Tube preamplifier in Bluetooth headphones? This is the Écoute TH1

Although this may sound complicated to the average user, in practice it means transferring technology from expensive, stationary hi-fi sets straight to our heads. This is equipment that is supposed to offer a natural sound that has never been seen before in Bluetooth devices.

Most popular wireless headphones operate on one integrated SoC that supports Bluetooth connectivity, decodes the transmitted sound and provides additional functions. In this configuration, the entire audio path is enclosed in one, very energy-efficient system. More expensive models may include, for example, a separate, higher-class DAC.

The creators of Écoute TH1 took a completely different path. Instead of relying solely on digital components, they used a physical signal chain that ensures that the music sounds exactly as planned in the recording studio.

The most interesting element of the new design is the miniature Nutube 6P1 vacuum tube, which serves as a preamplifier. Traditional tube amplifiers are loved by connoisseurs of good sound because they give music a warm and organic sound, removing the digital harshness. Until now, to enjoy such quality, you had to connect the headphones with a cable to the stationary equipment. Now this technology has been included in Bluetooth headphones, and the turquoise lamp itself can even be viewed through a special window in the left earcup.

However, packing such advanced components into headphones has consequences in terms of the weight of the device. The equipment weighs as much as 424 grams. There are also 40 mm drivers with a titanium coating, ensuring a frequency response of 20 Hz – 20 kHz. The headphones are equipped with active noise reduction (ANC) and support for Bluetooth 5.3 with the LDAC codec, and the built-in battery is enough for 20 hours of listening, and after it is discharged, you can use the classic 3.5 mm audio cable or the USB-C connector.

Écoute TH1 has an aluminum housing and replaceable memory foam ear pads. Users also have a mobile application at their disposal, which allows them to precisely tune the sound at the digital level before it goes to the analog tube.

Écoute TH1 headphones are priced at PLN 4,525 and can be purchased on the manufacturer’s website.