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Headphone Amp

V

vexeus

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 7, 2006
Messages
495
Very new to headphones! I just purchased my first pair of "higher end" headphones, the Audio Technica ATH-A700 rated at 64 Ohms. They will hopefully be in my possession by Friday. I haven't seen anyone in the "post your headphones" section with them (just the A500 and A900), so hopefully I can be the first. I just hope that for $130 they'll sound better than my iPod earbuds... :p

So now comes the question of a headphone amplifier. I will be running these off of an X-Fi XM sound card on my PC and possibly use them for late night TV / movie watching off my HK DPR1001 receiver. I heard these headphones do not NEED an amplifier to run effectively, but what will adding one do for me? Can't adding in an amplifier make it sound more distorted on a headphone that can run effectively without one? (Notice the question mark, it means I'm not sure and would like to figure it out) The reason I think this is because amplifiers only... amplify the signal? Doesn't amplifying introduce a part of the circuit that can add distortion?

I think I'm wrong about this since everyone seems to like headphone amplifiers, even if their headphones don't need one. So I guess I'm really asking what are the benefits of an amp if it isn't needed by my headphones, and do they add distortion?

Maybe I'm just looking for a reason to bust out a soldering iron, buy some parts, and make myself one of them op-amp based amplifiers I've been reading about... or maybe rip those tubes out of that ol electric organ in the basement if I'm feeling truly adventurous (would that even work?).
 
you are correct that the A-series doesnt need amplification. without an amp vs ipod earbuds? are you freaking kidding me? lol if thats all you have been listening to i suggest before the ATs arrive listen to the ibuds as much as possible. When you get ur AT's put on your best tracks, you'll be in for your first eargasm. Amps not only amplify the signal, they can reveal more as well as add/clean up things thoughout the range, especially in bass. However if you go into a DIY amp i suggest doing alot of research on parts such as the opamps/tubes as they can vary widely in sound. Its all about synergy. If you wanna sure thing on the solid state, the micro amp and gilmore lite are good choices at $300 bud addons are extra.
 
a headphone amp will help to bring out the very best in the headphone. Instruments will be more distinct, sound is less jumbled, well basically everything will sound better. However that doesnt mean that your headphones wont work or will sound terrible without one.

That being said the I also like the micro line and the gilmore lite. I personally use a Rega Ear that I got cheap, I love it
 
Alright, but why does it make it sound better? Doesn't amplifying just take a signal and make it louder? How does that cause it to sound better?

And yes I was kidding about the earbuds. :p
 
The more power the headphones have the better they sound. With an amp even at low volumes you can still hear details. However you tried to just turn up the volume thinking that will mimic having an amp you'll be treated to jumbled distorted sound.

With my headphones when I added the amp, I had a much larger soundstage and all the instruments just seemed to have more life
 
An analog -> analog amplifier draws less current from the original source (in this case, it's your soundcard) and so the amplifier on that card won't be taxed as much: it produces less distortion. The higher quality amplification stage of your potential headphone amp is more powerful in comparison to the one on your soundcard and can amplify the incoming signal to it's original intensity (or even higher if you want). However, because the incoming signal has less distortion, when it is sent through the higher quality (read: much less prone to distortion) headphone amplifier section the resulting signal that drives your headphone will not be as distorted as it would have been originally.

But note that your headphones (and mine: i use the ATH-A900s) are relatively low in impedance: they don't need much current to make them loud in the first place. This means they don't cause the amp that powers them to produce much distortion. If you had a pair of Beyerdynamic DT880s, i would suggest a head-amp, but in your situation, i think i'd shy away from expensive amplifiers (or amps at all) unless you're definitely planning on upgrading your headphones or have cash to burn. My personal preference is for amps that are digital -> analog: they take a digital signal and using a DAC, produce an analog signal suitable for your headphones.

A good head-amp will (as others have said) produce a much greater resolution in your music, and you'll be able to hear details you wouldn't otherwise notice.

You might want to take a look around http://www.headphone.com/ and http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/ for some more information as well.

Happy listening, and enjoy your new cans!
 
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