Усилители для наушников — Jade Audio GIGAS 1

The GIGAS 1 is a compact desktop headphone amplifier from JadeAudio, the sub-brand FiiO uses for affordable audio equipment. FiiO says the product series grew out of the launch of the JT7 planar magnetic over-ear headphone, and the amplifier was tailored for entry-level planar headphones from FiiO and other makers. It comes in black, silver and green finishes, and the chassis is made of anodised aluminium alloy.

Key specs that matter

Output depends on the power source. With a 12 V USB PD adapter the 4.4 mm balanced output delivers at least 4,600 mW per channel into 32 ohm, 3,300 mW into 16 ohm and 740 mW into 300 ohm, while the 3.5 mm single-ended jack gives 1,400 mW into 32 ohm, 2,200 mW into 16 ohm and 185 mW into 300 ohm. All of these figures are taken at under 1% THD+N. On a standard 5 V 2 A USB-C supply the balanced output drops to 580 mW into 32 ohm and 790 mW into 16 ohm, with 170 mW and 280 mW from the single-ended jack. Signal enters through stereo RCA sockets or a 3.5 mm mini-jack. The case measures 132 x 60 x 40 mm without feet and weighs about 210 g.

Engineering and use context

The circuit pairs an op-amp with a discrete Class AB transistor current-amplification stage. That output stage uses eight onsemi transistors, four MJE243G and four MJE253G, a classic complementary pair. Power comes only over USB-C, and the dual-voltage scheme lets the same box work from a phone charger or switch to high-power mode when a PD supply is connected. A two-position gain switch helps match the output to sensitive in-ear monitors on one side and power-hungry headphones on the other. The analogue volume knob on the top has 60 positions, and a metal toggle on the front turns the unit on and off. The single-ended output supports CTIA microphone passthrough, so a gaming or office headset with an inline microphone can stay connected through the amplifier.

Pairing

The GIGAS 1 has no DAC of its own, so it needs a source with analogue line output, such as a USB DAC, a streamer or a computer sound card feeding the RCA or mini-jack input. Planar magnetic headphones with low sensitivity benefit most from the balanced output on a PD supply, while the low gain setting keeps sensitive in-ear monitors in a usable part of the volume range.

Alternatives

The JadeAudio Q11 is a battery-powered DAC and headphone amp from the same sub-brand with up to 650 mW from its balanced output.