Yamaha HA-L7A Flagship Headphone Amplifier with Built-in DAC Fashion

• Patented Floating and Balanced Power Amplifier technology optimized for headphone listening
• ESS Technology ES9038PRO for superior sonic quality
• Bifilar winded, designated toroidal transformers for front-stage processing and second-stage amplification
• 6 Sound Field modes for a more immersive experience playing any content
• Pure Direct mode to pass through the most subtle nuances in the music
• 5 solid metal feet for exceptional stability and vibration suppression
• Elegant design with a highly rigid construction and a brilliant OLED display

TRUE SOUND. BECAUSE THERE ARE GREATER HEIGHTS TO REACH.

Our passion to constantly innovate has helped Yamaha achieve new sonic heights for over 30 years, including creating some of the most revolutionary Hi-Fi components the audio world has ever seen. This passion continues in headphone technology. Striving for the ultimate in True Sound, we’ve crafted a groundbreaking headphone amplifier with breathtaking performance. Introducing the HA-L7A high-end headphone amplifier. Dive in, immerse yourself and experience the full emotion and excitement in all your entertainment.

TRUE SOUND

From the moment the sound is created to the time it reaches the human ear—Yamaha is there. We are the only brand in the world that intimately knows this process, ranging from the manufacture of musical instruments to professional audio equipment. And True Sound, which strives for sound that accurately reproduces even the thoughts the artist put into their music and the expressive view intended by the creator as is, allows you to fully immerse yourself in the sound and enter a profound musical experience — feeling as if you were right in the middle of the performance.

TONAL BALANCE

The HA-L7A minimizes even the subtlest noise while achieving a high-slew rate – essential for ultra-high-resolution – and ensures even the most delicate signals are handled with precision. As a result, every sound, from instruments to vocals and dialogue, is reproduced authentically without any unnatural coloration or timbral changes.

UNIQUE PATENTED AND BALANCED POWER AMPLIFIER TECHNOLOGY

Yamaha has optimized its patented Floating and Balanced Power Amplifier technology for this headphone amplifier. A total of four sets of power 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. The headphones can be driven without altering the amplifier configuration between balanced and unbalanced, minimizing any sound quality discrepancies due to different output terminals. Additionally, all circuitry, including the power supply, is completely independent of the ground, and all effects of minute voltage fluctuations and external noise surrounding the ground are thoroughly eliminated. By maximizing these sound quality advantages, the amplifier achieves a natural and fatigue-free sound that lets you fully lose yourself in your entertainment, even when listening for a long time.

ELITE, ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE 32-BIT D/A CONVERTER FROM ESS TECHNOLOGY

Sparing no expense to realize superior sonic quality suitable for Yamaha’s ideal high-end headphone amplifier, ESS Technology’s ES9038PRO converter is incorporated, which is outstanding in the DAC industry for top-quality audio reproduction of minute signals. 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. This unlocks a greater sense of enjoyment in headphone listening, where you can intimately experience even background noises of the concert hall and the most minute details in the sounds of the instruments.

DISCRETE CONSTRUCTION AND BALANCED TRANSMISSION

All major stages after the DAC are unified with balanced circuitry and discrete configuration, achieving a fully balanced transmission from the D/A converter output to the headphone jack. Also, balanced conversion is performed internally for ordinary single-ended (unbalanced) inputs, delivering the unique advantages of balanced transmission and amplification, such as minimizing external noise and sound quality deterioration, and applying them to a wide range of input sources. Additionally, when combined with headphones that support balanced drive, the common impedance of the transmission system is suppressed, further enhancing the signal separation that is crucial for quality headphone listening.

DYNAMICS

To fully convey the contrast between serene stillness and powerfully dramatic motion in the sound, the amplifier adopts two toroidal transformers and boasts a unique, highly rigid construction. Accepting no compromise, we’ve achieved low-frequency response with outstanding response to minute sounds, luxurious volume, and extraordinary transparency, to ensure accurate reproduction of all kinds of content with dynamic and realistic sound.

LOW-FREQUENCY REPRODUCTION AND REMARKABLE SPACIOUSNESS FROM DUAL TOROIDAL TRANSFORMERS

The power supply section employs independent transformers for the minute-signal circuitry in the front stage and the amplifier section in the second stage and implements a separate power supply design that minimizes noise due to mutual signal interference. The usage of toroidal transformers also significantly reduces magnetic flux leakage. Additionally, employing bifilar winding minimizes voltage variations, which in turn enhances the stability of the power supply, and achieves incredible spaciousness with powerful low-frequency reproduction.

HEAVY DUTY CONSTRUCTION ELIMINATES SONIC IMPACTS FROM VIBRATION

To eliminate any detrimental impact of external and internal vibrations on the audio signals, the HA-L7A has a rugged construction that combines an original design concept with parts of high rigidity. An 8mm extruded aluminum panel forms the L-shaped top surface, while the naturally vibrating toroidal transformer is mounted firmly onto a 2mm steel plate. Even stronger support is provided by a thick front panel, a double rear panel, and a unique housing design that features a bottom cover at the end. Through this heavy-duty housing, unnecessary vibrations are suppressed, enabling powerful yet supple low-frequency reproduction, and allowing you to completely feel the powerful energy and genuine realism contained in the music.

SOLID METAL FEET FOR STABILITY

The HA-L7A’s distinct L shape is supported by five conical steel feet at each corner of the chassis, with dampers cushioned between each foot and the bottom panel that effectively suppress any vibration, allowing firm and stable support on just about any surface. Combined with the massive 11.7 lb body, all elements work together to effectively eliminate unwanted vibrations while achieving focused and realistic sound reproduction.

SOUND IMAGE

Our unique Sound Field mode and groundbreaking Sound Field re-creation could only be accomplished through unwavering commitment to achieving the best in audio reproduction. With a realistic, natural sound that allows you to completely lose yourself in your listening, we deliver a new entertainment experience previously unexplored in headphone amplifiers. Enjoy a truly immersive feeling – as if you were in the very performance space of the artist.

SOUND FIELD MODE FOR UNPARALLELED IMMERSION

The HA-L7A features the same Yamaha CINEMA DSP Sound Field creation technology incorporated into many of our AV receivers. The unit also utilizes the unique signal processing and multi-channel expansion technologies Yamaha has developed and cultivated over its many years of designing AV components. One of the HA-L7A’s many stunning features is the built-in Sound Field mode. Adopting six convenient options that reproduce the optimal sound for music, video, and other specific sources, Sound Field lets you enjoy all kinds of entertainment content with a full sense of realism and immersion that takes headphone listening into uncharted sonic territories.

LOW-NOISE CIRCUIT DESIGN & HIGH-QUALITY PARTS

The HA-L7A adopts a low-noise design that isolates the three circuit boards: the main board that handles minute signals, the amplifier board and the amplifier, and the power supply board for the system. Also, the main board eliminates any undesirable cross effects between the digital and analog signals by utilizing a multilayer board, thoroughly eradicating any ground loops. Additionally, the MUSES72323, famed for its exceptionally low distortion and low-noise output, is used for the volume IC, while the power supply IC made by Analog Devices boasts low output noise with high ripple rejection. The converter section features the ES9842QPRO, made by ESS Technology. By using only the highest quality parts meticulously selected through repeated listening tests, we have achieved the most natural sound reproduction possible.

CONNECTIVITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Since the HA-L7A is fully compatible with the widest possible variety of music, video and entertainment sources, you can immerse yourself in your favorite listening while enjoying an unparalleled sonic performance. Comprehensive connectivity and expansion flexibility further deepen the pleasure of your headphone experience.

THREE FRONT-PANEL HEADPHONE JACKS

The front panel of the HA-L7A features two balanced headphone jacks that allow you to fully enjoy the detailed, high-quality of balanced circuitry. You’ll also find one unbalanced headphone jack that reduces contact loss thanks to gold-plated processing. Famed NEUTRIK jacks are used for the XLR balanced headphone jacks, and Pentaconn terminals are utilized for the 4.4mm 5-pole terminals, letting you connect your preferred headphones and unleash their full potential.

COMPREHENSIVE INPUT/OUTPUT TERMINALS FOR EXPANDABILITY

Featuring a comprehensive set of input terminals, including USB (type B), coaxial, and optical, the HA-L7A allows you connect a variety of devices, such as high-resolution DAPs (digital audio players), PCs and CD players. The amplifier also has built-in XLR and RCA pre-out/line-out output terminals, allowing it to serve as a D/A converter or preamplifier, providing exceptional connectivity and expandability options when using an external amplifier.

PURE DIRECT

This function reduces noise by bypassing all circuitry that is not present in the original input source, such as DSP processing and analog-to-digital converters for analog audio. It ensures purity of the signal and enhances the sound, letting you fully enjoy the subtlest nuances in the music.

USB DAC FUNCTIONALITY

DSD (Direct Stream Digital) files of up to the top-level 11.2 MHz rate can be played natively with the ASIO driver, which accurately reproduces the original sound of DSD audio. Also, PCM high-resolution sound sources of up to 384 kHz and 32-bit are also supported. The driver is by Yamaha Steinberg, and transmission is not synchronized with the PC clock, but uses asynchronous transfer that controls transmission with the unit’s high-precision clock. This reduces jitter to the utmost limit, for accurate reproduction of the most demanding high-resolution sound sources.

HIGH-PRECISION CLOCKS

The USB DAC processing employs two dedicated clocks: a 44.1kHz system and a 48kHz system that uses a high-precision crystal oscillator with low phase noise. Moreover, the DAC section is designed to be less susceptible to external clock jitter through placement of the clock with the crystal oscillator as the master clock near the device.

EIGHT TYPES OF DIGITAL FILTERS

Various built-in digital filters include our original low-latency filter as well as those already pre-programmed to the DAC processor. There are a total of eight modes you can select to match your personal preference.

QUALITY THAT CREATES SATISFACTION

Even as this headphone amplifier is defined by a pragmatic internal design that prioritizes the utmost in sound quality, it is the stylish exterior that truly transforms your listening space into a special environment. The relentless approach to industrial design and the high-quality textures that you feel and see when using the amplifier only will deepen your enjoyment of listening to music with your favorite headphones.

INCREDIBLE DESIGN TO MATCH THE INCREDIBLE SOUND QUALITY

Following traditional audio principles and maintaining a low center of gravity, the two toroidal transformers are mounted on the main frame and represented in the unique external design, invoking an impression of fine modern architecture. Furthermore, thanks to a vertical three-dimensional structure, the transformer is located immediately above the power supply board, minimizing the power supply path, contributing to a design that delivers both high sound quality and a very cool cosmetic.

ELEGANT ROTARY DIAL

The robust chassis is comprised of thick aluminum as are the master volume and mode selector dials. Also, a sandblasting process has produced a luxurious textural feel, contributing to the elegance of high-end audio right down to the smallest detail—delivering a supremely satisfying tactile experience.

OLED DISPLAY WITH BRILLIANT VIEWABILITY

The top panel of the unit features a gorgeous OLED display that provides a variety of information, including the input source, its sampling frequency, volume, and the name of the current Sound Field mode—all in an exceptionally easy-to-read manner. The display automatically turns off after being operated, eliminating any distraction to the sound.

SPECIFICATIONS

Headphone Amplifier
Frequency response (HP OUT)		4 Hz – 80 KHz, -3 dB
Headphone Output	6.3㎜	1,000 mW + 1,000 mW (1 kHz, 0.01 %THD, 32 Ω)
	4.4㎜	1,000 mW + 1,000 mW (1 kHz, 0.01 %THD, 32 Ω)
	XLR4	1,000 mW + 1,000 mW (1 kHz, 0.01 %THD, 32 Ω)
Total Harmonic Distortion(THD)		≦ 0.003 % (Digital IN 1 kHz, 300 mW, 32 Ω)
Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)		> 120 dB
Input	RCA	Yes
	Optical	Yes (PCM: 32/44.1/48/88.2/96 kHz, 16/24 bit)
	Coaxial	Yes (PCM: 32/44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192 kHz, 16/24 bit)
	USB Type-B	Yes (PCM: 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192/352.8/384 kHz, 16/24/32 bit, DSD: 2.8 MHz/5.6 MHz/11.2 MHz: ASIO Native, DoP)
PRE/LINE Out	XLR3	Yes
	RCA	Yes
Recommended Headphones impedance		32 ～ 600 Ω
SOUND FIELD mode		Yes (CINEMA/DRAMA/MUSIC VIDEO/CONCERT HALL/OUTDOOR LIVE/BGM + STRAIGHT)
Pure Direct		Yes
Power Consumption		19 W
Standby Power Consumption		0.2 W
Dimensions (W x H x D)		333 x 133 x 189 mm; 13 1/8″ x 5 1/4″ x 7 1/2″ (w/ Trans, Leg, knob, terminal)
Weight		5.3 kg, 11.7 lbs