FS: Auralic Taurus MK II Headphone Amplifier

markmarc · October 2017

Selling my beloved Auralic Taurus MK II headphone Amp. This unit is in all but perfect condition. Only the box and manual are missing as I am the second owner. It has the rare ability to elevate all headphones whether it be budget, mid-level, or top-of-the-line. The Taurus MK II can be used a preamp with both RCA and Balanced inputs and outputs. Two headphone jacks (XLR and traditional) are available. The volume control has the heavy quality feel that all true audiophile equipment use. The unit has the power to handle even the most difficult to drive planar headphones. New they sell for $1500, and used ones rarely come up for sale. My price is $850 including priority shipping. Payment via PayPal.

From the Auralic Website
Begins from the pursuit of an extraordinary amplifier that can well match with modern top quality headphones, inspired by the soul of Rupert Neve'slegendary design philosophy, bearing with modernsimplism style appearance, TAURUS MKII is born with a perfect coalescence of classic and pop elements.

The smooth, rich and detailed voice of TAURUS MKII is a succession of AURALiC’s elegant and gracefulaesthetic taste. Referring to Neve analog console’s circuit design, AURALiC invent the ORFEO Class-A output module and fit them into TAURUS MKII. TheORFEO module offers great driving ability by delivers1000mW (600ohm) to 4500mW (32ohm) power into various loads; this allows TAURUS MKII to squeeze out every headphone’s capabilities, unfold the beauty of their unique sonic style.

Resorting to the ultra low noise input buffer tailored byAURALiC, TAURUS MKII has a wide dynamic range greater than 130dB while maintains the output noise less than 5uV. With such astonishing performance, TAURUS is able to capture the most tiny music expression coming from the source component.

The TAURUS MKII builds on the design of the original award-winning TAURUS, launched in 2010, by concentrating all surface-mounted components in an audio signal patch. It also increased the TAURUS’ EMI shielding, reducing noise from the input buffer to 0.8uV, less than half the level of the original. Additionally, AURALiC improved the input switch circuit to increase the isolation among different input channels, which boosts performance when the TAURUS MKII is connected to multiple sources.

Smoothed music expression, sophisticated circuit design and brilliant appearance; TAURUS MKII is another exemplary works designed by AURALiC.
AURALiC ORFEO Class-A Output Module
Inspired by Neve 8078 analog console’s circuit design,AURALiC developed ORFEO Class-A output module. The principle of this module is to use a mass of small signal components with best linear characteristic. By packing them though a thermal balance procedure and bias the transistors into Class-A, ORFEO achieves impressive performance with open loop distortion less than 0.001%. With such sophisticated module, TAURUS MKII shares the same warm and natural sound with Neve 8078.

Low Noise Input Buffer
The input buffer of TAURUS MKII is specifically designed by AURALiC to meet the requirement of headphone amplifier usage. This buffer own an exclamatory low noise of less than 0.8uV while maintains high input impedance (100K of RCA and200K of XLR). The low noise input buffer endues TAURUS MKII with a dynamic range over 130dB and possible to fit into any kind of source, even with high output impedance devices such as valve buffered CD, it can still easily capture every details and ensure the reality of music impression.

Real-time Switchable Working Mode
With a unique 4-way individual output structure, you can configure TAURUS MKII into standard or balanced working mode by simply pressing the button on the front panel without power off the unit or unplug the headphone. In the standard mode, TAURUS MKII can output 4500mW continuous and undistorted power into32ohm, satisfy the toughest headphone’s driving requirement; when facing high impedance loads, TAURUS MKII can also deliver 1000mW continuous and undistorted power into 600ohm in balanced mode. Such flexible design allows TAURUS MKII to match most modern top quality headphones in a perfect way.

Frequency response
3Hz - 300KHz, +/- 3dB
20Hz - 20KHz, +/- 0.1dB
THD+N
<0.002%, 20Hz-20KHz at rated output

Dynamic Range
>130dB, 20Hz-20KHz, A-weighted
Crosstalk
<-80dB at 1KHz
Output Power (continuous in RMS)
STD Mode BAL Mode
32ohm 4500mW 1200mW
120ohm 1200mW 4500mW
300ohm 500mW 2000mW
600ohm 250mW 1000mW

Input Ports
RCA: Sensitivity: 4Vrms; Maximum: 12Vrms
XLR: Sensitivity: 4Vrms; Maximum: 12Vrms

Output Ports
6,35mm Stereo Headphone Jack (STD only)
4PIN XLR Headphone Jack (AKG K1000 wiring)
RCA pre out (STD only)
XLR pre out (PIN2:HOT)

Power dissipation
50W at max.
Dimension
11''W x 9''D x 2.6''H (33cm x 23cm x 6.5cm)

Weight
8 pounds (3.6kg)