Violectric Model Comparison

August 26, 2026

Table of contents

• Introduction
• HPA V101 – the compact entry point
• HPA V222 & DHA V226 – the compact True Balanced class
• HPA V340 & HPA V324 – the modern all-rounders
• DHA V380² – the compact DAC all-rounder
• HPA V550 & HPA V550 PRO – maximum analogue power
• DHA V590² & DHA V590² PRO – the digital hub
• Buying guide at a glance

Introduction

If you're looking for a Violectric headphone amplifier and can't quite make sense of all the "V" model numbers, this guide is for you. Violectric is the hi-fi brand of German manufacturer Lake People, based in Konstanz, which has been developing professional studio and mastering equipment for decades. That heritage goes straight into the fully balanced headphone amplifiers built for audiophile home use.

A few things worth knowing before diving into the models:

• HPA vs. DHA: Model names starting with "HPA" (Headphone Amplifier) are pure headphone amplifiers, some with an added preamp function. Models starting with "DHA" combine the amplifier with a built-in D/A converter.
• "True Balanced": At Violectric this means more than just balanced connectors. It means four fully independent amplifier output stages for the left and right channels, each with a positive and negative phase – genuine engineering effort, not just a marketing term.
• ±50 V internal operating voltage: A shared design trait across the whole line-up. It provides high output voltage headroom, which matters especially for high-impedance headphones.
• PRE-GAIN system: A multi-stage gain system (typically −18 to +18 dB) compensates for the very different sensitivities of headphones while keeping the noise floor low.
• Build: All chassis are manufactured in Germany from black-anodised aluminium.
• Choosing a model: The difference between models is rarely about fundamental sound philosophy – it's about feature set: pure amplifier vs. preamp function vs. built-in DAC vs. the type of volume control.

HPA V101 – the compact entry point

Before the True Balanced class: the direct entry point

Before you get to the True Balanced class (V222 and up), the HPA V101 is the most affordable and most compact entry into the Violectric world. Unlike every other model featured here, it does without balanced headphone outputs (4-pin XLR or Pentaconn) – it offers only two unbalanced 6.3 mm jack outputs and no preamp output. In exchange, it shares the discrete, low-noise amplifier circuit and high internal operating voltage with its bigger siblings, delivering 2,050 mW at 50 Ω and up to 18.9 V at 600 Ω – enough to confidently drive even high-impedance headphones. Inputs: 1× XLR and 1× RCA, switchable. The PRE-GAIN system (±18 dB) and the proven ALPS RK27 control sit inside the most compact chassis in the entire range (168 × 47 × 125 mm).

→ View HPA V101 in the shop

HPA V222 & DHA V226 – the compact True Balanced class

Purism meets versatility

The HPA V222 is the most affordable entry into Violectric's "True Balanced" philosophy and builds on the multi-award-winning HPA V200 and HPA V280. Unlike the smaller (and here no longer listed) V202, whose Pentaconn output is explicitly unbalanced, the V222 uses four genuine output stages to run truly balanced.

Worth noting: at 600 Ω the V222 delivers around 25.7 V, the highest output voltage in the entire line-up – more than even the flagship V550 and V590 models. For very high-impedance, voltage-hungry headphones, it's a surprisingly capable performer despite its entry-level price.

The DHA V226 takes the exact same amplifier concept and adds a Cirrus CS43131 DAC via USB-C (PCM up to 32-bit/384 kHz, DSD up to 256) plus a switchable line output. If you're after a DAC, headphone amp, and preamp in one compact unit, the V226 is the one to get – at the cost of slightly lower output power compared with the purist V222.

→ View HPA V222 in the shop → View DHA V226 in the shop

HPA V340 & HPA V324 – the modern all-rounders

Same power, different character

This comparison is particularly telling, because the output power of the V340 and V324 is practically identical: 5,000 mW at 50 Ω, 740 mW at 600 Ω, both with an output impedance of 0.15 Ω unbalanced / 0.3 Ω balanced. Sound and power-wise, the two amps have nothing to hide from each other.

The difference is in the feature set. The HPA V324 is by far the more modern of the two: an XLR input, a Pentaconn output, VU meters for level monitoring, front-panel PRE-GAIN, and a motorised, remote-controllable volume pot.

The HPA V340, by contrast, is deliberately purist: two unbalanced RCA inputs, two 6.3 mm outputs plus a 4-pin XLR, but no 4.4 mm Pentaconn and no remote control. Violectric itself no longer lists the V340 in its current product range – at Level Audio it's still available while stock lasts, offering the same amplifier power as the V324 at a noticeably lower price.

→ View HPA V340 in the shop → View HPA V324 in the shop

DHA V380² – the compact DAC all-rounder

DAC and amplifier in one chassis, without compromising on power

The DHA V380² fills the gap between the compact DHA V226 and the flagship DHA V590²: it packs a genuine 32-bit D/A converter with resampling/reclocking (up to 180 dB dynamic range, switchable On/Off/Best) and an amplifier stage that matches the V340/V324 pair in output – 5,000 mW at 50 Ω, 21 V RMS at 600 Ω. Digital signals arrive via optical, coaxial (each up to 24-bit/192 kHz) and USB (up to 32-bit/384 kHz PCM, DSD64–512). Unlike the V550 class, it does without VU meters and a Pentaconn output, but still offers a balanced 4-pin XLR headphone output plus XLR and RCA line outputs for use as a preamp. Notably, at 290 × 90 × 282 mm it uses a considerably larger chassis than the rest of the range.

→ View DHA V380² in the shop

HPA V550 & HPA V550 PRO – maximum analogue power

The difference is in the volume control

The HPA V550 is the successor to the V281 and, with 6,400 mW at 50 Ω and 21.1 V at 600 Ω, offers the strongest analogue output stage in the range – matched only by the DHA V590², which shares the same output stage (more on that below). Three analogue inputs, one balanced and one unbalanced line output, and a solid milled-aluminium remote round out the package.

The HPA V550 PRO is electrically identical but replaces the motorised ALPS RK27 potentiometer with a 256-step reed-relay attenuator in 0.4 dB increments. That means: perfect channel matching across the entire range, no scratching noises, and zero wear – an upgrade that pays off especially for listeners with sensitive ears and reference-level expectations.

→ View HPA V550 in the shop → View HPA V550 PRO in the shop

DHA V590² & DHA V590² PRO – the digital hub

V550 amplifier plus reference DAC in one unit

The DHA V590² takes the complete analogue amplifier section of the V550 – identical 6,400 mW at 50 Ω and 21.1 V at 600 Ω – and adds a full D/A converter stage: an ESS ES9026 PRO with four parallel converters per channel, 124 dB dynamic range, and −110 dB THD+N. Digital signals arrive via XLR, coaxial, or optical (up to 24-bit/192 kHz), or via USB (up to 32-bit/384 kHz PCM, DSD64–256).

If you're after a single, self-contained source for the entire headphone chain – from the digital signal all the way to the headphone jack – the V590² is the most complete solution in the line-up.

Just like the V550/V550 PRO pair, there's a PRO version here too: the DHA V590² PRO is electrically identical to the V590² – including the ESS ES9026 PRO converter, the 32-bit resampler with femto-clock, and 6,400 mW of amplifier power at 50 Ω – but replaces the motorised ALPS RK27 with a 256-step reed-relay volume control in 0.4 dB increments. The result: perfect channel matching across the entire range and no channel imbalance at low listening volumes – the same logic as the step from V550 to V550 PRO, just with a built-in reference DAC on top.

→ View DHA V590² in the shop → View DHA V590² PRO in the shop

Buying guide at a glance

All models at a glance

HPA V101

€799.00

HPA V222

€1,199.00

DHA V226

€1,499.00

HPA V340

€1,890.00

DHA V380²

€2,290.00

HPA V324

€2,599.00

HPA V550

€2,599.00

HPA V550 PRO

€3,199.00

DHA V590²

€3,299.00

DHA V590² PRO

€3,899.00