That's very serious power; and from my favourite transistors also in Enleum, Kinki and Nagra amplifiers and previously championed by Ivo Linnenberg. Here's a 3D render of the output stage.

The two gold slivers in the casing's rear left corner are the dual-mono balanced "PMDR Attenuator" modules.

Now the extension box really comes into its own. Owners of purely digital systems won't need more inputs as long as their DAC outputs XLR and handles all their binary sources. They needn't pay for a phonostage they'll never use. Should we need RCA inputs and turntable support, LExt beckons. It's smart division of labour. Likewise for assigning 12dB voltage gain to the headphone not line-level outputs. The latter operate passive on gain, active on being buffered for constant low output impedance. What modern amplifier needs more than 4V for full output? That's the de facto standard output for balanced digital sources though some like my iFi iDSD Pro Signature will output nearly 12V. All of it is excessive, hence unity gain for Laiv's preamp mode.

Whilst the first renders lacked the rectangular mesh vent above the output transistors, production added them to keep the innards cooler. Given Laiv's pointy footers and built-in tip receivers, stacking the DAC atop the amp leaves sufficient clearance for the vent. If you despise pointy footers as I do, you can easily remove them by undoing the bottom plate. You'll need to loosen the obvious screws around its perimeter but also a central one hiding beneath the warranty sticker. Now you simply can't stack two Laiv piece without disabling the 'click' function of the lower rotary controller. Obviously you'll still have access to its functionality from the remote control. At $2'700 Singapore direct, the HP²A duplicates the Harmony DAC's ask for the same value/quality proposition. Given its power rating, no load should elude its grasp. Any can which needs more would be an aberration that should never have been made. But I don't think that such an atrocity actually exists. On that score the HP²A reads like a final choice. It's the quintessential drive-all muscle amp; for headfi. For preamplitude? It's an actively buffered passive. A terrific team effort. Add stylish remote control and display finesse for real-world utility. Should we cue Jerry Maguire's "you complete me"?

This movie had another famous line. "Show me the money."

That'd come when my sample dropped. What hit first was a late August notice that Alvin Chee of Singapore's Vinshine webshop had secured the global Laiv franchise for markets without their own representation. His previous core brand Denafrips had decided to handle their own international marketing. That left an opening for Laiv to replace Denafrips at Vinshine as the Asia-direct hifi web portal possibly most well-loved and trusted by Western buyers. Quite a coup for Vinshine alumnus Weng Fai Hoh. Implied in this association is full access to Alvin's experience with Western clients on both the retail and end-user side. Tapping deep market feedback on desirable features, diverse usage scenarios, common requests and more is a great asset for any manufacturer to have. It helps insure that new products conform fully with up-to-date buyer expectations and aren't designed in an ivory tower.