Never before have I heard such an amazing balance between realism, technicalities, power, subtleties, and thunderous emotion. Enter SAEQ Morpheus.
Pros:
- Absolutely incredible sound
- Top notch realism and timbre
- Small size/massive power
- Soulful and sinful
- Perfect harmony of detail, staging, resolution, power, subtleties and musicality
- Very natural, very “live” presentation
- Super solid and highest quality parts
Cons:
- Sonically nothing
- Only three rubber feet
- Price
Greetings and salutations dear audiophiles and music lovers, I bid you a warm welcome to my review of the SAEQ Morpheus headphone amp. This was a really fun review to write, because quite simply, the Morphy is breathtakingly good. It’s also the first full size desktop amp I’ve personally owned, though far from the 1st that I’ve heard. Purchasing the Morphy was the culmination of a project I called AFI: Amps For IEMs. Let me explain. Coming from a 2 channel background, I spent years building my home stereo, ripping SACDs and collecting vinyl records, and painstakingly choosing every cable for that perfect balance. I used to spend entire weekends AB’ing speakers cables, yeah, I know I’m crazy. Then in 2012, I moved out of the USA for a bit of nomadic life-changing experience, eventually settling in Prague of all places. As a travel photographer I am on the road a lot, and so there lies the birth of my love for IEMs; the only way I could bring my precious music with me, and the expansive ultra high fidelity experience I was afforded when I put on my favorite record and slipped into a state of bliss. So upgraded, and upgraded, my IEMs and DAPs, until I found myself at - arguably - the very pinnacle of portable audio. For all intents and purposes, I could have walked away from the hobby very happy with what I had. In fact, the sound was so good that even when I had the chance to crank up my stereo, I would sometimes favor the IEMs, simply for the engagement and that desert island oasis of peace and musical details ticking my ears. When I travelled my portable setup was drool worthy indeed. Was it the same as speakers? No, but it was damn close.
Fast forward a few years, and while I still travel a lot, I also spend a good amount of time at home. So I started to have an idea. While I wouldn’t have a use for a full desktop system, what if I got a full-size headphone amp and used my precious DAPs as the source? Like a modular system! DAP when I’m out and about, then plug it to the amp when home for extra jet fuel and power. I know that high end audio gear scale a lot, meaning their performance greatly increases when you feed them more/better power, or a higher quality source. Headphones need tons of juice, but IEMs? We all know they sound better from a DAP than a phone, but where does the ceiling start? Feeding a little ear bud with megaton wattage seems like it wouldn’t make a difference. But, coming from a live music background, I remember clearly the difference between a clean tone out of 50w Marshall Plexi, and a 100w. There was this sense of power, control and headroom the 100w afforded that was simply not present in the 50w. Or a big bass stack, where you might only need to turn it up to 4, but that sense of unlimited power behind it made the bass so much more punchy, controlled, deep and dynamic. Headroom should never be discounted my friends, a system at full volume, or a bigger one at 10% sound very different. And so, I was convinced that IEMs could have the same kind of upgrade, but I had no idea it would be such a huge difference. Excuse the foreshadowing, moving on.
So - what amp to get? This all began when I was in Amsterdam for the Watercolor EU Meetup ’24. I happened to spend a half day at Headphone Auditions Amsterdam, a place of lustful excess and magic. There I was introduced to the Riviera AIC-10, the single greatest thing I had ever heard. Sadly way out of my budget, but it got me salivating for what I could find; and as many of us know, the hunt can be just as fun as getting that final piece. Munich High End was a few weeks later, and I went with one prospect in mind: I had to try every TOTL headphone amp I could find, bringing only my Traillii Ti and LP6 AE. Thus began AFI. I must have heard 20 amps that weekend, all the best in the world, just sitting there waiting, begging even, to be played through, to show off their immense talents. My only criteria? They must be comfortable to use with IEMs, and not cost more than my car. I can tell you all, I heard some amazing amps that weekend, wow. I can say there has never been a better time to buy audio, if you can afford it of course. I went through the entire show, revisiting a few, but one brand was missing: SAEQ. Several friends sang their praises so much I just had to hear it for myself. Lucky enough, at another audio show a few miles away, SAEQ was in a private listening room in a hotel. So I left MHE, hopped on the metro and headed for the hotel. I could never have known that this short trip would change my conception about portable audio completely.
When I arrived I met Dragan, the head of SAEQ. (Serbian Audio EQuipment) To say he’s the nicest guy in the business would be like calling a box full of new born puppies “meh.” He’s so kind, so passionate, we hit it off immediately. We spoke for hours, and it was wonderful to meet a builder who felt audio so emotionaly, was so adamant about the smallest details, and most importantly, took great pride in his work. I tried the brand new Armageddon and the Hyperion Ge, and to say I was in love instantly wouldn’t do the moment justice. This was something really special, something unique. A combination of power, dynamics, subtleties and detail all sailing in an epic soup of emotion and inspiration, I was dumbfounded. After a weekend of exuberance, these touched my heart. I couldn’t believe how much my Traillii Ti scaled! It was like a completely different IEM, like a set of open back headphones, the stage was so immense and grand I could barely speak. The level of details, the way they shifted in space, how solid and powerful it was. I knew then that AFI had found its mate, the SAEQ sound was it for me. Unfortunately the Armageddon was so powerful I could barely get the volume above 2, similar for the Ge. The sound was insane, but perhaps a touch overkill on the jet fuel. Not to fear says Dragan, I make another amp that would be perfect for you, the Morpheus! Very similar sound to the Ge, a hedonistic version of the famous PDA-1b, but far better SNR for sensitive IEMs, and a more comfortable power rating (even thought it’s scary powerful still). And so, after some back and forth with Dragan over the next two weeks we eventually settled on a Morpheus for me. Dragon recommended their Silver Blade cables, so I ordered an RCA to 3.5mm to go along with my amp. Just like that, my AFI journey was off a running!
One thing I want to make very clear up front: this is NOT an IEM amplifier. This is a full size, fire breathing headphone amp with oodles of power. The point of my search was to run IEMs on desktop/headphone level power, very different to the portable amps I have reviewed in the past. This is another level entirely.
Now that you’re all caught up, and my intro rant is over, let’s get into the review itself. Firstly my disclaimer for transparency and understanding:
- I purchased the Morpheus myself, directly from SAEQ. I was given a discount in exchange for this review, but nothing was asked of me, only to share my impressions, feelings and experience. My thoughts are my own.
- I review because I love doing so, it’s a great source of joy for me. I don’t do this for work, and I spend an enormous amount of time on these. I take it very seriously, as I know people rely on reviews before they shell out cash, just like I do myself. For that reason I only review things that interest me, things I would maybe buy for myself. That doesn’t mean my reviews are in any way slanted, I pride myself on being very neutral and sharing my thoughts in a way that will benefit the community. Honesty and no fluff. If I recommend something it’s because I genuinely loved it, and I think you may too.
- I start out with a very varied playlist of testing tracks to form my initial thoughts, and then spend several weeks/months with the review sample simply listening to whatever inspires me, like I normally would. I then come back to the testing tracks to solidify my impressions before sitting down to write the review. I also listen while I write, one of my favorite parts.
- I love all kinds of music, and to form an honest opinion for any piece of gear I think it absolutely necessary to test with lots of different kinds of music. If you’re taking a reviewer’s word about a piece of gear you want to spend your hard earned cash on, in my opinion, you absolutely should take into consideration how their musical tastes match or differ from your own.
- I used my LP6 Ti AE and LP E7 EE as sources, through a SAEQ Silver Blade IC, and a Shunyata Venom 3 power cable. I also experimented with Cardas Golden Cross and Nightjar Sovereign Symphony ICs. IEMs were Traillii Ti, APX SE, Supreme V3 and V4 prototype, TSAD Model2 and UM Red Halo. I used many different cables including Nightjar Sovereign Symphony, PW Orpheus, RSD FC4w, Beat Audio Oslo and Billow, Chimera Mini, and Oriolus W89
A few excerpts from my latest listening roster, in no particular order:
Jazz: Snarky Puppy, GoGo Penguin, Nubya Garcia, Matthew Halsall, Robert Glasper, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charlie Hunter, Avishai Cohen, Kandace Springs, Chris Potter, John Scofield, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Esperanza Spalding, Gregory Porter, Julian Lage, Aaron Parks, Funky Knuckles, Ghost Note, Lettuce, Mark Littieri.
Rock: Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, Talking Heads, Mark Knopfler, Eric Johnson, Michael Landau, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, Them Crooked Vultures, Tom Petty, Jackson Brown, Jethro Tull.
Vocals/Modern: Jordan Rakei, Tom Misch, Lianne La Havas, Asgeir, The Comet is Coming, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Glass Animals, Jacob Collier, Hiatus Coyote, RY X, Vulfpeck, Fantastic Negrito, Rage Against The Machine.
Electronic: Joe Armon-Jones, Hidden Orchestra, Om Unit, Yosi Horikawa, Archie Pelago, Arovane, Madlib, Emancipator, Kryptic Minds, Bonobo, FKJ, Djrum, Synkro, Moonchild, Little Dragon.
Heavy Music: Animals as Leaders, Tool, Gojira, Polyphia, TesseracT, Meshuggah, Trivium, Sevendust, Periphery, Sepultura, Intervals, Plini, Polyphia.
And now ladies and jelly-spoons, I introduce to you SAEQ! (Serbian Audio EQuipment) https://saeq-audio.com/about-us
How this brand is not more well known is a mystery to me. They have several famous amps, namely the RAAL amps for their ribbon headphones. The PDA-1b is all over the place, but I’m not sure people are even aware that it’s designed and made by SAEQ. I think that’s all about to change now, SAEQ is coming onto the scene in force. With the launch of their Armageddon, a solidified and uniform look for all their amps, and placements in big audio shows next to gear like the Immanis and Susvara, people won’t be able to avert their eyes, or un-hear what these amp can do. All their amps are solid state, but to say such a thing without further mentioning their sublime musicality and lushness would be criminal. They are all incredibly emotional, with this “live” music type of presentation, where you can hear and feel the instruments around you. They are exquisitely detailed, but never clinical, cold or lacking in depth. The way Dragan has managed to tune these, with such finesse and dynamic power, and the tiniest slivers of softness too, will never cease to wow me. After about a month with my Morphy I am even more in love with it now than when it arrived. It’s fully broken in, opened up and raring to go every time I plug in. I was initially worried that I would feel stuck in one spot, unable to move, but it’s so good I have basically forgotten to use my DAPs alone. Instead I’ll cozy up in my listening chair for hours on end, playing album after album like I used to do with my 2 channel. I’ve listened so long in my evening sessions that my DAP runs out of batteries and I have to grab another one. Once I killed the battery on the second one too! Pure bliss.
TECH
As I am not a huge tech guy, focusing on feelings over specs, as such I won’t try to explain all that makes the Morphy so - “under the hood” (since I can’t) So why not use the words of Dragan himself, the creator of the beast. What follows is the Morphy’s story, as well as the spec sheet, per the SAEQ website. I’ll catch up to you after the break:
In Greek mythology, MORPHEUS is one of the sons of the god Zeus in charge of dreams of pleasure.
The main role of MORPHEUS headphone amplifier is to give you dreamlike listening pleasure.
Subtle presentation and flexible connection options give this amplifier incredible potential to bring you into the zone of pleasure close to beautiful dreams.
The new Reference Series gives incredible potential to MORPHEUS to bring you into the zone of pleasure close to beautiful dreams.
MORPHEUS will become your true deity the moment you hear it. It will play at all levels with ease on all types of headphones.
The basic topology could be sublimated into the following:
- discrete elements
-careful selection of components
-transistors with an output power of 180 watts per channel.
-transistor pre-drivers work in pure A-class
-volume is regulated by a double attenuator with 24 positions.
-Single-end input with lateral FET transistors
-Rigid housing
MORPHEUS can drive the following types of headphones:
-electrodynamic
-planar
-ribbon via transformer interface (RAAL & Requisite Ti-1)
The sound presentation is transparent, resolute and relaxed. It could be said that it is a smaller version of the famous HSA-1b.
It is possible to connect 4 pairs of headphones with the possibility of level matching of the pairs. This gives you the ability to listen to music with four people at the same time with different levels of headphone sensitivity, which gives it great flexibility and usability.
Output Power : 8W/8 ohms, 4,5W/16 ohm, 2,2W/32ohm, 1,1W/64ohms, 0,6W/120 ohms, 0,3W/300 ohms, 0,15W/600 ohms at 1khz/sine
Frequency Response: 500mv/ in/sin. 15hz – 500kHz (-1dB/ -2dB)
Power Bandwidth: Better than 10-100kHz (-0.5db) at 1W
Distortion: Better than 0,5% at 1khz
Signal to Noise Ratio: Better than 95dB
Input Impedance: 40kΩ
Input Sensitivity for full OUT: 0,9V AC
Input Connections:
INPUT 1- 2 RCA Single-Ended, INPUT 2 - 2 XLR 3-pin Balanced (female)
Output Connections:
1 x XLR 4-pin female +6,3mm stereo jack-direct,
1 x XLR 4-pin female + 6,3mm stereo jack- attenuation -6dB (balanced Planar & Dynamic headphones)
Max Power Consumption: 30W, without signal 10W
Working voltage: 115V/230VAC (selector switch) or 100V (requires internal connection)
Dimensions: Height 90mm, Width 238mm, D 280mm
Weight: netto 4,7kg / brutto 6,0kg
Now, in my words. This is a pure Class A amplifier. While being “small” it is extremely powerful. Again, not designed for IEMs (though it works incredibly well.) I asked Dragan if it could power the Susvara and he told me: “Not one, but two Susvaras, at the same time! Plus two other headphones, all without loss in quality.” Holy S*&^T. This is a very serious amplifier, not to be understated. Unlike its bigger brothers the Armageddon and Hyperion Ge, the Morphy does not have speaker outs, which I don’t need at all. It has a 24 step attenuator, best in class. One half output is full power, the other can be full power or attenuated, with the choice of either -5db and -10db. With my sensitive IEMs the Morphy is dead silent in -10db attenuated mode, a faint hiss in -5db. I also like it in direct with the volume knob lower, it sounds more dynamic, but only my power hungry sets can handle this. Rhapsodio V3 loves the direct output, STORM would as well.
There are two input choices; RCA for SE and XLR for balanced. XLR input has a gain stage attenuation as well, which does make balancing the input of different sources easier. Dragan swears his amps sound better in SE, and after a ton of testing, I think he’s on to something. To test, I made myself a bunch of cables, and, exhaustively, I went back and forth with my E7 for days to study the differences. SE is more punchy, with more forward mids. The details stay centered, and it’s very tight. XLR Balanced is more vast, with deeper bass, and mids further away. Balanced is a bigger sound, but the imaging changed, which for my tastes I prefer SE. Of course some people instantly prefer the BAL sound, which is why there is both! For electronic music the BAL side was simply enormous, the sub bass was shaking my bones. For jazz and rock I preferred SE, it’s not necessarily that the stage is smaller, but things are more up front and touchable. This could be source dependent, further testing with desktop sources would prove or disprove that, but it does seem like Dragan built his amps around the SE side. (SAEQ makes a desktop DAC that sounds incredible (https://saeq-audio.com/saeq-pandoras-box-1) and it’s designed only as SE. Food for thought, but you do have options.
BUILD
This thing is built like a tank! A beautiful aluminum enclosure, adorned with matte gold accents and a big golden volume knob. While I was initially not a huge fan of the black and gold, it has grown on me completely. It oozes class and summit-fi good lucks. The casing itself has a textured feel to it, the faceplate is brushed matte black. Everything feels perfect, solid and extremely high quality. The volume knob has a very satisfying click and thunk as you move it, feeling more like a piece of space ship than audio gear. The volume knob is a 24 step attenuator, pure analog goodness, and I experience no drop-off or channel imbalance as I adjust the volume. With sensitive IEMs the range is more limited, though as I mentioned if you go down to -10db there is more room to adjust. The volume difference between steps seems also smaller, so the attenuated side is certainly more finely adjustable. On the faceplate there are two 4 pin XLR inputs, one direct and one attenuated. Three selector switches for XLR/RCA, Direct/Attenuation/ and -5 or -10db respectively. The switches are very robust and have a delightful solid click to them. In the back you have the mains switch, XLR inputs with the aforementioned attenuated gain switches, and the RCA inputs. Voltage for 220v and 110v are available by switch as well. Simple and straightforward, no frills or unnecessary shtuff. Plug in, choose your gain, and voila. Don’t forget to put on your seat belt as the initial take off can be jarringly impressive.
All jacks, switches and screws are high quality parts, and while I didn’t open it up, through the heat slits in the top you can clearly see components and solder work that is of the highest level. This is a handmade, boutique, piece of art. No doubt about it, very very solid. I struggle to find a fault here, but if there was anything to say about the amp I didn’t like, it would be there is only three feet. The amp is smaller than others, and I’m sure it’s because there was no room for four feet, but it makes the amp wobble a bit when you’re plugging cables in back. In normal operation you don’t notice this at all, but while I was AB’ing a lot this was noticeable. Hardly a big deal, but there it is. I also found the use of a red LED sort of confusing. When you turn the amp on the light is yellow while it’s warming up, when it’s ready to go the light turns red. This is purely in my own mind, but red makes it seem like something is wrong - coming from cell phones and other modern tech gadgets, a red LED usually means dead battery, or charging, or something unspeakable. As I said, I STRUGGLE to find something negative to say about the Morphy, it’s sensational and I’m reaching for straws here. Both of these things are beyond negligible, I mention them only in passing to be transparent. Overall the Morphy is incredibly well built, feels like it could take a direct hit from a toddler’s flying toy (please don’t try that) and keep on pumping out the jams with nary a moment’s hesitation.
SOUND
As I mentioned in the intro shpeal, the Morphy sounds incredible. It is a very clear sound, as vast and powerful as is it subtle and delicate. Dragan calls it hedonistic and I’m inclined to agree. Now, that doesn’t mean that it’s soft, or overly warm, more like sinful and delicious. But at the same time, a fire breathing dragon with limitless headroom. It is very very resolving. Details pop out of a pitch black background. The sound is insanely punchy, dynamic and spacious. One could say that it’s relaxed, but maybe only compared to the Armageddon. This isn’t a warm and laidback prevention, and depending on source and IEM, traverses the gamut from sweet and lush to epic and thunderous. Regardless of what I played through it, literally everything sounded better. The sound is so big, all around you and with fantastic detail and texture. After a session with the Morphy even my LP6 AE sounds rather dull and flat in comparison (which is really saying something).
The sound signature is neutral, in the case that I don’t hear any warmth, gooeyness, or overly clinical-ness being added. Note weight, body and physicality are insanely addictive It is exceptionally balanced, with fantastic extension in both directions. Detail, both macro and micro are very very present. Put on Yoshi Horikawa’s famous “Bubbles” or “Swashers” and you’re treated to some of the most holographic and immense staging you’ll ever hear. The faint clicks and pops, the finest details in the high end, or the unheard -but certainly felt- kick and decay of Yoshi’s drums. It’s all so 3D, so vast and enormous sounding, I drifted off into a state of bodiless bliss and entrancement, I completely forgetting where I was. If my body didn’t breathe on its own I would certainly have passed out, such was the depth of my listening pleasure. What makes the SAEQ sound so compelling, is the picture perfect balance of detail and musicality. I never felt I wanted more detail, a presentation with every single iota of resolution and timbre faithfully presented. Instead I was getting lost in the music, hearing everything, but not analytically. And not once or twice, but literally every time I listen I am swept away. I consider myself a detail guy, I really like to be overwhelmed with the tiniest specs of information, but never at the expense of musicality, realism, or texture. The SAEQ sound is all of that. There is effortless detail, immense staging, but also the most musical and enjoyable presentation I’ve ever heard. Absolutely all aspects of the sound are improved. Nothing is out of place, boosted or EQ’d for additional presence or punch. Just lustful, even sinful musicality, with a huge dose of mind boggling detail. If any of you have read my review of the Nightjar Sovereign Symphony cable, much of what I said there applies to the Morphy as well. Sonically perfect - everything just gets bigger, better, more open and spacious, while retaining an insane amount of musicality and realism. And I mean big, really big. Everything aspect of the sound is massive, very alive.
The bass is tremendous. The control and depth, reaching quite a bit deeper than the source independently. There is oodles more texture, rumble and resolution as low as can be heard, or felt. Using the L&P E7 I heard some of the best sub-bass I’ve ever heard, even out of IEMs that don’t specialize in bass. With the LP7 Ti AE the growl and texture nearly knocked my head off. It’s punchy and fast, but remains dutifully analog and fat at the same time. There is loads of kick, with decay that passes around me, like I’m sitting on the drum set myself and I can feel the air come off the drum head. With the APX SE the planar bass was insanely good, the rumble and texture beyond what I had ever heard in an IEM. There is no extra bass, no boost, just the level of control and quality is amplified in all ways possible, and some impossible. (APX bass is ridiculously good, but what I heard, and felt, when I added the Morpheus was rather concept smashing)
The mids are very powerful, full bodied and extremely detailed. Transient speed is nice, not overly done, but with plenty of PRAT and toe tapping energy for me. What strikes me so deeply is the realism. While my DAPs sound incredible, the level of tactility and “live”-ness the Morphy brings is nothing short of astonishing. Instruments appear in front of me, clear as day. The pluck of a guitar string, the thwack of toms, the crisp snap of a snare. Keys and synths, distorted guitars, all impeccable and pristine. The body is full, but not bloated or wooly, just tight and precise, articulated and resolving. The sense of being there with the musicians, something that does not come to me easily, is the secret Dragan sauce. The combination of full bodies and vibrant instruments, coupled with a much larger sense of space and air between layers, makes me feel like I am inside the band, playing in a ver large hall. Vocals float above me, edges are licky good, both male and female voices sound so natural and expressive. There’s no chestiness, no peaky shoutyness, just a beautiful natural mid range that is as detailed as it is expansive.
The treble continues the trend, simply perfect. It is fabulously extended, never harsh or sibilant. One could say smooth, but I don’t mean smoothed. More like effortless. Silky. Pronounced but without a boost of any kind. It’s also nicely weighted, I don’t get that esoteric or ethereal feeling at all. The stage height and air is increased several fold over the source alone, like a veil had been lifted on top. More detail, more air, more space, more effortless. I end up using the same adjectives for each part of the frequency range, simply because the improvements for each are the same. Just better, more open, more resolving, more musical, more more more more etc ad infinitum.
We often use the phrase “lifted a veil” to acknowledge when we feel piece of gear adds more details. It can easily be overused, and after some back and forth with rested ears, I find that this situation can often lead to fatigue. Sometimes that’s achieved with a brighter cable, or more resolving source. What is so special about the Morpheus, to me, is that I get a LOT more information, but after 8hrs+of listening I never once felt that it was too much, overwhelming or fatiguing. This is really special.
STAGE
This is the first thing you’ll notice when using an amp, the increase in stage size is remarkable. What makes the Morph so special here is the expansion in all directions: up and down, front to back, side to side (inside and out even). It’s cavernous while also retaining some level of intimacy I crave. Hard to imagine I know, I get the same feeling with the LP6 Ti AE, with the mids nice and close and the rest is massively all around you. Now take that up a few levels, and you get the idea of the Morphy. It retains that essence but the mids get so much more spacious. As I mentioned earlier, the LP6 AE has so much power that I can rarely turn it above 5-7% without blowing my ears off. Even still, the Morphy makes it more grand, bigger, more defined, wider and taller, deeper too. Aside from the stage getting bigger, the accuracy and positioning of instruments in space is improved by quite a bit. There is more space between the layers, and there is a clear sense of where each sound arrives and leaves in said space.
The weight of each of these things is also remarkable. How is it possible? More weight, but more space too. In my AFI search all amps gave a noticeable expanse and “bigness”. But none that I tried offered this sense of fat meaty bones, and extra space between, like live music. Seemingly no limit to how big things can sound, while retaining each little detail accurately, and mesmerizingly, portrayed in space before you. That amalgamation of intimacy and space that is simply impossible to describe. The best I can do is it’s like being on stage, or listening to a perfect mix in a recording studio on massive speakers in a treated room. All the instruments mix together making you want to dance and sing, but you can easily hear all the aspects isolated and clear. Mesmerizing for sure.
Things like sub-bass occur all around you. Drums and kick reverberate around you like in a treated room, their decay clearly visible as it traverses the stage. The finest details swirl around you in a perfect storm of glittering resolution. Even with extremely complex and crowded music, like metal or classical, I can so distinctly hear each piece of information as though it was the only one. If I wish I can focus only on that aspect and it’s clear as day. But at the same time the whole ensemble, all mixed together is so emotional and overwhelming to the senses that you can just get lost in it. A wall of sound. But a wall that occurs all around you, so, I guess more like a storm. A perfect storm, a dance of detail and sound in perfect peace and harmony, wrapping you in a blanket of music and sonic bliss.
COMPARISONS
My AFI journey took me all over the place, I heard so many brands that my head was spinning. While I wasn’t able to AB most of them due to their physical locations not being next to each other, I’ll do my best from my exhaustive notes. I did have the opportunity to hear the Hyperion Ge and Armageddon back to back with the AIC-10. I also heard a few amps at MHE that just stuck in my head for weeks after, most of which I went back for additional listens during the weekend. I’ll do my best to give as accurate a comparison as I can.
Riviera AIC-10
This is the one that started it all for me, I had never heard anything like it. I still salivate when I think of the first time I heard it, paired with the DCS Lina DAC no less. This is an incredible amp, capable of immensely emotional music production, with a price to match. This thing is like $17k!! Back to back with the Hyperion Ge it was clear the AIC-10 was quite a bit more tubey, for the obvious reason that it has a tube pre-amp. Lush and mesmerizing don’t do this amp justice. It is fairly mid focused, sweet and lovely. The Ge is more wide, more clean, obviously more SS sounding over the AIC’s warmth. Detail wise I heard a very similar sense of resolution and detail, perhaps the Ge was even a bit more resolving though that could be down to the tuning and presentation changes. Stage wise the Ge is wider and more taught, the AIC is more out of head and all around you. Not unsurprisingly, the AIC wins in a lush and warm fashion contest, you just can’t beat the tube for that kind of sound. That being said, I preferred the Ge several times as well, depending on the source. As an example, the AIC-10 with Lina was insanely good, and perfectly balanced. With my LP6 AE the AIC was far too mid forward, and overly thick and meaty. Swapping to the Hyperion or Armageddon made things far more open and balanced, giving a sense of tactility over the tubey goodness of the AIC. That’s not to say the SAEQ’s are less musical, it’s just a different presentation. If I was rich I would have them both, but since I don’t have a kidney to sell, the Riviera is pretty much out of reach. And, given that with my sources the SAEQ sound was more fitting paring wise, that made the decision quite easy.
Zahl HM-1
This was the first amp I heard at MHE, and I loved it so much I went back for seconds and thirds even. Mr Zahl is also a gentlemen, even arranging an adapter cable for me to use my sources with his amp. The HM1 is a lovely reference SS amp, loads of power, and great detail and timbre. Very good with IEMs too. No color at all, like a huge headroom in a box type of sound. Lots of improvements, everything seems very natural and real. This one is the closest to SAEQ sound I heard, though I wouldn’t say they are similar. They both have a very natural sound. The HM1 sounds quite SS to me, not necessarily a bad thing, but it imparts almost no change in sound, just bigger and better. The SAEQ manages to give the same upgrades, but adding in that “live music” and heavily dynamic vibe which brings it up a level for me. While I really liked the HM1 a lot, for me the SAEQ house sound won me over. Dragan’s masterful mix of reference level resolution and detail, with a heavy dose of musicality and emotion, a big pinch of thunder, without detracting from the former, is the magic sauce.
Feliks Envy
This is an insanely good tube amp. While the AIC-10 uses a tube pre and SS power, the Feliks is all tube. Despite being all tube, the level of detail and resolution is outstanding. Yes, it is very very tubey sounding, duh. It’s also hugely dynamic, fat and weighted, extended and exciting too. I would say the Envy is my favorite tube headphone amp I have ever heard, with a price to match. It is warm, glowing, beautiful and enveloping, like a great tube amp should be. No excessive bloom though, everything was very tight and controlled. The SAEQ is just different, and I love them both. Much of what applies to the AIC can be copied here, albeit the Envy being a lot more tube sounding. Part of what makes the AIC so special is that hybrid build. You get the feel and tonality of the tube pre, with a solid state power section with near endless power. But all tube has its wins too, it really just depends on what you want. So, if one was to arrange these three amps from warm/tube to SS/clean it would be Envy-AIC-Morpheus. The Envy is the most musical, the most tubey, followed by the AIC and Morpheus. Bu that kind of paints the picture of less musical Morphy, or AIC-10, which isn’t the case at all. The best I can say is they are all variants of a great thing, with different flavors.
SAEQ Armageddon/Ge
Seeing as they have similar DNA, most of what I hear as differences over the Morpheus can be attributed to power. The Armageddon has an insane amount of power, almost too much even for most headphones. I was surprised to find that its attenuated output was fairly quiet for my IEMs, but the word overkill appears in my mind when I think of the Armageddon for my setup. The level of “live” and “real” with the Armageddon is insane, more so than the Morpheus. It’s more expanded, with more weight and attack to the edges than the Morphy. Seeing as it’s double the price, there is some advancements and upgrades present, but I think it also comes down to preferences. For my use it was simply too powerful, despite being essentially the most amazing amp I’ve heard. The best SS amp in the world? I would say so.
The Hyperion Ge is very similar tuning to the Morphy. It also has an insane amount of power and getting the volume knob above 4 was almost piercingly loud. But the sound was spectacular. More hedonistic and sinful than the Armageddon, the Morphy’s big brother for sure. The Germanium transition imparts this very textured and detailed sound, while staying ridiculously musical as well. It’s more laid back than the Armageddon, while still having plenty of prat and energy. There is more bloom and gush over the stately ‘geddon, but merely in comparison. I hear my Morphy very similarly, though without the Ge transistors there is a deference. Dragan tells me their sound is very similar, and while I never heard them back to back I would have to agree based on my notes. With the addition of speaker outputs, more power, and worse SNR for IEMs, the Morpheus was the wise choice for me. That being said I would have been very happy with the Ge instead, and I do think of it sometimes longingly. But Dragan assured me I made the right choice, and so far he hasn’t led me astray in the least. Trust the chef, do as the locals do, and when someone as passionate and articulate about sound tells you this is the amp for you, sometimes you need to just take the plunge. I’m so glad that I did.
IEM PAIRINGS
I spent a ton of time with all my IEMs and the Morphy. While one could easily say that it affected and improved them all, which is absolutely true, some benefitted even more than I expected. I have also shown how the volume was set, keeping in mind I do enjoy a bit more volume than some. A few except from my notes if it pleases:
Traillii Ti
Already a very expansive and open IEM, with detail and control to match. I hear a much larger stage, with a far deeper and more authoritative bass. Ti has a somewhat neutral bass quantity, and while the Morphy didn’t add bass per se, I hear a lot more anchored and solid low end. It feels more flushed, textured, and powerful. Mids are kept forward as tuned, but they are more open and spacious. They are also a lot more detailed. Treble has more body, more extension, and a more resolving yet smoother nature. The massiveness of this tiny IEM cannot be more stated, I have never heard such a big an enveloping sound, with more body and power than this. This is my daily driver, paired with the Nightjar Sovereign Symphony cable, and it’s jaw dropping. Game over.
Attenuated -5db, volume 4-7
Supreme V3
This IEM really needs a ton of power to shine. I can get the volume up plenty with either E7 or LP6 but nothing compares to a full blown amp. The V3 can come off a bit thin, with neutral bass, but with Morphy I found the bass to be flushed out more, with greater body. Deeper too. More bass quantity, higher quality. Mids were even more open, and more all around you. The top end of V3 is amazingly open and spacious, more so than any other IEM I have ever heard, but, you guessed it, even bigger with Morphy. It also controlled and softened the top end a bit, creating more air/silk and less click/snap. Stage size was immense, especially depth. Listening to acoustic jazz, or atmospheric music with this combination is incredible. Paired with the RSD Fantasies Copper 4W or Beat Audio Billow.
Direct - Volume 5-9
APX SE
Despite having a whole slew of drivers inside, including planar and DD, these are shockingly easy to drive. Unsurprisingly, they benefitted greatly from more quality power. APX bass is huge, but can sometimes overwhelm the spectrum a touch for me in terms of sheer volume. The bass in this case tightened and grew more punchy, but it seemed to get out of the way and be more tactile too. APX bass can also be more felt than heard, but not so with Morphy. I heard a lot more attack, more physical presence of the bass, while still getting all the stomach churning rumbles as before. It didn’t remove any quantity, but the quality is so much better, more controlled, that the same amount of bass was much more fitting. Mids and treble were also very much improved, noticeably the mid note weight. With its very girthy low end, sometimes APX SE mids felt a touch too neutral to blend, but not so amped. Bigger body and more meat, with more open space between the layers. Top end extension, air, space, positioning, all so much better. While this IEM sounds epic through a DAP, especially the LP6 AE, I loved it with the Morphy so much I listened to that combo non-stop for several days - right up to the moment I had to be forced to send the demo unit back.
One limitation some share about APX is the lack of holography, or specifically stage width. I will say the stage is taller than wide, so I was using the PW Orpheus Shielding cable which fixed that right up. Add in the Morpheus and the stage was immense, keeping up even with the Traillii in some aspects. This was a very surprising change, and amazingly addictive. Paired with Orpheus, this was by far the best bass I’ve ever heard in an IEM. Insane.
Attenuated -5db/ Direct Volume 6-9
UM Red Halo
As an all BA IEM, this is a very different beast in terms of power. It was also a great opportunity to see how the Morpheus does with sensitive IEMs. I’m happy to report that in -10db attenuation there was complete silence. -5db was a faint hiss, and direct was out of the question - why anyone would do this is beyond me, but I digress. As was the case with all others, the improvements were quite noticeable, and very welcome. The RH doesn’t have a ton of sub bass, but with the Morpheus it was very much so there, felt and heard. Mids were exquisitely detailed, top end more extended and airy. The stage was also greatly opened up, while RH is more of a mids set with an intimate touch, with the Morphy it became much more of an all-rounder, and sounding great with everything. I also noticed it was a bit less romantic, and more clean, which happens to fit my preferences.
What was the most impressive, was the change to the perception of BCD impact. I have no idea why, but I felt the BCD more using the Morphy. It was more clean, sharp and tactile. I know we’re talking about mili-volts here, or trilli volts, (I have no idea) but I must say that it played a far more impactful role when amped. This combo was very percussive, and listening to music was as immersive as it was detailed. I paired the RH with a DHC Chimera Mini, the best partner I have found, giving it more resolution and a tighter and deeper bass.
Attenuated - 10db Volume 4-6
CONCLUSION
And so there you have it folks, my (rather exhaustive) full review of the SAEQ Morpheus. Indeed a review of the SAEQ brand as a whole too, as I feel their design philosophy and mission statement are equally presented across all their products. All Dragan’s amps are phenomenal, bar none. They all have the same magic, that secret sauce that evades description, but which you know instantly. Dragan promised me I would know it within 10 seconds the first time I turned it on. I will admit, I needed far less than that. I haven’t heard another company that I connect with on this level, other than Luxury & Precision. And, after many DAPs, they’re the only ones I’ve kept. I see that same thing with SAEQ: a perfect balance of detail, staging, magnitude, dynamics and emotion in a package that simply sounds extraordinary with anything and everything. As much as I love my LP6 Ti AE, the Morphy now occupies the very same stage of favorite. It’s undeniable. The synergy between these two is ridiculously good, I’ve listened to basically nothing else for six weeks and it blows my head back every time. Pure analog heaven. Thunderous. The realism and weighted power of this combo is nuts. I feel back on stage, where the band shakes my world as they ebb and flow. Isn’t that what we all want? I know I do.
What you’ve no doubt noticed here with all these IEMs, the volume is never over 9 or so. As I said at the very beginning, this is not an IEM amplifier. Don’t expect the same small incremental and fine tuning of something like the PB5 or Tsuranagi here. We’re dealing with bigger components, much more power, and a desktop level power supply that makes a helluva ton of oomph. With A.F.I., what I was looking for was an expensive sound improvement, more of everything, and I was willing to trade a touch of sensitivity and noise for the dynamics and headroom of such a monster as the SAEQ. The Morphy can be exceptionally quiet with IEMs, but if you need absolute, total, pitch black silence with your sensitive IEMs, perhaps AFI isn’t for you.
For the money, the Morpheus might very well be the best value in a headphone amp in the world at the moment. Trading blows with the best of the best, small enough to fit on an end table, powerful enough to run two of the world’s most annoyingly power hungry headphones at the same time. Handmade, boutique, art. A perfect storm of emotion, detail, staging, power and realism. Did I mention how great it sounds with IEMs? Just plug and play, instant bliss. If you need more power, the Hyperion Ge is the next up, though I would not recommend it for IEMs, Morpheus is better for that. If you want to go full tilt, the Armageddon is insane. Full stop, just crazy. I heard it with the Immanis in Munich and that was basically the greatest thing I’ve ever heard. So far on my AFI journey, the single greatest secret I have found is SAEQ. I hope that many, many, many more people hear and know about them. They make some of the most amazing headphone amps in the world, and they’re the only one I found with that magic sense of detail and musicality combined. Nothing else does both without some loss to either side. The Morpheus does it all, and then some. And as such, deserves my highest, highest recommendation.
If you get the chance to hear one of these yourself, even if it means a flight or trip to do so, I can say it’s really, really, worth it.
If you’re interested to get one for yourself, drop Dragan a line and tell him I sent you. You can do that here: https://saeq-audio.com/contact
You can also visit one of his reputable dealers here: https://saeq-audio.com/dealers-list
Thanks so much for reading all the way to the end! I hope it was enjoyable, or informative, or educational. Or all of the above. See you all soon!
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