Sicphones Headphone Amp - White/Black

The Sicphones Headphone amplifier is a kit amp. I purchased it assembled by its previous owner. It is rather beefy - 6"x6"x3" and weighing in at 4.5 lbs. There is a minor hum with no signal going through, but not an issue at volume when listening to music at a moderate level. These are something of a mystery with a tremendous cult following. I purchased it a few years back when I was buying a lot of different headphones and headphone amps for my mastering studio. While I really like the way this sounds, I do have another headphone amp I like slightly better in my setup.

I am including the power supply and kit instructions (with parts list) for anyone looking to 'tweak' this amp. Oh, and when you power it up, there's a cool red LED inside which shines through the letter cutouts in the case - it looks very cool!

From their Kickstarter -

The Sicphones headphone amplifier is the best sounding headphone amplifier you will find without spending many times more.  Based on a solid class A circuit design using a newly available Silicon Carbide transistor, it offers unprecedented quality and clarity in a headphone amplifier.  Every part has been carefully selected to offer uncompromising quality at a reasonable cost.  To compliment the electronics, we designed a heavy-duty case that is sure to impress with top notch aesthetics.  Not only does it sound amazing, but it looks amazing too!

We really need your help gearing up for a production run large enough to bring the price down.  With your support you can have our awesome Sicphones headphone amplifier for a fraction of what a similar quality headphone amplifier would cost! 

Who Needs One?

Short answer: Anybody who loves audio and demands quality.  

Whether you are a musician, a producer, listening at home or at the office - heck, even if you are translating foreign language and have to listen closely all day long - the Sicphones headphone amplifier will significantly improve your experience by offering greater detail and clarity without fatigue.  Whether you are using ear buds or large studio headphones, the limiting point generally is the amplifier.  No matter what headphones you use, from ear buds to big cans,  the Sicphones headphone amplifier can dramatically improve your listening experience.

What Makes It So Great?

It's all in the details:  

• Silicon Carbide class A gain stage
• Big ALPS potentiometer
• Cardas RCA jacks and solder
• Nichicon Muse capacitors throughout
• Mills and PRP resistors
• Neutrik headphone jack
• Solid 2 ounce copper PC board
• External power supply
• 11 gauge steel chassis
• Stunning aesthetics

If you know what any of that means, you will easily recognize that you are getting an amazing value with your commitment to the Sicphones headphone amplifier.

This Sicphones headphone amplifier is compatible with most headphones with 1/4" stereo termination.  We have made sure that it works well with everything from earbuds to high impedance studio headphones.  Here is a brief list of headphones that we have tested: Apple Earbuds, AKG K240, Grado SR80i and Beyerdynamic DT-880 (600 ohm), just to name a few.

Production and Delivery

The Sicphones headphone amplifier uses 2 ounce copper on a double sided PC board featuring soldermask, silkscreening and hot air solder leveling to make for a high quality and easy to assemble product.  All of the parts are high quality (just look at the list in the previous section!) and are sourced from the most cost effective vendors.  The chassis is a three piece design using 11 gauge laser cut steel on the top and bottom, and 14 gauge steel on the back panel.  After cutting, breaking and deburring, the chassis is powder coated to give it a durable, attractive finish.  The external power supply is compatible with most worldwide electrical systems from 120 - 240 VAC, though comes standard with a US grounded, three-pronged plug.

The Sicphones headphone amplifier uses a novel Silicon Carbide transistor in the gain stage that we were fortunate enough to have been able to sample right after it was introduced.