Convergence is everywhere you look these days. Phones have cameras and media players and even a GPS navigator, but what if your headphone stand was also a headphone amp? That’s convergence, too, and it’s now a real thing.
We’ve seen a lot of gadgets here at GadgetGuy — which you’d expect given the name — but Auralic’s Gemini is a touch surprising, taking the desk furniture that is a Klutz headphone stand and giving it more purpose and something for your headphones to remain plugged into, even when you take the headphones off the stand and decide to wear them.
That’s because the Gemini is more than just a stand, with a headphone amplifier, digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) with several inputs including standard USB for computers and XLR, an SD card reader, and even the ability to be plugged directly into a phone and used as an amplifier for your phone.
Two variants of this stand-amp hybrid will be made, with the more pricey Gemini 2000 featuring a Class A headphone amp and balanced headphone jack, while the Gemini 1000 cuts out the balance and goes with an unbalanced circuit that won’t be as loud.
At the base of the unit are controls and lights to tell you what you’re playing as well as what you’re playing through, with volume indicators and even a control for “niceness”, with support on this amp available for up to 24-bit at 384kHz, with support for DSD.
Five finishes are available for this one, but the prices don’t start all that cheap, so if you’re keen for a little bit of form with function, you’ll want to keep some money aside, with the Auralic Gemini 1000 fetching a recommended retail price of $1399 and the Class A equipped Gemini 2000 grabbing an RRP of $2499.
For many, these sorts of costs will likely be a hurdle, but if you’ve already spent on a decent pair of headphones with a similar cost, chances are you’re already at least thinking in the same ballpark for a way to keep them looking pretty in your home, which this might well do.
If the price doesn’t dissuade you, Busisoft — Auralic’s distributor in Australia — should have the details you want for finding it, or just check the place you bought those other big premium headphones from, because there’s a good chance it’s the same.
