We were pleased to see the renowned reviewer Hans Beekhuyzen take the time to explore the LAiV Harmony DAC in one of his recent videos.
In his review, Hans shared his experience with the Harmony DAC during a listening test. Initially, he noted that the sound leaned towards the brighter side with slight coloration in the mid-range, which he found affected the overall soundstage and control. Even after switching to the optical input, the difference was minimal. However, when he revisited the setup using the I2S connection with clocking set to high, he observed improvements. This adjustment helped open up the midrange, enhance signal reduction, and deliver a better stereo image focus with a blacker background. Hans ultimately mentioned that the Harmony DAC’s performance was close to that of some high-end audio products.
At LAiV, we deeply respect opinions from all perspectives—whether they come from owners who love the DAC, as reflected in the product reviews and active forum discussions, or from those who find it doesn’t quite match their taste or the genres they listen to most.
To us, all feedback is valuable and respectable. It reinforces our commitment to genuine, honest reviews and reflects our belief in the diverse preferences within the audiophile community. While the outcome of Hans’ review wasn’t entirely favorable, we respect his viewpoint wholeheartedly. One man’s preference might not resonate with another, and that’s what makes the music-first audiophile hobby both interesting and enjoyable.
We want to thank Hans for his thorough review and for helping us see the Harmony DAC from another perspective. His insights help us continue to refine and improve our products, ensuring that we cater to a broad range of tastes and preferences within the audiophile community.
If you're interested in exploring more about the Harmony DAC, feel free to check out Hans Beekhuyzen’s full review
Credit: Hans Beekhuyzen
Audio Avangelist @ The Hans Beekhuyzen channel
Hans has a new comment as of September 20th where he compares the internal clock of various DACs and he says that the LAiV Harmony internal clock is not as good as his external clock nor as good as the internal clock on his best DAC. I'm surprised by this as the internal clock of the Harmony should be quite good.