Hifiman Goldenwave Serenade Amplifier Review

In addition to brilliant headphones, Hifiman makes a series of amplifiers and digital audio converters to make sure customers have everything they need for a great sounding at-home system. Their newest amplifier, the Goldenwave Serenade, is a great piece of equipment that features a wireless connection option through WiFi. Priced at $999, the Goldenwave Serenade DAC/Amp promises to power headphones and speakers alike while also getting rid of the need for extra wires. 

What Comes In The Box

  • Goldenwave Serenade DAC/Amp
  • Power Cable
  • USB Cable

Aesthetics 

Hifiman has a knack for creating beautiful products, and this applies to their headphones just as much as their amplifiers. The all black look is sleek and stands as a good accessory to any home audio setup. The indentation design to show the control buttons and the matte finish across makes this a very minimalist product. The black color makes it almost incognito, packing a lot of power and being very subtle about it. The amplifier is on the heavier side, but for a desktop piece, it’s sturdy and unmoving once you place it down. The LED screen only displays the text for its functionality, eliminating the excessive visuals some other amplifiers may carry. 

Functionality

This amplifier comes with a lot of features and ways to operate it. You can integrate this into your home audio setup in a few different ways, both digitally and through analog. With analog RCA inputs and outputs, it is easy to apply as part of a speaker system or an analog source. Most of the digital inputs and outputs were also easy to configure. The USB-B, coaxial, and optical inputs make it easy to integrate into a lot of setups. Connecting to my computer was a breeze, and the output options of XLR, 6.35mm, and 4.4mm makes any headphone super easy to use.

One standout feature of the Goldenwave Serenade is the ability for wireless connection through WiFi. This, in theory, is a brilliant idea to make home setups cleaner and easily accessible across devices. In practice, this proved to be a little more difficult. When using the wireless WiFi connection option, the setup was more complicated than anticipated. You have to first connect the amplifier to your home ethernet cable, which can be expected with the given ethernet port. You then have to get the IP address from the amplifier, paste that into your browser, then enter your WiFi information. Then you turn off the Serenade, unplug the ethernet cable, and turn the Serenade back on. After doing all of that, you will be able to use the ethernet and network input selections provided on the amplifier. 

WiFi Streaming Feature

The advertised wireless setup was not as intuitive as you might have expected, but with enough time and patience, the WiFi connection is stable and reliable for listening. It was nice to eliminate one wire from the setup, but I could see it becoming a bit frustrating for someone to do on the first go around. It took quite a bit of guess and check, plus transitioning from multiple devices to get everything up and running properly. 

Overall, once you pick your source and find a pair of headphones to use, this amplifier functions very simply and easily. Adjusting the volume with the knob is smooth and effortless, allowing you two sources to adjust your hearing level.

Tech Specs

  • DAC Performance
    • Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz, ±0.1dB @ 1kHz
    • THD+N: 0.0015%, -3dBFS @ 1kHz
    • Signal-to-Noise Ratio: -110dB, 0dBFS @ 1kHz
    • Channel Separation: -120dB, 0dBFS @ 1kHz
  • Headphone Amplifier Output
    • Balanced Output:
      • 4000mW @ 32Ω
      • 760mW @ 300Ω
    • Single-Ended Output:
      • 2800mW @ 32Ω
      • 510mW @ 300Ω
  • Inputs and Outputs
    • Digital Inputs: USB, Coaxial, Optical, LAN, Wi-Fi
    • Analog Inputs: RCA Single-Ended
    • Outputs:
      • 4-pin XLR Balanced
      • 4.4mm Balanced
      • 6.35mm Single-Ended
  • Power and Dimensions
    • Power Supply: 50W Toroidal Transformer
    • Weight: 3.9kg
    • Dimensions: 300mm x 255mm x 50mm (excluding protrusions)

Listening Review

I used this amplifier with a number of different headphones: The Hifiman Edition XS, the Hifiman Isvarna, and the Meze Audio 109 Pro. All of these were excellent pairings for the Serenade, as their natural sound signatures were only accentuated by the amplifier. Their sound was not warped beyond recognition, but instead the great qualities of each headphone got boosted and delivered some great quality sound. You were able to raise the volume quite high and not get any distortion from the amplifier. 

The 109 Pro is an excellent representation of the low end, how it is smooth and powerful all at once. The bass has a rich body and only gets more attention to detail with the Serenade amplifying its signature. The midrange excels in the details it gives, which was most notable in the Isvarna. You get a lot of high quality precision in the soundstage imaging, and the wideness of these headphones were even more immersive than previously experienced. I very much enjoyed picking apart all the layers and details that this amplifier uncovered.

Summary

In conclusion, the Hifiman Goldenwave Serenade headphones amplifier is a great addition to an audiophile’s collection. With its many input and output options, paired with the impeccable detail and intense power to drive any headphone, audiophiles will love this to be a part of their setup. While the wireless WiFi feature takes a bit of time and patience to set up properly, it is still a clever feature that promotes the seamless integration into a home setup. 

The Hifiman Goldenwave Serenade Amplifier is available today at Audio46.

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