
Product test
High-end DAC: eargasm or money down the drain?
by David Lee
Need more power for your headphones or just like to bang your eardrums out? That's what headphone amplifiers are for. Besides amplifying the music, they are also supposed to refine the sound. Their features differ depending on the area of application. Portable headphone amplifiers are no bigger than a power bank and are intended for connection between smartphone and headphones. HiFi headphone amplifiers, on the other hand, are not portable but are intended to raise the sound from the PC or HiFi systems to an excellent level.
In addition to the area of application, the connections are also important for the purchase. Most have a 3.5 mm or 6.3 mm headphone jack. The inputs are very different depending on the application.
Some models have a USB DAC. It converts the digital signal from the PC into an analog one and can thus be used as an external sound card.