Dedicated Headphone Amp vs Integrated Amp Headphone Out

[Bel Canto]

For the uninformed among us, here's hoping someone can explain the pros and cons of a dedicated headphone amp over using the headphone output on my integrated Amp. I have a Hegel H120 and the headphone output on it seems to be really good at driving my 3 sets of cans, HD6xx, DT770PRO 80ohm and Moondrop Kxxs IEM's.

How much of an improvement, if any, could be expected from going to something like a Drop789 or Topping L50 getting a signal from a Topping D90.

Please be gentle

 

[restorer-john]

For the uninformed among us, here's hoping someone can explain the pros and cons of a dedicated headphone amp over using the headphone output on my integrated Amp. I have a Hegel H120 and the headphone output on it seems to be really good at driving my 3 sets of cans, HD6xx, DT770PRO 80ohm and Moondrop Kxxs IEM's.

How much of an improvement, if any, could be expected from going to something like a Drop789 or Topping L50 getting a signal from a Topping D90.

Please be gentle

I found this picture of the internals of your Hegel H120.

If you look at the headphone socket and associated feed, it has series resistors and is looks to be derived from the high level speaker output of the power stage.

As such, it will have a higher noise floor than a dedicated high performance headphone amplifier. You will perceive some residual hiss on sensitive headphones with the Hegel. Also, due to the series resistors, the frequency response of some headphones will be altered as compared to a very low output impedance dedicated headphone amplifier.

Where the Hegel will be better however, is its available voltage swing, something useful into high impedance headphones.

 

[solderdude]

When you are into a bit of DIY you could build this.

 

[MCH]

If it is the same design as my hegel h90 (and from the picture it seems quite similar) i can confirm unbearable noise with sensitive K371, as i have been complained everytime i was given a chance.
H90:

 

[MCH]

And if this is something that even someone in an internet forum can predict only looking to a picture... hello Hegel??

 

[Bel Canto]

Thanks for the replies, kind of explains why the Hd6xx sound great on the Hegel but lower impedance phones I've tried don't sound good at all, e.g. nightowl, denon5200. Tried the IEM's once and never again.

Looks like I might have to pull the trigger on a Thx 789 or the new L50 with its smaller footprint.

 

[MCH]

I bought a L30 and problem solved. Be aware though that the line out of my hegel was so low that needed the L30 in high gain at 1-2 o'clock (preamp vol to max) to get a decent volume on HD600. But your amp might be different.
Ended up using the L30 with a small streamer attached somewhere else and couldn't be more happy