1. Q. Does the BitHead require software?
A. The BitHead does not require any software other than a music management/CD playing program. However, you may need to select the BitHead as your primary audio device in your computer. Usually your computer will automatically detect the BitHead, but sometimes (particularly with Apple operating machines) you may need to select the BitHead as your primary audio device. Instructions follow.
Microsoft Machine: Go to ‘my computer’ and select ‘control panel’. In control panel, select ‘Sounds and Audio Devices’, and then select the ‘audio’ tab. At the top, select ‘USB Audio Codec’ as your Default Device, and hit okay. You may need to restart your music management program or your computer in order for your computer to recognize the BitHead.
Apple operating Machine: Click on the Apple icon and go to ‘System Preferences’. Go to ‘Sound’, select the middle ‘Output’ tab, and then select ‘USB Audio Codec’ as your primary audio device. You may need to restart your music management program or your computer in order for your computer to recognize the BitHead.
2. Q. How loud should the volume be on my computer or portable source?
A. If you are using the BitHead with a computer via USB, you will want to turn the volume on your computer all the way up to maximum. Bear in mind there is usually more than one way to adjust the volume, such as one on the physical computer and one within your media player. If using the BitHead with a portable audio source, you will want to turn the volume NEARLY all the way up or one step down from all the way up, depending on the player. Use your best hearing judgement to determine the best combination for your gear.
3. Q. When the BitHead is connected to my computer, how is the BitHead powered?
A. By putting your power switch in the ‘off’ position, the BitHead obtains power from your computer via USB. For those who want the best (read: cleanest) possible power supplied to their BitHead, then simply flip the power switch ‘on’ and the BitHead will use battery power for the amp section instead (while the DAC section is still running from USB).
4. Q. What DAC does the BitHead use?
A. Burr-Brown PCM2902E
5. Q. What are the included cables?
A. One cable is a 1ft mini-to-mini cable that runs from your audio source to the audio input of the BitHead. The other cable is a 1ft USB cable to connect the USB line-in on the back of the BitHead to your computer.
6. Q. Does the BitHead support 24 bit audio?
A. While the computer application you are using may be able to read and play files with various different sampling rates and word widths successfully on the BitHead, the BitHead itself uses a good 16-bit DA converter.
7. Q. Can I use the line-in and USB at the same time?
A. Yes, and no. The BitHead may be powered from the USB connector, while obtaining music from the line input (such as when connected to an iPod.) But the audio signal cannot come from two places at once, so connecting an input to the line-in disconnects the audio from the DA converter of the USB section.
8.Q. Will I damage my amp or headphones if I plug them in with the volume up?
A. YES, POSSIBLY! The BitHead is a robust miniature power amp, and is quite capable of blowing its miniature self up if it's forced to drive the destructive short circuit of not-fully-inserted headphones. Please be careful to have the unit off, or the volume COMPLETELY down, and ensure that the headphone plug is completely inserted into the amp jack when connecting headphones to amp.
9.Q. Does it matter what kind of soundcard I have?
A. No. Successfully connecting the BitHead completely bypasses your computer’s other internal sound devices and eq settings.
10.Q. Is the BitHead better than a ________(fill in the blank) sound card?
A. Usually significantly better. Because the BitHead lives outside the noisy electrical environment of your computer's hard-drive, and since it uses better quality electronic components, it is typically MUCH better sounding versus 'stock' soundcards. It’s pretty solidly on par with the very best of upgraded soundcards in basic sound quality and audio reproduction, but of course has far fewer features than these often rather expensive aftermarket devices. And it’s not quite as good sounding, but much more portable, than the soundcard installations and external breakout boxes of professional audio editing systems.
11.Q. Can the unit drain the batteries even when it’s turned off?
A. No, it will not drain your batteries. (When connected to a computer, the ‘off’ position indicates the unit is using USB power, thus you will see the green LED lit.) If you are storing the unit for a period of time, it is a good idea to remove the batteries to prevent accidental leakage.
12.Q. How long do the batteries last on my BitHead?
A. Depending on the type of headphones that are used and volume levels, the BitHead can generally be powered for approximately 40+ hours on four AAA batteries. Headphones with lower impedance will last longer than headphones with very high impedance. We have heard some users get nearly 60 hours of battery life with very efficient headphones (such as ear canal earphones), while other listeners may only get 35-40hrs with very high impedance 300-Ohm+ headphones (typically larger audiophile designs).
13.Q. Does the BitHead have a separate line out?
A. No, it does not have a separate line out. You can use the headphone jack with confidence though; remember that, as a general rule, headphone amp outputs are just like good pre-amp outputs but typically just a bit noisier in terms of adding some background noise floor issues.
14.Q. Do I need to have administrative privileges on my computer in order to install the BitHead?
A. Nope, you do not need to have administrative privileges.
15.Q. Does the BitHead work on Macintosh computers?
A. The BitHead will work on Macintosh, Linux, or any other type of OS. Typically on Apple MACs, the BitHead will need to be "selected" as the primary audio device in the computer's audio system settings/preferences. See question #2 for details about how to do this.
16.Q. Will my laptop have sufficient power to ‘drive’ the BitHead, and if so will it significantly drain my laptop’s battery?
A. The BitHead represents only a minor load on your laptops’ power, and you should not notice a significant drain in battery life while the BitHead is plugged in. Please keep in mind the BitHead does NOT function well connected to most self-powered USB hubs. We highly recommend only using the TBH connected directly to a 'built-in' computer tower/laptop USB port.
17.Q. What is the voltage requirement of the BitHead?
A. The maximum voltage the BitHead will accept is the standard 5 volts from the USB input and 6 volts from batteries. The BitHead cannot accept AC power inputs from wall warts or other supplies.
18.Q. Does my new equipment require ‘break-in’ time?
A. Both headphones and headphone amplifiers require break-in time before they are at their optimal performance. We recommend running your new headphone amp and/or headphones for about 50-75hrs to allow sufficient break-in time.
19. Q: Why do I hear hiss coming from the iPod & TBH amp using my upscale triple microdriver ear canal headphones?
A: There could be several reasons; Make sure the amp's batteries are at full strength. Weak batteries will increase background noise floor issues. If using a new generation HeadRoom Total BitHead, ensure the amp is set to the 'low-gain' position. Turn the iPod/ Mp3 player volume level [output] to around 8 or 9 [10 being maximum] and then use the amplifier itself as your master volume control for your earphones. Finally, you may wish to pick up a dedicated iPod "dock" that allows interconnectivity from the player's bottom pin configuration instead of using the low-grade (and noisy!) iPod headphone jack as a line-out to the amplifier.
If using a PDA or player device with a large view screen (like a Video-iPod) the EMI/RFI interference coming from the screen could add static & line-level noise to the TBH. Keeping the video screen and TBH as separate as possible will help to minimize this issue.
Please keep in mind that superb triple-microdriver earphone designs are very accurate and will be extremely revealing of ANY flaws or overt compression artifacts present in the audio source.