HIFIMAN Debuts Fully Balanced HM800 Mini-DAC/Amplifier, Featuring New HIMALAYA DAC R2R Architecture

BELLMORE, NY, February 23, 2022 – HIFIMAN, the leader in high fidelity personal audio, today announced a new portable mini-DAC (digital to analog converter) featuring the company’s new low-energy, high sampling HIMALAYA DAC.

The new HM800 earphone DAC/amplifier (SRP: $299) relies on R2R architecture, a chip composed of an array of resistors, but with a new algorithm that reduces power handling between the chip and peripheral components. Signal-to-noise ratio, total harmonic distortion, and energy consumption are at their most efficient and cost-effective.

“As a company, HIFIMAN is committed to satisfying the demands of discerning listeners through advanced yet cost-effective designs,” said Dr. Fang Bian, President, and CEO, HIFIMAN Electronics. “The HIMALAYA DAC architecture makes it easy to enjoy hi-res audio with an ordinary mobile phone, making it a high-fidelity source that can compete with nearly any standalone DAP.”

Its miniature proportions – approximately the size of a U.S. quarter — make the HM800 a perfect match for high-performance audio equipment. In addition, HIFIMAN emphasized maximum flexibility, with a USB-C input and four cables included for connection with the majority of high-end earphones on the market: USB-C, MMCX coaxial, MMCX-0.78 and MMCX-0.75 pin connector cables.

Designed to turn any smartphone into a high-resolution audio source, the HM800, which, from its DAC to its amplifier is fully balanced, combines a low audio frequency range, out-of-band noise, and low energy consumption to create a high-performance match for in-ear monitors at any price point. The internal HIMALAYA DAC module supports the common PCM signal transmitted by the most common IIS (Integrated Interface of Sound) audio interface, with a maximum 24Bit resolution.

HIFIMAN’s new concept-based NOS (None Over-sampling) filter stands out from previous designs by minimizing noise without pushing weak signals to the ultrasonic frequency band, rendering them inaudible. With the NOS filter, the best possible performance is achieved, preserving the most minute details of a well-mastered recording.

The signal-to-noise ratio is measured at 112dB, the output power is 40mW+2, and the DAC module’s total harmonic distortion plus noise (THD+N) is 0.0025%.

The HM800 will be available in March at a suggested retail price of $299. It will be available from authorized HIFIMAN dealers and the company’s online store, https://store.hifiman.com/.

About HIFIMAN

HIFIMAN was founded by Dr. Fang Bian in 2007 and, two years later, introduced the acclaimed HM-801, the first digital audio player to feature true audiophile-grade performance from a pocket-size form factor. Since then, HIFIMAN, under Dr. Bian’s guidance, has developed an extensive selection of no-holds-barred headphones, digital audio players, and headphone amplifiers that are consistently recognized as the best in class, offering performance that belies their price point, no matter the cost.