Yamaha Announces Flagship Headphone Amplifier for Hi-Fi Fanatics
New HA-L7A combines superior Hi-Fi audio technologies with sound advancements from AV receivers to elevate the sound of your favorite headphones and content to the highest level.
BUENA PARK, Calif. (September 28, 2023) —
In pursuit of the perfect companion for the flagship YH-5000SE headphone, Yamaha has crafted its first headphone amplifier that achieves true audiophile performance – allowing you to dive in, immerse yourself, and newly experience the full emotion and excitement in all your entertainment. Introducing the HA-L7A headphone amplifier.
Created in response to the ardent desires of headphone enthusiasts, the HA-L7A is an audiophile-level component that strives for the ultimate True Sound in headphone listening. The HA-L7A has a bold, original design and meticulous build quality. At the same time, nearly 70 years of Hi-Fi audio expertise are fused with sound field advancements from legendary Yamaha AV receivers.
"The HA-L7A is the ultimate solution for Hi-Fi headphone amplification and playback of digital high-resolution content”, said Alex Sadeghian, director of consumer audio, Yamaha Corporation of America. “This headphone amp features an innovative Sound Field mode, no-compromise design and construction, and legendary Yamaha engineering. It is sure to make a significant impact on the Hi-Fi headphone market."
The HA-L7A is designed and built around the principles of True Sound, encompassing Tonal Balance, Dynamics, and Sound Image. The amplifier strives to thoroughly eliminate minute noise and attain a high slew rate, which is crucial for ultra-high-resolution music sources. The amplification must precisely handle even the most delicate signals – so that all sound elements, from musical instruments to vocals and dialogue, are faithfully reproduced without unnatural coloration or timbral changes.
HA-L7A highlights include:
- Patented Floating and Balanced Power Amplifier — A total of four sets of amplifier circuits on the plus and minus sides of the left and right channels of the output stage are floated from the ground, resulting in thoroughly symmetrical push-pull operation of the output stage. All circuitry, including the power supply, is completely independent of the ground, ensuring the effects of voltage fluctuations and external noise surrounding the ground are eliminated.
- 32-bit D/A Converter — Sparing no expense, the HA-L7A incorporates ESS Technology’s ES9038PRO DAC. The dedicated master clock on the device utilizes a crystal oscillator with ultra-low phase noise to attain the highly precise D/A conversion and features an eight-channel D/A converter housed inside the chip that applies four-channel conversion to the left and right sides respectively. Utilizing this four-channel bundle delivers exceptionally high-quality audio output with broad dynamic range and superior signal-to-noise ratio.
- Dual Toroidal Transformers — The power supply section employs two toroidal transformers with bifilar windings. One is for the minute-signal circuitry in the front stage and the second is for the amplifier section in the second stage. This design significantly reduces magnetic flux leakage while minimizing voltage variations, which in turn enhance the stability of the power supply.
- Sound Field Mode — Utilizing the same Yamaha CINEMA DSP sound field creation technology that is incorporated into many Yamaha AV receivers, the built-in Sound Field mode produces stunning results in the sound image. Six options of Sound Field are on-board to reproduce the optimal sound field for the entire scope of music and video.
The new HA-L7A headphone amplifier provides a profound listening experience that makes music more realistic and moving – allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the sound, feeling like you were right in the middle of the performance.