In the language of hi-fi, the name ‘headphone amplifier’ is more likely to raise a puzzled frown than a nod of recognition. And yet, a headphone amplifier simply does what it says on the can – it is an amplifier circuit that is specifically designed to drive headphones rather than speakers. That might sound like a simple enough task, but few manufacturers make it more than a low priority.
While dedicated headphone outputs have faded from many phones (thanks for that, Apple) they still exist on a huge array of audio and video components. And at a basic level they work; you connect your headphones and you get a sound. That might be enough for some people; but you are reading What Hi-Fi? – you care about sound quality.
Look out for the signal
How is a headphone amplifier different from a conventional amplifier? Speakers require more power than a pair of headphones, which makes sense if you think about the difference in size between a listening room and your ear cavity. That vastly lower power requirement means that a headphone amplifier circuit has to be engineered to excel at low-signal levels, and many simply are not designed to do that.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2023 من What Hi-Fi UK.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2023 من What Hi-Fi UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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