Interesting: The Envy is a Class‑A headphone tube amplifier featuring a transformer‑coupled symmetric output and a semiconductor rectifier. The heart of the above‑mounted tube configuration is two fairly robust—and not exactly inexpensive—H300B power tubes.
Feliks Audio has released two H300B Envy options to ease the budget. The Envy base unit contains a pair of matching Electro‑Harmonix Gold 300B power tubes, while the Performance Edition includes a set of matching Full‑Music 300B triode power tubes with gold mesh.
Feliks Audio Envy Amplifier
Two key points: First is the Envy’s single‑ended Class‑A topology, designed to keep unwanted distortion as low as possible.
Second is the use of a semiconductor rectifier to keep the output tight and punchy, avoiding the traditional tube‑rectifier “suck” or limp low ends. This is something the Envy does exceptionally well.
The Envy amplifier is built in “point‑to‑point” technology, meaning each component is wired directly to the next. In the Performance Edition, point‑to‑point connections are specifically made from single‑crystal copper (UPOCC) with Teflon insulation.
The front end starts with an Alps RK27 potentiometer, followed by a two‑stage preamp using CV‑181‑T MKII power tubes and nitrogen‑filled Jantzen Superior Z‑cap coupling capacitors.
Both the output transformers and the power transformer were custom made by Polish transformer specialist EDIS Ogonowski.
The amplifier features fully automatic pre‑biasing, and its electrical circuitry is designed to be back‑drivable free. The power tubes are heated with DC, with a special circuit ensuring the tube heater is isolated from the audio signal power supply.
The anode voltage supply is semiconductor‑based, built on MOSFET transistors and low‑noise current sources.
For the symmetric XLR outputs, Feliks Audio uses Lundahl audio‑quality transformers, with source selection controlled by low‑signal relays placed directly behind the input jacks to reduce baseline noise and potential interference.
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