Amps & DACs

We've been making this little beast for the better part of decade and our HeadRoom Total BitHead portable amp/USB DAC unit just keeps right on grooving. As designers/manufacturers of the first commercially available portable USB-DAC headphone amp, we're probably a bit biased but we have yet to hear anything that sonically out-classes our unassuming Total BitHead wunderkind at this price. The various upgrades we've made to the BitHead's internal circuit board and volume control design over the years have resulted in superb mobile sound for any headphones and all audio sources. The BitHead is an ideal 'entry' multi-purpose portable headphone amp ready to improve the sound of any computer, iPad, laptop, PC, iPod or mp3 player as well as other portable devices or home audio components. Expect to hear the bass solidly tighten up with more discernable texture, the highs become clean and articulate while all the music in between will sound audibly more coherent, transparently detailed and dynamically smooth.

The HeadRoom Total BitHead can be employed two ways: directly from the digital USB output of any computer OR as a battery-powered headphone amp to improve your iPod, iPhone, MP3 player, portable DVD/CD player, or other portable audio device. The BitHead becomes a killer-sounding soundcard for your computer due to the significantly clearer and better detailed Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) inside the BitHead. It also helps to have the digital conversion and analog amplification driving the headphones done externally outside the noisy electrical environment inside computers. So simply plug the USB output of your desktop, laptop, or notebook running Apple, Windows, or Linux into the Bithead -- most computers will automatically recognize the BitHead as its audio output -- then plug in one (or two!) headphones into the BitHead, play some music and enjoy. Your computer could become one of your favorite ways to listen!

When not connected via USB to a computer, the BitHead can run on four [4] AAA batteries (batteries not included) to amplify the signal via the headphone output [or 'line-out' dock] of your iPod, iPhone, MP3, or other portable player. The BitHead drives your headphones with much greater musical body and authority as it isolates the player's wimpy output amplifier power supplies from the load of the headphones. Hence, the BitHead will allow both your headphones and your player to sound better. (If you're not interested in using this amp with computers, then check our "analog input only" HeadRoom Total AirHead amp.)  Remember, all 'DACs' can only accept a signal from a DIGITAL audio source (like a computer laptop/PC or optical s/pdif connection, for example). Standard ANALOG line input can not trigger or activate a DAC processor and merely amplifies the original source file.

FEATURES:

Our HeadRoom BitHead has two parallel headphone jacks so both you & a friend can listen simultaneously. The lightweight black polymer plastic housing of the TBH is deceptively tough and can withstand some pretty rough use that could cause other portable amps to crack. Our world-famous HeadRoom Crossfeed switch improves stereo imaging to make your headphones sound more "open" -- like room speakers. You'll also find a small 'High/Low' gain switch inside the battery compartment allowing a perfect match between the BitHead unit and headphones / earphones of any impedance rating: use 'low gain' for sensitive in-ears; 'high gain' for all other headphones. The TBH also has a rotary volume control on the front panel and internal room for 4 'AAA' batteries that can power the BitHead for over 30 hours, depending on the headphones and listening volume.

Batteries are NOT included.

Please consult the HeadRoom BitHead manual or BitHead FAQ ['Frequently Asked Questions'] for more in-depth information on our made-in-the-USA (Bozeman, Montana) headphone amp / USB DAC!

Included with Total BitHead Amp/DAC:

12" Mini-to-mini analog interconnect cable

12" USB digital interconnect cable

Not what I expected
Posted by oceans22 from Orange County, CA on 2012-04-27

Recommend Product: No
Pros: Increases volume of iPod/iPhones
Cons: Remote on earbuds no longer functional using amp

Let me first start off by saying the customer service guys at Headroom are TOP NOTCH, friendly & always willing to give their advice. I think I did a decent amount of research before purchasing & had to try a couple of different headphone options. That being said....

The Bithead wasn't what I expected. I was SOOOO excited to get this thing. Being a car audio nut from the 90's I knew that the end sound is only going to be as good as the beginning source unit. That being said I knew not to expect hugely dramatic "sound quality" difference but the item does state it is a DAC which I figured I'd hear "SOME" sonic difference. NOPE!

All this amp did was crank up the volume a bit. And there was a lot of crackling & hissing when adjusting the volume. So if you listen to music primarily from your iPod or iPhone & have the volume cranked up 90% most of the time, this amp will allow you to ease the volume level of your phone back down to around 65% & still get the same loudness. That's it. Really I didn't hear anything different in the supposed conversion from digital to analog converter.

When I first bought it I had a pair of Sennheiser HD558's & yes it cranked up the sound much nicer then just listening to the cans straight from the iPhone or iPod. It did it's job power wise. Then I thought, "You know I'm going to get a pair of good in ear headphones, so I got the CX800i from Sennheiser primarily because it was a good set of "in ears" & it had the remote so I could control my music. Well, to my disappointment once you connect the CX800i through the Bithead the controller no longer works, I guess it needs direct connection to the source unit. I wish this would have been highlighted either with the Bithead or with Sennheisers manuals.

Anyway, it's hard to knock the product. Like I said, it partially does it's job, which is cheaply cranks up the sound. Buuuuuut as far as any sonic quality difference I didn't hear any. I know a lot of you are already saying, "Well look at what you're starting out with as a source". And yes I agree but I would think I would here at least 5% difference in sound quality? No?

I'll honestly probably sell this on eBay soon. Without the ability to control my music with the remote, it get's cumbersome having to unlock, control music, set down, unlock, reverse, set down, unlock forward, set down.

Lazy?? Yeah but it's a leisurely enjoyment so the remote should work through the amp.

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HeadRoom Response:

As explained in the HeadRoom Total BitHead product page and also the Total BitHead FAQ, a 'DAC' will only accept a signal from a DIGITAL audio source, like a computer laptop/PC via USB connection, for example. Standard ANALOG line input does not trigger/activate a DAC processor and merely amplifies the original source file. In this customer's analog line-in application, car audio systems can be prone to line-level analomalies and hiss emanating from the vehicle's own electrical circuitry. An analog 'line-out adapter' for iPod/iPhone to the amp -- as opposed to connecting via the player's headphone jack -- will also improve sound quality in this customer's car audio set-up.

As always, our HeadRoom 30-day 'no questions asked' return policy is at the ready for a full purchase price refund if not satisfied for any reason!

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nice for the price!
Posted by keal from Hawaii on 2012-03-29

Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: output for 2 headphones, no batteries needed for pc use, crossfeed anti-fatigue is great!

I like that you can uset 2 headphones, makes sharing audio easy, just tell someone to plug their earphones in when you want them to hear something. Also, the crossfeed switch helps prolong my headphone listening sessions - it really works well!

No cons on this product. I took this to work to let everyone sample it with their portable players. I left it on my desk and later in the day, someone hooked it to the cheap PC speakers and everyone was running to me saying 'come listen to this!' as people were going through Beatles, George Michael, and a host of other types of music. This amp REALLY makes desktop speakers sound absolutely fantastic! Wow, just wow.

I'm using this with rechargeable batteries and still going strong after 3 8-hour days.

My final verdict is that this is the perfect amp for sharing music on the go, and worth the price for the anti-fatigue crossfeed feature. A great entry-level amp for people who aren't yet ready to buy an expensive desktop amp.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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Great DAC & amp quality, good power on Sennh. HD 580
Posted by Jake from Seattle, WA on 2012-03-01

Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Good sound when not clipping, more powerful than sound card or mp3 player, USB powered.
Cons: Limited output power at 300 ohms, no or poor incoming USB power filtering

On my 10 year old Sennheisser HD 580, this amp has showed me the way - you can get more out of the headphones that you thought you knew well. I didn't know my headphones were this good until I tried them on the Total BitHead. I love the fact that it is powered by USB so I don't have to swap out batteries all the time (using it on my desk at work) and it frees me from the crappy on-board sound that standard PCs put out.

At 300 ohms, these headphones love to be driven at high voltages and that means that near the higher volumes with lots of bass, the amp runs out of steam and the red LED lights up like a (very small) christmas tree. This happens several times daily as I like certain songs for their powerful character - and some irritation is inevitable when you realize that you're clipping, again, and have to turn down the volume, again. But, consider the alternative; crappy sound no matter what volume you're at, is now a thing of the past. You'll close your eyes, smile from ear to ear, and you'll love your music like you did on your first walkman.

One little warning: if you have low resistance headphones (like Shure E3 for instance, they're 32 ohms) you will hear USB noise coming through the amplifier if you let your computer power the amp. Switch to batteries and the noise is gone, but you'll need new batteries every so often.

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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