[MP3guy]

I was interested in a portable headphone amp to see if that would improve my listening experience.

My chief music player is a Samsung Helix (indentical to the Pioneer Inno) which can record programming off XM satellite broadcasts and play WMA files synched from a PC, either ripped from a CD ow downloaded from an online store.

I am using Sennheiser HD485s, which are comfortable and provide a very "warm" sound, which is good for my musical tastes.

The headroom (headphone.com) review for these phones implies that at 32 Ohms impedence, a headphone amp may not be quite as beneficial for these phones as it would be for other models.

Not being too literate in these matters, could someone weigh in?

 

[JorgeC]

Hello Mp3 Guy,

Thanks for your question! ....

With highly-efficient headphones, the headphone amps' power delivery is not the most important facet of the application so the overall audible "impact" of headphone amps with low-impedance headphones/earphones is likely somewhat lessened than with, say, 300-ohm headphones that absolutely demand proper power to even get into their correct 'operating zone' ... That being said, almost all headphones will benefit to some degree from the improved dynamic 'quickness', better musical detail resolution clarity, and the nuanced soundstage imaging enhacements offered by the audio control of a dedicated head-amp. With the 32-ohm HD485, one can expect slightly more accurate tonal/timbral textures, a wider/deeper soundstage image (thanks to the amp's 'crossfeed circuitry!), and a modicum of improvement in overall extension at the edges of the frequency range so the lowest lows/highest highs will probably sound a bit better-presented in the HD485 headphones.

Of course, your actual audio source(s) will also play a big role in determining what you're ultimately hearing through your headphones too!

Cheers,
Jorge
HR sales/Product Manager