Amps & DACs

For demanding audiophilic listeners seeking to go all-out for their high-end headphone listening experience, we offer our fully-loaded version of the HeadRoom Desktop Amp with the top-level electronics module and DAC installations. The HeadRoom Ultra Desktop Amp comes stock with the top-performing internal parts and audio componentry we offer at HeadRoom so rest assured no expense is spared delivering the very best reference headphone sound quality into your noggin. The HeadRoom Ultra Desktop Amp will provide an integrated solution for all demanding audiophile headphone listening situations in both digital and analog domains regardless whether it's a headphone-only or a monitor-oriented application. So no matter if you connect to an iPod, laptop/PC computer, portable CD/DVD player, HeadRoom Power Amps, pre-amp, turntable phono stage, big home theatre, component stereo system, gamer box, or custom audio front-end, this nook-sized 'made in Montana, USA' HeadRoom rig driving your favorite reference headphones will transform personal and near-field headspace into pure sonic nirvana. 

Features

The front panel of the Ultra Desktop Amp sports both full-size 1/4" and mini-plug 1/8" [3.5mm] stereo headphone jacks for use with most headphone terminations. The amp will easily drive two headphones simultaneously. A 3-position gain switch on the front panel lets you select the operating range for headphones with any impedance/efficiency rating. Discrete crossfeed and filter switches allow the user to adjust the audio presentation to your particular tastes, and, of course, an on/off power switch is also handily located on the front. The Ultra Desktop Amp has a rear panel connection for the included international-voltage Astrodyne AC power supply. The rear of the amp also has 2 independent sets of RCA-plug analog inputs with an input selector switch to choose your analog source, allowing you to have two analog-output audio components connected to your Ultra Desktop Amp at all times. The DAC allows for direct input from USB, optical, or digital co-axial audio connections so listeners can effectively have up to five audio sources hooked up to the Ultra Desktop Amp simultaneously. The Ultra Desktop Amp can also be used as a simple pre-amplifier and features a volume-controlled [variable-output] stereo RCA-plug outputs on the rear panel suitable for hooking up to powered bookshelf /computer speakers or for linking the HeadRoom Ultra Desktop Amp to a larger amplifier and/or home theatre system. The rear RCA output can be defeated by a front panel switch when listening solely to headphones

Electronics Module

The 'electronics module' is the internal circuit board chiefly responsible for the amp's sound quality. The HeadRoom Ultra Desktop Amp's top-of-the-line electronics module is physically quite a bit larger in size than our other modules in order to accommodate the superb one-to-a-package Burr-Brown OPA627 op-amps. These parts are some of the most expensive audio op-amp chipsets money can buy, but they are totally worth it. Liquid-quick, transparent, intricately detailed highs and a deeply textural, rich bass response bracket an organically ultra-smooth & silky midrange. We are head-deep into serious Class-A operation here, folks!

Digital to Analog Converter (DAC)

A DAC allows your HeadRoom unit to accept any digital audio signal and convert it to warm analog sound using premium chip set electronics. The DAC then sends that converted analog audio signal to the headphone amp stage of the Ultra Desktop Amp for final clean amplification into your headphones. A significant step for "Ultra" hot-rodded DAC [Digital-to-Analog-Conversion] audio performance is to insert an asynchronous sample rate converter and do a bit of fancy up-sampling and complex de-jittering so that's precisely what we've done in the DAC that comes standard in the Ultra Desktop Amp. A lovely AD1896 chip lives between the digital receiver and the DAC. It collects the incoming digital data, stores it, up-samples it, interpolates it, picks a nice juicy word, and then clocks it out right on time. The thing probably does more complex math in half a millisecond than can be done with a calculator in a year!

Power Supply Upgrades

The HeadRoom Ultra Desktop amp comes stock with the excellent "international-voltage" Astrodyne power supply which is capable of delivering clean, quiet, and robust current on demand for the unit. As a convenient plus, the Astrodyne PS will auto-correct & properly regulate the incoming voltage for the Ultra Desktop from any AC outlet anywhere on the planet so no more worrying about the current/voltage supplies for your amp. However, keep in mind that Max electronics module/Max DAC performance will significantly improve when employing the separately-sold Desktop Power Supply (DPS, $499.00usd) which fully realizes the stunning audio clarity and precise musical detail resolution potential of the upscale 'Max' module/DAC components. These deep 'Class A' biased electronic components are EXTREMELY power-hungry and demand instantaneous, precise, and perfectly regulated AC current delivery to sound their very best -- which is exactly what we've achieved with our in-house designed & manufactured HeadRoom DPS (Desktop Power Supply).

Accessories

The HeadRoom Ultra Desktop Amp does not include any interconnect cabling. A USB cable will allow you to hook up your Ultra Desktop Amp to a computer. If using the amp's optical input with audio sources offering digital-optical output, you will need an Optical Digital Cable, and if you are using a coaxial connection from your digital-coaxial source [e.g., satellite/cable box or home theatre receiver unit] then take a look at this superb Acoustic Research coaxial cable. To hook up your Ultra Desktop Amp to portable audio players with an 1/8" (3.5mm) output like an Apple iPod, you'll need an 'RCA-to-mini' interconnect cable. We highly recommend the excellent StraightWire mini to RCA cable.

Dimensions

The HeadRoom Ultra Desktop amp measures 6 1/4" x 6 1/4" x 3 1/3" tall and weighs in at around 1.9 lbs of lovely audiophilic delight. All HeadRoom Ultra Desktop products are hand-built in Montana, USA.

So much to rave about
Posted by Rob from Chicago, IL on 2010-06-08

Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Lots of inputs, manufactured well
Cons: A tad pricey

There is so many good things about this piece of splendid workmanship ...but I'll just concentrate on one. My whole computer experience has now changed. While listening to computer audio from youtube, pandora, where ever. The audio has increased ten fold. I didn't buy this unit for this reason, but I'm quite shocked of how it handles it so well. It's no longer a pain to watch a youtube video. I can't believe the clarity. There is even texture on the bassline in music videos uploaded by commoners (not the record label.) I guess this would have to be attributed to the upsampling, i dunno. Whatever it is, it works...and it works well.

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2nd Greatest Audiophile Headphone System In The World!
Posted by Akshar H from Durban, South Africa on 2010-05-05

Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Phenomenal Sound, Various Inputs & Switches
Cons: Price...It is actually worth it though!

I'm actually going to review my whole system as I think it makes more sense since one component of the audio chain is not solely responsible for the sound quality.
Calling my system the 2nd greatest audiophile headphone system is probably pushing it too far, but I'll let you be the judge. Here is my system in the traditional spider diagram method. Most of the hardcore audiophiles will recognise & understand this easily!

WAV/Flac/Apple Lossless->Foobar2000 v1.0.3->Kernel Streaming/WASAPI exclusive mode->USB Kimber Kable->Ultra Desktop Amp [with Desktop Power Supply]->Sennheiser HD 800.

I use two laptops, one with Windows XP & one with Windows 7, this is why I have mentioned Kernel Streaming & WASAPI. Kernel Streaming works with XP, & WASAPI works with 7. For those who unfortunately don't understand these terms, I will explain them. These two official components of foobar2000 don't come directly with the player... they have to be manually downloaded & extracted into the components section of the player. These two components allow bit-exact playback bypassing any & all internal windows mixers. The result is a true audiophile quality signal that is worth sending through the USB cable. If you are like me & use computer audio through USB but you're not familiar with the term "bit-exact", then you DON'T KNOW what you are missing out on! Furthermore, you are not getting to hear the true capabilities of your DAC, since the source/signal in the first place isn't ultra clean. Just plugging in a USB cable isn't enough to get yourself a high quality signal since all you're doing is bypassing the computer soundcard. You still need to bypass the underlying internal mixers that unfortunately tamper with every song you listen to. Once you have that aspect accomplished, you are ready to judge the quality of your amp/DAC combo.

The total price of my system comes up to $3546.95! Is it worth it? OH DEFINITELY!!!

The sound can be described as natural, jaw dropping, realistic, beautiful!
Classical music through this system is just incredible!

Headroom ain't kidding when they say & i quote "the results are pure transcendent sonic bliss as realistic as virtuoso musicians playing a private concert inside your head."

I'll definitely upgrade sometime in the future to Headroom's flagship BALANCED ultra desktop amp & separate ultra desktop DAC [what i like to call the Greatest Audiophile System In The World!] but right now i'm extremely happy with the system I have now... people would kill for my system, that i know!

In conclusion, I'd like to say make sure you have a quality source before making judgements on your DAC/amp. What is equally important is the cable that the source will have to go through before reaching the DAC stage. A system cannot reproduce quality if it was never there in the first place! A lot of people forget this!

Anyways, I wholeheartedly recommend the Ultra Desktop Amp for anyone wanting to know what their music collection really sounds like & to audio professionals alike.

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Just wow
Posted by Eric0 from Canada on 2010-02-15

Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Exceptional sound, good value at the high-end
Cons: None

Amazing sound whether through the DAC or from an outside source. This amp paired with AKG K701s is darn close to my $6,000 system speaker system. Build quality is excellent. The included Astrodyne power supply adds great value to the package. The ability to connect multiple devices is a great feature. Took Ultra Desktop out to my vacation property and hooked up my computer and CD player effortlessly to the sound system. Having the multiple inputs and outputs on the back was a big plus compared to the now discontinued Ultra Micro.

If using a computer, I would definitely recommend spending the $50 on the Kimber usb cable. Bits are not bits, there is actually an improvement in the sound.

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