Review on 🎧 Monoprice 111567 Amplifier for Desktop Headphones by Pavan Cormier

I have no experience with headphone amps. So when I bought this I was shooting trap shooting in the dark. I needed a review that would say something more than "neat, sounds great" so I'll write something that puts the amp in the context of the music being amplified. I recently bought a pair of AKG 701 Reference headphones. I'm a musician and do a lot of home recording and mixing. I've also been a fan of classical and pop music since the early 1970s. And I still check out new releases on Spotify every week. Today I tend more towards the classics. But the first Norah Jones album still gives me goosebumps and Frank Ocean just drives me crazy. As much as I love AKG headphones, my iMac just didn't have the power to optimize my listening experience. So I settled on this headphone amp from Monoprice. I have purchased many wires, cables and connectors from Monoprice and have always been impressed with the quality and attention to detail. So I wasn't too shocked when I hooked up this kid. Simply put, this amp is stunning. Yes, I listen with a Rotel RDV-1040 (vintage) DVD/CD player and my iMac (streaming, AAC, mp3 and two or three lossless formats. I use AudioQuest Forest USB A to USB B 0.75). m Digital Audio Cable to Computer and Pair of Monoprice 1.5ft Premium 2 RCA Male/2 RCA Male M/M 22AWG Cables - Black for CD Players. The first test was to listen to a few pop songs - a few old standards and a few well-recorded new songs. Nothing added, puristic. The headphones are acoustically flattened - no added bass (the norm today) and no added highs or brightness, brilliance, or ringing. Starting with "The Cure," Gaga. Lady has a great voice and you can hear every nuance of what she's doing on the mic. Sure, up front. But, my god, there's a presence I've never had on a Pop record Music Every click of your finger has a place in the mix Every echo, left and right, spreads out across an incredibly rich soundstage You don't just hear it There's a third dimension of presence and space Fully dynamic On a GaGa recording Rich "Thunder" Imagine Dragons Again, I love the music but I've never heard the textures on a record like this The layers of vocals, the placement of every percussive sound and delay, the echo of every raindrop But the amp breathes life, body and character into these records Simply put, it lets you hear what the engineers put in there in the first place Sweet "EveryBreath" Its dynamics and location Sting's vocals have body - just a pri short reverb But the guitar arpeggios don't repeat Andy Summers plays each fre azu in his own way, each attack is skillfully controlled - you really hear this material. Copland's snare drum beats explode and you can hear the sticks on the cymbals. It's one of the most addictive pop songs of the '80s, but this Monoprice amp lets you hear the craftsmanship that went into building it. You are immersed in the experience. And now something more difficult. dylan "Let's go lady, go Bob Dylan. I'm losing consciousness. Dylan is a baritone. The timbre of the singing, a sound he didn't normally aspire to. He's not just telling a story here. He sings. And he CAN carry a melody in a bucket. But simple percussion, acoustic guitar on the soundstage. Not everything goes in the middle, that's all I've heard so far. The steel guitar filling just floats and disappears. sample in appearance. You can hear the "space," the acoustics, the reverberation of the vocals (just the amount the engineers put in) -- even on something as simple and old as a 1960's Dylan song. old monophonic recordings by Sinatra. Still streaming... "Brahms: Academic Festival Overture" by Bruno Walter. Now we have fun. Analog classic stereo recordings with very noticeable tape hiss. Again, you can hear the hall, the acoustics, the bow digging into the strings, the tones and placement of each instrument. But what you don't often hear is the phrasing, the zeitgeist. Masterful interpretation under the direction of Maestro Walter. As soon as you tune in to capture the details and nuances, the creaking of a chair and the clicking of woodwinds, you understand you are in a concert hall. For a hundred dollars. The Texas Instruments digital-to-audio converter gets the job done perfectly. Switch to analog RCA input. 1999 Damn! Except in real form. Remember that guy in Maxell's Gone with the Wind Humor Art Posters by Steve Steigman 36x24. Blown away. Punch with fist. Everything I said on "Every Breath You Take" was played ten times. Warning: This amp is so good the preacher would swear. When you've listened to pop music as much as I have, it really takes magic to make everything you've heard a hundred times sound new and fresh. And you don't have to turn up the volume to get the effect. Schubert: Symphony 5, first movement, Karl Böhm, Berlin Philharmonic. Schubert: 8 symphonies. You hear the distance and vastness! I guess it was there all along. But this $100 headphone amp lets you immerse yourself in the music. What you hear, where you hear it, how well you hear and FEEL the music. If you just want to listen to music, I know a really suitable headphone from Panasonic: Panasonic ErgoFit RP-HJE120-D In-Ear Headphones (orange) Dynamic Crystal Clear Sound, Ergonomic Comfort-Fit, which you can take with you and plug in as you wish 3, 5 inch connection, bringing you a very comfortable listening experience. (No kidding, they really do steal). But lovers of classical music will appreciate a device that takes you to a symphony or opera, not just listen to its recording. Bit by Bit by Kelly Clarkson. And here it is. Emotion. All. Detail, depth, craftsmanship - let the artist hear, songwriting is art and craft down to the smallest detail. This time you are not drawn to the concert hall, but to talent, passion. I really wanted to say that this amp had flaws and studio tricks. But I'm crazy about you Result. Detail, dimension, depth, breadth, nuance, flavor. The essence of what these records should have been in the first place. Yes, the light is bright and blue. Turns off when the device is turned off. My RCA cables stay taut and tidy. No problem. Just take out your credit card and buy it already. You will not be disappointed. Now I'll shut up.