Is it possible to make a headphone amp?

  • Thread starter Thread starter firebirdVII
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firebirdVII

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I want to make a headphone amp. I think it can be done, but I'm not 100%. You can plug headphones into the line out of some mesa boogies, so I was wondering how difficult it would be to make my favorite preamp and get a useable line out signal.


Would I need any special modulators? Anyone know where I could get some more info?
 
Re: Is it possible to make a headphone amp?

HolyDirt said:
Ditto. :smack: Go to google and type it in man...

I did and found quite a few projects that were worth looking into!

Type in "DIY Headphone Amp" or just headphone amp.I used Yahoo.
 
Re: Is it possible to make a headphone amp?

STRATDELUXER97 said:
I did and found quite a few projects that were worth looking into!

Type in "DIY Headphone Amp" or just headphone amp.I used Yahoo.
Oh, I was agreeing with you... I meant ditto to you, and the rest was for the thread maker. :) There's tons of headphone amp schematics out on the web... I've made one.
 
Re: Is it possible to make a headphone amp?

HolyDirt said:
Oh, I was agreeing with you... I meant ditto to you, and the rest was for the thread maker. :) There's tons of headphone amp schematics out on the web... I've made one.

I knew that buddy...I was trying to further help the forum member out along with you! :beerchug:
 
Re: Is it possible to make a headphone amp?

I started to suggest the same thing, but I think firebirdVII wants to use his own preamp, either from the amp's line out or from an ala-carte unit, with a headphone power amp. To do that, I think you'd need some sort of cabinet emulation circuitry coupled with some basic circuitry to drive the headphones. It might sound better if you were to catch the signal AFTER it leaves the amp, rather than redirecting the preamp signal. Weber makes an interesting looking device that would do this (I haven't tried it myself, though).

EDIT: I just realized you said "make your favorite preamp." That's going to be a bit more difficult.
 
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Re: Is it possible to make a headphone amp?

Let me try and clarify.

I don't have a preamp yet, I would like to know if I could build the preamp section of one of my favorite designs and include a line out that could drive headphones.

Most of the headphone amps that you see by doing a generic google search of the same are for audiophiles and not designed for guitars. I already have one of those, and wouldn't actually be opposed to using it in the loop.

However, the original thought was to base it off of the Mesa Boogie Mark 2C deal where you can actually plug headphones into the line out and bipass the power tubes, except I wouldn't waist power tubes and would make a cheaper project of simply a preamp with whatever unit modulates the amplitude of the signal.

Does anyone know about that? Oh, and do any of you have any thoughts on whether an actual adiophile headphone amp schematic could be modified to guitardom?

Sorry for the long post, and the vague question.


And most importantly, thanks!
 
Re: Is it possible to make a headphone amp?

Get an Ibanez rock an play and use the clean channel. Very cheap fix to your problems.
 
Re: Is it possible to make a headphone amp?

I'm thinking a Sans Amp GT-2 may fit the bill? I maybe barking up the wrong tree here? I used mine with headphones all the time.
 
Re: Is it possible to make a headphone amp?

kmcguitars said:
I'm thinking a Sans Amp GT-2 may fit the bill? I maybe barking up the wrong tree here? I used mine with headphones all the time.
Kind of, but the idea was to make a tube preamp. I know that it wouldn't sound like my favorite amps, but I think I could do something cool with it.
 
Re: Is it possible to make a headphone amp?

Check out some ofthe high end stereo headphone amps for ideas. You only need like 1-2 watts and you don't need a noutput tranformer to drive an amp circuit, so a version of your "preamp" might do the trick on its own.
 
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