So you got a new iPod for Christmas and think you are all set for your audio needs. Think again. There is a huge aftermarket for ipod cases, speakers, and car audio accessories, etc., but the most important aspect you should pay attention to is what you put in or on your ears. First, throw away those horrible sounding stock earbuds. To truly appreciate the quality of music you so lovingly encoded for you iPod, you have to get yourself a decent pair of headphones.
A good upgrade solution is the Total Bithead headphone amp, Sennheiser HD 555 headphones, and bag to hold available from the fine folks at HeadRoom (http://www.headphone.com). Montana-based Headroom makes fine headphone amps for the portable user up to the high-end audiophile, and has some of the best customer service around.
First of all, why a headphone amp? Basically, a headphone amp sits between your listening device and headphones. While your iPod makes a great storage device and interface for your music, the electronics to convert the digital files into sound are a bit lackluster and sometimes doesn’t have enough power to drive higher-end headphones properly. This is where a decent headphone amp can make a world of difference between your headphones and listening device. Some quality headphones need power to really make them shine. When I say power, I’m not necessarily talking about LOUDER, but giving the drivers of the 'phones enough juice to the drivers to make the music sound good and bring out details. Even earphones that don’t require much power can benefit from a headphone amp. So what about the Bithead?
The Total Bithead portable headphone amplifier is an upgrade from the regular Bithead available from Headroom with hot-rodded parts. I’m not sure exactly why the electronics of the Total Bithead are better than the regular version, for when I read sentences like “exhibits extremely tight tolerances in either +/- 2% or +/-5% configurations” I go cross-eyed... You can read all the nitty-gritty technical details here for yourself. But trust me, all that mumbo-jumbo must mean something because the amp sounds REALLY good.
The Total Bithead not only has a line-in you can plug your iPod into, but the device also has a built-in Digital-To-Analog converter (DAC) with a USB plug that you can use with your computer. This bypasses and in most cases sounds much better than the DAC in your computer’s soundcard. The DAC and portable nature make the amp not only suitable for portable iPod listening but also great for using while at work or home on the computer. My Mac and PC both had no problems recognizing the amp as an audio-out device via USB. Easy-breezy. That’s a sign of a good product. The Bithead is slightly bigger than an iPod, has two headphone outputs, and can run off of 4 AAA batteries or USB power.
First things I notice during listening with the Total Bithead is the clarity of bass and the increased “soundstage”. A good soundstage makes things sound almost 3D, bigger, fuller and with improved clarity of detail. Individual instruments are much more separated and stand out. When A/B’ing with and without amp, the difference in sound is dramatic. Without the amp, music sounds flat and lifeless. And don’t forget the bass, oh, the bass! The bass is not overwhelming but much more punchy, present and clear.
Headroom amps are also known for including a feature called “crossfeed”, which basically takes a bit of music from each channel and puts it in the other ear, to give a more “listening to speakers in a room” and more natural sounding effect. A great feature, that took me some time to notice and get used to, but now I’m hooked.
The Sennheiser HD 555 headphones not only sound good, but are comfortable to boot. The 555’s are a good compliment to the amp, and have the reputation of being a great bargain for how good they sound, compared with the top-notch, but expensive older brothers, the Sennheiser 600 and 650’s. After about a week or so of use, I definitely notice how much more airy things sound as compared to some of my other cans.
The package also came with one of Headroom’s own custom bags for hauling the phones and amp back and forth between work and home. The bag is sharp-looking, sturdy, and a great thing to have for convenience alone.
Worth mentioning that any headphone/amp combo sounds only as good as the source you are listening to. I would recommended playing high-quality encoded digital files (I encode my files at 320kbps AAC) or straight from CD to truly appreciate a good headphone amp and 'phones.
A decent amp and headphone set up can open up a whole new world of listening enjoyment. I’m very satisfied with my Total Bithead/Sennheiser HD 555 combo. But this hobby is addicting and not cheap. I’m already eyeing Headroom’s Micro amp/DAC stack combo and better headphones. Someone hide my wallet.
Be sure to visit HeadRoom (http://www.headphone.com) for more info on their fine products.
To learn more about the obsessive hobby of headphone collecting, check out Head-fi.org, a great resource for all things headphones.
Subscribe to Feed
