LD Systems HPA 1

I bought this with hopes of finally being able to use stereo aux mixes at my live shows. After using a mono wireless system I can gladly say that the improvements when using stereo are second to none. It is like having a mixed studio track sent to you on stage. The clarity in sound is superb! The volume is very sufficient without clipping. If ever you do start to clip to loud a LED indicator will light up red prompting you to turn down your aux output level.

This unit is covered in a rubbery plastic which not only gives it a nice feel, but also gives a professional and clean look when in the audience's view. The metal clip is solid and looks like it will last the high demands of being clipped on and off a belt for many gigs to come.

I have never experienced such high quality sound in a monitor mix.

As a keyboard player I have always felt slightly claustrophobic and enclosed when using other systems in a mono setup. Thankfully now, my keyboards are stereo and backing vocals have been panned along with the sax and guitar. I often forget that I'm using IEM because the feeling of being isolated is eliminated.

I would have liked this system to include a power supply but looking at the price it is easy to understand they had to cut costs somewhere. I recommend using a 9v rechargeable battery to save you running costs.

If you are somebody who would like a high quality monitor mix in your ears during a live gig I would urge you to try the HPA 1!

I've had this a few months now and it works perfectly and has transformed my rock singing and is saving my ears - no more ringing and I'm better in tune. It's really hard to fault and I won't sing now without it. The amplifier is very low noise and has excellent sound quality. It can go plenty loud enough for any occasion without getting harsh. The limiter is useful preventing drums and other noises in the mic from being unpleasant. I've seen it operating quite a lot. The box is quite big for this type of thing but is very strong and has a nice durable finish. The size isn't a problem if you wear it behind you as most people do. There is a feature where you can mix left and right into mono and adjust the mix while you are wearing it. Although this works well having a mic cable and 2 more XLR leads attached to you is a step too far unless you are very still. I use a mix from the desk and once it's set it's generally close enough for the whole gig. If you are thinking about in-ear monitoring this is a good way. To get this quality with wireless would be many times the cost. It's very important to use some good ergonomic noise isolating headphones though, something like Shure SE215.

I bought these and compared them one on one with the Behringer P1's which I already had.
- The sound is not as clean and tight as the sound of the P1's, but still quite OK considering the price range.
- When no audio is sent to both headphone amplifiers, the Behringer P1 is super quiet, while a very present noise is to be heard in these LD Systems HPA 1's. When playing quiet music, this noise is still vaguely present in the background.
- The plastic build of these HPA 1's is nice and smooth, which makes it lighter than the P1's. The metal housing of the P1's make them more sturdy, but overall the build of the HPA 1 is nice.
- The HPA 1's have a nice battery-placement mechanic, while the P1's have a lid that comes off and could get lost.

Overall these aren't bad headphone amplifiers, they do the job. But I wasn't very happy with these, since they are double the price of the Behringer P1's, while their audio quality is worse.

As this is a wired in ear set, you definitelly won't have sound quality troubles, all you need to do is get a great pair in In Ear Monitors to plug into this and you have an awesome concert experience.

The only downside to wired in ear is that you are connected, it kinda limits how much you can move across the stage, but if you're a drummer or a keyboard player this is awesome for you,and on a really low budget a perfect solution. Even if you're a guitar of bass player you can tape the xlr cable along your guitar cable and have the two of them together and that makes it quite simple, as you're already used to be on one cable, just one other isn't too much of a problem especially if they're taped together ;). Only where I wouldn't recommend this is if you're a singer, you'd be tripping over wires the whole show ;)

As for the build quality, it looks pretty sturdy, though the clip on the back looks like it might be the weakest part of the system, though I may be proven wrong, I guess we'll just have to wait it out and see if it will stand through the tough road use ;)

The system sounds great, of course you must know how to make a great mix for yourself, and you shouldn't pump too much volume coming into the device as that will result in the limiter kicking in too early, rather make a more silent mix and turn in up on the device itself, as it has a volume knob on it ;)

All in all, for the price a perfect solution ;)
Definitelly beats the floor monitors :D
And like always, great and fast service by Thomann

Was really excited to receive this product as a solution for wired in-ear monitors. The spec looked really good and looked like a lighter-weight alternative to the Behringer Powerplay P1.

First of all I was very surprised how light it was. Which in a way was good but in another made me worry about the quality.

There are loads of great features about this unit. I like the dual pot Power On Switch / Volume Control. By having that combined in a dual pot it saves any harmful 'pop' pressure sounds if you have your earbuds already in your ears and then you bring up the volume to a comfortable level.

The battery compartment in conveniently located with a pivoting door (doesn't come off so you won't lose it on a dark stage!) and you just slot your 9V PP3 battery straight in. Great.

Not so sure about the belt clip... Another reviewer aired his concerns too so I'll just have to see how I go with it. Luckily the clip itself is reassuringly long (unlike the Behringer P1) so it shouldn't unexpectedly jump off your belt. The clip is mounted straight onto the housing of the device so if the clips bent back a little too far (if you crouched down and the device is mounted to the front of your body) it could snap; and it would snap on the body not the clip so you couldn't fit a replacement.

I know the product description states a 'soft touch' tactile surface but the chassis is entirely plastic and I am worried that if I dropped it from a height or even from my waist it would not survive the fall and may shatter.

Sound quality is fantastic however (using it with Shure SE-215's). The built in limiter gives me confidence that I won't damage my hearing if there are any audio spikes. Battery life has exceeded the stated time too so that's another plus.

This product is almost perfect. I emailed LD Systems to offer feedback and suggestions for improvement but haven't heard back...

So my conclusion of this review is, the sound quality is great but it is way overpriced. Bear in mind this device is around the same price as a budget smartphone but I figure it would cost less than $10 to make. If it was a little less expensive, it would be good value, OR if it was higher spec'd (metal housing, dual XLR / Jack inputs) and a tone control) then I would be happy with the price or even pay more.

I've used loads of headphone amps over the years. Results have varied wildly. This is a really great sounding unit but not quite perfect. I am going to buy a Behringer Powerplay P1 so I can do a A/B comparison and then keep it as a backup to the HPA-1. Just in case I drop it!

Compared to the P1 or other mono systems, this is a step up. However, when the volume is cranked up sometimes it acts weird, muffling or compressing the sound on occasions.
I'm not sure if this is because of my mix or this unit, but it seems to have issues maintaining quality when loud. I tried several headsets and IEMs to address the issue to no avail.
If you plan on using this for long sessions: don't forget to buy an adapter. The battery lasts about 10h (non rechargable). In my opinion an adapter should come with it for the price.
The battery indicator doesn't always properly work. When the battery is low, the sounds gets muffled too. Only later the light turns orange/red and replacing the battery fixes the sound.

Soy baterista, utilizo un set up un poco complicado, ya que toco con tapones y encima los headphones de estudio. Al intentar tocar con música, la señal de las canciones no llegaba con suficiente potencia a mis oídos, así que decidí comprarme este aparato para aumentarla. Debo decir que esperaba que tuviera mucho más margen de potencia, simplemente me sirve para aumentar un poco la señal y escuchar mejor, pero no es una diferencia sustancial. Aclaro que esto se debe a que utilizo tapones, seguramente a quien no los utilice, no debería sucederle.
Al margen, es un aparto sencillo de utilizar, y bastante cómodo.