RRP: $599.00, $449.00 at Amazon.com

The Little Country III Headphone Amp and Preamp is the next instalment in the Little Country range from Audiophile Products, and what a great update it is. Audiophile products are known for their excellent series of headphone amps and the Little Country III fits well with this tradition. The first thing that will strike you about the Little Country III is the strikingly designed front panel. Housed in an aluminium chassis, the red anodised oused front panel has small cartoon characters, oriental symbols, bamboos, and clouds engraved into it which will be a big turn on for the design freaks out there. A large volume attenuator and headphone jack are also located on the front panel of the main unit. The amp itself comes with a separate power supply that has been designed to minimise any interference caused by the mains. This type of attention to detail raises the Little Country III to a higher level than most of the other headphone tube amps we have come across. On the rear panel, we find an auxiliary input, pre-out and bypass phono slots which mean that the amp can be used as a preamp for a home system as well as a headphone amp for the office or wherever else it might be needed. On the top panel, two 6922 Electro Harmonix tubes can be found peeking out of the chassis. The sunken tube design mean that you will not be admiring the glowing tubes when the amp is in use but this does not take away too much from the overall amp design.

When it comes to audio performance, the Little Country III really lives up to our high expectations. The volume attenuator means that the balance between left and right channels at each volume level is perfect, and with a decent pair of headphones, the amp really sings. The soundstage is rich, detailed and warm with clear highs, a well rounded midrange and good bass. Vocals have room to express themselves and the amp does a great job of reproducing the timbre of strings and wind instruments. All in all, a very good performance that lives up to Audiophile Products reputation for high-end amp excellence. On a side note, the amp really needs to be matched with a good pair of headphones to get the full benefit from the audiophile quality sound produced. When you consider the amp is available for Little Country III, you are really getting excellent value for money with this product. Highly recommended.

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