Orchard Audio, the audio company known for its DACs, streamers, and power amps, is stepping into new territory: headphone amplification. Their latest product, the Valencia, is a fully balanced Class AB headphone amplifier designed to handle everything from super-sensitive IEMs to power-hungry over-ears—and even high-efficiency speakers.

If you're heading to NYC CanJam (February 22-23, 2025) or AXPONA Chicago (April 2025), you’ll be able to hear it in action. For those eager to get their hands on one, preorders are open at $1,599.95, with the price jumping to $1,999.95 MSRP once it officially launches.

At 17 watts per channel into 32Ω, the Valencia isn’t playing around—it has more than enough juice for even the most demanding headphones. But it doesn’t stop there. This amp doubles as a low-power speaker amplifier, offering 7 watts per channel into 8Ω. That means if you have a pair of high-efficiency speakers (95dB/w or higher), this little box can drive them.

To give you an idea of the power output across different headphone impedances:

• 0.81W into 600Ω
• 1.62W into 300Ω
• 3.24W into 150Ω
• 7.56W into 64Ω
• 9.68W into 50Ω
• 15.12W into 32Ω
• 9.66W into 16Ω
• 4.83W into 8Ω

So, whether you're using a high-impedance headphone like the Sennheiser HD800s or a planar beast like the HIFIMAN Susvara, the Valencia should be able to handle it.

One interesting twist with the Valencia is that it’s Orchard Audio’s first collaboration with Z-Reviews, a well-known YouTube reviewer in the headphone space. While this means the amp may have some insight from an experienced enthusiast, it does raise questions about whether we’ll see fully independent reviews after launch.

"Valencia represents Orchard Audio’s first collaboration, joining forces with respected long-time audio commentator Z-Reviews. The unique transparent properties of Orchard Audio's line of speaker power amps – coupled with Z-Reviews’ industry insights and expertise – elevate audio engineering and deliver unparalleled performance and quality to customers in the headphone market," states Leo Ayzenshtat.

Orchard Audio has gone with a sleek anodized aluminum chassis, available in black or natural aluminum, with a sandblasted finish. The design is clean and modern, making it a great fit for desktop setups, especially if you already own Orchard Audio’s PecanPi+ Streamer.

Here’s what you’ll find in terms of inputs and outputs:

• Balanced XLR inputs (rear panel)
• Balanced 4-pin XLR headphone output (front panel)
• 4-pin XLR to 4.4mm Pentaconn adapter (included)
• Banana plug speaker terminals (rear panel)

One catch—there’s no support for single-ended headphones (i.e., 1/4-inch / 6.35mm jacks). So, if you’re using headphones with a single-ended cable, you’ll need an adapter or a balanced cable to use the Valencia.

Also worth noting: the speaker terminals and headphone jack are always active, meaning you shouldn’t use both at the same time unless you enjoy unexpected surprises.

"We are incredibly excited to introduce Valencia to music lovers and enthusiasts," says Leo Ayzenshtat. “This amplifier embodies our commitment to delivering superior audio experiences, and we believe it will set a new standard in the industry."

If you want to lock in the discounted preorder price of $1,599.95, you can grab it directly from Orchard Audio’s website. Otherwise, once it officially launches, the price jumps to $1,999.95.

The first public demos will happen at NYC CanJam (Feb 22-23, 2025) and AXPONA Chicago (April 2025), with shipments expected to start in late April.

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