There are several ways to choose a headphone amplifier. Power is of particular importance, and impedance is closely related to this indicator. Other parameters should also be taken into account, which are described in detail in the presented material.
The content of the article
- Impedance
- Power
- Other characteristics
Impedance
Headphones require a sufficiently large voltage, but the current must be small. Therefore, the most important indicator when choosing is the impedance. This is the name of the minimum resistance indicator (in ohms) at the headphone input. Depending on this, all headphones are divided into 3 types:
- With low impedance - within 40 ohms.
- With an average impedance - from 60 to 100 ohms.
- With high impedance - from 250 ohms (as a rule, these are professional models).
The higher the impedance of the headphones, the more voltage they need. Therefore, the amplifier should be selected for a specific headphone model.
Power
Another important indicator that many users immediately pay attention to is the power of the headphone amplifier. The output power parameter, measured in mW, determines the maximum volume that the device can demonstrate. Moreover, the manufacturer in the description usually gives a power indicator that is available at a minimum impedance.
As the impedance increases, the power will decrease. For example, an amplifier with 16 ohm headphones can output 16 mW. At the same time, if the load is 300 ohms, the power is reduced to 0.8 mW.
Therefore, if possible, it is worth clarifying how much power will be provided by the amplifier for a particular headphone model. The indicator should be such that the sound power is from 105 to 115 dB. This is a loud enough sound level for almost all people.
Other characteristics
There are other important characteristics to consider when choosing an amplifier:
- Resistance (minimum and maximum value). Represented by the range in which the headphone impedance should be included.
- Signal-to-noise ratio - by this indicator you can understand how much noise the amplifier will make if there is no signal. The larger the ratio, the clearer the sound will be. It is optimal if it does not exceed 75 dB.
- Amplifier inputs - signal reception formats and connector types depend on them. Typically, wired headphones are connected via a 3.5 mm jack socket.
- The type of device is portable (small in size, you can take it with you), stationary (used only at home) and studio (oversized models for recording studios, live music).
It will not be superfluous to pay attention to the manufacturer's brand and customer reviews. Thanks to this, you can choose an amplifier with an optimal ratio of price and quality.
