Behringer HA-400

Behringer HA-400

The Behringer MICROAMP HA400 is an ultra-compact 4-channel stereo headphone amplifier for studio and stage monitoring. One stereo source, such as a mixer, audio interface or media player, feeds the HA400, and up to four listeners can hear that same mix at the same time, each setting their own headphone level. Instead of a passive splitter that divides one output and leaves every listener fighting over a single volume, the HA400 gives each output its own high-power stereo amplifier section, so levels stay independent and the sound stays clean even when the volume goes up.

Key features

• Four independent stereo high-power amplifier sections, one per listener
• Separate Phones Level control for each of the four channels
• One 6.35 mm stereo input feeding four 6.35 mm stereo headphone outputs
• Ultra-low-noise 4580 operational amplifiers for clean audio performance
• Works with practically all types of headphones, even at maximum volume
• DC 12 V adapter included, with an external 12 V, 150 mA power supply

Why a headphone amplifier instead of a splitter

When several people need to hear the same mix, a passive splitter is the cheap shortcut and it shows. The source output is shared rather than amplified, overall level drops, and listeners with different headphones end up compromising on one volume. The HA400 takes the opposite approach: four separate amplifier sections drive the four outputs, so each pair of headphones receives its own properly driven stereo signal. A vocalist who wants the mix loud and a guitarist who prefers it lower can both be satisfied in the same take, without touching the source level at all.

The amplifier sections use ultra-low-noise 4580 operational amplifiers, the same op-amp family found in full-size audio equipment. Behringer rates the headphone outputs at an impedance of approximately 80 Ohms with a maximum output level of approximately 40 mW into 100 Ohms, and the input accepts up to +15 dBu across an impedance of 100 kOhms, so it pairs comfortably with the headphone or line outputs of mixers and interfaces without being easily overdriven.

Where the HA400 earns its place

In a recording studio, the HA400 is the simple answer to tracking more than one musician at a time: everyone hears the backing mix or click while recording, and nobody has to pass a single pair of headphones around between takes. In rehearsal rooms and classrooms it lets a teacher and students, or a whole small group, listen together with individual levels. On a small stage or in a podcast setup it distributes one monitor feed to several listeners without adding a rack unit.

The unit itself is small at approximately 47 x 104 x 57 mm and approximately 0.37 kg, so it sits on a desk, a mixer top or inside a gig bag without ceremony. Behringer builds it with high-quality components and rugged construction for long life, which matters for a utility box that gets plugged in, moved and used every day.

Connecting and using the HA400

Connect a stereo cable from your source to the 6.35 mm stereo input, plug in the included DC 12 V adapter, then connect up to four pairs of headphones to the 6.35 mm stereo outputs. Set the source level first, then let each listener dial in their own level with the Phones Level control for their channel. Because the four channels are independent, changing one listener’s volume does not affect anyone else. Keep source levels sensible: if the input signal is already distorted, the HA400 will faithfully amplify that distortion to all four outputs.

The MICROAMP HA400 is a straightforward monitoring tool: one stereo mix in, four properly amplified headphone feeds out, each with its own volume. For studios, rehearsal spaces and shared listening setups that have outgrown a splitter cable, it solves the problem in a single compact box.

Buying guide: Amplifier Buying Guide

Complete your setup: Pair the Behringer HA-400 with the Behringer U-PHORIA UMC22 USB Audio Interface and the Behringer HPS3000 Wired Stereo Headphones.