About 90 Studio Six headphone amplifiers recalled over electrocution hazard

What was recalled

The recall covers about 90 Studio Six Headphone Amplifiers, model ST6, distributed by AudioLineOut LLC of Portland, Oregon. They were sold in black or silver at independent stereo stores nationwide and online at aloaudio.com from December 2014 through December 2022, for about $3,900 each.

CPSC's description of the unit: it measures 15-3/4 inches high by 12 inches wide; the lower level of the unit is 5-3/4 inches tall, and the measurement from the top of the upper level to the bottom of the unit is 20-3/4 inches. The front has four audio connectors for headphones. The back has three sets of RCA inputs (left and right) and a connector for an auxiliary power device.

The hazard concerns the vacuum tubes an owner might fit rather than the chassis on its own. The notice does not name a specific brand of aftermarket tube, and it does not say the amplifier is unsafe with the tubes that shipped in the box. The units were manufactured in the United States.

With about 90 units sold over eight years, this is one of the smallest recalls CPSC announced on Aug. 27, 2026, alongside larger ones such as the Hustler and BigDog mower LED light kit recall.

Why it was recalled: aftermarket metal-base tubes can become live

CPSC's hazard statement: "When the amplifiers are used with aftermarket metal base tubes, the bare metal can become electrified, posing a risk of serious injury or death from electrocution."

In plain terms, the amplifier accepts plug-in vacuum tubes, and some replacement tubes sold by other companies have a bare metal base. In this amplifier, that exposed metal can carry a dangerous voltage, so touching it could deliver a shock. The notice frames the problem as a combination of the amplifier and a particular type of replacement tube, which is why the remedy includes the option of going back to the tubes AudioLineOut supplied with the unit.

The notice does not go further than that. It does not list which tube models are affected, does not describe the internal cause and does not report any measurements. If you have swapped tubes at any point since buying the amplifier and are unsure what base type they have, the safest reading of the notice is to stop using the unit and contact AudioLineOut.

Where it was sold

The amplifiers were sold at independent stereo stores nationwide and online at aloaudio.com, from December 2014 through December 2022, for about $3,900. No big-box retailers or marketplaces are listed on the notice.

Because the sales window closed in December 2022, some of these units will have changed hands since. The notice does not limit the remedy to original purchasers; it tells consumers who own the recalled amplifiers to contact AudioLineOut, and the company's contact form is the route to arrange the repair for a unit bought used. CPSC's page also carries its standard reminder that federal law prohibits selling products subject to a recall, so a recalled ST6 should not be listed for sale until it has been repaired.

If you bought from a dealer, that store may have a record of the sale, but the notice directs owners to AudioLineOut directly rather than to the retailer.

How to identify an affected amplifier

Only one model is involved, so identification is about confirming the model and then looking at the tubes. The hazard applies when the amplifier is used with aftermarket metal-base tubes. If the tubes in your unit are the ones that came with it, the notice offers continued use of those original tubes as an alternative to the repair; if you have fitted replacements with a metal base, or you cannot tell, contact AudioLineOut. The notice provides no serial number range, so all ST6 units sold in the window are treated as included.

Reported incidents and injuries

CPSC lists incidents and injuries as "None reported." As of the Aug. 27, 2026 announcement, neither AudioLineOut nor CPSC had received a report of a shock or other incident involving a Studio Six amplifier.

The hazard is nonetheless described in the agency's strongest terms, a risk of serious injury or death from electrocution, and the recall is tagged as a Fast Track recall, meaning the distributor agreed to a corrective action quickly rather than waiting for CPSC staff to make a preliminary determination that the product is defective.

Anyone who has experienced a problem with one of these amplifiers can report it to CPSC at SaferProducts.gov or by calling 800-638-2772.

What to do if you own one

The remedy is a free repair. CPSC's wording: "Consumers should stop using the recalled amplifiers immediately and contact AudioLineOut for a free repair. Consumers should contact AudioLineOut at support@aloaudio.com for a prepaid shipping label to ship back the product for repair. Alternatively, consumers can utilize the originally supplied vacuum tubes."

AudioLineOut can be reached at 971-279-4357 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday, by email at support@aloaudio.com, or online at aloaudio.com under "Safety Notice," which leads to a dedicated page with a contact form at aloaudio.com/pages/studio-six-headphone-amplifier-safety-recall. The notice does not say how long the repair takes or what is changed inside the unit, so ask when you make contact.

1. Stop using the amplifier and unplug it.
2. Confirm it is a Studio Six model ST6 and note whether the tubes fitted are the originals or aftermarket replacements.
3. Email support@aloaudio.com or fill out the contact form on AudioLineOut's safety recall page to request a prepaid shipping label.
4. Pack the amplifier and ship it back with the label; keep the tracking number and any correspondence.
5. If you prefer not to ship it, the notice's alternative is to refit the originally supplied vacuum tubes and stop using aftermarket metal-base tubes.

Who issued the recall and when

The recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Aug. 27, 2026, as CPSC recall number 26-720. The company named on the notice is AudioLineOut LLC of Portland, Oregon, listed as the distributor; the amplifiers were manufactured in the United States. The remedy on record is a repair.

CPSC tags it as a Fast Track recall. Under CPSC's Fast Track Recall Program, a company that commits to a corrective action plan quickly, including a consumer-level refund, repair or replacement, and stops sale and distribution of the product immediately, avoids having CPSC staff make a preliminary determination that the product contains a defect creating a substantial product hazard. The label says something about the process, not about how serious the hazard is.

The official page is the place to check for later updates, such as an expansion or a change in remedy; searching cpsc.gov for "26-720" brings it up. Other electrical-hazard recalls announced the same day include the YERYORK and Steelite pressure washers sold on Amazon.

How to monitor recalls and why to keep your receipts

Small-run audio gear rarely gets recall coverage, so check the sources yourself. CPSC posts every recall at cpsc.gov/Recalls and offers email alerts; FDA lists food, drug and cosmetic recalls on its recalls page; vehicle recalls can be checked by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; USDA FSIS covers meat and poultry; and FoodSafety.gov gathers food alerts. Retailer notifications and the brand's own site, here aloaudio.com, are worth checking too.

Keep receipts and dealer invoices, and photograph the model label and serial number before a unit is shipped for repair. That proof may matter if a company refund, reimbursement or a future claim program becomes available. Owed tracks open class action settlements, not recalls; see the current list.

Glossary

Vacuum tube

A glass-enclosed amplifying component that plugs into a socket on tube amplifiers like the Studio Six; the recall concerns replacement tubes with a metal base.

Aftermarket tube

A replacement tube made by a company other than the one that supplied the amplifier's original tubes.

Metal-base tube

A tube whose base, the part that plugs into the socket, is bare metal. CPSC says that metal can become electrified in this amplifier.

Fast Track recall

A CPSC program in which a company agrees to a quick corrective action plan, including a consumer-level refund, repair or replacement, and stops sale and distribution immediately; in return, CPSC staff do not make a preliminary determination that the product contains a defect.

Remedy

What the company offers to fix the hazard as stated in the notice; here, a free repair with a prepaid shipping label.

Recall number

CPSC's identifier for a recall; this one is 26-720. Searching it on cpsc.gov brings up the official page.

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