Bryston BHA-1 Headphone Amplifier

A full size amplifier for headphones

The Bryston BHA-1 Headphone Amplifier is a fully balanced dual mono design built with six discrete Class A Bryston operational amplifiers, delivering up to 2W per channel into 32Ω. Balanced 4-pin XLR, dual 3-pin XLR and a quarter inch single ended output are all on the front panel, and rear XLR outputs let it double as a line preamplifier. This is a component built to the same standard as Bryston's amplifiers, not a desktop accessory.

Why You'll Love It

• Genuinely balanced, not just balanced sockets. A dual mono topology from input to output keeps the left and right channels separate all the way through, which is what balanced headphone cables were designed to take advantage of.
• Power for difficult headphones. Up to 2W per channel into 32Ω and 20V into 600Ω means planar magnetics and high impedance dynamics both get driven properly.
• Works as a preamplifier too. Rear XLR outputs and three inputs, including a 3.5mm jack, let the BHA-1 sit at the centre of a desktop or second system rather than hanging off one.

Under the Hood

• Six fully discrete Class A Bryston operational amplifiers in a balanced dual mono layout, with a laser trimmed Noble stereo volume potentiometer.
• Switchable 14dB low or 20dB high gain, input impedance 10kΩ unbalanced, with balanced XLR, unbalanced RCA and 3.5mm inputs.
• THD plus noise below 0.005% from 20Hz to 20kHz, signal to noise better than 103dBv, frequency response 20Hz to 20kHz ±0.1dB.

CHT Insider Verdict

The BHA-1 does not flatter headphones when not deserved , it drives them and gets out of the way, so it rewards revealing models and will expose a thin sounding source. The low gain setting matters more than most people expect, and sensitive in-ear monitors are better served elsewhere. If you own a serious pair of full size headphones and a good DAC, this is the amplifier that stops being the limiting factor.

Pro Tip: Run the low gain setting unless your headphones genuinely need more. You will use more of the volume control's range, which is where a good analogue potentiometer tracks best between channels, and the noise floor stays further down.