LAiV Audio's Harmony GaNM monoblock

The first thing I noticed about the LAiV Audio GaNM monoblock amplifier¹ is its unusual shape and size; it occupies space differently than the other, more basic amplifiers on my rack.

- BY HERB REICHERT

The GaNMs sat there giving off a megalithic vibe. In either of their two finishes (silver and gold or black and gold), the solidity and seriousness of their sculptural form upstaged any glamor effects offered by their glossy OLED front panel, deeply engraved top-plate logo, and gold accents.

LAIV Harmony GaNM monoblocks
Opening a LAiV product box is a step-by-step graphically choreographed introduction to the company's aesthetic and forward-thinking engineering perspective. When I reviewed LAiV's Harmony µDAC in Stereophile's December 2025 issue, I was memorably impressed with the stylish intelligence of its packaging, but having now experienced unboxing the GaNM monoblocks, too, I understand better what LAiV is up to: They use their topnotch industrial design and smart product packaging like a smile and a handshake, greeting customers and helping them feel wise and safe for choosing the LAiV brand. Viewing their well-designed website has the same effect.

According to the specifications on that website, each GaNM monoblock delivers 200 class-D watts into 8 ohms.² Each chassis measures just 4.7" high, 5" wide, and 10.2" deep and weighs just 8.6lb. The only input is balanced (XLR) with a 94k ohm input impedance and a 1.4V sensitivity (for full output).

Gain is a highish 29dB. The power supply is a cool-running switching type, located inside the chassis (no wall wart). Its outputs feature high-quality binding posts that accept either spades or bananas.

The front-page news with the new LAiV monoblocks is gallium nitride FET transistors, used with no loop feedback. That's why I decided to audition these mysterious monoblocks: I was curious about class-D without global feedback.

Listening