Welcome to the Oasis
How does Manley dare to update the beloved Chinook phonostage?
When EveAnna Manley decided it was time to update the Chinook, she knew not to mess with the heart of this beloved phonostage that has come to define the sound of tube vinyl reproduction for a generation of audiophiles and musicians. Instead, she left the proven audio circuits alone, and worked on the all-important infrastructure, getting both power and housing updated for 2024.
Inside that all-new heavy-duty chassis with modern rounded edges is the Manley Power SMPS (Switch-Mode Power Supply), which equips the Oasis with a low-noise, low-impedance power source, that, in EveAnna's words, "is empirically quieter than the older PSUs. Sonically, we hear faster highs, generally more clarity, and ‘blacker blacks’ in the silence."
'Switching' Is Not Always a Bad Word
The SMPS, or switch-mode power supply, gets a bad rap because we usually encounter the cheap "wall wart" versions thrown in with consumer electronics. Since these circuits "chop up" the incoming power to get DC, they can be extremely noisy at the "chopping" frequency. Done right, though, an SMPS is a great circuit for audio because, as Paul McGowan of PS Audio says on his blog, an SMPS can be designed to be far gentler on the incoming AC supply than a traditional linear transformer. However, as Paul writes, "SMPS is a crazy difficult design challenge and one not to be taken lightly."
Many clever designers have taken on this challenge, and in Manley's case, the design team was led by Bruno Putzeys, someone EveAnna considers one of the world's greatest audio engineers. Bruno started at Philips working on class-D power stages, and left to work for Grimm Audio and Hypex (which we know from its class-D modules in NAD amps), and eventually co-founded Purifi Audio, a company that sets the standard for high-end class-D amplification.
The Manley Oasis comes with an all-new chassis, easy access settings, and the Manley Power PSU.
What Do We Think?
Kevin Deal, founder of Upscale Audio, grabbed the new Manley Oasis as soon as it got to us and took it to his lair for some listening sessions on his main rig. After all, the outgoing Manley Chinook is the best-selling phonostage in the history of Upscale Audio. The Oasis did not let him down. "It sounds fantastic," says Kevin. He loves that the Oasis is all-Manley in that it offers the glory of tubes without losing any detail. "It's tubes, but fast tubes. People just love that."
We had to send Ken Davis, our sales manager, to rescue the Oasis, but it quickly found its way into Ken's personal system and hasn't been seen since. He is especially pleased with the new chassis, liking how the rounded corners give it a softer look, moving Manley a bit away from that industrial, pro-audio design. "It feels more at ease, visually, in my system."
Ken tested the Oasis with his Dr. Feickert Woodpecker turntable and Soundsmith Sussurro Mk II, a low-output cartridge. The setup of the Oasis was easy, and though he had to choose the maximum gain, 65 dB, he couldn't hear any noise at all unless he was right up against the tweeter. Like Kevin, Ken praised that he got a nice tube quality with a lush midrange but with a clean sound. "Some tube gear can get overly smooshy," said Ken, "but not Manley."
Sennheiser's Open Back Closed Backs
With the new HD 620S, Sennheiser set out to answer the question, Can an audiophile headphone be this inexpensive?
In doing so, Sennheiser also strove to offer the distraction-free listening of a closed back with the natural, expansive sound of an open back. Jake Spencer and Jordan Perez of Upscale Audio spent time with the HD 620S to discover for themselves if Sennheiser had achieved its goal.
Jake said that while they did initially feel a little plastic-y, he found the build to be sturdy and they were comfortable to wear for long listening sessions. For the price, both he and Jordan were happy with the build quality. Jake mentioned that the angled transducers gave him the sense he was listening to speakers, which he loved.
Isolation is excellent, resulting in an immersive experience. Jordan noticed the bass first, loving how low it hits, but remained under control, even during a bass-heavy track like 'Xanny' by Billie Eilish.
"These are for people who want to start on the path to becoming an audiophile," says Jake, and both of them agreed that yes, with the HD 620S, Sennheiser has indeed made an audiophile headphone for just $350.
New Video: Best Speakers Under $5,000
Jake and Jordan of Upscale Audio compare three of their favorite under-$5,000 speakers. Watch them throw the Focal Aria Evo X No2, Klipsch Forte IV, and Fyne Audio F501SP, into the ring!