If you’ve read our headphones reviews, most of our recommended options sound good. However, a lot goes into headphones that can affect the overall sound quality. If you have a pair of good headphones, there are different things that you can do to improve their sound quality.
In this article, I’ll show four ways to improve your headphone sound. Some are simple and do not require any investment, but others require a small investment. Let’s go through these tips to help you get better sound.
1. Improve The Quality of Your Music
The first steps of improving the quality of your headphone’s sound start with the type of music you’re playing.
There are different file formats, and each affects how your audio will sound from your headphones. The MP3 file format is the most popular and common type of audio file. However, MP3s suck, and if you want to get the best audio fidelity, I’d advise you to avoid these. Essentially, MP3 file types sacrifice the quality of your audio by reducing the size of the files. This reduction in size makes your music lower quality.
If you want to improve the sound quality of your headphone or any audio setup, you’ll need to start by using better-quality audio file formats.
An MP3 file is a type of lossy audio format. Other lossy audio formats include AA3, AAC, MPC, OGC, and WMA. If you want to get the best sound from your headphones, you should avoid using lossy audio formats. What should you use?
You should use lossless audio formats for good-quality audio reproduction. This file format includes the likes of FLAC, ALAC, APE, SHN, TTA, and WV. FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) is a popular lossless audio format that compresses the original audio file without any noticeable loss in the audio quality.
If you’re streaming music online, with Tidal HiFi, you can stream high-quality 16-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC audio, one of the best in the industry. Spotify is another good and cheaper option that offers 320kbps Ogg Vorbis, which offers good sound quality.
Once you’ve got good high-quality lossless audio files, I recommend FLAC; it’s time to move to the next upgrade.
2. Get A DAC
A DAC, short for Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC), is present in all playback audio devices. Before the sound is reproduced through your headphones, digital audio formats (ones and zeros) exist, like FLAC and MP3. The DAC is responsible for converting the sound from digital to analog so you can hear it.
In-built DACs present in our computers, smartphones, and other playback devices, do a good job of handling the conversion of analog to digital audio. However, if you want to improve the sound quality further, you’ll need a standalone DAC.
Testing The FiiO JadeAudio KA3 Portable DAC
Standalone or external DACs come in small USB sizes or large ones that resemble AV receivers or amplifiers. Their prices range from less than $100, and some serious ones cost thousands.
Most DACs are very easy to set up and use, with most only having an on/off switch, gain nob, and a few ports you can plug your different headphone plugs. The AudioQuest DragonFly Black v1.5 is a cheap DAC that you can add to your headphone’s audio signal chain to improve their overall sound quality.
Most DACs are plug-and-play, so you’ll instantly get a boost in the sound quality once you add it. We have a post on some budget-friendly DACs you can check out.
3. Get a Headphone Amplifier
A DAC is good for converting digital to analog audio, thus reducing noise and making the clarity better. However, you’ll also need an amp to boost your sound quality and provide your headphones with enough power.
Like a DAC, all playback audio devices have miniature built-in amplifiers. However, most built-in amps do not provide sufficient power to improve sound quality significantly. To do this., you’ll need an external standalone headphone amplifier.
A headphone amp will provide the power of significant audio differences in clarity, dynamics, and overall details. Tube amplifiers also color the music in an interesting way to make so addictive, which most audiophiles prefer and love. The vacuum tubes of tube amplifiers are where audio passes through, giving you a warm, slightly distorted sound. Tube rolling also helps you customize or change the audio output to your preference.
Apart from tube amplifiers, solid-state amps are loved for their clarity and accurate sound. They are easy to operate and are less expensive than tube amplifiers. There are also hybrid amplifiers that combine tube and solid-state amps. Other than the type of amp, the difference in size also matters.
For a portable headphones amplifier, a solid-state amp is a good pick. With portable amps, you can always be sure of quality audio on the go. However, a desktop amplifier is the best option if you’re mostly listening to your headphones at home.
Most headphone amplifiers, including our best headphones amps under $100, can power even power-hungry high-impedance headphones. We have an informative guide on choosing a headphone amplifier that you can check out.
4. Upgrade Your Headphones
Sometimes all you need to do is upgrade your headphones to get the best sound quality. Everybody wants to spend a thousand dollars and get the best headphones in the market, like the Focal Clear, Audeze LCD-4, or HiFiMAN HE1000se. However, slowly upgrading to the newest better headphone is better for most budget audiophiles.
There are cheaper audiophile-quality headphones in the market you can buy. We have a list of the best budget audiophile headphones where you can start your journey of choosing an upgrade. A decent pair is easy to come around, and you’ll get offers in most audiophile groups for used gear that is still in good condition.
Different headphones also reproduce sound differently. The type of driver used, and enclosure design are the ones that matter most in determining the overall sound quality. In short, dynamic drivers are common and cheap; planar magnetic drivers are slightly expensive and sound better, while electrostatic drivers are the creme-de-la-creme of headphones and sound best but cost very expensive.
With a bit of knowledge and money, you can get a decent pair of headphone upgrade that will sound better. Check out our article on choosing audiophile headphones for some guiding principles on where to start.
A Practical Example of What I Use
To put what I’ve said into perspective, I’ll share the gear I use to show you how you can improve or upgrade your gear and sound quality.
To start, you’ll need high-quality tracks to play and where best to find a huge catalog that Spotify. Spotify Premium is cheap at $10 per month. However, you can also save on that by downloading your high-quality FLAC audio files and storing them on your computer or portable audio device.
Because I listen to my music from a computer, storage is not an issue. However, if you decide to use a portable audio player, I suggest just getting a Spotify premium account.
Once you have your quality audio tracks in order, it’s time to choose a DAC. For this, I use the Audioquest Red Dragonfly DAC. It is plug-and-play, and not much goes into setting it up other than hooking in the plugs. There are also other good DACs out there; check out our list of best DACs under $100 to see some good options.
From here, my go-to amplifier is the Schiit Magni Heretic. This is a desktop amplifier that is very affordable and powers even some power-hungry headphones sufficiently. For cheaper options, check out the best budget headphone amplifiers.
Once you have your amp, you’ll just need a pair of good headphones to go along. I won and have reviewed so many good headphones over the years. My favorites include the Philips SHP9500S, AKG K7XX series, and the Audeze LCD-C, just to mention a few. However, there are so many good headphones out there that will tickle your audio buds.
Choose some good-quality cables to go along with your setup, and you’ll be sure you’re getting the best sound quality from your headphones. The total setup like this wouldn’t take more than $500, depending on your gear choices.
The only downside to this, you’ll be addicted and keep upgrading! Best of luck in your new quest to audio nirvana!
