The Total AirHead Package Contents
-
The Total AirHead
headphone amplifier
owner’s manual
Package Contents
1 Total AirHead
1 mini-to-mini cable
3 rubber adhesive feet
assorted adhesive Velcro feet
Toll Free: 8 0 0 - 8 2 8 - 8 1 8 4
2020
Gilkerson
Drive
Phone:
4 0 6 - 5 8 7 - 9 4 6 6
Bozeman,
MT
59715
Fax:
4 0 6 - 5 8 7 - 9 4 8 4
w w w . h e a d p h o n e . c o m
1
Getting to Know Your Total AirHead Amplifier
The Total AirHead
Hold your AirHead so that controls are facing you and the rubber battery door is up.
Across the front of the AirHead are a number of connections and controls.
1. Headphone Jack-On the far left is one of two headphone jacks that fit any 1/8”
(mini) headphone plug. (An adapter is needed if your headphones are terminated to
a 1/4” plug.)
2. Power Switch-The first switch on the left is the power switch. Turn the power switch
to the right, to ON, in order for the amp to function (for both battery pack or AC power).
In order to avoid battery drain, the power switch should be set to OFF when not using
the amp.
3. Power LED-To the right of the power switch is the green power LED, which indicates
whether the unit is ON (lit) or OFF (unlit).
4. Volume Control-Just to the right of the power LED is the volume control. Rotate the
volume control to the left to increase volume, and to the right to decrease volume. If
using different pairs of headphones with your AirHead, different headphone efficien-
cies will most likely mean that the volume level will need to be adjusted to achieve
adequate sound levels in the headphones.
5. Clipping Indicator-The clipping indicator flashes when the amp doesn’t have
enough voltage to drive the headphones. This can happen at peak passages when
listening at a fairly loud level and/or with high impedance headphones. It will also
flash when the batteries get too low in voltage to drive the headphones. Mainly, when
the clipping indicator starts to flash at music peaks, it’s time to change the batteries.
Learn more about the Clipping Indicator on page 9.
6. Crossfeed Switch-To the right of the clipping LED is the crossfeed switch. Turn the
3
switch to the right to the ON position, and the HeadRoom Crossfeed is engaged (for
6
normal stereo headphone listening). In the OFF position, the Crossfeed is bypassed
Power
Crossfeed
(for listening to mono or binaural recordings). Learn more about HeadRoom Cross-
LED
Switch
feed on page 8.
1
4
7
Headphone
Volume
Headphone
7. Headphone Jack 2-On the far right is the second headphone jack. You can connect
Jack 1
Control
Jack 2
two headphones to the AirHead at the same time. It’s best to use the same type of
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5
headphone, as the volumes will be somewhat different unless both headphones are
Power
the same efficiency.
Clipping
Switch
Indicator
2
3
Back of the Total AirHead
How to Hook Up the Total AirHead
If you rotate the AirHead 1/2 turn, you’ll see the back of the AirHead, with two ad-
ditional jacks, one on each corner.
8. Audio Input-The jack on the left is the audio input. The included mini-to-mini cable
connects the AirHead to your portable player via this input.
9. Power Input-The jack on the right is the power input, which allows you to use an AC
adaptor to power your AirHead at home or at the office. Visit www.headphone.com to
purchase an AirHead power supply.
Your AirHead has been supplied with a number of different feet. The rubber feet can
10. Battery Door-On the top of the AirHead is a battery door. To replace your batteries
be stuck to the bottom of the amp if you are simply going to place it on a tabletop. But
(the AirHead requires 4 AAA cells), simply pull up on the small tab sticking out of the
we like to attach the amp to the various source devices with the enclosed Velcoins.
back of the battery door. This will lift the entire rubber door. This exposes the bat-
First, remove the hook coins (the scratchy ones with all the miniature hooks) from
tery compartment; remove the old batteries and insert four new ones. (Note: always
their adhesive strip and stick them into the three circular foot wells on the bottom
replace all four batteries at once.)
of the amp.
Then, clean the surface where you want to mount your AirHead. On portable players
11. Gain Switch- The Total AirHead is now equipped with a high-low gain switch that
we recommend mounting the amp to the bottom side of your portable player with the
allows you to select a gain range appropriate for your headphones. You’ll find the
amp controls facing towards you. In this configuration the rubber door will act as a
switch by opening the rubber door and looking into the oval hole used by the door
non-slip foot and the players’ controls will tilt slightly towards you for easy access.
latching nub. Generally, you should use the low gain setting unless you can’t get the
Then, remove the loop coins from the strip, and stick them to the hook coin in the
amplifier loud enough with a particular combination of headphone and source, in
feet of the AirHead, adhesive side out. Carefully position the AirHead just above the
which case simply switch to the high gain position.
desired spot, then slowly and firmly push the AirHead against the surface. This should
stick the loop Velcoins into proper position. Carefully remove the AirHead leaving the
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loop coins, and then press each more firmly into place by hand.
Gain Switch
To hook up your AirHead to a source, plug one end of the included mini-to-mini cable
(under battery door)
into the AirHead’s audio input jack. Then, plug the other end of the mini-to-mini cable
into your audio source’s audio output jack. Most portable audio devices (CD, Mini-
Disc, and MP3 players; radios;etc.) provide one or more 1/8”audio output mini-jacks.
If your player has a line-out jack, use that. If not, use the headphone jack and turn
the volume on the player to the maximum. Then use the AirHead’s volume control to
change the volume.
If your audio source has dual (left/right) RCA jacks, you’ll need to purchase an RCA-
High
Low
to-stereo miniplug cable (often called a portable cable) that connects to your source’s
Gain
Gain
RCA jacks and then connects to the AirHead via the miniplug.
Plug your headphones into either of the two headphone jacks on the AirHead. If
your headphones are terminated to a 1/4” headphone plug, it may detach to reveal
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10
9
an 1/8” plug, or you may need to purchase a 1/4”-to-1/8” adaptor available at www.
Audio
Battery
headphone.com.
Input
Door
Power
Input
4
5
Tips and Tricks
Frequently Asked Questions
Connecting your headphones to the AirHead
It’s always a good safety measure to turn the amp OFF (or turning the volume all the
Q. How long do the batteries last on my AirHead?
way down) before connecting or disconnecting your headphones.
A. The AirHead and Total AirHead can be powered for approximately 40 hours on 4
AAA batteries.
Break-In Time
Both headphones and headphone amplifiers require “break-in” (often called “burn-
Q. What type of power supply do I need to use with the Total Airhead?
in”) time before they provide optimal performance. Using your new headphone amp
A. Power supplies are available for sale on our website, or you can buy them from
and/or headphones for about 40 hours should provide sufficient break-in time. If
most electronic stores. The Airheads can take anywhere from 5 to 12 VDC with a cur-
you’d prefer some unattended burn-in, the easiest way to do this is connect your sys-
rent rating greater than or equal to 200mA. The center tip is positive and the tip size
tem (source, AirHead, and headphones) as described on page 5; turn the AirHead on
is a 5.5mm outer diameter and 2.1mm inner diameter.
and set it to a normal listening volume; and then place your audio source in “repeat”
mode and begin playback.
Q. Does HeadRoom recommend using rechargeable batteries?
A. For the best sound quality, we do not recommend using rechargable batteries.
Adjusting the Volume
When adjusting the volume, turn the volume on your portable source from 3/4 to full
Q. Do you make a bag to carry my Total Airhead?
volume if it doesn’t have a line out. Then use the volume control on the amp to adjust
A. Yes, HeadRoom makes several bags that can accomodate your Mobile Line amp.
the level. If you do have a line out feature on your source, then you will want to plug
Visit ww.headphone.com/products/system-bags to see the GigaBag, Complete Head-
your mini-to-mini cable in to that; and adjust the volume on your AirHead. If your
Case, and other carrying cases made especially for your mobile line amp.
Airhead still seems too quiet, adjust the gain switch to ‘High gain setting’.
Q. Can the unit drain the batteries even when it’s turned off?
Using two pair of headphones with the AirHead
A. It will not drain your batteries, but if you are storing the unit for a period of time, it
You can run two pair of headphones off your AirHead provided that they are of similar
is a good idea to remove the batteries to prevent accidental leakage.
impedance levels. Consult www.headphone.com or your headphone manufacturer’s
website to confirm your headphones’ impedance level. (The AirHead is able to drive
Q. What headphones are my AirHead able to drive?
headphones of different impedance levels; however the volume level will not be the
A. With the exception of AKG K-1000’s and electrostatic headphones, your AirHead
same between the two pair of headphones.)
can drive any pair of headphones.
Rubber and Velcro Feet for the AirHead
You will find 3 rubber feet included with your AirHead, which you may stick to the cor-
responding divets on the bottom of the AirHead. You will also find Velcoins made out
of both hook (the scratchy side) and loop (the softer side). Attach the hook Velcoins
to the bottom of your AirHead in the corresponding divets. The loop Velcoins are to
be used anywhere that you may want to attach the AirHead, such as the back of your
portable player, on your computer, or inside a HeadRoom Bag.
Storing the AirHead
As with most electronic devices, we recommend removing the batteries from the Air-
Head when storing the unit for a long period of time. Even though the AirHead will not
drain the batteries when it’s turned off, batteries sometimes leak, which can damage
6 the unit.
The GigaBag
The Complete HeadCase
7
What does the HeadRoom Crossfeed Do?
What does the Clipping Indicator Do?
Imagine you are listening to a pair of speakers. If you turn off the left speaker, both
Next is the clipping indicator, a frosted red LED that lights up every time the amp
ears hear the sound from the right speaker. But because the left ear is slight farther
clips. “Clipping” is what happens when the signal tries to get bigger than the power
away than the right ear, it hears the speaker’s sound slightly after the right ear; about
supply voltage, which it can’t, and the peaks in the signal get “clipped” off. The result
300 miliSeconds. This time difference is called the “inter-aural time difference” and
is a miserable crackling sound.
it is the main thing your brain listens for in order to tell where to place sound left-to-
right.
But in the case of the AirHead, the clipping indicator not only tells you when you’ve
got a hot signal, it also tells you when your batteries are low. Because we’re using
But in headphones if you turn off the left channel, only the right ear hears the sound.
multi-voltage “rail-to-rail” interated circuit chips, the AirHead will run on a wide range
In headphones, if there is any sound that is only in the left channel, or only in the
of voltages. And because “normal listening level” will vary widely due to the vary-
right channel, then only that ear hears the sound. This is not natural, and you brain
ing impedances of headphones on the market, we can’t really estimate how long the
becomes fatigued trying to figure out where sound is coming from when only one ear
AirHead “should” run on a set of batteries. (The battery voltage may lower to clipping
is hearing it. This tends to create an audio image that is a blob on the left, blob on the
after 20 hours of use with a difficult-to-drive pair of AKGs, but you might get 60 or
right and a blob in the middle.
more hours of use at a comfortable listening level when driving a pair of efficient
Grados.) We realized that a clipping indicator on the ever-diminishing voltage of a set
HeadRoom amplifiers cure the problem by allowing you to cross-feed a little of the left
of batteries would be the best low battery indicator of all. For a given volume level at
and right channels across to each other through a short time delay using the proces-
your headphones, the battery voltage will eventually get lower than the signal, and
sor switch. The usefulness of the circuit varies depending on what type of recording
the clipping indicator will start to blink with the louder bits of the music. If the clip-
you are listening to; mono and binaural recordings need no processor at all. Old stu-
ping indicator starts blinking more and more at your normal listening volume, it’s a
dio recordings that have instruments panned hard left or right, benefit greatly from
sign that your batteries are on their way out and need to be changed soon.
the processor. Live and classical recordings miked from a distance benefit somewhat
less, and can often be listened to without the processor quite comfortably.
Plain
With
30 degrees
Headphones
HeadRoom
off axis
The crossfeed switch in HeadRoom
amplifiers allow you to cross-feed a
Far ear
Near ear
little of the left and right channels
hears
hears
across to eachother through a short
slight delay.
sound first.
time delay.
An example of the input signal, and the output signal clipping.
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8
HeadRoom Product Guaranty & Warranty
Product Exchanges & Shipping
HeadRoom 30 Day Guaranty
Equipment Exchanges
Unless specifically stated otherwise, all HeadRoom purchases come with a 30-day
If you would like to exchange your purchase for another item, you have two options.
satisfaction guaranty in order to give you the opportunity to evaluate your purchases.
You can simply purchase the item you want, and send the item you don’t want back
We’re happy to provide you with the opportunity to refund or exchange your product,
for refund within 30 days of the original purchase (don’t forget to fill out the back of
but to keep costs down we do have a few conditions.
the Return & Exchange card and include it with your return). We will refund your credit
Products must be returned to us within 30 days of the date you receive the prod-
card after we receive the item. Or, you can send your product back as an exchange,
uct. So make sure you try your purchase out right away! Products must be in “as-
and indicate the product you would like on the Return card. We will adjust your credit
new” condition. This means that they’re in pristine cosmetic condition, functioning
card accordingly and ship you the new item. Replacement products are shipped to
perfectly, and include ALL materials (plastic bags, warranty cards, tie wraps, etc). In
you as soon as possible, typically within 3-5 days provided the replacement item is
other words, please send products back exactly as you received them. If a product is
in stock.
returned within the 30-day return period, but is not in “as-new” condition, we will
charge you a 15% restocking fee plus any labor and materials required to return the
Defective Equipment Exchanges
product to “as-new” condition. Sorry, but after your 30 day trial, products are no
In the uncommon event of receiving a defective product, contact us and we will ship
longer exchangeable or refundable.
out a replacement product to you at no cost as soon as possible, typically within 3-5
If you’re having trouble with a headphone amp or system, please contact us first
days provided the replacement item is in stock. You will receive the replacement item
to troubleshoot the problem. You can email Sales, (sales@headphone.com) or call
along with a return shipping label and a card to include with the defective item to
800.828.8184. If we can fix it while you’ve still got the product, everyone’s happy!
return to HeadRoom. Important: Fill in your name and original invoice number of
your order on the card and return the item to HeadRoom within 2 weeks. If we have
HeadRoom Manufactured Products under Warranty:
not received the product after 2 weeks (allowing shipping time) we will charge your
The HeadRoom Total AirHead amps are warrantied for two years. If anytime within the
credit card the amount of the defective item. Please understand that we enforce this
first two years of your purchase you have a problem with your Total AirHead, you can
policy as an incentive for customers to get defective equipment back to us as soon
return it for repairs under the terms of our 30 Day Guaranty.
as possible.
HeadRoom is the only authorized service center for HeadRoom products, either in or
out of warranty. If a unit is under warranty, there is no cost for the repair labor, parts,
Shipping Products back to HeadRoom
or shipping from HeadRoom back to you (i.e., You’re responsible for paying the ship-
Please ship products back in the original shipping box (or another that is comparable);
ping charges to get the product to us).
please don’t send headphones back in JUST the headphone box, as it’s a sure bet
that they will no longer be in “as-new” condition when we receive them! We HIGHLY
Out of Warranty Repairs
recommend that you ship returns using an insured and “signature required” delivery
If you have an older HeadRoom amp that is out of warranty, call us at 800.828.8184
method—we can’t be responsible for lost or damaged packages. Finally, don’t forget to
ext.104 or email service@headphone.com to troubleshoot the problem with our Ser-
include the completed Return & Exchange card and WRITE YOUR NAME on the outside
vice Department. Upgrades fees are calculated by labor and parts costs. HeadRoom’s
of the box!
non-warranty repair rate is $100 per hour (billed in 1/2 hour increments) plus parts. If
Return Products to:
Contact Us:
the cost of the repair is over $100, we will call you with an estimate. Repairs are con-
ducted only on HeadRoom products. When we receive the equipment, we will initiate
repairs and upgrades within 1-2 weeks and return the unit to you. You are responsible
HeadRoom
www.headphone.com
for shipping costs to and from HeadRoom for all non-warranty repair items.
Attn: Returns
Toll Free: 800-828-8184
2020 Gilkerson Drive
Phone:
406-587-9466
10
Bozeman, MT 59715
Fax:
406-587-9484
11
A Word About Your Hearing
People have a natural tendency to listen to music at much louder levels with headphones
than they would with speakers. To avoid permanent hearing damage, it’s important to be
careful not to listen at extremely loud levels (or to listen for too long at moderately loud
levels). Because HeadRoom amps need to be able to drive even the most inefficient dynamic
headphones to satisfactory listening levels, they are also able to drive headphones of av-
erage or higher efficiencies to extremely high levels. As a result, even though the volume
control on your HeadRoom amp may appear to be set to a low level, you may not be listening
at a safe level. Generally speaking, when listening to headphones you should only turn up
the volume to the point at which the sound isn’t too quiet.
As a general rule, sound pressure levels under 80 decibels will not damage hearing, even
if experienced continually. On the other hand, anything over 100 decibels may cause per-
manent damage very quickly. Sustained exposure to sound pressure levels anywhere in
between can also be damaging —the louder the sound, the shorter the time required to
cause permanent damage.
Just to drive this message home, here’s a bit of information about hearing damage. The
most common type of damage caused by prolonged or excessively loud sound is called tin-
nitus. It manifests itself as a sustained buzzing and/or ringing in the ears, and can become
a permanent condition.
If you find that your ears are ringing or that there is a sensation of pressure or fatigue, your
body is trying to tell you that your ears need a break. Give them a rest for a few days (or until
they feel fresh). If you ignore these symptoms, you’re risking permanent hearing damage.
In addition, don’t fool yourself into thinking that you either have full-blown tinnitus or you
don’t have it at all—there are different degrees of hearing damage. For example, you might
have a mild case where you only notice ringing in your ears in the quiet of your bedroom at
night. However, once you have a slight case of tinnitus, your ears are much more suscep-
tible to further damage. So if you do experience mild symptoms, it’s important to be much
more careful about your exposure to loud sounds.
Sorry to sound so sobering, but a lifetime of musical enjoyment requires ears in tiptop
shape. Now that we’ve told you to be careful, don’t blame us if you blow it. If you have any
more questions about hearing damage, call a doctor.
Contacting HeadRoom
Toll Free: 8 0 0 - 8 2 8 - 8 1 8 4
2020
Gilkerson
Drive
Phone:
4 0 6 - 5 8 7 - 9 4 6 6
Bozeman,
MT
59715
Fax:
4 0 6 - 5 8 7 - 9 4 8 4
w w w . h e a d p h o n e . c o m
12
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