Violectric HPA V202 and HPA V222: Headphone amplifiers for the masses

CMA audio GmbH has released two headphone amplifiers, Violectric HPA V202 and Violectric HPA V222, under its Violectric brand. Violectric HPA V202 and Violectric HPA V222 – a pair of “brothers”, similar product names and their design. The difference is that the Violectric HPA V202 is designed for unbalanced headphones, while the Violectric HPA V222 is designed for balanced headphones. Both are also designed specifically for beginners who are looking for an optimal headphone solution at a relatively low price.

Violectric HPA V202 and HPA V222 – headphone amplifiers

The Violectric HPA V202 is described as the successor to the Violectric HPA V200. The manufacturer claims that its circuitry has again been improved and now has a signal-to-noise ratio of more than -100 dB at an operating voltage of 60 V. In addition to the unbalanced 6.3 mm stereo jack, a Pentaconn 4.4 mm is available for connecting headphones, but in this case it is also unbalanced.

The Violectric HPA V222 is a balanced alternative to the solution just described, featuring a fully balanced four-circuit output stage. In addition to the unbalanced 6.3mm stereo jack, there is a balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn jack and a balanced 4-pin XLR connector. The manufacturer states that the input stages of both systems are designed symmetrically, in addition to a pair of RCA connectors, for Interestingly, both systems can also be used as preamplifiers, while emphasizing the high signal quality, which is achieved, for example, by adjusting the volume using the high-quality RK27 potentiometer .

Another important feature of both is the pre-amplification circuit, which ensures that the amplifier stages are precisely tuned to match the headphone model, with gain steps ranging from -18 dB to +18 dB. Thanks to the high output voltage, extremely low noise level and high damping factor, the output stages, according to the manufacturer, guarantee optimal matching even with the exotic parameters of the connected headphones. Both headphone amplifiers are made in Germany.