It’s a fact — musicians and engineers need superior sound quality. After all, if you can’t hear the music, you can’t perform, track, or mix. Most engineers use monitors in the studio. Studio monitors are driven by a power amp that delivers suitable volume and ensures top-notch sound. Similarly, if you’re monitoring through headphones, you need a quality headphone amplifier to pump up the volume and guarantee optimal sound. On top of that, when you’re tracking a band or ensemble, you need to route and distribute backing tracks to multiple sets of headphones. And to ensure an inspired performance, each musician will need the option to tweak their own submixes. A headphone amplifier handles both of these tasks.
You may be wondering, “My audio interface has a headphone out — why do I need a separate amp?” Think about it — you just plopped down $600 for a set of first-rate headphones. Do you really want to listen to them through a $300 interface? Premium amplification reveals details that lesser units simply can’t match. We’ve used about every piece of gear on the planet here at Sweetwater, so take it from us — a dedicated headphone amplifier will supply you with unmistakable quality gains.
Rupert Neve Designs RNHP
If you want to give your headphones a good shot in the arm, there’s no better place to start than the RNHP from Rupert Neve Designs. Based on the headphone amp in the RND 5060 Centerpiece desktop mixer, the RNHP delivers no-compromise, reference-grade amplification.
Little Labs Monotor
Another great-sounding headphone amplifier is the Little Labs Monotor. This two-channel unit features a purist circuit topology with one state-of-the-art active stage per channel. The remainder of the circuit path is straight-wire passive, so it doesn’t color your sound.
When multiple musicians enter the picture, a dedicated headphone amplifier becomes even more vital. Sure, you can split the signal coming from your interface’s headphone output. But do you really want a bunch of headphones sharing the juice that was intended for one? That’s like firing a single cylinder of your car’s V6 and wondering why it only goes 5 MPH. Adding a headphone amp to your rig doesn’t need to be a huge investment, either. Sweetwater stocks several affordable units with useful features that supply you with enough headphone outputs to accommodate a four-piece band.
PreSonus HP4
The HP4 from PreSonus answers the project studio owner’s needs for headphone distribution with professional specifications and more in a 1/3-rackspace package. It sports four channels with dedicated volume controls for each channel.
Behringer Powerplay Pro-XL
The Behringer Powerplay Pro-XL HA4700 features four high-powered headphone amps to deliver your mix, allowing everyone to hear. Each channel features a two-band EQ, LED output meter, mute switch, and more.
ART HeadAmp 4
If you’re really on a budget, the ART HeadAmp 4 offers four channels of basic functionality at a rock-bottom price.
Sweetwater’s world-class on-site recording studio has worked with everything from small rock bands to massive classical ensembles. And what do all of these musicians have in common? They all want to hear themselves. That’s why many multichannel headphone amplifiers offer a “more me” option. The vocalist gets more vocals. The drummer gets more drums. The guitarist gets more guitar. The bassist gets more… you get the picture. Dealing with all of these requests can give the engineer a massive migraine. Luckily, all of these headaches are easily solved by placing a headphone amp in the recording room. This allows each musician to tweak their individual volumes without affecting everyone else’s submixes.
When you’re searching for a headphone amplifier, it pays to think ahead. If you’re going to be tracking five- or six-piece bands in the future, don’t buy a four-channel headphone amp — you’ll be back to splitting channels again. You need enough outputs to accommodate most groups that walk in your door.
ART HeadAmp6Pro
For a great feature-packed, bang-for-your-buck 6-channel headphone amp, look no further than the ART HeadAmp6Pro. It provides precise control over individual monitor mixes with separate Level and Balance controls, LED meters, and two-channel EQs.
PreSonus HP60
If want a bit more out of your headphone amp, the PreSonus HP60 also offers independent mix control, along with pro console features like talkback. The HP60 provides enough inputs for six sets of headphones.
Behringer MiniAmp AMP800
The Behringer MiniAmp AMP800 is an easy and low-cost way to power up to eight sets of headphones.
A headphone amplifier is an important component of any pro-quality studio. It’s a relatively small investment that offers a plethora of benefits. Whether you’re trying to upgrade your sound to meet the needs of your high-end headphones, or you need to supply a roomful of musicians with customized monitor mixes, Sweetwater has the perfect headphone amplifier to make your next project a successful one.
