How many pairs of headphones have you got at home? I bet there’s a chance you’ve got at least one pair. Whether it be a free in-ear type you get with your latest smart phone or a set you’ve purchased for a bit of an upgrade, I reckon the majority of people have got a pair or two lying around. What if there was an easy way to get even better sound from these trusted everyday items? Read on to find out how…
Just off the top of my head I know I’ve got at least five pairs of headphones at home. It’s just something you seem to acquire from time to time. Pride of place are my Grado on-ear open back headphones which just give me a massive boost in sound quality over the standard headphones you’d get free with a smartphone, for example. But what if I wanted to improve their amazing sound even further? Then maybe a headphone amp will do just the trick.
Which brings me swiftly on to the newest headphone amp to hit the Richer Sounds stores in the Arcam rHead headphone amplifier.
As with anything made by Arcam, the build quality is quite frankly, superb. The British company sure knows how to put together a product and the rHead is no different. As it’s a headphone amp, it’s relatively small in size, only 194 x 135 x 44mm and weighing just 0.71kg. But that doesn’t distract from how good the product feels in your hands. Everything from the volume dial – which has been taken from the flagship A49 hi-fi amp – to the quality of the headphone outputs just seems to scream out quality. I must add that Arcam state that by using the volume controls from the A49, you should be able to get the most accurate volume on both channels.
As we have both 3.5mm and quarter inch headphone outputs on the rHead, connecting your favourite headphones won’t be an issue and there won’t be any need for a converter, which can negatively effect the sound quality. On the back there’s an analogue RCA input but also the added benefit of balanced XLR inputs to give you the highest grade of sound quality possible. Phew!
If the sound quality is half as good as the the design and feel of the rHead then we may have a little treat on our hands. As previously mentioned, I personally own Grado open back headphones and that’s what I’m going to use with the rHead. I live on my own with my majestic dog, (who you can visit in the Plymouth store) so I don’t need to worry about sound leaking from the headphones…
I’m connecting the Cambridge CXN music streamer via XLR for the purest sound quality I can get, just to see if I can get the rHead to falter in any way. But I don’t think it will be the case, as playing the Dropkick Murphy’s through the rHead is absolutely fantastic. “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” is as aggressive and powerful as ever through my Grados. It’s a massive difference from any other basic headphone amplifier I’ve used before. It’s quite an upbeat and full-on track, but there’s no distortion or interference. You’d think with a lot going on and the volume turned up a bit, the track may get a bit muddled but not here. Everything is precise and well balanced. It’s making my already superb headphones sound that much better.
Switching to something a bit more mellow with Green Day’s classic “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” and the sound is equally as impressive. The acoustic guitar is effortless and smooth as can be. When the violin kicks in later on in the track, it becomes complete and no amount of messing around with the volume can spoil it. It’s awesome. The rHead is a beautifully designed product and it seems no shortcuts have been made in producing this stunning headphone amp. If you’re after a serious upgrade for your beloved set of headphones then definitely give the Arcam rHead a try and your local Richer Sounds.
Click here to find out more about the Arcam rHead
Author: Bradley, Plymouth store
