New member of the WANDLA Family
Ferrum has been known to produce audiophile level equipment for quite a few years. The original WANDLA, Ferrum’s flagship DA Converter/Preamp stems from 2023, the same year it was awarded Best DAC by the Expert Imaging and Sound Association, better known as EISA. It followed their flagship Headphone Amplifier OOR, which was awarded by EISA the year before. Their goal of creating a new breed of high-end audio components has been set in motion. Early 2024, the team put the money where their mouths were when they came up with the idea for WANDLA HP. Three guesses what the letters HP stand for…
HP stands for Headphone
In Ferrum’s quest to integrate the best possible headphone amplifier right into WANDLA, they created a balanced stereo headphone amplifier small enough to fit WANDLA’s housing and still able to output 3.5 Watts into 50 Ω. On the front of WANDLA HP the 4.4 mm balanced headphone socket is the only output visible, keeping it looks smart. To cater single ended headphones, they provide a 4.4 mm jack to 6.35 mm jack adapter in the box. WANDLA HP is perfect for music lovers who listen to speakers and headphones and are looking for single box solution containing a flagship quality headphone amplifier, preamplifier and D/A converter.
And you also get WANDLA
With WANDLA HP you get all the benefits and features of the latest version of the beloved WANDLA. This means you get to use their Dynamic Digital Filtering (DDF) options with filters prepared specially for WANDLA by famous digital filter maker Signalyst’s Jussi Laako, the best configuration of the ESS Sabre ES9038PRO DAC-chip, the latest version of WANDLA’s firmware and all of its innovations making WANDLA one of the best DAC’s available today.
Two amps in one housing
In addition to being a top-notch DA converter, WANDLA HP now doubles as a premium preamplifier and headphone amplifier. You’ll find two digitally controlled attenuators for volume control: selectable analogue or digital. WANDLA kept its truly balanced topology, with fully balanced, composite IC headphone amplifier design, fine tuned for WANDLA and fine power section designs. In addition to the six digital inputs (USB-C, coax, optical, AES, ARC, and I2S), there is one unbalanced analogue input. This input bypasses all digital processing to remain faithful to the highest-quality analog sources. Both balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) outputs and a configurable trigger are provided. As one would expect from Ferrum, there are two DC power inputs (FPL and 5,5 x 2,5mm DC pin) to connect WANDLA to the supplied power supply or our HYPSOS.
Under the hood
WANDLA HP has at its heart their proprietary ARM-based platform, SERCE. Running Ferrum’s software, SERCE processes all incoming digital data streams. The ARM processor singlehandedly performs the tasks of five chips and creates the shortest possible signal path for the audio-optimized USB, ARC, I2S, coaxial S/PDIF, and optical S/PDIF ports. Behind the conversion stage, the engineering team at Ferrum implemented an advanced current-to-voltage converter and an output stage that benefited from their experience developing the acclaimed OOR. Based on HYPSOS’ revolutionary hybrid design, multiple internal supplies power both analog and digital sections to minimize interference and noise and maximize channel separation.
A Beauty to Behold, A Breeze to Operate
The WANDLA HP internal design must speak for itself to impress music lovers and Ferrum users alike. They stuck to the supercharged visuals with the hi-res touchscreen display with a super easy user interface (UI). You’ll find any setting with a mix of touch, turn, and press within seconds.
Made for HYPSOS…
Of course, WANDLA HP plays beautifully right out of the box, using the power supply they carefully crafted to feed its unique electrical topology. But its musicality can be even higher when paired with our HYPSOS power system. Using our proprietary FPL cable, HYPSOS can perform its magic deeper into WANDLA HP circuitry than any other power supply on the market today.
…Made to Turn Heads
WANDLA HP essentially is WANDLA with a great sounding headphone amplifier. It will satisfy those who are seeking more than ERCO has to offer but are not ready for WANDLA in combination with OOR, being the super flagship option. Incorporating all great options and specifications from WANDLA, Ferrum’s engineers integrated a powerful, and fully balanced headphone amplifier at the quality levels that come very close to those of OOR. As with all of Ferrum’s gear, you can reach for the stars by combining WANDLA HP with HYPSOS. It has the looks, it’s all about the music, it’s a guaranteed head-turner.
You can read more about the Ferrum WANDLA HP at Audio46 or via the Ferrum website. This is an audiophile upgrade you won’t want to miss!
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