[mirkot]

How come nobody is making power amps for headphones? There are many people with very good preamplifiers, with multiple outputs, and having power amp optimized for headphones does not sound like bad idea.

 

[Budgie]

You might want to try a search for that subject. Seems I remember someone mentioned "headphone amp" before. Do a "search all open forums" and you should find something.

 

[eric343]

ROFL!!!

My god, that's gotta be the most glaringly obvious "I"M A NEWBIE WHO'S NEVER BOTHERED TO READ A SINGLE THING BEFORE POSTING!!!" post I've ever seen in my life! (this entire website is dedicated to headphones and headphone amplifiers).




On the other paw, if you're talking about a "power amp" in the sense that you plug it into the output of a preamp, any headphone amp will do if you leave off the volume control...

...or if you meant power amp in that the amp is powerful enough to drive high-efficiency speakers, well, look around for a META42 with EL2008/9 buffers - 1.9 AMP current sourcing capability, per channel...

 

[BenG]

Geez.

'Headphone amps' (as we know them) are really integrated amps, not power amps. The post is asking why there are no mini-power amps designed for headphones. in theory, if you are using a preamp (with multiple pre-outs) in the chain, wouldn't a mini-power amp that is simple (with no volume or level controls effecting the signal) be ideal (this is with crossfeed out of the equation)?

 

[eric343]

Yes, as I said, just take the pot out and you've got yourself a headphone power amp...

 

[mirkot]

eric343, if you spend more time reading the post instead of scattering icons around, you would realize what I was asking, "on the first paw".

My question was about *power* amps for headphones. And power amp is not "integrated without the volume pot".

 

[eric343]

Well, for a headphone amp, it is. The thing about headphone amps is that you can make them like integrated amps, with tape outs, source switches, 464-band mega super mondo EQ, but most aren't like that. Most headphone amps are just the headphone amplifier with a volume control, so you don't need a preamp. If you were to leave off the volume control (one of the amps I built a while ago had a separate volume control; the end-user ended up just using it without the volume control on the output of his preamp), you've got a "headphone power amp".

Is this what you meant?

 

[mirkot]

I am glad you made it so clear.

 

[laol]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mirkot /img/forum/go_quote.gif How come nobody is making power amps for headphones? There are many people with very good preamplifiers, with multiple outputs, and having power amp optimized for headphones does not sound like bad idea.

5 years later…
Not yet appeared no great one “power head amp” “pure”?

I think that the cost-benefit could be excellent for who desires double setup (with speakers and headphones):
The saved money with powers can be spent with a better preamplifier.
Then:

A EXCELLENT (expansive, unhappyly...) tube preamplifying
+
power amp for speakers, “solid”, medium price
+
"power amp"* for headphones, “solid”, medium price

*(in the truth, would be necessary only a headphone jacket that it offers to one gain stage for adequacy of the impedance)

Therefore the refinement!: it would not be exactly the preamplification that defines MOST of the refinament?

Eventually it could change powers, for upgrades… But one of GREAT tube preamp could be kept per decades!

(one changes only the tubes…)