Sennheiser recently revealed its HDV 820 headphone amplifier – a step up from the HDVD 800, featuring higher resolution and ultra low distortion components that promises to “open up a whole new listening experience for the most demanding audiophiles”.
Seinnheiser says the HDV 820 has improved fully balanced signal processing, and extremely low harmonic distortion. The digital sectionis powered by a high-quality ESS SABRE32 digital-to-analog
converter, and the DAC promises “unequalled” dynamic range, ultra-low distortion and “unmatched” audio clarity. It performs at a PCM resolution of 32 bits and a sampling rate of up to 384 kHz and up to 12.3 MHz in the DSD mode.
The analogue section and the power amplifier of the HDV 820 derive from the existing HDVD 800, but Seinnheiser says it has been “carefully improved”. It has multiple audio outputs with an unbalanced output through an XLR3/ 6.3mm combined NEUTRIK socket, one balanced XLR4 and two balanced 4.4mm Pentaconn sockets.
“The unmodulated, very low contact resistance of the Pentaconn C onnection leads to a distortion-free signal transmission,” Seinnheiser says. “The HDV 820 delivers superlative performance using digital sources, whether optically, coaxially or via US B, as well as analogue sources via balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RC A) inputs.”
Sennheiser’s HDV 820 will be available from August 2017, and you can get more info about it here.