HeadRoom Total AirHead

Put a Total AirHead portable headphone amp between your portable player and quality headphones and, presto-chango, the space between your ears becomes your own personal listening room. How does it do it? Behind most headphone jacks is a very cheap op-amp. The Total AirHead is a true miniature power amplifier for headphones. It isolates your player from the complex load of the headphones (which make the player even sound better), and it drives them with the authority and finesse of quality power amplification. The result? Exquisite audio right between your ears.

The HeadRoom Crossfeed
In the process, so to speak, we also include a special circuit you can switch on/off called "crossfeed" which makes headphones more natural sounding by improving soundstage imaging. The crossfeed makes the audio image on headphones more cohesive and well-detailed; its not taking it out of the head but rather creating a more coherent sound within your head. Between the TAH's crossfeed and its great power amp circuit you end up with eye-blinkingly tight bass & drums; snappy cymbals, well-located in space without tinny harshness; and a liquid-smooth yet neutral & fully present midrange.

Click here for more information on the HeadRoom Crossfeed.

Controls & Switches
Controlling your Total AirHead as it controls your headphones is a piece of cake. Two parallel headphone jacks in the corners let you and a friend plug in simultaneously. (Headphones with similar impedances/efficiencies will generally play at about the same volume). The switch on the left is the on-off switch, then the power-on LED, volume control, clipping/battery low indicator, and crossfeed switch.

Gain Switch
The TAH low/high gain power switch is pre-set at the factory to the "low" setting. Please move it to 'high gain' for more volume and/or amplifer power as necessary. Inside the oval hole of the battery door catch you'll notice a two-position switch that allows you to select between amplifier low / high gain settings. Use of the switch is simple: Use the low gain setting (the position where the volume is lower) unless the amp won’t get loud enough for you. The main reason for this switch is that it allows users to better match amp performance with varied headphone efficiency & impedance ratings. Speaking of amplifier performance, as the word “Total” in its name implies this unit uses a very high grade of electronic componentry---far higher parts quality than normal consumer equipment!

Powering the AirHead
On the rear left-hand side of the Total AirHead is where you’ll plug in the optionally-available AC adaptor. Plugging in the Total AirHead disconnects the internal batteries. (Batteries will NOT charge in the amp.) At the right rear is its audio line input. It takes a standard 1/8th inch (3.5mm) stereo mini-plug. We also include a nifty one-foot long mini-to-mini cable so you can connect your portable player device to the Total AirHead.

The Total AirHead's luscious molded rubber door might seem an extravagance until you remember you’ll never have to worry about losing or breaking it. (Dontcha' just hate those cheap-o plastic doors?) Simply lift the cover from the rear and it releases from its soft nubby detent to reveal the four AAA batteries lodged inside.

Attaching the AirHead
Along with the mini-mini cable, we also enclose an assortment of Velcro hook "dots", called Vel-Coins, that you can stick on the Total AirHead’s feet and the back of an iPod or other Mp3 player and easily mate them back-to-back. Then you can use the aforementioned rubber door as a sexy non-slip foot for your desktop portable player system.

DIMENSIONS:

The Total AirHead measures approximately 3" wide X 4.5" long X .75" thick and weighs about 7.5 ounces with four AAA batteries inside.