Audiobyte SuperHEAD

Audiobyte SuperHEAD

Headphone amplifier and preamplifier: 17 volts, 125 dB signal-to-noise, no hiss

Audiobyte describes the brief itself: not to build the most powerful headphone amplifier, but the most truthful one. The result is a unit with 17 volts RMS into 100 ohms that, according to the manufacturer’s table, still stays below −92 dB distortion at 5 watts into 16, 32 and 50 ohms. Signal-to-noise is above 125 dB, bandwidth at unity gain runs from DC to 800 kHz. A linear power supply sits inside the chassis – no external brick, no switching converters.

Gain is adjustable in half-decibel steps from 0 to 20 dB, attenuation goes down to −90 dB. That is why the SuperHEAD handles sensitive in-ears as well as a Susvara: the only review so far had ten decibels of headroom left with the Susvara and twenty-five with an LCD-5. Outputs: 4-pin XLR and 4.4 mm balanced, 6.3 mm unbalanced. As a preamplifier it drives XLR and RCA outputs; inputs are likewise XLR and RCA.

Control is via a capacitive IPS touchscreen and a rotary encoder; a remote is included. The chassis is CNC-milled, bead-blasted and anodised, in black or silver, and matches SuperVOX and SuperHUB exactly. A note on availability: Audiobyte builds to order; we confirm lead times before purchase.

What the press says

Soundnews, Sandu Vitalie, April 2026 – Editor’s Choice

„This is one of the cleanest-sounding amplifiers I have ever tried. Possibly the cleanest.“

Tested with Susvara, LCD-5S, T+A Solitaire P and HD 800 S; the only full review so far.

Soundnews, on the Hifiman Susvara

„I still had about 10 dB left on tap, and honestly, I can’t complain. This amplifier drove them beautifully“

Who is this for?

For owners of demanding planars – Susvara, HE-6 successors, LCD-5 – who want an amplifier without a sound of its own and without a noise floor, and for anyone who wants headphone amplifier and preamplifier in one unit. If you prefer warmer and punchier, the Ferrum Oor or a tube amplifier serves you better. The SuperVOX is the natural DAC in front of it, but any DAC with XLR or RCA outputs will do.

Specifications