Headphones are increasingly important for many aspects of audio production. The quality of headphone design and manufacture is higher now than it has ever been, and new technologies are producing headphones requiring significantly more power than traditional designs. Ensuring the very best performance from these headphones requires them to be driven by a dedicated headphone amplifier.
‘Making do’ with the headphone socket from the mix board or DAW doesn’t really ‘do’ at all. Especially when there is more than one set of ears which need to listen in.
The HeadLite 3+ is a 4 input, 4 output amplifier with input selection for each amplifier. It offers the ability to drive any impedance of the headphone to the headphone's maximum output level, if required, without distortion and now features the new +Power plug-in module on channel 1 designed to easily drive enough power to the new generation of planar magnetic headphones or several standard headphones clearly and cleanly.
For greater flexibility the +Power module can also be fitted onto the other channels upon request.
Configure your Headlite 3+ from £690.00 (inc VAT)
The Headlite 3+ boasts four selectable bussed inputs on each of the four headphone channels allowing each user to monitor different sources. Each channel offers a choice between two stereo operations (A+B/C+D) or four mono inputs (A, B, C, D). This means two submixes can be sent to artists or a monitor mix as well as the main mix for an engineer.
Standard channels have plenty of power with the ability to drive 400 Ohms headphones at extremely high levels. With the +Power module, up to six 400 Ohm headphones can be powered with no loss of power.
Headphones outputs are included both at the front and the back of the unit and can drive long audio cables to remote outlets in the control room or vocal booths.
The specs on the Headlite 3+ are also very good with excellent signal-to-noise-ratios, low crosstalk, vanishingly low distortion. Furthermore, its extended frequency response extends well below 20Hz all the way up to 35kHz with 0.1dB difference between the 22Hz and 22khz band. The high-frequency response also remains constant even down very long lines.
Clarity and Sound Quality
Whatever the headphone task the quality of the end-product begins with what the artist hears. Accurate, clear and detailed reproduction of the whole audible frequency range is essential; any shortcomings will inevitably affect both the overdub and the overview. HeadLite 3+ maintains the HeadLite series’ worldwide reputation for Clarity and detail.
Optimum Drive
The metering on the four busses that feed the amplifiers allows you to set the input levels to optimum, making sure the input to the amplifier gives the best output to headphones.
+Power
+Power is an analogue plug-in module that provides all the ultra-clean drive the most power-hungry headphones need. Fitted as standard in Channel 1, +Power can be added to the other channels either at the time of ordering or retrofitted later.
Power and drive
Amplifier power is not just about level (sound pressure level) it is about clean level (sonically pure level). A cheap headphone amplifier when pushed beyond its narrow limits can begin to distort before your headphones or your ears. This not only compromises the sound, but it can also damage your hearing. A headphone amp which has enough power should be `cruising’ for the whole of its useable range, the output signal always as clean as the technical specifications idicate it should be
The power of the output on the standard channels is more than sufficient to drive virtually any headphone of any impedance clean and loud. +Power provides drive to spare for taking low-impedance high-power headphones to the peak of their performance. It will also allow the driving of multiple higher impedance phones.
Specifications
- Noise floor: <-90dBu (110dB below peak)
- Dynamic range: >114dB
- THD+N 20Hz to 22kHz, +10dBu into 600R: .00045%
- Input Impedance: 10k ohms
- Output Impedance: Zero ohms
- Frequency response: 5Hz to 40kHz ± .5dB
- CMRR: >84dB 50Hz to 20kHz
- Slew rate: Greater than required for 40kHz
- Max phase rotation (inter channel phase difference): 100Hz .01 deg, 1kHz .03 deg, 10kHz .36 deg, 20kHz .72 deg
- Crosstalk: < -90dB
- Power output: Standard Channel >200mW/ch into 600R +Power Channel >1.5W/ch (TBC)
- Dimensions (Boxed): 54cm x 43cm x 14cm
- Dimensions (Unit): 1U Rack – 480mm x 45mm x 200mm