⌈ LAiV, founded in 2023 and based in Singapore, is the brainchild of Mr. WENG FAI HOH, formerly the representative in the West of several other companies specializing in digital-to-analog converters. Educated in industrial automation, he gathered a group of engineers and together they designed the Harmony D/A converter. We are testing power amplifiers, monaural, named GaNM. ⌋

THE NAME OF THE COUNTRY-CITY OF SINGAPORE comes from Sanskrit words meaning “lion” and “city,” which accurately reflects the scale and dynamics of its development. Since development brings wealth, it is no surprise that for years this place has been a mecca for audiophile companies from around the world. But even in Singapore itself, many of them are being founded. One of them is Laiv.

The company was founded in 2023. Two years is not a long time, but it immediately had a clear idea for its entire product range, which it has been consistently implementing. So far, it has presented six products, with a seventh, audio file transport, coming soon. As Mr. Weng Fai Hoh, its founder and designer, once wrote in an email to us, his mission was “to change the way sound is experienced by combining industry knowledge with a deep passion for audio innovation.” The goal, he went on to say, was simple: “to create user-friendly designs that bring out the best in the world of audio.”

It's easier said than done—every designer and manufacturer knows this. Enthusiasm, talent, and knowledge are countered by challenges that are impossible to predict, from organizational to fiscal ones. In the case of Laiv, something must have worked right from the start, as if everything had been planned, from the products (the entire line), their appearance, workmanship, and even the packaging, which is absolutely above average and worthy of imitation in this company.

That is why the first product from this company that we tested, the Harmony DAC, was a complete product; test → HERE. As I said, everything about it was “just right.” This impression was confirmed by the HP2A preamplifier/headphone amplifier; review → HERE, and the GaNM power amplifiers that we are presenting to you complement the system and confirm everything what Mr. Weng Fai Hoh had said.

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▲ A few simple words…

WENG FAI HOH
owner, designer

⸜ Mr. WENG FAI HOH, the Laiv’s owner and designer • photo by Laiv

WOJCIECH PACUŁA • What was the origin of the reviewed amplifiers?

WENG FAI HOH • From the beginning, we wanted to design something compact and powerful, without compromising sound quality. Our goal was to bring together efficiency, performance, and musicality in a form factor that fits naturally into modern systems.

WP • What inspired you?

WFH • GaN technology has long been used in many electronic devices — it's in most of our phone chargers and other power-related applications. At some point, we asked ourselves: why not bring this breakthrough into audio amplification? That question became the spark behind the Harmony GaNM.

WP • What are the key advantages of this technology?

WFH • With GaN transistors, we can deliver an amplifier that is compact in size yet highly efficient, while offering great power and excellent sound quality. It provides speed, precision, and control, but still retains the natural musicality that listeners value. ●

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▌ Harmony GaNM

LAIV DEVICES are compact in terms of size, which sets them apart from other high-end audio manufacturers. Both the DAC and the preamplifier we mentioned had an almost perfect square outline with sides measuring 255 x 250 mm. Despite the compact form, they were heavy and looked both solid and exceptionally attractive. Their weight came from their milled aluminum chassis, and their attractive appearance was due to the well-prepared design of the entire series.

GaNM power amplifiers are different. They are two cuboids measuring 250 x 50 x 255 mm and weighing 3.9 kg each. They are long and have narrow front panels. Small but “powerful,” as the designer said, their nominal power is 200 W at 8 Ω load, with an excellent damping factor of 500. To achieve this, the designer had to use a Class D design and a switching mode power supply. But he did it his way.

As the name of the device suggests, it utilizes GaN transistors, i.e. gallium nitride semiconductors (Gallium Nitride – GaN). This technology allows for very fast switching, minimal energy losses, and lower distortion than in traditional FET (Field-Effect Transistor) transistors. Transistors of this type were developed throughout the second half of the 20th century, but their practical application only began in 2010, and integrated power circuits have only been available since 2018.

In the world of perfectionist audio, Laiv would not be the first manufacturer to use this solution – let us remind you that the American company Mytek also offers an amplifier of this type, the Ganfet model, as does the French company ArgentPur with its Gan 1 model, and the Korean manufacturer HiFi Rose has as many as two amplifiers of this type. Mr. Weng Fai Hoh's company is therefore in good company, although it has applied these transistors in its own way, in its proprietary design.

As I mentioned, Laiv products are refined in every detail. If we had any doubts, we would only need to look at the tested power amplifiers. Almost always, amplifiers of this type are boring in design and functionally poor. Ultimately, they act as an “energizer,” converting a low-voltage signal into current. Therefore, it is enough to equip them with a line input, or even two – balanced and unbalanced – and speaker outputs, single or double for bi-wiring connections. In more advanced products, we add triggers to the set – and that's it.

GaNM are different. What sets them apart is their large, easy-to-read 3.83’’ OLED display with a resolution of 320 x 132 pixels. It may seem like nothing, but... The entire front panel displays a VU meter, a level indicator similar to the one used by McIntosh and Accuphase in their devices. However, in this case, it is electronic rather than mechanical. In the menu, which is also set via the display and a button on the top panel, you can choose how long the VU meter is illuminated, how brightly, and when it dims.

We can also decide which monoblock supports the left channel and which supports the right channel. They are identical in design, but for emotional balance and just for fun, we can “assign” them in this way. The letters “L” and “R” (left, right) are laser-cut into the angled corners of the front panel. A small switch on the back allows us to determine which letter is illuminated. Easy and simple, and it works. On the rear panel, you will also find a gold-plated Neutrik XLR input socket (there is no RCA input) and two very good speaker sockets. There are also trigger sockets and IEC power sockets with a mechanical switch.

You may remember that when describing devices, I also pay attention to whether the manufacturer has provided a separate terminal for grounding. This idea has been used for years by Japanese manufacturers, and with the spread of artificial grounding systems, it has also gained popularity in the rest of the world. Laiv also sees the benefits of using external grounding and has taken this solution even further. On the rear panel, there are not one, but two terminals, connected by a jumper. One is the ground for the electrical system, and the other is for the chassis. They can be connected or artificial grounding can be used for each separately.

The chassis, as is typical for this manufacturer, is excellently made. These are aluminum cutouts, perfectly anodized and joined. All in black, although silver versions are also available, they feature gold details that contrast with the black. These are, above all, the three gold-plated spikes on which they stand. We place gold-plated pads under them, which brings us to another clue that the person behind this brand knows our industry.

The box in which the amplifier is delivered contains a nice template that allows you to position the pads and then place the device on them without fear of scratching or damaging the surface of you rack. It is worth noting that the mounting screws, buttons, and sockets on the top panel are also gold-plated, allowing two (or more) amplifiers to be stacked on top of each other, for example in bi-amping systems. Impressive design.

▌ SOUND

HOW WE LISTENED • Laiv GaNM monoblocks were tested in the High Fidelity reference system and were compared to the Soulution 710 stereo power amplifier (class AB). The sound source was both the Ayon Audio CD-35 HF Edition SACD player (No. 1/50) and the Sforzato PMC-05EX file player with a DSP-05EX clock. The test consisted of an AA/BB/A comparison, with known A and B, using short, two-minute samples from a given album. The intervals were approximately 40 seconds long.

The amplifiers stood on the company's spikes on the upper carbon platform of the Finite Elemente Master Reference Pagode Edition Mk II rack and were powered by Essential Audio Tools Current Conductor HC cables and a power strip from the same company. I fed the signal to them using an Acoustic Revive Triple-C balanced interconnect from the Ayon Audio Spheris Evo preamplifier. The signal was sent to the Harbeth M40.1 speakers via a Crystal Cable Da Vinci speaker cable.

» RECORDINGS USED FOR THE TEST ⸜ a selection

⸜ ART BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS, Moanin’, Blue Note Records/Tidal, FLAC 24/192 ⸜ 1958/2013.
⸜ FRANK WEISS, Wheelin’ And Dealin’, Prestige/Craft Recordings/Tidal, FLAC 16/44,1 ⸜ 1958/2025.
⸜ ANNIE LENNOX, Medusa, BMG Ariola München/Sony Music Entertainment Hong Kong 430868021, Limited Edition No. 0123, K2HD CD ⸜ 1995/2014.
⸜ SANTANA, Supernatural, Arista | BMG ‎07822 19080 2, CD ⸜ 1999.
⸜ KING CRIMSON, In The Court of the King Crimson (An Observation by King Crimson). 50th Anniversary Box Set, Atlantic/WOWOW Entertainment [Japan] IEZP-128, „2019 Remix by Steven Wilson”, 3 x HQCD + BD Audio ⸜ 1969/2019.
⸜ MIKE OLDFIELD, Five Miles Out, Mercury/Universal UMC UICY-75879, Deluxe Edition, 2 x SHM-CD ⸜ 1982/2013.

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The days when a Class D amplifier, especially one with a switching mode power supply, sounded clear and light are a thing of the past. For several years now, with an ever-improving understanding of the relationships between pulse shaping in PWM circuits, improvements in power supply, the transfer of the switching frequency of the output transistors far beyond the passband, and the elimination of vibrations to which amplifiers of this type are particularly sensitive, we are dealing with devices that are not simple hi-fi devices, but rather full-fledged amplifiers.

Amplifiers from Singapore demonstrate it very nicely. These are devices that produce a focused, dense sound reminiscent of a small tube amplifier based on KT88 tubes. In other words, they have internal depth, are dynamic, but also slightly rounded at the edges of the frequency range, and emphasize the crispness of cymbals rather than their piercing aspect. This is a sound where size matters, rather than the “internal dynamics” of the sound.

It is also elegant sound, even very elegant. This term appears more and more often in my tests – and for good reason. Contemporary audio is becoming increasingly sophisticated in terms of tonality. This is probably the biggest change that has taken place since the inexpensive Japanese devices sold in the 1980s to contemporary products such as Laiv GaNM. And this would be a reference, after many years, to the good examples of tube technology from the 1950s and 1960s, featuring tube power supplies.

When you hear Frank Weiss's flute in Things Ain't What They Used To Be, and John Coltrane's saxophone alternating in the same channel, you get a sense of tangibility, fullness, and depth. It is as if we were immersed not in transparent water, but in something like a liquid gel that gives the space consistency. The remaster available on Tidal was done by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, and it is an excellent remaster. Similarly to the version of ART BLAKEY's Moanin' album, which was remastered by Bernie Grundman on Tidal.

Both tracks flowed effortlessly, without any sense of tension, slightly sweet, slightly dense, in a slightly more focused manner than with the reference amplifier. Most importantly, they flowed in an extremely pleasant way. But with pleasure served without hiding any details, such as the quiet sound of the saxophone key closing in the opening sequence of ˻ 1 ˺ the title track on Blake's album, like low thuds, heard in this version from time to time, and which are part of the recording, etc. These were things more commonly associated with sophisticated, small Class A amplifiers.

And this is an amplifier offering high output, and what's more, high power kept under control. The low pulse carrying the ˻ 2 ˺ Take Me To River from the Medusa album by ANNE LENNOX had a depth that was hard to suspect from such a small amplifier. It was a low and full sound with a slightly rounded attack and a gently prolonged decay. Compared to other amplifiers in this price range, this may seem like a shift towards tube sound – and that would be a good clue.

The Harmony Ganm amplifier has something from this universe in its sound. It emphasizes the lower midrange and sweetens the treble, so that Lennox's fairly bright vocals were not too bright. It's a clear transition to the sunny side of the force, but a cool, good transition. Because it evokes good feelings in us. These are not amplifiers that offer any extraordinary insight into recording technology or that emphasize differentiation in any special way, but rather ones that offer fun and a good mood.

These are rather devices that pamper the sound, bringing it to a place where you can sit comfortably in an armchair and either listen, or read and listen, or even talk and listen. Nothing in this sound attacks or disturbs us. And yet it is dynamic; the elegance I mentioned does not result from sluggishness, but from the shape of the sound attack, which does not allow for irritation. However, when necessary, as in 0:47 of the ˻ 5 ˺ Five Miles Out, the title track from MIKE OLDFIELD's album, when the drums hit hard, its energy is instantly transmitted by the Laiv amplifier and the speakers pump a lot of air into the room.

But thanks to it, we can listen to any album and any music with these amplifiers. It will not be an aggressive sound, nor will it lead to half of your collection being discarded. The device will play them with panache and dynamics, focusing our attention on what is on the axis, bringing the foreground closer and enlarging it slightly. Behind it, there will be subsequent planes, subsequent instruments, and they will have a nice, sweet tone. However, they will be something additional, they will not compete for our attention with what is “here and now.”

▌ Summary

GANM HARMONY AMPLIFIERS are beautifully crafted and look great. Their sound is just as impressive: nice, sweet, compact, organized. “Elegance” is the key word that worked for me with all music, both played from physical media and streamed. I would even say that it was the music from Tidal, rather than from NAS files, that somehow “sat” best for me and appealed to me the most.

This is because the tested devices calm the sound somewhat, lowering the center of gravity and rounding off the attack. They do not dazzle with details, instead operating on a larger scale, which also makes us give up analysis and focus on the music. So these are not really amplifiers for seasoned audiophiles, but rather for music lovers for whom spending a long time listening to music, not only actively but also in the background, is more important than analyzing the sound. The amplifiers from Singapore are very good at this. »HF

▌ Technical specifications (according to the manufacturer)

Nominal output: 200 W / 8 Ω
Frequency response: 20 Hz - 22 kHz, ± 3 dB
Damping factor: 500 @ 1 kHz/8 Ω
THD+N: <0.8% @ MAX 200 W/8 Ω
SNR: ≥95 dB
Dynamic range: ≥95 dB

Input impedance: around 94 kΩ
Input sensitivity: 1.4 Vrms
Gain: 29 dB
Power consumption:
• ≤250 W @ maximum output
• ≤0.3 W @ standby

Display: monochromatic OLED 3.83”, 320 x 132 pixels
Dimensions (W x H x D): 250 x 50 x 255 mm
Weight: 3.9 kg

» The measurements were performed using an Audio Precision APx analyzer with a 192 kHz PCM signal at 1 kHz, A-weighted, S/PDIF input, and balanced XLR output.

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THIS TEST HAS BEEN DESIGNED ACCORDING TO THE GUIDELINES adopted by the Association of International Audiophile Publications, an international audio press association concerned with ethical and professional standards in our industry, of which HIGH FIDELITY is a founding member. More about the association and its constituent titles → HERE.

→ www.AIAP-online.org