Do Headphones tell if you are getting the most from your amp?

[Cpt.Issues]

Does anyone have an opinion on this?

If you are able to hear significantly more detail through headphones plugged into your amplifier than through your speakers; does this suggest the full potential of the amplifier is not being realised and the same level of detail through upgrading the speakers? Or is this an unfair presumption to make based on the principles of how each sound?

 

[ID.]

Interesting. Not sure whether or how the headphone output uses the amplification that is used to run the speakers. Certainly it has a different output.

From my experience I'd say no. Some amps seem to have good headphone outputs while others are certainly lacking, so I don't think it can give a good idea of what the amp is necessarily capable of. I was never impressed by the headphone section of my Arcam Alpha 9 amp. The speakers always sounded better, and I wasn't using particularly expensive speakers either.

 

[psurquhart]

Opps - double post.

 

[psurquhart]

Hey - congratulations.

Nothing to do with the post but did you know you have won the Olive competition ?

What a great Xmas present - you must be thrilled.

 

[eggontoast]

Does anyone have an opinion on this?

If you are able to hear significantly more detail through headphones plugged into your amplifier than through your speakers; does this suggest the full potential of the amplifier is not being realised and the same level of detail through upgrading the speakers? Or is this an unfair presumption to make based on the principles of how each sound?

I personally think this is a fair presumption to a degree. Most amplifiers just use a couple of dropper resistors from the power stage to drive the headphone output. However it doesn't give you any idea how well the power stage can drive complex speaker loads, if the amplifier has poor power supplies which can't provide the current needed its never going to sound good IMO.

From my experience I'd say no. Some amps seem to have good headphone outputs while others are certainly lacking, so I don't think it can give a good idea of what the amp is necessarily capable of. I was never impressed by the headphone section of my Arcam Alpha 9 amp. The speakers always sounded better, and I wasn't using particularly expensive speakers either.

But the question has to be are your headphones any good.

 

[ID.]

But the question has to be are your headphones any good.

Good point. I mainly listened with an old pair of closed back Sennheisers (I forget which ones) and it always sounded a bit dull.

I've also tried it with some Sennheiser 595s and Audio Technica ATH-ANC7s and it didn't sound as good as lossless from my iPod using a Fiio E5, let alone something like a FUBAR IV headphone amp/dac, but I never did any extensive listening with those two so there may have been other factors at work.

 

[Cpt.Issues]

Hey - congratulations.

Nothing to do with the post but did you know you have won the Olive competition ?

What a great Xmas present - you must be thrilled.

Hey thank you kindly for notifying me of that!