{"id":3656,"date":"2025-05-01T15:51:47","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T13:51:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/?p=3656"},"modified":"2025-04-24T15:59:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T13:59:40","slug":"ferrum-oor-and-ferrum-hypsos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/tests\/types\/amplifier\/ferrum-oor-and-ferrum-hypsos\/","title":{"rendered":"FERRUM Oor and FERRUM Hypsos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A recent addition to the HEM universe, the Ferrum Oor and Ferrum Hypsos combo brings together a headphone amp and a dedicated power supply, respectively. It’s a classic package which, on paper, could have been lost in the sea of products we received… until, out of sheer curiosity, we decided to give it a listen. It was a surprising experience at first, but it would later become ecstatic thanks to a simple tool. revolutionary tool now on our test bench: the Hypsos, the new undisputed king of stabilised power supplies. Focus on your editor’s favourite.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If the name Ferrum Audio doesn’t ring a bell, you’ll probably be more familiar with HEM. Founded at the beginning of the century in Warsaw, Poland, the group, which specialises in the production and development of solutions dedicated to Hi-Fi brands and retailers, boasts a fine collection of brands that are as popular with our colleagues as they are with audiophiles of all stripes. Mytek is renowned for its Brooklyn series – an ultra-compact unit combining streamer, DAC, pre-amp and power block delivering 2 x 300 W (!) – but the manufacturer has also made a name for itself through its Clarus brand, which specialises in exceptional cables. This protean company is masterfully led by its director\/founder, Marcin Hamerla, an engineer by profession who started out in the high-tech industry (medicine and the military) before turning to his first passion, hi-fi, with the success we all know.

A rarity these days, the brand designs and assembles each of its products in-house: from the initial plan on paper to the production of the PCBs, via the design of the enclosure in CAD. Quite a feat when you consider that the entire team is made up of less than 20 people!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a feat of craftsmanship that has won over some of the biggest names in the sector, who are delighted to outsource the delicate engineering of digital circuits to a company as specialised as it is reputable. What’s more, their catalogue includes amplifiers, dedicated converters and even phonos. So HEM intends to drive the point home with its new Ferrum brand, which may be more accessible than its predecessors, but is still just as uncompromising in its design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"ferrum<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Ferrum Oor preamp<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Measuring just 21.7cm wide, 20.6cm long and 5cm high, the OOR is rather compact for a model of its kind. Draped in black, the amp conceals dense electronics beneath its thick chassis, weighing in at just 2 kg on the scales. The OOR’s credentials are further underlined by the elegant seal proudly displayed on the front panel, enhanced by a striking bar with ochre reflections, reminiscent of iron and illuminated by a set of LEDs to great effect. On the front, the OOR is almost Spartan in its sobriety. A gigantic volume potentiometer, two headphone outputs, one of which is balanced, an input selector coupled with a voltage switch and a final controller for switching between different gain values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


At the rear, the amplifier makes do with the bare minimum, with two sets of XLR\/RCA inputs, accompanied by the same output sockets. Finally, on the far right is a D-power socket topped by a second input (4-pin) dedicated to the Hypsos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developed with absolute transparency in mind, the OOR is built around an entirely analogue circuit, made up entirely of carefully selected discrete components. The promise? An ultra-powerful signal, totally free from the slightest distortion, never tiring to listen to, accompanied by a dynamic range unrivalled in this price range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And on reading the specification sheet, Ferrum seems to have outdone itself, with the amp achieving almost insane values, nipping at the heels of rivals almost ten times more expensive, with an output level approaching 2,000 mW unbalanced, and 8,000 mW (!) balanced. A real monster!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ferrum Hypsos power supply<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Denser than the OOR, the Hypsos retains the same dimensions, but gains in weight, with the power supply weighing no less than 2.89 kg. All in all, a measured weight for this type of device, the vast majority flirting happily with the 5-7 kg mark because of the integrated battery. A first surprise, then, very quickly overshadowed by a second shock: while most power supplies are often content with a front panel devoid of any controls, Ferrum takes everyone by surprise, adding a superb LCD screen to its Hypsos. Not content with simply brightening up the monotony of the device, this screen also has the luxury of offering first-rate readability, aided by excellent brightness, stunning definition and a highly polished interface. It’s a real slap in the face, transforming the relationship we usually have with this type of accessory, which is generally as dull as it is indispensable. In purely technical terms, the Hypsos combines the best of analogue with the magic of digital. The oversized toroidal transformer, preceded by a separate filter block, is supported by four gigantic capacitors soldered onto a gigantic PCB whose finesse of execution would make the biggest brands blush. It’s an overkill that, as we’ll see later, is not to our displeasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, the power supply will be capable of delivering a DC voltage of between 5 and 30 V, with a charge current of up to 6 Ah. The only real constraint is the total power demand, which should not exceed 80W, and fortunately the power supply is equipped with protection against overvoltage, polarity inversion and incorrect settings. But let’s not get carried away: the Ferrum Hypsos is still admirably equipped for a device of its kind. And, like the OOR, it’s particularly easy to install.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"ferrum<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The set up<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Connecting the OOR duo to a source is just like its style: simple and effective. All controls are via a single potentiometer, with just two values: RCA or XLR. So much so that, once paired with our DAC – an Auralic Vega – the only other option available is to adjust the gain, which is very useful if you want to connect a pair of in-ears or headphones that are even slightly sensitive to this bubbling block of metal. But once again, the Hypsos steals the show thanks to its extraordinary design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quite simply, we never imagined for a moment that we’d have so much fun using a dedicated audiophile power supply. While the uninitiated may be content to link the OOR and the Hypsos via the Ferrum Power Link (a 4-pin BNC socket), it’s thanks to the 2.5 mm DC cable that a whole new world has been opened up. And with good reason: via its control screen, it will be possible to control voltage, amperage and also polarity, in steps of 0.1! As a result, the list of compatible devices is quite simply plethoric, with Ferrum listing no less than 220 compatible systems to date (from iFi to Mcintosh, via Auralic), including hi-fi equipment alone! Better still, thanks to the Sweet Spot Tuning (SST) function, the Hypsos is capable of modulating the output voltage on the fly, allowing almost granular control of the rendering. Tested on a small SMSL DAC, then the Chord Mojo and finally our Qutest, the result was well beyond our expectations, so much so that we can’t wait to get hold of all the appropriate adapters to complete our experiments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last but not least, the power supply also has a Trigger in\/out socket, so you can integrate it into a complete system, with or without automation functions. Amazing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"ferrum<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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The sound of the Ferrum Oor and the Ferrum Hypsos<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For the purposes of this test, our Ferrum set was connected upstream to our Auralic Vega DAC, replaced after a few days by a Chord Qutest whose resolution capacity verges on brillance. For listening, our faithful Audeze LCD-X (our reference) is still with us, accompanied by a Meze Empyrean, also capable of handling very heavy loads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so much the better, with the OOR revealing a fiery temperament from the very first listen, a far cry from the restraint displayed by the box’s monotone. Whether it was the Audeze or the Meze, no one put up any resistance, tamed from the very first notes by the deafening reserve of power offered by this amp. So much so, in fact, that it plays across styles and genres with almost insolent authority. From the hyper-saturated electro of Justice to the warm, suave vocals of Melody Gardot, nothing stands in its way. A pre-eminence matched by a minimal level of distortion, churning out a perfectly oiled score minute after minute. There’s no saturation or coloration on the most complex tracks, and the little OOR retains an almost military straightness that’s not to our displeasure. And while the gain control is limited to the strict minimum, we have to admit that on tracks with limited dynamics, it does its job. One important point: use balanced outputs wherever possible. Although our Auralic Vega has both RCA and XLR inputs, switching from one to the other greatly affects listening quality. The bass is tauter, the treble chiselled. The result is an indescribable sensation of the world disappearing in the face of music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An impeccable performance, for a test bench that could have ended here… if Ferrum hadn’t extolled the capabilities of the OOR + Hypsos duo. And thankfully so!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Admirable on its own, once linked to the Hypsos, the duo borders on the superb. The almost symbiotic relationship between the two devices is revealed at the very moment the first note is played – in our case the guitar of \u2018Hotel California\u2019. The scene becomes deeper, the voices looser and each phrasing invites us to prolong the experience, curled up on our sofa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And although the expression may seem hackneyed nowadays, it has to be said that once you’re connected to the Hypsos, a veil is lifted. The overall clarity, the finesse of the highs, the firmness of the lows, everything is magnified, the OOR distilling the finest details with disconcerting ease, easily rivalling the tenors of the genre. The sound signature becomes more natural, losing that initially rigid aspect, with a velvety, organic quality that makes you stop everything to better appreciate the work being played. An ensemble not to be missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While it promises a lot, the Ferrum OOR never fails. A true high-end headphone amplifier, its classic design and slightly high price tag conceal an unshakeable pillar of rare versatility and almost German rigour. The perfect companion for planar headphones or a legend like the Sennheiser HD-800S, still as demanding as ever despite the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the revelation of this test was without doubt the Hypsos power supply. A veritable Swiss Army knife, it revealed not only the inner workings of the OOR, but also those of almost all our DACs. It’s hard not to succumb to the charms of this little piece of metal, offering the precision of prestige electronics and the versatility of a mini-computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Author<\/strong>: Haja Randrianarison<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technical sheet: Ferrum Oor and Ferrum Hypsos<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Origin<\/strong>: Poland<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Price<\/strong>: \u20ac1.995 (OOR)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Dimensions<\/strong>: 217 x 206 x 50 mm<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Weight<\/strong>: 1.8 kg<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Input connectors<\/strong>:
    • 1 x XLR<\/li><\/ul>\n
        \n
      • 1 x RCA\/DC 2,5 mm\/DC 4-pin<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Output connectors<\/strong>:
        • 1 x XLR 4-pins<\/li><\/ul>
          • 1 x jack 6,35 mm<\/li><\/ul>
            • 1 x XLR<\/li><\/ul>\n
                \n
              • 1 x RCA<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Frequency response<\/strong>: 20 Hz-100 kHz +\/-0,1 dB<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Output power<\/strong>:
                • 400 mW at 300 ohms (6,35 mm)<\/li><\/ul>
                  • 1 600 mW at 60 ohms (XLR 4-pins)<\/li><\/ul>
                    • 2 000 mW at 300 ohms (6,35 mm)<\/li><\/ul>\n
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                      • 8 000 mW at 60 ohms (XLR 4-pins)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                      • Output impedance<\/strong>:
                        • 22 ohms (RCA)<\/li><\/ul>
                          • 44 ohms (XLR)<\/li><\/ul>\n
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                            • 0,3 ohms (XLR 4-pins\/jack)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                            • Gain<\/strong>: XLR -4 dB, +6 dB, +16 dB\/RCA-jack -10 dB, 0 dB, 10 dB<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                              A recent addition to the HEM universe, the Ferrum Oor and Ferrum Hypsos combo brings together a headphone amp and a dedicated power supply, respectively. It’s a classic package which, on paper, could have been lost in the sea of products we received… until, out of sheer curiosity, we decided to give it a listen. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3657,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[25,38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-amplifier","category-types"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3656"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3656\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}