Headphone Amplifiers

Most listeners have never heard headphones at their full potential. That's because the headphone jack on the front of most components outputs a severely compromised signal. This integral headphone amplifier is normally an afterthought considered unworthy of serious design effort or expense. After all, how many consumers make purchasing decisions based on the quality of the headphone amplifier? Audiophiles wanting a better headphone listening experience can choose an aftermarket headphone amplifier. This device will accept a line-level signal and amplify it enough to drive your headphones. High quality headphone amplifiers have a discrete output stage (made from separate transistors) rather than an operational amplifier chip, and are fed from power supplies designed with high-end techniques and circuits. They also incorporate audiophile quality volume controls.