As part of my quest to build a home studio, I thought of another>question to pose to the group today. Let's say I get some nice>pro-quality monitor headphones for recording. The question is, Do I>need a headphone amplifier? Why or why not? My thinking is, "The>pros/experts will tell you yes but your heart says, use common sense -->if your headphones are loud enough, they're loud enough, period.">Thoughts/r­ecommendations?

Let's say I get some nice> pro-quality monitor headphones for recording. The question is, Do I> need a headphone amplifier? Why or why not?

As part of my quest to build a home studio, I thought of another> question to pose to the group today. Let's say I get some nice> pro-quality monitor headphones for recording. The question is, Do I> need a headphone amplifier? Why or why not? My thinking is, "The> pros/experts will tell you yes but your heart says, use common sense --> if your headphones are loud enough, they're loud enough, period."> Thoughts/recommenda­tions?

pros/experts will tell you yes but your heart says, use common sense -->if your headphones are loud enough, they're loud enough, period.">Thoughts/r­ecommendations?>

Just to clarify - It's just a general question; I see all these people> talking about headphone amps and I think to myself, "It's just me, and> whether I'm listening to the output from my guitar> amp/mixer/computer/­etc. I always have PLENTY of reserve on the volume> knob". In fact, I'm constantly bumping it up and turning it down to> protect my hearing. Is there something else a headphone amp does that> normal built-in amp units don't do? I've never owned a piece of gear> in my life that was so poor that it didn't provide adequate,> non-overdriven sound at acceptable volume levels. (For the record, my> home theater system is nothing special and I never sit in front of it> so I am never listening to it through headphones; this is all for> studio monitoring/mixing/m­astering work, and also to have a set of> practice headphones.)>

Does this make sense?

Is there something else a headphone amp does that > normal built-in amp units don't do?

Is there something else a headphone amp does that> normal built-in amp units don't do?

Does this make sense?>

That's really scary.> That sounds like a really, really underdesigned power supply.>

Does the metering modulate the supply rails too? > --scott

That's just poor design in my opinion - poor decoupling. If you had > stated in your post that it was a Behringer desk, everyone would jump in > and tell you you'd bought a piece of junk. But it's an Allen & Heath, so > everyone will hold off and wait for the next Behringer post. I'm tempted > to max out the headphone amp on my Behringer UB2442 and see if it survives > the same test ;o)

You should see the Broadcast Engineering FM exciters from the early> nineties. They sound different when the front panel LED meter is moved> from dot-mode to bar-mode. In bar-mode, the supply voltage drops when> more segments are illuminated and this modulates the audio. Really, really> shameful. There is a special place in hell reserved for people who design> this stuff.

Especially when you consider how cheap tabbed regulators and electrolytic> caps are.>

Does the metering modulate the supply rails too?

Just to clarify - It's just a general question; I see all these people> talking about headphone amps and I think to myself, "It's just me, and> whether I'm listening to the output from my guitar> amp/mixer/computer/­etc. I always have PLENTY of reserve on the volume> knob". In fact, I'm constantly bumping it up and turning it down to> protect my hearing. Is there something else a headphone amp does that> normal built-in amp units don't do?

this is all for studio monitoring/mixing/m­astering work,> and also to have a set of practice headphones.)