Feliks Audio Bliss - so much stupidity...

[spritzer]

This was introduced at High End 2025 in Munich and here is a blurb about it

Quote

The cleverly named BLISS e-stat amplifier is not your regular tube-based amplifier. Everything was cranked up to eleven! It’s huge, it’s big, it’s heavy, and it’s over the top using quad Stradi 300B power triodes, quad EL34 power pentodes, and quad Reflektor 6E5P tetrodes for some power overwhelming action. We have two headphone sockets, one for normal (low-voltage) e-stats and the other for PRO (high-voltage) e-stats. The wheel on top also lets you adjust the voltage bias for the headphones attached. The normal bias goes from 120V to 360V, while the PRO bias starts at 240V and finishes at 720V, letting you use most, if not all electrostatic headphones available right now on the market.

Now, I admit I wasn’t thrilled by the entry-level DAC hooked up to the Bliss, and using an Astell&Kern DAP as a digital transport seemed more about convenience than conquering sound quality. Yet, even with this setup, both the STAX X9000 and HiFiMan Shangri-La Sr delivered a fabulously fun-tastic performance! Oftentimes, I get so lost in the tech specs that I forget to savor the experience, but this time, I paused, closed my eyes, and a few captivating minutes later, someone had to rouse me from my trance-like state.

Priced at €20K a pop, the BLISS might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re in pursuit of the pinnacle, I can’t imagine a better auditory experience. Hats off to the Feliks brothers for blending art, passion, and cutting-edge engineering into these timeless, handcrafted amplifiers! Our Best Of Show award goes to the magnificent BLISS, and I eagerly anticipate another encounter, hopefully at the Audio Video Show 2025

There are no internal pictures at all but it sure looks like they stole some of our Megatron here.  Yeah, if that is the case, that is not okey.  At first I didn't know what driver tubes were used and since those look a bit like 6N6pi's... I thought "well that is stupid but it might kinda work if used with some transformers".  No... it is far worse.  Single tetrodes, likely triode strapped, so are they trying to out compete the Woo WES for the worst all tube electrostatic amp design...or maybe the Triode H1?  Time will tell but there simply aren't enough tubes here if the EL34's are used as current sources. 

Now we get to the proper stupid shit... why have that bias adjustment?  It's the same garbage as ifi have been doing and just as retarded.  It simply shows a complete lack of understanding at the principles at play here and is a good way to burn up some headphone drivers.  Are they switching in different ballast resistors and limiting the output voltage swing to match the bias?  No, probably not so let's pump up that X9000 to 720V and burn it up.  Yup... what a brilliant idea. 

[psyduck]

I can build a Megatron XXL with 300B tubes for a fraction of that price.

[TammerDown]

The SGL Sr headphone hooked up to it is the only bellwether of shit needed

[Kung]

I saw a picture where someone turned 'Bliss' potentiometer to the 3-4 o'clock...just another 320Vrms swing with low gain luxury electrostatic amp

Perhaps it is thought that the maximum sound pressure can be compensated a bit by increasing the bias voltage. Electrostatic force on the diaphragm is affected by both the bias and the signal.

 

[kevin gilmore]

can't find any internal pictures.  but a 6ca7 as a current source for a 300b has plenty voltage swing, more than 1600 volts is possible.

but the front end is lacking in voltage gain. so you are definitely going to need one of those 10v output dacs.

[spritzer]

That's what I'm thinking, there is just not enough gain here.  The could compensate with transformers but that introduces other issues. 

You could compensate with the bias but that is a huge can of worms and will end with blown up drivers.