Samson QH4 4-Channel Headphone Amplifier Review

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Samson QH4 is one of those products designed for professional musicians but also makes sense for non-professionals who simply want to share their music with others while wearing headphones. The Samson QH4 is “a 4-channel headphone amplifier designed to distribute your audio to up to four individual headphones, each with its own volume control.” And there’s much more. 

What makes the Samson QH4 stand out for me is the fact that it can be used in the studio, with a desktop or even with a smartphone or tablet.

Features:

  • 4-channel stereo headphone distribution amplifier
  • Four independent 1/4″ stereo headphone channels
  • Individual volume control on each headphone channel
  • Two balanced 1/4″ input connectors
  • Stereo 1/8″ Aux input and output
  • Master Mute and Mono-summing switches

The 4-channel headphone amplifier is designed to let you take the audio from one source and distribute to up to four individual headphones. That way each of the four individuals can be listening to the same thing. More than that, however, each output channel on the Samson QH4 has its own volume control. The QH4 is small. In fact, it is compact enough that it can go wherever you might want, and need, to use it.

On the top, you have the four individual volume controls. Sitting above them is the control for the Master volume. To its left is a mute button and to the right is a button to switch to mono.

The four independent high-power amplifier channels deliver clean, crisp audio to up to four sets of headphones, operating between 16–600?. And power does not diminish even when all four channels are being used. Engineered with an ultra-low noise floor and wide dynamic range, the QH4 is a tremendous value compared to other headphone amplifiers on the market. Also, the QH4’s Master volume control and Mute switch make controlling the overall level of your headphones a breeze.

On one side of the QH4 features two balanced 1/4″ inputs to connect four stereo 1/4″ headphone outputs. Because the outputs are 1/4″ ports, you will either need a pair of studio headphones that have 1/4″ ports or adapters to use with the usual 3.5mm plugs that you will find on most wired headphones.

The other side of the QH4 has two balanced 1/4″ inputs that can be used to connect to a mixer or recording interface. That, of course, is for use by professionals. As I mentioned, however, the QH4 has something to offer to non-professionals who simply want to have a headphone listening-session with friends. That’s accomplished by the stereo 1/8″ Aux input. It is, as Samson notes, “perfect for playing music via your smartphone or another line level device.”

Finally, the QH4 also provides a 1/8″ Aux Out. That means the QH4 can be daisy chained and multiple QH4s can be used together.

Also for professionals, is the ability to check the mono compatibility of tracks on the go. As Samson explains,

Check Your Phase: Before bouncing your mix, you should always check to ensure that it’s compatible with mono speaker systems. The QH4 features a global Mono button, which allows you to quickly check the mono compatibility of your tracks. If you notice that some of your audio is missing, you should check the phase of your recordings. This feature also allows you to take a split left and right feed from a stereo interview and send both tracks to each side of your headphones. This is great for quickly monitoring a podcast or recording with split tracks.

Specifications:

  • Inputs: 2 x 1/4″ balanced, stereo 1/8″ unbalanced TRS
  • Outputs: 4 x stereo 1/4″ unbalanced, stereo 1/8″ unbalanced TRS
  • Controls: Master volume, master Mute, Master Mono, 4 x Channel volume
  • Noise Floor: -114dBu, 22k BW unweighted
  • Maximum Output: 8.3 dBu, 1% THD+N, loaded 16R
  • Output Power: 282mW per side / 564mW per channel, loaded 32?
  • Dynamic Range: 22dB, 22k BW
  • Frequency Response: 17Hz–47kHz (-3dB)
  • Power: 15VDC adapter

Whether you’re tracking multiple performers in a studio, recording a podcast, watching a video with friends or just kicking back listening to some tunes, the QH4 provides great sound at an amazing value.

Samson can claim the QH4 is “an amazing value” because it is just $69.99. Yes, for $69.99 you can get the Samson QH4 and share your music with your friends or get to work in your studio. Whether you are a professional or simply a music lover, I can see a multitude of uses for the QH4. Check it out here.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: Affordable; Good for professionals and non-professionals alike; Each of the four headphone outputs has its own volume control

What Needs Improvement: Nothing. If this is an item that fits into your musical appreciation or creation this will be a great, and affordable, addition to your audio gear

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.