Heed Audio Elixir

Black was not available in the US and I liked the Silver anyway. The pictures on the coffee table are mine and those are my two killer amps!
 
Let me quote Heed Audio from a thread I started on another forum...

"As for the Elixir’s positioning, the project began two years ago with the profound wish of a number of French dealers to have a Brio-R alternative. However, we have realised soon that we cannot make an integrated amp as cheap as the Brio-R. So it has become clear that we have to change the original concept somewhat and, in order to justify the higher price, we better take the bull by the horns and create a completely new integrated amp which offers more than the Brio-R both sonically and feature-wise, yet ranging below the Obelisk Si3 in the Heed amplifier hierarchy.

The Elixir sports an MM phono stage roughly comparable to our Questar MM (£300) and an exceptionally good headphone preamp which is almost as good as our Canalot costing £550, so if you add these two figures together, you have the pure integrated amp actually for free. Joke aside, Neville Roberts discovered it quickly and compared the Elixir very favourably to the more expensive Elex-R in his Hi-Fi Choice review („As well as the similarity in the name, the Elixir compares well with Rega’s full-width Elex-R integrated amplifier with its similar range of features – the latter costing around Ł150 more …. the Heed is a formidable contender for audio fans looking for a multitalented amplifier at a real-world price.”)"
 
I noticed the update to your signature several days ago. Piqued my interest and I already did a bunch of reading. Very interesting.

- Woody
 
Listening to phono at present...wow. This really is a great amp and should be a candidate for a lot of "product of the year" awards. Bang for the buck is off the scale!
 
How does it compare to the Sonneteer Alabaster? I was considering the Alabaster but the lack of remote and HP output are big minuses. Heat and price are also a minor deterrents.
I don't own a turntable so the phono sections of either are of little relevance.
Also - have you by any chance compared either to Naim?
 
Very nice Art, love the shoebox style amps, always have since the first Nait I had back in mid 80's. Nice that they sound great too. The Heeds have always perked my interest.

What the devil is on your TV screen in the middle pic, Art? Ooops, sorry, this is supposed to be about the Heed.....
 
Must have been a commercial or something...I noticed that in the pic also. Never watch any thing risqué...on the big TV anyway. I like it's presence in the pic though...just sayin!
 
How does it compare to the Sonneteer Alabaster? I was considering the Alabaster but the lack of remote and HP output are big minuses. Heat and price are also a minor deterrents.
I don't own a turntable so the phono sections of either are of little relevance.
Also - have you by any chance compared either to Naim?

The Alabaster is in a different league relative to refinement and detail. I did find that Sonneteer amps do have a bit of a gray character at the very top. They also have a real Class A sound. Now that it has a phono stage it is a killer deal. Per the distributor the exchange rate makes this a good time to buy a Sonneteer.

As far as the Heed it beats the pants off the Brio-R and the Naim Nait 5si. It is a killer amp. I was blown away by how good the phono stage is...just have to remember that it has a long run in period.

If you don't need phono I would also consider the Heed Obelisk Si III.
 
I can't demo the Heed locally. In fact the Elixir doesn't even appear on the Canadian distributor's website. I've been procrastinating borrowing the Alabaster because I'm still debating whether I'm willing to sacrifice a HP output and remote for that last iota of musicality.
I was hoping you would tell me that you replaced the Alabaster by the little Heed because it was better sounding. That might be enough for me to take a chance on it sight unseen. The gray character of the Alabaster you mention reminds me a bit of my Nait XS 2 but I know a local reviewer (and Naim owner) that bought the Alabaster after reviewing it.
 
Where did you buy yours from Art? I can't see the pictures here at work, why two amps?
 
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