LD Systems HPA 1

I bought this with hopes of finally being able to use stereo aux mixes at my live shows. After using a mono wireless system I can gladly say that the improvements when using stereo are second to none. It is like having a mixed studio track sent to you on stage. The clarity in sound is superb! The volume is very sufficient without clipping. If ever you do start to clip to loud a LED indicator will light up red prompting you to turn down your aux output level.

This unit is covered in a rubbery plastic which not only gives it a nice feel, but also gives a professional and clean look when in the audience's view. The metal clip is solid and looks like it will last the high demands of being clipped on and off a belt for many gigs to come.

I have never experienced such high quality sound in a monitor mix.

As a keyboard player I have always felt slightly claustrophobic and enclosed when using other systems in a mono setup. Thankfully now, my keyboards are stereo and backing vocals have been panned along with the sax and guitar. I often forget that I'm using IEM because the feeling of being isolated is eliminated.

I would have liked this system to include a power supply but looking at the price it is easy to understand they had to cut costs somewhere. I recommend using a 9v rechargeable battery to save you running costs.

If you are somebody who would like a high quality monitor mix in your ears during a live gig I would urge you to try the HPA 1!

I've had this a few months now and it works perfectly and has transformed my rock singing and is saving my ears - no more ringing and I'm better in tune. It's really hard to fault and I won't sing now without it. The amplifier is very low noise and has excellent sound quality. It can go plenty loud enough for any occasion without getting harsh. The limiter is useful preventing drums and other noises in the mic from being unpleasant. I've seen it operating quite a lot. The box is quite big for this type of thing but is very strong and has a nice durable finish. The size isn't a problem if you wear it behind you as most people do. There is a feature where you can mix left and right into mono and adjust the mix while you are wearing it. Although this works well having a mic cable and 2 more XLR leads attached to you is a step too far unless you are very still. I use a mix from the desk and once it's set it's generally close enough for the whole gig. If you are thinking about in-ear monitoring this is a good way. To get this quality with wireless would be many times the cost. It's very important to use some good ergonomic noise isolating headphones though, something like Shure SE215.

As this is a wired in ear set, you definitelly won't have sound quality troubles, all you need to do is get a great pair in In Ear Monitors to plug into this and you have an awesome concert experience.

The only downside to wired in ear is that you are connected, it kinda limits how much you can move across the stage, but if you're a drummer or a keyboard player this is awesome for you,and on a really low budget a perfect solution. Even if you're a guitar of bass player you can tape the xlr cable along your guitar cable and have the two of them together and that makes it quite simple, as you're already used to be on one cable, just one other isn't too much of a problem especially if they're taped together ;). Only where I wouldn't recommend this is if you're a singer, you'd be tripping over wires the whole show ;)

As for the build quality, it looks pretty sturdy, though the clip on the back looks like it might be the weakest part of the system, though I may be proven wrong, I guess we'll just have to wait it out and see if it will stand through the tough road use ;)

The system sounds great, of course you must know how to make a great mix for yourself, and you shouldn't pump too much volume coming into the device as that will result in the limiter kicking in too early, rather make a more silent mix and turn in up on the device itself, as it has a volume knob on it ;)

All in all, for the price a perfect solution ;)
Definitelly beats the floor monitors :D
And like always, great and fast service by Thomann

This is a great bit of kit in the respect of build quality, battery life, features etc
Having being a bit more expensive than other similar products didn't phase me, but you get what you pay for in the respect of build quality - the plastic has an almost velvety quality to it.
Being able blend between 2 audio sources in stereo mode is great!!!
It's downfall purely depends on your planned use for it. I used it primarily for onstage monitoring with a bass/track feed in L/R respectively. Having XLR cables dangling from my belt was inconvenient and definitely restricted movement onstage, therefore I have upgraded to a wireless system (also LD systems). However, I still use this for silent rehearsal. Plugging a jack to male XLR cable from my active bass, and an aux cable from my laptop allows me to practise at home without firing up my bass rig, or even my smaller practise amp.
A monitoring system for drumming gigs is also great with the HPA1 due to not having to move.
If you need it for one of these applications, I'd highly recommend it.