The Texas Instruments TPA3255 amplifier chip offers high performance and low cost, and that is why it is omnipresent in speaker amplifiers. The Qlearsoul HiCore H2 is the first stereo amplifier by Qlearsoul, which so far has specialised in turntables, and it joins the ranks of amplifiers using the TPA3255 chip – with a twist. It is, in fact, one of the most compact amplifiers I’ve seen to date, and it is also one of the most elegant thanks to its use of aluminium and wood.
Disclaimer: many thanks to Qlearsoul for sending a unit for this review. The HiCore H2 retails for $119.98. Additional information on Qlearsoul’s website. Using the code 10HICOREH2RR you can get 10% off – the code is valid on both Amazon and Qlearsoul’s store, until the 31st of October 2026.
Qlearsoul HiCore H2 At A Glance
| Pros |
Cons |
| + Tiny!
+ Refined vintage-like design + Bluetooth connectivity + Runs very cool |
– Rattling volume knob
– Pop when switching between inputs – No 12 V trigger – Significantly noisier than competitors (in the specs) |
Rating: 8/10
Packaging & Accessories
The Qlearsoul HiCore H2 comes with its external PSU and a manual. No accessories are provided.
Design & Build
What really sets the Qlearsoul HiCore H2 apart is its design. It has a distinctly retro vibe, thanks to the way the metal is worked as well as to the wooden top which gives it some warmth and character – it looks like it came out of the 1970s, in the best possible way. It is incredibly small, at just 12.7 x 12.7 x 4.1 cm, so much so that it is the smallest stereo amplifier I’ve tried so far.
The whole chassis is made of a single piece of machine aluminium, save for the top which uses walnut wood. It is very well assembled, with build quality that exceeds what it price point might suggest.
The front hosts four LEDs on the left hand side (power, in red; Bluetooth, in blue; RCA and aux, in green), followed by the volume knob and by two knobs to adjust bass and treble, and then the power switch. Both sides have a sequence of holes shaped in dots and lines to guarantee adequate heat dissipation. Despite the use of wood for the top surface, which reduces the passive dissipation of heat, the HiCore H2 never gets too warm when in use and always stays cool enough that it is comfortable to touch it. This is not only due to the holes on the side, but also due to the very large heatsink installed inside the chassis – which is also the reason why this small amplifier weighs nearly a kilogram (840 g).
The back hosts the Bluetooth antenna, a 3.5 mm jack for aux input, stereo RCA input, stereo speaker output (compatible with both banana plugs and direct wire), and power input.
The volume knob also acts as the input selector if you press it. It has good weight to it, however it also has a lot of play – the knob is not fixed to the potentiometer, so that it turns a bit before it actually adjusts the volume. This feels like a defect, but the company said that it is intentional. They said that they designed it thus to “ensure a smoother, more fluid rotation and prevent the resistance from feeling too tight during daily adjustments” – although my personal view is that it makes it seem like the knob is faulty or broken, and it takes away the feeling that we’re dealing with a premium amplifier.
Features & Specs
Input on the Qlearsoul HiCore H2 is limited to the bare minimum, which is stereo RCA and 3.5 mm jack, plus Bluetooth. Also owing to the small size of the amplifier, there are no XLR connectors, nor extras like 12 V trigger or a subwoofer output.
The Bluetooth connection, which uses the 5.4 version of the standard, supports the SBC and AAC codecs – no high-quality codecs like LDAC. An interesting feature of the amplifier is that it completely shuts down the Bluetooth module when it is not in active use, thereby preventing unwanted connections.
Qlearsoul HiCore H2 |
| Input | RCA, aux, Bluetooth |
| Suitable speaker impedance | 2 – 8 Ω |
| Maximum output power | 100 W p.c. (with stock PSU, @ 4 Ω) 300 W p.c. (theoretical, @ 4 Ω) |
| Frequency response | 20 – 20,000 Hz (±1 dB) |
| THD+N (@1 kHz) | < 0.1% |
| SNR | > 95 dB |
| Crosstalk | N/A |
Despite being based on the rather standard TI TPA3255, the Qlearsoul HiCore H2 offers significantly more noise than competitors using the same chip: THD+N is two orders of magnitude worse than competing devices (like the SMSL PA40, the AIYIMA A70, the Fosi Audio ZA3), while SNR is ~15 dB worse than most competitors. I’ve asked the company for clarification and they said that the measurements are taken across all input modes, so it is possible that Bluetooth is the reason for the lower performance (on paper) than competitors.
Another thing that is worth mentioning is that the company claims maximum power output to be 100 W per channel using the included 30 V, 5 A power supply, which seemingly does not add up as the PSU can provide a maximum of 150 W, so 50 W short of the declared 100 W per channel. The company said that the PSU can provide a peak output of 7 A, equivalent to 210 W or 105 W per channel, and that the amplifier has large capacitors that help deliver higher power in case of sudden spikes. You can use PSUs with output voltage up to 51 V to take advantage of the theoretical maximum of 300 W per channel.
Sound
I tested the Qlearsoul HiCore H2 with a Fosi Audio ZH3, a Fosi Audio S3 and a pair of ELAC DBR62 speakers.
The Qlearsoul HiCore H2 behaves very predictably – which is very positive! This is because it offers the same neutral, uncoloured sound as all other amplifiers based on the TPA3255 I’ve tested. I can’t hear it having any influence on the sound signature at all. It offers fast transients, too, which helps make music lively and enjoyable.
A further sign that Qlearsoul has done a good job is the absence of any background noise when the amplifier is powered up – no hum, no hiss nor other noise. The speakers are entirely quiet and there seems to be no audible effect from the high(er) levels of noise mentioned in the specifications. One thing to note, however, is that there is a small “pop” when switching between inputs, though there is none when you turn the amplifier on.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes all you need to distinguish yourself in a crowded market is some thoughtful design. The Qlearsoul HiCore H2 definitely sets itself apart from the wide variety of amplifiers with similar features by offering some unique takes on design – both in terms of appearance and functionality. By that I mean that the HiCore H2 offers gorgeous retro-inspired aesthetics, paired with interesting practical choices like a massive heatsink which is kept cool by holes on the sides.
Bluetooth adds some flexibility (and convenience) to an otherwise simple connectivity section, and makes it possible to use the HiCore H2 with a wide variety of devices. Add to that the fact that the amplifier is completely neutral, and what you have is a great little device. The only things I’d consider negative are the rattling knob, the relatively barebone features (no 12 V trigger, as an example) and the specs which are inferior to the competitors. Which, as negative things go, is not that much! I’m therefore happy to recommend the Qlearsoul HiCore H2 to anyone who would like a small, very stylish amplifier which packs a punch without breaking the bank.
