BRYSTON BHA-1 Reference Headphone Amp (Black) {Balanced & Standard Drive}

BHA-1 Balanced Headphone Amplifier (& stereo preamplifier)

{black faceplate / includes removable rackears / blue LED power indicator}

Dealer Display / 18+ years warranty / free shipping to contiguous 48 states.

BHA-1 is Bryston’s reference amplifier solution for the finest listening experience from your headphones. The BHA 1 is compatible with both traditional (single-ended) and balanced headphones.

The advantage of powering each headphone driver (right and left) with two amplifiers configured in balanced or series mode is a doubling of the signal voltage to each speaker.

This design configuration has been the foundation of Bryston’s legendary 7B, 14B and 28B amplifiers and now headphone users can experience the same dramatic resolution from the BHA-1.

The Bryston BHA-1 employs the vast benefits of balanced amplifier designs that are inherently clean and stable, especially when there is a demand for higher power and/or a difficult load to drive.

Because most headphones are not balanced devices, Bryston provides a traditional (unbalanced) ¼-inch jack on the BHA-1 as well as XLR connectors for balanced headphones. In some instances, Bryston can also provide modifications to certain headphone models to make them compatible with a balanced output configuration, along with an adapter cable assuring backwards compatibility to all traditional (unbalanced) headphone outputs.

The BHA-1 has two gain settings making it far more useful, since it can drive both high-sensitivity in-ear monitors and lower-sensitivity high-impedance studio headphones. Typically, if a headphone amp is designed for high-sensitivity earphones, it lacks enough drive to push high-impedance headphones to adequate volume levels. If a headphone is designed for higher impedance headphones, it often has too much hiss and too high a volume level to work properly with high-sensitivity in-ears. The BHA-1 can handle both extremes with fantastic results.

The BHA-1's volume control deserves a closer look. Typical volume controls do most of their work in the first half of their rotation, and the second half does little to increase the volume levels. This is usually referred to as "an audio taper." The BHA-1 doesn't use an audio taper. Instead the volume level increase for the first quarter of its rotation is very gradual....only during the last quarter-turn does the volume level get much louder. Although this different taper may take a "little getting used to" it allows for much finer level adjustments than an audio taper, especially when combined with the two-position gain adjustment switch.

PRODUCT FEATURES:

• Balanced Dual mono circuitry.

• High Quality Noble Stereo Volume control – laser trimmed.

• Left/Right Balance Control.

• 6 fully discrete Class A Bryston operational amplifiers.

• Balanced Outputs – 4 pin stereo and dual left/right 3 pin outputs (standard XLR connectors).

• Stereo ¼ inch single ended outputs.

• 14dB or 20dB of gain available (selectable).

• All input and output connectors are Gold plated.

• 10k input impedance.

• Multiple headphone drive capability.

• Use as a Reference Grade preamp by connecting (rear) XLR outputs to an external poweramp to drive speakers … can be the core of a great (single-source) stereo system.

Bryston BHA-1 Headphone AMP Specifications.

Harmonic Distortion: Less than .003 at 32 ohms at 100mW 20Hz to 20KHz.

IM Distortion: Less than 001%.

Signal to Noise: Greater than 105dB.

Frequency response: 20 to 20KHz plus or minus .1dB.

Weight: 8lbs (3.6 kg)

Dimensions: (H) - 3.125 inches x (W) 17 or 19 inches x (D) 11.25 inches.

HI-Z load: 20 Volts into 600 ohms (667mW) at 001% THD + N at 20-20K.

Low-Z load: 4 volts into 32 ohms (500 mW) at 001% THD + N at 20-20K.