Amps & DACs

We've been making this little beast for the better part of decade now and our HeadRoom Total BitHead portable amp/DAC unit just keeps right on ticking. As manufacturers of the first commercially available portable USB headphone amp, we're probably a bit biased but we have yet to hear anything that sonically out-classes our unassuming 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 amplifier ready to improve the sound of any computer, iPad, iPod iTouch, MP3 player or any other portable device or home audio component. 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 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 since you'll find the tone significantly clearer and better detailed employing the excellent Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) inside the BitHead. It also helps having the digital conversion and analog amplification that drives 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 amp & 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.)

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 other portable amps might crumble under. 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 and our BitHead FAQ [Frequently Asked Questions] for more in-depth information on our own made-in-the-USA (Bozeman, Montana) headphone amp unit!

Included with your Total BitHead Amp/DAC:

12" Mini-to-mini cable

12" USB Cable

Poor match for HD-600
Posted by Wompwomp from Washington, DC on 2011-12-27

Recommend Product: No

When plugged into usb, lots of clipping and distortion at 2/3 volume with my HD-600 headphones. Was advised to use battery power and analog line-in for better performance... but I bought it for the DAC, so I wouldn't have to use my computer's soundcard! I'm sure it performs much better with some others but this amp performs terribly with high impedance headphones. This should be warned in the FAQ. Returned for refund.

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

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Brings even easy-to-drive headphones to a new level.
Posted by Daron Shade from Tucson, AZ on 2011-12-23

Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Value, portable, sonics
Cons: None

As an audiophile, I've owned a lot of very nice systems: from SET powered Lowther horns to electrostats, but when I started a family and began traveling more for work, the dedicated listening room went away and and so did the luxury of late- night listening sessions. I tried many headphones since then, and finally settled on the Ety ER4-P's as my sole choice for listening. I don't like getting used to a new sonic signature when I'm on the road or at home, so I found that my best travel phones were also my best all-around phones. I bought into the idea that low-impedance iem's didn't need an amp, but always felt there was still a little lacking in dynamics.

I bought the bit head for one main reason: I wanted to fight listening fatigue with the cross-feed feature. That improvement alone was worth the price of the bithead, but it gets better than that-

What amazed me about this amp was the increase in performance over any of my sources, especially my iPad with using the Camera Connection Kit's USB -out. Holy cow, the dynamics and instrument separation is leaps beyond what I thought possible with such a modest setup. I still don't have the visceral impact or pinpoint imaging of an expensive listening room, but the bit head brought my headphone listening experience up to a level of enjoyability that I hadn't realized possible for only a few hundred dollars..

I'd easily give it six stars if I could. it's obvious that the folks at headroom have a well thought out, well designed product and are charging a price that is more than fair.

Some of the reviewers state that they don't hear a difference with the cross feed on or off. In some recordings, I tend to agree. Sometimes it subtle, sometimes dramatic- but I can now listen for hours without needing a break for my ears. So I have to say unequivocally that crossfeed does work wonders forthe listening experience.

I also read in some reviews that the supplied USB cable is too short. Funny thing to me is that I actually swapped in a shorter one so I had less pocket clutter on the road. I guess it's a matter of taste, and the supplied cable seems to me to be a well-thought 'happy medium' that anyone can live with.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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What an amazing difference this product makes!
Posted by Symes from Raleigh, NC on 2011-11-08

Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Clarity of sound, dynamic range
Cons: seems to pick up crackles from adjacent iPhone, switches are pretty lightweight

So, I stumbled across headphone amps and while I often just dive in at the top, I thought I would see just what <$150 got me. Answer is, an amazing dynamic range, pure clean sound that makes you forget you have headphones on.

I have tried it with both a pair of Bose over ear noise canceling cans (the std aircraft issue) and the sound is leaps and bounds better than headphone out on my iPhone 4. I have also tried it with the USB out on my MacBook Pro and that too sounds great (although the MacBook Pro does seem to have a pretty decent headphone amp compared to many laptops.

My only criticism so far is that if you sit one device on top of the other (as the pictures suggest) then you get the occasional crackles as (I assume) the amp is picking up interference from the iPhone. I suspect that with a regular iPod that is not an issue - nor was there an issue with the MacBook. Once you hit about 4-5" away from the phone (about the limit of the supplied cable) then it mostly goes away.

I also like the fact that you can power the amp from the laptop USB socket - thus saving batteries even if you are listening to the iPhone not the computer. Though for some reason you can use a USB cable into an Apple wall adapter as a makeshift power supple - that surprised me.

When I uploaded all my CDs to iTunes I sampled them at 320 instead of 128 bit rate and previously I could only hear the difference when playing through the home audio system. Now the difference through the headphones is quite startling.

I also have a pair of Ultimate Ears triple-fi (which I absolutely love anyhow) and these come alive with this amp - hadn't really expected that so I'm jumping up and down about this product right now!


One final thing - I ordered both the SendStation and the Fiio cable to provide alternatives for Line Out from the iPhone - I figured there probably wouldn't be much difference. There is. For me at least, the Fiio is way superior to the SendStation, the latter does have the benefit that you can now charge an iPhone from any Mini-USB out (doesn't seem picky) which is great... But the sound, while acceptable with the SendStation, seems thin compared to the Fiio. The Fiio also fits much better and locks in.

12 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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