Best headphone amplifiers 2020: budget and premium

[What Hi-Fi?]

Here are our favourite headphones amplifiers, including portable affordable models and premium amps for the home.

Best headphone amplifiers 2020: budget and premium : Read more

 

[Neiljbp]

Once again the question arises.....................
Which of these products is guaranteed to work with a CHROMEBOOK........
The last time I posted this question, I got ONE response. and that response was all about what worked with Windows and Apple.........Avoiding Chromebook.
See I told you how tricky the question was.
Surely SOMEONE at WHAT HIFI ? must know the answer.....

 

[Deleted member 188533]

Once again the question arises.....................
Which of these products is guaranteed to work with a CHROMEBOOK........
The last time I posted this question, I got ONE response. and that response was all about what worked with Windows and Apple.........Avoiding Chromebook.
See I told you how tricky the question was.
Surely SOMEONE at WHAT HIFI ? must know the answer.....

I don't know but you might ask the question on the forums. Someone who does know might be able to help you.


This is another 'best' list of things previously tested. Not a real 'best' list.

 

[doifeellucky]

Strange that this list of headphone amplifiers only actually contains one dedicated headphone amp in it. Even that is labelled incorrectly as a DAC/Amp. Then directly below it says it actually doesn't have DAC in it. Get your facts right. Based on the majority being DAC/Amp combos, where is the award winning Zen DAC. I'm increasingly starting to question the hi-fi knowledge of whoever puts these 'lists' together.

 

[Gray]

.....Based on the majority being DAC/Amp combos, where is the award winning Zen DAC.

It's number 12 on that list.

 

[jayhouse]

This is a roundup of dacs mainly focussed on portable use, not a list of headphone amps. Where is the list of products the title promises? A list of items I could integrate in to a home setup where I don’t need a DAC or might already have that covered and want to add headphone use to. The products to upgrade the headphone output on an integrated amp or add headphone use to a turntable etc where I only have a phono stage and a power amp. This is not an uncommon scenario yet nearly every headphone amp or at least list of the best ones just rounds up the same portable DAC/headphone amp combo devices.

 

[Gray]

This is a roundup of dacs mainly focussed on portable use, not a list of headphone amps. Where is the list of products the title promises? A list of items I could integrate in to a home setup where I don’t need a DAC or might already have that covered and want to add headphone use to. The products to upgrade the headphone output on an integrated amp or add headphone use to a turntable etc where I only have a phono stage and a power amp. This is not an uncommon scenario yet nearly every headphone amp or at least list of the best ones just rounds up the same portable DAC/headphone amp combo devices.

I agree with you.
You're better off looking elsewhere if you're investigating amps.
(The two latest Magni 3 variants and the Topping A50S are prime contenders, in their respective price brackets).