Laiv HP²A – From Singapore comes the brand's second model, the HP²A [$2'700] head/preamp in silver or black with matching FMJ remote. A discrete unity-gain class A preamp buffer stage drives a 12dB fully balanced headphone stage with four high-bandwidth lateral Exicon Mosfets per channel. Volume control is by discrete dual-mono balanced resistor ladders via silent opto coupler. With a 4Vrms input signal standard with balanced DACs, headphone power into 16Ω is 14.8wpc balanced, 5.9wpc into the 6.3mm output. 32Ω does 12 + 2.9wpc, 80Ω 4.8 + 1.2wpc, 300Ω 1.2 + 0.32wpc. There's one XLR line-level input, XLR/RCA preamp outputs and 4.4mm, 6.3mm and XLR4 headphone outputs. The optional LExt extender adds more inputs and a phonostage via multi-pin umbilical. The remote control's pairing with the Harmony DAC and HP²A is easily switched by slider on the wand and the HP²A's dimmable and extinguishable display shows chosen input and volume setting whilst a front-panel toggle switches between preamp and head-amp modes. Shipping is Singapore direct via the brand's own web shop.
