Усилители для наушников — Vincent KHV-200

The KHV-200 is a hybrid headphone amplifier from Vincent, the German brand handled by Sintron Distribution in Iffezheim, and it belongs to the company's tubeLine range. Development was led by Dipl.-Ing. Frank Blohbaum, the engineer also responsible for the SV-237MK, SV-737 and SA-T7. In 2021 it was priced at EUR 999, with black and silver fascias to choose from.

Key specs that matter

Vincent quotes a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz within 0.1 dB, total harmonic distortion below 0.01% measured at 1 kHz with 0.1 W into 32 ohm, and signal-to-noise of more than 95 dB. Input impedance is 33 kohm and the inputs accept up to 4 V RMS. The headphone stage has two gain settings, -2.66 dB in low and 13.64 dB in high, and the preamplifier output runs at -11.06 dB or 5.13 dB depending on the same switch, while the record output is fixed at unity gain. The valve complement is two E180F (6SCH9P) pentodes plus one ECC82 double triode. The chassis measures 210 x 85 x 277 mm and weighs 3.6 kg, and the mains input switches between 230 V at 50 Hz and 115 V at 50 or 60 Hz.

Engineering and use context

Vincent designed the unit around the wide spread of headphone impedances on the market, from 16 ohm up to 600 ohm. Low-impedance models draw more current at a lower voltage for the same power, while 300 ohm and 600 ohm designs need a higher voltage swing and less current, which is why phones and tablets with small output voltages often leave such headphones too quiet. The hybrid topology answers this by combining valves with semiconductors, so the amplifier can supply the voltage needed by high-impedance loads and still deliver the current that low-impedance ones require. The gain switch lets the user match the stage to the sensitivity of the connected headphones. Front-panel controls cover volume and channel balance, and a 6.3 mm jack sits on the front while a 4-pin XLR socket at the rear serves balanced-wired headphones.

Pairing

Two stereo RCA inputs, labelled CD and AUX, take a disc player, streamer or DAC at line level. The variable pre out lets the KHV-200 feed a power amp or a pair of active monitors, so one box can run both a headphone setup and a small speaker system. A separate record output passes the selected source to a recorder. Headphones across that whole impedance range are covered, with the high-gain position suited to high-impedance or low-sensitivity designs and low gain to sensitive models.

Alternatives

The Vincent KHV-1pre is an earlier hybrid headphone amplifier and preamplifier from the brand built around two 12AX7B valves.