Column

Headphone amplifiers can be an underestimated component in the audio signal chain.  Many people settle for the headphone amps built into their computer, iPod or stereo system, never realizing you can bypass it for a much higher quality external amp.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  As a consumer of fine audio products, you have a choice to better your system with a great headphone amp.  And among the greater ones out there, we have selected two for a side-by-side comparison to get you on the road to finding the right one for you.

In the red corner, we have a Graham Slee 2007 Edition Solo.  And, defending its place on the company president’s desk, we have a CEC HD-53R V8 headphone amplifier.  They are being compared using a SilverStone digital-audio converter and Sennheiser HD 650 headphones.

Both units were turned on at the same time, thus given an equal disadvantage of a cold start.  Graham Slee strongly urges users to let the Solo remain on for a few days before using, but without two units to compare a cold and hot Solo, the Slee and C.E.C. were given the same starting line.  Their audio performance remained consistent through the duration of the comparison.

Generally, the Graham Slee delivered a slightly hotter signal.  Even with the C.E.C.’s +6 dB boost, the Graham Slee gets that extra push.  However, the Graham Slee doesn't have an input level switch to boost or cut the signal.  The C.E.C. has a +6 or –12 dB switch on the back, or you can leave it in the center position for a flat signal.

Their sound quality is very comparable, but the Graham Slee excels in general brightness and cleanliness.  They both deliver very clean audio, leaving features and ergonomics to further tip the scale.

Both units have two inputs.  The Solo has two RCA inputs with a toggle switch on the front, and the C.E.C. has one RCA and one balanced XLR input with a push switch on the back.

The Solo only has one headphone output (hence the name, I assume), whereas the C.E.C. has three outputs: two headphone outs with individual volume knobs, and spring-loaded banana clip speaker outputs on the back.

When no components are plugged into the units, the Solo makes considerably less noise than the C.E.C.  The potentiometer is much quieter when moved on the Solo, where you can hear static on the C.E.C’s volume knob for the first half-hour.  The C.E.C. also seemed to make grounding noise when turned all the way up on the RCA input.

So the Graham Slee is cleaner and simpler, but the C.E.C. is more versatile.  If nothing else breaks the comparison, you may assume a price difference may.  Well, not really.  The Graham Solo Headphone Amp is about $950, while the CEC HD-53R V8 is priced at $890 - a difference barely worth mentioning.  The decision here, my friend, lies only in your hands.