Do I Need a Headphone Amp for Audiophile Headphones?
TL;DR: When sourcing a headphone amplifier to drive your high end or harder to drive headphones, suitable power to drive your headphones optimally for music listening is key. An impedance that matches your headphones, an adjustable gain, volume fine tuning, and the sound signature matching between components to get the right fit for your specific genres will increase your listening experience to its fullest potential. Follow these steps and tips to pair your audiophile-grade headphones with a proper amplifier and enhance listening quality.
Ask any audiophile what components make up their hi-fi home audio system and they'll probably list off a number of things: A DAC, a preamplifier, amplifier, power amp, speakers, and audio cables. Ask them what makes up their headphone listening setup and the answers won't be as cut and dry.
While you don't need all the bells and whistles that're required to blast music over your loudspeakers, one thing most audiophiles will agree on is the need for a headphone amplifier to drive those cans. Why? Well, audiophile-grade headphones are an entirely different animal from the old-school cans we used to rock with iPod Nanos. They're built with drivers and internal technology that require a certain amount of amplification to deliver a premium sound quality.
What happens if you don't use a headphone amplifier with your headphones? A number of things can occur. Without proper amplification, high-impedance or low-sensitivity headphones won't reach their full potential. You might experience insufficient volume, poor bass response, compressed dynamics, and loss of detail. The headphones will still work, but you'll be missing out on their full capabilities, similar to trying to power a home theater speaker with a portable radio.
Now, you don't need a separate headphone amplifier for each one of the four headphones you own–one will do–but it must be the right one. So before you go and pull the trigger on just any headphone amplifier, it's helpful to sort through all the factors to decide which headphone amplifier works best for your cans.
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Which Came First: The Headphone or the Amp?
In the equation of headphone listening, the headphone itself is the most important part. After that comes the headphone amp.
If a car salesman tried to sell you a pair of tires before you even picked out a car, you'd probably look at them like they've lost their mind–and they probably have. So if you're deciding whether to buy a headphone or headphone amp first–the headphone always comes first.
What is a Headphone Amplifier?
For starters, a headphone amplifier is a device that provides power to your headphones. Just like speakers, headphones come in two forms: Passive and active. Active headphones have an integrated power source, not needing any external power to make sound. Examples of active headphones would be the Focal Bathys and Sony WH-1000XM5. They have internal batteries and integrated technology like Bluetooth and ANC (active noise-canceling) and will not function without the headphones being powered on (by the internal battery power supply).
On the other hand, passive headphones do not have internal batteries or amplifiers, so they need to be connected to a power source like a headphone amplifier to power the driver so that it can create sound. Most high-end audiophile-grade headphones are passive and will require an amplifier to work.
But if all the headphones' need is a power source to use them, why can't I just use my phone? If you've owned a smartphone at any point in time I imagine you remember the little dedicated headphone jack at the bottom for listening to earbuds. Inside that smartphone is a tiny DAC and headphone amplifier which are responsible for getting the music through the cable and to your earbuds. And when that headphone output was removed we got the dongle adapter situation–until that was considered unless too. But the DACs and headphone amplifiers in smartphones are small and rudimentary. They're designed for earbuds. AirPods. Consumer-grade headphones. Not audiophile-grade headphones.
How Do I Know If I Need an Amplifier for my Headphones?
You see, audiophile-grade headphones are very different from consumer-grade headphones. Both require a DAC and a form of amplification to power them, but on two different scales. It's like comparing apples to oranges. Audiophile-grade headphones can range anywhere from $300 to $2000+. As you move up the price latter there's improvements in technology, driver design, build quality, performance, etc. But the price of the headphones isn't a clear indicator of whether they'll need a headphone amplifier or not. It's a culmination of several factors:
- Volume Quality
- Impedance Rating
- Sensitivity
Volume Quality
Right off the bat you'll know if a headphone needs an amplifier based on the way it sounds. If you've ever plugged in a pair of headphones, pressed play on a song, and had to turn the volume up all the way to hear anything at all, you've got a problem with volume control. That's a clear indicator that your headphone's need more power. There are two main aspects of playback that affect the quality of your volume: Impedance and sensitivity.
Impedance
Every pair of audiophile headphones will have an impedance rating. Impedance is the combined resistance and reactivity the headphones present to the amplifier as an electrical load. So, knowing the headphones' impedance will offer great insight as to whether they require a headphone amplifier or not.
Impedance is measured in ohms, using a rating anywhere from 16 to 600 ohms. The lower the rating is, the louder the music will sound–and vice versa. The higher the rating, the more power needed to get a good volume level. When you hear someone refer to the "drivability" of a headphone, this is likely what they're referencing. "Harder to drive" headphones require more amplification than "easier to drive" headphones.
You'll likely need a headphone amplifier if your headphones have a high impedance. High-impedance headphones, like the Sennheiser HD 800S which have an impedance of 300 ohms, need more voltage to get up to a solid listening level than say the Meze Audio 99 Classics Headphones which have an impedance of 32 ohms.
Sensitivity
Headphones that have a higher sensitivity rating tend to have a louder volume because they're picking more up. The catch 22 here though is that more than just micro-details is being picked up. If the headphone's sensitivity is too high it can pick up on sounds in your amplifier, electrical noises, and other sounds. It can also cause unpleasant spikes when a song has a lot of treble.
Will a Headphone Amplifier give you a Better Sound Quality?
Yes! The right headphone amplifier will positively affect the sound quality of your headphones, allowing them to reach their full potential. The secret is to identify what's negatively affecting your sound and not working. Is it too much sensitivity? Low impedance leading to distortion? Consider additional factors like headphone build quality and driver type. Dynamic driver headphones are pretty unproblematic and while they will always benefit from a headphone amplifier, they don't always need a dedicated one–a DAC/Amp combo can suffice. On the contrary, planar magnetic headphones almost always require a headphone amplifier.
If you have a large collection of headphones with varying impedances, sensitivities, and driver designs, you'll want to find a headphone amplifier that's flexible and can handle most, if not all of your headphones. Understanding the different types of headphone amplifiers and ergonomic scenarios will help you even further!
Choosing a Headphone Amplifier: Types
Headphone amplifiers come in all shapes and sizes. There are two main types of headphone amps: Portable and desktop. Portable headphone amps are small enough to fit in your pocket and offer amplification on the go. Desktop headphone amps are larger and need to be plugged into an outlet, but offer arguably the best sound quality.
Portable Headphone Amplifiers
Yes! You can enjoy those full-size headphones on the go! Closed-back headphones are great for portable use and you can reap all the benefits of a large, desktop headphone amplifier in a tiny pocket-sized package. For on-the-go listening, our best recommendation is a DAC/Amp combo.
The pairing of high-end DACs and amps offers a combo that produces an exceptional listening experience. From accurately reproducing the digital signal in analog format to maintaining that accuracy as the signal is amplified while reducing noise and jitter and boosting the soundstage and imaging, these units offer the sound quality that audiophiles count on for an incredible listening experience. These are some of our favorite portable headphone amps. To view our full collection, check out the link below!
Clarus CODA Headphone Amplifier DAC
Looking like a true USB flash drive, the Clarus CODA USB DAC/Amp is one of the best buys you can make if you're looking for quality, detailed sound wherever you go. The CODA sports an ESS SABRE DAC, known for its strong attention to detail, clarity, and wide soundstage.
Some important takeaways here: The CODA uses a USB type-A connector, located just under the removable protective cap. There is no balanced option, only a 3.5mm headphone jack–so it's a great choice for IEMs. It's got a sturdy metal body with a physical volume button that also doubles as a filter selector.
The CODA is truly a plug-and-play device, compatible with iOS, Android, PC, Mac, and so on. It'll run off your source device's power and is more than capable of driving most portable headphones, IEMs, and earbuds. If you're looking for a low-profile, straight-to-the-point device with an analytical sound–pick the Clarus CODA.
Astell&Kern AK PA10 Amplifier
The Astell&Kern AK PA10 Amplifier is the only dedicated portable headphone amp on this list. AK's first Class-A Amp design, the PA10 offers a natural and spacious sound. Whether you're an audiophile seeking the utmost fidelity or a music enthusiast simply looking to unlock the full potential of your audio setup, the AK PA10 promises to deliver an immersive and captivating listening experience. By combining Astell&Kern's expertise in AMP circuit design with cutting-edge technologies like Class-A amplification and TERATON ALPHA, the AK PA10 sets a new benchmark for portable amplification, allowing you to fully appreciate the intricate details and nuances of your favorite recordings.
iFi Audio GO Bar Kensei Headphone Amp DAC
The most expensive of these pocket-size companions, at $449 the GO BAR Kensei Headphone Amp/DAC is the upgraded version of the fan-favorite GO BAR. iFi Audio set the bar high with the GO BAR Kensei, crafting it from Japanese Stainless Steel over the aluminum alloy used in the previous model. That means more rigidity and durability for everyday use.
Now take everything you know about the GO Blu and ramp it up a notch. With the GO BAR Kensei you get two headphone jacks–4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm single-ended, XSpace and XBass sound enhancements, four digital filters, up to 477mW output, hi-res audio support, and a USB-C input.
But here's the neat thing about the GO BAR Kensei. It's equipped with iFi Audio's iEMatch and Turbo Mode. These are two power tuning technologies that when activated, allow for the perfect amount of power to drive your IEMs and headphones. iEMatch for highly sensitive IEMs and Turbo Mode for high-impedance headphones. We've got a few portable powerhouses on this list, but as for the smallest one, hats off to the GO BAR Kensei.
Chord Electronics Mojo 2 DAC Headphone Amplifier
The Chord Mojo 2 is the most advanced DAC/headphone amplifier in the world. It plays your favorite music with class-leading detail and clarity, right up to studio-grade levels. The Mojo 2 builds upon the original Mojo by Rob Watts and makes some substantial improvements in the overall functionality of the portable DAC. The new Mojo retains a lot of what made the Mojo 1 popular: dual headphone jacks, amazing build quality, control spheres, great battery life, and a soundstage and tone that few could compete with. The Chord Electronics Mojo 2 adds additional functionality, including enhanced tone controls, a revamped menu system, high-end sound specs, and low and high gain volume control. The Mojo 2 is the perfect portable DAC amp for almost every headphone and IEM on the market.
Desktop Headphone Amplifiers
The most popular types of desktop amps are tube headphone amplifiers and solid-state amplifiers. Solid-state amplifiers refer to any amplifier that uses transistors in its circuitry. Solid-state amps are favored by audiophiles for their clean sound and high power output, making them ideal for driving power-hungry planar magnetic headphones.
While solid-state amplifiers rely on transistors, tube headphone amps use vacuum tubes to amplify the signal. There are different types of tube amps but the most common you'll find are output transformer-less (OTL) amplifiers. These amps don't use an output transformer and tend to have high output impedances, making them ideal for high-impedance headphones. Tube amplifiers have an iconic "tube sound" which is warm, organic, and rich. There is also a sub-category of hybrid amplifiers which have components of tube and solid-state amps, and streamer amplifiers which combine the functionality of a music streamer, DAC and headphone amplifier into one unit. For a full list of the desktop headphone amplifiers we carry, check out the link below!
Pass Labs HPA-1 Headphone Amplifier
The Pass Labs HPA-1 is the perfect example of a fantastic solid-state headphone amplifier. As a standalone headphone amp, it has a dedicated volume control and will need to be integrated into an existing audio system with an external DAC. The HPA-1 features Class A amplification and outputs enough power to drive the most power-hungry headphones with ease, such as the HiFiMan SUSVARA. The HPA-1 features low feedback, wide bandwidth, and a direct coupled MOSFET output stage.
The other side of the audiophile coin for the HPA-1 is that it can also function as a high-quality standalone line-level preamplifier. The preamp function can stand on its own with preamps in much higher price ranges, and represents a tremendous value for a unit of this size. You're getting a high-end, Class A headphone amplifier and preamplifier in one device.
Dragon Inspire IHA-1 Tube Headphone Amplifier
The Dragon Inspire IHA-1 is extra special to us because it's a Moon Audio exclusive. Designed and perfected by our Owner and Founder Drew Baird, P.E., in partnership with Cary Audio's Founder Dennis Had, the Dragon Inspire is vacuum tube amplification in its purest form. The Dragon Inspire IHA-1 is wonderfully warm and smooth. It has great dynamic range and the right amount of energy that never overshadows the details. The soundstage is intimate but not crowded - it's easy to be completely immersed in the music and feel like you're a part of it with the Dragon Inspire's presentation.
Naim Uniti Atom HE Streamer Amplifier
The Uniti Atom Headphone Edition is a headphone-optimized version of the award-winning Uniti Atom music streaming system, designed to be the ultimate solo listening source. Unlike traditional headphone amplifiers and DACs, which require a separate computer or streaming device, Uniti Atom Headphone Edition is a fully formed streaming system: just add headphones. It is also a superb streaming pre-amplifier: simply add a power amp and speakers, or active speakers. Uniti Atom Headphone Edition is fully re-engineered to offer an optimal personal listening performance. Using trickle-down technology from its flagship Statement amplifier, Naim has engineered a new discrete headphone amplifier, capable of powering even the most premium headphones with ease, via your choice of 6.35mm jack, Balanced XLR, or Pentaconn outputs.
The Uniti Atom is able to stream from all your favorite music streaming services. Spotify, Tidal, and Qobuz are directly integrated into the amplifier, as well as internet radio and a curated collection of HD stations and podcasts.
Chord Electronics Hugo T/TT2 DAC Headphone Amplifier
Since the Hugo 2 is based on the TT 2's architecture, we'll include both here as options for the portable and desktop headphone amplifier. The Chord Hugo TT 2 has been radically redesigned from the ground up. It features beautiful new casework by Chief Designer, John Franks, as well as 5 times the processing power of the original Hugo TT — double that of the multi-award-winning Hugo 2. Hugo TT 2 includes over 20 years of digital development by Rob Watts and takes advantage of the very latest technology. It delivers radically improved technical specifications and measurements across the board and exhibits drastic sonic benefits over its predecessor with 768kHz PCM and DSD 512 playback. This powerhouse DAC supports most headphones, including harder-to-drive ones like the Sennheiser HD800S, and most planar magnetic headphones, such as the Audeze LCD-3 and LCD-4. Compared to the 256-tap filters of traditional chip DACs, Hugo TT 2 is an infinitely more powerful Xilinx Artix 7 FPGA, custom-coded by Chord Electronics’ Rob Watts with 86x 208MHz cores running in parallel to create an advanced 16FS WTA 1 filter with 98,304-taps. That doubles the power of its multi-award-winning transportable brother, Hugo 2 (49,152). Hugo TT 2 also upgrades from a 4-element design to a 10-element design, which works in harmony with the radically upgraded FPGA and code to deliver unrivaled audio.
The Hugo 2 is one of the most premium portable DAC and headphone amplifiers on the market. Despite the size, I think it works just as well in desktop systems too, and it certainly has enough power for your favorite headphones in both cases. You'll find optical, coax, HD USB, a pair of RCAs, and 3.5mm and quarter-inch headphone jacks. The Hugo 2 features Chord's love-or-hate colored knobs for controls - they're certainly unique in the industry, but they work well. It's on the analytical side when it comes to sound signature like most Chord products, and there is no shortage of detail and clarity. It's hands down one of the best-sounding DACs on the market, and Chord includes crossfeed and filter options to tailor the sound to your liking. Battery life is good with around 7 hours for a device of this size. Chord designs its products to integrate well with other Chord products, and if you want one of the best-sounding setups I've ever heard, then you can pair it with the M scaler which I'll introduce next. It also pairs seamlessly with the 2GO, transforming it into a full-fledged streamer and server. The possibilities are endless, and the Hugo 2 keeps me discovering new things in my favorite music all the time. It's a sonic wonder and one of the best audiophile products out there.
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