Earphone Solutions

There are two kinds of headphone amps: audiophile headphone amps for home listening and mixer / distributor headphone amps which are used to amplify the signal to several headphones at the same time. The latter is mostly used for professional use such as recording studios.

As an audiophile you might ask yourself if you really need a headphone amp. "Need" is a strong word but we learned that the more sophisticated the headphones (and usually the pricier), the more the headphones (and you) will benefit from an audiophile high-end headphone amp. If you fit that category that owns or is thinking about acquiring a higher-end audiophile headphones, once you experience these headphone amps, you will not want to go back to your regular headphone stereo output. The higher the impedance of a stereo headphone, the "hungrier" the headphones will be for an amp to drive them. There are great headphones (like the EDITION 8) which has an impedance of only 30 ohms and an iPod will make them shine by itself. Take a DT880 600 ohms for example, and an audiophile headphone amp will be a must to get all those stereo headphones can deliver.

Since our site is about experiencing music to its fullest, we could not let our customers unaware of this most enhancing addition to the overall experience.

As we said, some headphone models will benefit more than others from a high-end headphone amplifier, however all of them will sound fuller, more detailed and more pleasant with the headphone amp. We tested many models that are not listed here. Our job is to bring the best solutions and not add confusion. The models we ended up deciding to bring to you are simply the best ones we tested and had the best customer support from the respective manufacturers. Some of them are made in Europe, Japan and in the US as well.

When reviewing our audiophile headphones and headphone amps, we often use our Yamaha Disklavier Mark IV piano as a reference for natural sounding equipment.

The headphone amps listed here are designed to satisfy the needs of the true audiophile. We strive to provide models for every price point, so money doesn’t prevent you from listening to life changing sound quality. We do our best to include technical information, but we know what you really want to hear: how freakin’ awesome they sound! Our experts personally sit down and review the amps (we know, it’s a really hard life here) and write up their findings for you. We know you’ll be spending a pretty penny on your amp and that you expect performance, and we support your borderline craziness by writing completely honest reviews. At Earphone Solutions, we love music just as much as you, and we are all about reaching a Nirvana-type listening experience.

What are Headphone Amps?

A headphone amp is something that looks a little like the receiver on your surround sound system. It has a similar job, too. An audio amplifier can be portable or stationary (portable amps work with your iPod, portable DVD player, computer, etc. – anything that moves, hence “portable” – and stationary amps stay put). Headphone amps are designed specifically to give you the best listening experience of your life by boosting the power behind the sound delivery. That means that your music will be sharper, crisper, clearer and louder. It will feel like hearing for the first time, and you will never want to return to regular sound (it’ll be like watching the old Star Wars movies right after seeing a current action film in the theater – no one needs to go there with sound). Pair the amp with a pair of high quality headphones and you may want to permanently attach them to your head.

Why should I buy a Headphone Amp?

That’s a decision you’ll have to make for yourself. With the quality of the headphones on our site, you will probably not need an amp to enjoy superior sound. The better the headphones, the more you’ll benefit from the amp (the costly components on expensive headphones are tailor-made to work in harmony with these exceptional devices). If you really love music and appreciate high quality, full, detailed sound, the amp will change the way you listen to music (it may even affect your taste in music).