“Ultimately, I think the Hephaestus HMA-1000s represent a new era of Class-D amplifiers that have improved linearity, lower-noise, and provide lots of power without sounding in the least aggressive. I am proud to have been among the few reviewers that took the leap of faith in hearing this new design from Joey White and am glad I did. Highly recommended.”
“The Hephaestus Audio HMA-1000 is a great monoblock amplifier. It sounds fast, clean, transparent, open, and airy with powerful but neutral bass and massive headroom. It worked well with a variety of speakers and sources, takes up very little shelf space, and produces quite a bit amount of power efficiently (1,000 watts per side). Those looking for a big shiny bauble with a fancy name to show off may be perturbed by the utilitarian look and understated size and miss out on some amazing sound.”
“This one kilowatt switch-mode Class-D design’s magic stems from its simplicity (no power on/off or fancy LEDs), providing a emotional connectivity to the music…”
“The Hephas sound effortless, powerful, and transparent. There is a sense of ease and subtle detail. The details don’t jump out at you yet you just hear more of what’s going on. I was consistently hearing things I had never noticed and popping in headphones to verify. The highs are delicate and airy with a huge sense of space. The soundstage is taller and wider and surprisingly deeper than I am used to. Music in the foreground was not only a little closer than I expected but simultaneously the music in the background seemed further away than usual. Typically, I have found amplifiers to sound either forward or recessed but having both shows the delicate balance it struck. I attribute this to the amplifier’s ability to delineate the subtle lower level detail that sets up the space. String instruments not only had an added sense of air about them but some midrange bloom. Getting midrange bloom from a class D amplifier just goes to show that they are not all the same. One main striking aspect of the Hephas is its ability to attack transients. It is lightning fast and makes listening to energetic and uncompressed music so much more enjoyable.”
“Based on their high level of performance and their more than reasonable price, we bestow upon the Hephaestus Audio HMA-1000 our Stereomojo Maximum Mojo Award.”
“The Paragon VL-3 loudspeaker is a product that I could easily live with and thus highly recommend. It’s well made and extremely attractive both in performance and looks. The only issue I had with the VL-3′s was their thirst for power. I totally appreciated their clean, wide-open sense of spatiality through the Behold Gentle. Through the Hephaestus mono blocks however, the VL-3′s came to life, especially in the lower octaves. If you’re considering purchasing this loudspeaker and already own a 100-watt amplifier of decent pedigree, I think you’ll be happy. But if you have a more powerful amp, perhaps one of the latest Class-D, high power designs similar to the Hephaestus, then expect to be amazed.”