Review Isotek Titan (EVO3)

De sound

We’d better say… the Sound of Silence. Guys… what a calm presentation. In both sets… It really is an unreal experience to hear this. Although the difference in both sets is different. In the typing room, it’s bigger because conditions are worse with all PCs. And we don’t have as good power strips. In the reference set it is really a thick point on the ‘i’ and brings a ‘authenticity’ that is very pleasant. Now we really hear a (even) blacker background and a better separation between the instruments and vocals. Everything just sounds more natural. Lovely.

Bass Kick

We love electronic music and progressive rock / metal at Alpha Audio. Think Massive Attack, Radiohead / Thom Yorke, Steven Wilson, A Perfect Circle… you’ll get it. With that kind of music, dynamics and range are really crucial. Otherwise, the charm is immediately off.

We can guarantee that the 4B SST3 did not suffer from shortness of breath. Also not at higher volumes. In fact: there seems to be more bass kick and deeper and more controlled low with the Titan. The same goes for the set with the Dion Audio electronics. It flourishes fine with the Isotek EVO3 Titan between the wall and their input.

Imaging

We have to be honest: the imaging is already very good in our space. There is a real 3D image with effortless effects next to and behind us. So it doesn’t have to be much more spacious and will be tricky. What can be improved is the tautness of the picture. And not so much more stable, but better focused.

And that’s exactly what the Titan does: voices get a better defined part in the picture. Without having to bother listening. That image is placed even tighter when we take the Metrum with us in the filter (more about this later). So it may be worth experimenting with.

Pass Labs…?

Is it better to let more devices play through the Titan? Well, uh… no. Not always. One exception in this case is our Pass Labs XP-12. He just doesn’t like the Titan. As soon as we connect this front stage, we hear a loss of dynamics and especially a reduction in the stereo image. Very weird. It just won’t.

The Metrum Pavane, on the other hand… …that one again. As said, we hear an even better focused stereo image. However, the sound image also becomes a bit thinner and the stereo image tends a bit more forward. Must love you. However, it doesn’t get dull like the XP-12.

Final bins

What we can say after our test period is that the Isotek EVO3 Titan is especially suitable for power amplifiers. Very weird. And a little unnatural for us. Because although we have been using filters for sources and kicks for years, we have actually never permanently used a filter for a power amplifier. The only one that worked is the Torus Power we tested a few years ago. In fact, that’s just a giant transformer…

In conclusion, we can say that the Isotek EVO3 Titan can have a particularly beneficial effect on the reproduction. In our case, if we do the power amplifier in the Titan, both in the set of the tapping space and in the reference set, it gives a better reproduction. More tranquillity, more refinement, no loss of dynamics (in fact: there seems to be more dynamics) and a larger stereo image.

However, it is a matter of trying, because the Pass Labs doesn’t sound as good through the Titan. And the Metrum does not have to be stupid, but a fresher and more prominent rendition. You must love that.