Many high quality amplifiers do not feature headphones sockets, and those that do after often something of an after thought, fine for occasional use with basic headphones but ultimately rather limiting for the more serious headphones listener. For this reason we offer a range of headphone amplifiers.

All the following headphone amplifiers have their own volume controls, so can be connected directly to a source such as a CD player, or connected to the tape output on integrated/pre amplifiers. All of the units here (with the exception of the Earmax) have loop outputs which mean that when connected into a tape loop and will still allow a tape/CD recorder etc to be connected as before.

The Project is the perfect starting point for good quality headphone amplifiers, its one of the smallest designs available at just 10cm wide and deep, and comes with an external plug type power supply.
It offers a worthwhile improvement in performance compared to the sockets fitted to most amplifiers and CD players, and offers good resolution of detail, allowing the subtleties to be heard clearly even when recordings get complex. It has a slightly recessed mid band compared to some of the designs listed here, but in many ways this makes it even more suitable for the sort of headphones that’s its likely to be partnered (i.e. those of a similar price to the unit) which tend to be rather more mid forward in their presentation anyway.

The Ear is Rega’s headphone amplifier design. It is housed in an aluminium box measuring 18cm wide and 14cm deep, and is available in either a Black or Silver finish. A small plug type power supply is also supplied. Feature wise it also offers a mute button which cuts the signal to the loop outputs on the back, so if its used between pre and power amplifiers (for example) you can silence your speakers without having to turn the power amplifier off.
Compared to the project it offers improved instrument separation, better bass control and a mid band that is more open and expansive, and for those with higher grade headphones it is well worth auditioning.


The OBH-21SE is the best transistor/IC headphone amplifier we’ve come across, it has great dynamic contrasts, with incredible intelligibility to the mid band. Its separation is also excellent, allowing every instrument to have its own space without confusion even as levels rise.

Unusually the two headphones sockets on the front are designed for slightly different impedance headphones, so its just a case of trying your headphones into either to see which sounds best to you (just remember they to equalise the volume when you try the two different outputs as one will be slightly louder). The two sockets can also be used simultaneously for two listeners and then the impedance becomes the same for both outputs.

It comes with a chunky external power supply and the main unit measures 10cm wide by 18cm deep.

The Earmax Pro is an ultra compact OTL (Output Transformer-Less) valve headphone amplifier that measures just 9cm wide and 9cm deep (plus an external power supply). It uses ECC88 and ECC81 triodes for the amplification and is designed to drive practically any impedance of headphone available.
Outwardly this is a simple no frills design, and the sound is all the better for it. The mid band has the naturalness and liquidity that we’ve all come to expect from a good valve design, with vocals in particular sounding wonderfully textured with no unpleasant edge or artifice. The frequency extremes are precise and extended, with only a little softening of bass lines until the unit has warmed up for 5 to 10 minutes.


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