MSB Technology
MSB Headphone Amplifiers
After years of headphone amp design experience, listener feedback and numerous prototypes, MSB is proud to introduce the Premier Headphone Amplifier. Guided by their design principles, they've achieved a perfect balance of quality, functionality and beauty. When paired with their world-class Premier or Discrete DAC, you can experience the finest digital audio on a widely supported variety of dynamic headphones.
Dynamic Headphone Amplifier
Designed for dynamic headphones, the Dynamic Headphone Amplifier is a fully balanced amplifier. Boasting 139dB of dynamic range, the amp works in tandem with the Reference and Select DAC, allowing the music to come to life in vibrant and unforgettable new ways.
Electrostatic Headphone Amplifier
With the great variety of headphone choices, it is only possible to achieve the best performance with a single headset in mind. You can not use the universal headphone amp concept with the Select level of performance. That is why MSB has built a dedicated Stax headphone amp to be paired with the Select DAC.
The Premier Headphone Amplifier - Can Only Be Used with MSB DAC's
Uncompromising Headphone Performance Meets The Refined Elegance Of MSB Design.
Dynamic Performance
High-resolution audio sources shine with MSB’s fully balanced architecture, ultra-low noise floor and impedance matched circuit topology. The Premier Headphone amplifier maintains this balanced topology from the input’s origin all the way to its 4-pin XLR output. If single-ended headphones are being used, it automatically reconfigures itself when the 1⁄4” jack is inserted. Experience balanced or single-ended headphones without compromising either one’s performance.
Your Headphones. Your System. Your Choice.
The rugged Class A amplifier utilizes a unique Zero Negative feedback, high-voltage, current mode circuit that is load independent. The amplifier automatically adjusts to the load that it’s driving without affecting its stability or sound quality. The amp supports headphones that are spec’d from Mega-Ohms down to a fraction of an ohm. From power hungry planar magnetics to efficient IEM’s, nearly all dynamic headphones are optimally driven. Boasting 134dBA of dynamic range and a high-power class A design, the Premier Headphone Amp easily performs the softest background ambiance to the most explosive crescendos.
CNC Billet Chassis
Machined in-house, the sleek unibody chassis allowed MSB to evenly dissipate heat with an astounding 12,000 in2 (7.75 m2) of heatsink area. With powerful class A amplification, advanced thermal design becomes critical for component longevity and long-term performance.
Power and Shielding
The Premier Headphone Amp is powered by a custom wound, ultra low-noise, and shielded transformer. To mitigate the effects of residual stray magnetic fields, it’s housed in a CNC machined pocket lined with additional mu-metal shielding. The custom made Lundahl output transformers are also installed in individual machined cavities and located as far from any sensitive input circuitry as possible. Everything is measured, shielded and optimized for this compact yet functional layout.
Fully Equipped
Daily headphone use needs to be easy and comforting to use. With the included 12-Volt trigger connected to your Premier Powerbase, the Headphone amp will automatically turn on and off with your system. Forward facing jacks make it easy to plug in and switch headphones, making it simpler to dive into your music.
Analog Bypass
After a long session of headphone listening, simply switch to the included Bypass Mode to send your music to your desk monitors or home system to share music with friends and family.
Anodized Finishes
Elegant yet commanding, MSB’s finishes are available in a matte silver or matte black anodize. Their products include their in-house designed viton feet, but any audiophile M6X1 foot can be installed to personalize your system.
The 12V Trigger Adapter
The 12 Volt Trigger is a powerful feature that comes equipped on all MSB powerbases and amplifiers. This simple 3.5mm mini-jack connection allows you to create a simple network between all of your MSB powerbases and amplifiers for a more seamless power up and standby experience. When connected, it will make one MSB product control the power of all other products in the system. When you turn on a single unit, the rest of the system will turn on automatically.
The Dynamic Headphone Amplifier - Can Only Be Used with MSB DAC's
The Magic Of Ultra HiFi Sound Brought To Dynamic Headphones
CNC Billet Chassis
Starting with a 65lb plate of raw aluminium, material is machined in our own in-house CNC shop. After more than four hours of machining, 60% of the aluminium is removed, resulting in a significantly lighter, more contoured product with the best anodized finishes on the market.
4-Pin XLR
Each amplifier is equipped with three 4-pin XLR outputs, designed for a sharing listening experience
Fully Equipped
A rear-facing headphone jack allows for a cleaner system aesthetic—there aren’t any dangling cables interfering with a cleanly assembled system. The noise floor is reduced with an isolated transformer and grounding scheme. 12 Volt triggers allow remote control over the system power.
Analog Bypass
If you’re sharing the headphones with a two-channel system, use MSB's internal bypass they've installed directly into the amp. Simply turn off the unit for the signal to be sent to your other system.
Anodized Finishes
Elegant yet commanding, MSB’s finishes are available in a matte silver or matte black anodize. Their products include their in-house designed viton feet, but any audiophile M6X1 foot can be installed to personalize your system
The 12V Trigger Adapter
The 12 Volt Trigger is a powerful feature that comes equipped on all MSB powerbases and amplifiers. This simple 3.5mm mini-jack connection allows you to create a simple network between all of your MSB powerbases and amplifiers for a more seamless power up and standby experience. When connected, it will make one MSB product control the power of all other products in the system. When you turn on a single unit, the rest of the system will turn on automatically.
The Electrostatic Headphone Amplifier - Can Only Be Used with MSB DAC's
The World’s Highest Level Of Headphone Audio Playback
Integrated System
The Select Headphone Amplifier has been designed to take advantage of the powerful DAC outputs. This allows it to achieve a level of headphone playback never heard.
Analog Bypass
If you are sharing the headphones with a two channel system, use an internal bypass in the amp. Simply turn off the unit for the signal to be sent to your other system.
Equalisation Module
A discrete passive equalisation module slot is included with the amp. This allows for slight analog adjustments of the amplifier to accommodate new headphone designs in the future. This can also be used to tune the system for your preferences.
Anodized Finishes
Elegant yet commanding, MSB’s finishes are available in a matte silver or matte black anodize. Their products include their in-house designed viton feet, but any audiophile M6X1 foot can be installed to personalize your system.
The 12V Trigger Adapter
The 12 Volt Trigger is a powerful feature that comes equipped on all MSB powerbases and amplifiers. This simple 3.5mm mini-jack connection allows you to create a simple network between all of your MSB powerbases and amplifiers for a more seamless power up and standby experience. When connected, it will make one MSB product control the power of all other products in the system. When you turn on a single unit, the rest of the system will turn on automatically.
Premier Headphone Amplifier
| Supported Formats | : | Analog Only |
| XLR Analog Input | : | Optimized for 75Ω or 150Ω Balanced Source |
| XLR Analog Outputs | : | Direct connection to input when enabled or unit powered off. |
| : | When listening to headphones, output is muted with 75Ω output impedance | |
| Headphone Output Impedance | : | 40Ω |
| Dynamic Range | : | >125dB |
20Hz – 20kHz (Max Power at 45Ω) | : | >134dB |
| Frequency Response | : | 20Hz-20kHz ±0.3dB |
| Common Mode Rejection Ratio | : | > 82dB CMRR @ 60Hz |
| : | > 82dB CMRR @ 1kHz | |
| : | > 80dB CMRR @ 20kHz | |
| Crosstalk | : | > -110dB Crosstalk @ 1kHz |
| : | > -90dB Crosstalk @ 20kHz | |
| Max Power @ 1% THD+N | : | 8Ω @ 4.5Vrms (2.53W) |
| : | 16Ω @ 7.5Vrms (3.51W) | |
| : | 32Ω @ 11.4Vrms (4.06W) | |
| : | 45Ω @ 13.2Vrms (3.87W) | |
| : | 150Ω @ 13.8Vrms (1.27W) | |
| Headphone Output Connectors | : | 1 x 4 Pin XLR |
| : | 2 x ¼” Stereo Jack (Single-ended) | |
| Display | : | Power LED |
| Controls | : | Rear Panel Power Switch |
| : | Front Panel passthrough/Headphone toggle switch | |
| : | 1 x MSB 12V Trigger | |
| Power Consumption | : | 82W |
| : | (8 watts in passthrough mode) | |
| AC Voltage | : | 100V (Fixed) |
| Input / Gain Stage | : | - Class-A |
| : | - Double Balanced | |
| : | - Impedance Matched | |
| - Fully Discrete | ||
| Output Stage | : | - Class-A |
| : | - Balanced or Single-ended * | |
| : | *Only in single-ended mode when ¼” jack is used | |
| Chassis Dimensions | : | 43.2 x 30.5 x 6.2 cm (WxDxH) (without feet) |
| Stack Height | : | 7.7 cm |
| Weight | : | 14 kg |
| Product Feet | : | The Viton Feet (M6X1 Thread) |
| Included Accessories | : | Product Manual |
Dynamic Headphone Amplifier
Supported Formats | : | Analog Only |
| XLR Analog Input | : | Optimized for 75Ω or 150Ω Balanced Source |
| XLR Analog Outputs | : | Direct connection to input when enabled or unit powered off. |
| : | Direct connection to input when enabled or unit powered off. When listening to headphones, output is muted with 75Ω output impedance | |
| Headphone Output Impedance | : | 0.45Ω |
| Dynamic Range | : | >139dB |
20Hz – 20kHz (Max Power at 45Ω) | : | >141dB |
| Frequency Response | : | 5Hz-20kHz ±0.016dB |
| Common Mode Rejection Ratio | : | > 95dB CMRR @ 60Hz |
| : | > 95dB CMRR @ 1kHz | |
| : | > 80dB CMRR @ 20kHz | |
| Crosstalk | : | > -130dB Crosstalk @ 1kHz |
| : | > -110dB Crosstalk @ 20kHz | |
SMPTE IMD 0dBu | : | 0.0019% @ 45Ω |
% THD+N 1kHz 0dBu | : | 0.00065% @ 45Ω |
| Max Power @ 1% THD+N | : | 16Ω @ 4.5Vrms (1.12W) |
| : | 32Ω @ 8.6Vrms (2.3W) | |
| : | 45Ω @ 15.5Vrms (5.3W) | |
| : | 150Ω @ 15.6Vrms (1.62W) | |
Noise Floor (150Ω Input Impedance) | : | 0.00168mVrms 20Hz-20kHz |
| Headphone Output Connectors | : | 1 x Rear 4 Pin XLR |
| : | 2 x Front 4 Pin XLR | |
| Display | : | Power LED |
| Controls | : | IR Button (Configurable) |
| : | Power Button (Configurable) | |
| : | 2 x MSB 12V Trigger | |
| Power Consumption | : | 64W |
| : | Less than 2W Standby | |
| Input / Gain Stage | : | - Class-A |
| : | - Double Balanced | |
| : | - Impedance Matched | |
| : | - DC Coupled | |
| : | - Fully Discrete | |
| Output Stage | : | - Class-A |
| : | - Balanced | |
| : | - Current Gain only | |
| Chassis Dimensions | : | 44.4 x 44.4 x 5.6 cm (WxDxH) (without feet) |
| Stack Height | : | 9.2 cm |
| Weight | : | 15.5 kg |
| Product Feet | : | M6X1 Thread |
| Included Accessories | : | Product Manual |
| : | Ground Cable | |
| : | IEC Cord |
Electrostatic Headphone Amplifier
| Dynamic Range | : | >140dB |
| Frequency Response | : | 5Hz-20Khz, ±0.8dB |
| XLR Input | : | 75Ω Balanced |
| : | 4Vrms Maximum | |
| Common Mode | : | > 120dB CMRR @ 60Hz |
| Rejection Ratio | : | > 90dB CMRR @ 1kHz |
| : | > 70dB CMRR @ 20kHz | |
| Crosstalk | : | > -90dB Crosstalk @ 1kHz |
| : | > -65dB Crosstalk @ 20kHz | |
| : | 20kHz | |
| XLR Output | : | Direct connection to input when enabled or unit powered off. |
| : | When listening to headphones, output is muted with 75Ω output impedance | |
| Headphone Output | : | 1 x Stax style outputs |
| Bias Voltage | : | 580Vdc, 5 MΩ |
| Controls | : | IR Remote (Configurable) |
| : | Power Button (Configurable) | |
| : | 2 x MSB 12V Trigger | |
| Power Consumption | : | 80W |
| : | Less that 2W Standby | |
| Input / Gain Stage | : | - Class-A |
| : | - Quad Balanced | |
| : | - Impedance Matched | |
| : | - Transformer Coupled | |
| : | - Fully discrete | |
| Output Stage | : | - High Voltage Electrostatic Class-A |
| : | - Balanced | |
| Chassis Dimensions | : | 44.4 x 44.4 x 7 cm (WxDxH) |
| Weight | : | 17 kg |
| Product Feet | : | M6X1 Thread |
| Included Accessories | : | User Manual |
| : | Ground Cable | |
| : | IEC Power Cord |