Battery powered Headphone preamps

[Shadow_7]

I've been looking at higher end headphones. And it seems that some of them sound best when using a headphone preamp to boost the signal coming to them. So I'm wondering what are my options in terms of battery powered headphone preamps? For travel and location recording where you might need a little extra headphone output to help distinguish what's coming from the headphones over the loud source in the room.

I tend to set my gain low on purpose to avoid the use of a limiter. Unfortunately that doesn't leave much headroom when playing back what was captured to the client on site. And doesn't help me when recording as it's difficult to hear the headphones over the loud source. Even with closed cans. And it'd be nice to have an extra output for sharing without signal loss.

Thoughts?

I already have a Samson Q5 and Presonus HP4, but they both are tethered to wallwarts. I'd like something for portable use.

Thanks in advance.

[Barnabas]

Look at the Whirlwind MD-1

Whirlwind / MD-1

It runs on two 9V batteries, and has a belt clip.

It is NOT stereo.

It has an XLR input that can be switched between mic or line. This input also has a gain control.

It has a 1/4" balanced input.

A rotary knob mixes the two inputs to the headphone output.

Headphone output has a separate volume control.

[Shadow_7]

I'm looking for something that just takes your headphone jack and adds a little gain. And maybe two outs instead of one, but it doesn't have to have that many. I guess I'm just looking for Volume x2. Stereo is a must, but it doesn't need anything fancy for inputs. For the most part I'll be using the headphone out of the Korg MR-1000 as input to the preamp. I suppose I could use the XLR to TRS out of it, or RCA. But I don't think those are active while recording. Not that I've tested it or read the manual to find out. There's plenty of AC versions, and I have two of those, but I want a battery powered one.

[Shadow_7]

It looks like I may have found one. Any other options out there?

JK Audio remoteamp TWO Portable Stereo Headphone Amplifier
http://www.proaudio.com/product_info...oducts_id=5970

A bit pricey though at over $200.

[Francis Vaughan]

Greatly depends upon your budget, you can spend any amount of money. A nice, small affordable and quite nice unit is the Headroom Total Airhead. Battery driven, two outputs, sounds very nice. For a few extra dollars you can get the same amp with a USB DAC, called the Bithead. Makes it a bit more useful in some circumstances. The amp is better than the DAC. Only takes 3.5mm unbalanced inputs.

After that there are lots of headamps that might suit. More stuff from Headroom, and lots of boutique guys - like LaRocco: LaRocco Products and Services Triad's Lisa III Welcome to TriadAudio.net (which would probably be very good for HD 650s) and many more. But not cheap.

[Shadow_7]

This seems to be what I'm after.

Sound Professionals SP-HBA-2 Headbanger Stereo Headphone Amplifier

Although I like the headroom one too.

HeadRoom Total AirHead @ HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears

[Calvin]

Originally Posted by Shadow_7

This seems to be what I'm after.

Sound Professionals SP-HBA-2 Headbanger Stereo Headphone Amplifier

Although I like the headroom one too.

HeadRoom Total AirHead @ HeadRoom - Right Between Your Ears

Go with the Headroom. Superior quality products, great service, liberal return/exchange policy, great reputation. Never heard the Headbanger stuff, but then again I've never even heard it mentioned in the various headphone specialty forums.

[tINY]

I've got the Bit Head. It's great - drive all my headphones hard if needs be, has a decent DAC, and the cross-feed circuit is nice to have on headphones (and it's swtchable if non-crossfeed sounds better for something).




-tINY

[Red Boink]

Ray Samuels Emmaline HORNET.

[Ozpeter]

I have a 'Sound Devices' headphone amp which runs of batteries, powers three headphones, and has balanced or headphone inputs. Works well, as it should at the price. Whether I would have been just as happy with something significantly cheaper I can't tell!

[John Willett]

The Graham Slee Voyager is very highly thought after by users of high end headphones.

It drives the new £1,000 HD 800 very well.

I have one of these myself for mobile use.

[jonmoore]

Originally Posted by John Willett

The Graham Slee Voyager is very highly thought after by users of high end headphones.

It drives the new £1,000 HD 800 very well.

I have one of these myself for mobile use.

+ 1 (I use mine to drive a pair of HD 650's)

[Indrestudios]

We are currently demo'ing one of these:

APHEX Systems 454 HeadPod(tm) Headphone Amplifier

While I'm not a headphone snob, this little box sounds WAY better than the built in headphone amps in our consoles or portable recorders. Tons and tons of clean gain, and really nice bottom end response.

-MC

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Indrestudios

We are currently demo'ing one of these:

APHEX Systems 454 HeadPod(tm) Headphone Amplifier

However good it is, it's not battery powered - and that's what the OP asked for.

[zoom]

The one and only:

Sounddevices HX-3.

...I love that little piece of gear ;-)

[Thomas W. Bethe]

Grado makes a GREAT headphone amp: Grado Labs, Inc.