Gainlab Audio Auditor: Class‑A 500‑series headphone amp built for critical listening (and safety)
A serious headphone amp… in a 500‑series slot
High-end headphone monitoring is increasingly a first-class workflow: editing, mix decisions on the road, quiet-night sessions, and even mastering checks. Gainlab Audio’s new Auditor is designed as a double-width 500‑series module, aiming to bring “rack-grade” headphone performance into compact studio rigs and mobile frames.
Class‑A output stage + wide bandwidth
At the core is a Class‑A output stage designed for low distortion and linear frequency response. On paper, the frequency response spec is strikingly wide — reaching out to 100 kHz at the top end — which typically correlates to stable phase response and clean transients in the audible band.
Specs (the useful ones)
- Frequency response: 20 Hz–20 kHz ±0.005 dB
- Extended response: 10 Hz–100 kHz +0.05 / -1 dB
- Format: two-slot 500 Series module
Safety features that actually matter
What makes Auditor stand out is the focus on protection. Gainlab mention protection against the kinds of events that destroy headphones or worse: DC offset, overcurrent, and power-on transients. It also includes status indicators and headphone presence detection, so the module is not “blind” to what’s connected.
Monitoring workflow features
- Mono monitoring for fast phase/center checks
- Mute for quick silence and swap workflows
- Line pass-through so you can daisy-chain monitoring/recording gear
Who it’s for
If your rig revolves around a 500‑series frame and you need dependable, repeatable headphone monitoring (especially with higher-impedance studio models), Auditor looks designed to be the “always there” reference point.
Official product page
Gainlab Audio — Auditor (official)
Video
Here’s a quick NAMM-show hands-on overview to see the unit and format in context.