Investigation

For those who relish a spot of 'personal listening' from time to time there's no shortage of good DAC/headphone amplifier combinations to tempt. Portable solutions don't come much better than the RHA Dacamp L1 [HFN May '17] and iFi Audio's xDSD [HFN Jul '18] – both priced around £400.

Then there's the £520 Klipsch Heritage Headphone Amplifier. Look beyond the slightly folksy 'log cabin' styling – all wood finish and copper-effect controls – and you'll find a fine example of the genre. Reviewed in the Dec '18 issue, its file-handling – up to 192kHz/24-bit and DSD256 – combined with its punchy, open sound, plus impressive headphone-driving ability, give it wider audio appeal than its retro styling might suggest.