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Good sound, but compromised by non-existent shielding
Posted by Steve from Providence, RI on 2013-05-06Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: No
Pros: Sound, Crossfeed, AAA batteries
Cons: No shielding, build quality, clunky, not powerful enough, no line out, weird jack and switch layout
This unit should improve the sound quality of your setup. The DAC in most cases is an improvement over built in sound cards. The amplifier isn't quite as powerful as I'd like (I had trouble powering DT770 250ohm) but it does deliver clean audio to less hungry headphones
The most obvious flaw with this unit is the total lack of shielding from interference. The casing is made of cheap plastic, and underneath that is nothing but the PCB. I have to place it at least a few feet from any sort of electronic device in order to get rid of interference signals. Mounting this unit on the back side of a laptop as the manual recommends results in a lot of noise. Plan on getting a longer USB cable, because the 1' cable that is included is not long enough to allow you to find a "clean" spot.
My second gripe is the build quality. It looks cheap, it feels cheap. When I hold it in my hand I feel that my money wasn't well spent. I wouldn't want to drop this thing if I used it as part of a portable setup. The headphone jacks feel like junk. They don't snap in nicely like they should. It's also a little big. Not too big to prohibit portable use, but big enough to make it awkward. The lack of a line-output prohibits flexibility. You can't use it's DAC function by itself and hook it up to other amplifiers without inducing a little bit of static. The layout is also very weird. All jacks are placed at a 45 degree angle for some reason. I can't begin to understand why.
The only real advantage this thing has over any other amp on the market is the built in crossfeed. I really like it. However, I really don't think that feature alone is worth dealing with all of the unit's flaws. There are a few other options at this price point that perform better. The only think they lack is crossfeed.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Sweet little gadget
Posted by nabbun from Bergen County, NJ on 2013-01-17Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: A steal at $99
Cons: Wishing it used AA intead or CR123
This little piece takes your music off your portable device to a whole new level. If you are spending at least $100 on a pair of cans or IEMs, you should invest in this little guy! I kinda wish they were using AA batteries for the extra juice or CR123 to bring down the size of the little bugger.
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Beats Any Soundcard
Posted by Chris M. from Chicago on 2012-11-01Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Excellent DAC and Amp
Cons: none
I have found this amp/DAC far superior to any computer soundcard I've ever heard. With the Crossfeed circuit, this little unit is nothing short of amazing. For $150 you get a decent DAC and headphone amp you can run with or without batteries. The fact that it's so portable really makes it shine. Those disappointed with the sound need to get a grip. We're talking one hundred and fifty bucks! The Micro DAC sounds much better, but it's not portable and it costs twice as much and needs a separate amp. Hey, Michael Fremer swears by this unit and if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.
10 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Good for certain applications
Posted by BennyWahoo from Australia, SA on 2012-08-17Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: No
Pros: Better than standard iMac Output
Cons: Crackles when near anything, Crackles unuseably with Logic Pro Output
Hi There,
Perhaps because of the size/mobile nature of it, it doesn't seem well insulated against interference.
E.g. Crackles when near anything.
Using with Sennheiser HD650s and music is nicer, worth plugging in to the iMac for that.
Using as DAC from iMac for music is fine, garageband ok, though it crackles so much that it is not use-able with Logic Pro Output when piano input and holding down multiple notes/the pedal. Settings/switches on the device don't seem to help.
I bought the kit to convert the output on the iPhone to USB though I now understand that this still results in the audio being generated by the iPhone and not the amp itself, the difference being it sends an un-amplified output of the sound instead of a digital signal to the device allowing it to generate the sound.
In retrospect a full size headphone amp was probably a better option for me as I am unlikely to carry this thing around while listening to music anyway.
Cheers,
Ben
13 out of 26 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Excellent product!
Posted by JDR from Philly on 2012-08-17Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: great value, easy to use, versitile
Cons: can't think of any
I purchased this, my first headphone amp, about three years ago. I use it almost every day in a variety of situations. As a DAC, I've found this irreplaceable... I use it at work, at the family laptop, in my home office on my desktop... pretty much anywhere that I'm listening to music from a computer. And it's not just for headphones! I also use it as a pre-amp for my Altec Lancing boombox and computer speakers. It's also a splitter for sharing the signal between two devices (boombox and wireless transmitter for outdoor movie nights, as an example) while maintaining a strong signal.
I also use it in my conversion van when travelling. My Zune doesn't pump out enough wattage to give the FM converter a good signal (I know, I know... Time to upgrade from the factory head unit), but this little amp give just enough 'oomph' that I'm not constantly changing to a different frequency - even in bigger cities like Philly, Baltimore, and NYC.
As far a it's output - I can easily drive my Sennheiser HD600's to levels well above comfortable listening. With the hi/low switch I can also add a little punch and clarity to my IEM's (ultimate ears and sennheiser) with a reasonable swing via the volume control (don't try IEM's on "HI"... one slip of the volume wheel and you'll be cringing).
Battery life is reasonable, and changing them is a breeze. I covered most of the bottom with the 'hook' side of velcro, and put the 'loop' side on my desk, center console of my vehicles, and on all of my MP3 devices for portable use, but the rubber battery cover can come in handy for keeping this from sliding around on airplane trays and other smooth services. I just have to remember that the controls are upside-down...
So... Here's my 'practical' review. There are plenty of others that talk about more technical aspects of this little amp, but I thought people would like to know how flexible and useful it can be in other aspects of our musical lives. Hope you enjoyed...
16 out of 16 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Better Than Expected (and I was expecting a lot)
Posted by Jackson from Los Angeles, CA on 2012-08-02Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Small, Rugged, Light weight, Great Sound
Cons:
I should have reviewed this when I got mine over a year ago - but then again my opinions haven't changed at all. Full disclosure: I listen to computer generated music mostly for background "sounds" when I am working - I am not exactly doing the audiophile 'thing'. On the other hand, I demand transparency - if there is something in the playback that distracts me, it defeats the purpose and I will not listen to it. Generally, I was happy with the sound quality directly from the computer (I have fairly high quality computers). Nevertheless, I kept thinking about the BitHead, and finally gave myself one. I wish I had done it sooner.
My first impression: it was smaller than I expected. For some reason, I was thinking it used 4-AA batteries, instead it uses 4-AAA. My second discovery was that the power switch is not on/off, but internal/external. When set to 'external' the BitHead powers from a USB cable. This let me take the BitHead to work, power it from a USB cable plugged into the workstation computer, but actually play music from my portable player. At the end of the day, I take it home, plug it into my home computer, and use that computer as my player. I also note that without the batteries it is quite light-weight, so it is no problem to carry back and forth every day, even in a jacket pocket.
I can not claim that the BitHead makes my headphones sound better - my headphones are not supper high quality (but see my comment above about distractions). Nor will I claim that it makes the music sound better (most of my music is HIGHLY compressed). I will claim it improves the overall listening experience significantly. First, I can put it anywhere convenient on my desktop - it is at the end of a USB cable (get a longer cable if needed). Second, it provides an easily reached, and very useful, volume control. Third, the sound quality is excellent. Even if I do not normally turn it up enough to notice, it is one more thing I do not have to worry about. Fourth, it is an amplifier - a flick of the volume control will instantly allow me to listen to a passage as loud as I can stand. Finally, it will run on batteries. I seldom do that, but it works fine.
Overall, I now use my BitHead for basically ALL my headphone listening.
10 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Not what I expected
Posted by oceans22 from Orange County, CA on 2012-04-27Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
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.
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!
14 out of 19 people found this review unhelpful. Did you?
nice for the price!
Posted by keal from Hawaii on 2012-03-29Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: output for 2 headphones, no batteries needed for pc use, crossfeed anti-fatigue is great!
Cons:
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.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Great DAC & amp quality, good power on Sennh. HD 580
Posted by Jake from Seattle, WA on 2012-03-01Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
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.
13 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Brings even easy-to-drive headphones to a new level.
Posted by Daron Shade from Tucson, AZ on 2011-12-23Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
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.
19 out of 21 people found this review helpful. Did you?
What an amazing difference this product makes!
Posted by Symes from Raleigh, NC on 2011-11-08Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
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.
16 out of 17 people found this review helpful. Did you?
A note about power
Posted by tele-Mark-ski from Sacramento, CA on 2011-09-10Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: small footprint
Cons:
I am using the Total BitHead with AKG 701's on a desk where I don't have a lot of space. This amp sounds very good given its size.
My Total BitHead is older, purchased in 2007. Just a note about power that I thought I would mention. I usually use a larger desktop system but just started using my Total BitHead again about a week ago on a desk where space is at a premium. Today I was using it with my MacBook Pro and powered the amp from the USB cable. The sound was breaking up at times and would only go to the right channel. I thought maybe one of the connections was becoming bad. As it ends up, I put batteries in it and switched from USB power to battery power and it sounds great again! Not sure if in my case the power issue is with the amp or the Mac, but the problem has been resolved in any case.
9 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Excellent Amp
Posted by L. Orozco from Mexico on 2011-08-22Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Good Gains, Great to share Music with some one else
Cons: Kind of Big to be portable
I have a great experience in music delivery with this amp.
4 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Did you?
My brief review
Posted by Welly Wu from West Orange, NJ on 2011-08-19Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Portable, cross feed feature, USB DAC, powers two headphones or earphones
Cons: It all depends upon the weakest chain in your audio system
I purchased my HeadRoom Total Bithead on 08/19/2011 from Amazon with HeadRoom Corporation as the sole seller. I used to be a HeadRoom customer years ago.
I listened to a 2009 model years ago. I own the Audio Technica ATH-W5000 Raffinato headphones (MSRP $1,199.95 USD) and the Ultimate Ears Ue-10 PRO (MSRP $1,000.00 USD). I also own an ASUS N61JV-X2 notebook PC with Crucial 8.00 GB of DDR3 PC-8500 SODIMM SDRAM and an Intel 2.5" 2nd Generation 34nm MLC NAND FLASH X25-M 160.00 GB Solid State Drive with Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit. I wanted a portable headphone amplifier and a portable DAC to power my ASUS laptop, a SONY VAIO VPCEB35FX notebook PC running Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit, a Motorola Droid X 3G + Wi-Fi smartphone running Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a Samsung Intercept 3G + Wi-Fi smartphone running Google Android 2.2 Froyo, and an Apple iPod 30.00 GB.
The main criteria that I wanted are a traditional analog headphone amplifier with the included mini to mini cable, a USB powered Burr Brown DAC with the included USB cable, ability to handle both low and high impedance headphones and earphones, portability, long battery life, and durability. HeadRoom knows that it has a unique niche product in its portfolio.
All of my music consists of Red Book CDs or Apple iTunes ALAC .m4a files on an external encrypted Iomega eGO Plus 500 GB hard disk drive with hardware Advanced Encryption Standard 256 bit cipher strength cryptography and a unique strong symmetric key password. I also own a Resolution Audio Opus 21 full stack and Ray Samuels Audio Emmeline HR-2 desktop headphone amplifier and a Balanced Power Technologies BP. Jr II Ultra custom power line conditioner along with Cardas Golden Reference cabling and custom exotic cables (MSRP well over $10,000.00 USD).
The HeadRoom Total BitHead 2009 model sounded wonderful with my audio equipment and my source music. Compared to the anemic sound quality built into most notebook PCs including those with strong multimedia capabilities, the Total BitHead clarifies the music with good separation of notes, air surrounding each note, expands the sound stage in every dimension, and it breathes renewed life into my favorite music. This is the most important sonic criteria that I listen for in order to judge the merits of any audiophile product or prerecorded piece of music. Music sounds less encumbered and it sounds fuller bodied with additional liveliness through the Total BitHead overall. The bass does indeed tighten up considerably which results in a taut, rhythmic, and well articulated bass region consisting of deep bass and mid bass without glaringly obvious overlap or distortion. The mid range is the primary beneficiary of the Total BitHead. In this critical region, the mid range sounds clearer, a bit more forward with added body, definition, and depth along with a more forgiving smoothness to the notes that comes with the penalty of accuracy. This region particularly sounds livelier and more fluid through the Total BitHead. The treble region does roll off its top most frequencies, but it does so with the gentlest care. There is added air, extension, and sparkle in the treble region through the Total BitHead, but it comes with the penalty of truncated highs though it never leads to clipping or distortion. The Total BitHead has the capability to drive most earphones and headphones to a very high volume so do be careful when using it in order to preserve your hearing sensitivity over long periods of listening time.
I bought it because I wanted a versatile and proven audiophile grade headphone amplifier and USB DAC from a reputable manufacturer and company. The Total BitHead does not help to make mediocre quality audio equipment sound better; in fact, it makes no difference whatsoever in those kinds of audio systems. It will shine with top tier audio components especially if the source music was recorded and engineered with the utmost care to preserve audio fidelity as possible.
I expect to receive shipment of my latest generation HeadRoom Total BitHead early next week. So long as it is not a defective product, I will keep it and use it daily when I am traveling.
21 out of 33 people found this review unhelpful. Did you?
sweet
Posted by Benign Jamin from Newport Beach on 2011-05-21Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Value and musical clarity
Cons: None
This is a very good little unit and well worth the price. It is the logical second step in upgrading after you have gotten some decent headphones.
The BitHead is simple yet effective at doing one thing in particular. It plays RIPPED CD's off a Mac/PC Like no sound card ever could. Just phenomenal improvement well worth the money. Compressed files are as good as they can be but are dissatisfying with good headphones So I suggest buying CD's and ripping them to a Lossless codec, ALAC/FLAC file size is not an issue anymore as memory has caught up to the needs of most instances. So why compress? Earbuds cant tell. BitHead Rocks with iPad with it's Digital out via USB Kit And BitHead matches perfectly with many headphones.
Sound quality is nicely kicked up on my Grado 225's . I started years ago with sr60's and fell in love with the Grado Sound. Then the SR225. Now My 325is' improved this tremendously , but the big difference comes with the Bitheads DAC (Burr_Brown) and op-amp (Burr_Brown) being just that much better and working synergistically together to give a astounding presentation. This is Mid-Hi-FI entry level into the Audiophile World.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Good sound, Great Value
Posted by oldetymer from Annapolis, MD on 2011-04-30Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Long battery life, Decent DAC, Good portability
Cons: Poor EMI shielding
This little amp is great. I work as a consultant for a large firm, and tend to move around a lot from office to office with my laptop. The portability of this amp, and the fact that it is "Plug and Play", really make it easier to enjoy quality audio on the run.
The op amp in this unit is top notch when compared against similarly small portable amps, and the bundled DAC is pretty good. The quality of the sound is great, though the unit can limit frequency response and sound-stage slightly. The battery life is well over the estimated 20 hours, and the unit even runs pretty well on USB power. The one downside is if you get the unit to close to electronic equipment, like the audio source, you can hear some EM bleeding into the audio, but even the 6 inch included cable is enough distance to eliminate this interference. I'd highly recommend this unit to anyone, from the burgeoning audio enthusiast to the audiophile on the go.
13 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Alright little amp for the price
Posted by jedirock from Toronto, ON on 2011-04-13Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Better than iPod sound, portable
Cons: Needs alkalines, lacking in power at times
I have mixed feelings about this amp. A good thing is that it's my first dedicated headphone amp, and has definitely improved the sound coming out of my iPhone. I don't notice that big of a difference compared to the built in DAC and audio chip on my laptop however, a Lenovo ThinkPad T400, which is supposed to be notorious for underpowered and lacking audio chips. I can definitely confirm the underpowered part, as the Total BitHead drives both my Sennheiser HD280 Pros and AKG K702s louder than the laptop can, but I don't notice that much of a difference, if any, over the built in sound, at least while using the DAC. In addition, I often get a small hissing sound from the amp while nothing's playing, which is fixed temporarily by moving the amp. Suggests to me that there's no EMI shielding, which is really a shame. Also requires alkaline batteries to sound its best, which isn't great for the environment. Could possibly be retrofitted to use two 10440 Li-Ion batteries, but I'll likely be returning this and going up to the Micro series.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Great amp, not so great DAC
Posted by PetrosT from Greece on 2011-04-12Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Full and rich sound, portable
Cons: Not impressive DAC
I bought the BitHead as a replacement for my work laptop, where it is a big improvement over the cheap onboard sound card. Trivial to install and sounding very good. Highly recommended for this kind of job.
On my desktop though I get mixed feelings. There I have an Asus D2X and a cheap Behringer HA400 headphone amp. Compared to that the BitHead working as a DAC+amp sounds clearly worse (using Sennheiser IE8 - the cheaper DAC and the noiser USB power is to blame I guess). However, when I connect the BitHead on the D2X directly everything sounds impressively good; it gives additional clarity, soundstage and you will notice new details on favourite songs.
If you are looking for a cheap audiophile soundcard replacement for your desktop, this is not it. You can do better with a D2X or an E-MU 1212M (still far the best sounding source I've owned, Bit-God rest its circuits) - in this range of money.
If you want a replacement for a work computer or laptop this will be a very good choice.
4 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Did you?
This thing works great
Posted by bobo from SLC, UT on 2011-02-10Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: way more volume, and no clipping
Cons: controls are just okay, should include longer cables in addition to shorties
on the computer: much more volume, no clipping, it just sounds awesome.
on the sansa fuze: much more volume, no clipping, it just sounds awesome.
now I don't care about all this crossfeed stuff. I just wanted my music loud enough so that I could really get some nice sound out of my headphones...which are SH 448HD.
In some ways this is worth a lot more than the $150 I paid, in other ways not...
I mean unless it's made out of gold, it could be manufactured for cheaper than $150, but that's just an uneducated, though likely accurate, guess.
But I'd pay 300$ for it now that I've heard it...how else are you getting this kind of power out of some crap computer or portable media device that can barely drive anything.
Now that I have this, I would consider buying a more expensive set of headphones, just because I know with this little guy I will be able to drive them.
I like it loud, but I can't max the volume on this thing on my computer or my sansa without earbleed...seriously.
Oh, don't forget the dang Hi-Gain switch if you think this product doesn't do a lot....
I won't kid you, if you can't tell the difference with or without it, you are probably deaf.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you?
This little box rocks
Posted by NA Blur from Bozeman, MT on 2011-02-06Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Awesome for computers
Cons: Not so great for iPods
For the price this is my Amp / DAC of choice. It fits in your pocket, can be used via battery power or USB. It has two headphone outputs and two ways to connect sources ( mini 1/8" or mini USB ).
The best purpose for this device is either using it with a computer or as a pre-amp for a home audio setup. This is because it eliminates a ton of noise that is inherent to most computers ( processors, clocks, drives, mouse etc ). Your computer will automatically detect it, power it, and be ready to play audio through it once you plug the USB - mini USB connector in. It will also drive your headphones better than most computers will so you should hear improvement there too.
If you have headphones with impedance levels between 10 and 65 Ohms, and you are using this device with an iPod, you will not hear significant improvement with this device. Not to say you will not be able to hear any differences, but it will not floor you. If you have headphones with impedance levels between 66 and 350 Ohms you will be able to get a little more out of your iPod because of the ability of the BitHead to drive higher impedance headphones.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Works Well With iPad
Posted by Stereographer56 from Georgetown, TX on 2011-01-13Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Digital signal from iPad, authoritative sound, excellent crossfeed, good for travel
Cons: Uses AAAs, tad expensive
I already had an iPad, and I was intrigued by the crossfeed feature, so I sprang for it. It has definitely lived up to my expectations: the crossfeed effect is subtle, but really improves the ability to listen to far-left and far-right sounds with both ears, instead of just one.
It also worked smoothly with iPad, once I figured out how to set it up:
Connect USB cable and Camera Connection Kit to Total BitHead.
Plug in headphones.
Switch on Total BitHead.
Attach Camera Connection Kit to iPad.
After about five seconds, switch off Total BitHead; the green light remains lit.
Start media playing on iPad.
Turn iPad volume all the way up, then adjust volume on Total BitHead as comfortable.
While this is a little cumbersome on-the-go, it's no big deal when I'm using it at my desk, for example. The FAQ claims that when the power switch is OFF, it doesn't use internal batteries; when I removed a battery as it was playing with the switch OFF, it stopped playing, so I doubt that iPad is completely powering it.
My only annoyances have been finding (and charging) AAA batteries, and keeping Apple's Camera Connection Kit plugged into iPad—it tends to get nudged out pretty easily.
I'm glad I bought this little Amp/DAC, and I'll be thankful for it when I buy higher-end, high-resistance headphones in years to come.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Useful but not great
Posted by midwest audiophile from Iowa on 2010-12-21Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: No
Pros:
Cons: larger than iPod
I've been using this for six months and have mixed feelings. When connected to my iPod Touch the sound in my AKG 240 and AKG 271 phones are much better. When connected to my MacBook the change is generally not evident.
I'm pretty particular about my audio but when used via the USB on the mac there have been only 2 songs where it is a clear step up in quality. When connected to the iPod it is an improvement across the board. If I'm traveling with an iPod I generally want to keep my kit to a bare minimum and I often leave the BitHead behind.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Did you?
I don't hear it
Posted by vidiont from Salt Lake City, UT on 2010-12-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: No
Pros: Reduced noise in the audio
Cons: No dramatic difference...no difference at all
Using Sennheiser 545 Reference headphones and Sennheiser CX300-B earbuds, I compared audio directly from the headphone jack on my laptop to audio from the BitHead amp using the USB connection (figuring this would be the highest quality audio from the BitHead). I also tested audio from my iPod Classic with and without the amp.
I listened to .mp3, .flac and AAC encoded audio using "Also Sprach Zarathustra" from the "2001: A Space Odyssey" soundtrack, "Chemical Beats" from The Chemical Brothers "Singles 93-03" and "Stuck in C" from Jay Smar's "The Ballad of Glen Onoko", along with randomly sampling whatever caught my interest along the way.
There was some noise cleanup, especially apparent in the opening portion of Zarathustra, but nothing overwhelming. Other than that...nothing, nada, no difference to my ears.
I don't think the headphones are that bad, so it's either my ears or the BitHead. With the number of rave reviews by others about the dramatic improvement...I guess it's my ears. But I don't hear it. Wasted money for me.
32 out of 46 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Worth the money
Posted by Felix from Montreal, Qc on 2010-11-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Small and convenient
Cons:
Great way to add some "kick" to my Audio Technica ATH-M50, on the go, but a bit large compared to the always smaller portable music players. I use it mostly with my laptop, and I find it particularly great to bring with me on a trip or in the airplane.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Exceeds Expectations
Posted by Canhead from New Hampshire on 2010-10-21Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Noticeable Improvement
Cons: Cheesy Rubber Battery Cover
Running the BitHead for a month now, lot of hours logged. Using it primarily with
laptops occasionally with iPods. Noticeable improvement in sound quality with all headphones used, Sennheisers, Grados, Sony and Bose. Less listening fatigue,
sound field effect with crossfeed a plus. I am running it with the gain switch in high or max. position, low position didn't seem to cut it. Only complaint, and its minor, is the cheesy rubber battery cover design. Cover never feels like it fits right. Other than that I'm happy, glad I bought it.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Good sound, good value, poor battery life
Posted by SkyKidFalken from Vancouver, Canada on 2010-10-02Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Nice sound for a small portable amp
Cons: Battery goes fast, USB power is not enough to drive certain headphones
If you are looking for a headphone amp that can be put into your pocket with your ipod, this is it.
The only problem is the aaa batteries goes very fast so I got to find rechargeable batteries.
Ok sound with USB power from a laptop or desktop computer and can't drive certain headphones well.
Good choice for your Grado GR8 or Ultrasone ED8
5 out of 9 people found this review unhelpful. Did you?
One of the most convenient amps on the market!
Posted by csshih from Saratoga, CA on 2010-07-26Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Excellent Sound, Convenient switches, long battery life
Cons:
The HeadRoom Total Bithead has been one of the best amps I have ever used! coming from cheap amps from overseas companies, I was blown away by the sound coming from this little black box. The Gain switch was a great idea, making use with smaller earphones and IEMs pleasant and comfortable.
The only gripe I have about this product is the size. I believe you can reduce the size by grouping the circuits closer together, and instead of a rubber battery cover, you can have a snap open compartment, making for a flat surface.
6 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Vista No Sound (Not SendStation USB compatible.)
Posted by Toku from UK on 2010-07-22Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Good for removing noise from laptops
Cons: Could have better build quality
On a quick note, I got a Sendstation mini USB PocketDock in the hope that I could output from my iPod/iPhone (tested both) to this amp via USB. Alas no. I believe this is for the same reason that I couldn't get sound out of it with my computer as I mention below. e.g. iPod will output analog data via the USB, so it will work great with USB headphones, but won't work with this amp. So save yourself some bucks and don't bother with the SendStation PocketDock with this device.
Mainly writing this to hopefully save a few Vista/Windows 7 users some heart ache.
I got mine, plugged it in, just like they say. Did it work? No.
Lots of seaching, reading forums, looking at drivers etc. came to nothing. It all looked happy, USB Audio detected and being used etc. Saw the little green sound bar going up and down, but nothing.
The issue? Well, some USB devices expect an analog output and that is what Vista etc. defaults to. Obviously, the DAC has no idea what to do with an analog signal.
So go to Playback Devices > Click on the USB Audio Codec > Properties > Advanced > Change it from CD Quality to DVD Quality in the pulldown. Click okay and then you should have sound.
Hope this helps people out there.
Anyway, it does exactly what I wanted it to and with my headphones, you can really tell the difference.
As for the crossfade, it is reasonably tricky to hear it in action :P But I never bought it for that.
17 out of 17 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Cool device but questionable build quality
Posted by Alec from Lewisburg, PA on 2010-06-28Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Small, Resonably Priced
Cons: Broke twice
Overall, I am really happy with this device and has personally improved my listening experiences by bypassing the poor audio system in my PC. I run Sennheiser HD280 Silver's and see a noticable difference in audio quality compared to Intel HD Audio. However, this device has once again stopped working properly and no longer supplies full power to the right channel and as such the balance is off. Luckily customer support from HeadRoom is pretty good and they will likely fix it for me. Its just highly inconvenient and I feel as if I should just get a brand new one.
7 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Good Buy
Posted by Chickenman247 from Newbury Park, CA on 2010-06-07Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Light, and USB Capatibility
Cons: Volume
This device is great and clears up the audio nicely. I use theis alot on my neetbook and it dramaticly improves the audio quality. The only con i can think of is that the volume doesnt go too high on my AKG 601's.
2 out of 3 people found this review unhelpful. Did you?
Very good portable amp.
Posted by Azhrei from Ann Arbor, MI on 2010-05-24Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Built in USB DAC, battery or USB powered, crossfeed
Cons: some noise when using volume control
These are great portable headphone amplifiers. They drive even full sized phones very well. I own tow of these for a reason. I use them with my iPod and iPhone and I also use it for audio out of my laptop. Movie soundtracks are great with one of these. You will be amazed at how good your computer can sound.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Perfect Small USB amp/DAC
Posted by skylar from Detroit, MI on 2010-05-19Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: USB, crossfeed, portability, combo (DAC & amp)
Cons: none
I've been very happy with this unit - very easy/functional plug and play - not easy to find a great USB/DAC combo such as the Total BitHead with such size and value - for some reason (with the exception of HeadRoom) it just seems many companies are sorta missing the mark when it comes to making their equipment more computer friendly...anyway won't delve too far into that - highly recommend for anything from small IEM to a decent variety of larger cans.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Great for Ipods and Laptops
Posted by Azathoth from Richland wa on 2010-05-07Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Much better D/A converter than in my Laptop
Cons: Unwanted electronic noise from Ipod
The Bithead makes a night and day difference when connecting my laptop to my stereo system. When I hook up the laptop directly the sound is weak and has no oomph. When I use the Bithead the music sounds amazing. How dramatic a difference others may see likely depends on their laptop, but my fairly expensive HP is apparently a real loser when it comes to sound.
On my Ipod with big headphones the difference is less acute, but the bass is better and the sound is clearer. Not by a lot, but enough to notice. The only issue is that when the Bithead is attached to my Ipod I need to turn off the WiFi, as you can hear clicks and pops when the Ipod talks to my router.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Great Sound on the Go
Posted by MaverickRonin from Midwest, USA on 2010-05-06Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Small and rugged
Cons: No EM shielding
I purchased my BitHead mainly to bypass the dismal onboard soundcards on the computers I use at work, and the better but still not so great sound on my netbook and I've been quite pleased with it's performance. It's completely plug and go which is nice if you move from computer to computer on a daily basis. Being driver free is also very nice if you can't install drivers on your work machine. (Though that doesn't apply to me since I'm one of the IT guys.)
I didn't expect it to do much for much for my Cowon D2+ and SE530s but I discovered much better bass response when I tried it. I also hooked it up to my Nintendo DS and was impressed with the results, despite the space restraints imposed upon the music. I just started FFT:A2 and am enjoying turn based strategy with a great soundtrack. I'm going to have to replay my Castlevanias as well, since they have awesome soundtracks too.
The BitHead's only real flaw is the lack of any EM shielding. I tried velcroing it to the lid of my netbook but the CCFLs put out so much noise, it makes the BitHead sound considerably worse than the onboard sound. Moving it somewhere else solves the problem, but also makes it much less convenient.
3 out of 5 people found this review unhelpful. Did you?
Must have
Posted by gthphotography from chicago on 2010-04-14Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Small, portablity, crossover, USB port
Cons: Not small enough
I purchased this to drive my AKG 702s. It was a necessary for use with my iPod and computers. I'm very happy with my purchase. I feel it's hard to review something that is necessary in order for a pair of cans to work properly, but here goes:
I love the crossover switch. Absolutely makes the sound better, plus having a gain switch (I have to use the high position). Having the ability to hook in to the computer via USB is great so I won't kill a bunch on batteries, which the amp has a smart little way of telling you the batteries are dying, a clipping indicator. While overall it's small, it would be amazing if it could be even smaller. It's new, so I have not been able to see how it holds up to travel usage.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you?
As good as my Supreme
Posted by ctmurphy from Minnesota on 2010-04-11Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Great sound, great design, good controls.
Cons:
I've had 2 other Headroom Airheads but jumped at this one with the option to use it as a DAC on my computer (bypassing the internal audio on my laptop has always sounded better). Well I was blown away by both how much better this Bithead sounded than my old Airheads (which had been upgraded with Black Gate electrolytic caps) but sounded better than any DAC I'd used with my laptop.
I use these primarily with a pair of Shure SCL4 earbud and the definition and dynamics are incredible. The combination also seems terribly neutral. I also use it with a pair of Sennheiser HD-580 with similar effect. I actually this the Bithead sounds better than my bedside Headroom Supreme which is showing it's age and in need of an upgrade.
Overall, excellent product, a miracle, no downsides. WIsh they made a bigger variety of bags to use with it like they used to.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Awesome upgrade for my laptop !
Posted by Dark.Metaller from Rimouski, CA on 2010-04-08Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: High Quality DAC, Solid build, Gain Switch.
Cons:
This product is really worth the buy, not only for the amplifier, but for the High Quality DAC ! It makes a true difference on my laptop, the SQ is way better !
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Excellent little amp/DAC
Posted by Sean on 2010-04-05Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Great bang for the buck; Amp/DAC combo; Runs off of batteries
Cons: Not the greatest sound out there; Weak headphone outputs
For the money, this little piece of kit is superb. With the latest version, the sound is excellent, the volume pot is noise-free, and the cross-feed actually sounds pretty good. Another wonderful addition is the gain switch; with the switch set to the 'high' position, this amp can run Sennheiser HD650s with ease. Of course, while the Total Bithead will certainly run HD650s to extremely high volumes, it will not reveal the full potential of these phones or other reference phones (I'd recommend something such as Headroom's very own Desktop Amp/DAC for that). Nevertheless, I'd posit that HD650s still sound better than the vast majority of phones I've sampled on the Total Bithead.
I primarily use the amp as an out-board amp/DAC for my computer, and though this isn't necessarily ideal to the ears of most audiophiles, it serves its purpose quite well. If you intend to use this unit with high impedance headphones, I'd suggest running it off of battery power exclusively; when running off of USB power with the gain switch set to the 'high' position, the noise floor is VERY readily audible through my HD650s and the sound becomes very muddy and electric. Switched over to battery power the noise floor disappears and the sound becomes much more detailed and smooth. With lower impedance phones such as Sennheiser HD555s, the difference is much less noticeable between USB and battery power, but my ears can still discern a slight difference.
As far as the sound goes, the Total Bithead is a little warm, especially if you employ the cross-feed switch; though, to my ears, some songs sound a little flat without the cross-feed. The detail is great across the frequency range with a very even response. The place where the Total Bithead really suffers in sound quality, however, is in the sound stage and instrument separation. During music with few instruments, they all come out very clearly; with more complicated music, or heavy metal music which utilizes powerful guitar riffs, instruments start to get somewhat lost on the sound stage, especially cymbals--it would seem that the highs roll-off slightly when the audio stream gets complicated. Never at any point do I feel I am completely missing sounds in songs, but there are definitely times that certain instruments are difficult to hear clearly. It is important to note following this comment that the quality of the recording can make a HUGE difference in anyone's ability to clearly discern instruments with any piece of gear, so keep that in mind when you're listening.
The only real complaint I have against the Total Bithead is that the headphone outputs are quite weak. They're far too easy to wiggle about, and if you accidentally bump them when phones are connected, sometimes fuzzy noises or loss in volume can be heard in either channel. Because of this, I'd definitely suggest investing in a flexible 1/4" to 1/8" adapter if you're using headphones that terminate in a 1/4" connection, as most of the adapters that come with such phones tend to be the short and inflexible kind, putting far too much weight on the delicate outputs of the Total Bithead.
While this unit sounds great at this price-point, I find it important to note that it is definitely NOT the best sounding piece of kit you can find out there--so please don't buy it if you are expecting something extravagant. If you want blow-your-socks-off sound, look no further than the Desktop Amp/DAC. Yes, that unit is over 600 bux more, but that's the price of extraordinary sound in the world of quality headphone gear. With that said, however, the Total Bithead is excellent if you're looking to spend under 200 bux on an amp/DAC for everyday portable use, if you're just starting out in the audiophile world, or if you simply want great sound at a great price.
19 out of 20 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Great Little Amp
Posted by Mr.Phil from Indiana on 2010-03-22Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Portability, Sound
Cons: none
I use this amp mostly for listening to FLAC music off the laptop and it does a great job.
Not much to say except it does what it is supposed to do in a very good way and I cannot wait to use it for long trips.
If you are considering a good entry level amp/dac at a comparable price to other brands you cannot go wrong with the bithead and great headroom customer service.
Thumbs up!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Nice Unit
Posted by Fester from Sydney, Australia on 2010-03-17Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Portable, good sound, reasonable price, linux friendly
Cons: Piss poor usb cable length!
My HD555's didn't need amplification as such but I use them mainly on my computer and it does make a difference to overall sound quality plus the crossover makes a subtle difference. Using it on Linux Mint Helena with no problems, just need to initially adjust your audio manually unlike Windows.
The biggest downside is the short length of the USB cable. On one of my computers the unit would be dangling in mid-air because the cable is too short to rest it anywhere.
Fortunately I had a 3ft lead lying around so I can now control the unit from my desk without having to bend over to reach it.
Apart from the above glitch it's a great addition to my stereo gear.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Good Portable AMP + DAC
Posted by Snozzwangler from Berkeley, CA on 2010-02-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Both an amp and a DAC, good entry level amp/DAC, good price, good sound quality, portable, USB input
Cons: Switches aren't labeled, comes with very short cables
Sound: I purchased the Total BitHead as a portable DAC/amp to use along with my portable mp3 player and my laptop. It offers superior sound quality compared to my laptop's onboard sound, and works well as a portable amp for my mp3 player.
Ease of use: It is very simple to use, just plug it in/switch it on, and you're good to go. I did have problems while trying it out with my desktop that runs on Windows Vista, but it worked fine with my laptop which runs on XP, as well as my friend's mac, so I assume it's just a problem with Vista.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Gets the job done
Posted by MGrewe from Minneapolis, MN on 2010-02-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: No
Pros: DAC built in, small, USB input
Cons: Expensive
I wasn't blown away by the sound of this amp/DAC. I like it because it cleans up the sound from my computer and is an improvement over the output jack on the computer. I would have liked it more if it wasn't so expensive.
The sound leaves the listener wanting more. It is not extremely detailed, the midrange isn't that smooth, and the soundstage isn't big. It gets the job done though and it is much better than nothing.
9 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Bargain
Posted by Rasto from Slovakia, Europe on 2010-02-14Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Portability, Sound and build quality
Cons: No
This is great head amp and at the same time wonderful sound card with DAC. I use it mainly with my laptop where BitHead offers sufficient juice to move drivers of my AKG702. Can’t substitute my main headphone amplifier, but its great when you are mobile with your full range headphones as well as you are with your notebook (for example web browsing in bed with your lossless music archive or radio). When they drive well enough my AKG702, you can imagine how they drive my Ethimonic ER6 from ipod as source (also lossless). This is one versatile piece of kit for everyday use. Thanks Headroom and sorry for my English. Rasto from Slovakia.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Good times
Posted by Milhouse on 2010-02-14Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Good Value and Good Sound
Cons:
The Bithead works really well. For the price, it can't be beat. The amp and the DAC makes my headphones sound awesome.
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Great addition to the office listening experience
Posted by BigDog from Ottawa, ON, Canada on 2010-02-12Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Small, good feature combo, dual jacks
Cons: Gain button hard to reach with fat fingers
With a set of sealed cans (I use the Sennheiser HD-280 Pros) at the office to drown out noise from other cubicles, this little amp is perfectly suited to improving the listening experience from the computer. And I love the convenience of being able to use it portably with my iPhone, where the second headphone jack often comes in handy when someone else want to listen too. Great value for the money.
1 out of 1 people found this review unhelpful. Did you?
A Must for High Impedance Headphones
Posted by Earns2000 from Kailua, HI on 2010-02-12Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Excellent Entry Level Amplifier/DAC
Cons: Picks up Some Electrical Interference
My primary reason for purchasing this amplifier was for the Digital Audio Conversion capability because my computer's on-board sound card had a very noisy output. However, I have also used the HeadRoom Total BitHead as an amplifier and was impressed with its performance.
**Amplifier Function**
As an amplifier the Total BitHead is able to drive high impedance head phones with little to no distortion. When attached to my Sennheiser HD-555s which have an impedance of 50 ohms, they sounded clearer and the bass was more powerful but did not overpower the mids and highs. I noticed this difference when connecting the Total BitHead to both a computer's on board sound card (Realtek on-board) and the output of a Sony Music Player. The change wasn't substantial but I suspect that it would be more noticeable with higher impedance, higher quality headphones like the Sennheiser HD-600 (300 ohms) or a Sennheiser HD-800 (600 ohms).
One thing that bothered me was when using my Shure SE210s with the Total BitHead, the sound was too heavy. This resulted in the mids and highs becoming muddled. However, it should be noted that I did not notice this change while using my Sennheiser HD-555s, so it seems to be dependent on what kind of devices you are using with the amplifier.
**Digital Audio Converter Function**
For me, this is reason the Total BitHead is worth its ~$160 price tag. The analog output from the Total BitHead is free from noise if placed away from electrical devices, so you may have to experiment a little with the placement of the amplifier. The Total BitHead adds warmth (lower frequencies more pronounced) to the sound which was more noticeable which as noted previously, was undesirable with the Shure SE210s.
Using Sennheiser HD-555s the clarity of the sound was an improvement over the on-board sound card over both the Realtek integrated sound card and the sound card inside a HP dv2315nr laptop. The bass was also punchy which I see as an improvement over the relatively flat 'thump' using the other sound cards.
**Other Thoughts**
This purchase is also for the future, if possible I look forward to upgrading to high impedance headphones and at that point I believe my Total BitHead purchase will pay off even more.
**Recommendation**
I would highly recommend those with headphones with impedances of 100 Ohms or more get this amplifier. I suspect those using Headphones with lower impedances and no intentions to upgrade will not benefit enough to justify the price.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you?
The CMoy killer !
Posted by StratCat from Cuernavaca, Mexico on 2010-02-11Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Price, very good sounding DAC, lightweight, compact,
Cons: No direct DAC output
After purchasing and building a couple of CMoy amplifiers I was looking to buy something that handled my low impedance IEM's better while still being compact, lightweight and battery powered. Also, my CMoy with crossfeed was somewhat bulky so, I also wanted something more compact.
This little amp had been in my sights since the first day I got into headphones. When last Christmas HeadRoom put it on sale, I knew it was then or never.
What intrigued me most was the DAC: everyone in the web talks about what a dramatic difference a DAC makes. Well, the little amp delivered: the BitHead in DAC mode, fed with FLAC or high bitrate mp3 files just astounded me. There's an added clarity and air to the music, the shimmer of cymbals and the decay of notes, the snap of the snare drum and the liquidity of the string section of an orchestra: it really does make a difference. It's a shame one can't bypass the amp portion to use the DAC with other amplifiers for larger headphones (e.g. my K701's).
The amp portion of the BitHead does it's job competently, the gain switch is a great feature that allows the amp to be used with sensitive, low impedance IEM's avoiding volume knob tracking problems or hair trigger sensitivity.
The amp may or may not make a great difference in sound, depending on the source you feed it. For example, with my 5th gen iPod video, the difference is very, very slight. But with my Sansa e200 the difference is easier to hear: for one, you won't hear any electronic whirring in your 'phones when listening to the e200 through the BitHead; and also the sound is less dark, more sparkling.
As to the crossfeed, the effect is really subtle, very hard to notice unless you use a hard panned recording (e.g. early Beatles, Cream, etc), if you listen with utmost attention, in some recording you can notice a slight emphasis in the bass appearing when switching the effect on. I like crossfeed very much, as it lends a coherence to the soundstage produced by headphones and I really think all headphone amplifiers should include it. Of course if you don't like it, you can just switch it off.
Overall the BitHead is a really good product that'll help you enjoy your music more with it's great sounding DAC and, more importantly, considering the really absurd prices other portable amps are fetching in the market, you don't have to go broke to get one.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Good beginner amp
Posted by Mal from Texas on 2010-02-09Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros:
Cons: low Durability
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.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Love it
Posted by jeffbl from Montreal, Canada on 2010-02-08Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Great sound; easy to use; well thought out; small
Cons: battery compartment lame; appears somewhat fragile
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.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?
outstanding value, unbelievable effectiveness
Posted by anon on 2010-02-01Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: excellent sound/operation fexibility, can use USB power
Cons: ergonomics while good could be improved
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
Posted by Jax from CA on 2010-01-30Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Easy to use
Cons: If it is too close to a computer, it picks up some interference
Works with Linux wonderfully.
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Fantastic Sound, Solid Construction
Posted by Wilhelm on 2010-01-28Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: High-quality DAC, Strong amp, USB powered
Cons: No carrying case/bag
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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A Must Have For PC & Portable Music Players
Posted by DAT guy from Houston, TX on 2010-01-25Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Great Sound - Low Cost - No Brainer
Cons: Not the shiniest or slimmest
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!
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Nice little amp
Posted by dointhefish from NYC on 2010-01-25Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Good value for the size and cost
Cons: Very dependent on headphone quality
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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My first amp. Maybe my only amp!
Posted by Rocket Richard from San Diego, CA on 2010-01-21Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Good value
Cons: electrical noise in certain situations
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.
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Nice little gadget
Posted by Bonnkiwi from NZ on 2010-01-19Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Easy to use, versatile, good value
Cons: Looks a little bit flimsy
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
Posted by James Davis from Halifax, NS on 2010-01-18Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Price, Versatility
Cons: Battery Life
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
Posted by Niavlys77 from Sarnia, ON on 2010-01-18Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Sale price was awesome, Works very well, Sound quality with my laptop is no longer an issue
Cons: Price could always be lower
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
Posted by Andrew from Lund, Sweden on 2010-01-18Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros:
Cons:
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
Posted by Feb from Manchester, NH on 2010-01-18Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Does what it says it will do
Cons: Controls could be clearer
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
Posted by bikebob from VA on 2010-01-17Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Clean Audio, Small Size, Good Power.
Cons: Batteries are not Rechargable.
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
Posted by Worthcastle on 2010-01-17Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Compact, Portable, Great Sound, Good Value
Cons: Takes a while to break in
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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Nice pocket amp
Posted by dwf_n_ca from Mountain View, CA on 2010-01-17Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Greater dynamic range, fits in coat pocket
Cons: Too many cables to organize, crossfeed not that impressive
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.
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good value for specific purpose
Posted by dmpbyrdwatcher from SF area on 2010-01-17Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: cheap, small, easy to use, good volume control
Cons: DAC is only ok
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.
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Great Beginner Amp
Posted by NJR from Greenwich, Connecticut on 2010-01-17Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Small, great value, easy to use.
Cons: Switches are confusing.
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
Posted by SoundsForGood from Vancouver, Canada on 2010-01-17Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Excellent sound & performance, does what is claimed
Cons: I wish it had an equalizer
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
Posted by Blackmore from Redwood city, ca on 2010-01-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Very clear, precise sound, gnar
Cons: Expensive, interference with cell phone
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
Posted by Steve P. from Rochester, NY on 2010-01-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Small, Full Featured, Superb Quality
Cons: Crossfeed?
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
Posted by egordon from Atlanta, ga on 2010-01-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Portable with fantastic sound
Cons:
I use it for both my laptop & iPhone. Can't stand listening to music or watching a movie without it.
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Great entry to quality listening
Posted by WillDaddy from Seattle on 2010-01-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Great value, easy to use
Cons: None
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.
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Not as good as I hoped
Posted by Ranny from Lansing, MI on 2010-01-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: No
Pros: Portable, 2 headphone jacks
Cons: Didn't change my listening experience
The total BitHead, comparatively speaking, seems to be a pretty good bargain for $149. 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.
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good amp
Posted by Philzie from Venice, FL on 2010-01-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: definitely improves all aspects of audio
Cons: still trying to understand bypassing internal Dac
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
Posted by AudioJunkie from Salt Lake City, UT on 2010-01-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Portable, Built in DAC
Cons: Interference
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
Posted by Harvester from Antioch, CA on 2010-01-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Size, dual headphone ports, value!, battery life, DAC
Cons: ? USB cable could be an inch or two longer I suppose.
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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Great companion for computer and portable listening
Posted by contrabass from Pittsburgh, PA on 2010-01-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: USB powered, two outputs, killer sound
Cons:
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.
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Very nice and great value
Posted by Happycustomer from SLC, UT on 2010-01-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: One of the most affordable headphone amp + DAC I could find
Cons: None
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
Posted by sound bound on 2010-01-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Portable, Good Value, Great Sound Improvement
Cons: Size Limits Portability
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
Posted by Hari from Urbana, IL on 2010-01-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Small; Easy; Adds nice nuance and depth to music
Cons: Not a huge improvement if you already have great phones and good music
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
Posted by zephry from Austin, TX on 2010-01-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Easy to use, Excellent sound quality, Sturdy, Powered by USB port
Cons: Bit bulky, Rubber battery cover
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
Posted by sourdeez from San Francisco, CA on 2010-01-16Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: good sound quality
Cons: battery drain
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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Best $$$ I've spent on Audio
Posted by DJAS from San Francisco, CA on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Convenient, Innocuous, Blows away my macbook's onboard sound
Cons: Slightly susceptible to electrical interference, which also sounds great
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.
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Amazing, portable headphone amp
Posted by Ccdrums from Provo, UT on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Good value, nice features, quality sound and DAC
Cons: Runs on batteries
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
Posted by dmoerner from Claremont, CA on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: High fidelity, Convenient, Works well with linux, Splitter
Cons: High Price (but you get what you pay for)
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
Posted by Doug from Edmonton, AB on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Great value, high performance, low price
Cons: Short USB cable (for power)
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
Posted by rrichard63 from San Francisco Bay Area, CA on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Good sound, enough volume, convenient to carry
Cons: Doesn't recharge NiMH batteries
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
Posted by Tromprof from CIncinnati on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Sounds great, easy to use, small
Cons: none so far
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!!
Posted by THSman from Teaneck, NJ on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Small, plug and play
Cons: None
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
Posted by NG from Illinois on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros:
Cons:
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!
Posted by EHaskins from Wisconsin on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Sound great
Cons: Didn't get it sooner?
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
Posted by will from SF on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Good value
Cons: None
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
Posted by Chance from Kabul, Afghanistan on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Makes Laptops Sound Great
Cons: none
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
Posted by Mitchell B. from Kirkland, WA on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Small, light, solid sound
Cons: Relies on USB 2.0 for input
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
Posted by nieji81348 from Beloit, WI on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Compact and very good sound
Cons: None that I could think of
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
Posted by dhave from SC on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Simple design, works as advertised, very good value
Cons: None as of yet
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
Posted by Sid from NY on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Portable, Cheap, Crossfeed, USB connector
Cons: Kind of noisy
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
Posted by EliH14 from Jersey Shore, PA on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: No
Pros: Improved Sound Quality
Cons: High Price
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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Awesome first amp
Posted by Nick on 2010-01-15Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: small, powerful
Cons:
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
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A nice little amp
Posted by KikassAssassin from Granite City, IL on 2010-01-12Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Small, good sound quality, crossfeed
Cons: Front switches aren't labeled
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.
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Does Its Job Well
Posted by Thunderbird from Tacoma, WA on 2010-01-07Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: Build quality, value
Cons: Size
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!
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Fair amp for an OK price
Posted by niels from Reston, VA on 2010-01-06Posted on HeadRoom Total BitHead
Recommend Product: No
Pros: SMall, portable, standard batteries, sounds OK, easy computer connection
Cons: Power management poorly implemented
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.
29 out of 35 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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