HeadRoom Balanced Desktop Amp

Save big and get everything you need with our Balanced Desktop Packages. Choose from Sennheiser HD650 & AKG K701

There's just no way to achieve the superb transparency, the rich musical detail resolution, or the deeply immersive soundstaging on regular headphones compared to what's possible on balanced-drive headphone systems. Balanced amplifiers & balanced XLR headphone cabling will deliver the most revealing and accurate headphone sound available with a precise expressiveness of tone, pitch-black sonic backgrounds, and a vast, lightning-quick dynamic range that simply defines reference listening in its most pure form. Suddenly, subtle nuances in recordings you've heard a million times before become newly evident and thrillingly vivid, creating an intimate emotional re-connection to all your favorite music. So we've spent some long hours in the HeadRoom lab working hard to condense the cutting-edge technology & the impressive sonic gains of balanced-drive into our little 'Desktop Amp' chassis. The small 6"X6" footprint easily sits in a tiny nook on your workstation, nightstand, or audio rack. And, oh yeah, we were also able to nicely shrink the pricepoint so more listeners can experience the sound quality typically heard in a $20,000 speaker-based stereo for well under a couple of grand.

For the hardcore audiophile, there remain solid worthwhile advantages to our flagship big rack-size HeadRoom 'Balanced Home' and HeadRoom 'Balanced Max' amps, such as significantly broader output interconnect flexibility, additional module/DAC upgrades, and superior power supplies. But for those without the ample rack space or wallet size to go with them big boys, how ya' like these apples: a true audiophile-grade balanced headphone amp that weighs only a couple of pounds and demolishes all previous sound, size, & price barriers!

Features

The Balanced Desktop Amp provides one pair of stereo XLR balanced outputs for connecting one balanced headphone. The Balanced Desktop Amp can also drive two standard (single-ended) headphones simultaneously, as the XLR connections each have a concentric stereo 1/4" jack housed within. The amp will accept analog-balanced XLR and analog-unbalanced RCA connections. The optional DAC upgrade installation will provide digital optical, digital coaxial, and USB connections. Any of the inputs are automatically up-converted to a balanced signal ready for your XLR headphones, a major audio design advancement exclusive to the HeadRoom Balanced Desktop unit. So go ahead and hook up all of your various audio sources to the Balanced Desktop amp, and effortlessly switch between them with the on-board Source Selector switch.

The Desktop Balanced Amp's rear faceplate contains discrete connections for all audio inputs: balanced & unbalanced inputs, a balanced/unbalanced input selector switch; and with the DAC option, an analog/digital source switch, and a USB/optical/coaxial digital input selector switch. Also located on the back is an on/off switch and the AC power supply connections. The front of the amp stays clean & sleek with headphone outputs, a 3-position gain switch, a crossfeed switch, and volume control positioned on the faceplate. A green LED glows within the HeadRoom logo letting you know the unit is ready to rock.

Power Supply Information

The HeadRoom Balanced Desktop Amp includes an Astrodyne 'international-use' power supply that delivers correct current on demand for the Balanced Desktop unit without having to spend for the superb-performing but pricey HeadRoom Desktop Power Supply [DPS]. The Astrodyne PS input is auto-selecting and operates with all worldwide voltages by simply connecting a standard 'IEC' power cable suitable for the local wall-plug configuration. IEC IS NOT INCLUDED! (An 'IEC' power cable is the 3-prong type commonly used for computers/monitors/electronics with the wall-plug termination having the appropriate plug configuration depending on which country you’re setting up your audio oasis; IECs are easily found at all local electronics/box stores).

Owners of other HeadRoom head-amps should keep in mind the Astrodyne PS is also available (sold separately, $119usd) for the rest of the Desktop Amp Line & the Micro Amp Line, offering nice performance gains over the linear AC wall-wart power supply provided with HeadRoom Micro & Desktop models.

For more demanding reference-oriented listeners, the HeadRoom DPS ($399usd) definitively remains the audio high road and will sonically outperform the Astrodyne, especially with a 'fully-loaded' Balanced Desktop Amp. Expect improved low-level musical detail presence, an expanded & quicker dynamic range extension, better clarity of tone, and deeper, more spacious soundstage imaging using the HeadRoom DPS over the provided Astrodyne PS.

Accessories

Of course, you'll need phenomenal balanced headphones to use a balanced-drive system. With the excellent Sennheiser HD600/650 series of headphones, their handy quick-detach cord makes changing over to balanced XLR cabling a user-friendly snap. With the 'hard-wired' AKG K701 and beyerdynamic DT880 headphones, our in-house HeadRoom recabling program can convert those headphones over to balanced stereo XLR terminations using superb Cardas Audio aftermarket cable with a fully warranteed, professionally finished re-cabling job. HeadRoom/Cardas balanced cabling begins at $300usd for a 10-ft length of balanced-XLR Cardas Audio cord, plus the actual cost of the headphones.

Interconnect Cables

The HeadRoom Balanced Desktop Amp does NOT include any interconnect cabling. With the 'Home' DAC option installed, a USB cable will allow you to hook up your HeadRoom Balanced Desktop Amp to a computer. If using our DAC's optical input, you'll need an Optical Digital Cable, and if you are using a digital-coaxial input into our DAC, take a look at this superb audiophile-grade coaxial cable. To hook up your Balanced Desktop Amp to a portable audio player with an 1/8” (3.5mm) output, you will need a mini-to-RCA converter cable such as the superb MusicCables made by Straight-Wire. If you are using an audio source with stereo RCA output, you will need an RCA cable. Or, take a look at all of our cables.

Please feel free to e-mail us or call our helpful sales geeks at 800.828.8184 for any further information on our re-cabling program or for the inside scoop on our Balanced Desktop Amp -- its one of HeadRoom's very best ways to get it perfectly right between the ears!

All HeadRoom Balanced Desktop amps are hand-built in Montana, USA.

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