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LAiV Harmony HP2A – fully balanced high-end headphone amplifier and Class A preamplifier with a discrete 60-step volume control.
True-balanced headphone amplifier and Class A preamplifier
The LAiV Harmony HP2A is a no-compromise headphone amplifier and preamplifier designed for high-end desktop and hi-fi systems. Inside its compact, substantial Harmony chassis, LAiV combines a precision discrete resistor-ladder volume control, a true-balanced Class A preamplifier and a powerful, fully discrete Class AB headphone amplifier.
With up to 11.8 watts of balanced headphone output, exceptionally low output impedance and XLR4, 4.4 mm and 6.35 mm headphone connections, HP2A is designed to drive demanding planar-magnetic as well as high-impedance headphones with confidence. At the same time, it can serve as a high-quality analogue control centre directly ahead of a power amplifier or active loudspeakers.
One component, two serious roles – without compromising operation, construction or signal integrity.
Instead of a conventional potentiometer, HP2A uses a Precision Matched Discrete Resistor Ladder Attenuator. Volume is microprocessor-controlled across 60 steps of 1 dB each, with switching handled through silent opto-couplers.
This architecture is intended to maintain accurate channel balance and a consistently clean signal path throughout the usable volume range – particularly valuable at low listening levels where traditional potentiometers can show greater channel mismatch.
The preamplifier section is fully balanced and discrete and operates in Class A. Positive and negative signal legs are handled independently, with the circuit engineered for high signal integrity, low distortion and very low noise.
Rear-panel XLR and RCA preamp outputs allow HP2A to feed power amplifiers or active loudspeakers directly. LAiV specifies a signal-to-noise ratio of at least 125 dB from the balanced preamp output.
For headphone drive, LAiV uses a proprietary discrete power stage with four wide-bandwidth EXICON MOSFETs per channel. The headphone amplifier operates in Class AB and is specified for up to 11.8 W through the balanced outputs and up to 2.8 W single-ended.
Very low output impedance – approximately 0.07 Ω balanced and 0.035 Ω single-ended – helps maintain controlled behaviour across a broad range of headphone loads. XLR4 and 4.4 mm take full advantage of the balanced signal path, while a conventional 6.35 mm output is also provided.
A front-panel mode selector switches instantly between three operating modes: Preamp, Preamp + Headphone Amp, and Headphone Amp. This lets HP2A remain at the centre of a complete system without cable swapping or additional switching hardware.
A configurable start-up volume limit and protection against DC offset, overload and excessive temperature add an important layer of security for both the amplifier and connected headphones.
HP2A includes one balanced XLR input and can be expanded through LAiV's proprietary LE-LINK interface. The optional Harmony LExt IN2 adds an additional XLR and RCA input, while LExt PHONO adds a dedicated phono input for a turntable.
The modular approach keeps the main unit deliberately focused while allowing the input section to grow with the rest of the system.
Two white 1.5-inch OLED displays clearly show volume, input and operating mode. HP2A can be controlled from the front panel, its large volume dial or the supplied remote control. 12 V trigger input and output also make it easy to integrate into an automated hi-fi system.
The chassis combines anodised aluminium with tempered glass and is available in Black/Gold or Silver/Gold finishes. At approximately 4.6 kg on a footprint of just 255 × 250 mm, HP2A is substantially heavier and more solid than its compact dimensions suggest.
Soundnews awarded the HP2A 94/100, highlighting its high output power, strong ability to unravel complex recordings and its open, spacious presentation.
Hifi-Advice described HP2A as agile, transparent and highly resolving while remaining fluid and easy to listen to. It also impressed as a dedicated preamplifier and received a strong recommendation.
Headfonia praised HP2A for a full-bodied, dynamic yet highly detailed presentation with precise spatial imaging. It was also selected as Headfonia’s Best Headphone Amplifier of 2025.
| Product type | True-balanced headphone amplifier and analogue preamplifier |
| Volume control | 60-step precision-matched discrete resistor ladder; 1 dB per step; microprocessor controlled via opto-couplers |
| Preamplifier | True balanced, discrete buffered, Class A |
| Headphone amplifier | True balanced, discrete Class AB power stage with 4 EXICON MOSFETs per channel |
| Analogue inputs | 1 × balanced XLR; max. 16 Vrms; approx. 94 kΩ; expandable via Harmony LExt |
| Preamp outputs | 1 × XLR, approx. 200 Ω; 1 × RCA, approx. 100 Ω |
| Headphone outputs | 1 × 4-pin XLR balanced; 1 × 4.4 mm balanced; 1 × 6.35 mm single-ended |
| Headphone output impedance | approx. 0.07 Ω balanced; approx. 0.035 Ω single-ended |
| Gain | 0 dB preamp; 13.7 dB balanced headphone; 7.7 dB single-ended headphone |
| Max. preamp output voltage | up to 3.8 Vrms balanced; up to 1.8 Vrms single-ended |
| Max. headphone output voltage | up to 19.2 Vrms with 4 V source / up to 61.0 Vrms with 12.5 V source balanced; up to 8.5 / 30.5 Vrms single-ended |
| Max. headphone output power | up to 11.8 W balanced; up to 2.8 W single-ended |
| Frequency response | Preamp: 15 Hz – 80 kHz ±3 dB; Headphone: 10 Hz – 80 kHz ±3 dB |
| THD+N | 0.005% preamp; 0.01% headphone amplifier |
| Crosstalk | ≤ −120 dB preamp balanced; ≤ −100 dB preamp single-ended; ≤ −100 dB headphone balanced; ≤ −65 dB headphone single-ended |
| Signal-to-noise ratio | ≥ 125 dB preamp balanced; ≥ 110 dB preamp single-ended; ≥ 110 dB headphone balanced; ≥ 100 dB headphone single-ended |
| Noise | ≤ 5 µVrms preamp balanced; ≤ 8 µVrms preamp single-ended; ≤ 50 µVrms headphone balanced; ≤ 40 µVrms headphone single-ended |
| Operating modes | Preamp / Preamp + Headphone Amp / Headphone Amp |
| System integration | 12 V trigger input and output; LE-LINK for Harmony LExt |
| Protection | DC, overload and over-temperature protection; start-up volume limit |
| Display | 2 × 1.5-inch monochrome OLED, 128 × 128 pixels each, 16-bit grayscale |
| Chassis | Anodised aluminium and tempered glass; Black/Gold or Silver/Gold |
| Dimensions | 255 × 250 × 50 mm (W × D × H), spikes add approx. 25 mm |
| Weight | 4.6 kg |
| Power | 100–127 V AC / 220–240 V AC, 50/60 Hz |
| Power consumption | ≤ 0.5 W standby; ≤ 8 W preamp; ≤ 23 W headphone amplifier |
| Warranty | 24-month limited manufacturer warranty |