Усилители для наушников — SMSL VMV P2 MK2

The VMV P2 MK2 is a fully balanced desktop headphone amplifier from SMSL, sold under the company's VMV label, and SMSL groups it with its top desktop products. It replaced the first VMV P2 and was launched alongside the D2R MK2 DAC as a matching desktop pair, at a price of USD 1,160.

Key specs that matter

Balanced output is rated at 14 W per channel into 16 ohm, 8 W into 32 ohm, 1 W into 300 ohm and 500 mW into 600 ohm. The single-ended jack gives 4 W, 2 W, 300 mW and 150 mW into the same four loads. THD+N is 0.00006 percent, or -123 dB, measured at 1 kHz into 32 ohm, and SMSL gives 135 dB for SNR as well as for dynamic range. Frequency response runs from 20 Hz to 100 kHz within -0.5 dB. Input impedance is 47 kohm and headphone output impedance is close to 0 ohm, while the pre-outs sit at 44 ohm balanced and 22 ohm unbalanced. The desktop chassis measures 280 x 51 x 235.7 mm and weighs 3.25 kg, and consumption stays below 100 W.

Engineering and use context

The gain stage spreads the load across 99 low-noise op-amps working in parallel, which raises current delivery and pulls output impedance down. Four channels of the VMV Precision Linear Feedback Circuit Plus, or PLFC+, keep the path differential from input to output. Power comes from an internal gallium nitride switching supply, a type with lower switching losses than silicon parts. Three gain settings are provided - -3, 6 and 24 dB on the balanced side and -9, 0 and 18 dB single-ended - and the lowest one is aimed at in-ear monitors. A custom precision potentiometer keeps left and right channels matched at low volume. Protection covers DC offset, overload, overvoltage and temperature, a delayed relay suppresses switch-on thumps, low-drift resistors keep behaviour stable over long sessions, and a USB service port accepts firmware updates.

Pairing

A source feeds the amplifier via a balanced XLR pair or an RCA pair, and headphones plug into a 4.4 mm balanced socket, a 4-pin XLR or a 6.35 mm jack. The power reserve is enough for demanding planar headphones and for high-impedance dynamic designs alike, while the lowest gain step suits sensitive IEMs. The D2R MK2 is the intended DAC partner, while the XLR and RCA pre-outs let the unit feed a stereo power amp or a set of active monitors.

Alternatives

The original SMSL VMV P2 is the earlier headphone amplifier in the series, rated at 6 W per channel into 32 ohm balanced with a 133 dB signal-to-noise ratio.