i noticed after encoding with previous setup that the amplifier gets a little louder with the phones but not so much that loud just loud enough to get a little better feeling with the music when you want some good energy at certain points. i dont think it will get any much louder unless you try some different things although i tried enough to think my way about that idea that the player doesnt really get very much louder unless you get a better more expensive kind so. right now im using a nw-a55 with jlab studio headphones and i try to make it worth my while. i just want to hear Tool play the best way i can make out so its good to play with this but i need to find definitely a higher end sony player to put my work to.