 Headphone-amps: You won't believe your ears!Headphone-amps: So there you are, CD player, or computer, or iPod, on your way out of town on bizness, trying to destress with a little tune-age. What could be better? Shut off from the outside distractions, you are on stage with Mick Jagger, or gettnig down with your bad self and Beyonce'.Sorry to burst your bubble, but it could be a LOT better. This is another section where you have to hear it to believe it and no evangelizing on my part will convert the heathens who disbelieve and waste their precious music-time on cheap sound that INSULTS the super talented folks who pour their lives and hearts and SOULS and sweat into crafting the very best performan.... oh - sorry. Soapboxing again. The skinny on headphone-amps is this: there's a small box you can get that goes between your music source and your headphones and it makes a really big difference in dynamics and clarity. Headphone amps run on batteries, too. Alternatively, there are other headphone-amps that are, in effect, your whole stereo system. They replace everything except the music source. With amazing quality. Much cheaper than the real deal, too. It comes down to this - can you listen alone (or get your sig other to put on another pair of 'phones!) The Lafferty Premium Headbanger Headphone Amplifier (pictured)A perfect example of the class of portable headphone-amps we are discussing in this guide. Weight, including 9 volt battery, 4 ounces. Size: 3.7" X 2.3" X 1" not including controls. Headphone-amps are simply miniature power amplifiers specifically designed to drive the miniature speakers inside headphones. Because headphones are often used portably, many headphone amps are battery powered. Headphones amps are also used in a desktop environment. Here they sometimes act as a switch between sound sources; as a pre-amp for desktop speakers; and may include USB and/or digital inputs for use with a computer. A good pair of headphones can do your head a world of good, but only if they are driven well. These small, battery powered headphone amplifiers in heavy duty plastic or metal enclosures are intended primarily for portable and space saving applications. Some add a USB input for use with laptop or desktop computers. At $150 - The HeadRoom AirHeadis simply the sweetest of the portable headphone-amps a Benjamin and a half can buy. (GOOD GIFT!) Drives headphones with the authority and finesse of quality power amplification. About 40 hours on a set of 4 AAA batteries. Special 'more natural' sounding circuit. Weighs about a pound.
At $200 - The HeadRoom BitHeadSplit personality - as it hooks to music player or computer!!! Take a BitHead, plug it into the USB port on your computer, then plug the best headphones you've got into the BitHead - or - hook up to your favorite portable player. The is a battery powered miniature headphone amp for use with portable players. And, it is a USB powered external sound card and headphone amp for computers. Power up your computer, and it will download the driver stored on the BitHead and install it. Then the computer will begin to use the BitHead as an audio playback device. No batteries are required; simply leave the power switch off and the BitHead filters, re-regulates, and runs of the computers USB power bus When not hooked up to a computer, the BitHead can be used as a headphone amplifier by connecting it to the headphone or line out of your portable music player with the included 9-inch mini to mini cable.
At $5495 - The E.A.R. Voshino V20I'm not fooling. The V20 uses 26 12AX7 tubes and four 12AU7 tubes. The four 12AU7 and six of the 12AX7 are used on the input, while the rest of the 12AX7?a whopping twenty tubes, ten per channel - are used for the output! Now you know overkill. Supposed to sound good. MMMM. Feel the warmth. Of the tubes.Headphone-amps for the rich and famous. But will the 'phones muss The Donald's hair? (Can ANYTHING?)
At $1600 - Grace Design m902At the core of the m902 is high-current transimpedance amplifier circuitry, which effortlessly drives even the lowest impedance headphones. High-resolution and low-level ambience is revealed. For professionals and audiophiles. A full compliment of digital and analog inputs are available (including USB) which are all selectable via a front panel rotary switch. The m902 also includes an exciting new feature to simulate the acoustics of a loudspeaker listening environment, which significantly improves imaging while reducing listening fatigue when using headphones. This feature employs carefully designed signal crossfeed, filtering and delay circuits to simulate HRTF (Head Related Transfer Functions).
At $500 - The AKG Hearo 999Numerous controls allow the user to optimize headphone listening from a multitude of source media. You can also select from ten different preset Head Related Transfer Functions to model the way your ear hears sounds from various directions! (Space cadets will get lost in there, so check on them!) Analog and digital inputs; both Toslink and RCA digital inputs are included.There are other versions of the models listed above. Try one with good headphones and thank me later.
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