Weekly Q&A: Answers | Week of April 15, 2024

How to Spend Money Wisely Between Headphones and an Amplifier...

Q: I am considering new headphones with a dedicated tube amplifier.  Has experience suggested a rough ratio for distribution of dollars between these two components at the moderate-upper range ($10K)?  There is no intrinsic reason to split the money 50/50.  On the other hand, I am unsure if more dollars are needed in the amplification or the transducers?

-Mark

A: This is a great topic. First, we couldn’t agree more that there is no intrinsic reason to split the money 50/50. With that out of the way, we will say:

• Our experience is that part of the answer depends on the sensitivity of the headphones you will choose. More powerful amps aren’t necessarily more money, but that is the general slope of the regression of price and power.

• A second variable is your sense of whether you are willing to use parametric EQ. If you are, then some of the tone shaping that is often attempted with amplifiers may be unnecessary. If this is why tubes are your focus, you might be able to reconsider.

• A thi…