Amps & DACs

The HeadRoom BitHead is a perfect entry-level headphone amplifier to use with your computer, iPod, or portable player and high-quality headphones. You'll hear the bass tighten up, the highs become clean and articulate, and the all the music in between will sound much more coherent, detailed, and liquid. The BitHead can be used two ways: with the USB output of any computer; or as a battery powered headphone amp to improve your iPod, Mp3 player, portable DVD/CD player, or other portable audio device.

The BitHead is sort of like a soundcard for your computer and any headphones. You'll find the sound quality vastly improved employing the better digital-to-analog converter (DAC) of the BitHead, and having the digital conversion and the analog electronics that drive your headphones done outside the noisy environment of the computer hard-drive. Simply plug the USB output of your desktop, laptop, or notebook computer running Apple, Windows, or Linux operating systems into the Bithead---most computers will automatically recognize the BitHead as its audio output---then plug in your headphones, play some music, and enjoy. Your computer may now become one of your favorite ways to listen.

The BitHead can also run on four [4] AAA batteries to drive your quality headphones and amplify the signal from the headphone output (or line-out) of your iPod, Mp3, or portable player. The BitHead will power your headphones with much greater musical authority and clarity, and will isolate the player's wimpy output amp & power supplies from the complex load of the headphones. The BitHead will allow both your headphones and your portable player to sound audibly better. (If you're not interested in using this amp with a computer, then check out our Total AirHead amp.)

The BitHead has two headphone jacks so both you & a friend can listen at the same time. The HeadRoom Crossfeed switch improves stereo imaging to make your headphones sound better and more like speakers. You'll also find a little high/low gain switch inside the battery compartment that allows a perfect match between the BitHead unit and headphones or earphones of any impedance rating. It also features a rotary volume control on the front panel and has internal room for 4 'AAA' batteries that can power the BitHead for well 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 the unit!

Included:

12" Mini-to-mini cable

12" USB Cable

Average Customer Rating:
(based on 53 reviews)

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Fair amp for an OK price
by niels from Reston, VA on 2010-01-06

Pros: SMall, portable, standard batteries, sounds OK, easy computer connection
Cons: Power management poorly implemented
Would you recommend this product: No

On the good side: With a new set of batteries, connected to line-out on an iPod (with a little line-out adapter also sold here) this Amp sounds pretty good on Etymotics ER-4 headphones. The problem the ipod normally has (not enough power to drive the phones) is completely solved. Sounds awesome, love it.

When the batteries start to go (even as little as four hours in)... distortion happens. Badly. Problem is easily solved by replacing batteries (4 x AAA), however this is a far cry from the claims. When in this state, the red LED (which is supposed to light when this happens) does initially not light.. It takes many more hours (distorted sound and all) for said LED to start lighting up.

When connected to USB, it is possible to use USB power. Unfortunately, it seems that a connection to a computer is required. When I plug in a USB power pack or adapter, the device does not seem to be able to power up successfully. This is a little disappointing since I had hoped to use the USB port (without a connection to dirty computer power) to power up this amp.

The internal DAC works great with my Macbook, one settings change in System Preferences and all sound comes out of the Amp. Again, using the Etyomtics headphones, it's a great improvement... As long as I am running on laptop battery. The moment I plug in my power adapter and external monitor, a nice loud hum appears on the headphone output (due to a dirty power issue in the laptop I assume). Even running the amp from batteries, I cannot find a way to get rid of the hum.

This amp works well enough as long as I keep on swapping batteries every few hours and do not connect to my laptop when it's plugged in to wall power and a monitor. I had hoped for something that had a better power supply.

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

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Does Its Job Well
by Thunderbird from Tacoma, WA on 2010-01-07

Pros: Build quality, value
Cons: Size
Would you recommend this product: Yes

The Bithead has worked very well for me- I use it with my Grado SR125 to listen to music off of a powerbook. I haven't had any hum or power supply noise problems, I think the last reviewer needs to change the gain setting. The DAC works as adverstised, but it's nothing too special. I could barely tell the difference between the line in and USB, they both sounded good. This amp makes my laptop sound great, and that's what I needed at the time. It'd be hard to beat this DAC/amp at this price point. Others do it better, but at 3-4x the price.

It's solidly built, but the rubber top took a little getting used to. The gain switch is easy to use and the clipping light works as it should. My complaint is the size- it's a bit clunky, and definitely odd shaped. I don't think it would be too hard to shrink it a bit.

I'd still recommend this amp as an introduction to high end headphone audio. It was my first commercial amp, and I still use it. Buy away!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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A Must Have For PC & Portable Music Players
by DAT guy from Houston, TX on 2010-01-25

Pros: Great Sound - Low Cost - No Brainer
Cons: Not the shiniest or slimmest
Would you recommend this product: Yes

Since 1996 I have been a believer in the sonic magic that HeadRoom products produce. Value comes first - build quality and the ability to hold up is something to consider when buying electronics. My 1996 Supreme upgraded in 2001 to Reference still kicks ass today; now that is real value. Second does this component make a real sonic improvement, not some snake oil BS - can you hear the improvement? Well the BitHead lives up to both my first and second requirements by tranforming my LAME MP3 files back in to sound that gets me excited about the music - how it can do that for $159 is simply amazing. I don't like traveling with $600 headphones so I am here to say that any good midrange ear buds or cans will sound great with the BitHead between your PC or Droid etc. - Don't belive me just try it and you'll be a beliver too. Oh, PS don't tell my wife that I take the BitHead to bed with me while I am traveling for the most excitiment a married guy can have while on the road!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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Great companion for computer and portable listening
by contrabass from Pittsburgh, PA on 2010-01-16

Pros: USB powered, two outputs, killer sound
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I purchased this to replace a three-year-old mint tin amp that had developed a bad output jack. This was an upgrade in every sense; even though the old amp was connected to an external sound adapter, the BitHead whips the heck out of it. When the computer is silent, the headphones are silent--I can't detect any hiss or buzz.

It works perfectly under Mac OS X, no drivers or downloads needed. Just find a spare USB port, switch your sound output device, and go. I use the BitHead to drive a pair of Sennheiser HD-595s and they really sing.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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Best $$$ I've spent on Audio
by DJAS from San Francisco, CA on 2010-01-15

Pros: Convenient, Innocuous, Blows away my macbook's onboard sound
Cons: Slightly susceptible to electrical interference, which also sounds great
Would you recommend this product: Yes

The "dramatic" improvement the company claims is no exaggeration. The TBH just arrived and I’m 4 minutes into listening to my first track with my Porta Pro Jrs. I’m caught between being stunned to stillness while at the same time wanting to dance in my chair. This thing is amazing. Not to sound like too much like an infomercial, but my only wish is to have acted sooner.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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My first amp. Maybe my only amp!
by Rocket Richard from San Diego, CA on 2010-01-21

Pros: Good value
Cons: electrical noise in certain situations
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I get significantly better sound with portable cd players and ipods using this amp. It is most noticeable in improved bass response which makes music much more satisfying. It also seems to make everything sounder fuller and crisper. The crossfeed circuit makes a subtle difference, but reportedly some recordings benefit more than others. I generally just leave it on. It's possible that it makes long listening sessions less fatiguing. I run this amp with rechargeable batteries, Sanyo Eneloop that work great. They maintain most of their charge for a whole year when not used. I get at least 20 hours on a charge, I don't know exactly. I have found it also improves the standard sound on pc laptops and pc desktops. I installed an aftermarket high quality audio card in a desktop, and found that there was not a great difference in sound, although the bithead seemed quieter. However, on my new 2009 iMac 21.5 inch 3.06 Ghz, I can't really tell the difference so far in sound quality between the bithead and the Mac. This just means Apple has done a good job. On the downside, if you turn the volume up on the Bithead when connected to the iMac, you will hear electrical noise through the Bithead that you won't hear directly from the iMac through its headphone out. I hear more noise from the Bithead when it's connected via USB rather than headphone out. But I hear no noise when connected to an ipod or a battery-operated cd player.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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Nice pocket amp
by dwf_n_ca from Mountain View, CA on 2010-01-17

Pros: Greater dynamic range, fits in coat pocket
Cons: Too many cables to organize, crossfeed not that impressive
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I bought the Total BitHead to use with my iPOD touch and Sure SE530 head phones.
I use a pocket dock to connect the iPOD line out to the line in on the AMP.

I notice greater dynamic range pretty much across the board on the music I listen to, mostly alternative indy stuff.

I was expecting more from the crossfeed function than I observed. In most cases there was no detectable difference with it on or off.

I did not get the headroom sholder bag cause I do not care for the way it looks.
The Total BitHead easily fits in my coat pocket. Cable organization can be a bit of a challenge though not that big a deal.

Over all I like it and consider it a good value for the money.



1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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good value for specific purpose
by dmpbyrdwatcher from SF area on 2010-01-17

Pros: cheap, small, easy to use, good volume control
Cons: DAC is only ok
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I needed something cheap and small for travel, with good volume control (which seems to be hard to find these days, everything is too loud or difficult to control at softer volumes.)

The DAC is not as good as the internal DAC in my 5G ipod (which doesn't matter since there is no way to bypass the internal DAC anyway), but I bought the BitHead instead of AirHead for limited use with laptop. The BitHead DAC is better than laptop or computer DAC and may be better than newer ipods, but is not in the same league with more expensive desktop or even travel DACs.

I mostly use BitHead connected via SendStation line out from my 5G ipod, with Apple In Ears (not buds) for small, cheap, decent quality kit for travel. I rarely use the cross feed filter, maybe I need to give it more time to appreciate the benefit of that. The size is great, battery life is excellent, and it is not fussy to use. Volume control works very well for such an inexpensive unit - it allows me to have richness of amplified sound without excruciating volume levels or problems with unbalanced volume at low levels (which is very common fault).

Finally, the Total BitHead amp works surprisingly well with my AKG 701s - I didn't expect it to have enough power, but it has more than enough.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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Great entry to quality listening
by WillDaddy from Seattle on 2010-01-16

Pros: Great value, easy to use
Cons: None
Would you recommend this product: Yes

This was my first external headphone amp and, quite frankly, I was suspicious that putting an amp between an iPod headphone jack and headphones would make a difference. It really does. If you're thinking about upgrading from direct iPod or laptop sound, start here. It doesn't break the bank and converts your on-the-go listening experience from lo-fi to hi-fi. Also, now that I've gotten more into computer audio, I use the USB feature and am quite pleased with the sound.

The dual headphone jacks are great if you're traveling with a spouse who wants to watch your iPod movie with you. For travel, I recommend the little Headroom bag to go with this; it'll hold your iPod and IEM headphones without disconnecting anything.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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Not as good as I hoped
by Ranny from Lansing, MI on 2010-01-16

Pros: Portable, 2 headphone jacks
Cons: Didn't change my listening experience
Would you recommend this product: No

The total BitHead, comparatively speaking, seems to be a pretty good bargain for $159. I have heard from others that the Total BitHead makes a fairly dramatic impact on their listening, so maybe it is just my setup which is listening to music out of my desktop PC. Hoping this would make a noticeable step forward in my listening experience, I ordered it and this is what I thought:

It definitely gave my my computer a much needed volume boost with regards to certain songs that seemed to be quieter. I mainly listen to MP3's, but have began to acquire FLAC files and the difference between the headphone jack on my computer and the Total BitHead was equally unnoticeable across both formats (regarding improving the sound quality and listening experience; increased volume levels was the only plus). I tinkered with the Total BitHead for a day or two and my unfortunate conclusion was that I notice a minimal improvement, but not enough to justify spending the money. I own Ultrasone HFI-780's so maybe it is just not a suitable fit for the headphones I own, but nonetheless, the Total BitHead was not worth the expenditure in my opinion so I returned it.

Again maybe this just has to do with my setup. Others that I have talked to seem to love the Total BitHead, but unfortunately, the improvement i experienced wasn't as dramatic as I hoped.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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Awesome first amp
by Nick from on 2010-01-15

Pros: small, powerful
Would you recommend this product: Yes

This amp/DAC is a great introduction to high end audio. My ATH-a700s now have more defined low end and the clearer shining highs. The portability is great as I take this thing everywhere I have enough time to listen to music through my laptop or mp3 player.

I highly recommend this amp/DAC for those curious and interested in getting into the world of amps and DACs

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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A nice little amp
by KikassAssassin from Granite City, IL on 2010-01-12

Pros: Small, good sound quality, crossfeed
Cons: Front switches aren't labeled
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I use this amp with a Sennheiser HD 595 headphone and a Sennheiser PC 350 headset, and I swap it between my laptop and my desktop PC (using the USB connector on both) depending on where I happen to be listening to my music.

The laptop is where it makes the biggest difference. Using the USB connector on the BitHead removes any trace of static background noise that the headphone jack on my laptop produces. The HD 595's are pretty easy headphones to drive, so they sound good on my laptop unamped, but the BitHead definitely gives them more bass, and makes the mids sound a bit more detailed. The PC 350's, on the other hand, are quite a bit harder to drive than the HD 595's, so the BitHead makes a huge difference there on my laptop. The PC 350's have almost no bass when unamped on my laptop, and what bass there is sounds muddy, and even the mids are toned back to the point where it makes the 350's sound tinny. With the BitHead driving them, the 350's bass comes to the forefront, and it makes those headphones sound many times better.

I have a Soundblaster X-Fi sound card in my desktop PC which has enough power to drive both of these headphones pretty well, so the BitHead's amp doesn't make much difference on my PC like it does on my laptop, though it does control the PC 350's bass a bit better than the X-Fi does. I do like the sound the BitHead's DAC provides more than the X-Fi's, though. Doing a comparison with my HD 595's, my sound card makes the mids and mid-bass sound a bit bloated, and it adds some hotness to the high frequencies, whereas the BitHead controls them more smoothly and evenly. Crossfeed is the feature that makes me love using my BitHead on my PC, though. Not all music will see an improvement with it, but it makes a big difference with music that has a lot of sounds being played exclusively out of the left or right channel. Songs like Pink Floyd's Money and many of Muse's songs no longer give me a nervous twich like they did before I got my BitHead and turned on the crossfeed switch. The crossfeed does make the sound stage a bit narrower, though, so I do sometimes like to turn it off when listening to music that doesn't have annoying left or right channel exclusive sounds.

It doesn't have to be used exclusively for headphones, either. I plugged an old pair of low-powered Klipsch 2.0 desktop PC speakers into the Bithead, and it made for a pretty nice little pre-amp. This obviously only works with two-channel speakers. The volume knob on the speakers broke, though (a design flaw that apparently plagued that speaker model), so I don't use them anymore. My headphones sound better, anyway. :)

My only complaint is that I wish the switches on the front were labeled. Sometimes I forget which direction I need to have the crossfeed set to to enable it, and have to listen to music to figure out which way it's set. It's the same way with the USB power/battery power switch, though I figured out that the light on the front shines a bit brighter when it's set to battery power, so it's not as big an issue.

I haven't had any issues with hum or low-battery distortion like another reviewer did, so it makes me wonder if he might have a defective unit. I'm sure there are amps and DACs out there that sound better than this, but comparing its sound quality to that of a $100 internal sound card plus the portability the BitHead offers, I can't imagine it being beat for its price.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?

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Good beginner amp
by Mal from Texas on 2010-02-09

Cons: low Durability
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I purchased this amp as a package deal with some Sennheiser HD555s and was pleased with the sound both components delivered, it was an excellent stepping stone into the audiophile world.

The amp itself is solidly built and comes with two headphone jacks which is pretty handy. I would often use both so that me and another person could watch a movie without disturbing others in the house.

I do have a couple of qualms with the product though, first the USB cord that comes with the BitHead is pretty short and greatly limits where you can put it. Second is the durability of the unit itself; after 9-12 months one of the headphone jacks has stopped working, when I called to get it repaired I was told it would cost ~ $60, for the cost of the unit that's a pretty hefty price for a small component repair.

Overall I am still happy with my purchase, but the age old adage of you get what you pay for stands true.

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Love it
by jeffbl from Montreal, Canada on 2010-02-08

Pros: Great sound; easy to use; well thought out; small
Cons: battery compartment lame; appears somewhat fragile
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I love this. I got it to use with my HD580s, which my laptop and iPod couldn't really drive. It works great with them. The DAC is much better than the one in my Thinkpad, and makes listening much more enjoyable. I also use it with my Shure in ear headphones, and although the difference isn't as pronounced as with the HD580's, it still makes a difference. Glad I bought it!

The only nitpicks so far are:
1. the battery compartment with the peel off rubber cover seems cheesy.
2. the little switches and dial on the front make me a little leery of just throwing it into my bag, but no problems so far.
3. The location of the inputs/outputs makes it somewhat awkward to use with my laptop. I'd have to think about how to improve this.

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outstanding value, unbelievable effectiveness
by anon from on 2010-02-01

Pros: excellent sound/operation fexibility, can use USB power
Cons: ergonomics while good could be improved
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I did buy one without ever auditioning it, just based on reviews, primarily to use it to improve on the output stage of my SE walkman handphone when travelling.
I must say that it worked well for that but the improvement when used as an USB DAC (even on USB power) on a very recent HP Elite notebook was simply outstanding and absolutely beyond expectations.
While the documentation says that alkaline battery power is preferable (you get 6+ Volts instead of 5 on USB and 4.8 on NiMh rechargeables) in my case it worked fine even using the latter.
There might be other better sounding alternatives but also given its operation flexibility for the asking price this is really outstanding.
I'm not excessively happy with the rubber battery cover and three feet underneath, which make it a bit unstable but they could work fine for others.

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Wonderful
by Jax from CA on 2010-01-30

Pros: Easy to use
Cons: If it is too close to a computer, it picks up some interference
Would you recommend this product: Yes

Works with Linux wonderfully.

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Fantastic Sound, Solid Construction
by Wilhelm from on 2010-01-28

Pros: High-quality DAC, Strong amp, USB powered
Cons: No carrying case/bag
Would you recommend this product: Yes

The Total BitHead is a good headphone amp and the built-in dac provides fantastic sound for the price. Using it as a usb device produces sound quality vastly better than my creative sound card. Lows are punchy and highs are clear. Overall resolution is improved. It sounds very similar to my much more expensive cd player. I strongly recommend this product for anyone underwhelmed by their computer's sound.

I should also mention that the first unit I received was defective--One channel louder than the other. However, HeadRoom support was quick to replace it.

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Nice little amp
by dointhefish from NYC on 2010-01-25

Pros: Good value for the size and cost
Cons: Very dependent on headphone quality
Would you recommend this product: Yes

This was my entry into the portable amp realm. I now use this as a DAC for my desktop PC. Blows away the sound card.

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Nice little gadget
by Bonnkiwi from NZ on 2010-01-19

Pros: Easy to use, versatile, good value
Cons: Looks a little bit flimsy
Would you recommend this product: Yes

This is a nice little amplifier that has improved the audio performance of my laptop and my MP3 player. It was worth spending the money for.

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Couldn't Live Without It
by James Davis from Halifax, NS on 2010-01-18

Pros: Price, Versatility
Cons: Battery Life
Would you recommend this product: Yes

The Total Bithead makes everything sound noticeably better, from my desktop speaker system to my laptop speakers to my iPod. The price makes it a must have for the budding audiophile.

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Great Product
by Niavlys77 from Sarnia, ON on 2010-01-18

Pros: Sale price was awesome, Works very well, Sound quality with my laptop is no longer an issue
Cons: Price could always be lower
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I'm using this amp with my laptop and the sound quality difference is amazing. The onboard sound has a sort of fuzzy sound with treble set too high and bass set too low, along with a slightly choppy bass for some odd reason. This amp fixed all that. It works wonders. Thats about all I need to say about it.

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Bithead beats any sound card I ever had
by Andrew from Lund, Sweden on 2010-01-18

Would you recommend this product: Yes

This is my first experience with a dedicated headphone amplifier. I use the bithead with a pair of Denon AH-D5000.
The bithead is neat and simple. I just plugged it into a USB hub on my desk (it is USB powered) and it worked. Having the headphone jack on my desk rather than on my computer is a bonus.
The sound is transported digitally via USB so there is very little noise. Pulling up the volume to max (extremely loud) it is possible to hear my harddrives working, but for reasonable sound levels there is no audible sounds from the computer.
There is two headphone jack so you can be two listening to the same source, but I do not use this feature.
The crossfeed is really great. It improves the listening experience a lot - more than I would have thought.
The on/off button feels cheap but I never use it in practice so it is no real bother.

My general impression is that the Bithead is of high quality and more importantly, well thought through; no hassles, no drivers messing up etc. It just does what is should and thats it.

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Good Value
by Feb from Manchester, NH on 2010-01-18

Pros: Does what it says it will do
Cons: Controls could be clearer
Would you recommend this product: Yes

Seems I really do not want to listen to my iPod without running it through this little DAC/AMP. I have been trying to find some semblance of fidelity ever since my daughters bought me a 120GB iPod classic loaded with MP3's. After chucking the earbuds, building a library with apple lossless, buying Shure SE530 and Bithead I am finally close enough. The Bithead does what it says it does and the crossfeed switch makes a difference on older recordings. A good test is YES Fragile.

My only gripe is they should have more clearly marked the volume control (and other switches as well). I would recommend not only clear markings but also some sort of tactile clue. When you first begin to use the amp, it is all too easy to turn the volume all the way up rather than all the way down which could seriously damage your ears let alone your equipment. The instructions are clear but, given that you might have the amp oriented differently, I could see someone inadvertently making this mistake.

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Nice Product
by bikebob from VA on 2010-01-17

Pros: Clean Audio, Small Size, Good Power.
Cons: Batteries are not Rechargable.
Would you recommend this product: Yes

This amp works great on Sennheiser 650s. The audio is clear with clean smooth highs. I use lossless and AAC 320kpbs files. You can also drive an external stereo receiver with it for cleaner sound. The signal to noise ratio is better than taking audio from the computer. Any noise generated by the computer is gone. It runs on USB power when plugged in to your computer. I wish it had a lithium ion rechargeable battery instead of using alkaline batteries when using it for your ipod.

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Excellent Purchase
by Worthcastle from on 2010-01-17

Pros: Compact, Portable, Great Sound, Good Value
Cons: Takes a while to break in
Would you recommend this product: Yes

My Total BitHead makes my headphones sound amazing, great improvement from my laptop's crappy sound card. The cross-feed switch makes it less straining to listen to certain music, like the Beatles, which I love.

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Great Beginner Amp
by NJR from Greenwich, Connecticut on 2010-01-17

Pros: Small, great value, easy to use.
Cons: Switches are confusing.
Would you recommend this product: Yes

This is a great amp. I was a high school student looking for an entry level system when I bought this. I don't regret buying the amp. I have the amp connect by USB to my computer and DENON AH-D1001ks plugged into the amp. There is quite a difference between the sound through the amp and the sound coming straight from my computer. My only complaint is the switches. They are unmarked, so I needed to look in the booklet for which switch does what. Since then I haven't touched them. This amp is a great buy, especially if one is looking for an inexpensive boost to your sound quality.

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Excellent DAC for your PC
by SoundsForGood from Vancouver, Canada on 2010-01-17

Pros: Excellent sound & performance, does what is claimed
Cons: I wish it had an equalizer
Would you recommend this product: Yes

As an reasonable cost, headphone amplifier that works with your PC's USB port and as a stand alone amplifier, the HeadRoom Total BitHead delivers. I love the flexibility of the dual use device as I'm often on an airplane and when I'm not, it plays my internet radio to either earphones or as a boost to my office amp system. The only wish I could hope for would be an equalizer to compensate for some earphone shortcomings. Even a basic 3 or 5 adjustment would be helpful.

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Solid amp, digging it greatly
by Blackmore from Redwood city, ca on 2010-01-16

Pros: Very clear, precise sound, gnar
Cons: Expensive, interference with cell phone
Would you recommend this product: Yes

The amp is seriously great, whenever I'm on long trips or car rides I grab my amp and my iPod and start jamming out to all the sweet tunes. The only problem isthat I often encounter interference with my cell phone which drives me crazy, otherwise this thing is greAt, it really brought my headphones to life.

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Stunning Quality For Such A Little Device
by Steve P. from Rochester, NY on 2010-01-16

Pros: Small, Full Featured, Superb Quality
Cons: Crossfeed?
Would you recommend this product: Yes

What an excellent little device. I bought this along with a pair of Denon AH-D1001s and it is some of the best sounding equipment ever. I use it to listen to some music while I'm at work. The Total BitHead, with its integrated DAC is monumentally better sounding than my laptop's onboard audio. When I plug my headphones directly into my laptop I really can hear all the electromagnetic interference going on inside. With the Total BitHead, the sound is simply flawless. My lossy mp3s never sounded so good. It really is night and day.

The construction of the Total BitHead is quite solid. It's a rugged little thing. It's small and doesn't take up very much space at all, but for its size its features and quality are superb. I'm not sure the crossfeed switch makes any noticeable difference, but maybe it's because my ears aren't trained enough? Not really sure.

Also, I have a small mp3 player that wouldn't drive my Denons very well, but with this guy it's amazing. Buy a set of powerful little NiMH AAAs and this will power the largest headphones for hours.

An excellent excellent little device. Definitely worth the money, and you really won't believe what you've been missing without it.

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Vast improvement over standard laptop headphone sound
by egordon from Atlanta, ga on 2010-01-16

Pros: Portable with fantastic sound
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I use it for both my laptop & iPhone. Can't stand listening to music or watching a movie without it.

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good amp
by Philzie from Venice, FL on 2010-01-16

Pros: definitely improves all aspects of audio
Cons: still trying to understand bypassing internal Dac
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I'm happy with it. I have three of your amps, four senn's, and more. Hope my ears make it.

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Huge Upgrade From Laptop Headphone Output
by AudioJunkie from Salt Lake City, UT on 2010-01-16

Pros: Portable, Built in DAC
Cons: Interference
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I purchased this amp along with a pair of SR 60i's...what a great combination! I was extremely surprised at the difference the Bithead made when listening to mp3's through my computer (better presence, less floor noise). The only flaw I have seen in this devise is that it seems to be susceptible to electromagnetic interference.

What a great bang for the buck upgrade in sound quality!

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Great investment
by Harvester from Antioch, CA on 2010-01-16

Pros: Size, dual headphone ports, value!, battery life, DAC
Cons: ? USB cable could be an inch or two longer I suppose.
Would you recommend this product: Yes

Definitely an excellent product with great build quality. After looking around online for a long time for a headphone amp with DAC for my computers this was the only option that wasn't prohibitively expensive or large. It also works great with windows 7 which I was originally concerned about. The quality of the internal amp and DAC make this excellent to use on computers with a great pair of headphones. I am using a pair of Sennheiser HD595's on them. Definitely would recommend these to anyone needing a headphone amp with a DAC for hooking it up to a computer.

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Very nice and great value
by Happycustomer from SLC, UT on 2010-01-16

Pros: One of the most affordable headphone amp + DAC I could find
Cons: None
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I have been very impressed with the Total BitHead. It really helps push my headphones (Audio Technica ATH-M50). It is a great value. The one tiny issue that I had was for some reason on the airplane to Hawaii I got some condensation in the battery case and ended up getting some corrosion that broke the unit. HeadRoom sent me a replacement very quickly. I was impressed by their good customer service.

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Excellent Purchase
by sound bound from on 2010-01-16

Pros: Portable, Good Value, Great Sound Improvement
Cons: Size Limits Portability
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I own a pair of sennheiser 595's and I was looking for an affordable amp to enjoy their full capabilities. I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on an amp as I wasn't sure how great a jump in sound quality it would actually produce. After I tried out the Total Bithead however, I was blown away. I couldn't believe that I had used my headphones for so long without it. The sound was so much fuller and richer. It was worth every penny.

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Adds Nuance and Depth and Live Feeling With Excellent 'Phones
by Hari from Urbana, IL on 2010-01-16

Pros: Small; Easy; Adds nice nuance and depth to music
Cons: Not a huge improvement if you already have great phones and good music
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I have been using this amp with my Shure E4C monitors. Those in-ear phones sound great already and so adding this amp does not dramatically improve my listening. It does improve it --- it makes me feel much more like I am listening to a live performance (I am listening to mostly high quality mp3s of jazz and latin music) --- but it doesn't make the kind of dramatic difference that moving from cheap headphones to the Shures themselves made.

We (my wife and I) noticed a bigger improvement when we used the amp with her PX 200-IIs and her PX 100. I wonder if certain headphones are really particularly well-suited to this amp and others are not (and, also, if certain formats of music are better suited?)

I got it for $99 as part of a promotion here, and, at that price, I'd recommend it (Although perhaps I would also recommend calling to talk to the folks at Headroom about whether your particular setup merits the amp before buying.)

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simply best audio solution for laptop
by zephry from Austin, TX on 2010-01-16

Pros: Easy to use, Excellent sound quality, Sturdy, Powered by USB port
Cons: Bit bulky, Rubber battery cover
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I recently purchased this to drive my Sennheiser HD650 as well as Shure E4c. I am currently using my laptop and iPod Nano and I am very happy with the purchase. I have to give 5-stars for the customer service I received from Headroom when I first received a defective unit. They took care of it promptly and professionally. The new unit has been wonderful and without any of the issues that I was having before (toggle switch breaking off, and poor electrical contact on one of the stereo output.)

The unit sounds excellent and works wonderfully with my laptop. I won't listen to my music on my laptop without it. It is nice that it draws power from USB and the second headphone output is nice when I want to share my listening experience with someone else. The rubber battery cover was a bit of surprise but it does what it's supposed to do.

Overall, I am very happy with the purchase and you can't beat this unit for portable listening pleasure.

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sounds good
by sourdeez from San Francisco, CA on 2010-01-16

Pros: good sound quality
Cons: battery drain
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I use this as a portable dac for my laptops and for my ipod. It does a great job but the batteries tend to drain too fast. sounds great!

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Amazing, portable headphone amp
by Ccdrums from Provo, UT on 2010-01-15

Pros: Good value, nice features, quality sound and DAC
Cons: Runs on batteries
Would you recommend this product: Yes

My music library has come to life thanks almost entirely to this headphone amp. The only thing I can say about this amp is that you have to try it. Plug it into the USB port of your computer (to take advantage of its internal DAC), plug in a good pair of headphones (I use Audio-Technica ATH-M50's) and just close your eyes; the sound seems to come from all around you. The only downside: you have to buy batteries every 40 or so hours of playback. Totally worth it.

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Excellent headphone amp for AKG 702 user
by dmoerner from Claremont, CA on 2010-01-15

Pros: High fidelity, Convenient, Works well with linux, Splitter
Cons: High Price (but you get what you pay for)
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I purchased a HeadRoom Total BitHead to accompany my AKG 702's (purchased from Amazon when they were on sale). I have been extremely pleased with this product. It really brings the AKG 702's to life, and it was an excellent investment.

I cannot tell a difference between crossfeed and normal mode. I only listen to lossless FLACs.

I had a bit of trouble getting it set up with Linux (Debian Lenny). On newer versions of linux with pulseaudio, switching between the internal soundcard and the external soundcard works perfectly. But on Lenny, it doesn't really work without a reboot. However, I just decided to blacklist the internal soundcard module, and then just use the external exclusively. Now it works perfectly. I keep the USB mixer up to the max, and then change volume only on the external device.

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Great for desk-top use
by Doug from Edmonton, AB on 2010-01-15

Pros: Great value, high performance, low price
Cons: Short USB cable (for power)
Would you recommend this product: Yes

Such a great little desk top amp. It's more than powerful enough to drive my Sennheiser 650s and doesn't take up much room. The only downside to the product is that the USB line it draws power from via the included cable is very short- I'd guess under a foot in length. Due to the short cable length and the positioning of the headphone jacks on the BitHead, you'll be required to keep the amp very close to your computer system.

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Flexible dual purpose phones amp
by rrichard63 from San Francisco Bay Area, CA on 2010-01-15

Pros: Good sound, enough volume, convenient to carry
Cons: Doesn't recharge NiMH batteries
Would you recommend this product: Yes

The BitHead is both a PC interface (via USB) and a headphone amp for your MP3 player (and pretty much everything else) via a regular stereo cable. When used with an MP3 player, it can be powered by the same AC-to-USB adapter that recharges my Blackberry, a real convenience when travelling, or by AAA batteries. Fit's nicely in your pocket. The manual is clearly written and I find the controls and operation of the amp quite intuitive. I use AKG K270 phones, which are quite power hungry. Both this amp and the Total AirHead have no trouble at all with them. I looked pretty hard for a pocket-sized headphone amp. This is an excellent choice.


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Excellent for on the road
by Tromprof from CIncinnati on 2010-01-15

Pros: Sounds great, easy to use, small
Cons: none so far
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I use this with my laptop when I am on the road which is a lot as I am a freelance musician. I am also a bit of an audio nerd. I couldn't be happier with the sound quality. I am using media Monkey to play files stored in the FLAC format. Everyone that listens in is blow away by the clarity.

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Best Purchase EVAH!!
by THSman from Teaneck, NJ on 2010-01-15

Pros: Small, plug and play
Cons: None
Would you recommend this product: Yes

Thank you Headroom!! Your Total BitHead has changed my work experience from routine to rockin'! Everything sounds better through this thing. Of course good speakers help. You recommended (and I bought)the Sennheiser PX-100 and I loved it when a co-worker, who swears by his BOSE cans, was blown away by my PX + TBH set up. Soon after everyone was checking my TBH out. I imagine my officemates will probably be buying their own bitheads shortly.

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Good for boosting volume
by NG from Illinois on 2010-01-15

Would you recommend this product: Yes

This amp has been most useful for me when I need more volume out of my headphones. I think that my computer's sound card is pretty good so I haven't heard much improvement when using the DAC. My music is also not that great resolution wise so perhaps if I had more Hi-Fi the improvement would be emphasized. Overall, good for a portable volume boost and nice to have the USB option as well.

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Buy it now! Do it!
by EHaskins from Wisconsin on 2010-01-15

Pros: Sound great
Cons: Didn't get it sooner?
Would you recommend this product: Yes

Fantastic product. I don't call myself an audiophile, but I definately appreciate the difference the Total Bithead makes.

Definatly worth the investment.

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Perfect for the job
by will from SF on 2010-01-15

Pros: Good value
Cons: None
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I use the bit head at work. It is always on the desk. The computer is on 8 hours a day. It works just as advertised. The sound improvement is worth the price: music sounds much more open and detailed than the internal sound card or the Creative Labs that I had been using and which failed after about a year. Zero fatigue with the Beyerdynamics. I also like the cross-feed: it doesn't feel like my brain is being sucked out an ear.

I don't know anything about using it with a mobile device.


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Great Entry Amp
by Chance from Kabul, Afghanistan on 2010-01-15

Pros: Makes Laptops Sound Great
Cons: none
Would you recommend this product: Yes

If you listen to your music on a good set of cans, but use a computer or ipod as your source, you need the Total Bithead. I bought it to power my HD600s, but found that they make all my other (lower impedance) headphones sound amazing as well. It's recognized easily in OS X, XP and Vista (all that I've tried) and makes a huge difference over a laptop soundcard.

If you're interested in getting more out of your headphones, this is a great place to start. It's not the best amp out there, but it's probably the best band for your buck.



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Worlds better than your laptop's output
by Mitchell B. from Kirkland, WA on 2010-01-15

Pros: Small, light, solid sound
Cons: Relies on USB 2.0 for input
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I previously owned a Total Airhead of a previous generation. (I let it sit too long with batteries and the whole thing corroded) This blows the old Total Airhead out of the water. The DAC is a brilliant addition to an already brilliant product. I'm building up a vast library of lossless music files which can be taken anywhere with a portable computer. Now I can appreciate that music in much fuller detail than before (when I used my laptop's built-in headphone jack.)

In doing my research before purchasing this product, I learned that the audio transfer from PC to DAC over USB 2.0 is a connectionless streaming protocol. This means that there is absolutely no guarantee that every 16 bit sample is getting to the DAC intact. So apparently you have to get a high quality USB cable to increase your chances of hearing your music in it's full 16 bit / 44100 hz resolution. I'm not too thrilled that I have to spend top dollar on a digital cable, but that's not the fault of the Total Bithead. Perhaps USB 3.0 will put things right. Until that day...

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Great portable
by nieji81348 from Beloit, WI on 2010-01-15

Pros: Compact and very good sound
Cons: None that I could think of
Would you recommend this product: Yes

After checking on many portable DAC's, I read a very good review in about the Total BitHead. Since the price seems right, I purchased one and immediate discovered how my iPod's sound quality improved immeasurably. Being a musician and a professor of music, sound is very important to me and this DAC certainly offers the sonic pleasures that I had not experience previously. So, I bought another one, for my wife!

Yours,

Ian

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Excellent for the money
by dhave from SC on 2010-01-15

Pros: Simple design, works as advertised, very good value
Cons: None as of yet
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I bought the HeadRoom Total BitHead to give my decent-quality headphones a little boost when connected to my laptop. I've been more than pleased with the results. The headphones can really do their job now that they're connected to the Total BitHead. There's a great improvement in sound quality, with much finer distinction of instruments. You'd probably have to pay a great deal more to get a headphone amp that is any better. The Total BitHead has just the right balance of value for money.

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Good price, Good quality. Lovely entry level amp
by Sid from NY on 2010-01-15

Pros: Portable, Cheap, Crossfeed, USB connector
Cons: Kind of noisy
Would you recommend this product: Yes

I decided to plunge into the world of headphone amps to give my new pair of headphones a bit more oomph. My cans (Denons) are actually quite efficient and don't really need the amplification, but there is a noticeable increase in the quality of the sound with this amp, which is alone worth the price.

Curiously, I notice quite a bit more background noise/motherboard static with this amp than when I am simply plugged directly in to my macbook pro with my headphones (or optical audio output). I am not sure why this is, but it is only noticeable at very quiet parts of songs, or when no music is playing. When the music is indeed playing, the noise is not audible.

The best feature, other than the better audio, is the crossfeed. During prolonged listening sessions with the crossfeed feature enabled, I definitely notice far less fatigue.

The USB connector is great- plugs right into my computer, doesn't require any batteries. Also, you can plug in 2 sets of headphones- great for listening to music together with friends.. particularly if you live in college housing like I, and loud listening sessions at 3 AM with your speakers are frowned upon. Now there is no need to call off the music-fest with your friends.

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Not Much Diffrence For Me
by EliH14 from Jersey Shore, PA on 2010-01-15

Pros: Improved Sound Quality
Cons: High Price
Would you recommend this product: No

I ran this with my Audio Technica ATH-M50's, and personally, I didn't hear much difference in sound. Maybe it's because of the headphones, but for me, it wasn't worth the price. It may have different results with more upscale headphones though.

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