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Leema Hydra II Anniversary (bridged-mono pair)

Monoblocks

Relative price

typical

Among the 25 monoblockss in the catalogue, this one is typical.

A band places a component against its peers and carries no price. It is deliberately the only price indicator on this page: a second one, measured against a different set, would narrow the two together far enough to give the figure away.

What it is

Leema Hydra II Anniversary (Bridged-Mono pair) — SYNTHETIC ENTRY of two Anniversary editions in bridged-mono. Same 392W/8Ω power as standard Hydra II Bridged, but with the Anniversary upgrades (double-copper PCBs, Nichicon MUSE caps, Leema Reference 2 internal wiring, Noratel xtra-quiet transformers).

Competition record

Assessed against 14 rivals across the sixty systems: 2 head-to-heads won, 42 lost.

Where it gives ground

The dimension the engine names as the weakest link, counted across every head-to-head it lost.

  • quietness at rest ×16
  • vocal presence ×9
  • timing and drive ×8
  • low-level clarity ×6
  • bass control ×4
  • midrange truth ×3

Who it comes up against

Longdog Audio P6100M Biamp 2x2 (4 units)

13 lost · Anchored, Artisan, Characterful, PRaT, Reference, Romantic

Against the Anchored brief, the Longdog Audio P6100M Biamp 2x2 (4 units) keeps the slot decisively.

With the Emmae Reginae (custom), the pairing gives up most on bass control.

With the Audiolab 9000Q, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the Leema Hydra II Anniversary (bridged-mono pair) is the weaker pair of monoblocks for that brief.

low noisePROXY: Leema Hydra II Anniversary

Audiolab 9000P

4 lost · Characterful, PRaT, Romantic, Silent Path

Against the Characterful brief, the Audiolab 9000P keeps the slot decisively.

With the Audiolab 9000Q, the pairing gives up most on vocal presence.

On its own merits the Leema Hydra II Anniversary (bridged-mono pair) is the weaker pair of monoblocks for that brief.

low noisePROXY: Leema Hydra II Anniversary

Audio Note P1 SE

3 lost · Intimate, Silent Path

Against the Silent Path brief, the Audio Note P1 SE keeps the slot clearly.

With the Emmae Reginae (custom), the pairing gives up most on low-level clarity.

With the Music First Audio Baby Reference V2, the pairing gives up most on low-level clarity.

On its own merits the Leema Hydra II Anniversary (bridged-mono pair) is the weaker pair of monoblocks for that brief.

SET 8W/ch tube power amp, classic Audio Note voicingAudio Note P1 SE positioning + Hi-Fi+ reviews
controlled... not boomy or muddyStereo Times (Yan) 2015

EAR Yoshino V12

3 lost · BBC Sound, Vocals-First

No completion of this shape fits that slot's budget.

NVA S300 Stereo (Artisan)

3 lost · Artisan, Intimate, Reference

Against the Intimate brief, the NVA S300 Stereo (Artisan) keeps the slot clearly.

With the NVA P50SA MKII, the pairing gives up most on vocal presence.

With the ProAc Tablette 10 Signature, the pairing gains most on bass control.

On its own merits the Leema Hydra II Anniversary (bridged-mono pair) is the stronger pair of monoblocks — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the NVA P50SA MKII gives up vocal presence under the Intimate weighting.

Exposure XM9 Biamp 2x2 (4 units)

3 lost · Artisan, PRaT, Reference

Against the Artisan brief, the Exposure XM9 Biamp 2x2 (4 units) keeps the slot clearly.

With the Exposure 3510 Preamplifier, the pairing gives up most on vocal presence.

With the Emmae Reginae (custom), the pairing gains most on bass control.

On its own merits the Leema Hydra II Anniversary (bridged-mono pair) is the weaker pair of monoblocks for that brief.

had B&W 800D3 under controlStereo Magazine 2021

Sugden ANV 50

2 lost· 2 won · BBC Sound, Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the Leema Hydra II Anniversary (bridged-mono pair) takes the slot decisively.

EAR Yoshino 890

2 lost · Intimate

Against the Intimate brief, the EAR Yoshino 890 keeps the slot decisively.

With the EAR Yoshino 868L (Line), the pairing gives up most on midrange truth.

With the Emmae Reginae (custom), the pairing gains most on bass control.

On its own merits the Leema Hydra II Anniversary (bridged-mono pair) is the weaker pair of monoblocks for that brief.

Leema Hydra II

2 lost · Characterful, Romantic

Against the Characterful brief, the Leema Hydra II keeps the slot by a whisker.

On its own merits the Leema Hydra II Anniversary (bridged-mono pair) is the weaker pair of monoblocks for that brief.

Longdog Audio P6100M (pair)

1 lost · Anchored

Against the Anchored brief, the Longdog Audio P6100M (pair) keeps the slot clearly.

With the NVA P50SA MKII, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the Leema Hydra II Anniversary (bridged-mono pair) is the weaker pair of monoblocks for that brief.

It sits well above the share of the budget this brief aims at the pair of monoblocks position.

low noisePROXY: Leema Hydra II Anniversary

Exposure 3510

1 lost · Twin Arms

No completion of this shape fits that slot's budget.

Quad Artera Stereo

1 lost · Silent Path

Against the Silent Path brief, the Quad Artera Stereo keeps the slot clearly.

With the Music First Audio Baby Reference V2, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the Leema Hydra II Anniversary (bridged-mono pair) is the weaker pair of monoblocks for that brief.

low noisePROXY: Leema Hydra II Anniversary

What the reviewers said

Anniversary Edition bridged-mono pair Leema Hydra II Anniversary bridged-mono· Physical impact
fast transients PROXY: Leema Hydra II Anniversary· Transient attack
timing PROXY: Leema Hydra II Anniversary· Dynamic coherence
low noise PROXY: Leema Hydra II Anniversary· Electrical noise floor

How it scores

Clarity

  • Electrical noise floor 72 from listening evidence

Rhythm

  • Transient attack 72 from listening evidence

Bass

  • Bass control 68 from specification
  • Physical impact 72 from listening evidence
  • Bass extension 72 from specification

LowerVolume

  • Low-level noise floor 72 from specification
  • Micro-dynamic resolution 72 from specification
  • Tonal consistency 72 from specification

Specifications

is monoblockTrue
is balanced internalTrue
is dual monoTrue
power classAB
power 8ohm w392.0
power 4ohm w785.0
damping factor180.0
accepts rcaTrue
accepts xlrTrue
accepts dinFalse
input impedance rca kohm47.0
input sensitivity rca mv380.0
speaker terminal typebinding post
gain db28.0
dimensions mm440/110/320
sold as pairTrue
notes