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ÉCOUTE TH2, a second-generation wireless headphone, launches on Kickstarter backed by California ÉCOUTE and China’s MorphoMFG, emphasizing audiophile-grade tube amplification.
The standout feature is dual-triode Korg Nutube 6P1 tube amplification with dual-mono output stages, preserving TH1’s sonic character while redesigning internals.
Engineers focused on comfort and usability upgrades, promising deeper bass response and improved high-frequency clarity compared with the original TH1 model.
What sets the TH2 apart in the current headphone landscape is not the mere presence of a Nutube, but how ÉCOUTE is said to have integrated it into a genuinely portable architecture. The Korg Nutube 6P1, with its low-voltage operation and planar triode structure, is typically praised for microdynamic nuance but criticized for susceptibility to microphonics. According to project details, the internal layout has been substantially reworked, suggesting mechanical isolation and revised damping around the tube modules. The dual-mono output topology further implies discrete signal paths per channel, a design choice more common in desktop amplifiers than in wireless headphones, aimed at minimizing interchannel crosstalk and preserving spatial precision under load.
From an engineering standpoint, the redesign appears less about chasing novelty and more about refining electrical and acoustic stability. Retaining the tonal DNA of the TH1 while altering the chassis hints at adjustments in driver loading, internal volume, and possibly baffle geometry to better complement the harmonic profile of the tube stage. Observers note that Nutube-based designs often benefit from slightly elevated output impedance, which can interact with driver impedance curves to shape bass texture and treble decay. The TH2 seems positioned to lean into that behavior while tightening control through revised amplification stages rather than brute-force DSP correction.
There is also an interesting contrast between ÉCOUTE’s audiophile-led design narrative and MorphoMFG’s involvement as a manufacturing partner. The latter suggests a push toward tighter tolerances and repeatability—critical when dealing with tube matching and thermal behavior in a closed, wearable form factor. If executed as described, the TH2 occupies a niche where portable convenience intersects with traditionally stationary design philosophies, appealing less to spec-sheet maximalists and more to listeners who value harmonic structure, channel integrity, and long-session listenability over raw output figures.
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