Rupert Neve Designs RNHP 1-channel Precision Headphone Amplifier Reviews

I just tried the amp with my new headphones and the work great with my DVD player watching a video. I use it when I do my ukulele lessons. It makes a difference versus without the headphone amp. Thanks again for my recent purchase

I'm so excited that this even exists. I don't even know where to begin. I'm a mess. I, for a long time, was under the impression that getting a high-quality DAC is the most important thing for stepping up headphone quality. I bought an RME Babyface Pro FS under the impression that this was it; this was nearing the... financially reasonable, cutting-edge of quality for headphones. I didn't think having a headphone amp would do... that much, if not clear up some of the audio and give your headphones power but that was it. Like, it wouldn't do that much at all. But I wanted to make an investment in stepping up my audio game and god, GOD this thing is so amazing. I'm so much more impressed with THIS than I was with the Babyface regarding output audio quality. EVERYTHING sounds better. I thought it was me, having problems discerning certain frequencies, transient response, compression, being unable to exactly locate things across the soundstage... my multiple pairs of headphones sounding uncomfortable across certain frequencies, and then testing out multiple types and levels of headphone correction to deal with that... constantly listening to music to try to improve that... this thing, man. It just fixed almost everything across that. I've had this thing for like a few hours and I'm still just so shocked. I'm so impressed. Every song I load up I just get so excited. All songs just have so much more depth, and rhythm, and so many smaller elements to them. All the sounds are just so much more detailed, and they have actual width to them, WIDTH. I've never even really HEARD width before, as far as I can tell, not like this. It was so vague before. Now it's REAL. REAL width, god, it's so exciting. And hard-panning too, it just sounds so cool. All of the things I've listened to- gosh, I need to just listen to everything I've ever listened to and just listen to it again. Songs I've known my whole life just- woosh! Entirely brand-spanking new, and wide, and so COOL, god, god, I'm so excited- this is so exciting. I really just thought it was my headphones and my lack of personal skill-... I was so certain, too! For reference, before, I would just listen to my headphones plugged straight into the RME Babyface Pro FS's headphone outputs. I own a DT770 Pro 250 ohm, Sony MDR-7506, and Austrian Audio Hi-x55. I thought the DT770 had a basically impossible to listen to, harsh high-end that I could not stand. It sounded great with EQ, but just awful without it. Pretty good for self-monitoring, though. Now I think it's so much easier to listen to, still bright, a bit sibilant, but awesome. Drums sounds just so lovely through them too. Same goes for the 7506's. I used to think they were so muffled and the midrange so weird that it was basically just good for the sub-bass and low-end and general presentation and that was all, sort of low-quality. But they're just so alive now! And so much more detailed than I thought. A little less detailed than the 770's, but that's okay- they still reproduce music just fine. And the x55's. I'm just blown away. They're the most expensive of the three pairs, more than twice as expensive as a 770 and more than three times as expensive as a 7506. They're ridiculously detailed, and I always thought of them as sharp, sibilant, but extremely accurate, and a little bit cone-y. Honestly it's so weird but, all of the issues I had with frequency response have just vanished because of this amp. I used to really struggle listening to these headphones for long periods of time because they were just so weirdly tuned. They were just walls of muffled noise as far as I was concerned. But now they're so real- so alive. That cone-yness is so much less present, because the sound is just spread around so much more. Less one big muffled annoying noise, more like a proper sound now. I used to think things like acoustic guitars just sounded so ugly. The body resonance so terrible. But these just sound so proper now, I almost feel stupid for thinking that way, aha. The 55's also have the- easily- best placement across the soundstage and detail retrieval of the three pairs. God, it was so weird, SO weird, every SINGLE track I listened to through the 55's just sounded so different. You just heard so many different sounds you've never heard in your LIFE listening to those tracks. So many weird things. And you could kind of easily tell where different things were placed too, along the soundstage. Exactly how wide drums elements were, or bass elements, or etc. it was so cool. And weird. I love this thing so much. God, I'm just thinking about all the money I'm gonna spend on amps in the future, haha. Seriously consider buying one of these or an amp at all if you need headphones to sound good. This thing in particular, though? Quite awesome. Also it's built sturdy as hell. This thing is like a metal rock. One thing that's worth mentioning, too: keep phones away from cabling. I've noticed that if I point the top-ends of iPhones towards and up against either the amp's power cable, or the headphone cable, it causes audible static noises. I thought I did something wrong, haha. Okay go buy it now :)

You just have to try it for yourself. It brings any headphone to life !

Awesome Sound!!! Need to connect the RNHP direct from the Steinberg URRT4 Line out 1-2. Powers 80Ohm Sony MFR 7506 Headphones with tons of power to spare. Listening @ 10 AM = loud Clear Distinctive sound - you hear all the instruments surgically. Like you are right there on the soundstage. Yes, it is expensive. Definitely worth it. Plan to mix on headphones checking mixes with an Avantone mono Speaker / Sony NS10's + Subwoofer if needed. Right now, the RNHP is purly amazing.

This amp is fantastic. I'm hearing layers of tracks, music and details that I honestly didn't know existed. Mac Studio to a Focusrite 18i20 to the Neve….fantastic. Thank you Nate for all the advice!!

I was buying a new set of headphones, Neumann NDH 20, and my sales engineer Greg O'Keefe suggested I look into the RNHP 1 headphone amp. I did some research and saw that it got great reviews. So, I bought it and eagerly awaited its arrival, along with my new headphones. Well....OMG!! This headphone is a game changer. It is so clean and really brings out the true nature of your headphones. I also have a pair of Sennheiser HD 650's and they never sounded so good, a real noticeable difference. I A/B my other headphone amp with both the Neumann and the Sennheiser and there was an unnerving difference. The NDH 20 is a bit pricy for a single channel headphone amp...but worth every penny IMHO. I have yet to go wrong listening to my Sweetwater rep, they really know their sh.. over there!!!

This unit sound very good. It could easily drive any headphones to glory.

First, I have the best Sales Engineer(s) @ Sweetwater - Zach Shepard and his team - Collins. Earlier, Mason Boisvert was great as well. A/Bing RNHA against Behringer's Monitor 2USB Headphone out, the RNHA brings you deep into the music. You are almost a 3-D part of it. Sound is warmer. Germanium chips? Backing vocals - congas - drums pop crisp. Presence is awesome. Vocals are wrapped in the music such that it feels like you're standing in a live performance right near the band. Glad I listened to the people here, and took the plunge. Well worth the expense! It's a NEVE!!!!!

I am still amazed at how much information was being lost in the amplifier. It sounds so natural and full. It makes my phone sound like a Neve console with the 3.5 mm imput and when I plug my Topping DX7pro DAC into the XLR jacks and crank up the Sennheiser HD800S's, I can finally hear all of the music for the first time in my life. I highly recommend this unit. The Topping DX7 pro has a very good headphone amplifier, but I prefer the Neve sound even though the difference is very hard to discern. It is a matter of personal preference over technical specifications. I have been listening to it for a year and a half and I am still very impressed with it.

I already wrote a review and I really love this unit. The Neve RNHP is worth every penny and since I got a pair of Sennheiser HD800S's, I really appreciate it more than ever. The Topping DX7 PRO DAC has a very good headphone amplifier built in, but it sounds lifeless compared to the Neve, even though it has balanced outputs. I am getting some satisfaction from the HD800S's, the DX7 PRO, and the Neve headphone amplifier, listening to Qobuz and USB audio player pro. I can definitely recommend this setup for your personal listening system. It is like listening to the music with a microscope.

I can't believe how much information was being lost in the amplifier! It is the best thing I have ever spent money on for sound equipment. I have a Topping DX7 pro and Sony MDR CD3000 and SA5000 and I am so happy with the way it sounds. The built in headphone amplifier in the DX7 pro is not bad, but it doesn't really compare with the Neve. I have had it for almost a year now and I can't recommend anything more. I would like to try some sennheiser HD800s but I love the CD3000's the most!

I mean, it's a Neve. Great connectivity options and crystal clear sound. Built very solid with a nice compact form factor. I'm impressed with the unit. Plenty of gain on tap without going into excessive volume. Highly recommended.

I have had over 20+ headphone amps here at my house, solid state, hybrids, tubes etc...all great amps. So why did I buy a RHNP, when I have a PassLabs HP1A, Schitt Jotenheim 2, BH Mainline and many others? Its because it is a stellar amplifer that is well designed and is a reference amp. One that is neutral and demanding. It provides a good baseline to judge other amps. Its that good. Its very well built by a master of audio reproduction. Solid like a tank. No frills, no VU meters. no exotic crossfeed just a CLASS A amplifier that does one thing well, amplify. It has enough power to drive most any headphones with the usual HE6SE type of inefficient headphone but for 95% of headphones this amp does just fine. I use Meze Emperyeans, HD650's, HEDD Headphones, Focal Clears, and others with this amp with excellent results.

If you dont want to spend mega-bucks and have an excellent headphone amp for $... this amp is a good choice. Yes there are other vendors that have great products as well but this amp with the neat little Neve "red" volume knob is a real delight.

Due to the pandemic, I'm in a situation where I can no longer use my monitors to mix and master. This thing is a lifesaver. It's powerful. It brings out the finest details and after a few days of use, I'm noticing ear fatigue is not as bad as it was without it. Detail at low volumes, and I don't feel like it's killing me when I turn it up a bit. The soundstage is noticeably better, and even listening to streaming services through it is pure joy. I think I listened to like two hours of Spotify on it the first night. Couldn't get enough. I have yet to do some serious projects through it, but I have no doubt that it will improve my mixes. I'm honestly just happy that my overall listening experience to everything I've run through it has improved. Bravo Neve!

Yes, it's a bit pricey, but a) it's a Neve, and b) IT SOUNDS FANTASTIC!
I was struggling with the headphone output from my interface; it was weak, and to match the volume levels set in my room I had to crank the output, and that led to artifacts. I tried some other headphone amps but they added color to the sound. I primarily use a pair of Shure1840's for mix check and general listening, and they are 'corrected' with Sonarworks Reference 4, so the weak link was my headphone amp. Enter the Neve RNHP, and what a difference. I listened to about 6 hours of music after i wired them up; I just couldn't stop! So good; clean, powerful sound.

It's worth every penny.

I bought the RNHP to power my in ear monitors. It replaced a Behringer P1. I can't get over what a huge step up the RNHP is over the Behringer. My IEMs are an older pair of custom molded 1964 Ears, the predecessor to what is now 64 Audio. I had been thinking I needed new in ears, but I became suspicious that maybe the cheapie P1 was the real problem so I made the purchase. I used the RNHP at a gig last night and the improvement in sound was remarkable. My IEMs no longer sounded tinny and harsh. My steel guitar and the vocals, and really everything else, sounded sweet and pleasing. The RNHP... saved me from making an unnecessary purchase of about $1000 for new IEMs that probably wouldn't have solved the problem. I used to dread having to use IEMs, but now I look forward to using them.

If you listen to music on headphones a lot, -either professionally or for pleasure, then you need the Rupert Neve Designs High Precision Headphone Amplifier. Once you've listened through the RNHP you may not be able to go back to listening to your headphones driven by anything else.

The RNHP delivers tight, well defined bass, and transient response like you've never heard through headphones before. It brings out detail that will make you want to listen to every recording you've ever loved all over again. The sound is clean, quiet, and punchy.

The three inputs are each optimized for every kind of source you might want to feed to it: XLR/TRS balanced inputs for studio line levels, RCA for "domestic stereo" sources, and stereo mini plug for personal music players and smartphones. And it's built like the proverbial tank.

The only downside I can see is that it lacks a left/right balance control (not everyone's ears match perfectly, -mine certainly don't). Oh, and the illuminated push buttons for input selection might seem a tad bright in a darkened room. But overall I highly recommend this unit.

I'm so pleased by this headphone amplifier! It feels incredibly balanced and provides an enhanced sense of performance. I also noticed that it reduces the harshness that some headphones can have, particularly in the higher end, while still being entirely truthful. If headphones are your primary mixing tool this is an entirely worthwhile purchase!

Superb quality sound...built solid like a tank...the product lives up to its name...

Wall wart is only gripe...but the unit does run on 24v so that professional grade headroom minimizes the wart negatives.

Did my FOMO ("Fear of Missing Out") get the better of me this time?

I want to say that the sound yielded by this no-nonsense piece of gear is OUTSTANDING, but then I remember that the word "outstanding" is relative, that the piece in question must "stand out" in comparison with other pieces. So whether or not it "stands out" for you as superior depends on what your other pieces are. In my case we"re talking about the headphone jacks on the RME ADI-2 (original, not Pro) and TASCAM DA-3000. In that comparison, the sound on the RNHP does not, to my ears, stand out as decidedly superior to those pieces. It is every bit as good (no pun intended).

Which is to say that it sounds FANTASTIC — as in, the kind of sound reproduction you fantasize about: full soundstage, rich tones, depth, dimension, detail, clarity, the works. Really, really, great. When I put on my headphones and start listening, the point of "that"s enough, then" remains implicitly over the horizon. (The headphones, by the way, are Audio-Technica ATH-M70x.) This is the kind of sound that makes me want to invest in a pair of open-backed headphones so I can listen to music while still keeping my ears open for the family.

So, for me, they"re fantastic, but not outstanding, because of a wealth of options — which makes them, in my current setup, superfluous. Into the A inputs I"m running two balanced cables from the analog output of the ADI-2. I could just as well plug my headphones directly into the ADI-2 and get the same result. (If there is a difference in tone quality, it must be more subtle than me; I have yet to discern it.)

When I plug my iPod into input C, the difference, not surprisingly, is huge — exponentially bigger soundstage than plugging headphones or earphones into the iPod directly. But so what? If I"m listening in my study, I won"t be using the iPod, and I obviously won"t be carrying the RNHP on the train or in the car or on a plane. Sure, I could use it in other rooms of the house, but I"m not inclined to make the effort. In any event, my iPod is passing the torch later this year to the Astell&Kern AK70 MkII — a piece that, according to all reports, produces "audiophile quality" sound.

So what"s the point, then? Input B. RCA connectors…

Vinyl.

I have a small but precious collection of vintage records and opera sets sitting on my shelf awaiting the return into my life of a suitable turntable. What will I do then? Several reviewers have raved about the ability of the DA-3000 to capture vinyl"s analog richness in the digital realm. So I"m looking forward to archiving these treasures that way. But what if I want to savor that analog goodness as directly as possible? Well...

Maybe I should hang onto this thing. Its finest hour is yet to come.

I'm a bass player that just needed a wired solution for in ear monitors. I have great IEMs (JH Audio JH16 Pros) but the cheaper headphone amps lacked clarity. Once I setup the RNHP it was like night and day. I could hear the bass drum and my bass clearly. Amazing clarity and rich warm sound. Also sounds great playing songs off my iPad through the RNHP - same warmth! One of the best investments I have made. Try it out. Great Sweetwater service as usual from Zach, of course.

My only complaint about this product is that they don't have a multi channel version that takes more than one headphones (minor stuff), other than that, its really accurate.

The RNHP is a dream. I own a pair of Sennheiser HD600s, and the depth of clarity and headroom this amp creates is unmatched. This device was expensive, sure, but the quality of my headphone mixes surpassed what I thought possible. I owe much of this change to the RNHP.

"While most headphone amps are cars, this thing is a tank!" -- a Peer (he is correct.)

I have a UAD Apollo System (new generation Apollo 8 and a Twin - mkII) in my home studio. The room is treated well and has a good pair of monitors, but I often find myself using headphones to mix - especially late at night or early mornings, not wanting to bother others in the house.

I ordered the RNHP to test against the headphone amps in the two Apollo units. The difference was immediately apparent and quite stunning. Through my Beyer DT880 Pro headphones, which are a fairly high impedance model, the Neve provided excellent power, greater, more accurate clarity in the upper midrange, tighter more defined low end and an overall strength to the sound.

Most of the recordings done here are singer-songwriter productions with acoustic instruments and vocals at the center supported by drums, bass and keyboards. The RNHP eliminates the upper midrange "smearing" that seemed to be present in other stock interface headphone amps, providing much better stereo definition and imaging. When monitoring through the RNHP adjustments to EQ and compression on tracks became much more defined and precise and I found myself making finer changes with with greater control.

I ran similar tests on a variety of music with Focal Spirit Pro and Sennheiser HD380 Pro and HD280 Pro headphones and the results were similar.

This was well worth the modest price to substantially upgrade my monitoring system. Very very happy!

Very nice Headphone Amp from Rupert Neve. As with all the products bearing his name, this thing reproduces sound and music the right way, with total fidelity. Expanded and enhanced the music I was hearing in clarity, fidelity and stereo imaging. Really a great product. Perhaps priced a smidge too high, but you can tell the thing is built to last, and is a real peice of pro gear, so maybe worth the little extra.

Read all the forums and reviews....my own conclusion after a couple weeks is that it is amzaing.

My go to headphones are denon 2000, westone um2, and senn 600 for mix/monitoring. My audio gear testing music for the past couple decades is Smashing Pumpkins siamese dream, Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue, MJ wanna be starting' somthin' and B.I.G's Juicy.

Drives the 600 with no problem but you will be at noon to 3 o'clock volume, the um2s are in your brain bass heaven, I don't go past 9 o'clock on these. This fits the denon 2000 like a glove making a very very fun rock, rap, pop experience.

Fidelity, separation, and honesty are the name of the game. It is not sterile or sharp, but will know very quickly if your mix is. I have tested all my current dacs and all the inputs, it is VERY quite. Using the monitor out with TS to rca from Antelope zen, no noise and plenty of volume. 1/8 inch from your phone will also put a smile on your face. Shielding is good, I can send data (wifi and cell signals) with the phone on top of it...no robot alien artifact .

Using this compared to other amps or amp/dac will be preference if you want another way to color or glue the sound, besides using different sets of headphones...For the price, it can't be beat.

But the primary duty of this unit is monitoring your mix. I have access to a few nice studios in a certain city in the Northwest where I get to be a fly on the wall. YOU CAN get 90% of your mix in your home if a good room and monitors are out of the question for the music and work on balance and picture best you can with your room.

Stop reading this review. Scroll to the top and buy it. Rupert Neve is a well-known audio legend and his headphone amp is nothing short of unbelievable. The RNHP is a desktop-sized amplifier based on the headphone amp circuitry in the 5060 Centerpiece Desktop Mixer. Technical specs aside, there's a beautifully phenomenal listening experience with the RNHP. The longer I've been producing music, the more important I think it is to use a proper headphone amp like the RNHP to drive your headphones or in-ears. The biggest thing I notice is an amazing clarity and smoothness to the sound spectrum. Comparisons with other devices has left me with this primary take-away: there is so much power with this amp and such a low resistance that it's able to deliver both powerful transients and amazing detail immediately following any transients. The best way I can describe it is that I feel like there's no "recovery" period following a strong impulse, a recovery period where there's usually a loss of detail. The RNHP is able to deliver an incredible amount of detail, distance, and depth. My life is now changed.

This headphone amp is unreal



this amp is built solid all metal I love the knob.the sound is like nothing
I have ever heard before the separation the detail the balance and the sweetness of the sound is unbelievable
I have focal sony and grado headphones the best I heard. Thank you Rupert neve it is a master piece
I will be buying more neve equipment .thank you Ben porter you guys and galls are the greatest

The RNHP is the first Rupert Neve product I've owned and I certainly see why his gear has such a fine reputation. Even average headphones take on a new life with this amp. I'm no golden ears, but I can hear a clear difference. The amp is also very flexible. You can throw any kind of device into it and it works well. It also works with a range of headphone types. For all the money I've wasted on "better" headphones over the years, I should have bought the RNHP first and then judged the headphones based on it. It is a game changer for me.

I've had a lot of headphone amplifiers over the years, but nothing like the Rupert Neve RNHP. This is one stunning improvement to headphone sound! I liked it because it's very versatile, allowing virtually any kind of input and it has the power to drive any type of headphones well. But I was not prepared for the almost three-dimensional sound from it. I even tested a small MP3 player with it and have never heard it sound so good. For pros who depend on headphones, this is the device to get. For home audiophiles who want the best, look no further. This takes classic Neve design and makes it compact and affordable. It is a WOW product!

The RNHP is a step up from the GRADO headphone amplifier I have been using. It is more balanced and realistic.

The GRADO is very good but together with GRADO 1000 headphones is sounded too open for the purpose of accurate mic placement. When I listened to one of my choral with orchestra recordings on the RNHP with my eyes closed, I felt drawn into the musical experience.

It's got Neve's name on it so it's gotta be great, right? Not amazing, but pretty good except for the screaming.

The GOOD: No or minimal distortion at high output or input. Switchable sources. Volume pot isn't junk. Not much color as far as I can hear. It'll push anything you plug into it.

The BAD: Power cycle causes the components to SCREAM into the output at any volume level. I'm amazed that kind of headphone abuse is legal, but it's better than a killer pop. Not a big deal, but here's what ate a star: TAKE OFF YOUR CANS BEFORE YOU POWER DOWN or you'll regret it. This is the only warning you'll get since the manual doesn't say jack.