The need for a headphone amplifier is often, and mistakenly, associated with sound-quality purists who demand and expect an obsessively perfect audio output. In reality, anyone can benefit, often significantly and satisfyingly, from the use of a headphone amplifier. The widespread availability and distribution of these devices, no longer limited to professional or audiophile environments, have created a market catering to all budgets and needs.
The Right Amp for Every Headphone
A headphone amplifier has a simple yet challenging purpose: to deliver audio free from impedance and interference caused by insufficient isolation of the audio output from the rest of the electronic circuitry. This includes enhancing aspects of the audio spectrum such as tones, bass, volume, and overall clarity.
Many pursue this goal by purchasing high-performance hi-fi headphones. While high-quality headphones certainly perform well, the responsibility for audio amplification doesn’t rest with the headphones, even if they offer excellent technical performance. Instead, it lies entirely with the internal system of the device to which the headphones are connected. If a headphone output isn’t properly isolated from the rest of the electronic circuit, it produces interference from electronic and mechanical processes such as CD reading, hard drive operation, or fan activity. Each of these internal activities can interfere with the signal, ultimately degrading the sound quality. Unfortunately, audio outputs are rarely well-isolated, even in expensive or professional devices, due to the inherent design limitations of such equipment.