Laiv

07/10/2026

Steve Huff has named the Harmony DAC 2 his DAC of the Year 2026, with his Gold Award.

Steve heard the original Harmony DAC at its 2024 launch, so he set out to answer one question: is the DAC 2 better? After countless hours of listening, his answer was yes, calling it "more refined than the original. Matured even," with a lower noise floor and a more spatial, three dimensional presentation, especially in the new SRC mode.

Thank you, Steve, for the time, care and honesty you put into this one. It means a great deal to the whole team.

Read the full review here: https://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2026/10/01/laiv-harmony-dac-2-review-is-it-better/

The LAIv Harmony 2 DAC is the follow up to the original and brings several changes and improvements. But does it sound better?

23/09/2026

Experience *LAiV* at the HIGH END & SMART HOME SHOW 2026 in Dubai this Friday and Saturday.

Join us at the *Hifonix Studio — Stand 1–3, in the **Headphones Zone on the Ground Floor*, for an opportunity to hear LAiV’s high-performance digital audio engineering in person. Discover the detail, musicality, and natural presentation that make LAiV a compelling choice for serious music lovers and headphone enthusiasts.

*Dates:* Friday 25 & Saturday 26 September 2026
*Time:* 10:00 AM–7:00 PM
*Location:* Radisson RED Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai
*Find us:* Hifonix Studio, Stands 1–3 — Headphones Zone, Ground Floor

Come in, take a seat, and experience your favourite music through LAiV.



The show’s public Headphones Zone runs 25–26 September, 10:00 AM–7:00 PM, at Radisson RED Dubai Silicon Oasis.[1][2]

Sources
[1] High End & Smart Home Show Dubai 2026 https://highendshow.ae/
[2] Visit the Show | High End & Smart Home Show Dubai 2026 https://highendshow.ae/visiting
[3] High End Smart Home Show 2026 | KNX https://www.knx.org/events/high-end-smart-home-show-2026
[4] HIGH END & SMART HOME Show 2026 https://www.knx.org/knx-en/newsroom/news/events/20260926-HIGH-END-SMART-HOME-Show-2026/
[5] Cache Is Heading to the HIGH END & SMART HOME Show 2026 https://cache.ae/blog/cache-is-heading-to-the-high-end-smart-home-show-2026
[6] Meet us at the HIGH END & SMART HOME Show 2026. 24-26 ... https://www.facebook.com/pultelectronicsav/posts/meet-us-at-the-high-end-smart-home-show-202624-26-september-2026-radisson-red-du/1039332112462776/
[7] High End & Smart Home Show https://www.facebook.com/highendshow.ae/posts/the-next-generation-of-luxury-developments-is-defined-by-intelligent-technologyj/122260002596252622/
[8] with new opportunities for both industry ... https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcxwR-lIjHS/
[9] The Dubai Show Every Audiophile And Tech Enthusiast Should Visit https://sandytimes.ae/articles/5396/the-dubai-show-every-audiophile-and-tech-enthusiast-should-visit
[10] High End & Smart Home Show Dubai 2026 https://hifishowcalendar.com/event/high-end-smart-home-show-dubai-2026

All Events 1191 Viewed Print Share Share Share Email Share High End & Smart Home Show Dubai 2026 September 24 -September 26 | Country: Dubai Where Innovation Meets Luxury The High End & Smart Home Show brings together the world's most prestigious audio brands and cutting-edge smart home technologies...

17/09/2026

So excited to see 英格藍音響劇院影音 (Taichung store) put together a full LAiV Audio Harmony system for visitors to experience! 🎧🔊

From the Harmony DAC's discrete R2R digital conversion, to the HP2A's combined headphone amp and preamp function, all the way to the GaNM GaN monoblock power amps, this full stack lets you enjoy speakers by day and headphones by night, without compromise. A complete taste of what the LAiV Harmony series is all about.

If you're in Taichung, come by and book a listen at 英格藍台中店, hear the craftsmanship for yourself!

📍英格藍台中店: No. 1451, Section 2, Zhongqing Road, Xitun District, Taichung City
🕚 Opening hours: 11:00 - 20:00

Thank you 英格藍音響劇院影音 for such a lovely showcase! 🙏

#英格藍 #英格藍台中店 #台中音響試聽

耳機派、喇叭派，這次真的不用二選一！
想體驗 LAiV Audio Harmony DAC、HP2A 與 GaNM 氮化鎵後級
歡迎到 英格藍台中店 現場試聽！
LAiV Audio Harmony 系列，不只是一套高階耳機系統，更能完整延伸成兩聲道喇叭系統。
Harmony DAC 採用分立式 R2R 架構，負責數位訊號轉換；
Harmony HP2A 同時具備耳機擴大與前級功能；
再搭配 Harmony GaNM 氮化鎵單聲道後級，就能直接驅動被動式喇叭，打造完整的 LAiV Harmony 系統。
白天想用喇叭享受寬闊音場，晚上不想打擾家人，切換耳機繼續聽。
從 DAC、前級、耳擴到後級，一套系統同時兼顧兩種玩法。
除了聲音表現，Harmony 系列極具辨識度的金屬機身
金色旋鈕與一致化外觀，整套堆疊起來，也像精品一樣融入居家空間。
規格看再多，都不如親自聽一次。
📍英格藍台中店：
台中市西屯區中清路二段1451號
🕚營業時間：11:00－20:00
🎵 LAiV Audio 系列現場展示，歡迎預約試聽
你是耳機派、喇叭派，還是「整套疊滿才完整」派？
#氮化鎵後級 #耳機擴大機 #兩聲道音響 #英格藍 #英格藍台中店 #台中音響試聽

17/09/2026

Big thanks to Christiaan Punter at HiFi Advice for the very first review of the Crescendo BEAT, our new dual-rail linear power supply. Christiaan reviews with real rigour and knows our range well, so being first to test the BEAT, just as he paired the Crescendo VERSE with large studio monitors, was perfect timing.

Feeding the VERSE from the BEAT, he said the difference was evident from the first notes and very significant. Rather than the heavy signature people expect from a linear supply, he heard the music become more precise and transparent, from a quieter background, as the BEAT lifted a veil while keeping the VERSE's smooth, warm balance. In his words, it improves the sound without sacrificing anything.

His verdict: a must-have with any compatible LAiV component, and the HiFi Advice Highly Recommended award. We are grateful for such a thorough first look.

Read the full review here: https://www.hifi-advice.com/blog/review/accessories-reviews/laiv-crescendo-beat/

When reviewing the VERSE DAC and comparing it to the Harmony DAC, the difference was obvious. However, the VERSE was powered by a simple wall-wart switched power supply. So I wondered: how much of the Harmony DAC's superior performance would be due to its high-quality linear power supply? The new LA...

10/09/2026

The road to our first EISA Award was not a straight line. Neither was the road to Berlin.

A cancelled flight. A first time in Germany. A scramble through unfamiliar stations, and a train race across the country. I made it to the EISA Awards Gala with not much time to spare, and then I heard them read out "LAiV Harmony µDAC" among brands I grew up admiring.

The EISA Best Value DAC 2026-2027 award, judged by the editors of more than 50 publications across more than 30 countries. As far as we know, the first EISA Award ever to go to a Singapore brand.

And the trophy? Two cubes of machined metal, engraved, nothing added that does not need to be there. It could have come off our own CNC machines. A perfect fit.

To our team, dealers, reviewers, and every listener who chose us: this one is yours too. And it is just the beginning.

The full story, from the cancelled flight to the ballroom: https://www.laiv.audio/post/berlin-eisa-awards-gala-2026

LAiV, Designing Dreams, Yours Specifically

31/08/2026

Do you really need a dedicated DAC? Honest answer: maybe not.

Our new blog takes the question seriously instead of assuming the answer is always yes. If you listen casually on basic earbuds, or most of your music travels over Bluetooth, your current setup is probably doing its job just fine.

But there are three signs an external DAC will make a difference you can actually hear: noise that intrudes on quiet passages, high-impedance or planar headphones your source cannot drive properly, and a desktop system where the built-in conversion stage has become the weakest link. As we put it in the blog, the gap between a built-in DAC and a dedicated one isn't always captured in specification sheets.

And if you decide the step is worth taking, there is a natural path: from the compact Harmony µDAC, winner of the EISA Best Value DAC 2026-2027 award, to the Harmony DAC 2, where our discrete R2R work currently stands.

Read the full guide: https://www.laiv.audio/post/do-i-really-need-a-dedicated-dac

Already running a dedicated DAC, or still on the fence? Feel free to reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions.

Find out what digital-to-analog converters do, their benefits, when an external DAC is worth it, and when your money is better spent elsewhere.

24/08/2026

The Harmony µDAC has won the EISA Best Value DAC 2026-2027 award.

EISA, the Expert Imaging and Sound Association, is the largest editorial collaboration in consumer electronics: the editors of more than 50 specialist magazines and websites across more than 30 countries judge each category, every year. This year they chose our smallest DAC.

From the jury citation: "The Harmony µDAC delivers performance that rivals digital-to-analogue converters many times its size."

This is LAiV's first EISA award, three years after we set out from Singapore. To every listener, reviewer, dealer and distributor who put the µDAC in front of ears around the world: this one belongs to you too.

The award will be presented at the EISA Awards Gala in Berlin on 4 September, during IFA.

Discover the Harmony µDAC: https://www.laiv.audio/harmony-udac

LAiV, Designing Dreams, Yours Specifically

12/08/2026

Big thanks to Wojciech Pacuła at High Fidelity in Poland for his review of the Crescendo CHORUS. High Fidelity is one of the most respected audio publications in Europe, and Wojciech tested the CHORUS with a rigorous blind comparison inside his reference system against a far larger and far more expensive amplifier.

What struck him first was the scale. He described the CHORUS as powerful, clear, expansive, and resonant, a unit he called practically desktop sized that does not sound that way at all. He praised its tonal nuance, which he said makes recordings come alive from within, and was especially warm about its rich, beautifully rendered vocals. Switching to bridged mono, his note was simply, wow.

He was honest about its character too, a smooth, gently rounded voicing in stereo that sharpens and energizes in mono, giving listeners two honest choices. We are grateful for such a thorough, high-level listen.

Read the full review here: https://highfidelity.pl/-1621&lang=en

12/08/2026

Big thanks to Ted Chen and the team at MY-HiEND in Taiwan for a thorough review of the Crescendo VERSE and CHORUS as a system. MY-HiEND is one of the most respected high-end audio publications in the Chinese-speaking world, so their time with the pair means a lot to us.

The review opens on the build, the precision-machined aluminium, the signature chamfer, the flagship design language, and the way the two units stack into one neat, space-saving system. On sound, Ted described a neutral, uncoloured character that lets every genre keep its own colour, with control and resolution that held up at volume, and low-frequency reach he said went beyond his expectations.

The listening notes praised a pure, transparent soundstage and vocals rendered with real density and emotion. We are grateful for the care that went into this one.

Read the full review here: https://tw.my-hiend.com/以絕佳工藝打造精準聲音：laiv-crescendo-verse-chorus/

新加坡品牌 LAiV 創立於 2023 年，目標是創造使用友善並同時帶來最佳音樂的產品，一句話掌握現今音響用家需求的精隨，隨著我們測試更多的 LAiV 器材，也深刻認識到他們對於目標的實踐。Cresc

07/08/2026

The covers are off.

Two clues, two answers.

"Hard to find. Hard to replace. Now harder to beat." — meet the HARMONY DAC 2. Our flagship R2R, made greater: discrete Class A output buffer, your choice of NOS, OS, or a dedicated hardware SRC stage, direct 10MHz master clock input, and full digital isolation between input and output. US$3,994. First units ship September — and the first run is very limited. https://www.laiv.audio/harmony-dac-2

"The quiet heartbeat of your system." — meet the CRESCENDO BEAT. A true dual-output linear power supply: 15V and 5V rails, both always on, so one BEAT powers your streamer and your DAC together, with noise as low as 10uVrms. US$494. Available from August; USA from September. https://www.laiv.audio/crescendo-beat

In Hong Kong this weekend? Both are playing right now at the Hong Kong AV Show — Hall 3, E01-E03, HKCEC Wan Chai, through Sunday. Come listen for yourself.

And to everyone who guessed right in the comments: we were watching. Well played.

LAiV. Designing Dreams, Yours Specifically.