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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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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?
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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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.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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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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.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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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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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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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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.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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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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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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!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you?
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