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Niimbus HPA US 5 and Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro – Premium Balanced Headphone Amplifier

Lake People electronic GmbH is pushing the Niimbus brand with the introduction of not one but two reference-class headphone amplifiers, namely the Niimbus HPA US 5 and Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro models.

Niimbus HPA US 5 and Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro, with no less than two new solutions, the company Lake People electronic GmbH expands the range of the brand Niimbus by Violectric, that is, the brand that the company initiated specifically for the HiFi sector. Once more it is to concern here, so the manufacturer, proven solutions of the reference class.

The Niimbus HPA US 5 and Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro are headphone amplifiers that offer nothing less than flawless signal amplification for any headphone. In addition, and this must be explicitly emphasized, these two new solutions of the Niimbus Ultimate Series are also intended to be suitable as preamplifiers.

Niimbus HPA US 5 and Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro – the quintessence of 35 years of experience

According to the Constance-based company, reference-level headphone reproduction requires special care in the design of headphone amplifiers. Therefore one decided to set with the new solutions Niimbus HPA US 5 and Niimbus HPA US 5 pro on a consistently symmetrical structure, more still, one trusts in a so-called dual mono structure. In addition one sets on an internal operating voltage of 50 volts, in order to ensure a particularly high output power. Thus, the already mentioned basis is created to be able to operate really any headphones without problems. And with the greatest accuracy, particularly low-noise and low-distortion, as the manufacturer puts it.

All this is based on 35 years of experience, and should ensure that with the solutions Niimbus HPA US 5 and Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro are the new flagships in this field.

Equipped for all headphones

Whether high-quality dynamic systems or magnetostats, open or closed, high- or low-impedance headphones – the Niimbus HPA US 5 and Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro can be flexibly adapted to help any transducer achieve audiophile peak performance, according to the manufacturer’s promise.

They rely on an innovative pre-gain setting with a wide control range from -18 to +24 dB, which ensures low internal gain factors and lowest noise at all headphone impedances.

At the same time, the four powerful amplifier stages with an output power of up to 7,000 mW into 50 ohms and a lush output voltage of 32 V RMS into 600 ohms drive both high- and low-impedance listeners with equal aplomb. The low output impedance ensures a high damping factor, which, together with the elaborate power supply with two toroidal transformers and a capacitor capacity of over 50,000 µF, should ensure accurate transient response, maximum dynamics and minimal distortion under all operating conditions.

Connection diversity

In addition to two unbalanced 6.3 mm jack outputs, Niimbus HPA US 5 and Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro also allow the connection of balanced headphones via 4-pin XLR or 4.4 mm Pentaconn jacks. This not only ensures significantly improved channel separation through individual grounding, but also provides even further improved dynamics.

With their four amplifier stages, the new solutions work as a push-pull drive in balanced cabling, whereby positive and negative diaphragm movements are specifically amplified.

Whether it’s massive dynamic orchestras or fragile fine acoustic instruments, the amplifier always has a firm grip on the headphone drivers and delivers a fascinatingly precise and vivid sound image, the company says in its product description.

One balanced and two unbalanced stereo inputs act as signal inputs, while balanced and unbalanced line outputs enable the connection of additional components. The line outputs can be set to either fixed or variable levels. Thus, Niimbus HPA US 5 and Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro additionally become reference preamps in front of power amplifiers and active speaker systems.

Particularly precise volume control

Considering the Niimbus HPA US 5 and Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro solutions as reference models, special emphasis was placed on accurate volume control. The amplifiers thus achieve an accuracy and channel equality that really lives up to the high-end claim.

While the Niimbus HPA US 5 uses a high-quality motorized potentiometer, the Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro with its Relay Controlled Attenuator (RCA) has probably the best – albeit most complex – analog level control available today, Lake People electronic GmbH is convinced.

The volume control is connected to a microcomputer, which in turn controls a network of fixed resistors via wear-free reed relays. In the Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro, the RCA network comprises no fewer than 256 discretely implemented volume levels with a step size of 0.4, thus offering the greatest possible accuracy without signal coloration. The high effort is said to be worthwhile, because it guarantees an exceptional stereo stage with a detailed spatial placement of the instruments without artifacts.

  • Niimbus HPA US 5 und Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro 12
  • Niimbus HPA US 5 und Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro 14
  • Niimbus HPA US 5 und Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro 13

Elegantly packaged

Both the Niimbus HPA US 5 and the Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro are to present themselves in simple grace, whereby the housing convinces however also after audiophilen points of view, so the manufacturer.

One relies on a 10 mm thick, black anodized front panel and a solid, in total very discreet looking housing.

The front holds naturally all control elements ready, as for instance the volume control, the input and output selection keys, in addition, a balance regulator and naturally the connections for headphones.

The remote control, milled from a single block of metal, controls all important parameters and offers maximum ease of use, especially when using the new Niimbus models as high-end control centers for high-quality hi-fi systems.

The manufacturing from high-quality components by selected and well trained specialists in the company-owned manufacture at the Bodensee stresses the enterprise completely particularly, finally is this also for ever more customers a crucial characteristic, which can be marketed quite accordingly.

The new headphone amplifiers from Lake People electronic GmbH of the Niimbus by Violectric brand are to be found in specialist stores from the beginning of August 2021. As a recommended retail price one gives for the Niimbus HPA US 5 € 4,999, – and for the Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro € 5,499, -.

Getting to the point

With the two new headphone amplifiers of the mark Niimbus by Violectric Lake People electronic GmbH extends once more that product line, which addresses itself to proven High-end HiFi Enthusiasts. These are systems of the reference class, designed for particularly demanding users who benefit from the 35 years of experience of the developers at Lake Constance in the field of professional audio and really want to operate any headphones optimally.

Manufacturer:Lake People electronic GmbH
Distribution:cma audio GmbH
Price:Niimbus HPA US 5 € 4.999,-
Niimbus HPA US 5 Pro € 5.499,-

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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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