The higher the quality of the headphones, the more they need an adequate power supply. And there, the headphone amplifiers can bring a lot of improvements. They provide a more powerful sound, which is good for the ears in many ways.
The headphone amplifier works in principle like a normal amplifier. But let’s take a closer look at how it works. The amplifier is capable of receiving signals, processing them and modifying them.
The signals are subjected to amplification of current and voltage to allow better reproduction of the signals. The headphone amplifier is adapted to the needs of the headset and cannot be used as a normal amplifier connected to a speaker system.
The signals in the headphone amplifier are amplified using electronic components. Depending on the model, it can be tubes or transistors. And examples of these types of amps you can see in the best headphone amps under 200 review.
The amps must provide enough power so that the headphones are not distorted by the distortion of the sound at the maximum level of the music, not the average volume. The purpose of a headphone amplifier is not to make you deaf, but to make the sound you hear cleaner and more controlled, especially during peaks. However, it is recommended that you always listen safely and keep the volume at a reasonable level.
Also, with a headphone amplifier, transducers with low sensitivity can be controlled with more grip, thanks to the higher voltage it provides compared to an integrated circuit. Another important element is the output impedance. What is the effect of this output impedance for a headphone amplifier? This output impedance is one of the reasons why a headphone sounds differently with this or that amplifier electronics. The output impedance of an amplifier should represent approximately 1 / 8th of the headphone impedance. Too high an output impedance can have harmful effects on the sound, such as fluctuating frequency response or greater distortion. With a coherent headphone amplifier, you get an overall improvement in the sound, and you have a higher listening volume.
Finally, by using higher quality components and power supplies, a dedicated headphone amplifier will provide better sound at any volume level. Remember that we want the maximum signal output to be clean and undistributed, and the overall signal to be reproduced as cleanly as possible. It is not a question of quantity, but signal quality.