What Is A Headphone Amplifier And How To Choose One?

Whether you are taking online classes, watching a movie, playing a game, or listening to music, sound quality should be crystal clear for every purpose. If you are struggling to get quality sound with perfect volume and have changed your headphones multiple times, then you need to stop.

It is not a headphone you need to buy this time but a headphone amplifier to make the most out of your headphone. Headphone amplifiers are specially designed to upgrade the functioning of your headphones and provide you with a more rich and powerful sound.

These headphone amplifiers are of great benefit if you are not getting a high volume from your headphone or you are not experiencing quality sound despite having a good volume.

In this article, we will tell you when your headphone needs a headphone amplifier and why you should consider buying it along with our best pick for you. So, if you have a mind to buy a headphone amplifier and want to know everything about it, then keep on  reading!

What Is A Headphone Amplifier?

The headphone amplifier is a device that provides maximum volume without distorting the quality of sound. But, how are these amplifiers capable of doing so? Simply, headphone amplifiers uplift the low-voltage audio signals from your phone or PC to a certain level and convert the audio signals into pleasant sound waves in your headphones.

You can call them lower-scale amplifiers used to enhance powerful speakers. With the help of a headphone amplifier, you can get rid of all the unwanted sounds by having a high yet stable volume and perceive each and every detail with clarity due to enhanced quality.

When Buying A Headphone Amplifier Is Necessary?

Before purchasing a headphone amplifier, it is necessary to figure out why you are not getting high-quality sound. Maybe you have developed a listening problem due to excessive use of headphones, or your headphones are cheap and of second-rate quality.

In this case, a headphone amplifier will give you no benefit no matter how much you have spent on it. Therefore, first invest on a good headphone or detect your hearing problem, then get your hands on a high-end headphone amplifier.

If your low-impedance headphones are loud enough to disperse the sound, then a headphone amplifier can provide pleasing sound quality at higher volumes. A headphone amplifier soothes the distorted sound generated by headphones and makes the background sound distinguishable.

If your high-impedance headphones are inadequate to drive high volume, then a headphone amplifier can increase the volume to a healthy degree without making any difference on quality and you can attain an adequate listening level.

Everything You Need To Know About Headphone Impedance

It is seen that people usually buy headphone amplifiers without having even the slightest idea about the impedance of their headphones. This lack of awareness sometimes leads to dreadful results. One should have complete knowledge about the impedance of headphones before buying a headphone amplifier.

There are two types of headphones; headphones with higher impedance and headphones with lower impedance. Higher impedance headphones require high-powered amplifiers to produce an effective level of sound.

Whereas headphones with low impedance already contain high volume and are more powerful than high-impedance headphones. Low impedance headphones require a low-powered headphone amplifier only to improve sound quality as they already contain high volume.

People who have high impedance headphones need a headphone amplifier to increase the volume of their headphones. Those having low impedance headphones require a headphone amplifier to enhance the quality of sound and make all the high and low notes comprehensible.

The problem occurs when your headphone has low impedance and you connect it with a powerful headphone amplifier. In this case, the headphone amplifier will send high-powered signals to your headphone. Your headphone will not tolerate this heavy load and will be blown up. In worst cases, your listening level will also affect you to an unhealthy degree.

Therefore, always beware of the impedance of your headphones before investing in a good headphone amplifier. Make sure that your headphone impedance is 8 times more than the impedance of your amplifier.

Does Headphone Sensitivity Matter?

Headphone sensitivity is one of those specifications that people are not much familiar with, so here we are to explain it to you. Headphone sensitivity is something that should be known before buying a headphone amplifier. The average sensitivity of a headphone is 60 dB and 80 dB.

If your headphone is oflow impedance, it has a higher level of sensitivity and hence doesn't need a headphone amplifier for high volume purposes. Headphones that are highly sensitive are very powerful and only need a headphone amplifier for good sound quality not to achieve high volume as it is already there.

But if your headphones have higher impedance, it means that they are not very sensitive. You can easily connect them with a headphone amplifier for high volume. Such headphones are not powerful as compared to lower impedance headphones, they require higher power to generate sufficient volume which they get from headphone amplifiers.

Headphones that are highly sensitive are more likely to damage if they are connected with the highly powerful headphone amplifier and the volume is too high to endure. Headphones that are not sensitive are at lowrisk when they are linked with headphone amplifiers.

Benefits Of A Headphone Amplifier:

There are a lot of benefits of a headphone amplifier that are worth mentioning.

• The headphone amplifier is very beneficial if your headphones have a low volume and you want to listen to music at a high volume. Now, you can experience rich and powerful sound just like a loudspeaker with the help of a headphone amplifier by your side.

• The headphone amplifier is also very convenient if your headphones can provide you with high volume, but the sound quality is not good. It improves the clarity of the sound to a remarkable extent and you can hear an adequate and less distorted sound.

• The headphone amplifier is valuable for both high-impedance and low impedance headphones. For headphones with highimpedance, volume is increased to an optimal level. In the case of lower-impedance headphones, the quality of sound is improved and sound becomes more distinguishable.

• It also has a bass feature if you are more interested in low-pitched instruments like bass guitar used in the background than the music itself. You can turn on the bass boost option on your headphone amplifier for this purpose and can listen to playback sounds easily without any distortion.

Our Top Pick: IKKO Zerda ITM01 Portable Headphone Amplifier

We know that it is a very daunting task to find the best headphone amplifier in the marketplace when many options are ensuring top-notch quality and high performance.

Keeping all your concerns into consideration, we have put down the best portable headphone amplifier for your convenience. We made sure to mention all its features so that nothing is left on the table. Let's get straight into it!

1- Top-notch Sound

It is a low-powered headphone amplifier that is convenient for both high impedance and low impedance headphones. It contains an ESS9298 high-performance custom DAC chip which ensures high-current power supply and ultra-low noise.

2- User-oriented

This headphone amplifier is very user-oriented and easy to use. It has a built-in adaptive drive which indicates that you can use it directly without installing the manual driver. With a two-in-one interface design, it can be connected to a smartphone or to any other device. Moreover, it is light and compact, so you can easily carry it around anywhere.

3- Compatible With Every Audible Device

Some headphone amplifiers are only meant for smartphones but not laptops, and some are convenient for iPhone but not for any other device. But amazingly, this headphone amplifier covers it all. It is compatible with every audio device, including smartphones, laptops, iPhones, iPods, or iPads. This only feature is enough to make it your ultimate choice.

4- Three Modes

This headphone amplifier can accommodate three modes – audio, movie and game. Each mode is designed to cater to a particular scenario. You can easily switch between these modes and pick one that promises you the best sound experience at time.

5- Customized Magnetic Connection

The device comes with a customized magnetic connection that blocks out any interference signals. Without any interference, the audio data transmission is seamless – improving sound quality. It also can automatically adsorb the cable port on approaching it. Moreover, there is a feature where on long-pressing it for 3 seconds to switch between scenarios.

Conclusion

If you want to enjoy music to the fullest,then you should consider buying a headphone amplifier. Still, it is necessary to have complete knowledge of your headphone impedance and sensitivity before investing in headphone amplifier.

It is also essential to understand why you are not getting quality volume and sound with your headphones. Don’t forget to check the above mentioned features before making a purchase. Since you have learned all about headphone amplifiers, what are you waiting for? Get yours now!