A Tube Stage Between Conversion and Amplification
Écoute has announced November North American availability for its TH2 wireless headphones at $999. Each channel receives a dedicated DAC core, a Nutube preamp stage and a discrete Class A/B output amplifier. The company also describes improved shielding around the tube circuitry. These are architectural details, rather than evidence of better sound, but they make this an unusually interesting wireless design. [Announcement published by The Absolute Sound](https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/ecoute-audio-introduces-the-th2/).
A tube providing voltage gain can affect the signal's harmonic structure. Whether that contribution is pleasing depends on its level and behavior under load. I would want distortion measurements across listening levels before assigning any sonic virtue to the glowing component. Channel separation likewise needs measurement before a dual-mono layout earns credit for more precise imaging.
The EQ Deserves Attention
The eight-band equalizer offers adjustment of up to 12dB in either direction, with settings retained after shutdown. That is a useful provision for adapting the tonal balance to the listener. The announcement does not establish whether users can adjust each band's center frequency and bandwidth, so calling it a fully parametric equalizer would be premature. [TH2 tuning details](https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/ecoute-audio-introduces-the-th2/).
Large positive EQ adjustments also demand headroom. In an evaluation, I would check whether boosted settings reduce available output or introduce clipping. Frequency-response measurements with ANC enabled and disabled would help establish how consistently the tuning survives a change of listening mode. Flat response is just the beginning.
Presale Pricing Needs Its Own Label
Écoute's store currently lists a TH2 presale reservation at $899 against a regular price of $999. The accompanying chart compares those two advertised prices for the same product, a $100 difference. It is a pricing snapshot, not a historical trend or a performance comparison, and the reservation listing should not be confused with immediate retail stock. [Écoute's official store](https://ecouteaudio.com/collections/all).
What Would Justify the Premium?
My priorities for a listening test would be residual hiss during quiet passages and how the headphone behaves when movement excites the tube assembly. A convincing soundstage would also need consistent channel matching and acoustic tuning. At this price, the Nutube circuit makes the TH2 worth investigating; controlled measurements and extended listening will determine whether it makes the headphone worth buying.
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