List of Headphone Amplifiers with Balance Control (solid state)

[Thraex]

With the contribution of headfiers I'd like to make a permanent and updated list of headphone amps with Balance Control.

The Balance control is a must have feature for the following reasons:

- most of us have a slightly worse hearing in one side (younger the better, just like eyes), image is slightly shifted in comparison to original recording.
- Not every recording is properly balanced, let alone the old ones converted from mono to stereo. The recording equipment up to monitors/headphones or even room used in the pro studio could have had an imbalance in output perception.
- Right/Left drivers have different output due to tolerances in production of each unit (like anything in this world), quality manufacturers could match them up to 0.5db difference, but most of the time is much worst than that.
- Channel imbalance inside the amp, maybe not much of a difference regarding R/L power output, but using a pot the tracking precision is based on volume position which depends on each track recording level and sensivity of each headphone.

Just one of those reasons alone pretend a Balance Control, even more so for amps for traditional speakers which suffer also the reaction of room shape/walls and placement of each speaker respective to listening position.

Instead manufacturers BS told us they remove the Balance Control to have a purest signal path. LOL
They let the signal pass through any kind of component, type of circuit, multiple type of conversions (phono/digital), connectors and jumpers, switchers and relays, even small computers inside... Anything but not a balance control?

It's a desolation to discover that the outcome for now is a little list, I hope to get your contribution to let it grow and push manufacturers to give us THE BALANCE CONTROL!

HEADPHONE AMPLIFIERS WITH BALANCE CONTROL

McIntosh MHA150 € 7.800 / $ 5.000 (DAC ESS9016S, poweramp 2x50Watt 8 Ohm)
Violectric DHA V590 Pro € 3.699 / $$? (DAC AK4490, 256 step)
Violectric DHA V590 € 3.199 / $$? (DAC AK4490)
SPL Phonitor X € 2.399 / $$? (opt. DAC AK4490 Euro 2.799, preamp, ext. remote)
SPL Phonitor XE € 2.099 / $$? (opt. DAC AK4490 Euro 2.799, ext. remote)
RME ADI-2 Pro FS R Black Edition € 1.745 / $$? (DAC AK4493, remote)
RME ADI-2 DAC FS € 990 / $$? (DAC AK4493*, remote) *newer units, old ones AK4490

Nimbus US 4+ € 5.433 / $$?
Luxman P-750u € 4.490 / $ 4.995
Bryston BHA-1 € 3.270 / $$?
Benchmark HPA4 € 3.270 / $ 2.999
Sparkos Labs Aries € 2.999 / $$? (preamp)
Sparkos Labs Aries base € 2.499 / $$?
Lake People Phone-Amp G105 € 389 / $$?
Beresford Capella € 259 / $$?

The following have the BC but it's buried inside menu and not convenient, if a manufacturers want to be included in the upper list they should fix its position with a firmware upgrade (i.e. first of the list pressing "menu").
T+A HA200 € 6.800 / $$? (Balance control inside menu = not convenient; DAC, NO ANALOGUE OUTPUT)
Mytek Brooklyn Bridge € 2.995 / $$? (Balance control inside menu = not convenient, DAC)
Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ € 2.195 / $$? (Balance control inside menu = not convenient, DAC)
Sony TA-ZH1ES € 2.199 / $$? (Balance control inside menu = not convenient, DAC)
Audiolab M-DAC+ € 1.299 / $$? (Balance control inside menu = not convenient, DAC)

NOTES: I'd like to keep the list updated with unit in current production and delete discontinued ones (like Violectric 281).
I'll later add a few features for each unit just for reference, not a features list which is too complicated to maintain.
Price reference is in Euro at the time of update, suggest me the US dollar price so we can keep a list with reference for both Europe and USA at least.
The list started by me searching a solid state device, I've not searched tube amps to avoid nightmares and paranoic years of tube rollin'.

 

[SchwarzeneggerT]

nice
useful list

 

[yyzSB]

Benchmark HPA4 has balance setting inside the menu. It has both headphone and a separate 2 channel setting. I use the 2 channel balance setting to great affect.

 

[Benno1988]

Violectric V281 and V220 do as well.

 

[Thraex]

Violectric V281 and V220 do as well.

Thank you Benno, I know them do, but this list is about current production units, Violectric with the new DHA V590 and upcoming newer units without DAC discontinued those recently.

 

[JTori]

Good list. I would add the Bottlehead Crack-a-two-a, a high-performing OTL tube amp for higher impedance headphones.

 

[beemerphile]

I need balance control as well because of asymmetric hearing loss, but always thought it a shame to have to pick equipment on that basis because it is not a common feature. I am not sure why, because it used to be ubiquitous. My solution was to have Khozmo build me a dual mono stepped attenuator. I use this not only for balance control, but as a safety against over-powering headphones with a speaker amp. Works great, and I can transfer it to any equipment that comes along in the future. I had him make one for me in SE construction and another in balanced XLR.

 

[Thraex]

Good list. I would add the Bottlehead Crack-a-two-a, a high-performing OTL tube amp for higher impedance headphones.

Thank you @JTori for the suggestion, but I'd like to update the list on solid states amp only, so to avoid tube rolling, matched pairs, drifts and bias adjust, heat and such. Nothing agains the brave who want to venture tube realm though, I'm just getting older and don't have anymore time and patience for that. I'll change the title to be more specific.

I need balance control as well because of asymmetric hearing loss, but always thought it a shame to have to pick equipment on that basis because it is not a common feature. I am not sure why, because it used to be ubiquitous. My solution was to have Khozmo build me a dual mono stepped attenuator. I use this not only for balance control, but as a safety against over-powering headphones with a speaker amp. Works great, and I can transfer it to any equipment that comes along in the future. I had him make one for me in SE construction and another in balanced XLR.

Thank you @beemerphile too for the suggestion, could be very useful, but this list is for integrated balance control. It's a shame this must have feature isn't present in the majority of products, that's why I've created the list which sadly is very short for now.

 

[yyzSB]

I am a curious as to why one would use the balance settings for headphones. For 2 channel is it almost a must have (unless you have perfect speaker placement). Under what scenarios would you need to adjust the balance for headphones?

 

[Thraex]

I am a curious as to why one would use the balance settings for headphones. For 2 channel is it almost a must have (unless you have perfect speaker placement). Under what scenarios would you need to adjust the balance for headphones?

As already listed at the start of the thread: hearing imbalance (I have it now, not when I was younger, image is slightly shifted even in mono), imbalance of recording or mix (worst in case of recordings converted from mono to stereo, but there even in some newer tracks), R/L drivers imbalance (well documented), tracking of normal pot at different levels (less with stepper or overall R/L amp power output, but still there a tiny bit). It's a must have feature for me and many other.

 

[beemerphile]

Thank you @beemerphile too for the suggestion, could be very useful, but this list is for integrated balance control. It's a shame this must have feature isn't present in the majority of products, that's why I've created the list which sadly is very short for now.

Understand and not suggesting to add it to the list. I just thought that it might be a "Plan B" that some folks had not considered. I like having the freedom to choose the best sound or value rather than just limiting myself to components that have a balance control. With this (or similar) everything has a balance control. If I buy a source or pre with balance, it can go back in the closet until needed again.

 

[Thraex]

Understand and not suggesting to add it to the list. I just thought that it might be a "Plan B" that some folks had not considered. I like having the freedom to choose the best sound or value rather than just limiting myself to components that have a balance control. With this (or similar) everything has a balance control. If I buy a source or pre with balance, it can go back in the closet until needed again.

Great suggestion for a "Plan B" so you are not limited with choices and gives you more options in the setup. Manufacturers are to blame to not give us "Plan A" to avoid another pair of cables and another box to fix it.

 

[Olumm]

I need balance control as well because of asymmetric hearing loss, but always thought it a shame to have to pick equipment on that basis because it is not a common feature. I am not sure why, because it used to be ubiquitous. My solution was to have Khozmo build me a dual mono stepped attenuator. I use this not only for balance control, but as a safety against over-powering headphones with a speaker amp. Works great, and I can transfer it to any equipment that comes along in the future. I had him make one for me in SE construction and another in balanced XLR.

This is such a great solution, and I’m currently just using a junky passive preamp that I picked up on eBay to reduce the left channel signal to bring back a strong center image. I emailed the company you suggested asking if they could do the same for me. I’ll need XLR and RCA.

Thank you for the wonderful idea here!

 

[beemerphile]

I can recommend Khozmo unreservedly. Best of luck. - Lee

 

[dolgen]

La Figaro 339 is current issue, and has a dual volume control. Works great, and great sounding amp.