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Someone please explain to me in laymen's terms when or what types of headphones amps I should get? Like when I should get one, what types.i listen to music primarily on my phone. Any advice will be greatly appreciated πŸ€˜πŸ€˜πŸ–•πŸ–•πŸ€˜πŸ€˜πŸ˜

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Headphones amps and music players. When I should invest in one, which one, why's? All advice . please! Thanks my fellow audiophiles far & abroad
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To unlock the best audio performance, some headphones sound optimum when driven by a dedicated headphone amplifier. In short, a dedicated headphone amplifier will provide a headphone with additional power that may not have been present in your audio source device. A good, simple analogy is the engine in your car. If it is underpowered for the weight of the car, the driving experience typically suffers. Now, think of plugging a high-end pair of headphones into a plain old laptop headphone outputβ€”in most cases, you'll be able to hear the audio signal but it might lack volume, it might sound dull, or even lifeless. It's probably not the headphone at fault here, as it is not being powered to its true potential. There could also be a lot of noise or distortion in the laptop's audio signal, as the laptop manufacturer puts more emphasis into the screen, processor, keyboard, etc. If you're ready to take your personal audio seriously, a great next step up is a headphone amplifier. There are endless choices and flavors, but the key things to start with are 1) what connection does your audio source require (analog/digital and type of connectors) 2) what connection does your headphone require 3) what is your price range. We start with these three because if you cannot connect to it, you certainly won't enjoy using it (and the use of too many adapters is not ideal). Fortunately for you, many dedicated hi-fi amplifiers have a pretty predictable set of inputs/outputs. From there, you can look into the headphone amplifier's intended use (full-size headphones or in-ear style earphones), output power, and other features. Dedicated hi-fi music players have done well in the audiophile space, as they have stronger built-in headphone amplifiers and DAC circuitry than their mobile phone counterparts, but you can also use your mobile phone and an app that supports higher quality music file formats (or streaming formats) so long as you're powering your headphones properly (see the amp rundown above). Many of these connect with the hardware data connection (Apple's Lightning port or the USB-C port on most Android devices). It comes down to personal choice, as carrying another device is not a bother for some, while others do not listen to locally stored files and so streaming from a mobile is just fine, etc etc. Lastly, think of your content source. Many streaming services now offer a tier of streaming that gives you a higher quality sampling rate and bit depth for greater fidelity wherever your data connection supports it. Tidal, Apple Music are popular choices, and hi-fi hardware can help get those tunes to your headphones with greater integrity. There's no limit on how complex you want to make your setup, but those looking to get the most out of their personal listening on quality headphones start with a high-quality signal, convert it to analog with a high-quality DAC, and amplify it with a high-quality amplifier. Some devices do one, two, or all three of those tasks. Hope that helps!
We don't typically comment on competitor products. The community here is vibrant and happy to help with a neutral party opinion. Cheers!
nick_t
186
Jun 11, 2022
SennheiserThats besides the point and maybe bias to one thought. But as for now, you could answer as an individual, like we want to know the truth. You can also say the same for other expensive and cheaper amplifiers. So what about you and what are your perspective if comparing the THX 789 and A90 that are also neutral/transparent and powerful in contrast with the HD820V ? (putting community members aside though). Of course regardless of price. Both side of community will say there is a difference either bi or small and some said no difference.
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