[mutik67]

Bit of a noob question here, but genuinely curious as to the answer. What functionally would happen if one were to amplify a powered headphone? For example, take a signal from a laptop/iPhone/DAP, amp it using your favourite headphone amp, and then send it via cable to your powered (usually wireless) headphone of choice? Think Plantronics Backbeat Pro, Sennheiser Momentums, even (shudder) wireless Beats. All of these headphones contain internal amps and DACs, and can be used wired, while turned on. Would the internal electronics negate any of the benefits of the amplification, normalizing the signal and then processing it (in the case of a digital connection to the cans), and then amplifying it using its own internal amp? Or will a wired connection always bypass the internal electronics, meaning amping would have an effect? Or even (gasp) would the internal amplification happen regardless, leading to potential overload, and a very bad day?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tomb]

If a headphone is designed to work either wired or wireless, the wired operation would have to cut off the internal wireless amp - otherwise the product was designed for failure.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Bit of a noob question here, but genuinely curious as to the answer. What functionally would happen if one were to amplify a powered headphone? For example, take a signal from a laptop/iPhone/DAP, amp it using your favourite headphone amp, and then send it via cable to your powered (usually wireless) headphone of choice? Think Plantronics Backbeat Pro, Sennheiser Momentums, even (shudder) wireless Beats. All of these headphones contain internal amps and DACs, and can be used wired, while turned on. Would the internal electronics negate any of the benefits of the amplification, normalizing the signal and then processing it (in the case of a digital connection to the cans), and then amplifying it using its own internal amp? Or will a wired connection always bypass the internal electronics, meaning amping would have an effect? Or even (gasp) would the internal amplification happen regardless, leading to potential overload, and a very bad day?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Wireless headphones - more likely the ones without ANC - that have an option to use wired will bypass the amplifier circuit. Usually. If it works with the battery dead then you're sure the amp is driving it.

Otherwise if it doesn't bypass the amp all you're doing is sending a higher voltage input signal into its internal amp. That lets it get loud fast, but the output at which it will clip is still the same.