Two Audio GIANTS Collab – The RESULT Is Some WICKED Gear!

United States of Analog | November 13, 2025

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🎙️ Early Video Analysis

What is this video about?

This is the opening portion of a video about two audio products – a Gremlin headphone amp and another piece of gear (not yet revealed) that represents a collaboration between Apos Audio (a retailer) and Schiit Labs (a manufacturer). The host is presenting gear that audiophiles may not need but will likely want.

What gear, products, or brands are discussed?

• Gremlin headphone amp [00:03:22]
• Price: $120 (base configuration, multiple configurations available)
• Features: Balanced, Class A amplification, tube amp
• Tubes: 12AU7 tubes sourced by RayTubes
• LEDs underneath tubes for visual effect

• LC1 bookshelf speakers from Chesky Audio [00:02:45]
• Host purchased these earlier in the year
• Signed by Luca (presumably the company founder)
• Host mentions supporting a new company/product

• Apos Audio [00:01:55] – West Coast and Florida retailer
• Schiit Labs [00:01:59] – Manufacturer

What are the host’s main opinions or takes so far?

• Moving away from traditional “reviews” to being more of a “presenter” [00:00:33]
• Wants to avoid superlatives and absolutes like claiming a “$120 amp sounds like a $1,200 headphone amp” [00:01:12]
• Believes viewers should combine his opinions with other reviews for decision-making [00:01:04]
• Emphasizes he’s not a shill and companies don’t control his content [00:02:22]
• Advocates for supporting audio companies financially to keep the industry going [00:03:08]

What are the host’s strong recommendations or warnings to viewers?

• Recommendation: Suggests viewers “throw a little money around” to support audio companies [00:03:12]
• Recommendation: Combine his presentations with other YouTube reviews and internet research before making purchase decisions [00:01:04]

Were there any funny moments, strong opinions, or memorable quotes?

• Funny moment: Host struggles to say “splash some specs” and mentions it took three attempts, hoping viewers don’t notice the edits [00:03:41]
• Humorous comment: Calls the LED tube lighting effect “a cheap magic trick” [00:03:58]
• Personal anecdote: Mentions his wife would remind him he didn’t need more bookshelf speakers [00:02:52]
• Memorable quote: “You know sometimes you discover some gear that you don’t really need but man you want it and you want it bad” [00:00:00]

Summary

In this opening segment, host Bob from United States of Analog sets up what appears to be a presentation of desirable but non-essential audio gear. He’s approaching his 33,333rd subscriber milestone and takes time to reflect on his content philosophy, expressing a desire to move away from traditional “reviews” toward being a “presenter” who shares personal experiences rather than making absolute claims about gear performance.

The main focus appears to be on products from Apos Audio and Schiit Labs, two companies Bob respects for their early support of his channel. He introduces a $120 Gremlin tube headphone amplifier, emphasizing its balanced, Class A design and 12AU7 tubes with LED lighting effects. Bob is honest about the gear being more “want” than “need” for most audiophiles who likely already own similar equipment.

Throughout this introduction, Bob maintains a conversational, authentic tone while being transparent about his relationship with manufacturers and his content approach. He advocates for supporting audio companies financially and encourages viewers to research multiple sources before making purchasing decisions, establishing credibility through his honest, non-commercial approach to gear presentation.

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⏱️ Mid-Video Analysis

What gear, products, or brands are discussed in this portion?

• [00:04:11] Apos and Community collaboration on “Gremlin” headphone amplifier
• [00:04:03] Macintosh (mentioned in comparison)
• [00:04:19] Fozzy Audio (referenced for design similarity)
• [00:05:58] Josheli Labs “Merlin” DAC from Florida
• [00:06:09] AKM4493 DAC chip
• [00:07:10] TI-1652 op amp
• [00:07:10] Aminero USB module
• [00:08:20] Sony DVD SACD player ($10 Goodwill find)
• [00:08:29] Meze Audio 105 AER headphones

What are the host’s key findings, verdicts, or opinions?

• [00:04:14] “They did a really nice job with this”
• [00:05:00] “RayTubes are very good”
• [00:05:35] “A very cool class A headphone amp with tubes with plenty of power”
• [00:05:37] “It’s pretty simple to operate and it sounds really good”
• [00:06:27] Praises Josheli Labs: “If you know anything about DACs you already know about Josheli Labs quality and how much they’re loved in the audio community”
• [00:06:34] “They’re just good people that do good work”
• [00:07:01] “I like this stack. I like these companies”
• [00:08:33] About Meze headphones: “I’m really enjoying these things”

Were there any listening tests or sound quality observations described?

• [00:05:37] Host mentions the headphone amp “sounds really good” but promises to “get into that in just a second”
• [00:08:25] Notes the Sony DVD player “worked great” as a source
• [00:08:33] Currently breaking in the Meze 105 AER headphones

Were there any price/value assessments?

• [00:07:38] Gremlin starts at $120
• [00:07:38] Merlin starts at $225
• [00:07:50] “This is a pretty nice stack if you’re on the budget”
• [00:07:54] Some combo kits run “in excess of $600”
• [00:08:16] Sony DVD SACD player was a “$10 Goodwill find”

Any audiophile tips, advice, or how-to content?

• [00:04:28] “You’re probably going to need an adapter if you’re new to audio and you just got you know regular headphones” (for 4.4 headphone input)
• [00:04:44] Instructions for tube rolling: “to roll the tubes you just simply unscrew these four points here. Lift up the plexi and you can easily roll the tubes”
• [00:04:55] “roll you probably will if this is your first tube amplifier. It’s a lot of fun”
• [00:05:13] Cable management warning: “you want to be careful how you place them because you know sometimes the weight of the cable exceeds the weight of these stacks and you know it could tip over”
• [00:08:02] Advice on purchasing: “pick the combination that’s right for you. You may already have XLRs at home. You may already have better tubes that you can roll in here”

Any memorable quotes or strong takes?

• [00:05:20] On cable management issues: “it could tip over or just look like the leaning tower of Pisa or whatever”
• [00:06:21] About the DAC design: “It’s almost a shame it has to go on the bottom. It’s so nice.”
• [00:08:13] “Nobody gets hurt if you do” (about stacking the Gremlin on existing Josheli Lab equipment)

The host provides a detailed walkthrough of a collaboration between Apos and Community on the “Gremlin” headphone amplifier, a class A tube amp with distinctive design features including clear plexi top and bottom panels for easy tube rolling. He praises the build quality and mentions that while it uses good stock tubes, tube rolling is encouraged and straightforward. The amp features both 4.4mm and XLR headphone outputs, though newcomers may need adapters for standard headphones.

Following the Gremlin’s success, Apos partnered with the respected Josheli Labs to create the “Merlin” DAC, designed to stack perfectly underneath the headphone amp using a plastic “stacker” component. The DAC uses an AKM4493 chip with TI-1652 op amp and Aminero USB module, supporting high-resolution formats including DSD 512 via USB and up to 192kHz/24-bit via coax. The host expresses genuine enthusiasm for both companies and their collaborative approach.

The pricing structure offers flexibility, with the Gremlin starting at $120 and Merlin at $225, though fully configured combo packages can exceed $600. The host emphasizes choosing configurations based on existing equipment, as many audiophiles may already own suitable XLR cables or premium tubes. For his evaluation, he uses an interesting combination of a $10 Goodwill Sony SACD player and newly received Meze Audio 105 AER headphones, demonstrating that good sound doesn’t always require expensive source components.

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🏁 Final Thoughts & Verdict

What gear, products, or brands are discussed in this final portion?

• [00:09:00] Gremlin headphone amplifier ($120)
• [00:09:49] Rock Lobster IEMs ($60, available from Apos)
• [00:10:32] Duceli Labs AKM4493 DAC
• [00:11:09] Weem/Aurilix streamers (mentioned as having only optical SPDIF outputs)
• CD player (used for testing)

What is the host’s final verdict or conclusion?

[00:11:46] The host gives an overwhelmingly positive verdict, calling it “a really cool stack” and “a really cool, well-thought-out package that you’ll be proud to own.” [00:11:58] He summarizes: “Price is good. Sound is good. Form factor is good. It’s unusual. You feel like you’ve got something special here and you do.”

Were there any final recommendations — buy, skip, or consider?

• [00:10:25] Rock Lobster IEMs: “at $60, they’re definitely worth a try”
• [00:12:12] Overall system recommendation: “You don’t need it, but I know you’re gonna want it” – suggesting it’s desirable though not essential

Any final tips, caveats, or advice for viewers?

• [00:11:13] Connectivity issue: The Duceli Labs DAC only has coaxial input, not optical, which caused setup problems with his Weem/Aurilix streamers that only have optical outputs
• [00:11:33] Suggests ensuring your streamer has coaxial output for compatibility
• [00:11:39] Notes the typical audiophile challenge of “cables and connections and power cords”
• [00:10:06] For the Rock Lobster IEMs, he recommends trying different ear tips for proper fit and bass response

How did the video wrap up?

[00:12:15] The host used his signature closing style, suggesting viewers watch another video that YouTube’s algorithm selected, followed by [00:12:27] his standard sign-off: “I’ll see you next time in United States of Analog. Have fun and be safe this holiday season. Cheers.”

Memorable closing quotes or strong final opinions

[00:10:47] “That’s the main thing I want to say about this rig. It’s just fun. It’s fun to look at. It’s fun to own. It’s fun to listen to. It’s everything I like about this hobby that we call audio.”

[00:12:12] “You don’t need it, but I know you’re gonna want it.”

Summary

In the final portion of this review, the host provides detailed listening impressions of the Duceli Labs and Apos collaboration, testing the system with various albums including The Clash, Boz Scaggs, Billy Joel, and Paul McCartney. He describes the sound as comfortable, smooth, detailed, and punchy, with good warmth that doesn’t compromise detail. He also briefly tested the $60 Rock Lobster IEMs from Apos, though he had fitting issues that affected the bass response.

The host acknowledges some practical downsides, particularly a connectivity frustration where the DAC’s coaxial-only input didn’t match his streamers’ optical outputs, forcing him to use a CD player instead. He also mentions the typical audiophile challenge of cable management. Despite these minor issues, he emphasizes that this is the kind of fun, engaging gear that represents what he loves about the audio hobby.

His final verdict is enthusiastically positive, praising the collaboration between Duceli Labs and Apos as producing something special that offers good price, sound, and form factor. While acknowledging that buyers don’t necessarily need this gear, he confidently predicts they’ll want it, positioning it as desirable rather than essential equipment that owners will be proud to have in their systems.

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Analysis generated from archived transcripts. Channel: United States of Analog — hi-fi gear reviews, vinyl, and audiophile culture.