UNiKA RHA1 Reference Headphone Amplifier User Manual

June 12, 2024
UNiKA

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UNiKA RHA1 Reference Headphone Amplifier

UNiKA-RHA1-Reference-Headphone-Amplifier-product

Product Information

Reference Headphone Amplifier

  • Design & Made in Taiwan

Product Packaging Contents:

  • RHA1 Headphone amplifier
  • Warranty card
  • Power supply incl. 4 types of interchangeable AC plug

Features:

  • Reference-grade headphone amplifier
  • Designed for headphone enthusiasts, audiophiles, professional recording engineers, and live concert soundmen
  • Uses a 24V external power supply and classic OTL amplifier circuit design
  • Can drive general consumer headphones, reference-grade headphones, and low-sensitivity high-end headphones with impedances from 15ohm to 600ohm
  • Produces a very smooth and dynamic sound with high signal-to-noise ratio
  • Customized double-connected stereo potentiometer for listening consistency

External Power Supply Specifications:

  • Input: AC 100-240V, 50/60Hz
  • Output: DC 24V, 1A

Instrument Test Data and Downloads:
For instrument test data and downloads, please visit www.unikapro.com

Contact Information:

  • UNiKA Electronic Co., Ltd.
  • 6F, No.168, Xin-Hu 2nd Rd. Nei-Hu District, Taipei City. 11494. Taiwan, R.O.C.
  • Tel: +886 2 27933017
  • Fax: +886 2 27928264
  • Email: info@unikapro.com

Product Usage Instructions

General Precaution:

  • Before using the product, read the user manual carefully and pay attention to every detail.
  • Ensure that the power switch is in the OFF position before plugging in the power adaptor to the outlet.
  • Rotate the volume control to the end of the counterclockwise position to avoid sudden loud sounds that can hurt your ears.
  • Avoid plugging or unplugging wires arbitrarily to prevent signal loss.

Safety Instructions:

  • Do not expose the product to liquids or moisture as it may cause equipment damage or leakage.
  • Do not attempt to open the device for maintenance without authorization.

Preventing Damage to Health and Hearing:
Exposure to loud and dangerous sounds can damage your hearing. It’s not just the volume of the sound, but also the duration of exposure that can be harmful. Even lower-level sounds, such as dense city traffic, can be damaging when experienced for extended periods. Here’s a rough outline of when loud becomes too loud:

  • Rock concerts and construction sites
  • Dense city traffic for more than a couple of hours
  • Any other loud sounds experienced continuously for extended periods

If you need further installation or operation guidance, please contact UNiKA’s dealer or distributor, or write to info@unikapro.com for help.

GENERAL PRECAUTION

Thank you for purchasing the UNiKA product. Before using, please read this manual carefully and pay attention to every detail that you must pay attention to. Please make sure the power switch is on the “OFF” position before you plugged the power adaptor in the outlet. And make sure the power switch is on the “OFF” position before you pulled out the power adaptor from the outlet.

And rotate the volume control to the end of the counterclockwise position to avoid the sudden sounds hurting your ears. Please do not plug or unplug the wires arbitrarily to avoid signal loss. If you need further installation or operation guidance, please directly contact UNiKA’s dealer or distributor, or write to the following mail address for help, info@unikapro.com.

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

  • Please read this instruction manual carefully and completely before using the product.
  • Save this manual for future reference.
  • Remember and follow all safety instructions.
  • Follow all steps.
  • Please always include this instruction manual when passing the product on to third parties.
  • Please do not use obviously defective products on the front and rear end of the device.
  • Please place the device away from the water source.
  • When cleaning, please unplug the power plug, and then use a dry cloth to clean the device.
  • Make sure that the ventilation openings of the device are not blocked.
  • Please place the device away from heat sources.
  • Prevent the power adaptor (ext. power supply) from being trampled or dragged.
  • Please be sure to use the included external power supply. Using any of the other power supplies may cause equipment damage or leakage.
  • Please place the device in a stable position.
  • Please unplug the power adaptor during thunderstorms or when not in use for a long time.
  • In case of failure, please consult or send it to professional technicians. Do not open the inside of the device for maintenance without authorization.
  • To prevent the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose the device to rain and moisture.
  • Do not expose the device to dripping and splashing water or under a water container.

PREVENTING DAMAGE TO HEALTH AND HEARING

  • Please protect your hearing from high volume levels. Permanent hearing damage may occur when headphones are used at high volume levels for long periods of time.
  • To prevent hearing loss and damage from excessive headphone use, the WHO suggests keeping noise levels below 70 decibels over a 24-hour period. Decibels are the measurement of how loud a sound is.
  • A good rule of thumb is usually to keep your headphones at less than 60% of the maximum volume. Generally, a volume greater than 120 decibels can cause instant or permanent hearing damage.

LOUD AND DANGEROUS SOUND IS ALL AROUND US

Your hearing isn’t just in danger at a rock concert or construction site (although both of those situations are, indeed, harmful to your hearing). There are potential hazards with many every-day sounds. That’s because it’s not exclusively the volume of a sound that is dangerous, it’s also how long you’re exposed. Even lower-level sounds, such as dense city traffic, can be damaging to your hearing when experienced for more than a couple of hours.

Generally, here’s a rough outline of when loud becomes too loud,

  • 30 dB: Everyday conversation would be at this volume level. You should be perfectly fine at this volume for an indefinite length of time.
  • 80 – 85 dB: An air conditioner, heavy traffic, and a lawnmower are at this level of sound. This level of sound will normally become damaging after two hours of exposure.
  • 90 – 95 dB: A motorcycle is a good illustration of this sound level. 50 minutes is enough to be unsafe at this level of sound.
  • 100 dB: An approaching subway train or a mid-sized sports event is at this sound level (of course, this depends on the city). 15 minutes of exposure will be enough to be harmful at this sound level.
  • 110 dB: Do you ever turn the volume on your ear-pods up to max? That’s usually around this sound level on most smartphones. 5 minutes will be enough to be dangerous at this level.
  • 120 dB and over  Anything over 120 dB (think loud rock show or exceptionally large sports events) can produce instant injury and pain in your ears.

PRODUCT PACKAGING CONTENTS

UNiKA-RHA1-Reference-Headphone-Amplifier-fig- \(1\)

FEATURES

  • VHandles even the most demanding headphones with ease.
  • Line Input: XLR and 6.3mm Jack NEUTRIK Combi connector
  • Headphone Output: 6.3mm jack.
  • Separate electronic circuits for Left and Right signals
  • Broadcast-grade audio pre-amp and separate electronic circuits for Left and Right signals
  • The world’s first linear +/-18dB Gain Control with a variable Attenuator for precise level adjustment.
  • Low EMI Universal Power adaptor: with 4 interchangeable plugs

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

  • The RHA1 is a reference-grade headphone amplifier carefully developed by UNiKA and manufactured in the UNiKA factory in Taiwan. The application object of RHA1 is headphone enthusiasts, audiophiles and professional recording engineers and live concert soundmen.
  • Especially using only 24V external power supply and classic OTL amplifier circuit design, its performance is amazing.
  • RHA1 is suitable for general consumer headphones, as well as reference-grade and low-sensitivity high-end headphones. Impedances from 15ohm to 600ohm are easily driven and produce a very smooth and very dynamic sound.
  • Moreover, it performs very high S/N ratio and cannot be perceived power supply and circuit characteristic noise.
  • It can be seen from the test chart (please scan the QR code on the last page to download), we can see that the frequency response of the RHA1 is very flat from 20Hz to 80KHz, and the full-band frequency response error value is not greater than ±0.2dB in the test from low impedance to high impedance.
  • The most special feature is its specially designed ±18dB linear gain and post-amp level control with maximum 0dB output. This design is like using a professional mixing console. Users can first use its linear gain to adjust to the optimal input level and dynamics according to headphones or signal sources with different characteristics or impedance and sensitivity, and then use the output level control to determine the volume you need to listen.
  • This design greatly exceeds some products currently on the market with fixed gain value switches.
  • The components selected by RHA1 are all top-level models, and a double-connected stereo potentiometer with very low L/R output different is specially customized to ensure listening consistency.
  • The amplification of the output stage adopts the independent amplification of the L/R channel, which greatly improves the separation and minimizes the crosstalk.
  • The input jacks are a pair of NEUTRIK® Combijack. It can be availableto connect XLR and TRS balanced plug or TS unbalanced plug from recording devices or Hi-Fi equipment.
  • At the same time, UNiKA is very considerately equipped with an external power supply of adaptiveUniversal Input Range 90~264VAC and comes with 4 kinds of AC plugs that can be interchangeable by user, including US, UK, AU and EU types.

APPEARANCE PARTS & FUNCTIONS

UNiKA-RHA1-Reference-Headphone-Amplifier-fig- \(2\)

  1. TRS Stereo headphone output jack.
  2. Power indicator.
  3. Output level attenuator.
  4. Front stage gain control with ±18dB range.UNiKA-RHA1-Reference-Headphone-Amplifier-fig- \(3\)
  5. NEUTRIK® Combi jack for left channel input. It can be inserted XLR, TRS and TS plug.
  6. NEUTRIK® Combi jack for right channel input. It can be inserted XLR, TRS and TS plug.
  7. External power supply input jack. Please be sure to use the included external power supply. Using any of other power supplies may cause equipment damage or leakage.
  8. Power switch. Please make sure to plug in an external power supply and headphones before turning on this switch. On the contrary, unplug the headphone plug and external power plug after turning off the power.

EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLY

UNiKA-RHA1-Reference-Headphone-Amplifier-fig- \(4\)

  • Adaptive input voltage range: 90~264VAC
  • Output: 24VDC, 10W
  • Power Efficiency up to 84%
  • Interchangeable AC Plugs include US/EU/UK/AU types
  • Protection class of Class II power supply

Note
Manufacturers cannot provide special specification plugs other than those mentioned above.

SPECIFICATIONS

(Specifications are subject to change without notice.)

  • Circuit principle OTL / External power supply / Discrete amplifier
  • Frequency response 20Hz ~ 20KHz , ±0.2dB ( Limited by APx525’s B.W. )
  • THD+N@10mW 0.0004%, 600 Ω@mid gain, 1KHz@20KHz B.W.
  • Dynamic range@ 119.5dB @220Ω load, XLR input
  • Input connector A pair of NEUTRIK® Combi jack
  • Output connector 6.3mm TRS phone jack
  • Linear gain control range ±18dB @1dB step
  • Maximum output power 800mW
  • Maximum input level 25.5dBu
  • Balance input impedance >4KΩ
  • Output loading impedance 15Ω ~ 600Ω
  • Power consumption 6W/0.25A
  • Power supply & consumption 24VDC / 10W
  • Ext. AC to DC adaptor 90 ~ 264VAC input / 24VDC output
  • Type of AC plugs includes UK / US / AU / EU
  • Dimension ( W x D x H ) 162 x 104 x 53 mm
  • Shipping dimension ( W x D x H ) 306 x 163 x 70 mm
  • Net weight 0.77kg
  • Shipping weight @ per unit 1.14kg ( w/carton & adaptor )

INSTRUMENT TEST DATA AND DOWNLOADS

  • Equipment: Audio Precision APx-525
  • Test range: 20Hz~80KHz

Items included in the test data

  • Gain
  • RMS Level
  • THD+N Ratio
  • Relative Level/Frequency Response

Example

UNiKA-RHA1-Reference-Headphone-Amplifier-fig- \(5\)

Please click the link below to download the detailed rest results directly, https://www.unikapro.com/support/download/ Or please scan the following QR code with your mobile phone or pad,

UNiKA Electronic Co., Ltd.

References

Read User Manual Online (PDF format)

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Download This Manual (PDF format)

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