well over two weeks during which I checked the sound now and then. I’m not sure how much they had been used already but if there was some running in left to do, it did not result in huge shifts in sound.<\/p>\n

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Hestia<\/h3>\n

Starting with the small but surprisingly heavy and very sturdily-built Hestia, the sound is solid, upbeat, lively, and hugely expressive. It’s very much a toe-tapping kind of delivery, speedy and full of joy. The Hestia may cost what a spoilt audiophile would refer to as peanuts-money, but it offers a level of detail and uncolored linearity that I did not expect. In spite of being very open and explicit, the Hestia is not clinical, nor harmonically deprived. There is also no wooliness, softness, or rounding and not even a hint of artifice. Where cheaper products often fail is in the natural portrayal of tonality and harmonics, the timbre, and here too, the Hestia does not let down. I could also not fault its focus or soundstaging.<\/p>\n

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It is only to be expected that an entry-level preamp would not score high marks across the board but it is important to note that what sins the Hestia has, are of omission, not of commission. Its sins of omission are in the fields of finesse, fluidity, and refinement.<\/p>\n

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The Hestia will not add warmth or richness and it can sound a bit dry, making it not necessarily lacking magic but certainly not adding it. In other words, this will simply not be the ideal preamp if you are looking for tube richness or -liquidity. It is a transistor design, and the preamp does not hide it. Some might find it has a matter-of-fact kind of delivery but you really can’t fault its unadulterated performance.<\/p>\n

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The front panels are curved differently but the Hestia has the same overall dimensions as the Pontus II DAC. Alas, all Denafrips DACs had continued their journeys before I started this preamp review but you can be sure that any of the Denafrips DACs would have made a fine pairing.<\/em><\/p>\n

The preamp has great control and is delightfully direct but it is also a little rough and “square”. What this aids immensely, is the bass, which is as robust as I have heard it from a preamp in any price category. The tricky thing is that this behavior also extends into the treble, where it leads to a sense of dryness and a hint of roughness.<\/p>\n

When taking the CH L1 into account, it is a bit like comparing two TV screens that are both faithful in terms of color, brightness, and contrast, where the L1 is like a 4K screen and the Hestia 720pix, in other words, good in every sense and better than standard definition, but not HD. With this as its only major flaw, I am still amazed that the Hestia can achieve this at its very modest retail price. More importantly, the preamp compensates for this with great dynamics and a bass that is well-controlled yet robust and neither lean nor fat. More to the point, in this price range, I don’t think it has competition.<\/p>\n

Comparing the XLR input to the RCA input, again using a Flow Link Reference 808 interlink, I hear much the same differences between the XLR and RCA cables as I hear using the L1 as a preamp, which is hardly any difference at all. As I heard before, the balance is the same but the XLR cable is just a tad tighter and more controlled. The exact same goes for the Hestia’s XLR\/RCA outputs. This goes to show that the Hestia’s input\/output section is very transparent. Very well done for an entry-level preamp.<\/p>\n

Next: Athena<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Athena<\/h3>\n

After swapping to the Athena, it is immediately clear that this model has all of the Hestia’s strong assets, and then some! This might seem only logical when you step up two models in a manufacturer’s range, but all too often, certain qualities are exchanged for others. Not here.<\/p>\n

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Like the Hestia, the Athena sounds robust, articulate, fast, utterly neutral, direct, expressive, and wide-open. Its timbre is just as natural, and so are its pacing, lyricism, and enthusiasm. In addition, and this is what easily validates the extra expenditure, it offers a significantly higher resolution, if not quite 4K yet, certainly well into full-HD territory.<\/p>\n

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In an absolute sense, compared to my reference, as well as to the supremely refined and extremely high-res Denafrips Terminator II DAC, the Athena is still a little rough (or call it less fluid or less high-res) but it is significantly more refined than the Athena, so much so, that it is no longer an issue to worry about, certainly not in this price range. Also, as with the Hestia, the Athena compensates with its sheer enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

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Denafrips DACs do not have built-in volume control and thus cannot be connected to a power amp directly and this is where the analog preamps come into the picture. From experience with plenty of other products, I know that an analog preamp can quite easily add fluidity and flow but all too often at the expense of bass precision or the overall level of expression. With the Athena, one needs not to worry about that even one bit. Its bass is one of its strongest assets and you can be sure that the Athena preamp will retain all of the DACs robustness and solidity.<\/p>\n

Once again, I compared the XLR and RCA inputs and outputs, and once again, the difference was minimal. I had the impression that the Athena fared slightly better with XLR than RCA, more so than the Hestia, but the difference really is quite minimal. It was just enough for me to prefer the XLR inputs and outputs.<\/p>\n

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Like the Hestia, or any Denafrips product, the Athena preamp does not try to emulate tubes and I can only applaud it for that. In my opinion, it’s best to stick with a design and maximize its potential rather than trying to mimic a different technology’s qualities. More often than not, doing so results in obtaining the worst<\/em> of both technologies, rather than the aspired best of both worlds.\u00a0It seems that it’s only when you get to the ultra-high-end (with preamps such as those made by CH Precision, Aries Cerat, Spectral, Soulution<\/a>, and others in the “eye-watering” price range) that tube- and transistor designs start delivering sound without their respective technologies’ typical downsides.<\/p>\n

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I realize that comparing these Denafrips preamplifiers with the CH L1 is relatively pointless. After all, when you are shopping in CH Precision price territory, you will probably not look at a Denafrips, and vice versa. Yes, the L1 sure is better, fortunately, or they would be in trouble! It offers a more fluid, refined, high-res, ethereal, and ultimately more complete and convincing performance. But an interesting extra takeaway from this comparison is that at its 10x higher price, I can’t honestly say that it also offers 10x better performance. So, how much better is it? Well, enough to shell out the extra cash for if you can afford it. For everyone else, the Athena leaves little to worry about. It will certainly be hard to find a better preamp in this price category.<\/p>\n

The reason why I made the above comparison in the first place is that the L1 is my reference, and as such, everything else should be compared to it in order for me to know just where the product stands. But as it turned out, the Athena comes closer to the L1 than it has a right to at its very modest price. In fact, from memory, I had the strong feeling that it comes closer than the Audio-GD Master 1. This was my cue to reconnect this preamp.<\/p>\n

Audio-GD Master 1<\/h3>\n

The Master 1<\/a> was the first truly great Chinese preamp that I heard as part of my review in 2019. At 1399 euros, I found that it put in a ridiculously good performance, and as a consequence, it became an HFA Favorite. In 2020, I got my first taste of Denafrips with the Venus DAC<\/a>, and right away, this set the bar high for the brand.\u00a0 And when I reviewed the Terminator Plus<\/a> in 2021 and found that it was one of the finest DACs that I had heard, the brand truly had me convinced. Up until that time I had not heard a Denafrips preamplifier but based on the excellence of their DACs, my gut feeling was that it would put up strong competition for the Master 1. So, let’s find out precisely how they compare!<\/p>\n

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As I found during the initial comparisons, the Master 1 needs some time to come on song, about 2 hours. Prior to that, it sounds solid and sonorous, but compared to the very crisp Denafrips preamps, a little dark and somewhat diffuse and muffled. So, to be safe, I left it switched on overnight and resumed my comparisons the next day. It’s always a good idea to leave preamps and DACs always switched on.<\/p>\n

Between the Hestia and the Master 1, I need to hand it to the latter for sounding richer, more fluid, and more highly resolving, as well as more mature overall. Interestingly, the Hestia is tighter and slightly spicier, but on balance, I find that the Master 1 sounds more fully developed.<\/p>\n

Between the Athena and the Master 1, both preamps put in an impactful and even-handed performance and you could say the performance is more similar than different, but there are a few differences.\u00a0 That said, the Master 1 has bigger, fuller, and richer bass, but it’s less articulate. Like the Athena, the Master 1 is essentially neutral but its midrange is smoother and a touch richer. For this, it could be considered more organic if less transparent. Like the Hestia, the Athena is purer and more direct, and this makes for a very open and communicative midrange whilst that of the Master 1 is a little bit more relaxed and sweet.<\/p>\n

At first, I had a hard time deciding which of the two I preferred. The resolution and focus are very similar between the two, as is the soundstaging size, in width at least. In terms of soundstage depth, I feel that the Master 1 perhaps reaches a little more deeply but it could also be a psycho-acoustic effect due to its less crispy and slightly more overall laidback delivery. The Master 1’s richer sound can be soothing and more forgiving, but the Athena’s more articulate and incisive delivery unveils more of what’s going on in the source. Especially with recordings that are inherently a little muddy, the Athena has a knack for still presenting all the details in an upbeat and expressive manner.<\/p>\n

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So, between the Master 1 and the Athena, does it come down to “pleasing” versus “analytical”? Well, although some might find the Athena to be a little clean indeed, I feel that it is never clean or revealing to the point of being clinical. The preamp’s well-balanced delivery and very natural timbre prevent that from happening. I can see how the Master 1 might appeal to people who prefer some more warmth or smoothness. But the Athena is more articulate and expressive, as well as a little bit more revealing, and for me, that positions it on a higher audiophile level.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

I am a big fan of avoiding potentiometers for volume control. One of the best alternatives is to use an array of discrete resistors, controlled via relays. As it so happens, both Denafrips preamps offer precisely this!<\/p>\n

Both the Hestia and Athena put in a performance that frankly does not match their respective price tags. They both perform in an utterly neutral, highly linear, timbrally correct, expressive, and dynamic manner, and they do so consistently with both RCA\/XLR inputs and outputs.\u00a0 Additionally, they are a joy to operate while their large (dimmable-) LED displays are a blessing for the near-sighted (like me!).<\/p>\n

The Hestia can’t be faulted in its price category. If the budget does not stretch beyond, say, 1500 euros, then look no further. The Athena further ups the sound quality and performs so well that I can recommend it unconditionally, even if the budget stretches considerably further.<\/p>\n

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Associated Equipment<\/a><\/p>\n

External Links<\/h3>\n

Manufacturer: Denafrips<\/a>
\nAvailable from: Vinshine Audio<\/a><\/p>\n

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