Leema Hydra II Power Amplifier

Leema Hydra II power amplifier is a flexible stereo hi-fi power amplifier that can be bridged for even more power. It is an intelligent unit in that it can communicate with other Leema devices using the proprietary LIPS bus interface.

The design is dual mono delivering 148 Watts into 8 Ohms. Each amplifier module has its own large toroidal transformer driven power supply. There is also a separate transformer for the control circuitry. The low impedance design and high current capacity ensures a vice like grip of any connected loudspeakers, even at high volumes.

Furthermore, this unit can be bridged and used as a pair for the left and right channels. This gives almost 400 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms. The LIPS bus will allow the Hydra II to be controlled from, for example, the Lemma Pyxis preamp.

Build and design

The machined facia of the Hydra II is subtly designed with black heatsink grills decorating each end. A ring of blue LEDs sits next to the chrome plated Leema logo. The top plate is also drilled with air vents in the shape of the Leema logo. The Hydra II is a monobloc amplifier. These have the advantage that the amplifier modules are on totally separate boards. Most stereo amplifiers have a single board that can induce crosstalk and interference. Additionally, monobloc amplifiers have separate power supplies.

Furthermore, for even more power the Hydra II can be bridged. This provides close to 400 watts into eight ohms. The amplifier has to be specially designed to allow this. As a result, it enables two Hydra II units to be used in bridge mode, one for each channel. They can also be used as single channel bridged units, as part of a surround sound system. All of this is controlled by the LIPS system.

Connectivity

The simplicity of the front panel is counterpointed by the complexity of the rear connectivity. The main input is via a pair of balanced XLR connectors. There are also RCA inputs. Notably, one or the other can be selected by a switch. A switch also selects whether the amplifier is in stereo or mono bridged mode. Furthermore, switches are used to indicate whether the unit is in two channel or left or right monobloc mode. Finally, another switch sets whether the unit is to be used in surround mode, fixed gain or be controlled by the Leema LIPS system. More on that below. Finally, due to the monobloc design the speaker terminals are at opposite ends of the back plate.

The LIPS bus

LIPS stands for Leema Intelligent Protocol System and allows for communication between various Leema components. For example, the LIPS bus will allow the Lemma Pyxis (Constellation) preamp to control the Hydra II power amp. Key information, such as volume level, input selection and power control is sent through the bus. As a result, the units work in synchronization with each other. The LIPS connection uses a 3.5mm directional lead.

Who are Leema?

Leema are British company and were formed in 1998, by two Ex-BBC engineers. Their first project was a professional micro monitor speaker named the Xen. This was well received and later released on the domestic market.

The success of the Xen led to the development of the first Leema amplifier. That was the Tucana, released in 2006. The Tucana won the Hi-Fi news amplifier of the year award and the Tucana II is still in production today. More award winning products followed. All Leema components are designed and built at a facility in Wales. There are three main ranges, Constellation, Stellar and elements.