Table of contents
Introduction
The headphone amplifier category is in the middle of a subtle but important shift. Manufacturers are leaning harder into DAC/amp combos, and we’re seeing fewer all-analog, purpose-built amplifiers hitting the market. That’s not a sign of decline — it’s companies trying to navigate tariffs, shrinking margins, and changing consumer expectations. But dedicated headphone amps still matter, and the reasons haven’t changed: more power, cleaner signal paths without a DAC baked in, more output options, and a level of sonic refinement that combo units rarely match.
What has changed is how selective the field has become. The models featured here aren’t theoretical “best buys.” They’re the dedicated headphone amps we actually spent time with in 2025 — the ones that delivered real power, real control, and genuinely impressive sound with a wide range of headphones. These units earned their place through hands-on listening, not hype, and they represent the best of what this shrinking-but-still-essential category has to offer at some interesting price points.
Best Headphone Amplifiers of 2025
Apos x Community Gremlin ($120)
The Apos x Community Gremlin is one of those “this shouldn’t exist at this price” products. For $120, you get a Class A, fully balanced tube headphone amp that outputs 1250mW at 32Ω, handles everything up to 600Ω, and ships with a matched pair of Apos Ray 12AU7 tubes so it’s ready to use out of the box. Gremlin is the first genuinely affordable balanced tube amp, and while the open-frame, DIY-style chassis won’t win any beauty contests, it makes tube rolling easy and keeps costs brutally low. The amp supports both 6922 and 12AU7 tubes, runs off an 18-24V DC supply, and offers balanced I/O via XLR and 4.4mm connections. Specs impress for the price: 110dB SNR, 0.01% distortion, 104dB channel separation, and a frequency response of 20Hz-50kHz.
Sonically, the Gremlin delivers the lush mids, smooth highs, and musical warmth people expect from small-signal tubes—without the background hiss or anemic output that plagues cheap tube gear. It has enough current to properly drive full-size dynamics, enough voltage swing for high-impedance headphones, and enough headroom that even 300-600Ω models feel alive rather than strained. At $120, nothing else offers this combination of output power, balanced topology, low noise, and tube character. If you’ve ever wanted to dip into tube amplification, roll tubes, or add a “fun” amp to your stack without blowing your budget, the Gremlin is easily one of the best bargains in personal audio right now.
Go to full review | $120 at Apos Audio
Feliks Audio Echo Vibe ($1,095)
The Feliks Audio Echo Vibe is a handcrafted OTL (output-transformerless) tube headphone amplifier from Poland that runs warm, looks gorgeous, and sounds even better. Delivering 350mW of output power, it may not win on paper specs, but it more than makes up for it in musicality—breathing new life into high-impedance dynamic headphones with a lush, dynamic, and holographic presentation. The Echo Vibe trades brute force for finesse, offering wide soundstage depth, pinpoint imaging, and a natural tonal balance that’s more neutral than syrupy. Its wood-accented chassis and tactile controls give it that classic analog charm, while its dead-silent operation and sturdy build make it feel like old-school hi-fi done right. Planars can be hit or miss, but for Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, or ZMF fans, this amp is pure synergy—rich, expressive, and built to last.
Go to full review | $1,095 at HeadAmp
STAX SRM-400S ($1,299)
Few names carry as much weight in the headphone world as STAX, and the SRM-400S cements that reputation once again. Designed to anchor the brand’s next generation, this electrostatic amplifier replaces the SRM-353X with the same 400V maximum output, improved refinement, and classic STAX build quality. Delivering 60dB of gain with less than 0.01% harmonic distortion (1kHz/100Vrms), it’s engineered for precision and control while driving even the most demanding pro-bias electrostatic headphones like the Audeze CRBN2 or STAX SR-009S. With balanced XLR and RCA inputs, RCA pass-through, and the ability to power two electrostatic headphones simultaneously, the SRM-400S strikes an ideal balance between performance, craftsmanship, and value—an energizer that proves you don’t need to spend flagship money to get reference-level sound.
Go to full review | $1,299 at STAX
The Bottom Line
These three headphone amplifiers couldn’t be more different, and that’s exactly why they stand out. The Apos Gremlin costs about as much as taking the kids out for a halfway-decent meal these days, yet it delivers honest power, clean gain, and far better sound than anything at its price has any right to. Step up almost tenfold and you land on the Feliks Audio Echo Vibe, a warm-running OTL tube design that leans into tone, texture, and old-school charm without ever feeling sluggish — a reminder that great analog engineering still matters. And then there’s the STAX SRM-400S, a genuinely affordable (for STAX) electrostatic amplifier that shocked us with how composed, dynamic, and controlled it is for the money. Three wildly different approaches, three very different price brackets, all proving that great amplification doesn’t come in one flavor — and that the best surprises in 2025 came from the edges of the category.
Related Reading:
- Best DAC/Amps: Editors’ Choice
- Best Audiophile Headphones: Editors’ Choice
- Podcast: Best Wireless Headphones & Earbuds of 2025
- Latest Editors’ Choice Awards
