Home » Audio » Thermionic Emissions » Headphone Amplifier
Headphone Amplifier [message #74291] Mon, 29 October 2012 20:51 Go to next message
gofar99 is currently offline  gofar99
Messages: 1895
Registered: May 2010
Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
Hi Everyone, I just finished up a tube based headphone amplifier. The project was sent to diyaudioprojects.com for posting when Gio gets it massaged for use there. (allow a few days please). Anyhow the amplifier part is simple but the power supply a little more complicated. An easy and fairly cheap (probably under $150 if you are frugal) project that has really nice sound. Very quiet, full range and can drive nearly any phones. Best matches are with 32 to 300 ohms. Others may work ok depending on their sensitivity and impedance. The schematic is attached. The power transformer is about $15 from Edcor and the outputs are about $18. index.php?t=getfile&id=899&private=0index.php?t=getfile&id=900&private=0

Good Listening
Bruce
Re: Headphone Amplifier [message #74295 is a reply to message #74291] Mon, 29 October 2012 22:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18670
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

Really nice looking, Bruce. Thanks for posting it here!

Re: Headphone Amplifier [message #74296 is a reply to message #74295] Mon, 29 October 2012 22:39 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gofar99 is currently offline  gofar99
Messages: 1895
Registered: May 2010
Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
hi Wayne, Thanks for the kind words. The full project covers how to build the amplifier and some considerations that might not be obvious from the schematic. Is there a place that such projects can be posted. Even though this is a short one, it is about 5 pages long.



Good Listening
Bruce
Re: Headphone Amplifier [message #74299 is a reply to message #74296] Tue, 30 October 2012 08:06 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18670
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

There is such a place. Let's put it in the group build forum!

Re: Headphone Amplifier [message #74334 is a reply to message #74299] Thu, 01 November 2012 22:43 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gofar99 is currently offline  gofar99
Messages: 1895
Registered: May 2010
Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
Thanks for reminding me, I had a senior moment. Just don't tell my spouse. Laughing Anyhow, this project and one for building a pair of class A valve mono blocks using EL84 are in the group build section. Razz

Good Listening
Bruce
Re: Headphone Amplifier [message #74668 is a reply to message #74291] Fri, 30 November 2012 00:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Azuri is currently offline  Azuri
Messages: 315
Registered: November 2012
Grand Master
Excellent contribution. Thank you. I'm learning more these days on how to get better audio from my sources of music, and you are helping in that regard.

Just thought I'd share that.
Re: Headphone Amplifier [message #85754 is a reply to message #74291] Tue, 01 August 2017 07:53 Go to previous messageGo to next message
dreamer13 is currently offline  dreamer13
Messages: 35
Registered: April 2016
Baron
Thank you for sharing, Bruce! To my understanding, the mobile phones or iPods nowadays are already equipped with an amplifier for the earphones. I am thinking of getting a better headphone in near future for my music needs, so I wonder if I also should get amplifier like this to boost the experience.
Re: Headphone Amplifier [message #85757 is a reply to message #85754] Tue, 01 August 2017 15:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gofar99 is currently offline  gofar99
Messages: 1895
Registered: May 2010
Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
Hi, Maybe. I would select the phones and try them first without an external amp. There is a fair probability they will work fine. The biggest difference between internal and external phone amps is generally the output power. Since most phones are fine with just a few milliwatts this is a good thing and an external amp is not needed. Now moving on to an external DAC and phone amp ...then there may be some benefits. Externals can have more processing power and better components so the sound can be better. To a large extent it depends on the source material. If all you have is MP3s then the external DAC will not do much. If your source is high resolution stuff then you could notice significant benefits. All my phones are various models of Sennheisers. I don't find it necessary to use an external amp or DAC with the stuff I listen to. YMMV.

Good Listening
Bruce
Re: Headphone Amplifier [message #86108 is a reply to message #74291] Wed, 13 September 2017 13:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
mamoss is currently offline  mamoss
Messages: 185
Registered: May 2016
Master
Reading this, I just wish that I had skills that match yours gofar. Too bad that I dropped Physics just after high school. Just out of curiosity, how much would this cost now?
Re: Headphone Amplifier [message #86113 is a reply to message #86108] Wed, 13 September 2017 17:29 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
gofar99 is currently offline  gofar99
Messages: 1895
Registered: May 2010
Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
Hi, The cost to build one ought to be about the same as the parts are pretty common.

Good Listening
Bruce
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