Try your audioengine amp and see how you like it. You can email audioengine and ask them about what power specs it has. I think I'd do that before anything. I'd be suspicious of a 'no external power headphone amp'. I assume it runs from usb power. It may be ok for light listening but planar magnetic headphones are known to require some power. I'd look at Schiit headphone amps, reasonable prices and good products. Of course, monoprice also sells headphone amps.
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Headphone power requirements
Hey all --
I recently ordered a pair of the generally well regarded Monoprice Monolith 565C (closed back) headphones. This is my first "good" set of cans, so I am looking into requirements in terms of amplification. Unlike the open back version these closed back ones seem like they should be relatively easy to drive, at least based on stats. Specifically, impedance is listed at a very modest 18 or 20ohm depending on where you look (mostly I see 18), and Efficiency is 96db / mW.
I plan to use these presently in two listening setups:
1-- My desktop setup, currently a Schiit Modi DAC feeding an Audioengine N22 desktop amplifier. The N22 includes a headphone jack with a separate headphone amplifier section. Most reviews indicate the headphone amp is pretty good, though perhaps not quite in the league of good dedicated headphone amps. Unfortunately, what I can't find is any information, anywhere, on what kind of power it actually delivers. I know it's based on TI OPA2134 op-amps, but beyond that I can't find out much. I assume (but am not certain) it's the same or similar headphone amp section as is included in the Audioengine D1 DAC/headphone amp. Is anyone familiar with the N22 for headphone use? Thoughts on this? I could try to put a dedicated headphone amp like the Schiit Magni Heresy in the chain, but I start to run into issues with either having to use an audio switcher, or trying to use preamp outs which may color the sound to my speakers, so if the N22 headphone section will be decent I'd like to give it a go.
2-- A portable / laptop setup. I'd love to use something like the Schiit Fulla that doesn't require external power. Fulla delivers 300mw into 16 ohm and 200mw into 32ohm. There are lots of forum posts to the effect of "more power is better" but those posts always exist. Monoprice tech specs also indicate 1W is the ideal power for the 565C... but my back of the envelop calculations tell me that 1W is overkill and the Fulla should be more than enough for the 565C's modest impedance and efficiency numbers. I could go to the Schiit Hel, which pushes out in excess of 1W, but I lose the portability factor as it needs a wall wart. Thoughts on this? Am I missing something that would lead these cans to need more juice than the specs would otherwise suggest?
I realize, of course, that YMMV and "listen to it and decide" are always in effect, but nonetheless appreciate any thoughts from the headphone experts here!
I recently ordered a pair of the generally well regarded Monoprice Monolith 565C (closed back) headphones. This is my first "good" set of cans, so I am looking into requirements in terms of amplification. Unlike the open back version these closed back ones seem like they should be relatively easy to drive, at least based on stats. Specifically, impedance is listed at a very modest 18 or 20ohm depending on where you look (mostly I see 18), and Efficiency is 96db / mW.
I plan to use these presently in two listening setups:
1-- My desktop setup, currently a Schiit Modi DAC feeding an Audioengine N22 desktop amplifier. The N22 includes a headphone jack with a separate headphone amplifier section. Most reviews indicate the headphone amp is pretty good, though perhaps not quite in the league of good dedicated headphone amps. Unfortunately, what I can't find is any information, anywhere, on what kind of power it actually delivers. I know it's based on TI OPA2134 op-amps, but beyond that I can't find out much. I assume (but am not certain) it's the same or similar headphone amp section as is included in the Audioengine D1 DAC/headphone amp. Is anyone familiar with the N22 for headphone use? Thoughts on this? I could try to put a dedicated headphone amp like the Schiit Magni Heresy in the chain, but I start to run into issues with either having to use an audio switcher, or trying to use preamp outs which may color the sound to my speakers, so if the N22 headphone section will be decent I'd like to give it a go.
2-- A portable / laptop setup. I'd love to use something like the Schiit Fulla that doesn't require external power. Fulla delivers 300mw into 16 ohm and 200mw into 32ohm. There are lots of forum posts to the effect of "more power is better" but those posts always exist. Monoprice tech specs also indicate 1W is the ideal power for the 565C... but my back of the envelop calculations tell me that 1W is overkill and the Fulla should be more than enough for the 565C's modest impedance and efficiency numbers. I could go to the Schiit Hel, which pushes out in excess of 1W, but I lose the portability factor as it needs a wall wart. Thoughts on this? Am I missing something that would lead these cans to need more juice than the specs would otherwise suggest?
I realize, of course, that YMMV and "listen to it and decide" are always in effect, but nonetheless appreciate any thoughts from the headphone experts here!
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
Yeah trying the Audioengine is definitely step one. And I hear you on the Planar magnetics. That's sort of what caused me to ask the question. I know planars generally require some juice, and indeed headphones like the Monoprice 1060 have impedance ratings around 50ohm -- not huge, but higher than you'd want for USB power. The closed back versions have much lower numbers though -- 18ohm in the case of my set -- which led me to believe lower power might do the job. I may just have to try it out!Try your audioengine amp and see how you like it. You can email audioengine and ask them about what power specs it has. I think I'd do that before anything. I'd be suspicious of a 'no external power headphone amp'. I assume it runs from usb power. It may be ok for light listening but planar magnetic headphones are known to require some power. I'd look at Schiit headphone amps, reasonable prices and good products. Of course, monoprice also sells headphone amps.
Update -- the cans arrived today, and sound great without even being broken in. Thus far no QC issues, which is awesome.
Relevant to this discussion, I tried them plugged into a laptop's headphone jack, and plugged into the N22. Needless to say the N22 sounded better (combination of better Amp and my much better USB DAC no doubt). But interestingly, both got plenty loud. On both, a comfortable listening volume was in the 45-60% range. Anything over 70% would have been too loud to listen comfortably.
The fact the headphones got that loud on the notebook jack surprised me. I know loudness isn't the end all be all of amp power, but my understanding is it's at least an indicator? Perhaps, if a notebook jack can drive these, something like a Schiit Magni would indeed be overkill?
Relevant to this discussion, I tried them plugged into a laptop's headphone jack, and plugged into the N22. Needless to say the N22 sounded better (combination of better Amp and my much better USB DAC no doubt). But interestingly, both got plenty loud. On both, a comfortable listening volume was in the 45-60% range. Anything over 70% would have been too loud to listen comfortably.
The fact the headphones got that loud on the notebook jack surprised me. I know loudness isn't the end all be all of amp power, but my understanding is it's at least an indicator? Perhaps, if a notebook jack can drive these, something like a Schiit Magni would indeed be overkill?
1 - 4 of 4 Posts
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