Dedicated headphone amp vs Headphone socket on amp

In my opinion after having and using both stand alone headphone amps that are tube based and solid state based, there is more bang for the buck in doing so vs. using the headphone jack on audio equipment. You get more air, dynamics, detail, separation, etc. I am using all types of headphones, dynamic, planar, electrostatic, etc.

 

I confirm this and more...

As i said i bought one of the best tube headphone ever designed to replace my Sansui Alpha Headphone out (one of the best Sansui design) as in a so called "upgrade" 1 year ago...

With the top non linear supply  which go with this tube headphone amp the noise level was lower with this upgrade (no need to say the name here)

but it takes 15 minutes (he was used and sold as break in already by the designer) for me to decide i must sent it back...

No comparison even with a way better lower noise floor... ( i lost naturalness of timbre,and holography and out of the head impression )

Yes my AKG K340 is picky...

But a top S.S. amplifier from the golden era, especially a Sansui alpha, with a good headphone out is hard to upgrade in most case...

 

 

I think it really depends, but generally speaking the headpohone jacks don't get as much love (i.e. $$$) in the engineering budget as a standalone or DAC.

My Luxman integrateds for instance don't have a headphone amp.  They use a resistor in series with the main amplifiers.  So.....

Plus side is you are hearing 100% of the luxman goodness, bad side is the impedance is fairly high and probably wont' sound as good with low impedance headphones.

@mahgister, 

I use a Sanui Six receiver to power a pair of Stax SR-Lamdas (manufactured in 1978!) that have been my daily drivers for over four decades. They are easily the longest lasting gear in my system and I live in constant fear of them dying. I've tried a lot of headphones over the years but I have yet to find anything that gives me the same sense of space, detail and (realistic, not bombastic) bass response. I can appreciate your love of a quality vintage amp, even though I'm not using AKGs.

@mahgister, 

I use a Sanui Six receiver to power a pair of Stax SR-Lamdas (manufactured in 1978!) that have been my daily drivers for over four decades. They are easily the longest lasting gear in my system and I live in constant fear of them dying. I’ve tried a lot of headphones over the years but I have yet to find anything that gives me the same sense of space, detail and (realistic, not bombastic) bass response. I can appreciate your love of a quality vintage amp, even though I’m not using AKGs.

 

The Sansui receiver are among the best. But My Sansui alpha is the top of the line of all Sansui and their swan song because most alpha models  were sold only for the Japan market...

The AKG K340 was the best AKG ever designed as flagship. It is very picky and almost no headphone amplifier will do well. I tried 2 and one was a TOP one...

I kept the 100 watts alpha headphone out  only for the K340...

I use self powered speakers....but i listen music seriously with the K340 which beat most desktop speakers especially in non dedicated room.. Their timbre is natural et deep bass marvellous and holographic imaging with an out of the head soundfield spectacular with some recording...

 

But caution: it took me 6 months to optimize the K340...Very hard to figure out...

It is an old headphone and i dont recommend it save if you dont begin in this hobby...

But at 100 bucks optimized i will be in fear to buy anything  else at any price...

I know some many thousand bucks headphone with no deep bass etc...

I owned 10 headphones in the past of different type, none had timbre right save the Stax Sr5 gold... But this Stax gave as most headphone a sound impression in the head not out of the head  as the k340...

I begun my audiophile journey with speakers once i was dissatisfied with all headphones...

Then i was dissatisfied with all the speakers i owned... Even the top Tannoy...

Then i learned acoustics for 2 years non stop...

Then i discovered why i loved speakers/room over any headphone...

But then  suddenly i was in the obligation to sell the house  with my big speakers...

In my new house no choice : i had the K340  no more satisfying speakers...

 I used my knowledge of acoustics to understand how to optimize them...

I succeeded  after 6 months...

Now i had music of audiophile quality again with the K340...

It is not equal to my past  dedicated acoustic  room for sure but it is the best any headphone can do and it beat any low cost speakers in a living room  anyway easily... It is OK ...