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.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2023-Ausgabe von What Hi-Fi UK.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 2023-Ausgabe von What Hi-Fi UK.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Out with the old Bose and in with the new
Sony Bravia 8 (K65XR80)
Can the Bravia 8 pick up where the awesome A80L left off?
Philips OLED809 (650LED809)
The Philips OLED809 is a great mid-range OLED TV designed for the masses
LG C4 (OLED65C4)
LG's C-series is back on top
Tidal
The best music service for streaming-savvy audiophiles
Spotify
Is Spotify still the world's best music streaming service?
Apple Music
Apple aces many things, but is streaming music one of them?
Amazon Music Unlimited
A solid streaming service to rival Apple Music and Spotify
Apple AirPods Pro 2
Are these the best-sounding AirPods?
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro
Samsung sends the Galaxy on a quest to outdo Apple and co