About the Klipsch Heritage
Classic look, modern features, timeless power
Classic look, modern features, timeless power
The Klipsch Heritage headphone amplifier has a nice retro vibe — believe me, those knobs and switches are as satisfying to turn and snap as they are to see. But a whole lot of new-school functionality is going on here, too. There are a bunch of connections, a versatile gain switch, and a premium DAC that will squeeze every detail out of your high-resolution digital music collection.
Also, under the hood, you'll find class AB amplifiers that deliver clean, high-energy sound. While this amp will work with a variety of high-performance headphones, it is specially tuned for the Klipsch Heritage HP-3 headphones. I finally got to hear the two together at the recent CanJam event in New York City. They packed a powerful punch, with low-end I could actually feel...even on the busy showfloor.
Product highlights:
- vintage-styled desktop headphone amp
- immediate, high-energy sound that pairs well with the Klipsch Heritage HP-3 headphones
- dual high-performance class AB amplifiers eliminate interference between left and right channel
- premium ESS Sabre32 digital-to-analog converter (ES90128KSM) for detailed, dynamic sound
- asynchronous USB data transfer with Time Domain jitter eliminator
- plays PCM digital audio files up to 24-bit/192kHz and DSD audio files up to 11.2 MHz
- LED light sample rate notifications
- two-position gain switch optimizes performance with low- and high-impedance headphones
- aluminum chassis, knobs, and switches help minimize vibration and noise
- walnut veneer top and bottom
Inputs:
- USB (Type B) port for connecting a computer
- optical digital audio input
- coaxial digital audio input
- analog RCA stereo line-level input
Outputs:
- balanced XLR 4-pin headphone jack
- full-size 1/4" stereo headphone jack (unbalanced)
- rear-panel line-level stereo RCA audio (fixed or variable)
Other Info & Specs:
- works with Windows® and Mac® operating systems (driver installation required for Windows PCs)
- compatible with iPhone® and iPad®
- requires Lightning-to-USB adapter (not included); Apple's Lightning-to-USB 3 Camera Adapter recommended for best results
- compatible with some Android devices
- requires a USB micro to USB A female adapter to connect an Android device
- headphone amplifier power output: 1,440 mW into 32 ohms (balanced); 940mW into 32 ohms (unbalanced)
- frequency response: 20-40,000 Hz (-0.1dB) 9-90,000 Hz (-3 dB)
- 7-7/8"W x 2-3/8"H x 5-3/4"D
- weight: 1.7 lbs.
- If connecting to a TV, please make sure you can select "PCM" output in your TV's audio menu. This DAC cannot decode multi-channel Dolby® Digital signals.
- warranty: 1 year
- MFR # 1064316
What's in the box:
Klipsch Heritage owner's manual
- Headphone amplifier
- AC adapter with 5' DC output cord (DC output: 5V 4000mA)
- Plug adapters for US (non-polarized 2-prong) / UK / Australia / Euro
- 5' USB cable (Type A USB on one end and Type B USB on other end)
- Owner's Manual
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More details on the Klipsch Heritage
Features & specs
Design | ||
---|---|---|
Type | --- | |
Built-in Rechargable Battery | --- | |
Built-in DAC | Yes | |
Amplifier Output Specs | ||
Output Power | --- | |
Output Impedance (Unbalanced) | --- | |
Output Impedance (Balanced) | --- | |
Audio Specs | ||
Bit Depth (USB) | 24 | |
Max Sampling Rate (USB) | 192 kHz | |
Bit Depth (S/PDIF) | 24 | |
Max Sampling Rate S/PDIF | 192 kHz | |
S/N Ratio (Unbalanced, in dB) | --- | |
S/N Ratio (Balanced, in dB) | --- | |
THD (Unbalanced) | --- | |
THD (Balanced) | 0.009% | |
Supported File Types | ||
PCM | --- | |
DSD | --- | |
DXD | --- | |
MQA | --- | |
Inputs | ||
Total Inputs | 4 | |
USB | Type B | |
Optical Digital | 1 | |
Coaxial Digital | 1 | |
3.5mm Digital | None | |
Stereo RCA Analog | 1 | |
Stereo 3.5mm Analog | None | |
Stereo XLR Analog | --- | |
Headphone Outputs | ||
3.5mm Unbalanced | --- | |
1/4-inch Unbalanced | --- | |
4.4mm Balanced | --- | |
XLR4 Balanced | --- | |
Other Headphone Outs | --- | |
Line Level & Digital Outs | ||
RCA Line Out | 1 | |
3.5mm Line Out | None | |
XLR Line Out | --- | |
Subwoofer Out | None | |
Optical Digital Out | None | |
Coaxial Digital Out | None | |
Wireless Connectivity | ||
Bluetooth | --- | |
Wi-Fi | --- | |
Apple-compatible | --- | |
Android-compatible | --- | |
General Info | ||
Width (inches) | 7-7/8 | |
Height (inches) | 2-5/16 | |
Depth (inches) | 5-7/8 | |
Weight | 1.7 lbs. | |
Parts Warranty | 1 Year | |
Labor Warranty | 1 Year |
Product Research
Features
Overview: The Klipsch Heritage Headphone Amplifier features audiophile-quality internal components with a beautiful aluminum and walnut exterior. The headphone amp has a sleek black extruded aluminum chassis, sandwiched by two pieces of MDF with genuine walnut veneer. The front panel switches, knobs, and controls are made of anodized aluminum, and are weighted for a quality feel. Front and rear panel connections are gold-plated for maximum signal transfer. The Klipsch Heritage Headphone Amplifier comes with an AC power adapter with plug adapters for the US, UK, the EU, and Australia, plus an A-B USB cable.
D/A Converter: The Heritage Headphone Amp is equipped with an audiophile-grade ES90128K2M ESS Sabre32 Reference digital-to-analog converter (DAC). This high-resolution DAC is capable of sample rates up to 192kHz/24-bit, making it the best choice for processing your digital audio sources. Other sample rates supported by the DAC include 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, and 176.4kHz; 16-bit and 24-bit. DSD support includes 2.8MHz, 5.6MHz, and 11.2MHz files. The LEDs on the front panel will indicate the sample rate being processed for digital sources, glowing white for PCM sources and blue for DSD files.
USB Interface: The headphone amplifier uses the XMOS Asynchronous USB Audio interface for transferring audio from USB sources. This interface lets the amplifier lock the audio stream to its internal clock for pristine, jitter-free audio. USB driver software for the headphone amplifier is provided on the Klipsch website. With an optional Apple Lightning-to-USB Camera Adapter, or a USB On-the-Go adapter (USB OTG), you can connect your iOS or Android device directly to the headphone amplifier and bypass the device's built-in DAC.
Dual Amplifiers: The unit has dual Class AB TPA6120A2 amplifiers from Texas Instruments to output a strong, clean signal to your headphones. Having dual amplifiers minimizes crosstalk between channels, and increases the total power output to the headphones. The TPA6120A2 amplifiers have a very high signal-to-noise ratio to provide a super quiet signal. The headphone amplifier output varies depending upon the impedance of the connected headphones:
Connection | Power Output | |
---|---|---|
Balanced XLR-4 | Unbalanced 1/4" | |
16Ω | 525mW | 810mW |
32Ω | 1440mW | 940mW |
150Ω | 1050mW | 270mW |
300Ω | 540mW | 135mW |
600Ω | 270mw | 68mW |
Inputs and Outputs: The Heritage Headphone Amplifier features a variety of inputs, both digital and analog. On the rear panel are USB (Type B), Optical (TosLink), and Coaxial digital inputs, as well as stereo RCA analog inputs. Front panel outputs include a balanced XLR-4 output and an unbalanced 1/4" output. The stereo RCA analog output on the rear panel can be set to fixed or variable. When set to variable, you can adjust the gain control using the volume knob on the front panel.
Controls: The headphone amp has a rotary input select dial on the front panel that lets you choose the USB, Optical, Coax, or Line input. The 2-way Output Switch lets you toggle between the headphone output (XLR-4 or 1/4") and the line output (stereo RCA). The headphone output is muted when the switch is set to Line output. The Gain toggle switch lets you choose between Lo-Z (0 gain) and Hi-Z (+10dB gain) if needed for "hard-to-drive" headphones. The large rotary Power/Volume Control lets you set the headphone volume and power the headphone amplifier on or off. (The amplifier is turned off when the rotary control is turned all the way counter-clockwise.) On the rear panel, a 2-way slide switch allows you to set the Line Output to Fixed or Variable. The front panel volume control is disabled when set to a Fixed output.
Specifications:
Balanced XLR-4 | Unbalanced 1/4" | |
---|---|---|
Frequency Response | 20Hz - 40kHz (+0, -0.1dB) 9Hz - 90kHz (+0, -3.0dB) | |
Signal-to-Noise Ratio | 118dB A-Weighted | |
THD+N | <0.009% (20Hz - 20kHz) | |
Crosstalk | <-75dB (20Hz - 20kHz) | <-60dB (20Hz - 20kHz) |
Gain | Lo-Z: 0; Hi-Z: 10dB | |
Voltage | 100-240 VAC, 50/60Hz | |
Dimensions | Width: 7.843" Height: 2.288" Depth: 5.813" | |
Weight | 1.7 pounds |
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I picked up the heritage HP-3 headphones and grabbed this to go along with it. Lossless streaming sounds perfect.
David from Old Bridge, NJ