Violectric HPA V550 PRO
The Violectric HPA V550 PRO delivers natural tonal richness, silent low-noise control and a remarkably intimate headphone presentation. John Hoffman heard powerful, textured bass and panoramic spatial focus with Focal Stellia, while the 256-step relay attenuator and adjustable PRE-GAIN bring precision to a polished, versatile preamp-capable design.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
92/100
Build Quality
92/100
Features Usability
88/100
Value for Money
85/100
Pros
Natural, textured and non-fatiguing sound with powerful bass, graceful dynamics and convincing spatial focus.
Seven-position PRE-GAIN adjustment supports a very low noise floor and precise level matching.
Silent 256-step relay volume control offers fine 0.4 dB increments, excellent channel balance and refined operation.
Doubles as a capable balanced preamplifier for a two-channel system.
Cons
Review evidence is limited for pairing with highly sensitive IEMs and especially demanding planar-magnetic headphones.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 92/100
Reviewers describe an exceptionally natural, intimate and refined presentation, particularly with the Focal Stellia. Strong control over gain and output level supports a quiet background and convincing performance with efficient headphones, while the available listening evidence is especially enthusiastic about tone, texture and spatial focus.
Transparency Resolution
92/100
John Hoffman heard unusually vivid instrumental texture from the Stellia, calling the saxophone presentation intimate and utterly beautiful. He also reports clearer musical edges than with several mid-tier amplifiers, without the hardness or artificially elevated upper frequencies he had previously encountered.
Tonal Balance Musicality
94/100
The HPA V550 PRO is praised for natural tonal balance, graceful presentation and highly convincing instrumental tone. With the Stellia, Hoffman found its pairing notably free of the forward or analytical character sometimes associated with Focal headphones, bringing richness and beauty to voices, saxophone and bass.
Dynamics
90/100
The review describes dynamic contrasts as intimate and graceful rather than exaggerated, with powerful bass passages and convincing note decay. The amplifier also drove the reviewer's headphones beyond any level he would realistically want to use, though comparisons across a wider range of difficult loads are limited.
Noise Floor
93/100
The adjustable PRE-GAIN system allowed the reviewer to achieve the lowest noise floor possible in his setup. Audiophilepure likewise highlights the low-noise design and its ability to tailor input sensitivity, supporting quiet use and precise level setting.
Headphone Compatibility
90/100
PRE-GAIN offers seven settings from -18 dB to +18 dB, giving the owner useful control over gain for different headphone sensitivities. Reviewers report ample listening level and excellent synergy with the Focal Stellia, while the evidence does not cover a broad selection of high-impedance dynamics, power-hungry planars or sensitive IEMs.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
92/100
Positive Feedback calls the chassis solid, nicely finished and reflective of genuine craftsmanship. The relay-based stepped attenuator is also reported to change volume silently, while its 256 steps and closely spaced 0.4 dB increments suggest unusually careful execution of a key control.
Features Usability
88/100
The HPA V550 PRO provides two single-ended headphone sockets, a balanced headphone connection, seven adjustable PRE-GAIN settings and a fine-grained 256-step relay volume control. It can also serve as a conventional preamplifier, making it more adaptable in a two-channel system than a strictly headphone-only design.
Value for Money
85/100
At a listed retail price of $2,799.95, reviewers describe it as an excellent headphone amplifier and a respectable preamplifier. They encourage serious consideration for buyers seeking a sophisticated high-performance design, but do not directly compare its value against similarly priced alternatives.
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Specifications
- Item number:
- 1007879
- dimensions
- 290 x 80 x 248 mm (B x H x T)
- amplifier make
- < -102 dBu (A-bew.)
- Attenuator Make
- 4x 8 Transistors (true balanced)
- Volume Knob
- 4x 8 Transistors (true balanced)
- housing form
- Desktop
- color
- black
Manufacturer's Description — Violectric
Powerful balanced headphone amplifier with 256-stage relay
The Violectric HPA V550 PRO is a high-end analog headphone amplifier with a perfect preamplifier and a wide range of functions. The HPA V550 PRO offers outstanding technical values, excellent sound and workmanship in the best manufacturing quality.
The pre-gain circuit allows the amplifier to be adapted to the requirements of the headphones being used. Even critical designs such as magnetostats can be easily operated via the balanced and the two unbalanced headphone connections. Up to three analog stereo sources can be connected via one XLR and two RCA connections. The HPA V550 PRO also offers one balanced and one unbalanced output. High-quality ALPS RK27 potentiometers are used for volume and balance control.
The volume control in the HPA V550 PRO is implemented using a relay circuit with 256 levels. An included remote control offers maximum ease of use.
Inputs & outputs
Inputs analog, stereo
-> 2x RCA unbalanced
-> 1x XLR female balanced
+++ Inputs switchable on front with button +++
Outputs headphones
-> 1x jack 6.3 mm, unbalanced
-> 1x XLR 4-pin, female, balanced
-> 1x Pentaconn 4.4 mm, balanced
Outputs analog, stereo
-> 1x RCA unbalanced
-> 1x XLR male balanced
+++ Outputs switchable on front with button (HEAD / MUTE / LINE) on rear with button (Line Pre / Post) +++
Relay Controlled Attenuator (RCA)
The volume of the Violectric HPA V550 PRO is controlled via a 256-stage reed relay circuit. This ensures the best sound and perfect channel balance over the entire control range.
The advantages of using “RCA” are
- no scratching, as there is no resistor track
- best channel balance thanks to the use of 1% and 0.1% resistors
- minimal crosstalk, as the channels are spatially separated
- control range (theoretically) greater than with a potentiometer
- no risk of additional “distortion” or “noise”, as only resistors are installed in the signal path
The relay-controlled attenuator is the best way to control the volume of an amplifier.
Balanced headphone outputs
When listening to music via loudspeakers, you are part of the auditorium. When listening through “normal” headphones, you take the place of the conductor. When listening with “balanced” headphones, you are part of the orchestra.
If headphones are operated symmetrically, the channel separation is increased even further. Balanced headphones usually have a 4-pin XLR connection or a Pentaconn plug. True balanced operation requires a great deal of effort in the form of four built-in power amplifiers.
PRE-GAIN
The headphone amplifier is positioned between the music source and the headphones. The source can be of varying power and the headphones of varying sensitivity. The Lake People PRE-GAIN serves to compensate for these differences and to optimize the headphone amplifier for every conceivable combination. This results in minimal noise, the lowest distortion factor and the best channel balance.
The PRE-GAIN adjustment is located on the rear of the Violectric HPA V340 and can be set individually in 7 stages (-18, -12, -6, 0, +6, +12, +18 dB)
Perfect headphone protection
Various circuits protect the headphones from unclear operating states, DC voltage, excessive operating temperature and overload:
Delayed ON, Instant OFF
Every headphone amplifier causes interference when it is switched on and off. This interference can damage the connected headphones. The headphones are connected to the amplifier with a delay via relays and the associated electronics and disconnected again immediately after switching off. In this way, the headphones themselves are protected from the device electronics as long as no clearly defined conditions are to be expected.
DC monitoring
The outputs are monitored for harmful DC voltage. As soon as a predefined value is exceeded, the headphones are switched off.
Overload monitoring
The power consumption is constantly measured during operation. If predefined parameters are exceeded, the headphones are switched off.
Remote control
Control the Violectric HPA V550 PRO remotely with its beautifully designed remote control milled from a solid piece of metal. Infrared gives you access to the most important functions of the device:
- Volume
- Mute
- Input selection (XLR / RCA1 / RCA2)
- Output selection (headphones / LineOut)
Violectric's unique technology
- Lowest noise - thanks to very low internal amplification. This means that the amplifier's own noise is inaudible.
- High output voltage - due to an internal 50 volt operating voltage. Therefore ideally suited for high-impedance headphones.
- High output power - thanks to powerful amplifiers that can deliver far more power than even the most demanding headphones require. Therefore ideally suited for headphones with low impedances and magnetostats.
- High damping factor - due to the lowest output impedance. Therefore ideally suited to drive even the most difficult headphones without interference. The advantage for an uncompromising frequency response.
Violectric - The brand for music lovers
- Violectric brings decades of expertise and the uncompromising quality standards of professional Lake People products to the world of hi-fi - with passion! Music lovers all over the world rave about the seamless integration into their systems: from a convenient and versatile input section to precisely adjustable gain control and digital interfaces with first-class converter technology at broadcast level - no wish remains unfulfilled here.
- The entire Violectric portfolio impresses with intuitive operability that is otherwise only known from professional audio technology. And there are no compromises when it comes to quality: Every single component is carefully selected to guarantee maximum sound fidelity.
- However, Violectric not only stands for outstanding technology, but also for timeless elegance. The products are integrated into an elegant, high-quality housing and fit perfectly into any sophisticated hi-fi setup. For audiophile perfectionists who don't want to compromise, the Niimbus series offers the ultimate - both visually and technically at the very highest level.
Features
- balanced inputs via gold-plated Neutrik XLR sockets
- unbalanced inputs via gold-plated RCA sockets
- PRE-GAIN: 7-stage internally adjustable gain
- Powerful balanced stereo amplifier (4 output stages)
- Compact and extremely robust aluminum housing
- Made in Germany
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Authorized dealers for Violectric HPA V550 PRO
- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
- American Audio & Video — in-store — Southaven, Mississippi, United States (website)
- ARK Audio — online and in-store — Borensberg, Östergötlands län, Sweden (website)
- Audio 46 — online and in-store — New York, New York, United States (website)
- Audio Concierge — online and in-store — England, United Kingdom (website)
- Audio essence — online and in-store — Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland (website)
- Audio Excellence (CA) — online and in-store — Markham, Ontario, Canada (website)
- Audio Magic - EU — online and in-store — Wola, Województwo mazowieckie, Poland (website)
- Audiofrenzy BV — in-store — Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands (website)
- AudioPerformance — online and in-store — Stenkullen, Västra Götalands län, Sweden (website)
and 23 more verified dealers