Breathing life into vintage sound: A Qlearsoul HiCore H2 amplifier review.
The Qlearsoul HiCore H2 features a premium CNC aluminum chassis with a stylish brush-metal faceplate. Picture: Qlearsoul
I remember the days when hi-fi setups meant big and heavy amplifiers that took up half a sideboard. Those days of bulky, cumbersome gear feel like a distant memory now, although they still exist. The HiCore H2 is a much more modern approach to audio in a small, precision-machined amplifier that uses an external power supply to keep its footprint tiny.
To see how well this cute little amplifier could perform, I dug out my old B&W DM503 floorstanding speakers (4Ω). Even though they are 30 years old, the HiCore H2 had no problem powering them. It brought them back to life, giving them a second lease on life while adding the modern convenience of Bluetooth streaming.
The retro brushed-metal faceplate and aluminium chassis feel premium. The physical knobs, button, and power switch feel great to use. I particularly enjoy having dedicated tone control knobs for bass and treble. I like to turn up the bass at lower volumes to keep the sound full, then dial it back down when I want to turn the volume up.
The controls do exactly what the label says, but some options aren't so obvious, like a two-second long-press on the power knob, which wipes the pairing history.
While I love the physical controls, there’s no remote control. It would have been nice for those times when you’re settled on the sofa. Of course, if you are connected via Bluetooth, you can simply use your phone to control the volume, which solves most of the problem.
The H2 features Bluetooth 5.4, RCA inputs, and a 3.5mm AUX port. This means you can easily connect a variety of devices, such as a TV, a PC, a smartphone, or even a line-level turntable. I also noticed that switching to the RCA or AUX mode physically cuts the Bluetooth signal. This is a great way to prevent unwanted devices from hijacking the connection while you are listening to something else.
During my testing, I connected my digital audio player, which holds my library of lossless and hi-res audio music, to the RCA audio inputs on the back while driving my B&W speakers, and the sound was amazing. The music felt clear and controlled, which was impressive given the speakers' age. I also tried the amplifier with the Qlearsoul HiFire X speakers. This created a much slicker and more manageable compact system that looked great on my desk. It delivers a high-quality experience without taking up much space.
The H2 offers good power flexibility. It uses a TI TPA3255 Class D chip, and the included 30V/5A adapter provides 100W x 2 at 4Ω. This is enough for most passive speakers, but there is room to grow. Because the device accepts a DC input range of 24V to 51V, you can upgrade to a higher-voltage power supply to reach up to 300W x 2 at 4Ω. It’s a compact way to get more performance if you decide you need it.
The Qlearsoul HiCore H2 is a great way to breathe new life into your old passive speakers. It’s a simple, effective, and stylish way to bridge the gap between vintage hardware and modern streaming.
€144 Amazon
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