Behringer HA400 or ART HeadAmp 4?

[fluffy_little_something]

I want to buy a small headphone preamp so that I don't have to plug and unplug my phones all the time anymore.

So, those two devices seem very similar in their architecture, but the ART is about three times as expensive. Is it worth the price, i.e. what are the differences? What is most important to me is very good audio quality, so no distortion, noise, etc.
The obvious difference is that the ART has both 1/4 and 1/8 inch connectors, the Behringer only 1/4 inch ones. But that alone can't account for the giant difference in price.

Also, I will plug the preamp into the stereo line out of my soundcard, and then both my phones and my desktop speakers into two of the four preamp outputs. Is the latter a problem? The speakers are active of course, but I am not sure if one can drive them from a headphone preamp, you know, in terms of ohms, watts etc.

[fluffy_little_something]

Ordered the ART. Judging from comments on the Internet Behringer stuff is not the most solid and reliable

[fluffy_little_something]

I had ordered the ART Headamp 4, but got the better 5 instead because the 4 was no longer in stock. Its regular price is almost twice, but it didn't cost me a dime more

Love the way it makes my speakers and headphones come alive, a headphone amp sounds so much better than the weak headphone out of my desktop speakers, let alone the noisy out of my computer case front panel

Now everything is connected via the preamp and quality cables directly to the soundcard output

[mztk]

was reading a Marshall Jefferson Q+A thread(on Gearslutz) where he says he
uses a valve headphone preamp(think he went geek and changed the valve
to a 12 AX7 or something) because it reduces/eliminates listening fatigue.

anyway: when Behringer and ART both did the same style of 'valve' mic preamp,
ART came out ahead in terms of desirability/performance. for what it worth.

[fluffy_little_something]

Hehe, no idea who that is and what that is

But yes, I also expect ART stuff to be better than Behringer, after all it costs much more

[mztk]

meh basically valve anything gotta be good
have had that utter conviction since my laney cube guitar amp
but that had to go, far too loud. great sound, lousy playing.