> My next task will be coming up with a low powered headphone amp > that's =
powerful enough to drive my in-ear monitors successfully.

National used to make a 14-pin DIP IC: LM384. It can put out 5 watts =A0or =
so into 8 ohms with a heatsink soldered to pind 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12 (the mi=
ddle 6). Jameco still sells them for $1.59 each. And you can get the datash=
eet from them at:
http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/24096.pdf

If these are too much for your ears, there is the 8-pin DIP LM386; Jameco h=
as the LM386-3 which can drive up to 700 mW at 8 ohms, for $0.79 each. The =
datasheet is at:
http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/Products/ProdDS/24133.pdf

Texas Instruments (owner of National) has these listed as active devices. T=
hey are very simple to implement, unless you want Class-D operation, In whi=
ch case you're on your own as I have not built anything in that class.

Cheers,

Roger

PS. You never know, it might make a cool Circuit Cellar article (or Nuts & =
Volts).
--=20
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