headphonedriverforlo-zphones

Headphone Driver for Lo-Z Phones

Higher Impedance Input and Some Power Gain for Those Cheap Dollar Store Headphones.

While far from being a new idea, here is one way to add some gain and higher impedance input to those cheap 32 ohm headphones.

For hams doing homebrew receivers, this lets you use an op-amp for the AF output and then this amplifier outboard as a boost amp. It will even drive a small speaker.

Almost any small signal PNP and NPN transistors will usually work, as long as they can handle a couple hundred milliwatts and are fairly evenly matched for DC current gain (beta). If you have them available try a 2N3904 (NPN) and a 2N3906 (PNP).