Maximise your headphone sound with this discounted headphone amp/DAC

If you're looking for a premium digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) and headphone amplifier for a pair of the best audiophile headphones, you should seriously consider the Sennheiser HDV 820.

Why? Well, it's one of our favourites, despite being awarded four stars. It delivers a refined, informative presentation with fluid dynamics. It also boasts a fine build and finish.

But there's one other reason you should consider it: because it is currently selling for £1499 at Richer Sounds. That's a not to be sniffed at £600 discount.

It has been seen at this price before, but because it's such a generous discount, we want to highlight it again.

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Sennheiser HDV 820: was £2,100 now £1,499 at Richer Sounds

A four-star headphone amp/DAC that boasts support for up to DSD256 and 32-bit/384kHz PCM music files as well as one of the largest sets of connectivity options from any amp/DAC out there. It's smooth, sophisticated, and a pleasure to use. Now discounted by £601.

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In our four-star Sennheiser HDV 820 review, we used the amp with both the same brand’s HD800S headphones and the Beyerdynamic T1, a long-time favourite of ours. And our verdict?

“Regardless of headphones, the results are good. The Sennheiser has a crisp, precise delivery that sounds wonderfully refined,” is what we say in the review.

We are fans of the amp’s ability to “organise and interweave different musical strands to form a cohesive whole,” and “its pleasing dose of outright scale”. Adding to this, we say “large dynamic shifts are delivered with composure”.

It doesn’t quite have the bite or attack of the very best at the money, but it’s still a smooth and sophisticated performer – great if you like a huge dose of refinement from your headphone amp/DAC.

The Sennheiser ticks plenty of boxes in terms of connectivity. Unusually, there’s a traditional 6.3mm jack integrated into the three-pin XLR socket on the front of the unit.

You also get a four-pin XLR and a pair of 4.4mm Pentaconn jacks on the front, both of which allow a balanced connection to suitable headphones.

Another string to the HDV 820’s bow is that it can also act as a preamplifier thanks to the presence of both single-ended and balanced analogue inputs and outputs, plus a separate gain-adjustment to fine-tune the output for your power amp or active speakers.

The DAC functionality comes via a trio of USB, coaxial and optical digital inputs, with resolution limits of DSD256 and 32-bit/384kHz for PCM music files.

Add solid build quality and a great user experience to the mix, and you have a versatile amp with plenty going for it, not least a £600 discount over at Richer Sounds.

MORE:

Read our full Sennheiser HDV 820 review

Our pick of the best headphone amplifiers you can buy

And the best audiophile headphones we have tested

What is a headphone amplifier and why should you buy one?