German brand Violectric , owned by renowned professional audio equipment manufacturer Lake People Electronic , has unveiled the HPA V550 headphone amplifier and its advanced version, the HPA V550 PRO.
The new amplifiers include many solutions from the professional field. For example, the increased supply voltage zmakes it easy to handle high-impedance loads. The amplifiers have a stepwise change in the gain level using DIP switches on the back of the case for optimal matching of the characteristics of the output stages with a specific headphone model.
The amplifiers are equipped with two pairs of RCA unbalanced analog inputs and a pair of balanced XLR inputs . There are also two analog outputs, balanced and unbalanced, which allow the components to be used as pre-amplifiers. There are a pair of 6.3 mm jacks and a balanced 4-pin XLR for connecting headphones on the front panel . Nearby are the input and output selector keys, as well as two rotary knobs for channel balance and volume controls.
The volume control is the only difference between the HPA V550 and HPA V550 PRO . In the first case, the task of changing the volume level is assigned to the ALPS RK 27 potentiometer with a servo drive. The version with the PRO suffix is equipped with a step regulator (256 positions) that switches the reed relay unit.
The amplifiers are housed in identical metal cases with faceplates made of 8mm aluminum plate. The set includes a remote control. In Germany, the new items have already gone on sale. The Violectric HPA V550 is available for € 2,399 , while the older HPA V550 PRO costs € 2,999 .
