anyone using a headphone amplifier

[beerman]

I have a fairly nice set of cans (har har), the Grado SR125's which I use with my ipod. I think the sound is pretty good but I read a review of these headphones where the reviewer used a headphone amp. It got me thinking and wondering how much better it might sound.

I did some googling and I see that most headphone amps take the output from the ipod's analog jack. Some have optical inputs and some claim that by taking the sound from the bottom port of the ipod they are actually amplifying a digital signal vs an already flawed analog signal.

So I'm curious if anyone is using a headphone amp and if so are you amplifying the analog signal or the digital signal?

Thanks for any info.

[beerman]

I suppose technically the grado's aren't really "cans". If I understand the slang, cans would be solid over the ear style? Mine are just soft foam over the ears.

[anonymouse1]

I get a significant improvement over the built in headphone amp on my receiver, which I'd guess is at least as good as the iPod.

[Fritz]

I assume you are listening to full sample rate audio on your iPod and not MP3s?

If so, this guy makes semi custom well reviewed stuff.

http://www.space-tech-lab.com/

[Wags]

iPod output is analog, no? That means the sound quality is going to be limited by the DA converters that are in it. All you would be doing with a headphone amp then is boosting the signal. If you were going straight digital out of your computer in a lossless format and not degrading it with iTunes then you would hear a big improvement with something like this (probably cheaper options):

http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/dac1pre/

[Wags]

Here's a product that says it can get straight digital out of any iPod:

Wadia iTransport



Not sure if the analog output will power headphones.

[RAMd®d]

All you would be doing with a headphone amp then is boosting the signal.

Which is the purpose of a headphone amp.

The iPod has a headphone amp connected to the earphone jack.

If one uses an adapter that mates an external headphone amp to the dock connector, the internal headphone amp is bypassed and a theoretically superior external amp is used.

Even if the onboard DACs are still used, a potentially underpowered and possibly noisy link is now out of the chain.

And if some of these 'Pods *do* have digital out (which I assume bypasses the internal DACs, then one would *hope* the external DACs are superior.

My money is on a better headphone amp giving audibly greater improvement than better DACs.

And now back to the original program already in progress:


...anyone is using a headphone amp and if so are you amplifying the analog signal or the digital signal?

Bueller?

[freeradical]

I thought that most people who use headphone amps are using them to drive expensive electrostatic headphones.



http://www.needledoctor.com/Stax-SRS-007...river?sc=2&category=1240

[OWC Jamie]

I don't have digital ears.

Will this work on my fingers ?

[freeradical]

billb wrote:
I don't have digital ears.

Will this work on my fingers ?

It will if you only have two fingers on each hand, binary digits...