Tag Archives: Headphone Amplifiers

iFi xCAN Review

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Review: The iFi xCAN

 

Aesthetics and Build Quality:

The xCAN is built much the same as the xDSD, with a metal housing that is a bit of a fingerprint magnet and a plastic rear cap where the Bluetooth circuitry is located. The xCAN looks superb in person with a great size and shape.

 

The build quality is superb and the volume control does not stick out, meaning it is well protected and all the sockets are tight. Everything just feels very solid.

iFi xCAN front

 

Features:

Unlike the xDSD, the xCAN only have analogue inputs along with Bluetooth capability. You get a regular 3.5mm line-input, along with a 2.5mm TRRS balanced line-input. Outputs are the same, one 3.5mm and one 2.5mm TRRS balanced.

 

The xCAN has the XBass II and 3D+ adjustments. The XBass II is a completely analogue bass correction curve and can be switched to boost low frequencies or to correct the presence region, or both. The 3D+ is also an analogue circuit that aims to correct the holographic soundstage, making headphones sounds less like the music is coming from inside your head.

 

The volume knob changes colour depending on the volume, starting at blue for low volume going up to red at full output. The xCAN delivers more power from its balanced output as you would expect, so it is recommended to use balanced if you can.

 

 

Sound:

 

Well, as the xCAN is mainly an amplifier, the quality of sound will largely depend on what you are feeding it. But feed it with a high-quality source and it will do its job of amplifying the signal without adding too much flavour. The xCAN is neutral and detailed. It may be a tiny bit on the smoother side so as to prevent it from sounding overly analytical, but it is not coloured to my ears.

 

When using it with Bluetooth you are relying on both devices; when using an AptX-enabled device, you get excellent audio quality. I really don’t know how iFi do it, but you really do not lose much in terms of sound quality when using this with an AptX device.

 

The xCANs dual mono amplification stage really is impressive, hiss free with sensitive IEM’s yet at a push it can power the Beyerdynamic T1 2nd Gen with good results (Volume on red). Not that anyone would buy this solely for use with the T1 I don’t think, but it is still a very impressive feat from this tiny amp.

 

 

The XBass is a really handy boost for when out and about in noisy environments or just for slightly brighter sounding headphones. The 3D+ works wonders for more closed in sounding headphones giving you a more realistic soundstage. The ability to choose between bass and presence on the XBass setting is actually really handy and allows you a little finer tuning than a standard bass boost.

 

 

Conclusion:

The xCAN has all you need from a portable amp, perfect size, good battery life and easy to use. Add to that excellent Bluetooth implementation, balanced circuitry and overall sound quality is the only portable amp you will ever need. Another superb product from iFi that has our seal of approval.

Getting Amped Up for Autumn

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Getting Amped Up for Autumn

Our top recs for seriously impressive headphone amplifiers.

 

Stick a pin in it, summer’s just about done for.

Now we’re staring down the barrel of the big chill, and we’re gonna have to get serious about our indoor entertainment if we want to get through it without  either losing our marbles or freezing them off. What else are you supposed to do, take in the beautiful changing foliage? Get really into trick-or-treating?  As if.

It doesn’t have to be all gloom and doom, though! Whether you’re looking for something to complement your perfect gaming rig or a punch of power for your juice-hungry headphones, we’d be willing to bet we’ve got something for you to get excited about.

Pick 1: The Burson Audio Play with V6 Vivid

Settle in for a long winter’s night with this awesome, customisable amplifier from Burson. This is one of the most powerful headphone amps around, and it’s perfect for anybody looking to upgrade their gaming setup to include a serious sonic boost.

No high end soundcards in gaming feature the DAC chip found in the Play, which means PC gamers have to settle for distortion, poor sound quality, and noisy power supplies. Who wants subpar audio dragging you out of the moment when you’re trying to keep an ear out for raiders lurking in the capital wasteland?

The Play is perfect for users wanting to roll their opamps, which means you can tweak that sound to your exact specifications and lose yourself completely in whatever world you’d like to substitute for the cold, wet one outside.

Pick 2: The iFi Audio Micro iDSD Black Label with USB DAC

You’ve gotta show your face in the real world eventually, but why resign yourself to a less-than-stellar listening experience while you’re making moves?

The Micro iDSD Black Label is a perfect portable companion for those wanting to maintain a high standard both at home and on the way to your friend’s ill-advised homemade fireworks display. Drown out the sounds of his self-inflicted injuries with three power output modes to make it the perfect match for the most sensitive headphones all the way to the most power-hungry. What’s that? You need more options? It’s got you covered- the 3D+ option allows you to focus the stereo image, and the XBass+ gives you control over deepening and tightening bass frequencies.

This amp is a real ride-or-die. You’ll get 6-12 hours of power out of it depending on use and settings, and the USB port means you can charge your phone or other electronic devices as well! Do your other friends put in this kind of effort for you? Ricky won’t even lend you £5 for lunch. Serves him right about the fireworks mishap.

Pick 3: JDS Labs ‘The Element’

 

 

Treat yourself to a slice of simplicity in the form of The Element, a deceptively powerful unit from JDS Labs. You don’t need anything too showy- not like your neighbours already throwing their Christmas lights up. The Element’s gentle copper-coloured ring of light beneath the volume control will inspire plenty of warm cozy feelings.

The Element’s minimalist design houses absolute reference quality perfection in a body that doesn’t fight for attention, but will probably get it, because- let’s face it,  it looks good.

And it’s more multifaceted than it appears- just turn the amplifier off and use the analog jack inputs to turn The Element into a standalone DAC. The gift that keeps on giving!

So whether you’re dreading the change of the seasons or welcoming it with open arms, it’s more fun to do things with a buddy. Or three.

 

FiiO E5 & E3 headphone amps – boost volume, add bass and improve soundstage

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FiiO E5 & E3 headphone amps – boost volume, add bass and improve soundstage

At HiFi Headphones we’ve just taken delivery of our first batch of FiiO headphone amplifiers.  The brand new FiiO E5 and FiiO E3 are ultra small headphone amplifiers with a price tag that makes them affordable for anyone with an iPod, MP3 player, laptop or mobile phone.

The FiiO headphone amps promise increased output power (to power hard to drive headphones), added bass response and even better clarity of treble notes.

FiiO E3

The FiiO E3 headphone amp is the perfect introduction to improving your portable audio setup – look out, it’s a slippery slope! 🙂  At a price point that makes it possible to try without risking to much cash, the E3 has taken the headphone amp World by storm.

Just connect the FiiO E3 between your portable audio device (iPod, iPhone, laptop, mobile phone, etc) and enjoy the improvement in volume and sound quality.

FiiO E5

The next step up from the E3 in the FiiO line-up is the all new FiiO E5.  With an exterior casing that has been redesigned to fit more comfortably in the pocket, and internals completely revised to improve noise figures, the FiiO E5 is a force to be reckoned with.

When compared with higher end headphone amplifiers, such as the iBasso T4 or Graham Slee Voyager, the FiiO E5 does colour the sound to some degree (it definitely warms up the bass response), but with the FiiO E5’s price tag of less than £25 I shouldn’t really be comparing.

More Information

For more information on FiiO Headphone Amps, a range of other Headphone Amplifiers & DACs and iPod Line Out Docks (LODs) please visit the HiFi Headphones shop.

Why do I need a headphone amplifier?

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What’s the point of a headphone amp?

If you’ve been following the world of headphones you may have noticed that headphone amplifiers seem to be cropping up more often than ever, but what’s the point?  Do they just increase volume, or is there more to it?

Below are a few good reasons to upgrade your audio setup with a headphone amp.

Ability To Power ‘hard to drive’ Headphones

Some headphones are notoriously hard to power.  A headphone amplifier gives your audio source a boost in output power, which gives the headphones a more full sound, improves bass kick and often makes trebles more defined.

For example the Sennheiser HD650, HD600, HD595 and many Beyerdynamic headphones have relatively high impedance ratings, which mean they need more power than most to drive the headphone speakers.

Interestingly, many lower impedance headphones and earphones (normally the high end models) also appear to benefit from the use of a headphone amplifier.  For example the low impedance Grado GS1000 or Grado RS1 can be easily be driven by a humble iPod, but add a headphone amplifier such as the Grado Slee Solo to the equation and the improvement in sound can be very satisfying.

Avoiding Cheap Headphone Outputs

The headphone output on many portable audio sources, such as iPods, iPhones and laptops, can be very poor indeed.  The electronics used often leave much to be desired and are obviously designed with budget, rather than sound quality, as the major design factor.  A headphone amplifier offers ways to avoid the noisy headphone output completely.

The iPod and iPhone headphone socket can be avoided completely by using a Line Out Dock (LOD) cable.  These cables take the un-amplified line out signal from the 30 pin dock connector provide a way to drive a headphone amplifier with this better quality signal.

Laptop and computer owners can avoid the often breathtakingly bad headphone output with the addition of a Digital to Analogue Converter (DAC) and headphone amplifier.  The DAC is connected to the computer’s USB port and the conversion to analogue audio signal is done well away from the noisy electronics inside the computer.  Some products, such as the iBasso D2, combine a DAC and headphone amp into a single unit.

More Information

For a full range of headphone amplifiers & DACs and iPod & iPhone line out dock cables (LODs), please visit the HiFi Headphones online shop.

FiiO UK Distributor announced

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FiiO and KS Distribution today announced a partnership for distribution of FiiO’s audio electronics products in the UK.  Based near Brighton on the South Coast of England, KS Distribution is a specialist distributor of headphone and earphone related audio products.

KS Distribution is to be distributing FiiO audio electronics products to independent specialist retailers in the UK and Ireland.

FiiO headphone amplifiers provide a way to get the best audio performance from portable audio sources, such as MP3 players (Apple iPod, iPhone, etc) and laptop computers.

The FiiO E5 has taken the headphone amp market by storm, with a high specification and entry level price making it accessable for anyone looking to upgrade their portable audio system.

About KS Distribution

A leading audio electronics distributor, KS Distribution specialises in bringing innovative products to the UK market and providing a World class service to their customers. Offering a carefully selected range of products for home and mobile listening, KS Distribution are a highly focused team whose primary aim is to develop strong partnerships with retailers and manufacturers.

For more information visit www.ksdistribution.co.uk

About FiiO

FiiO Electronic Technology is a personal audio consumer electronics manufacturer with a product line-up that includes headphone amplifiers and speaker systems.  Leading the field in affordable personal audio products, FiiO is constantly innovating to stay ahead of the competition.

For more information visit http://www.fiio.com.cn

Pro-Ject Head Box headphone amplifiers – new models available

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We’ve just taken delivery of a small quantity of the second generation Pro-Ject Head Box headphone amplifiers.

These very well made units from Pro-Ject Audio, an Austrian high end audio manufacturer, really do sound superb. Pro-Ject’s headphone amps are ideal for driving high quality dynamic Hi-Fi headphones.

With RCA phono inputs these headphone amps are ideal for connecting to TV’s or home cinema amplifiers, where a line level output is available.

Pro-Ject Head Box SE II

The dual output headphone amp from Pro-Ject is perfect for setups where you need to drive two pairs of headphones with independent volume controls.

The Head Box SE II is the second generation in this model from Pro-Ject. Featuring a completely revised internal circuit board, this revision offers a fuller sound, with plenty of bass kick and high end detail. The build quality has also improved, making this a very robustly built little box.

Featuring two independent high resolution volume controls, the Head Box SE II is an ideal headphone amplifier for good quality Hi-Fi setups, home cinemas and computer based audio systems.


Pro-Ject Head Box SE II in Silver

The Head Box SE II is available in Silver or Black.

A typical configuration for the Head Box SE II is a home cinema setup where the output from the DVD player is routed across the room to the Head Box amp (via high quality interconnect cables). The Head Box SE II can be located near the seating with each listener having their own independent volume control. This setup is great for late evening film viewing where you don’t want to annoy the neighbours or wake the children!

Pro-Ject Head Box II

The Head Box MK II is a single output headphone amplifier with the same high quality construction and superb audio quality that the Head Box SE II offers.

The Pro-Ject Head Box II is a very nice little unit and has been award 5 Stars by What HiFi? Sound & Vision – see Pro-Ject Head Box II Review.

The Head Box II is ideal for computer audio setups, or where only a single headphone output is required in a Hi-Fi or home cinema setup.


Project Head Box MK II in Silver

The Head Box II is available in Silver or Black.

More Information

For more information on Pro-Ject headphone amps or headphone amplifiers from other brands such as Graham Slee, please visit the HiFi Headphones store.